Told ya it wasn't going to be another 2 months til the next blog! :)
As you know, I've explored lots of New Zealand, making it as far east (East Cape) and pretty far south (Invercargill). Since I was working up north in the Bay of Islands, I figured I must go allll the way up and see NZ's most northern point, Cape Reinga.
(thanks doc.govt.nz for the map!)
So, I left work on Friday afternoon from the Bay of Islands (see map) and started driving north. I found a nice Holiday Park at Houhoura Heads, a beachside town on the eastern coast up the peninsula. Their cabins were being rennovated, and it was a little too chilly for camping, but they had another very cool option--- stay in someone else's camper!
Many people chose to leave their campers here all year round, for a slight fee. Some of them choose to rent them out to strangers (like me). So, it was sort of a risk (as I had no clue what'd be like), but it ended up being great! A cozy little camper with bed, tv, sink, stove... perfect for just me (and Smokey parked outside!)
The next morning I got up real early, stocked up on snacks and gas (shops and gas stations are nonexistent in the far far north), and headed to the tippy top of New Zealand.
The attraction up here is the Cape Reinga Lighthouse. It's actually fairly new--- built in 1941. It replaced another lighthouse that used to be on a nearby island, but rough seas made access to the island very dangerous. Thus, a mainland lighthouse was created.
I was so glad I arrived early, as no other tourists were there besides me. I'd say it was calm and peaceful, but it wasn't--- the wind was absolutely howling!
This stretch of Northland has great significance to the Maori. Cape Reinga's Maori name is "Te Rerenga Wairua", meaning Leaping Place of the Spirits. This area is the geographic location where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean, where, according to Maori belief, the male sea meets the female sea. The waves crashing together (there were a lot of them!) symbolizes the coming together of male and female- the creation of life. According to Maori mythology, it's also the place where spirits jump off and leave the mainland on their way to the afterlife.
A prime example of the crashing waves and colliding waters of the seas...
So, just south of Cape Reinga along the western edge of the peninsula was this--- Te Werahi Beach. I was amazed at how gorgeous it was--- probably my most favorite beach looks-wise in all of New Zealand!
There is a walking track all along this coast--- if I only had 3 whole days (and a walking companion) to do it with me!
Next up was a drive down to see the infamous Te Paki Sand Dunes and Ninety Mile Beach.... aka tons and tons of endless sand.
A popular tourist attraction is boogieboarding down the dunes. Driving on the beach is possible, but pretty risky, especially if you don't have 4WD. I wasn't it the mood to go boogieboarding all by myself, so I just sat in the carpark and watched some of the tourists do it. All of a sudden a huge mud covered truck comes grumbling and splashing in off the beach. To make a long story short, this guy was quite friendly (and by no means threatening), so I hopped in his "ute" (truck) and he took me for a 4WD adventure down the beach! Then the crazy guy started driving his truck UP the dunes and we ended up here-- an actual lake that was surrounded by mounds of sand in every direction!
The crazy Kiwi guy went for a swim in it. Brr! Here's a pic to just some a bit of perspective of how massive these dunes were (and how far away we were from the ocean or any road!).
He then asked me if I had seen the Aupouri Forest yet--- one of the largest man made forests in the Southern Hemisphere. I hadn't, so then began my 4WD tour of that!
He stopped the truck suddenly and peered out my window at this.
Linz: "Whatcha looking at?"
Kiwi guy: "All that mess! Know what made that?"
Linz: "Ummm...no."
Kiwi guy: "Pigs! That looks fresh. Wanna go pig hunting?"
Linz: "Ummm...ok?"
And then the next thing you know, he parks the ute, he lets his three pig dogs out of their box in the cab, the dogs go running, he grabs his knife and gun, and we're off. Running through the woods following the lead of his (superfast) dogs. Barefoot! Jeez do I get myself in random situations or what?
Sadly, we didn't get a pig. But I did get a workout following those dogs! (And thankfully no splinters in my feet!).
Also spotted a great rainbow when my new Kiwi mate took me back to the carpark.
So, after an exciting day of exploring and 4WD'ing and pighunting, I had some fish n chips and called it an early night in my cozy camper.
The next morning I decided to learn a bit more about the Kauri forests in the area and headed to the "Gumdiggers Park". It was an outdoor museum and "Gumfield" that was packed of info of just what gumdigging entails. Northland was full of Kauri trees since the age of the dinosaurs. Something--- no one is quite sure what (tidal waves, meteors...) caused the demise of these old forests. Some of these trees have been preserved, and when Kauri trees are damaged, they produce a large amount of sap which covers the wounded tree and protects the inner timber. This sap can congeal into hard lumps and fall to the ground, eventually turning into an amber-like stone.
Kauri gum has many uses--- the Maori used it for chewing, tattooing, and lighting fires. The Europeans that traded with the Maori found out it could be used for varnishing furniture, and kauri gum became quite a hot commodity. Once the lumps that were visible on the ground were gone, folks started searching for it in the ground from trees fallen thousands of years ago--- and the industry of "gumdigging" was born!
(I hope I'm not boring you here, but I found this all quite interesting!)
Gumdiggers would use long thin pokers and just keep poking the ground until they felt something hard (like the fossilized gum). Then they'd dig a hole to dig it up.
Here at the Gumdiggers Park was a log of a Giant Kauri that was between 100,000 to 150,000 years old. And massive to boot!
Below are a pair of what New Zealanders call "gumboots". Probably most Kiwis would tell you they got their name from being made out of rubber/gum.... but according to the museum, this is false! The 19th century gumdiggers wore boots like these as they worked in swampy fields. There ya go!
Here are some of the still intact holes the gumdiggers dug in the early 1900s.
All in all, it was a pretty awesome morning of learning about the Kauri forest and the gumdigging industry.
I found a cafe and gift shop further down the road with all things Kauri. Check out the spiral staircase carved out of a Kauri tree trunk! 45,000 years old- wow!
Since I loved that Gumdiggers museum so much, I asked the owner for an itinerary for the rest of the day. He gave me some great advice!
Here is the southern end of "Ninety Mile Beach" at Ahipara. Gorgeous day.
Slight traffic jam, but nothing too bad. ;)
I then kept traveling down the western coast of the peninsula. Had to stop to see NZ's Oldest Bridge in the not-so-booming metropolis of Kohukohu.
How pitiful, huh? Well, it has been around since the 1860s. (Some towns will boast anything for tourism!)
Next up was a carferry trip over the Hokianga Harbour. Fun! Smokey enjoyed the ride, too. :)
On the other side of the harbour was the State Highway 12, the route to the Waipoua Forest, where the Most Giant of the all the Giant Kauris can be found.
Here I am with Tane Mahuta, the largest known Kauri to stand today. It's between 1500 and 2500 years old. It's 51 meters (168 feet) tall!
A short walk away was NZ's 2nd largest Kauri, Te Matua Ngahere--- not quite as tall (30 metres) but it is thought to have the biggest girth of any tree in NZ- 16 meters (52 ft).
After seeing quite possibly NZ's two most famous trees, it was time to pay my respects to NZ's most famous dolphin. The town of Opononi was where a friendly dolphin was found to be playing with the local children after her mother had been killed. "Opo" the Dolphin was a local celebrity and soon turned national celebrity back in the 1950s. Kiwis adored her! Songs and documentaries were made after her. Sadly, she died in 1956, and she has a grave in her memory in the town of Opononi,.
RIP Opo.
Sorry to end on such a sad note, but that wraps up my time in Northland. A great place to visit!
Til next blog!
No comments:
Post a Comment