Allisi

Well, would you believe it….I have already arrived at my last stop before heading back home. Time flies…

Anyway, after leaving the Coromandel Peninsula I spend one day in Auckland with Lea. We had a great time heading over to Devonport. I am glad that she is doing absolutely fine. Then I drove a bit further up to Sandspit for one night stop over. But that was a lovely B&B with really friendly people and a Border Collie 😀 We chatted all evening and during breakfast so I left later then planned. But that was fine as I enjoyed their company very much.

Heading towards the west coast of Northland brought beautiful landscape with rolling hills and the sea close by. I drove through the Waipoua Forest which has the oldest and tallest Kaui trees. It is a very dark forest as the trees are really close to each other. But after leaving the forest the road brought me straight to the beach and the B&B was right there. Only a small garden and some steps separated my room from the beach. Wonderful!!! So from my bed I could watch the waves and the sea. Perfect!

I explored the area including Clendon House. A small cottage belonging to a British gentleman who was high I politics but lost all his money and left his young wives with eight children and lids of debts. But she was a strong person and managed it all on her own. Great history.

After a tasty lunch in the local cafe I headed up a hill via gravel roads (The blue of the car is by now almost invisible due to the mist from the sea at night, the dust is now baked firmly on the car 😂) to walk to a small waterfall. Nothing grand but a beautiful walk and almost nobody else around. Climbing up another lookout and down to the beach across many stones in the evening I joined a group to go back into the forest and learn more about the Maorie culture and the trees. Both ladies who guided us were so nice and knowledgeable. We visited Tane Mahute which is the tallest kauri tree and according to their history it was him, the Lord of the forest, that separated heaven and earth, his parents so that light came onto the earth and life would begin. He is quite a sight. We also went to the oldest kauri tree, Te Matua Ngahere, father of the forest. He is believed to be over 3500 years old. Kauri trees grow very slowly. They were harvested for years to built houses etc. Now sadly only 2% of the forest are left and the trees are threatened by a deasese that so far has no cure. So everybody walking intothr forest has to disinfect the shoes.

It was a great trip with Maori chanting when approaching the trees and interesting information. The group was two couples from the UK and a couple from Italy. Very nice people.

Well, today I drove for more then said hours. All the way up to Cape Reigna, where the Pacific ocean and the Tasman sea meet. It is what the Maori believe that the souls of the dead leave the earth to move to eternity. The sea wasn’t very rough so I couldn’t really see the difference in the water. But it should be visible when the water is rough.

Driving down from there I stopped along Ninty Mile Beach at the great sand dune. Sand everywhere…. But a real sight.

Then I made my way back on the other side down the east coast. Now I am at the Bay of Islands and hopping on a catamaran boat tomorrow. The weather so far ha been perfect. But for tomorrow I am hoping for some clouds. I don’t want to turn into a lobster….

We will see😎 See you soon!