Monthly Archives: March 2015

I went up the East Coast from Auckland to Northland and I decided to drive back down the West Coast. I am glad I did as it is an amazing drive. You travel through so many different kinds of scenery, it is like being in different countries, as the landscape is so different. I found this throughout the North and South Islands.

I set off alongside the 90 mile beach again in the dry desert like climate.

90 mile beach.

I then passed through countryside that was tropical forest, just like jungle. There was a National Park that I went for a walk in. It was proper Tarzan country.

Tropical forest

View of the forest canopy

I drove on from the tropical forest and within 15 minutes, I was again in rolling English countryside. …… Weird!

Pastureland

Everywhere I looked was beautiful scenery and views. I can to get used to this wherever I was in New Zealand.

At about 6pm, I passed through a really beautiful little village with a pub and village green, alongside a lake.

Art gallery

Beautiful view along the lake.

I thought about stopping for the night, but decided to drive on to the next town. I drove about 3km further and the road came to an end! It wasn’t marked on the map, but the road ends and a car ferry is needed to take you across the lake to continue the journey. This is the main west coast highway and there was nobody around!

I had 45 minutes until the last ferry turned up and went to the end of the jetty, took in the view and meditated.

The road just ended and there was a ramp into the water and a sign on hooks that said ferry in operation, so I assumed I hadn’t missed the last one. I sat and looked out over the lake as the sun set went down. There was absolutely no one else around and it was magical. I meditated at the end of the jetty in the photo.

The ferry arriving for me.

I arrived on the other side of the lake as the sun went down and it was another stunning village. They had a small quayside and I parked up for the night. Here are some of the views I had from the village of Rawene.

Sunset from the middle of town.

Sunset from the quayside.

My van is top left of the photo and I made dinner on a picnic table on the quayside. It was a hot and still evening and all I could here were fish jumping in the lake and birds wading in the water.

It was one of the most magical days and nights I have ever had. The weather was hot and balmy and there was no wind. I had seen all of the different kinds of scenery above in the 1 day and I ended up in a really beautiful little place, which was still and quiet. It was a full moon and I lay in bed with the doors and windows open, looking out over the lake, watching and hearing the splashes of fish jumping. There were picnic tables for dinner and a toilet and a fresh water tap right by the van, so it was perfect.

I woke to another beautiful day. I was right next to a cafe on stilts and a beautiful bed and breakfast building.

Great spot for a cafe. On the quayside, next to where I camped for the night.

Bed and breakfast.

Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand

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So, having had a proper go at the guys in the camper office, I set off. I had absolutely no plan of where I was going. One of the guys in the office said that the Bay of islands was about 3 hours away and a nice beach resort, so that is where I set off towards.

The Bay of islands is on the East coast directly north of Auckland and I drove for about 3 hours to about 15km away and parked up for the night. I had a good sleep and woke to a perfect sunrise and a good mood of adventure. I drove to the outskirts of Paihia and stopped next to a little beach and had breakfast. It was one of the most picturesque setting possible. I decided to meditate here as well and was truly set up for the day.

Nice spot for breakfast. Can you see the dolphin in the water?

I drove into Waikato and noticed how crowded it was. I had heard on the radio that the weekend was a 3 day public holiday called Waikato weekend. Now, Waikato is the northern part of Paihia and when the British settlers landed in NZ, they did so near here. After a few skirmishes with the local Maoris they signed a peace deal called the Waikato Treaty that started modern day New Zealand. It was the 175th anniversary on the day I was there. Present in the town that day was the Prime Minister and dignitaries, hundreds of Maoris demonstrating that they got a raw deal in the treaty, thousands of white New Zealanders to commemorate the day and for some reason, loads and loads of hells angels on Harley’s looking menacing, as well as lots and lots of Police. Anyway, the place I wanted to see was a waterfall on a walk, but the only way to get to it was down a road which also led to the treaty ground. Needless to say, the road was absolutely chocker block with cars, so I turned around and decided to drive up to the northern tip of the North Island.

My friend Jo had told me several times about Cape Reina on the northern tip of the North Island. This is where the Pacific Ocean and the Tazmin sea meet and you can actually see the 2 oceans collide. It was a 6 hour drive, but the scenery was great. The north of the North Island is called Northland and it is sub tropical, so I saw the landscape change as I drove. It is pretty tropical in Waikato and with lush green vegetation. I then drove through parched farm pastureland and small towns that looked like they were in mid west america. Lots of pick up trucks and 4 x 4’s and surprisingly loads of fast food drive throughs which was disappointing.

Pastureland like in the UK

Wild flowers on the side of the roads

Heathland like in Scotland

As I neared the northern tip the road ran alongside 90 mile beach which is exactly what the name suggests. I stopped to have a stroll and look at the beach and sea and immediately noticed the hot temp and the loud sound of crickets and other noisy insects of the tropics.

90 Mile beach

I carried on driving and about 5 km from the northern point of Cape Raina I took a turn down a track to a government camp site. These are dotted all over the country and have basic facilities i.e. toilets and maybe cold showers and bbq areas. The cost £5 per night and are in beautiful sites. This one was in a beautiful bay with an empty beach and estuary, surrounded by a hillside of and trees.

The bay where the campsite was situated, just before Cape Reina.

I went for a run up the hill and along to Cape Raina and the view was incredible. As Jo had told me, you can actually see the 2 oceans colliding. The air was warm and fresh and it was a fantastic feeling of freedom to be in this place. This was my first exercise for quite a while and although it was a hard run of over an hour, taking in some big hills, it past off fine with only a small ache from my ribs. I cooked a great pasta meal and had a couple of beers and went to bed very happy and feeling great.

Me about to eat on the camp site. It was an amazing setting.

They even have better looking sea gulls in New Zealand that in the UK.

Giant sand dunes that people were sad surfing down

Me just before the lighthouse at the very northern tip of New Zealand.

The currents of 2 Oceans actually visibly colliding. The Tazmin Sea of the left and the Pacific Ocean on the right.

Beautiful view of a beach on the Tazmin coast from Cape Reina

The next day I drove up to Cape Reina and then headed South again, minded of the fact that I had said i would give back the van in 7 days and not the original 30 days.

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Monthly Archives: March 2015

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The Drive South From Cape Reina

Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand