Northland

Well, a lot has happened since I was last able to post to the blog, so here goes... We left John and Jessie settling happily into their lovely new home in Palmerston North, and headed north ourselves, crossing again through the Desert Road and enjoying unusually clear views of the mountains.
We also passed some unusual veggie people, perched high up on a kumara packing company building. Kumara is the local word for sweet potato, and you hqaven't lived until you've had kumara chips with garlic aioli!!



In midafternoon, we had stopped for a break when I had the horrifying realization that I had my dates mixed up, and we were meant to arrive at our cottage in Opononi the FOLLOWING day, not that day! I phoned the rental agent, and thankfully there were no other tenants in the cottage, so we were able to simply add a day to our rental and carry on. Phew!! I tried to use the excuse that I was still on Canadian time, but Frank just looked skeptical at that!
So, on we went, passing through Auckland and up the peninsula to Northland and the Far North. Of course, here in the southern hemisphere the farther north you go, the warmer and more tropical it is, so the landscape passing by our windows contained more and more lush tree ferns and gorgeous flowers.
Nearing our destination, Opononi, at the mouth of the Hokianga Harbour, we entered the Waipoura Forest and experienced the dizzying twists and turns of a road that winds past the largest kauri trees in the world. Sensational--and more about these a bit later.

Leaving the dense forest, we emerged at the brow of a high hill overlooking the turquoise expanse of the sheltered Hokianga Harbour.
We found our rental agent's house, then followed her to Opononi Heights, at 51 Taumatawiwi St, high above the harbour, where we unlocked the door of our home for the next week. The cottage was clean, bright, adequately roomy with two bedrooms, and blessed with a large deck out front, perfect for painting, reading, and sunset gazing. The village of Opononi, a mere ten minute walk downhill, is blessed with a terrific fish and chip takeaway, a pretty jetty, and a curved beach which is a popular fishing ground.

In the fifties, this small place was on the international news for a summer when Opo, a female bottlenosed dolphin, chose to spend her summer giving fin-rides to the local children and playing ball with all the swimmers. The local museum runs a couple of b & w newsreels filmed at the time, lending a very nostalgic flavour to the whole beach experience. The week passed quickly, mostly taken up with simply enjoying the local scenery and walks, but on one day we drove back to the Waipoa to visit the REALLY big kauri trees. These trees, now protected, were mostly harvested for timber when the Europeans first settled the area, and not many really large or old ones still stand. In this area, however, stand both the oldest (3,000 years old--really!) and the tallest. I've not yet visited California's redwoods, but I imagine they inspire the same kind of awe. These old giants are truly majestic, and really put you and your puny life into perspective. We were reduced to respectful silence in their presence.



The weather remained fine, cool and breezy with early morning mists giving way to afternoon sunshine and spectacular sunsets. On several occasions we drove around the harbour to the headland, where once a hand-raised signal flag stood to warn sailors of times when it would be dangerous to cross the bar underlying the entrance to the harbour. From this high point, the rugged coastline was revealed in all its glory. One afternoon, following a swift rainshower, we were charmed by the sight of a faint but complete rainbow over the enormous sand dunes opposite.




On another day, we took a drive to Rawene, another small village nearby, where we admired the locals and and couldn't help but be impressed by Kiwi ingenuity!

We thoroughly enjoyed our week, and rather reluctantly left our green cottage behind, heading east across the northern peninsula to reach our next home, Walnut Cottage just north of Tauranga, on the east coast just south of Auckland. The weather, because of a nearby cyclone in the tropics, had turned wet, but we couldn't feel bad, as this area's farmers were desperate for the moisture, having had a drought since Christmas. The scenery was still pretty, even in the mist, and we enjoyed the Karangahake Gorge on the way through.


We stayed here only three days, and the first was so wet that we decided to while away the day poking around antique shops in nearby Paeroa. As we drove out of town, we were startled by several police cars that went screaming by in the opposite direction. Just a moment later, three more...then three more...and three more, until fifteen had passed us! We found out via the evening news that this had been a huge car chase after a couple in a van who had just committed a burglary in Tauranga, and that it had culminated with a shoot-out on the streets of Paeroa just ten minutes after we had left! The male thief ended up in critical condition with a bullet to the chest, while his female partner surrendered without harm, we heard. Very exciting, but I was so glad NOT to have still been on the streets when it happened!

The next day was sunnier, so we drove into Tauranga, where I enjoyed a quiet morning with my book and a huge bowl of cafe latte while Frank prowled around a military aircraft museum, even briefly trying out the cockpit of a fighter jet!


In the afternoon we checked out the tourist shops, watched the locals fight the surf, and sighed over the building of highrise apartments at the foot of Mount Manganui.

Later that afternoon, we were joined by our dear friends Ruth and Chuck from Canada, who are just starting their extended travels in New Zealand. It was very strange to be feasting on NZ fish and chips together, so very far away from Canada!

The next morning, they headed north up the Coromandel while we headed south and west back to Palmerston North. Along the way, we made an impulsive detour to look at some signposted "scenic gardens" off the main road. After twenty kilometers along some twisty roads offering spectacular scenery, we came to an abrupt dead end and had to conclude that the "scenic gardens" had somehow disappeared. Nevertheless, the views were worth the trip, so we made our way back to the main road without too much regret. Soon after, we made a stop to purchase unique socks, sweaters, and jackets made of a blend of NZ merino wool and possum fur! Possum, imported to NZ decades ago, are the most-hated pest here, being both a nuisance and a terrible threat to NZ's endangered flightless birds, so hunting them is an encouraged activity and the Kiwi's have found many ways to use their fur!

So, that brings us back to Palmerston North, where we spent the day today catching up with John and Jessie, doing laundry, and getting ready for our trip south with John, beginning tomorrow. Our plans include a trip to where the Golden Hall of the Rohirrim was filmed in the Lord of the Rings, the French provincial town of Akaroa on the Banks Penninsula, possibly a cruise to see/swim with dolphins, and a return trip to Mount Cook and the Franz Joseph Glacier (as a fitting way to honour the late Sir Edmund Hillary), as well as the west coast and the Nelson/Marlborough areas. More blog entries to come whenever I get the chance!