The Winterless North - from the top down

We woke the next morning to more sun, a plan to reach the top of NZ and see 90 miles of beach along the way. We were disappointed 90 mile beach was only 55 miles long, but as we couldn’t see either end, it didn’t really matter! The beach is also a road frequented by tour buses, 4x4s and drivers who don’t know what they’re doing, hence the warning signs suggesting it may be wiser to walk on the beach instead of drive.

Is the warning enough?

The road to the beach

It's not only the cars you need to look out for on the beach

It's not a busy highway but they do drive fast

Graffiti on the beach

We finally reached Cape Reinga. There’s not too many places in the world where you can see two oceans or seas colliding. The Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea meet at the top of NZ creating turbulent waves, strong currents and a place to avoid swimming. There’s also Cape Reinga lighthouse and stunning views down the island to enjoy. 

The Tasman Sea (left) meets the Pacific Ocean (right)

Looking back down the west coast

Cape Reinga Lighthouse

I want to go to Tokyo!

A longish, bumpy, dusty drive brought us out to Spirits Bay (just around the corner from Cape Reinga). It was so calm and peaceful, and since the DOC campground was perfectly placed (and cheap!) we decided to stay for a night. This is where campers are so great. We hadn’t planned on staying up here. So when our plans changed, it was cool to be able to go with the flow and not miss out on a place.

Sunset at Spirits Bay

At first glance, it might appear that there is little to do at Spirits Bay. But I reckon it would be easy to fill in 2-3 days here. For one, the beach takes a day to walk along. Mark and Elise warned us. We heeded their advice and just looked at the length of it. We went swimming in the rolling surf instead, playing in the waves which were a little stronger than the casual east coast swells. 

Surf's up (kind of!)

The mountain looking over the bay is sacred to the local Maori people and so you are not allowed to climb it. There’s caves about halfway up that were historically used as burial grounds and bones of their ancestors are still there. You can wander around the foot of the mountain though and head out on the peninsula - another longish walk that we also decided to look at from the comfort of the sandy beach.

The sacred mountain reflected in the estuary

Speaking of comfortable, sandy beaches, there is one unwelcome feature here. I found myself swatting away tiny midges all evening. Repellent didn’t work. Trackies didn’t work. I managed to accrue 75 bites on one leg before retreating to the van to figuratively lick my wounds in peace. And unfortunately the bites stuck around for several weeks. You have been warned!

Cape Reinga is at the tip of the peninsula in the background

The final stop on our trip was in Kerikeri where we stayed with Maria and Craig for a few days. Maria and I met way back in university but we've stopped counting how long ago that was now! 

Maria, Craig and the kitten that adopted them

Kerikeri is home to the oldest building in NZ, the Stone Store. When you consider it’s about 180 years old, those Kauri trees just up the road seem positively ancient! The gardens surrounding it are stunning and the river is great for cooling your feet on a hot summers day. 

The oldish Stone Store

Hanging out in the shade of the garden

Friendly locals

The Stone Store standing on stones

Mahinepua peninsula juts out into the ocean about 30 minutes drive from Kerikeri. It’s one of those hidden gems. A place you find if a local tips you off. And one of my favourite walks around. The path out to the point is pretty easy going, although there are a few stairs to get up the 2 steep hills. Don’t worry about that though, the views are absolutely worth it. 

Made it to the highest point

Silhouettes

Looking back where we walked

The dreaded stairs

My favourite view

Our final day was spent out in Whangaroa Harbour in Craig and Maria’s boat. There are plenty of little bays to explore and mountains to climb here (if you have better shoes than jandals). We settled for a picnic in the sun and a lot of banter about who forgot their shoes. 

The hill we could have climbed up

Picnic time instead

Lunch was rounded off with a couple of drinks at Kingfisher Lodge, a boutique lodge you can only reach by boat. Between watching stingrays swim around in the shallow bay and enjoying the unblemished view of the harbour, we decided it wasn’t such a bad spot to relax at all.

On the wharf at Kingfisher Lodge

Enjoying the sun, a drink and the views

The bay where the stingrays were sunbathing in the shallows

The trip back to Auckland was largely unmemorable, except for seeing this young guy trying to hold his jeans up...

I have no words...

The Winterless North - the way up

While NZ is at the bottom of the world, it’s not as backwards or simple as some people would have you believe. There are hotels, motels, B&B’s, backpackers, campgrounds, hostels and huts to suit any budget. In my humble opinion however, jumping in a campervan is the best way to see the country. You have transport. You have accommodation. You have food within arms reach. You don’t need to lug heavy bags around. You can squash an inordinate amount of ‘important stuff’ into those little cupboards. And you meet some fun people at the campgrounds along the way.

We spent 4 weeks catching up on the Auckland scene but it was time to pack up the campervan, and head up north. 

Our camper van was a Dad-special. Simply throw a few planks of plywood, carpet and a BBQ into the back of a van. And voila. One fully equipped camper van (sans bathroom) ready to go. 

A bathroom would have been nice but no space in here!

We threatened to pimp mum and dad's van out like this

Our first stop, Urititi. The beach is your typical east coast, white, sandy beach that stretches forever into the haze. The NZ Department of Conservation has campsites set up all over NZ at spots just like these. Some campgrounds have powered campsites, full kitchens and bathroom facilities. Some have basic long-drop toilets and perhaps cold showers. Others are somewhere in between. But it doesn’t matter which when you’re in your trusty camper.

Urititi Beach at sunset

Beach flowers

Time for dinner - hoodies for protection from mozzies

It was still warm enough for a swim at 8pm and we both decided the temperate sea was much more appealing than a cold shower! When we finally bunked down for the night, we were pleasantly surprised to find the van bed more comfortable than most hotel beds. A fun trip and good nights sleep. Perfect!

Smash the waves!

I'm clean again!!!

The Waipoua Forest is an ancient forest on the west coast filled with NZ native trees. The most famous trees here are the enormous, solid Kauri.

Looking out over a small part of the forest

A lookout only reached at the end of a long, narrow, metal road

A 5 minute walk takes you to the oldest and tallest of these monsters, Tane Mahuta, aka Lord of the Forest. Tane Mahuta is a whopping 51.5 metres tall and believed to have sprouted around 2000 years ago. His older cousin (yep, over 2000 years old), Te Matua Ngahere is just up the road. While Tane is the tall, slimmer tree, Te Matua is the shorter, fat one with a height of only 30 metres but a waistline of over 16 metres around!

With Tane Mahuta

Te Matua Ngahere - the short, fat tree

We sat, enjoying the silence that permeated through the forest (when the other tourists disappeared). To sit in the shadow of these giants and soak up the calm, cool atmosphere around me was undefinable. It was like time had stopped. And I felt I could rest, regain my strength and, after a while get back on the road.

What you see if you get off the road occasionally

NZ has plenty of little inlets and harbours reaching into the mainland from the stormy sea. Which usually means a long drive inland to go around them. However, there is a car ferry that crosses the Hokianga Harbour every hour and avoids an 80+km detour. We had a dinner date in Coopers Beach and so really, really, really wanted to catch the next ferry. Despite a couple of quick stops to fleetingly admire the Hokianga sand dunes, we made it…just (after putting the camper through it’s paces on the windy roads). 

The sand dunes at the entrance to the Hokianga Harbour

Just made the ferry - Goodbye Rawene

On the ferry

And we were so glad we did! The view of Doubtless Bay from the horseshoe of hills surrounding it, where Elise and Mark live, is fabulous. Combine that with NZ roast lamb, red wine and old friends made for a wonderfully, fun, memorable night.

Stunning view to wake up to

Bright eyed the next morning

Our experiences at the top of NZ and back down the east coast continue in the next post...