Auckland and the far north 13 - 21 January
Auckland Sky Tower
Let me start with a grumble about Auckland - the place is a mess. We're staying in central Auckland (Nelson and Cook Street) and central Auckland is a building site. Everywhere streets are closed and being dug up to build stations and make repairs. Loads of shops/ restaurants/ offices have shut with leases up for sale. Fair number of beggars around and there's a whole new hazard of e-scooters. Either abandoned on the pavement or, even worse, driven at speed, on the pavement. Which is perfectly legal but is a great menace to pedestrians.
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| Sky Tower |
And breathe.... our backpackers, LyLo (ha ha, geddit!) has only been open a month. It is, I suspect, a former office building. It is very funky and has a definite student hall of residence vibe, complete with Miss Lucy's bar/ restaurant.
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| LyLo entrance |
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| Meeting / eating area |
Our room is a contrast of concrete walls and a sleek glass pod with shower and loo. No windows / natural light so it's a bit more prison cell than expected!
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| LyLo room (pic from their website - we aren't travelling with a guitar |
We have three nights in the city and our activities include finding a nice Irish bar (The Fiddler), a stroll through the Auckland Domain and going for a long walk to the marina. The marina visit means John can do some yacht window shopping, and I can do my fan girl bit when we visit a café that features in a light weight Auckland based murder mystery tv series ('My Life Is Murder').
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| Let's see what's here? |
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| 'My Life Is Murder' cafe |
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| so many to choose from.... |
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| Marina view of Sky Tower |
Monday 16 January we Uber 5 miles south to Escape Campervans at Mount Roskill, where, after quite a lot of paperwork, and watching a video about how to drive in New Zealand, (!) we are shown our Nissan camper van. She's small but bright and would be hard to lose in a car park or camp ground. There are seats and a wobbly table in the back, which makes up into a bed (pillows and bedding provided), and a couple of camping chairs. The boot / trunk area has a series of built in cubby holes and a small sink. Then there's a one burner gas cooker and a one burner BBQ, cutlery, crockery and pans and a chilly bin, plus a solar shower (doesn't get used) and a porta loo / dunny (doesn't get used). Basic, but everything we need, including if we wanted to go wild camping. But it all rattles a bit as we roll along.
North out of Auckland and up the west coast via Kaukapakapa, across to The One and up to Uretiti Beach DOC camp site. Park up and go for a wander along the dunes and sandy beach - John's gout slowly disappearing which is good.
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| Uretiti dunes and beach |
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| Really? |
On the road again, after a very brief but refreshing cold water shower. Our van has done nearly 300,000 kms in its lifetime and takes a bit of time to get up to any speed. As well as understeering. We're off to the Bay of Islands today and stop in Russell, New Zealand's first seaport, its first European settlement and New Zealand's first capital was in nearby Okiato. A pretty town with a lovely harbour and we buy lunch at a bakery.
On then to Okiato where we catch the car ferry to Opua and drive a few kilometers to Paihia 'Top 10' Holiday Park. A whole other experience from the DOC site the night before, with wifi, hot showers, hairdryers, a kitchen area, BBQs for guest use, a boat slip. Even an iron in the laundry room. But, much more cheek by jowel and crammed in than the DOC site and x 2 the price.
 The lovely view from our campsite
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Quite chilly so I'm pleased to have the jumper I'd bought in Napier. Cook dinner and watch the night sky. We sit in the dark chatting with our immediate neighbours, a couple from Auckland who have towed their boat behind a Landrover that's even older than our petrol fuel van. But is diesel so probably only just run in.
Day 3 we are driving c 125 miles/200 kms/ to the far north to visit Cape Reinga. Not that far but a slow road.
Take a detour almost immediately to visit Waitangi where a treaty was signed in February 1840 as an agreement between the British Crown and about 540 Māori chiefs.
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| Waitangi |
Then drive an hour to the lovely Matauri Bay to visit the memorial to the Rainbow Warrior (a ship sunk by the French in Auckland Harbour in 1985) with a very steep path up the hill to reach it.
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| Rainbow Warrior Memorial |
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| road hazards are more different further north |
We arrive at Cape Reinga, the northernmost tip of New Zealand, and walk from the car park to the lighthouse.
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| Cape Reinga lighthouse |
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| where the Tasman meets the Pacific |
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| Old Pohutakawa tree that reputedly has never flowered |
The name of the cape refers to the Māori belief that the cape is the point where the spirits of the dead enter the underworld.
Head just down the road to Taputaputa Camping Area another DOC site. We've been warned about mosquitoes and wasps (and wild pigs) here but it's not too bad for insects and no sign of pigs. Beautiful beach and bay.
Sleep well, pack up after John goes for another swim, and start the drive south. Stop after a few miles to turn right and visit the Giant Sand Dunes.... We don't go sand surfing tho I've done that before - just keep your mouth shut if you fall off!
Then head a few miles more to Waitiki Landing to buy petrol and order the slowest coffee ever. When it arrives after 20 minutes it is super heated, the cups have no lids and she appears to have forgotten the coffee. NZ$12 gets chucked immediately 😠
We follow State Highway 10 down the east coast as there are roadworks, then rejoin The One. Reach Puhoi, a very pretty town and go to the Puhoi Pub, Hotel and Stables est. 1879 to meet a friend/ former colleague, Adrian, who lives just down the road.
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| Puhoi Pub |
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| I think we have one of these at the Balcombe Club 😉 |
We have a couple of pints and then we drive to Adrian's to meet his teenage kids, Daniel and Georgia, partner Bex and the dogs Hunter and Buster. Such a good evening of catch up and debate, and a delicious meal. A treat to be in a real bed again (sorry camper van) with an en suite.
Back to Auckland the following morning.
Drop the motor home after c 1000 kms in four days. Agree that spending only one night in each place is a bit wearing and to try and make it 2 or 3 nights per place visited in the future.
Back to LyLo and sign up on line for a 'rent a car by the hour' service with Cityhop - once they have (manually) done their checks we pick up the car and drive 35 kms north with the (admittedly not very heavy) rush hour traffic to Red Beach where we are have a BBQ with John's cousin Jo, her husband Josh, her mother, Auntie Angela and the kids. Great to see them and agree right at the end of the evening that we will house/ cat sit for them while they're off on a week's holiday from Monday.
Saturday 21st is a planning day and we spend several hours checking out towns in southern Chile and booking accommodation for early in our trip there. In the evening we have a Thai takeaway meal from Thai Esarn restaurant https://www.thai-esarn.co.nz/ which is delicious and good value.
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