The Northland Adventure

Our travels are both made and marred by the actions of others. This trip was to be no exception to the rule. However, we came across more of the kind and helpful people than of the other kind.

Early(ish) on Saturday morning we set off on our journey north. It is a relatively easy journey as most of the driving is on the SH1. Having crossed the Harbour Bridge the motorway continues north with six lanes. Nearer the edge of the built up part of the city it changes to four lanes and then in the country it becomes a normal road with many more twists and turns. Once again we were impressed by the speedy growth of Warkworth.

For our coffee stop we pulled into the first café in the little town of Wellsford. It was a bakery and the food was good, but the serving was slow. In fact one group sent back their breakfast having waited too long.

Across the road was the police station and the top of a large hoarding read ‘No meat is better than no mate’. The rest of the board was hidden by a vehicle. When it moved the rest of the board read ‘Double check your target’. The penny dropped.

By lunch time we were in Whangarei. The first stop was at the Quarry Arts Centre. It is very much a work in progress. There were a few things to see, but not a lot to occupy our time. 

Despite Irene’s trepidation I elected to drive into the town. It was not that difficult and soon we were parked by the riverside. Lunch was at a riverside café and then we headed up the river. We walked by Claphams Clock Museum, with its giant sundial and on to Reyburn House. This was a gallery selling the work of local artists. We had a good conversation with one of the volunteers who explained that this one of the first houses to be built and in those days the only way to Auckland was by sea.

Victorian Shelter

 Then we walked on to look over the sculpture park before walking back to the car and away. It was already getting late and we were becoming increasing sure that the ‘Kawiti Glow Worm Caves’ would be closed. It was gone the 4.00 pm deadline when we turned off the highway at Waiomio. When we arrived the only people there was a group of young men. Obligingly two of them took our money and took us into the caves. One of them explained that about 200 years ago the caves were discovered. Apparently an unhappy wife ran away from home and went to live in the caves. However, a tribe of Maoris spotted the smoke of her fire coming out of the cave. They found her and took her into their care. The caves have been passed down the generations to the family, which included the young men who had hosted our tour. They were really kind and took us back the way that we had come rather than climb 150 steps up and a hike down through the bush. On the way out we had to squeeze by a coach party.

The caves were very white limestone with stalactites and stalagmites. A river ran along below the boardwalk. When the lights were turned off there was the spectacle of lights on the ceiling. They have an amazing life style which involves dangling threads to trap the passing insects which had emerged from the larvae in the river.

It was then a short drive to the toilets. As we walked around the toilets other visitors were heard to say that they never thought that they would be taking pictures of toilets. These toilets were special. They were the public toilets ay Kawakawa. Mr. Hunderwasser was an artist cum poet. The other features of this tiny town were the sculptures, the murals and its railway station. There was also a good place to buy ice cream, once the local youths had gotten theirs.

Our journey then continued passed the ‘Northland Region Corrections Facility’ to what, we hoped would be our base in the small town of Kaikohe. On paper the town looks small but with good shopping facilities.

The first problem came as we arrived at the New Haven Motel. The receptionist presented us with key. While I drove the car in Irene turned the key in the lock to be met by someone who was already in occupation. Then we were told that we were a day early, but we were offered a larger unit at the same price, at least for one night. Next we wanted a meal. We did want to go to MacDonald’s and asked the receptionist. He directed us to the RSA (Returned and Service Association). We had been to one in Sydney. It was a huge building with swimming pool, gym, high quality restaurant and casino). The one we went to at Kaikohe was very much different. It was a bar and it did serve food, but the best evening meal was the all-day breakfast. The people there were very kind.

When we arrived back to the motel the music was still going on. When we arrived the receptionist apologised for the noisy neighbour. We thought that it something like a school fete and would end soon. In fact it went on until 6.30 in the morning. The volume and the bass were totally horrendous. Despite having my hearing aids and tissue stuffed in my ears there was little sleep that night. Before getting out of bed we had searched for and found alternative accommodation elsewhere. Most people we spoke to did not hear the noise. They were workers who lived nowhere near the town.

Today the destination was ‘Ninety Mile Beach’. On a previous journey we had been to the top of the peninsular along which the beach runs. But today we decided to find the northern start of the beach. This meant a tortuous drive over the mountains to a place called Ahipara. On the map it looks like a compact town, but it is really a road or to with houses scattered about. The only eatery we could see on Google (at low resolution) was ‘Aunty G’s Limited’ which looked more like a private house. However, on the way in we found a more modern café for our morning break.

 It was easy to drive to the beach. I chose to park on some hard standing. The advice was that only 4-wheel drives should go on to the beach. After about 100 yards of soft sand the beach was rock solid and even the heaviest vehicles left no mark. We walked for a while along the golden sand by the blue water and white waves. We could see where the peninsular swung around to where the beach continued straight for many miles.

Reluctantly we left and started our way to our new holiday home in Paihia. Stop one was at the MacDonald’s at Kaitaia for lunch and then were found our way on to the highway heading east along the southern coast. Suddenly there appeared a spectacular bay. This was ‘Doubtless Bay’. I can imagine the first arrivals looking at the place with no doubt that they had found something good. It was beautiful, apart from the abandoned house to left of the bay.

After a little walk on the sand we moved on. It was at this point I banged the sole of my foot on to something and spent the next few days walking in pain.

Our next stop was at Kerikeri. The object was to revisit ‘The Stone Store’. This is said to be the oldest stone house in New Zealand and used to protect valuable goods. A similar stone store, nearby, burned to the ground. It is in a lovely spot by the river. This time we did not take the tour which would have meant bare feet, to protect the floor on the upper storey. A second objective was to revisit Matakana chocolate factory and purchase some of their special chocolate for the family. With all objectives met we set off to find our new holiday home in Paihia.

The Alfa Boutique Motel is on the opposite edge of town from Waitangi. It showed clearly on the Google map. I wander if this is because we had searched for it on the phone SATNav. The access to the motel was down a steep slope and the parking was underneath the rooms. The owner was very kind and, once more, we were directed to the RSA for our evening meal. Our belongings had to be dragged up the steps to the unit. Once in it proved to be an ideal place for us. The entrance was through a small kitchen which was equipped with two electric rings and a microwave. The main room was quite large and airy with a double bed and a single bed plus chairs at a table indoors and a similar arrangement on the balcony. There was also the inevitable TV and two easy chairs next to a coffee table. Off this room was a more than adequate bathroom with shower stall. The control was clearly marked and the meant hot, warm or cold.

We left on a wet morning

Once unpacked we made our way to the RSA. This time the door was not locked to be opened by a receptionist. There were the membership forms which we began to fill in. However, they needed to be signed by a member. At that moment the owner of the Alfa Boutique Motel turned up and signed us in. It was a well laid out building. There was the bar area, a games area and highly polished floor that seemed to be for entertainment. Upstairs was a restaurant area which would rival a number of similar places nearby.

Before going upstairs we bought our drinks. This time it was Irene’s turn to choose the glasses out of the refrigerator. A notice instructs members and guests to return their glasses to the bar. Once upstairs we found that almost all the tables were reserved. The food was served almost like an English carvery. There was a choice of two meets, which had to be ordered, and then the customer added their own choice of vegetables. It was almost an English Sunday roast with kumara. We had to take our meal downstairs.

The following day we set off to the Haruru Falls. This too was a revisit. Last time Joe decided to frighten mum by standing on the edge. Having taken my pictures we waited as a couple with a drone attempted to get it flying. After watching their unsuccessful attempts we left.

 From the car park I turned left along the Haruru Falls Road in the direction of Waitangi. Once through the unsealed section in the bush the road came out with a view of Waitangi. 

This time we did not visit treaty grounds as this would have cost £40. However we did go in to the treat ground café. We could see the roof over the waka (Maori canoe). Nothing else was visible.

From here we found food and sat by the river. We watched as a modern waka went by carrying a party of tourist. After a look at the local school’s Maori area we went to park the car at the motel. The aim now was to go to the historic area. This was full of information about the earliest landings of Europeans at the Bay of Islands.

Before going to the historic area we climbed the lookout. All day we had been fascinated by the comings and goings from the cruise ship in the bay. We watched as ferries ploughed to and fro on the choppy sea. This must have been something like how the early settlers landed. No large port was built here. After the signing of the 1840 treaty the capital was moved to Auckland where the harbour can now handle at least three of the largest cruise liners as well as the tons of good that pass through the port daily.

 
The kindness of the British towards the Maoris, compared to the less kind treatment by the French helped to seal the relationships between the new comers and the indigenous people. This resulted in the only treat between European colonists and the people who already occupied the land.

The church yard had the graves of a number of people who were the first British colonists. And the church was a solid stone building with a highly polished wooden floor. Oddly, the spire was over the entrance door rather than the transept. Just as we were about to leave the heavens opened and we waited until the worst went over. Then we set off in search of our evening meal. This time it would be a microwave meal from Countdown. On the walk we passed Paihia’s answer to the Hunderwasser toilets.

Sadly, our last night in this beautiful place was over and it was time to hit the road back to Auckland. The plan was to call into the Pioneer Village in Kaikohe, then to the oldest kauri tree and finally to the kauri museum at Matakohe.

The journey to the Pioneer Village in Kaikohe was long, but easy and soon we were back to the town where our journey began. At the Village we had a wonderful guide who took over the entire morning showing us all the fascinating things they had. A lot of work needs to be done by way of cataloguing and preservation.

The begonia house was beautiful.

Before we left we asked about the noise on Saturday night. No one lived nearby, but the older lady said that she had had to have her house insulated and double glazed. The younger one explained that since the Christchurch earthquake people were moving into this area which was not on the fault line. How strange that the place where Europeans first landed and then deserted turns out to some of the most stable land in the country.

The younger lady was also able to direct us to a modern café where we could have our lunch.

The road to the kauri tree took us to the small towns of Opononi and Omapere. These two towns were along the road along an estuary which had a huge sandbank on the opposite side. 

Here we found an iSite and had our route to Tane Mahuta confirmed. This tree was by the 24km of winding roads along the west coast. It is strange that there is no one on the road when you are driving but at the place that you are visiting are dozens of cars. This was true of this visit there was a large picnic area opposite the tree which we visited. It is truly magnificent and the only way I could photograph was by lying on my back. The tree is said to be around 2000 years old and like all kauris is threatened by disease.

An equally long drive took us to the town of Dargaville. Irene insisted that I rest and we found the riverside park. The river here is very wide but very brown. A large area of land has been reclaimed; much for the growing of kumara.

It was now obvious that we would not make it to our final place of interest. For mile after mile we went along the Wairoa River. At one point we left the road to find the toilets. There is no way that I can find the place on the map but there was a large gravel area next to the river and the toilets. I say this to underline the incongruity of the place. The toilet was futuristic. The sliding door was opened by a push button and locked by a push button. I almost panicked when I could not get out of the door even though it said that it unlocked. It was then that Irene reminded me that it was a sliding door. She never locked her toilet door.

Having failed on our mission we turned into the village of Paparoa. On the right was a hotel and bar where we pulled in for our evening meal. A lot of seafood was on offer which would not have been good for my digestion, so we settled for salad, fish and chips. I made the mistake of asking for vinegar. It was at the point I knew that I was in a foreign country. Everyone was kind and the food was delicious.

Onwards we drove following a sign to Brynderwyn. The place was not on the map and turned out to be a motel with café and bus stop. In the UK the signs would have told us how far it was to the highway not a motel at the place where the road we were on met the SH1. Southward we travelled and our needs were for a sweet, petrol and, hopefully, a car wash. All this we found at Warkworth. We even paid our toll fees.

When we drove off I noticed that the tank was not full and so I drove on to a filling station at Green Lane and from here home.