After a blustery and wet night at the camp ground we were awoken by our 6:30am alarm call….today we had signed up for the ‘Dune Rider’ day tour to Cape Reinga, the northern tip of New Zealand.
We were picked up at the camp ground by our custom made ‘bus’, which quickly transported us, and the 12 other passengers northwards. We passed through the picturesque towns of KeriKeri, Kaeo, Whangaroa and Manganui, before arriving at Taupo Bay for our morning coffee stop.
Next stop was at the base of the northern peninsula at Gumdiggers Park, where an ancient kauri forest was buried 100-150,000 years ago. We were guided around and informed about the history of the Gumdiggers, who in the 1870s started a lucrative industry in this harsh climate, digging for Kauri gum, which takes on an amber like appearance.
As we looked around the houses that the diggers lived in you began to appreciate what a hard life they lead.
We left the Gumdiggers Park and started our drive up the peninsula on the central road (as the tides were high in the morning we would drive back along 90 Mile Beach, once the tide had turned). As the land mass narrowed we were able to get stunning views out towards both coastlines, and a quick stop on the east coast at a secluded beach let us appreciate how barren this part of the country was!
Next stop was Cape Reinga (Te Rerenga Wairua in Maori), a sacred place for the Maori as they consider this the jumping off point for souls as they depart on the journey to their spiritual homeland. Thus done by climbing down the roots of the pohutukawa tree (the only tree that can survive on this harsh coastline), seen in the distance of the picture below.
It is also the point where two oceans meet; the Tasman Sea on the left, and the Pacific Ocean on the right…the waters break together into waves up to 10 metres high, seen in the photo below as the waves take on a V shape.
As we stood under the mile/km marker at the northern tip of NZ we couldn’t help feeling very far from home…with the UK still just over 18,000 kms away!
Back on the bus, we took a short journey down to the Te Paki stream, where we were given a boogie board and decided to slide head first down a very high sand dune! We can proudly report though, that there are no injuries this time around!
Action shots below!!!
Phew, after both surviving the exhilarating speeds going down (we don’t think the camera quite does it justice) we jumped back on the bus for our drive along 90 Mile Beach.
And, we hear you ask, “what could make this day even better?”…well only dinner at New Zealand’s best chippy, and lucky for us it was just down the road!!
Bliss!
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