Mahinepua Peninsula, St. Paul's Rock

We drove past Matauri Bay to Mahinepua, a narrow peninsula. A well-kept path started from the beach and went up and down grassy hills (and stairs). The path took us back and forth between the two sides of the peninsula. The sun was bright with some big fluffy clouds creating dramatic scenery. As we got further out, the view became more and more impressive. Although most tourists go to Bay of Islands for expensive boat tours, this area was much more spectacular. We had a nice lunch at the top (the "Trig") and made our way back down.

We drove on to Whangaroa, a small fisherman’s village. As we got closer, we could see the huge rock of St. John sitting on top of a mountain. It was a good workout to run up the side. The 360° view was great, overlooking the harbour, oyster farms, and the rolling hills on all sides.

It was late in the afternoon. A perfect time to drive to Mangonui, the town with the "world's best" fish and chips, as suggested by Leslie (from Auckland). As we drove into town, the hard wind was causing the waves to crash on the rocky shoreline. Everything about the town hinted it ran on fishing. Locals pointed us towards the fish and chips. Mmmm!

After filling our bellies, we drove to the end of the Karikari peninsula. A local olive farmer let people camp on his property. We parked our van between the olive trees and hid from the hard winds. We were tired from all the hiking and the blustering wind. Early bed time!Read more