Monday
I awoke at 5 AM, drat jet lag. Got up around 6:30 and strolled along the beach towards the main part of Paihia. You can walk up the hill on the road or walk around the hill on teh beach, where the tide pools are.. calm and relaxing...I am ready for a day on teh bay, I say! Catamaran boat tour with a bar and bbq and kayaks and snorkeling, yay! But first, find me some breakfast and I'm not in hurry since I'm 2 hours early for my boat disembarkment. I find a place on the main bus terminal that is open and has a basic breakfast for US $4. including bottomless coffee! The egg arrives half cooked, as Shannon had mentioned, so I sheepishly asked thme to cook it more. The bacon looked like it was cut right off the pig that morning.
When we finally took off on the catamaran, we were 20 or so people with a crew of 3. The sail and mast were the tallest of any ship or sailboat I'd ever been on. We gently coasted out tothe middle part of the bay, watching fish schools jump before us, other sailboats, and an old Schooner type book drift by and then the speed boat Mack ATtack on its way to the far out hole in the rock.
I had several conversations with a Tasy couple about TAsmania and their trip to Los Angeles. Also met Pia, from Vancouver who was living in NZ on work visa for a year. Note to self.
Around noon, we coasted into another bay among the Bay of Islands islands and sat the boat down for some lunch and water fun. I quickly scarfed some food and didnt take the customary 30 minute break, gathered my stuff and some snorkeling gear and jumped on the first dinghy trip to the beach. The snorkeling wasn't super great but I'm not an expert. I sat on teh beach for the next 30 mintues and chatted with a girl from Ireland here with Contiki tours, basically a roving bunch of partying 20 somethings across countries in a bus.. We headed out around 2 pm then out tothe ocean more waves and then back to teh Paihia . Pic and I grabbed a beer and some chicken/avocado sandwich and then sat on teh beach. There's a lot of beach sitting going on this day after I arrive. Its good.
Tuesday
Today I'm heading to the west side of the North island. To the Hairangi Harbour. There's a tour that picks me up at 7:40 am and we are off. There's a lot to see on the way, and I'm just amazed at the greeness and the diveristy of plants. There's many of the types I've seen in Costa Rica and then tons of Flax plants which look very similair to thait plant in my backyard.. There;s tons of cows and I dont hesitate to say they look happier than California cows. Bovines!! Our driver gives us some instruction in how to speak Maouri. Its a bit involved (he really talked a lot) but basically, speak each vowel and each vowel always sounds the same.
We first see teh Harbour in a downpour and a double rainbow hitting the water. Cool.
Then we pick up Bill, a Maouri tour guide who is going to talk to us about the forest. We drive up through past the Harbour and stop at the top to take some pics. Amazing view.
Then: we head to the Waipoua Forest to see: Tāne Mahuta is a giant kauri tree (Agathis australis) in the Waipoua Forest of Northland Region, New Zealand. Its age is unknown but is estimated to be between 1250 and 2500 years old. Its Māori name means "Lord of the Forest" (see Tāne), from the name of a god in the Māori pantheon.
Heading back north, we head to Rowena, a small town on the harbour and have lunch. I also order a Paua fritter (abalone). Turns out I'm not a huge fan. We take a car ferry over to Kohukohu. Cute town. Then we are off again through more beautiful country. Back in Paihia, we see the Haruru falls. I have to figure out my logistics to get to the kerikeri airport so I do that and the I get picked up to head to a Cultural Show (yes, they actually called it that). Its about the history Of New Zealand and how the British and Maouri leaders had an agreement at the Waitangi Treaty house. Its really good, and very honest in its opinion on how the Maouris were treated unfairly. And perhaps this is why there are only elderly white people in the audidence and two young white couples and me. Back at the hostel I drink some wine with Les and Robin from Australia and turn in the for the nite. Hopefully over my jet lag. :)
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