Author: Pat

Jan30 we drove to Auckland airport to meet our cruising friends, Elaine and Karl. They had been on their boat in Australia but were returning to her place in Whangaparoa, where we had stayed for the first week when we arrived. At the airport, we rented a car and returned Elaine’s car to her. It was so great to see

Continue readingBack to Whangaparoa

Jan28 we drove to the Sand Dunes Hotel in Hokianga, which is a large harbor on the west coast, still north of Auckland. The harbor has a wide mouth, full of sand bars that move around, so the entrance can be treacherous. Still, this area was the center of the timber industry for many years due to the huge Kauri

Continue readingHokianga

Jan26 we drove to Taipa Beach Resort, about 90 km from Paihia. We broke up the drive with two stops. The first was Haruru Falls, just a few minutes outside of Paihia. It had rained a lot during the night and the falls were certainly roaring! A bit further up the road, we hiked the Kerikeri River Track to Rainbow

Continue readingTo The Northern Tip Of NZ

Jan23 – we headed north again, to Paihia, which is one of the main towns in the Bay of Islands area that is famous for its sailing, sport fishing and cultural heritage. On the way, we stopped to see what is supposed to be the longest footbridge in the southern hemisphere. This was about half way across the 395 meter

Continue readingBay Of Islands & Waitanga Treaty Grounds

Jan20 we headed north again. We checked in to a nice hotel in Tutukaka with a great view of the harbor. Our room was not ready so we went for a hike. It was a cloudy day and somewhat windy, but a beautiful hike, none the less. Following Landowners Rd, we got out to the neck right by the island

Continue readingScuba at Poor Knights Island

After more than a week in the cottage in Manly Beach and exploring the Whangaparaoa area, it was time to head north on Jan18. We drove a couple hours up the east coast to Whangarei and checked into the Discovery Settlers Hotel. It was a short walk into town where we had a nice lunch right next to the Hundertwasser

Continue readingPhase 2, heading north

We continue to be impressed by the way NZ takes care of its natural resources. Jan14 we drove about an hour north to Tawharanui Regional Park and spent the day hiking, having a picnic and birdwatching. Much of the park is pasture lands where each section is fenced off and sheep are rotated to the various areas. We stopped for

Continue readingDay Trips: Tawharanui, Goat Island & Muriwai Gannet Colony

We left for New Zealand Jan8, 2025, taking a shuttle to LAX and then a flight to Nadi (Fiji) and from there to Auckland, NZ. The flights were business class and we got showers during our layover so we landed doing pretty well. After an easy shuttle ride, we were in a lovely cottage on Manly Beach on the Whangaparaoa

Continue readingLoving New Zealand!