We arrived in Whangerei around 2pm and stopped at an information center for ice cream and to pick up a map of the town. The staff showed us how to get to the hostel, and we made it through town and to the hostel relatively easily. (I only had to cut across traffic once to get into the correct lane.)
The hostel manager, John, welcomed us and checked us into a nice twin room. At the Whangerei hostel the dorm rooms are in the main building, next to the kitchen and lounge facilities. The twin and double rooms are in a separate building, dedicated to a fellow named George Whalley, that is located down the hill a bit. The twin and double rooms all had sliding glass doors opening onto a beautiful deck where you could just stand and look out over Whangerei harbour.
Around 3pm we decided to venture into town. I drove into an area called the Town Basin and found a parking space quite easily. We visited the clock museum where a volunteer gave us a guided tour of the hundreds of clocks. From there we wandered through some touristy shops. One shop, however, was operated as an artist’s collective and sold the work of several artisans. I was fascinated by the jewellery of one artist and bought a silver and jade ring that vaguely resembles a grasshopper.
Clock innards:
The shops closed up tight at 5pm so we wandered back to the car and decided to drive around town until we found an area with a café or restaurant. We got a bit lost but finally righted ourselves and found a parking spot on the main street. We looked at a few restaurants, mostly pubs, and settled on a Japanese restaurant. I was keen to have real sushi (in New Zealand, sushi usually contains sliced sandwich ham) and maybe some sake. A salmon roll cost $9 but I ordered it anyway. They didn’t have sake, but they did have nice green tea. We also enjoyed donburi. It was nice to have a meal that wasn’t breaded and deep fried.
We had an early night at the hostel and woke early. We had a coffee, showered, then packed the car and departed. Our first stop was Whangerei Falls. We walked down a paved path, crossed over a stream, then walked down a dirt path to the base of the falls. We were taking pictures and admiring the falls when another couple passed by and the fellow had a t-shirt that said “Ontario Parks” on it. We asked if they were from Ontario and they were, so we chatted for a bit. They were very well-travelled and had just spent a month in Australia.
Warning sign for bridge at Whangerei Falls:
Whangerei Falls:
Mom was a real trooper on the walk back up to the parking lot. She did really well, just stopping three times to rest her leg. The walking stick that she bought in Hamilton seems to really help. We stopped at a roadside café for breakfast just north of Whangerei. I indulged in a plate of sausage, eggs, and chips while Mom had a more restrained breakfast of a muffin and coffee.
The drive to Pukenui was very interesting. The landscape changes constantly in New Zealand. We drove through rolling farmland, ascended rapidly into mountainous regions, then descended into flat river valleys.
World famous bathrooms in Kawakawa:
We stopped just north of Kaitaia at the Ancient Kauri Kingdom, a big store that sells the typical tourist trinkets as well as beautiful kauri wood furniture, large kauri plates, and smaller kauri boxes and suchlike. The kauri wood has been carbon dated at between 30,000 and 40,000 years old. The kauri trees are huge – so large that there is even a spiral staircase in the Ancient Kauri Kingdom store that has been carved from a single trunk. We didn’t buy anything there because of the cost but also because we couldn’t find anything that our friends and family would find useful.
It wasn’t much further to Pukenui. We drove straight through Pukenui because we were expecting the town center to consist of something more than a general store. When we saw the “Thanks for visiting Pukenui” sign we turned around and headed back to town. We finally found the hostel, which is actually a motel that also operates a hostel. Lesa, the manager, showed us to an old building called Thomson House. In it there are five rooms, a big lounge, a smallish kitchen, and bathroom facilities. The house used to be the home of the Thomson family, who settled in the region in the late 1800s. The house was built in 1891. In 1960 it was restored and in the 1990s it was converted to a hostel.
Mom resting on the bench on the balcony of Thomson House:
After we settled into our room at the hostel we drove across the highway to the general store and picked up some food. We were quite tired so we had another early night, but not before we spent some time chatting with a couple from Nova Scotia who were also staying at the hostel.
Yesterday morning we were up early. We had a quick breakfast then drove north to Cape Reinga, the northernmost point of the North Island. The last 20kms were gravel and I had fun trying to avoid the washboard as well as the slippery piles of gravel at the side of the road. It was worth the drive, though – Cape Reinga is beautiful. You can see the waters of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean mixing together just off the coast. There is an old lighthouse that is the first light that ships see when they approach New Zealand from the north.
A brief stop on the gravel road to Cape Reinga:
Cape Reinga lighthouse:
Lesa had recommended that we stop at Tapotupotu Bay, just next to Cape Reinga. We drove down another gravel road to the bay. We walked up and down the small bay, getting our feet wet in the ocean and enjoying some much-needed sunshine. I think I saw a penguin come into the beach, turn about and paddle into the surf.
Mom walking onto the beach at Tapotupotu Bay:
Feet in the Pacific Ocean at Tapotupotu Bay:
We drove back to the hostel and had lunch, then drove down a side road to 90 Mile Beach. The road, again, was mostly gravel. I was expecting a parking lot at the end of the road. Instead, the road ended on the beach. You can drive the length of 90 Mile Beach at low tide so the road just ends on the beach. It’s the strangest thing. I thought the rental car company might frown on my driving their nice little Corolla onto the beach so we parked next to a sand dune and walked down to the beach. A large 4x4 truck came off the beach, barely slowing down as it passed us.
Mom looking for pretty sea shells on 90 Mile Beach:
The beach itself is a gorgeous sand beach that stretches for miles – 90 miles, hence the name. It’s very shallow so the waves roll slowly but inexorably up the beach to your feet. There are colorful shells everywhere, tumbling in the waves or half-buried in the sand. We picked up quite a few. We walked about a kilometer down the beach, enjoying the feeling of the warm water and soft sand on our feet. Another couple of vehicles zipped past. After we’d had our fill of sand and waves we walked back to the car and drove back into town.
Lesa had also recommended that we go to a small café on the harbour, so we did. We walked along the beach which was covered with small clam shells. It was a strange feeling to crush shells with every step. There were small holes everywhere, which I assume were breathing holes for clams. The water was pretty stinky so we didn’t spend long on the beach. We were looking forward to a coffee but when we got to the café it was closed. Sigh. Instead, we drove back to the hostel and had dinner and watched a bit of telly.
This morning we’re departing for Paihia, a town on the Bay of Islands. I’m really looking forward to Paihia because we’re planning a day sail on the tall ship R. Tucker Thompson. Yay!
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