Cape Reinga Tour - Thursday January 23, 2014

THURSDAY – JANUARY 23, 2014

BOTTOM LINE:

Cape Reinga Day Tour

BACK STORY:

The tour to Cape Reinga at the northern most tip of New Zealand is a packed day so our bus pick up was at 7:15am.  There were about 30 people going on the trip so it was a good-sized group.  Our guide/driver was a guy named Aerial.  We took the front seat, which allowed us personal interface with the driver and a good view on some very twisty roads.

Following a few days of solid rain we left for our tour with sunny and clear skies.

Our first stop was a short walk through the Puketi Kauri Forest. Some of the trees are 1,000 years old.  The trees are very straight, vertical and by tapping the trunk I could tell in the sound that they are a very hard, solid wood.

 

The mighty Kauri trees

 

Morning tea and pee stop was in the town of Taipa before continuing up the road.  The tour is always dependent on tides because part of the tour involves a 40-mile drive on the famous “90-mile” beach.

Our bus was really a huge truck with a bus cabin that was equipped to drive on a sandy beach and through the surf.  It was quite weird forging a small creek bed and driving onto the beach and into the water!  Woo-Who!!!

Entering the 90-mile beach

  

Pacing another bus on beach

The forty miles seemed to pass quickly after making a photo stop to see a huge rock in the water that had a hole through it. Before we knew it we were in view of huge sand dunes where the driver stopped and offered “boogie boards” to anyone interested in going “sand-boarding.”

Because there had been a few days of rain prior to our visit, the conditions were perfect for a fast ride.  After giving lessons on proper boarding techniques, the adventuresome began climbing to the top of the dunes to take turns making the slide down.  It was hilarious to watch and if we didn’t have back to back trips, if would have gone up for a ride.

Getting instructions

  

Some people were fast and straight, while others would lose their balance and spin side ways and eventually flip and stop.  Those that got a fast ride had a chose of putting out their feet to stop (and get the tops of their feet sandblasted) or they would ride into a creek at the bottom and get wet.

Many people would scream coming down the hill out of pure thrill, stand up at the bottom and begin spitting out sand that flew up into their face the entire ride down!  Ahhh, such fun…watching everyone!

Preparing to sand board

Forging another stream, we climbed a small hill to rejoin the paved road heading to the Cape Reinga Lighthouse.  Just beyond the junction the herding of sheep by a couple of men and their talented dogs stopped us.  Once again I was taken with how well trained the canines are to control the herd by simply standing and staring at them! 

 

 

Forging a stream

The Cape Reinga is a very sacred place to the Maori tribes.  It is a place where they believe their dead ones souls pass into the white spirit beyond.  Because it is sacred, there are no commercial buildings.  Any trash created at the site must be remove and strict respect for the culture must be followed. 

 

 

Kahika Tree where spirits descend to water

No one is allowed in the area at night.  There is a lone Kahika tree on a small peninsula of land to the right of the lighthouse where the spirits of those passing meet the white spirit of beyond.

 

Bruce at Cape Reinga Lighthouse

Below the lighthouse one can see the current line of the Tasman Sea meeting the Pacific Ocean.

Meeting of Tasmin Sea & Pacific Ocean

From the Cape we continued to the isolated beach of Tapotupotu for our lunch break and a swim.  The surf was very strong with a rip tide so no one seemed anxious to take a chance.

 

 

Hyojin Lee & Bruce

Tapotupotu Beach

Heading back to our starting point we made an afternoon tea and pee stop at Ancient Kauri Kingdom.  It is a Maori wood working museum and store. Inside there is a staircase made out of an ancient Kauri tree that was extracted from a swamp.  A skilled craftsman cut out a stairway from the middle of the ancient tree, which serves as a staircase to the second story of the building.

Staircase made from Kauri tree trunk

  

Beautiful wooden gifts are available for purchase.  Although the wood is very hard it is light in weight, which was surprising to me.

Carving from Kauri wood

Last stop before reaching Paihia was to the little coastal community of Mangonui for the “best fish and chips” in New Zealand.  Although we have had our fill of the basically unhealthy meal…because it was reputed as being “the best” we decided to split an order.  We made a lucky decision.  I’m not certain what happened, but our wrapping paper (fish and chips come wrapped in something like an absorbent butcher paper) was filled with hot oil making the batter fall off the fish and soak into the chips.  We quickly placed the bare fish into a container that I had and threw away the rest!

Inlet at Mangonui

The rest of the drive was very picturesque with views now and then of the blue waters of the Pacific.

We arrived back about 5pm and were ready for some exercise after sitting on a bus all day.  We grabbed some rackets and balls and headed for the tennis court.  It was a sad game with poor equipment including flat balls…but it was good exercise chasing the balls around!