The truth is, we have not been in Hahei for the last week. Our last few days there were quite busy, sunny, and enjoyable. We made a couple great dinners with the company of Priscilla, another WWOOFer from the UK. Last Friday we took the bus back to Auckland to meet up with Mike and Cara, who had been in New Zealand for about two weeks. Coincidentally, they ate at the restaurant that is part of The Church, without knowing we were there! That means at one point we were within 50 yards of each other without a clue. If only we had known!

The bus got us to Auckland around 11am, and shortly after that we were on our way to Whangarei with Mike and Cara. We had all been planning to play in an ultimate tournament there together since we parted in Australia. Cara’s friend, Ashley from Chico, just started traveling around New Zealand and was going to play as well. We met her in Whangarei, which is about an hour and a half from Auckland. We found her sitting outside an Irish pub across the street from where the predetermined meeting place used to be. After a beer with Ashley and a quick stop at the grocery store, we headed out to Whangarei Heads, where the tournament was going to be held. It took about thirty minutes to get there, and it was a beautiful drive along the water. You can read about the tournament weekend on the Ultimate page. On Sunday night after the tournament finished, we started driving north. We had heard of a few campsites, but as darkness approached, we hadn’t found anything out in the cow pastures and farmlands we drove through. We found a hidden grassy patch and got some sleep before heading out early the next day.

Since it was nearby, the Bay of Islands became the next stop. Breakfast was eaten overlooking the bay from a picnic table before walking around the area. It was really touristy and most of the activities there require actually taking a tour of some sort - sailing, fishing, etc. We opted to head north in search of our next campsite - which was supposedly at Mautauri Bay. On the way we pulled in at the “Drive-thru Avocados” (I mean, who wouldn’t?) and got about ten for $3. We found the bay alright, but the campsite in mind wasn’t there. The water looked tempting, so we relaxed there for a couple hours and had lunch, swam, and read. Then it was off to find Forest Pools, a campsite that we actually knew existed.

On the way, a break was taken at the Mangiangina Kauri Forest Walk, run by the Department of Conservation. The Kauri tree is the New Zealand version of the redwood. They’re quite big, but the more impressive thing about them is how old some are - up to 40,000 years! We were relieved to find Forest Pools campground shortly after. It was in the Puketi Forest, on the Waipapa River (which is great for swimming).

The following day we headed north to the Giant Te Paki Sand Dunes - near the very northern tip of the North Island. On the way there we stopped at the Ancient Kauri Kingdom, which is really just a huge gift shop with a cafe, whose centerpiece is a spiral staircase carved out of a kauri tree. From there we went to Waitiki Landing and rented sand boards for the dunes. The next few hours were incredibly fun. The Giant Te Paki Sand Dunes are really a sight to see. From a distance they don’t appear to be that large, but once you’re trying to walk up one the name is understood. Sledding down them is a whole other story - you go so fast! And, even if you fall it’s on soft sand! We had a great time there, and were sad to leave to return the sand boards.

That evening we stayed at the Kapowairau campsite at the eastern end of Spirits Bay. We made an yummy dinner of stir-fry and rice while being attacked by mosquitos. The next morning we would be starting a three-day, two-night track around Cape Reinga to Ninety-Mile Beach.

In the morning we packed up and started the hike around 10am. It was 17.5km (11 miles) to our campsite for the night at Tapotupotu Beach. The first 6km were along a beach, which had a stream at the western end. Walking on the beach was pleasant, but the sand was really soft so it was pretty tiring. When we reached the stream it was high tide, so it seemed more like a river. We took a break there, swam, and had a snack. Right after we all got across it started raining, and did so for the next half hour. Then it was up and down the very steep Darkies Ridge - where there were some amazing views. By the time we reached Tapotupotu we were all waterlogged and relieved get our packs off. The sun came out as we made dinner, allowing gear to dry out before dark.

The second day of the hike took us around the most northerly part of the North Island. We crossed Sandy Bay, and went up and down some considerable hills. At Cape Reinga we stopped to check out the Lighthouse, a main tourist attraction in the area. It’s a beautiful spot - there you can see the Tasman Sea meet the Pacific. We later crossed Te Werahi Beach and some inland hills to reach Twilight Beach, our stopping point for the day. The campsite was empty, except for us so we enjoyed the view, relaxed, and all retired early for the night. The last two days had been extremely tiring, but the views made it really rewarding. Regardless, we were all pooped!

The final day of the hike we were all quite motivated to get it done. The distance that day was the shortest of the three days. What was estimated as a 4-6.5 hour day, we finished in three. This was mostly due to the hard-packed, flat sand we walked on at Twilight Beach and Ninety-Mile Beach. The end point was back at the Giant Te Paki Sand Dunes, and from there we caught a ride in a campervan to Waitiki Landing. We rewarded ourselves with greasy diner food and ice cream while finding a ride to the car back at Kapowairau. About five hours later we were back in Auckland, and got some much-needed rest.

Now we are spending our last couple days in the Southern Hemisphere with Mike, Cara, and Ashley before we head to Europe. New Zealand has treated us so well, and it’s so sad to be leaving! The last week was especially awesome and memorable - its hard to believe that in less than a week we’ll be exploring London.