Cape Reinga and 90 Mile Beach!

Well after last nights shenanigans I had an apology this morning which was nice, I suppose you have to expect it is hostels!

We had an early start again - 7.15am. We got on a big yellow bus and headed north up to Cape Reinga. Our first stop was a Kauri Forest but it was raining so I walked through it quite quicly as I hadn't bought a coat! The trees were fascinating and their history amazing! They can live up to 4000 years old. Unfortunatly there aren't many that old left now as since the maoris and europeans arrived they've been logged for timber. They grow really straight and tall so they are perfect for logging.

It was pretty much straight up to 90 mile beach with a quick stop to get food for lunch and also breakfast! The reason as we were in a rush was because the tide was coming in so we needed to get doing before there was no beach left!

Onto 90 mile beach which is about 60 miles, but they worked out that it was 90 miles because on average a cow can be herded about 30 miles a day so they used to use the beach to herd the cows down to the main towns and it took them around 3 days!

The beack was MASSIVE! It was amazing with crashing waves on one side and sand dunes on the other side! We passed a few 4 wheel drives but normal cars can't come along here and rental car agreements have NO DRIVING ON 90 MILE BEACH ALLOWED written very clearly. The result if you take a car on the beach is that it will probably sink - I'll put a photo on soon!

At the end of 90 mile beach are massive sand dunes, they are like sand mountains! I felt really travel sick at this point as Craig our driver was doing turns on the beach - ugh! So whilst everyone went sandboarding - body boards down the sand, I became the official photographer!

After the duning we headed north upto Cape Reinga which is the northern most tip of NZ and before we stopped there we went to a lovely little beach for lunch. Some of the guys got the boards out and went body boarding, I had a paddle then went and sat with the girls and had lunch.

Once full and a bit more relaxed we went to Cape Reinga and the lighthouse where the Maori believe that when someone dies theire soul travels north and along the headland to the Cape and departs this world! It's a very sacred place and it still belongs to the Maori people but the Department of Conservation look after it. We got there and walked down to the lighthouse, unfortunatly there were some workmen there with diggers and stuff building a new wall so trying to get a picture of the lighthouse was a bit difficult! There is ysually a sign like there is at Lands End/ John O Groats and that was down because of the work! However what was spectacular was the surrounding views. This is where the Tasman and the Pacific Oceans meet, you can kind of work it out at the waves are going towards each other, but it was a really calm day so there were no smashing waves! The views of the surrounding coast are amazing as well!

After we ledt here it was a long drive down to Kauri World, basically a stop to try and get us to buy some ancient Kauri tree stuff like coasters, kitchen utensils and other expensive stuff. The workmanship was amazing but it was all very expensive!

The last stop was at a place called Mongonui which has NZ's best fish and chip shop! So we had fish and chips, they were lovely, all the fish and chips are amazing! Mongonui itself is a gorgeous little harbour town with a few islands in the sound, it's situated in an inlet at the north of the Bay of Islands.

I had a few drinks with the group from the dorm again but I couldn't go out on the town as I had run out of cash and my money wallet was in the reception safe which was closed, so an early night for me! Not such a nice night though! The group came in at 2am making a racket and started pulling the mattress off one of the beds, it went out the patio door this time which I was trying to sleep next too! Very cold! They then bought it back in put it back on the bed - top bunk! They then had a crisp fight! Lovely! These people are older than me! Not the best experience as it was my first time in a mixed dorm!