To the top

Zooming up the misty roads the next morning the kiwi tones of Kevin the bus driver kept us awake with facts about history and fauna of the area. We stopped at a Kauri forest, gawped at great towering trees that used to cover the whole of the north before clambering back onto the bus.

It was a long way to reach the top so lunch was had early a nice serving of "Fush and chups". Two hours later we reached Cape Reinga a beautiful penninsula that reaches into the sea where the pacific and tasman oceans meet. It's a sacred place for the Maori, they believe all spirits come here and descend down the roots of an ancient tree, into the water, where they journey on to the afterlife. A lighthouse stands at the end of the point warning ships of the trecharous seas around.

Next stop were the sandunes an exhilerating ride down with a board. Driver Kevin was a tad too saftey concious, and kept shouting for us to slow down and break with our toes. Going fast is the whole point! We sped down 90 mile beach on the bus them headed back to civilisation.

At the hostel after food we went across the road with a fewnof the other guests to enjoy some local beers. Mone was ginger and manderin beer. Very refreshing!Read more