01/11/2023
Following up on a walk suggested by our friends, we had come to Otorohanga by a rather indirect route to experience the Ruakuri Walk, close to Waitomo. This walk takes you on a looptrack up a deep gorge of pancaked limestone where natural erosion has shaped and sculpted the rock creating natural tunnels and caverns through which the stream flows. There are many observation platforms from where you are able to view these features. Also to be found in the large caverns are stalactites and stalagmites. This spectacular walk is another hidden gem and it's free.
Leaving the limestone country of Waitomo behind us we were on our way to Kawhia. Upon arrival we made the short drive to Ocean Beach where we climbed over the massive sand hills to walk on the beach before returning to Kawhia and settling in for the evening.
Our impressions of Kawhia were of a harmonius blend of the Maori and Pakeha cultures, very relaxed . The cultural carvings on the fence bollards and seat posts were novel and something we have not seen before.
02/11/2023
We liked Kawhia and it's laid back feel but we had to keep moving. Raglan was where we were now turning our focus. The route we took was intended to be more direct and take us past our next scenic attraction. However, as with others of my short cuts, this turned out to be a very winding, turning, undulating, rough dusty road. On the up side we saw beautiful scenery and the Bridal Veil Falls.
WOW!!!
Fifty five spectacular metres high with access to the top and bottom of the falls by 261 steps and worth every one of them.
An overcast sky with light showers greeted us at Raglan where we settled in at the motor camp close to the centre of town. Just a few metres away was a sand beach on Raglan harbour.
03/11/2023
Maybe the weather which was still rain showers this morning influenced our perceptions, but this highly regarded surfing town, which was much larger than we had envisaged, didn't really gel with us. Maybe we will revisit Raglan sometime in the future for a second look but for now we moved on with a definite overnight destination in mind. Another hour or so of twisting, turning and undulating roads - thankfully sealed this time - brought us to The Glen Afton Line Heritage Railway. The Bush Tramway Club was formed in 1965 by seven enthusiasts determined to save and restore as many industrial railway relics as they could from the Bush railways of the King Country and coal mines from the Huntly area. Over the past nearly sixty years this dedicated group and hundreds of volunteers have imassed and restored an impressive collection of railway locomotives, rolling stock and buildings. Based at Pukemiro on the disused Huntly to Glen Afton Branch Line, they regularly open their collection to the public. What a privilege to spend the afternoon and night parked among this tribute to an era passed. Just 15 kilometres west from Huntly, this is a must see for any train enthusiast.
Too much to photograph.
04/11/2023
First priority was to go to Huntly to refuel and walk the path around Lake Hakanoa which is an easy 3.6 kilometre loop. Pleasant enough although the bright green algal blooms are not such a good look. Lake Hakanoa is dominated, as is most of Huntly, by the view of the Huntly Power Station, New Zealand's only remaining coal fired power station, responsible for around 6% of New Zealand's Greenhouse emmissions. Although Unit 6 will run on 100% Natural Gas and Diesel, Huntly Power Station mainly burns coal shipped from Indonesia and trucked or railed from Auckland and Tauranga.
Port Waikato has interested me for a long time so that became our next stop. This was a nice enough coastal village where we found a small patrolled swimming beach and a well maintained garden park gifted to the public by the Cobourne family.
Port Waikato no longer interests me, in fact I found the Tuakau bridge over the Waikato River more interesting.
Not wanting to arrive in Auckland on a Friday at peak afternoon and evening traffic we settled on Waiuku as a good place to launch our assault on Auckland from. For our evening meal we visited 'The Kentish Hotel' where they claim to be the pub in New Zealand which has been operating continuously on the same liquor licence ( issued in 1853 ) for the longest time.
The Moutere Inn at Upper Moutere near Nelson claims to be the oldest pub in New Zealand to have operated from it's original premises, established 1850.
05/11/2023 - 07/11/2023
Arrived in Auckland with traffic flowing smoothly on the Southern Motorway and proceeded straight over the Harbour Bridge to meet our friend, Karen.
We suffered a stone hit to our windscreen on our approach to the motorway at Drury this morning which we couldn't have inspected until Monday, today being a Saturday. With this to do, other matters to attend to, spending time with Karen and generally catching up on chores a short break in our travels was required. We did find time to walk on the beautiful beach at Long Bay, one of the many Auckland Regional Parks, where we spent one of our nights in Auckland.
Also at Long Bay is the Vaughan Homestead which has been meticulously restored by the Torbay Historical Society. From this homestead the Vaughan family farmed around 1200 acres of Aucklands North Shore, which included what is now the regional park, from 1861 for about 100 years.
We also made a trip into Central Auckland where we watched people throwing themselves off the Sky Tower.
08/11/2023
We completed our tasks in Auckland yesterday afternoon and resumed our life on the road with a short drive up the East Coast Bays to the Auckland Regional Park at Wenderholm. With yet another golden sand beach and many magnificent very large Pohutukawa trees, Wenderholm is an idyllic location and a great asset to Auckland.
09/11/2023
We inflated our canoe this morning and took to the water to explore the lower Puhoi River in gorgeous sunny weather before continuing on our way.
A short diversion to the historic village of Puhoi and it's popular pub.
But the real aim for today was to snorkel in the Goat Island Marine Reserve at Leigh. Established in 1975, all marine life in the reserve is protected from fishing, collecting or disturbing. Even the rocks and drift wood are not to be removed. I had a wonderful time swimming with the fish, predominantly Snapper, which were completely unthreatened by my presence, even inquisitive, following me and getting very close at times.
The remainder of our day driving took us through Mangawhai Heads and Waipu Cove to the DOC camp at Uretiti Beach. To round the day off perfectly we were treated to a spectacular natural light show with a rainbow occuring in the sunset . It almost appeared to be pointing to Sail Rock.
10/11/2023
Wasted no time this morning so we could get under way early to the Waipu Caves as they are a very popular tourist attraction. After changing into warm clothing appropriate for wading in water up to waist height and the 12 - 14 °C inside the caves, it is a short walk to the caves entrance from the car park. Footwear with good grip on the soles is recommended as areas of the caves are very slippery. Torches or headlamps are necessary to proceed beyond the entrance cavern but once you are inside the caves you will see water sculpted limestone, stalactites, stalagmites and stunning glow worm displays when you turn your lights off. These are one of the best and most accessible cave systems we have been in and definitely worth the 12 to 15 kilometres diversion from State Highway One.
Onward through Whangerei to Urquharts Bay via the Whangarei Heads Road where we took a short walk to a lookout over Smuggler's Bay.
Our final stop for the day was a brief trip away at Ocean Beach. The coastal scenery just keeps getting more stunning as we progress north.
11/11/2023
Dominating the view of Whangarei Heads, Urquharts Bay and McLeod Bay is Mount Manaia.
Lured by the promise of exceptional views from it's 420 metre high summit, we laced on our hiking shoes and headed for the clouds.
Climbing steadily up the hundreds of steps we arrived at the summit where the promised vistas lay before us.
Immediately across Whangarei Heads is the Marsden Point oil refinery.
On our return to Whangarei we visited a few of the local attractions including Paranui Falls with it's large Kauri trees and raised canopy walkway.
Whangarei Falls are right in suburban Whangarei.
Two of the more art oriented buildings that grabbed our attention were the Hundertwasser Art Gallery with it's cross between Doctor Seuss and Salvador Dali appearance.
And the Camera Obscurra which is a walk in Pinhole Camera, inside which you can see an inverted image of the Bascule Bridge projected on the back wall.
Leaving city life behind again in favour of the Northland Coast, we found our resting place for the night at Whangaumu Bay where we shared sunset refreshments with some fellow motorhome enthusiasts.
12/11/2023
A late start today, lunch stop at Woolleys Bay and a slow meandering route to the Bay of Islands had us arriving at the NZMCA Park at Rainbow Falls, Kerikeri, late in the afternoon. Time for a look at the Rainbow Falls adjacent to the NZMCA parking area and a stroll along part of the Riverside Walkway, which follows the Kerikeri River, before settling in for the evening.
13/11/2023
To start our day we went to see the Stone Store at the Kerikeri Basin, claimed to be the oldest stone building in New Zealand. Alongside stands Kemp House, an early mission station, claimed to be the oldest building in New Zealand, presumably the oldest European building. Both buildings are superbly maintained in park like grounds with the Kemp House flower garden a mass of colour.
Our afternoon involved catching a ferry from Paihia to Russell for a look at this historic little town and to admire the Duke of Marlborough Hotel, established in 1827. We looked at the menu and decided bakery food sitting on the waterfront was more our budget. A stroll along the foreshore and return ferry before heading north again to spend the night at the Bay of Islands Holiday Camp on the banks of the Waitangi River.
14/11/2023
Not much to report today as we continued our push north, mainly on route 10. However we made a diversion to Matauri Bay with it's sweeping golden sand beach, a camping ground at one end and collection of generally rough shelters at the other. A large subdivision at the back of the valley is likely to reduce the appeal of this remote and beautiful beach with views out to the Cavalli Islands which lie a few kilometres offshore.
Our day finished at Coopers Beach where our overnight park was the local bowling club.
15/11/2023
Shortly after departing from Coopers Beach we stopped briefly at Cable Bay, so named as between 1902 and 1912 there was a cable station operating there connected to Queensland Australia by a 3500 nautical mile submarine cable. At that time it was the longest cable in the world but was replaced by a cable connecting Auckland and Sydney.
Continuing along our intended route to the Karikari Peninsula we chanced upon two interesting locations on the low swampy land connecting the peninsula to the main land. One being the Kauri Gum Holes reserve where holes left by the Kauri Gum Diggers in the hunt for their prize can still be seen. The lumps of gum originated from wounds to ancient Kauri trees that over millenia were buried below the forest litter and swamp. The Gum Diggers would dig deep in the swamp land to retrieve them, creating holes upto 2 metres deep and 2 metres diameter. Kauri Gum was used in high quality varnishes, and from 1910 in the manufacture of Linoleum. Exports of Kauri Gum started in the early 19th century and between 1850 and 1950, 450,000 tons of gum were exported.
The second interesting site was a large basin of lowland covered in scrub. This is in fact Lake Ohia which only has water in it for two months of the year. It is home to the Black Mudfish, unique to New Zealand, they can survive the dry periods in the lake by burrowing into the moist mud and lowering their metabolism until the water returns.
Arriving at Tokerau Beach NZMCA campsite we had reached our destination for the day where of course we walked on the beach and relaxed for the rest of the day.
16/11/2023
We have by no means visited every beach on the Northland East Coast, but it seems to us that they are all fabulous and superlatives become meaningless as they apply to all the beaches we have seen. However, two beaches on the Karikari Peninsula stood out to us as exceptional. Maitai Bay where we stayed the night at the DOC Campsite. A cracker of a day tempted me in for a swim, waterproof camera and all, at this stunning location.
Rangiputa at the entrance to Rangaunu Harbour. White sand, turquoise sea.
17/11/2023
We left the Karikari Peninsula this morning and drove straight to Kaitaia to reprovision for our time in the remote Far North. Our lunch stop was at Waipapakauri Beach on Ninety Mile Beach, which is actually only 55 miles long. A commonly held belief for this discrepency is that the early settlers based their travel distances on a horses ability to walk thirty miles a day. As it took three days to traverse the length of the beach on horseback, it became known as Ninety Mile Beach. However, the retarding effect of the sand had not been accounted for, leading to a shorter distance covered.
All we could see was miles of sand in either direction.
Following lunch we completed our travel for the day at Rarawa Beach DOC campsite in Great Exhibition Bay. Yet another Northland east coast beach and a large campsite, although we had a 200 metre walk to get to the beach itself.
18/11/2023
Travelled to Cape Reinga, or rather, to the Cape Reinga Lighthouse car park, arriving in a fresh northerly wind with mist, low cloud and drizzle. We decided we would leave our visit to the lighthouse until the weather cleared, so instead we carried on to the DOC campsite at Tapotupotu Bay. The weather did improve a little in the mid afternoon, but not to the bright, clear, sunny conditions we had become accustomed to in Northland.
19/11/2023
Still at Tapotupotu Bay DOC campsite waiting for the weather to improve before we visit Cape Reinga and the light house. We had a rough night last night as violent northerly winds shook and rocked our motorhome. Without cellphone or internet access at the campsite we had no ability to get a weather forecast. Late in the afternoon the northerly wind changed to a light southerly, showing promise with the odd shaft of sunlight and a bit of a sunset. Then as night fell the wind strengthened with rain showers.
20/11/2023
Another windy night last night shaking our motorhome which is also affected badly by strong cross winds on the open road. The powerful gusting winds over the high exposed ridges on the lighthouse access road were a danger to us. We just had to wait for a break in the inclement weather and a chance to escape. Around midday the weather improved enough for us to visit the Cape Reinga Lighthouse, although it was still blowing from the south west with low cloud and drizzle showers we made the best of what we had.
Cape Reinga lighthouse has operated since 1940 when it replaced an earlier lighthouse atop Motuopao Island which lies off the tip of Cape Maria van Diemen and was just visible through the misty cloud.
We had reached the northernmost point on our journey at Cape Reinga which is commonly thought to be the most northerly point on the New Zealand mainland. This honour in fact belongs to North Cape which extends three kilometres further north into the Pacific Ocean than Cape Reinga but is not publicly accessible.
From here our journey would take us south but before we left the Cape Reinga area we visited the Giant Sandhills at Te Paki where they mark the northern end of Ninety Mile Beach. Strong wind and driving rain kept our visit brief.
By nightfall we were at the southern end of Ninety Mile Beach parked at a motorcamp in Ahipara.
21/11/2023
Before we departed from Ahipara we visited Ninety Mile Beach for the last time and Shipwreck Bay, a popular and scenic surfing beach.
Rejoining the Twin Coast Discovery Highway through picturesque native forest covered hills and farm land, Sara had a surprise destination for our next stop. The Twin Coast Discovery Highway is an 800 kilometre circuit route around Northland on which we had been travelling most of the time since we left Auckland. After several hours on the twisting, undulating, lumpy roads of Northland we reached our parking place for the night at Okaihau Rail Stay. What a cool place! The creation of a small railway station complete with railway freight wagons converted to boutique accommodation units was brilliant and so well executed. Okaihau Rail Stay also offer parking space for motorhomes and caravans which gave us the opportunity to view and photograph this unique experience.
22/11/2023
Continuing on our way, Opononi at the Hokianga Harbour heads looked an appealing place to stay, so that's where we went. Upon arrival we found a motorhome park overlooking the Hokianga Harbour, the harbour entrance and the huge sand hills across the harbour. After a walk along the Opononi foreshore we settled in for a relaxing afternoon enjoying the views, culminating with a spectacular west coast sunset.
23/11/2023
One of the highlights of our journey was scheduled for today. Possibly the oldest living things in New Zealand, Tane Mahuta, Lord of the forest, ancient Kauri tree, and his smaller brother, Te Matua Ngahere, Father of the forest. These two massive Kauri trees are the largest and second largest known in New Zealand. Situated in the Waipoua Kauri Forest.
Tane Mahuta;
Trunk height 17.7 metres
Total height 51.5 metres
Trunk girth 13.8 metres
Trunk volume 244.5 cubic metres
Te Matua Ngahere;
Trunk height 10.2 metres
Total height 29.9 metres
Trunk girth 16.4 metres
Trunk volume 208.1 cubic metres
Well formed and maintained tracks and boardwalks allow easy access to many of these giants of the forest with their distinctive bark as they tower over the forest canopy.
Simply awesome.
A true Bucket List item.
On our way to the Kai Iwi lakes we diverted to and stopped briefly at the Trounson Kauri Park but decided we had seen the best Kauri forest at Tane Mahuta and moved on.
Kai Iwi lakes is a collection of three sand dune lakes situated north west of Dargaville, Lake Kaiiwi, Lake Taharoa and Lake Waikere. Formed about 1.8 million years ago by rain water filling depressions in the sand dunes. These lakes have no significant inflow or outlet with 70% of the accumulated lake water coming from rain. This along with the filtering effect of the sand on water seeping into the lake from the surrounding land place these among the clearest lakes in New zealand. We stayed at Lake Taharoa, Promenade Point campsite. Lake Taharoa is one of the largest sand dune lakes in New Zealand and at 38 metres depth is the deepest. Edged with white sand in the shallows and bright blue deep water beyond the drop off, it is quite spectacular.
24/11/2023 - 26/11/2023
Leaving Kai Iwi lakes we went to visit family at Poroti near Whangarei for three days. So apart from a little local sightseeing including the Wairua River Falls, there is nothing to report.
27/11/2023
Returning to Dargaville, we crossed the Wairoa river bridge heading south. About ten minutes along the road we took the left turn to Maungaraho Rock Reserve. This long and narrow blade of volcanic rock is the result of molten lava hardening in the vent of an ancient volcano as it cooled. Subsequently softer material surrounding the lava plug has eroded away leaving behind Maungaraho Rock.
There is a walking track that circles the base of the rock with a branch track up to the summit, both of which we completed. The climb to the summit is very steep but there are chains to help by pulling yourself up.
Care is needed along the summit track as it is narrow with near vertical drops on both sides. The views from the top are expansive in all directions.
This was our final night before returning to Auckland. We spent it amongst the extensive mangrove forests at Port Albert on the tidal Oruawharo River, which flows into the Kaipara Harbour.
28/11/2023 - 30/11/2023
Returned to Auckland to have the Certificate of Fitness on our motorhome renewed and the damaged windscreen replaced. Neither of these were achieved on the first attempt. But after a few minor tweaks and rescheduling the windscreen replacement with the correct part we had a compliant vehicle again.
