Hi again...another update! Our stay in the bay of Islands was really nice, although we did not visit everything as we plan to head back there in a few days to stay with Tom's old history teacher for a little while. During our few days there, we stayed in Paihia, which is a really lively little town, however it is clearly a tourist hotspot. There are endless rows of tour companies out to take your money, so you have to be very selective and not get carried away! Our stay was a fairly relaxed one! Rather than hopping on the jet boats and ferries, or being hoisted several hundred feet in the air by a parasail, we spent the majority of our visit exploring the towns and strolling along the beautiful beaches. The boys bought snorkels which were good fun. I had a little try and really emjoyed it...it wasn't the best location for spotting fish, but was perfect for getting used to using the equipment. It was quite cool to be able to breath under the water!
From the Bay of Islands, travelled North again right to the tip of New Zealand, where we stayed on another DOC campsite. The coastline here was a real contrast to that of the Bay of Islands - much more exposed and rugged, and far few fewer people! The nearest shop was a good 20 miles away I'd say, so again we were pretty isolated! Our tents were pitched in a beautiful loocation, could unzip the door and look out onto the sea...which was pretty impressive in itself...lots of big crashing waves and jagged rocks! During our stay here, we did a two hour walk along the coastline to Cape Reinga - the northern most accessible point in New Zealand. About half an hour into the walk however, I had blister problems and ended up doing the rest of it in my socks! But I made it nevertheless! Cape Reinga is lovely and fortunately we got there early enough to escape the coach loads of tourists that flock there everyday! There is a lovely little windswept lighthouse, and you can see the spot where the Pacific ocean meets the Tasman sea, generating some impressive wave collisions! There is also a signpost that points to London - 9735 miles away! Reminded me just how far away from home we really are! All in all, a really nice place to stay...only downside was the mosquitos, which have certainly had a feast on me these past couple of days!
We have now travelled South down the west coast and are staying on a campsite in a town called Ahipara. There are some pretty impressive sand dunes nearby which apparently you can toboggan down, so that may feature in the next couple of days. After that, we plan to make our way back to the Bay of Islands where we will be staying in Kerikeri for a bit.
Miss you all...Clarexxxx
