Jim & Barbara Burton Travel: Bay of Islands

We left the ship after breakfast and took a cab to collect our rental car. We then drove to Club Pahia in The Bay of Islands. The 2 bed Timeshare Condo was huge. It had 2 beds, 2 baths, living/dining room and full kitchen. Immaculately clean and fully equipped. It was situated on a hillside of natural vegetation and also had an orchid house and many outdoor orchids. They also had the elusive, nocturnal Kiwi, which we never saw but kept Barbara awake all one night with his mating calls. While at Paihia we went the first day to Kerikeri a very quaint little town where we had lunch by the river at “The Pear Tree” and foolishly visited The Makana Chocolate Factory. The handmade chocolates were scrumptious and although we only went to see them being made and sample their wares we were hooked and came out with a box of Macadamia Butter Toffee Brittle. We were very good though only having a little square each every night after dinner.

During our stay in the Bay of Islands we drove to the very north of New Zealand visiting the lighthouse at Cape Reinga where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet. It rained, all the way there and all the way back, but was dry for the time we spent at the lighthouse. On our return journey we stopped at 90 mile beach which is actually 60 miles long???? We got soaked getting out of the car. Human population in this area minimal, sheep over abaaandant!!!

Wednesday we went to Russell on the ferry. A pedestrian day, no car. We were unable to get hold of our friends Jeanne and Kurt but unbelievably bumped into them in the town. Had a nice visit for a couple of hours during which the sun abandoned us and the rain was torrential getting soaked again. After leaving Jeanne & Kurt we visited Christ Church, commemorated in 1963 by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. It is New Zealand’s oldest church. We were so wet we got back on the ferry and went back to our condo to dry out and check for mossy foot.

Thursday we took an inland route to Kaitaia, through Ohaewa Gorge, very scenic, more sheep, cattle and PIGS!! and still raining. The vistas in the gorge were “gorgeous”. We took the car ferry from Hokuhoku to Rawene and then completed the loop back to Paihia.

Friday saw better weather but windy. We drove to Doubtless Bay, beautiful beaches, nobody on them but us and the gulls. Unbelievable, you sit down to eat lunch at a picnic table and from out of nowhere arrives a gull. Within a minute, he is joined by a few friends and not long after, by all his friends, relatives, casual acquaintances and even gulls he has never met before.

Tomorrow we leave for Auckland…………