Pt 7 - Cape Reinga with Salt Air; Dinner at the Duke in beautiful Russell.

Friday 19 November – Cape Reinga with Salt Air, dinner in Russell at the Duke

It’s an early pick up with Salt Air for our fly/drive tour to Cape Reinga (pronounced ray-anga by our guides). The bus arrives promptly at 8 am and we are greeted with a question as to whether we have brought jackets. You bet. We clamber aboard the small bus which is already quite full with international travelers.
We retrace our steps of yesterday and head out through Hururu Falls to Kerikeri Airport.

We assemble in the terminal building and a pilot comes in and says that there is no question the flying today will be bumpy due to the wind and prevailing conditions. One gentleman is quite concerned and announces he is prone to air sickness. The likely effect of the weather is discussed in some detail and everyone is given the opportunity to pull out. They can be taken back to town no worries if they would prefer. The air sick man and his wife choose that option. Hubby is looking concerned but decides to give it a go. He’s been quite keen to see the Cape.

As promised it is a bit bumpy on take off, quite a few of those “falling in the lift” sensations. Doesn’t take long for hubby to start looking decidedly uncomfortable, however he hangs in there. The scenery is so different from the air. All around Kerikeri is orchard country. Hedges hedges everywhere it’s beautiful.

It’s not long before we are flying over water and if memory serves our first water was the western edge of Whangaroa harbour. Everything about Salt Air is slick and professional. Their assets are pretty new, we fly in a Cessna Caravan. Their marketing is pretty good too. Take this for example.. they’ve even thought to put their web address on the wing struts of the plane so it is in people’s photos when they show friends and family… same on the nose of the plane. When we landed at the end of the day some people wanted a photo with the plane…where did they choose to stand… right next to another web address! Smooth.


We are entertained by an interesting commentary as we travel over areas of farmland and forestry. I have a few questions and there is no hesitation in providing knowledgeable answers. I didn’t realize it can be so hot and dry in the far north and bushfires are common here, as they are at home. Arson common too, as it is now at home. Here in Northland the fire can get into buried trees under the ground and burn for weeks with a risk of reigniting. We watch some smoke as it drifts across the landscape in the distance.

We pass over the western edges of Doubtless Bay and Rangaunu Harbour to have a look at Ninety Mile Beach… which is only 64 miles in fact…. Commentary jokingly tells us that “there’s a ninety mile beach in Aussie, so we figured we’d have one too”. “Never mind” says I “ours probably isn’t ninety miles long either” “nah” says our guide “but it’s pretty close I believe. Closer than ours”. The joking aside we get the real story about how the beach came by the name and a history of landholdings up this way and the massive forestry plantation that runs pretty much the whole length of the beach. We chat about driving up the beach and the snapper classic. It’s all very engaging and good fun.



The Te Paki Sand Dunes come into view. We visit them later.



Then our pilot asks us to keep a look out for a nice flat paddock where we can land… ah that kiwi humour.. it’s never far away! As there have been no suggestions from the passengers we are informed that we might just land down here on the grass. Our runway is in a leased paddock from the owner of the northernmost privately owned land. Our pretty much brand new Salt Air bus is waiting there for us after a beautiful smooth landing. Hubby heaves a sight of relief to be back on solid ground.
The farmland is pretty dry, reflecting a drought that’s been on up here. A bit of rain a few weeks back greened things up a bit, but more rain is needed.



It’s very cool and windy. This is apparently an improvement on yesterday when the tours had to be cancelled. The tail of cyclone Rene has been giving Northland a bit of a minor lashing.. but it’s always windy up this way apparently.

Our first destination in the bus is to Cape Reinga lighthouse. The road on the way in is partially un-sealed but this last section of gravel is actively under construction for sealing then you will be able to get all the way to the lighthouse area on sealed roads. We pass an area with a lot of dead Manuka (tea tree) bush skeletons. This was apparently some poor sod who slid off the road and the heat from the exhaust pipe ignited a bush fire. Took better part of a week to put it out with several planes and ground crews. The bill was sent to the bloke who ran off the road… bad news for the guy, the bill was about $700,000 and he was in a rental car, so not supposed to be on the road… no insurance cover… ouch! I don’t like to give commentary away too much on tours, but this one is a cautionary tale all visitors to New Zealand should pay heed to!

The Cape is Magnificent. Yep capital M Magnificent. A visit up here is definitely a MUST DO Northland activity. It’s windy as. We enter the walkway through a tunnel either side of which is ornamented with a mural that includes a reproduction of a map drawn by Tuki Tahua of his country in 1793. Tuki’s map shows the path the spirits of the dead travel as they depart this world. Cool.

It’s quite a long walk down and around the ridge out to the lighthouse. A hat that keeps the wind out of your ears would be a good thing to have with you. The area seems to have been only recently redeveloped. There are interesting interpretive boards all along the way. Our guide takes us down a little way to make sure we don’t miss the critical points then we are given about half an hour to wander about down to the lighthouse. It would have been good to have a little longer. This is a spot where you could sit and contemplate for longer than we are able to indulge.



About half way down the path is the viewing place for the “kahika”. An ancient pohutukawa that grows alone on the point of departure for the spirits. There is of course more information provided about this significant place and the nearby springs… but I will leave my commentary at that. I don’t want to deprive people of the pleasure of discovering this brilliant place for themselves when they come here. Don’t skip it if you’re coming to Northland.

Down from the lighthouse the two oceans, which Maori regard as male and female meet. The whirlpools where the two oceans come together are like the wake of the waka and represent the coming together of male and female and the creation of life.





I watch as two massive waves head straight for eachother and smash together. Unreal. Before coming I did wonder if the division between the two oceans would really be visible. They are. This is way better than I could have imagined.
Reluctantly heading back up the hill, a New Zealand Pipit is scurrying around the grassed area on the edge of the cliffs. Sweet… the glare on my camera back is so extreme I cannot get a photo of him.. where is daughter to show me how to adjust the screen lighting….

Looking south from the path you can see the sand dunes. Visibility is not that great. The haze is caused by the sand blown around in the wind. If you look closely you can see the clouds of sand drifting in some places. Geez that would get old quickly for people living around here. The north of Northland is just a huge sand spit joining what was one a series of completely separate volcanic islands.

As we return to the bus, I am guilty of delaying the group as I buy a flax plant to contribute to the revegetation of the area. My flax plant will be in the garden bed in the parking area, so please be careful of the gardens when you get out of your vehicle!

There are other walks around the lighthouse precinct and information for visitors on the area and what’s around. Yes, I could cheerfully spend a lot longer here… in the right clothing..

Next stop is down to the beach at Taputaputa Bay. Another magnificent spot. The dune grasses are healthy. Cute little grass with fluffy “pussy willow’ type seed heads dance in the wind. The waves coming in sets crash with massive plume blown back by the wind. I don’t think I have ever seen a more beautiful seascape. Fantastic. I sit and photograph and video. Just sit and watch mesmerized by a spectacle of nature man could never hope to improve on.



I drag myself away briefly when morning tea is served. Nothing substantial, just a couple of teeny teeny little muffins per person so have a decent brekkie before the trip!

A flock of brown quail are wandering about the road and toilet blocks as we drive away.






More interesting commentary about life in the Far North as we travel to the Te Paki sand dunes for a spot of dune surfing. These dunes extend for 3 kms by 4kms and the highest of them is 150 metres. The dunes move to the east about 2 cm per year.

We are all handed little plastic sleds and scurry up the side of the dune, then walk quite a way over to the spot where you slide down. The sand is blowing in the wind a bit, but it’s not overly bothersome for the short time we are there. Hubby goes down before me and makes a hash of it. I slide down OK but muck up the very end and land with my bum in the shallow water….yuck… Hubby heads up for another go, but once is enough for me… I manage to get a bit of a video of him sliding down this time though the glare on the camera back is bothersome.

Time to go before the bus sinks into the slow quicksand..apparently the bus would be gone in about 4 or 5 hours to emerge about 8 years later out on ninety mile beach! It’s back to the airstrip for our (longer) return flight down the eastern coast to the Bay of Islands and around to Kerikeri airport once more.

Our flight commences over more of Northlands profusion of intricate bays and estuaries then we come to the shining white sands of a spit… name escapes me and it isn’t shown on the maps I’ve got…anyway it’s extremely pure silica. The used to mine it for making high quality glass, but that had to stop when it was changing the entrance to the bay too much… how refreshing to hear of something being stopped in favour of preserving the natural environment!!!

We follow the beautiful shining white sand beaches, which are inaccessible to all but a very few people who can access from nearby farmland, or by boat, as they run down the coast until suddenly they end. The next bay has sand of a completely different colour and although they are close together the ocean currents and so on keep both sands quite separate. I have heard of a few beaches that claim to have the whitest sand in the world... I reckon this beach in Northland would have to be a contender if it has the purest silica.

PHO

Our path winds back and forth across the beaches to make sure both sides of the plane have good views over the spectacle below. We explore down the coast, over the Cavelli (?) islands and the site where the rainbow warrior was sunk as a dive wreck.

All the way we are treated to interesting bits of information about the scene below. Finally we reach the Bay of Islands and have a good look at what must be hundreds of little secluded sandy bays, private islands and resorts, Russell, Paihia. The Kingfisher Bay resort used to be an army facility in WW2…. Was it the Bay of Islands that was the fall back harbour for the pacific fleet if Australia fell to the Japanese??

As we pass over over a couple of cute little islands it is noted that these two are unusual as they are basalt and the diving around them is consequently wonderful. In the ocean as on land apparently, a basalt base means great fertility. We fly right over the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi.. and then we’re heading once more across an intensive area of orchards to Kerikeri taking note of the expanses of kiwi fruit orchards.

Back on the ground there’s a rush of people to the amenities. We chat with the salt air guys and then its back on the bus for return to our accommodation or town whichever we like. Hubby is relieved to be out of the plane, but has no hesitation in saying the trip was well worth the nausea he’s suffered. We’ve had 50 odd mins in the air on the return and 30 mins on the way north. 2 ½ hrs of bus touring around the far north. The trip is excellent value. Really excellent value. The company motto is: Northland: Best seen from above. IT IS. It really is.

Back at Sea Spray we laze around for a brief while before heading off to 35% South for lunch. Hubby has been eyeing off this restaurant since we first arrived. I’m a bit dubious about it. I find it unsettling when somewhere has such a stable menu they can print it on a banner to hang outside their entrance… however hubby is entitled to follow his whims too, so in we go and find ourselves a seat. It’s a fabulous position and the day is now bright and blue and sunny. I go for the Monteiths beer battered fish with kerikeri tartare and hubby the chowder. Both are very nice and we have a very enjoyable light meal. Then we’re off home for a nap.
It’s all very quiet, though I wake with a bit of a headache.. maybe too much sun.. too much wind for my hat…We try contacting Gannets at Russell to make a reservation for dinner. No joy they are not answering. We’re both sluggish but eventually, just before 7:30 we drag ourselves from our cave and venture out to find dinner. We decide, what the heck, lets go over to Russell. If Gannets doesn’t come off we’ll go to the Duke of Marlborough.
It’s a pleasant drive. Fun on the vehicular ferry and soon we are pulling up in Russell. Gannets is closed for the weekend. Never mind. We head around to the Duke. The sun is making a show through the clouds. The duke is a lovely edifice. The table service area is fully booked, but never mind we can sit anywhere else.. so we order our meals at the bar and head outside to the open area. It’s quite windy but it’s protected here against the building. It’s a totally gorgeous place Russell. We’re glad we made the effort this evening. We laze at our table, hubby with his Speights Distincition Premium lager which they have on tap. He reports this beer was very refreshing and very moreish. The sinking sun is putting on a display with the lingering cloud cover.


For no table service we seem to be getting plenty of attention. A young lady brings us salt and pepper and cutlery. Then the food arrives. Hubby’s first. He’s gone for the Seafood chowder “a potato and bacon based creamy and chunky soup”. ($15.50). I sample a little chowder. Thin consistency of the broth but delicious. For simultaneous consumption (we need to make it back in time for the ferry) he has selected Garlic Cream Prawns on a chive risotto cake ($18). OH, MY, GOD! Those garlic prawns are to die for. The risotto cake is even better.



My own meal arrives. I have gone for the Rack of NZ Lamb grilled vegetable tart with tomato thyme jus. $36. 8 tiny little ribs in racks arranged on the most delicious intensely flavoured vegetable ratatouille resting in a square of puff pastry. The jus is arranged artistically all around. Sensational and it tastes even better than it looks. Wonderful.
We gobble our fabulous meals and as he finishes first, hubby heads in to order me a serve of the world’s best garlic prawns. He gets himself a serve of bar calamari ($7.50)…. He has me excited for a minute when I think he’s ordered the Tempura style calamari with baby salad and chili caramel sauce, which is only $13.. but it’s not to be. He enjoyed his crumbed bar calamari and the delicious accompanying salad. Sigh.. what a fabulous meal. What a fabulous setting for it. Superb.
Hard to believe I know but we pass on the dessert. For this we can thank the ferry. We really want to be in heaps of time for the ferry.

We take our leave and enjoy a leisurely stroll along the waterfront on our way back to the car. There can't be too many places more romantic than Russell day or evening.



Our spirits revived we are rolling straight on to the 9:30 ferry to head back to Sea Spray. We’ve had a fabulous day.

Pt 6: Waitangi Treaty Grounds; Stone Store and Pavlova; Dinner at Island Life Restaurant

Thursday 18 February – Waitangi Treaty Ground, Kerikeri and Island Life

A very slow start today with hubby sleeping until about 9 am. It’s well after 10:30 before we get in to Paihia to replenish the cash supplies which were depleted last night after paying cash for the cultural show.




It’s a pretty miserable though warm day today. Humid and raining on and off. The tail of a cyclone is giving the north a bit of a lashing. The brilliant blue of the bay is a thing of the past and the water has turned a golden green colour as the churning water has stirred up the sand. The beach across from the long rows of tourist accommodation is a continual parade of dumping waves. Although it’s hot the beach doesn’t look at all inviting.

In Paihia township we wander about checking the place out. Wander over to the i-site and pick up some brochures. Although it’s nearing lunch time we head on over to the Waitangi Treaty ground so we can be in time for the tours.


Arriving at the Treaty Ground we are impressed by the grand entry ways and gardens. As a physical space the entire compound is befitting of its historical significance. After some initial procrastination we opt for the Treaty House Treasures tour that only runs once per day at 12:30 and the Walking with Nature tour who’s second and last tour of the day is at 2pm.

First things first we inspect the facilities. Very impressive I have to say. Not often you feel moved to photograph the toilets!



We’re ravenously hungry so pop down to the off site café to grab a bit before going to join the tour. We ask the guy behind the counter if we have time to order the fush and chups (their spelling) and the cornucopia. We are advised that they take about 15 mins and we’d be the only order in the kitchen at the moment. Tight but should be OK so we go ahead. Half an hour later we are still waiting. Forget the tour. The Owner/Manager of the café does her best to help out, rings the tour centre etc. It’s all a big stuff up. We’re not that fussed. We can consider it a donation to a worthy cause.

We head up to the treaty house past the big waka down by Hobson’s beach and the girl there ends up sending us back down to the entry gates to sort things out. Having missed the only treasures tour for the day we switch to the cultural performance Kapa Haka which pretty much backs onto the Walking with Nature tour.

The Kapa Haka is a performance by mostly very young people. It is enjoyable and covers the usual territory. Singing Maori Songs, poi, stick games, and there’s an audience participation section where the men from the audience get to learn a little bit of haka. This is of course very amusing. The session closes with a question and answer section which today included some questions about moku and why don’t these young men have any Maori tattoos. As a whole the session can’t compete with the Culture North show last night, but then it’s only ¼ of the price too.

Straight from the show to meet our guide for the walk. We emerge into the pathways leading down from the entrance. It is a series of raised wooden walkways through some nice indigenous vegetation. Lovely.



It’s drizzling rain and off and on during the tour the precipitation gets heavier finally driving us under cover, when we’d just about finished. The patch of forest we walk through is very nice. Lots of tree ferns and several reasonable sized trees. Large Manuka (pronounced MAH- nooka) trees as well. I am a bit dubious about some things mentioned on this tour as they didn’t quite gel with information provided in other places. It refreshed my memory about kawakawa plants and the medicinal uses of the leaves, and medicinal tea, pain killing properties of the leaves and usefulness as a bandage for wounds. Our guide has a nasty scar where he was hurt as a child and his mother treated him with kawakawa. It must do the trick, as it must have been a nasty wound.

By three oclock we’re pretty much done for the day and decide to come back tomorrow afternoon if we want to. For now we feel like a change of scene. We’re off to Kerikeri. We’re quite surprised to find that kerikeri is quite a big place. Much bigger than Paihia. Prosperous looking. Very congested traffic. Significant roadway infrastructure in the areas immediately approaching the town. We persevere through the traffic and find our way to the Stone Store. This is in a very nice little area with picnic tables and grassed areas. Somehow we’ve taken the less convenient route that parks outside Rewa’s village. Consequently we need to wander across the creek to get to the stone store.

There are a lot of red billed gulls hanging around including one recently fledged chick that is concentrating on making it’s parent birds’ life a misery.. begging continually and chasing the older bird hither and non.

The Stone Store itself is very interesting and has done a great job of displaying the sort of wares that would have been for sale in days gone by. Well above average.



In the next room there is a range of souvenir products and one thing catches my eye. On a shelf with a number of cookbooks for sale is one all about the Pavlova wars! Yes, a whole, 189 page fully referenced hardcover book about the history of Pavlova and the arguments between Australia and New Zealand about where Pavlova originated. Good heavens. This is where the commentary is likely to become controversial!




Published by Otago University Press, the author of this book is an academic and the investigations which inform the book have been conducted by quite a considerable and well qualified team of people. The research …depended on detailed analysis of a very comprehensive collection of pavlova recipes from cookbooks, newspapers and periodicals. Funding was provided by a Marsden Grant by the Royal Society of New Zealand. Clearly some serious grunt has been brought to bear on this most weighty of issues.

There is an early section in the book devoted to the “pavlova wars” between Australia and New Zealand. I think she sums up the issue quite well in the final paragraph of that section:

I discovered early in my involvement that this question is asked because it divides people, elevates individuals beyond their actual contribution, and is in fact quite unanswerable – since we can never be sure that the very first recipe has been found. As the public engage in their mock pavlova wars, the casualties are ignored, especially those whose memories are treated as unreliable, or whose ancestors are accused of plagiarism. This book is dedicated to those who have been doubted, and to those who are genuinely interested in the complicated history of all the different sorts of Pavlovas.

The book goes on to scholarly discussion of meringue cakes and sweets named Pavlova and meringue cakes named Pavlova.. even a chapter dedicated to discussion of what gives the modern pavlova a soft centre, right down to thesis research testing to see what ingredients might make a difference on this score. Over all, the emphasis in the book is that there has been a process of evolution in both development of recipes and the anthropology relating to when and how both Australia and New Zealand came to see the Meringue cake called Pavlova as a cultural icon. Ms Leach suggests that it is entirely possible that the single layer meringue cake we call pavlova may have evolved independently in both countries around the same time. It is also noted that the Americans were making meringue cakes long before either NZ or Australia albeit not called Pavlova.

For my own part, I think the evolution aspect is very well illustrated by the Pavlova we consumed at Soul in Auckland. It relates to the question - exactly what is a “pavlova”. The ealiest NZ recipes were a meringue called pavlova where for coffee flavoured meringues dusted with nuts… and sandwiched together. Chefs and home cooks continue to innovate. I mean it’s meringue cream and fruit. Not exactly a complicated dessert. At Soul the dish was fruit and lemon curd, with a couple of lumps of lemon jelly and quite separately on the plate a couple of soft centered meringues. Not exactly what most people would think of as a pavlova, but it is not the first time I’ve seen such an innovative approach to the dish come out of a professional kitchen.

If we must argue, why leave it at Pavlova? How about we start a war about which country first put beetroot on hamburgers.. which country “invented” lamingtons? .. or custard slice/squares or neenish tarts or any number of things that both counties indulge in but which are apparently more relished in Australia and New Zealand than elsewhere in the world. I was reading in one book about kiwi cuisine on sale at tourist places that New Zealand is the only country in the world who puts beetroot on their hamburgers. Evidence in point being that McDonalds quickly had to invent a “kiwiburger” .. same burger they market in Australia as the “McOz” burger. I don’t understand why the obsession with insisting the two countries are more different than they are. Aus and NZ are very similar in a LOT of ways. Our people go back and forth across the ditch and always have since European settlement began. We use a lot of the same slang not used elsewhere in the world as well. As each country continues the process of assimilation with our indigenous peoples we will no doubt have more and more of the real differences that it seems people crave.

Anyway, back to the Stone Store! We’re too late for a tour of the nearby house and it’s hot and muggy. We’re struggling to summon enthusiasm for doing pretty much anything at all. Gee I hate summer. Remind me again why I planned a trip for summer..

We head back to Paihia and make our way to Island Life Café Restaurant and Bar. We’re a bit early for dinner but take a seat to nurse a drink until 6 oclock. For much of the time there is a fine mist like drizzle, but it is very pleasant just sitting relaxing looking over the bay.

Among the entertainment an anonymous mottled brown pelagic bird.. maybe a juvenile black backed gull? I have to say I’m pretty pleased with the zoom on the camera.. this bird was a long way away!



Finally time comes to order our meal and we opt for cauliflower soup of the day for hubby and, having been assured that the portions are not huge, I go for the tempura prawns with soba noodle salad. I won that round! The prawns were truly delicious.
For mains I’ve decided to be adventurous and go for the Moroccan chicken with couscous, aubergine and truffle dressing and roast cherry tomatoes. This was an artistically presented arrangement with scrolls of stuffed chicken breast and a central mould of couscous topped with fine basil leaves. Great stuff. Very tasty.
Hubby had gone for the duck with orange and anise sauce. Once again very different and delicious.

When the quality of the food is that good you can’t help looking for dessert. I couldn’t resist the lemon tasting platter which had lemon thyme sorbet, brulee, and a little lemon meringue pie. All fabulous. Hubby was no less satisfied with his chocolate fondant with dark and white chocolate sauce and chocolate ice cream.
Today there is no question the food was the star.

Pt 5 to Russell the slow way; Culture North Show at Waitangi

Wednesday 17 February 16, 2010 to Russell the slow way, Culture North Show at Waitangi
Sun rises late here. 6:45 am and we are awake so I spend a little time admiring the sunrise over the ocean from the chairs on the balcony. Then hubby has a great idea. How about we walk down to the beach. He’s been reading the information book and knows where the path is.

We head off to the western side of pacific rendezvous. There is a fabulous wood bbq with table and seats overlooking Tutukaka harbour.



We skirt the bbq area and head down to a paved pathway that takes you steeply down the hill. There are a couple of seats along the way for a rest if you need it. It’s steep but not that long a walk and we emerge onto the beautiful secluded beach we were admiring from the boat on our way past yesterday.



We wander along the sand down to a pohutukawa growing out of the rocks. A green strappy plant has taken up residence in the crook of a branch. Hubby sits on the rocks under the canopy of the tree.

The sand of the beach is virtually free of footprints where the tide has wiped the slate clean. The gentle lapping of the waves has created tasteful ridges across the beach. There are plentiful shells, and small black volcanic stones, even a large branch of driftwood. I snap some décor close ups. I paddle in the water and wish I’d worn my togs. The water is a lovely temperature with not much difference between water and air temperatures. Perfect for a swim.

Wandering down to the far end of the beach near the rocky promontory another pohutukawa has shed leaves around on the rocks and sand. There is a beautiful array of coloured leaves. I marvel again at how beautifully Peter Raos has captured these leaves in glass. I spend a while collecting and photographing the leaves. I’m thinking they might look pretty good displayed next to my leaf art glass.



Meanwhile hubby does a few laps up and down the beach and finally we are climbing back up the hill. It’s a wrench but we need to pack up thismorning and head north. It really would have been nice to spend some time swimming and relaxing on this little beach.. an impulse that is most out of character for me I have to say! Before we head inside I can’t resist a snap of the monochromatic light show over the ocean.



It is a winding road to Matapouri following the ridge tops with occasional dips into the intervening valleys fronted by bays and beaches. At Woolley’s Bay we find a beautiful sandy surf beach. A flock of small birds is foraging by the road. As we pass I see they are actually California Quail! Not a native bird, but a new bird for me nonetheless.

It’s only a short skip through to the Sandy Bay were the surf is more impressive and this is reflected in there being many more cars and surfers. It’s a pleasant drive through farmland to Hikurangi , a small and modest town where apparently it is garbage day. We are surprised to find that the garbage is placed on the side of the road in official rubbish bags. Don’t local dogs and vermin rip the bags up? I guess it can’t be a problem or surely a system of hard rubbish bins would have been adopted. .. I guess they must supply special bags that break down in land fill… but who knows. Funny, but it is often these little aspects of difference that provide so much interest to travelling!



We are back on SH1 for a while before we make the turn to take the slow road to Russell. The road is very slow and winding and passes through farmland and forestry plantations. It’s all a pretty familiar type scenery and fairly similar to some regions of rural Australia. We are seeing some of what turns out to be extensive forestry plantations.

After a time we pass a tiny glimpse of ocean and arrive at signs for the Helena Bay Hill Gallery and Café. We could use a break and this has been recommended. The Gallery is full of beautiful objects in all sorts of media. Lava Glass, pounamou, ceramics, paintings, sculture, furniture, jewellery. A bit of everything and everything good quality. I particularly admire the mobelus ribbons carved in jade, they are awesome, but no one offers to pay the $950 to give me one. LOL.



When we are done in the Gallery we move across to the café and settle in at the tables which have a beautiful view across the hills to the ocean. Don’t ask me how I managed to get a fly in the photograph of the view! Hubby indulges in a big breakfast. I sample the lemon and coconut slice. Both are delicious. The slice especially so. We are moved to share a slice of German Apple Pie with Caramelised almonds. Superb. Ah, it is so rare to find really first class German cakes and pies. We buy another couple of slices for ron (ie later on) and pop them in the “esky”.

Moving right along we are into country even heavier with forestry plantations. We pass a stand of eucalypts and the scent of them is strong in the air (ah.. lovely). The countryside continues to be rather like home and with the eucalypts around you’d have to pinch yourself to realize you’re actually somewhere else. The road is very winding and hubby is starting to look a bit strained.



Somewhere in the mix in this early time after Helena Bay we made a little detour to see a couple of beaches. One was Teal Bay which I believe is what is in the photograph above.

Another very nice beach was just next door. Flanked by a community of modest dwellings. This name of this spot escapes me. However the sign I’ve photographed says Mimiha Recreation Reserve. Pretty spots.. not too developed.



Later in our trip our guide on the Spellbound tour said that travelling around Australia you learn two things 1. You can get sick of the sight of gum trees (LOL well, I don’t know about that! If I’m in Australia I can’t get enough of them.. there’s hundreds of different sorts of gum trees to discover LOL ) and 2. You can get sick of the sight of beautiful sandy beaches..that one I generally agree with.. so I hope people understand when I say I’m fairly hard to please and quickly sated when it comes to beaches really. My father was beach obsessed.. salt water in his veins…so as a kid we NEVER did ANYTHING else… so yeah.. maybe I struggle to do beaches justice really… I do a bit better with wilderness beaches that are free of feral weeds and human development…

We eventually reach some sections where there are very brief glimpses of beaches and water. There’s a lot less opportunity for coastal views than we expected. The first, which a sign proclaims is Taupiri Bay, is oh so very like the coast near Port Macquarie NSW. There’s nowhere obvious to pull over, and before we’ve had time to really think about it we’re coming onto Elliott Bay where an enterprising landholder has set up a rough car park opposite a walk to the beachfront. Pay $2 to park and you can see the beach. It’s not much, but yeah, we’re just not into it. We’re not accustomed to having to work that hard to see coastal scenery.. and it’s not something we are short of at home! We are really keen to reach Russell.

As we get to Pakehiri Bay we start passing mangroves and I again I am struck by the similarity to a drive at home out to St Albans in the north west of Sydney. Mangroves are an important part of the ecosystem no question, but I don’t find them particularly good as scenery. The water everywhere is a very pretty blue, in many places the health offshore is reflected in the shoreline detritus of seaweed, the aroma of which hits in wafts from time to time.

All along the way the access to the waterfront seems restricted and we don’t see anywhere that looks particularly safe to park. At Te Uenga Bay there is an obvious boat ramp, with very limited space for cars and trailers. At Waipiro Bay a sign that says access to beachfront is walkers only…. We look around and once again see nowhere to park..

At long last, as we are within a short distance of Russell, hubby lets me know why he’s been looking strained. All the winding of the road is making him sick. Who would have thought he’d get through a day on the water just fine, but the road is turning him green! If he’d said so earlier we might have made more effort to get out of the car, but I think he just wants to get to our final destination asap.

In Russell we head straight up to Flagstaff Hill. The views are beautiful all around the bay and out to sea. The bay is a brilliant sparkling sapphire blue. It’s a popular spot and although there’s not many people when we first arrive but then a small tour bus turns up with 6 or 8 tourists keen to take in the sights.



We head first up a path heading south and admire the survey marker and it’s mural. Some signs of vandalism here, but nothing too drastic.
We move across to the flagstaff and spend some time reading the plaque and admiring the views from a bench seat that has been conveniently positioned.



It’s about 1:30 and pretty hot in the sun. There’s not much in the way of shade up on Flagstaff hill. We have a nice icey drink of water from the esky and head down to the township to find some lunch.

We find a parking spot right near a beautiful gallery which is full of stunning art glass from all over the world. It is mostly very expensive but very lovely. There are some truly first rate glass paper weights with marine scenes in them. All lovely but the most expensive ($570) incudes a beautifully executed sting ray floating in the clear glass. Many of the pieces are many thousands of dollars, but there are also some great smaller hermit crabs (approx $200??) and a fabulous glass octopus (approx $600). Well worth the time for a look.

We explore along Marsden Street and along the beautiful waterfront walk admiring the heritage buildings and checking out the eating places. Russell is a very lovely place indeed. We can’t summon any enthusiasm for a major dining event today and hubby is not keen having eaten breakfast late and now not feeling fabulous . Back along Marsden St we come across The Bakery. I sneak a peek inside and notice they have mini pies. These seem to be known as "savouries" in New Zealand. They look good. I decide to sample a couple of mince pies ($1.50 each ?) and hubby gets a ginger beer. We have a quick chat with the friendly lady serving and head outside to try the wares. Excellent. A truly excellent little pie. The pastry is perfect. I could go another one of those. Hubby wants a neenish tart too….

This time we walk out with a couple of the smoked fish version of the little pies… like chowder in a pie. Very nice. A second little mince pie goes down a treat too. I think hubby thought the neenish tart a bit weird. I’m not a fan of neenish tarts so didn’t try it, but the custard square (we call them custard slice in Aussie) was nice.

Next stop the Russell Museum. Entry price $7.50. It’s only a small museum with some Moa Bones and various Maori artifacts. A very large model of the Endeavour, a river canoe found in a swamp and used locally. There is currently an exhibition on the flagpole which consists of fragments of various of the poles cut down. Some are just chunks of wood, some are walking sticks made from remnants with good provenance.
We spend 10 min watching the video on Russell and find this quite interesting..but it’s hot in the Museum and we’re uncomfortable. We step back outside into a cool breeze. Ah, what a relief. My favourite part of the museum was actually the whale boat, which you can see for free outside at the rear of the museum.

I had planned to visit Pompelier but we’re both feeling hot and tired so we head for the vehicular ferry. We are puzzled by some luxury apartments that are immediately next to the ferry point at Opua. What a strange place for a luxury apartment. Wonderful views of the ferry from that big deck I should think. Vehicular ferries are always a bit of fun and pretty soon we’ve navigated the short and winding road into Paihia and have checked into Sea Spray Suites. Having not checked our email for a couple of days we arrange access and log on and chill until our pick up for the Culture North sound and light show.

Some anxious minutes when the bus is nearly 15 mins late, are we waiting in the right place?….but it all works out and in no time at all we are across the river and alighting at the Waitangi Treaty Ground. We spend some time learning protocol for the evening, assigning chiefs and so on, then it’s around the corner of the building and we come into sight of the magnificent carved Maori building. What a venue!!
The challenge proceeds and our chiefs do their bit, taking care not to look away or down or step back when facing the warriors and picking up the token greenery. The young performers are excellent and every one of them is making a great display. Shoes off and elders first, we take our seats inside for the show to commence. The show uses the device of a grandfather talking to his granddaughter to flick back and forth from the past to present to tell the story of Waitangi, of Kupe and the first Maori and their skills and games and songs and the interaction of the Maori people and the British Crown, whalers and missionaries. It’s all well done.

As the lights cool enough to be removed (all seating and lighting etc has to be set up and removed every night) we have opportunity to get photographs with the cast or talk to them. I’m entranced by the carvings around the interiors they are fantastic. How sad that a misinterpretation of the meaning and purpose of the panels was misunderstood by the missionaries and most of these treasures destroyed as idolatry as Maori became Christians.

Back on the bus there’s some questions and some more discussion of Maori life, the journey of chiefs to England and the first written Maori undertaken by the Cambridge University. Our host, Kena, is friendly and funny. By about 10:30 we are dropped back at Sea Spray feeling pretty buzzy and in need of a slow wind down before sleep.

A great end to a long day!

Pt 4 - NZ A Perfect Day - it really was!

Something heavy is scuttling about on the roof. A possum? It’s 6:40 am. Getting light. I get up to take care of business and sleepily peek out the curtains to the sea. Pre drawn by the looks. I can’t resist watching ready to take a few snaps if colour should paint the clouds on the horizon. A quick flick of fingers through hair; pull on some shorts and I slide open the glass door separating me from the view and step outside. Lovely soft grass on bare feet.

I wander down along the grass to some seats positioned in a bare paddock with views back in towards Tutukaka. A smail sail boat is heading south and soon there is a slow stream of boats heading out to sea. The sun is slow to rise but as it peeks over the horizon the sky is lit with golden flame until the bright orb shows itself through the bands of cloud.

I head slowly back up the hill admiring a lonely pohutukawa flower in the garden and settle in downstairs to some leisurely pottering about on the computer with occasional contented snores from hubby upstairs as my companion. The view of the Poor Knights Islands from the apartment a tantalizing promise of things to come.

It seems no time at all before it’s 10 o’clock and time to be readying ourselves for our trip with A Perfect Day. As we pull up in the carpark it’s clear that most other patrons have already checked in and are making themselves comfortable on the boat. We soon are joining them and noting that it is indeed looking like a perfect day. The sky is clear, the sea Is like a mill pond. Fantastic.

The first order of business as we step into the back of the boat is to get kitted out with snorkel, fins and in my case, a wetsuit. Best form of sun protection going and it doesn’t leave an unfortunate slick on the water to affect the environment. With gear in hand we head upstairs. The boat is big and broad and there are plenty of seats, a few outside in the sun and many more under the canopy. The plastic roll up windows allow for shade without feeling like you’re inside. Phew. I really need to minimise my sun exposure.

After the obligatory safety briefing, (which is as entertaining as a safety briefing can possibly get) rules of the boat and a run down o the plan for the day we settle down to enjoy a leisurely run out to the Poor Knights Islands which are of course, still visible in the distance. To the south the Hen and Chickens Islands are a shadow to the east of cape Whangarei, while to the north Cape Brett marks the entrance to the Bay of Islands. We hear about the East Australian Current and the tendency for tropical species to find themselves here at the Poor Knights. Some species can hang on, others have a short life span as the water cools over winter when the effects of the current lessen. As we approach the islands we hear of James Cook and his naming of the islands in 1769… look they really do look like a dead knight lying in the water…

We arrive at the islands at about midday. Conditions are right for the boat to anchor up in an area known as the garden. In this bay there are a range of beautiful species of kelp growing and a range of fish can been seen. Before we head downstairs to go jumping in the water the skipper fills us in on what’s around the area. Hubby and I are among the last of the snorkelers into the water. I am glad I decided on the wetsuit as I slide into the water and move away from the boat. Masses of small fish, a species of chromis, and others school around the area.

There’s also a few larger fish but nothing really big. As recommended I head over to the shadows and find stacks of fish and beautiful kelp covered rocks. A thin transparent ribbon hangs in the water. It’s edges pulsating with iridescent colour. It swims and ripples like an gymnast’s ribbon. This is known as a mermaid’s belt. Beautiful.

Also around in numbers are tiny gelatinous creatures, again, showing iridescent banding rippling along the sides. Jelly fish you would say. I tried to fan one away from me to avoid swimming into it and perhaps damaging it. To my horror it seems to disintegrate in front of my eyes and I wonder if it was ever really creature shaped at all. As I watch it reforms itself. What an extraordinary creature.

I meet up with hubby and we head for the arch where we were advised a lot of fish hang out. Indeed they do and we float through a wall of fish towards water that is tossed and bubble strewn from the gentle swell breaks against the rocks of the arch.

Returning towards the boat from the arch we several large fish which we would call bream, but are locally called snapper. Beautiful iridescent blue spots on the sides, and around the fins. Beautiful fish. They are beautiful when you catch them but 10 times more lovely alive in the water.

I continue on snorkeling until about 1:15, then I figure I might have some lunch and position myself for a go on the kayaks. There’s only few kayaks so people need to be considerate and not monopolise them. Most people just use the kayak to go across to Rikoriko cave and return.

Wandering about on deck I look for hubby and cannot see him anywhere. I continue to look and still can’t see him. I begin to picture his drowned body floating on the bottom.. finally I see him and sigh with relief before grabbing the camera to get a few shots of his graceful snorkeling style. ;o)

Lunch is a variety of sandwiches with meats and salads or cheese and salad. Some side salads and pickled onions and cucumber, and a platter of fruit. The pineapple was fabulous. Best fresh pineapple I’ve had in ages. We scoff a sandwich each and at 1:30 a kayak becomes available. We stow our plates and jump in the kayak and off we go to the cave. I’m tempted to sing a round of Waltzing Matilda to test the much lauded acoustics, but just as I’m about to burst into song another kayaker comes into the cave and I think perhaps my singing isn’t quite what they would have had in mind for their rikoriko cave experience. It’s only a short paddle back to the boat and we’re boarding by about 1:45.

It’s not long until our scheduled departure time, but I decide to slip back into the water for a quick snorkel through the arch. Now with the sun beaming down into the water right up to the rocks over most of the area, the fish have pretty much buzzed off but I find them in the arch. Wonderful.

Finally the skipper blows the horn and heads around the vessel ticking names off on the passenger list to make sure everyone is on board. It’s up anchors and we’re off on our circumnavigation of the island. First stop is into the rikoriko cave. Riko refers to the sparkling of the water. We see a little of this effect near the entrance to the cave, but we are informed that winter is the time to see this cave as the entire cavern fills with the sparkling light of the water. We do a little yelling and mucking about in the cave. Our skipper as usual a wonderfully entertaining performer. What a hoot.

As we head around the islands we hear about the Maori history of the island. Aside from the ban on landing on the islands placed by the Department of Conservation, the island is tapu for Maori. This was a decree by a powerful chief after a massacre on the islands in the early 1800’s. Nothing to do with Europeans really, it was all over pigs and utu. Following the massacre the Maori simply left. Consequently one of the islands is an archeologist’s dream. As we explore the numerous arches and protected bays we hear of an early European settler who visited and collected things, as was the tendency of the times, without permission of the local iwi. Today even the Dept of Conservation must be given permission from the iwi to land on the island.

The whole commentary is fascinating and our skipper is a really charismatic, funny guy. Our last trip through an arch then we head down to the pinnacles. This is the site of a gannet nesting colony. We circle and have a go at getting some high zoom photos, though at high zoom the motion of the boat has more of an impact. I wish I was as proficient with the camera as daughter 1.

As we circle the sugar loaf we are informed that over to the right of us we can see little grey ternlets.. what! Grey Ternlets are really rare and hard to see. I've only seen them once before when we did a trip to Balls Pyramid from Lord Howe Island. COOL! Sure enough a small flock of ternlets is there buzzing about. Skipper points out some diagonal bands in the rock where the ternlets like to roost. I manage a photo. You hoo!!!!

We motor away from the island and have a relaxing but uneventful trip back to the marina in Tutukaka harbour. The weather has been absolutely perfect all day. The sea is as calm when we disembark as when we walked on board. A perfect day indeed. In the course of the trip we have gone through several arches and of course into the rikoriko cave. It's been awesome.

Back at Pacific Rendevous we shower and journal and catch a bit final few performances for some gold medals in the ice skating and speed skating at the Winter Olympics, then it’s off to another dinner at Schnappa Rock.

We start with the selection of warm breads with pesto, oil and balsamic and butter. It was OK but frankly I’ve had better. Oh Schnappa Rock. Tisk tisk. This is the first average bread course I've had in New Zealand... maybe the bread is a South Island Specialty! The breads are simultaneously consumed with duck liver pate for hubby and mussels in a mild red curry sauce for myself. Mains were tricky. I think we both were very tempted to get the same as we had last night, but in the interest of sampling hubby went for the lamb rack with tzatziki and sides of potatoe and mixed vegetables. I went for one of the specials – Fish no 2 which was oven baked hapuka with blue cheese and leek sauce served with quinoa. Very delicious. I don’t usually like fish much, but this was lovely.

Although I lobbied for skipping the dessert, hubby was not to be persuaded and I have a poor history when faced with such enthusiasm for over indulgence… so I go for the fruit and orange sorbet on a Russian blini. Hubby went for the Queen of Sheba chocolate cake with ice cream and fruit compote. Both desserts were very nice too, but I am not at all convinced the small pancakey affair on which my stuff sat was a genuine Russian blini. Ah well. It’s quite late by the time we are departing. Another very nice meal at Schnappa Rock…
….I only hope the food takes a turn for the uninspiring for a while!

Pt 3 NZ - More Devonport, Navy Museum, and north to Tutukaka

6:45 am. Overcast. Street lighting is still on as the natural light increases. Already the motorway over the bridge is heavy with traffic snaking jewel eyed into the city centre.
We pack up slowly and lethargically, we’re still struggling with adjusting to the time zone after our ridiculously late arrival from Sydney and continued late nights.

After 9 we walk over to Europcar in Shortland Street. It’s not a long walk but it does involve walking up and down some reasonable inclines. Good for us after all the fine dining we’ve been doing. There’s a bit of a wait as others ahead of us collect their vehicles. Time to go out to the vehicle and we are surprised to find a sporty silver Toyota Aurion awaiting us, complete with spoiler. Oh. Ok. I check my paperwork. We definitely booked and paid for a Mitsubishi Lancer. This upgrade is a bit of alright! It’s a very easy trip back to Quay West to check out and then we are retracing our steps of last night and heading towards the Northern Motorway. We have decided to stop past Devonport again this morning seeing as our visit on Saturday was shorter than we had planned.

Devonport is comparatively quiet today after the buzz of the weekend. No trouble parking. I make a call to the glass bottom boat people at Goat Island. Turns out the conditions there today are not good and the lady rings back to advise that she thinks it would be a waste of time us going up today as the wind is coming straight in and it’s very rough with the boat closely resembling riding a bucking horse. This being the case we feel free to spend as much time as we like here in Devonport and surrounds before making our way up to Tutukaka for tonights stay.

Our first stop is the puzzle shop at the wharf which hubby had been admiring on the weekend. The lady in the shop is really friendly. She sounds of Scottish origin. She tells us about the various games and puzzles and has a teaching game with hubby of a cool game called Pentago. This game is apparently taking the world by storm. Looks seriously cool but we think we can get this and another cool New Zealand invention called Tantrix at home. What we can’t get at home is a hand made kiwi invented game called Cathedral. Made from New Zealand woods in batches of 50 at a time this game of strategy looks fair to contribute to the hefty weight of the souvenirs for this trip. I also cannot resist a cribbage box which opens to show compartments for playing cards, dice and tray and crib pegs..such a reasonable price too. I can see us coming back to the puzzle shop when we make it back to Auckland. Great shop. Great friendly service. Top stuff.

Next, as we’re running out of time on our parking spot we drive down the road and make our way into the Navy Museum. This museum will be moving to new premises around on North Head, hopefully opening on 1 August 2010. At the moment they are crammed into a fairly small space. The displays are dominated by photographs but there are other interesting artifacts also as well as small information boards telling the story of various ships and individuals. Along the way more or less covering NZ naval history. We read many fascinating and inspiring stories. We read of penny trails held at schools all over New Zealand to raise money to buy the ships bell for the first HMS New Zealand… we used to raise money like that for the Far West Childrens home at Curl Curl in Sydney… I remember the teachers used to drum up support saying how these poor children who live in the inland had never seen the sea and so we had to bring them out for a beach holiday. Although I was only 5 or 6 yrs old, I clearly remember feeling quite resentful as I had never seen the other side of the great dividing range, or for that matter even the mountains.. no one was offering to take me for a holiday! I think perhaps there must have been more to the Far West Children’s home than our teachers ever explained to us!

We read of the second HMS New Zealand commissioned on 19 November 1912, one of very few ships to participate in all three major fleet actions of the Great War: Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914; Dogger Bank on 24 January 1915 and the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. In action the Captain wore a Maori Puipui and pounamou tiki that had been presented to the ship.

Tales of valour too. Lieutenant Commander W E Sanders VC RNR. A Takapuna local. Given command of a Q ship HMS Prize in 1917, on his first patrol a submarine was encountered and engaged. HMS Prize was badly damaged and almost sank. This engagement has since been described as one of greatest minor naval actions of the Great War. The sub sank and some survivors were rescued. W E Sanders was awarded the Victoria Cross “in recognition of his conspicuous gallantry, consummate coolness, and skill in command of one of HM ships in action.” The only VC ever to be awarded to a New Zealander serving in the Navy.

It took a while for the Prize to be repaired and three months later she took to the waters again and once again another sub was encountered, engaged and sunk. This time Sanders was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. In their third engagement Sanders and all the crew perished. There is a memorial to Sanders in Sanders Ave Takapuna. A local boy to be proud of. One wonders what else he was involved in as his war diaries were classified as “secret”. Grant Howard’s biography of “Gunner Billy” will be a treasured souvenir of our visit here today and a worthy addition to my collection of military titles.

The gentleman on the desk helps me out with my confusion about the establishment of the kiwi Navy. At some point rather than being referred to as HMS ie British Royal Navy vessels, the kiwi ships became HMNZS – as they are today of course. The boards around the walls don’t explain it. (No doubt a problem that will be addressed in the redeveloped displays). Turns out the Royal New Zealand Navy was formally created on 1 October 1941. However this was not the first of the NZ Navy. New Zealand had long had their own ships, paid for by the kiwi taxpayer and controlled by the NZ Naval Board, but operating with/within the Royal Navy. In 1921 this administrative arrangement was not changed by the seagoing elements of the NZ naval forces being retitled as the NZ Division.. all very confusing really, but I think I have it clear now.. though it would be interesting to examine the relationship of these events to the national expectations re foreign policy. I know for a time Australia contributed to empire defence but had no independent voice on foreign policy. Just one of the stages of assuming real independence from the “mother country” was realizing that British and Australian (or New Zealand) interests do not always coincide.

Having spent an hour or two in the Museum, as a steady trickle of international visitors also drifts through, we make our donation and buy the book and request a few free fact sheets.. Navy in the Korean War, Navy and the Napier earthquake…and pick up some great free editions of “The White Ensign” which is the Navy Museum Journal. It is a very classy freebie magazine I have to say …. better donate a bit more…. We say our farewell with a promise of a return one day to the new premises.

We have decided our next stop is O’Neills Point Cemetary. This to pay respects to one Mrs Emily Burrows. Mrs Burrows own son was killed when he was lead stoker in HMS Irresistable when it struck a mine in the battle for the Dardanelles in the Great War. It seems this kindly lady satisfied her maternal longing and her grief by becoming “the mother of the Navy”. Every Sunday she visited the ships of the NZ Division and bought them fruit, flowers, sweets ad cakes in her basket. She was universally loved and known to everyone in the Navy from the highest ranks to the newest recruits. When she died in 1933, men of the navy lined the streets from Devonport to her resting place at the ONeil’s Point Cemetary. Her coffin draped in the NZ flag and carried by 5 sailors and 1 Royal Marine.



It’s only a short drive before we pull up outside the ONeil’s point Cemetary and wander in. It is a lovely place with mature trees lining a central walk. The roots of the aged trees uplifting the nearby graves. It’s a much bigger place than we expected and we’ve got buckley’s of finding Mrs Burrows grave. Maybe she knows that our visit here is in her honour. We note the graves of a NZEF veteran the headstone erected in the early 1920s. Did he die slowly of wounds or gas? Or was it an accident perhaps. May all those here rest in peace.

We have collected a pamphlet from the i-site on the North Shore literary walks. I’m not familiar with most of the listed authors (and there are plenty of them!) so we think we’ll just try to find Frank Sargeson’s place and leave it at that. However first we decide to head down for a quick squizz at Takapuna beach. This is easily accomplished and on this weekday, no problem parking in a side street. We walk past what appears to be a mother and son deep in impassioned argument… well… the mother is deeply into it at any rate. She’s “not happy Jan!” The views from the beach across to Rangitoto Island are lovely… it’s quite a long beach..no surf so pretty safe for swimming. It’s a very pleasant spot.

Turns out that Frank Sargeson’s Bach is in Esmonde Rd.. these days this is a major arterial route and it’s just too hard to pull over to look around. We are caught in a tide of traffic heading for the motorway to the north. Ultimately that’s where we need to be so we give the hunt for Mr Sargeson away. He’s a hard man to track down on all fronts. I’m wondering if perhaps many kiwis don’t really know about him despite his significance to kiwi literature.. why else would he be so hard to get?? Maybe he’s significant for leading a shift but his own stories just didn’t hit enough of a chord in the national psyche…
Our next detour is to the coastal township of Orewa. Driving in we pass many new developments. Something of a building boom seems underway here. The town centre is an upmarket beach resort. Nicely landscaped beachfront.


A tui is hopping about from pohutukawa (?) down to the grass and back up. We explore a little. Buy a bottle of ginger beer from the bakery and decide to finish off our picnic supplies. I spy a lookout on the map which seems to look down over the beach and gulf. When we get there we can’t turn in from our direction so we are obliged to keep going. This turns out to be a boon and we end up at the delightful Hatfields Beach Reserve. A picnic table beautifully placed overlooking the water and where we can park right next to it. Perfect. This is right up our alley.


We sup again on our smoked fish and mussels. Ferndale cheese with gourmet wafers, blueberries and plums. We’re almost done and hubby is putting the rubbish in the bin as I exercise the camera’s super zoom on what I think might have been a juvenile black backed gull, when it starts to rain properly. We’ve stuck it out in very light drizzle off and on, but this is a bit beyond a joke. As a couple of ladies mosey on up the beach from their leisurely swim, we dive for the car. Phew. Just in time.


Back on the main route north we are struck by the great similarity of the countryside around here to northern NSW and in particular the northern rivers area around Taree. There’s even gum trees in about the same density. It’s almost 4:30 when we take a turn to have a look at Puranui Falls. AH Reed memorial Kauri park is how it’s billed and the kauri must be more impressive than the falls we conclude.. but given the time and the fact that we have allowed a lot of time on the itinerary for exploring Waipoua forest, we clear off pretty quick from this site.



It’s a very short distance to Whangarei Falls and this does not disappoint. I enjoy watching the kids swing on the rope and drop into the river above the falls. Admire the very tastefully designed facilities and finally down at the viewing platform down hill from a pleasant picnic area, admire these beautiful falls. A better view would be had from the picnic table down at the base of the falls. There is a walk down and around the area. It’s too hot to be tempting now, and we’re too tired, but early one crisp morning it looks like it would be a delightful little spot.


Driving on we pass through an area where dry stone walls line the roadside. It’s a striking and distinctive feature. The dry stone walls behind us we’re back in NSW…then not far from Tutukaka we come to Ngunguru. We’re still in NSW here. The similarity is striking. This could be any one of a dozen NSW coastal villages bordering a tidal inlet and apparently not much else around but all things aquatic. …perhaps a little less developed than many of those NSW villages these days. A bit like a time machine perhaps..



The spell is broken as we climb a hill to Frying Pan Corner and the lookout there which looks down over a coastline which is more distinctly New Zealand. Away to the east is that Pacific Rendevous we can see? ... and look there, is that the Poor Knights Islands? Spectacular view. We’re close to the end of our drive now and looking forward to going to sleep!


Much sooner than we expected we make the turn at the sign to Pacific Rendevous and snake our way past many a beach house. Should call them baches? … but many of these are mansions and not in the least consistent with the small dwellings for single men that originally inspired their colloquial name! Beach Houses fits rather better as a description I think.


Pacific Rendevous is neatly kept with playground, fish and car cleaning spot, mini golf and of course spectacular ocean views that look down into the intricate little bays around the headland. We check in and sus out our one bedroom apartment. Modestly kitted out, but more than adequate for our needs and the balcony and the views are awesome!

We waste no time heading down to Tutukaka to get something for dinner so we can hit the sack. The pizza joint isn’t operating and although we have a booking for Schnappa Rock tomorrow this seems the sensible spot to eat tonight as well. It’s not 6pm yet, but we are offered a seat and a menu and simply informed that our order can’t be taken until after 6. The building is quite unique. It seems like it has been cobbled together from construction debris. Recycled window frames, but old beams. Brushwood panels. Unique, and largely open to the air. It would be impossible to lock up wouldn’t it?

Hubby has been entertaining himself with another delightful local drop called Weka Native Lager. By the Moa Brewing Company which is apparently in the Marlborough region. ..[it] shows an array of smooth velvety characters on the palate but also has a refreshing floral nose..” I can’t comment on the palate, but it definitely has the floral nose!

Time comes to order and having considered the daily specials hubby opts for chowder and I go for the entre special. Whole prawns with crispy tortilla and lime and watermelon salsa. Hubby is loving the chowder wherever he’s had it. Each version has been quite different but all delicious. My prawns are simply outstanding. Generous serving and incredible value for only $16.50. Light fresh. Delightful for summer.

Our mains follow. Hubby has gone for Nahm Jim prawns with rice fettucine. The gluten free menu option. I have gone for the vegetarian option. Spatzle accompanied by vegetables and tomato sauce. Both are beautiful. We LOVE the fact that the chef has come up with meals that include plentiful vegetables, light, summery, pretty healthy by the look of it. Simply outstanding. Outstanding quality. Outstanding value. Brilliant.

Hubby orders another weka. They are all out of Weka. What a shame. Another perusal of the beer menu and our waitress is delivering a Summer Ale by Monteiths Brewing Co. “ A fresh bright and lively beer made with lightly kilned malt and a touch of rata honey… .delivers a truly refreshing taste experience…savour ice cold with a wedge of orange.” We have no wedge of orange, but I swear it smells a bit like lemonade. Hubby tries it and sniffs. Yeah it does. It’s a bit like a shandy. Definitely refreshing. Nice. We’ve been doing well. Haven’t struck a beer hubby hasn’t liked yet. I belatedly figure we want a photograph to remember this meal….


Would we like to see the dessert menu? I’m about to reply to the negative, but hubby gets in first. “Definitely!” Oh no. Coconut and Feijoa panna cotta. I’ve never had a feijoa.. I could try that tomorrow, but tomorrow I want to have that one with the Russian blini… Hubby goes for the chunky chocolate mousse with berry coulis. Yes, both desserts were delicious. We pay our very reasonable bill ($121 NZ) and waddle towards the door. We admire the nifty boat near the entrance and head back to the car.


As we pull out of the car park I exclaim "hey! check out the bearded trees…” we pull over again and hop out to look at the thick pads of what look like aerial roots hanging from what we would have thought might be the ubiquitous pohutukawa. On closer inspection the trees seem to be infested with some sort of epiphyte or parasitic plant and these “beards” are mats of roots hanging down from them. Interesting.



Nearby there is a tower and very large screw. The plaque indicates that these must have come from HMNZS Tui.. sunk in February 1999 as an artificial reef somewhere offshore. There is also an American naval vessel listed on the plaque.. and thanks for generosity to the USA… my visit to the Naval Museum impacts my interpretation of the plaque…was HMNZS a recommissioned Naval vessel acquired from the US?



Back to our apartment and journaling before collapsing into bed. Looking forward to a late and slow start tomorrow. There’s nothing shabby about the view from our accommodation with the Poor Knights Islands visible in the distance!