From Auckland we head, you guessed it, North. Our first stop is at Sheepworld, one of many NZ tourist attractions based on sheep. We get a demonstration of the sheepdogs in action, then Mr Beet volunteers to actually have a go at some shearing (some people have been commenting that he could do with a bit of a shear himself!), and finally we get to feed the babies. Everyone else got a lamb, but the kid goat headed straight for me, obviously recognising a kindred spirit.
We then continue up the East Coast to our first campsite in Tutukaka. Our first night in the van is marked by sausages and mash cooked in the campsite kitchen and an episode of Doctor Who on our campervan dvd player. I could get used to campervanning.
The next morning we head off on a cruise to the Poor Knights Islands. We pop in for a snorkel, as the Islands are in a marine reserve and the waters are teeming with fish. It is pretty chilly, so I only last about three minutes. Mr Beet braves it for a bit longer. Then we have a nice lunch on the boat, cruise round the islands looking at big caves and rock arches, and finally head back to shore soaking up the sun that has belatedly decided to put in an appearance.
The next day we further up the coast. The weather is good so we stop off along the way at anywhere that looks nice, including some gorgeous beaches at Matapouri Bay and Whale Bay.
Our ultimate destination is Waitangi. This is where the treaties between the Maori and the British settlers were signed. We took a tour of the museum and the treaty grounds, and we also see a Maori cultural performance. Unfortunately, this involves audience participation. I try my hand at a poi dance and Colin gets to do the haka. The first thing he has to master is the “big-eyes-tongue-sticking-out” expression that is used to intimidate the enemy. Of course, being a child of the 80s, he is already well-practised in this thanks to Wacaday and Mallet’s Mallet (look at each other and go “bleurrrrgh!“).
The following day we are undecided whether to go for Plan A: kayaking in the Bay of Islands or Plan B: sandboarding. However, after a night spent being buffeted in the back of our van by strong winds and heavy rain we decide that we need a Plan C. Plan C is to drive up to the Northernmost tip of NZ at Cape Reinga, where we can see the Tasman Sea meet the Pacific Ocean. It is by all accounts a pretty wuthering sort of place anyway, so bas weather shouldn’t make too much difference. We head off north through torrential rain, only to be stopped in our tracks after about an hour’s drive by flooded roads. Plan C duly scrapped, we decide that Plan D will be to head south to get as far as we can in the direction of our next destination, the Coromandel Peninsula. We head back to Waitangi, and about an hour south of there, we get stopped by flooded roads again. Plan E is to return to the campsite that we just left, eat some fish and chips, watch another Doctor Who and try again tomorrow.
More photos can be found on Mr Beet’s flickr page.
Beetchawawa 