Northland, NZ

Travelled up to Northland on 27th December, by the West Coast. Go through Helensville (Helen has her own town, wow!), Dargaville, stopped at Waipoua Kauri Forest and Laura and I checked out the huge Kauri trees. (Check out the pics taken by the Four Sisters on my Fotopage - Where's Shazza? I'm in the tiny head in the middle of the trees waving).

Got car ferry at Rawene heading for Ahipara which is beautiful. We hadn't booked a room so head on to Kaitaia and check into a motel. Visit local Foodtown the next day for a shop, bit scary as looks a bit strange. Drive to Backpackers Hostel in Taipa, Doubtless Bay. It's a house with 2 guard dogs, later find out Star is the Alsatian and Bonny os the other big dog. Nina the owner is lovely and makes us feel at home. Our dorm is an out building at the back of the house in the huge garden.

Visit Ninety Mile Beach that day and have lunch in the sand dunes! Make firends with a stray dog then we can't get hime out the car! Thought he was coming to Cape Reinga with us!! Drove to Cape Reinga, the most northern tip of NZ. Stunning views and a lovely lighthouse with sign posts to all over the world. The road here is gravel for about 20kms so our car's wheel arches are filled with sand and stones!

Stop at Mangonui Fish Shop on the way home for fish & chips, with lemon instead of the usual vinegar. Shop is on a jetty over the harbour so eat our dinner with the water lapping below us. Went back to the hostel, had a few beers and played cards by lamp light outside our dorm with Bonny guarding us.

Next day we drove to Paihia in the Bay of Islands. It's beautiful here, and the sun is shining. Stayed at Pipi Patch Backpackers (great name!), cool place near the beach. We walked to town and booked a cruise for the next day and sea kayaking for NY's Eve. Also had my fortune told (you know I love all that). It was interesting, all good stuff, keeping the reading to myself for now see if it happens!

Day in the Bay cruise was fab. We stopped at Russell, then went dolphin spotting. Saw some cool dolphins, they were round the boat. We went to the Hole in the Rock, that was brill. Went really cold when you are going through the hole, kinda spooky! Got some good pics there. We stopped at a deserted beach to have lunch and in the afternoon some crazies tried boom netting, where you jump in a big fishing net and get dragged along the top of the water for thrills. We were too cold otherwise would have tried it!

Sea kayaking was fab on NY's Eve. Laura and I tried that while Helen & Kim went quad biking. We started off on the beach and kayaked up the river to the Haruru Falls. It was great, really peaceful and saw lots of cool birds and Mangrove trees, the only tree that grows in salt water. Hels & Kim enjoy quad biking, unfortunately our car has a flat tyre but they get help from a nice man to change it.

For New Year we have drinks in Pipi Patch, Mako's on the sea front then The Lighthouse. Stay there for countdown then cross the road to watch the fireworks going off on the water after midnight.