The Far North

With our departure date now cemented, Cory and I are looking at our “to do” list of travel and realizing there are still some things we’d like to see and do here in New Zealand – and that time is ticking!

With that in mind, we decided it was time for a trip to the Northlands, the area north of Auckland. Specifically, we wanted to visit Cape Reinga, which is on the tip of the northern peninsula. (It is not actually the northern most point, but it’s pretty darn close.) Here, the waters of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet.

We took off Friday night, knowing we had some driving to do. All evening we traveled through heavy rain. After an overnight stop, we headed on. Further and further north we went, reading through the rain the signs that continued to announce the “last” of available conveniences…“the last petrol stop”; “the last tavern”; and “the last store.” On the map, the “last pub” was indicated, but this was some kilometers south of the last tavern, so I’m sure there is a battle in naming rights going on somewhere. Or perhaps if you designate yourself as a tavern, you are different than the last pub, the last bar, the last watering hole, and the last saloon.

As if on purpose, the rain slowed to a drizzle and then, finally, we were able to turn the wipers off all together. We drove the last bit up to Cape Reinga, and, by the time we had arrived, the sun was out and the weather was beautiful.

We walked out to the lighthouse that had been erected on the point and looked down over the two colliding seas. Waves from the west rolled over waves from the east, creating little eddies and whirlpools.

Besides being geographically interesting, the Cape is also an area held sacred by Maoris. It is here, from a lone pohutukawa tree, that the departing spirits of the dead make their way to the spirit world. The pohutukawa tree clings to a little rocky cliff, jutting out into the two oceans. Standing above cliff, looking down on the tree from a distance, you can see why a spirit would pick this place to fly from.

After enough gazing from a distance, we headed down to a nearby bay to watch the waves come in. The waves were crashing into the shore, especially along the rocky area, with a dramatic noise and foamy spray. We wandered out to a rocky area to check out the tide pools and then strolled back along the water’s edge. As we came to another rocky area, Cory suggested we head up towards the shore to avoid being caught by a wave.

I probably should’ve listened to Cory, but I didn’t. The first little wave brushed at my feet, as the others had, but the next two soaked me to the thigh. The third swept my feet out from underneath me, and I was left gasping in surprise, trying to keep my head above water. I was drenched and coated with sand. And laughing. Luckily, I had some spare clothes and there was a shower at a nearby campsite. Otherwise, I don’t think Cory would’ve let me in the car.

Having just gotten all the sand off me, we decided we had better check out the giant sand dunes on the west coast as we headed back down the peninsula. No one was surfing or tobogganing, but you could have. The dunes stretched as far as you could see; we climbed up one, only to see others unfold in front of us.

The next day we traveled through a kauri forest, gaping at the girth of the largest trees in New Zealand. Then it was time to head home again. A long drive awaited us. We arrived home in the dark and experienced that warm feeling of being home again…