Far North

“Coulda Woulda Shoulda” – this was one of the first things I had to get comfortable with during my loop around the Far North. Being pressed for time to explore the North Island in less than 4 weeks, while also getting some WWOOFing* experience in, I didn’t have as much time to explore this area as I would have liked. There are countless tracks, view points, hidden coves, campgrounds and much more that look so beautiful, I was definitely put to the test of letting go.

The small peek I did get into this part of New Zealand was absolutely incredible, with the natural beauty often leaving me overwhelmed and speechless. My first night camping in Spirit’s Bay at the very northern tip of New Zealand was such a peaceful and magical place, I spent hours hanging by the rocks on the beach and watching the sunset. Driving through the Te Paki stream and down the 90 Mile Beach the next day while blasting music was an unforgettable highlight (despite getting stuck in the sand while exiting…). And oh man, those 360 degree views on top of Bream’s Head near Whangarei!? It was the most interesting landscape, with harbors, beaches, islands, farmland valleys, mountains, cliffs, ocean, and much more on a beautiful sunny afternoon. It’s unbelievable how much diversity of landscapes this small, special country has and it makes me fall more in love every day!

Beautiful drive up north along the eastern coast (before my jerry can proceeded to dispense ~10L of water into my car and I stood on the side of the road mopping it up with a small towel looking like an idiot)

Cape Reinga, the very northern tip of New Zealand

Spirit’s Bay, what an unbelievable campground for my first night in the car!

Not too shabby first dinner on the road 😉

Driving through the Te Paki stream…

 

..and onto the 90 Mile Beach!

The largest Kauri trees in the world in the Waipoua forest – Tane Mahuta, the largest at 51.5m tall and 13.8 wide, Te Matua Ngahere (above), at 29.9m tall and 16.4m wide, and the Four Sisters (below)

Comfy set up! …Except for getting inundated with mosquitoes and having to put up a mosquito net in that space *shaking my head*

Lake Taharoa – “When I came upon it I was stunned by its magnificence, and this was just a small portion of the larger lake!” (10/22 journal entry)

My first WWOOF hosts – Sally, such an inspirational woman, her husband Brentyn (not pictured), and her two children, Alex (also below) and Jamie who I immediately fell in love with. And of course, Lucky, the baby lamb who I got to feed every day!

Morning walk along Whale Bay and Matapouri Bay near the Tutukaka coast

Meeting the first of many German WWOOFers in NZ!

Having to cook a full Indian meal for 6 with slim pickings and very limited experience… I was quite impressed with the end result (thanks to Momma Jain of course)! More scrumptious home cooked meals below nom nom nom

 

Snorkeling around the Poor Knight’s Islands, a protected marine reserve that also gets all the fishies from the East Australian Current (remember Finding Nemo?) – “The sight of all the fish from this cave was so surreal, I had to get my phone! I swam back to the boat, put my phone in my waterproof bag, and was super cautious when submerging it underwater. The minute I started to swim it fell off my chain and sank to the ground as I floated there in shock -__- Oh man the anxiety… thankfully a diver got it after a while and it was unharmed but yet another facepalm moment” (10/25 journal entry)

Rikoriko cave, the largest sea cave in the world!

Bream Head

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*WWOOF stands for the World Wide Opportunities for Organic Farmers and is a global network of farms where volunteers contribute a couple of hours of labor in exchange for room and board. Locations can range from large commercial farms to a small home offering a cultural exchange for some help with odd jobs, and is a very popular way for visitors in New Zealand to travel and experience Kiwi culture

Type: New Zealand, North IslandTags: 90 Mile Beach, Bream Head, Cape Reinga, Kauri, New Zealand, Poor Knight's Islands, Spirit's Bay, Tutukaka, Waipoua 5 Comments