The Northland Region - Final Stop Omapere

The last stop on our northern adventure was Omapere.  It is located on the south shore of the Hokianga Harbour (you can appreciate the inlet on the map below).  There are around 400 people living in town and the surrounding area.

In the peak of summer, the harbour is filled with fishermen and other boat traffic.  We were there at a much quieter time.

We took a quick walk in the afternoon to see the large and very unusually shaped Koutu Boulders.  They are septarian concretions and the shape is unique to mudstone.

The local Waipoua Forest was our last stop before heading home.  It contains the largest collection of massive and spiritual Kauri Trees.  In fact it holds New Zealand's largest tree (4th largest tree in the world).  His name is Tane Mahuta and he is estimated to be 2000 years old.  His total height is 51.5 metres and his girth is 13.8 meters.

We had to do a panoramic shot of Tane Mahuta to fit all of him in one picture!

Then the drive home.  A great holiday in Northland had to come to an end.  Back to school and work!

The Northland Region - Awanui

The third stop on our Northland Region tour was Awanui with a population of around 300.  The town is surrounded mostly by cattle farmland.  For much of the 20th century, this region was dominated by the Kaitaia Co-operative Dairy Factory, however the industry became more centralized in the country and the factory shut down in the 1990s.  The population has been in decline every since.

We stayed in a quaint country cottage just outside of town.

Our first afternoon was spent surfing which is Rob's new found passion.  We went to Shipwreck Bay just outside of Ahipara.  They say you can see remnants of old sunken ships at low tide (we did not).   I was surprised to see many surfers older than us (especially older than Rob who is soon to be 40). We of course drove our car onto the beach BECAUSE WE COULD!  

After he felt more comfortable on the small waves, Rob ventured quite far out to the big ones.  He's pretty proud of himself.  I'm sure you'll hear the tales of the waves he conquered that day!

I stayed closer to shore.

These surfers access the big waves by jumping off the rocky outcrops.  They time their jump with the swells so as not to be swept back onto the rocks (ouch!).  

Here they are waiting for the right moment.

The next day was an amazing drive up to Cape Reinga which is the most northern tip of New Zealand.  In Maori it is called Te Rerenga Weirua which means leaping off place of spirits.  It is very remote with very few inhabitants as the nearest small town is 100km away.

Cape Reinga is considered the separation marker between the Tasman Sea to the West and the Pacific Ocean to the East.  The Maori people believe that the spirits of the dead travel here so they may descend into the underworld.  It is a truly magnificent place.

We then hiked the Te Paki Coastal Track that leads south along the Tasman Sea.  The landscape is rugged and sculpted by the power of the wind and water.

If you ask the Woods boys what the highlight of the trip was they will say: SAND BOARDING at Te Paki Sand Dunes.  You can see the start of the sand dunes in the distance on the picture above.

So you rent a boogie board and you hike up to the top of the sand dunes and slide down at a RIDICULOUS speed.  Be careful to not scream as you will get sand in your mouth (as Naysa quickly found out).

The hike up takes some serious effort.

But the experience is worth the effort and the views are awesome.

That evening we watched the sunset on 90 Mile Beach which intuitively runs for 88km (55 miles) along the West coast down from the Cape of Reinga.  It is officially a public highway and can be used as an alternate to State Highway 1.

The Northland Region - Paihia, NZ

Then we were off to Paihia in the Bay of Islands.  This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.  Tom Cruise spends a few months a year moored in the Bay of Islands and there are many exclusive resorts in the area for upwards of 12K per night.

You can see the collection of islands off in the distance.

The little town has many unique shops and artwork.

We rented a water taxi to take us to Roberton Island.  We essentially had the tropical island to ourselves for the day as there were only two boats moored in the bay over the lunch hour.  The island is made up of three lagoons. 

The following is a aerial view from the internet that gives you an idea of the three lagoons.

We spent the day exploring and digging sand castles.  Of course the latter turned into a competition between the girls and boys.  We brought along our paddle boards and enjoyed catching some surf just outside the bay and exploring the calmer lagoons.  Rob managed to surf some swells even in the lagoons.  

We were impressed by the change in the lagoons between hide tide and low tide.  We enjoyed exploring the tidal pools at low tide as it trapped many fish and other sea life. 

High Tide:

Low Tide:

We did the short hike to the peak of island to take in the magnificent views.

The following day we visited the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.  The Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand's founding document and is an agreement that was made between the British Crown and the Maori Chiefs in 1840.  It secured British sovereignty over the Island.  The treaty was re-signed in 1974 and is now a National Holiday.

We ended our time in Paihia with a paddle board up the Waitangi River to the Haruru Falls.  It was a adventure as we struggled to paddle upstream against a strong current at times but worth the effort in the end.