I've fallen in love with New Zealand. This place is absolutely, positively, the best-kept vacation secret in the world, and I'm utterly shocked that there aren't a bazillion people here.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday went by in a blur. I drove up with the Hardies to their Northland weekend home in Matakohe on Thursday night, and woke up to the most beautiful rolling green paddocks gently sloping down to Kaipara Harbour, with cows and sheep peacefully munching the grass. I met the Hardies' neighbors, got to pet their adorable alpaca, sheep, and cows, and explored the Northland by car.
I have to say, getting the New Zealand GPS maps for my Garmin Nüvi was the best investment I made on this trip; I got to zoom around the unpaved country roads in the middle of nowhere without any fear of actually getting lost, as a push of a button took me to a café, gas station, or back home at any time. It's a terrific way to travel, and I highly recommend it. (I'll certainly always travel with a GPS from now on!)

Saturday morning I woke up before the sun had peeked over the horizon, about 5:30 am. I drove above valleys of fog nestled deep below the road to the sleepy town of Kerikeri for a tour of the northern tip of New Zealand, Cape Reinga, by fixed-wing prop plane. I kept gasping time and time again as we flew over yet another mind-blowingly beautiful vista; from the pearl-white 90 Mile Beach (really 60 miles long) to the crystal-clear azure waters off the eastern coast, I reveled in the fact that most folks never get to see the beautiful far north from above.
On a whim, I found a bed and breakfast called “At Our Place” in Paihia, an adorable little town nestled on the Bay of Islands. They had excellent reviews online, and the wonderful lady running the place treated me very well. Since it's winter in New Zealand, business is very slow for most places, so I had the inn and a great restaurant virtually all to myself. I woke up Sunday morning to the sound (and sight) of waves lapping at the shore outside my window. I went for a jog as the sun just started to rise over the bay, and ran 5 km to and from the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, just up the road from Paihia.

Storm clouds rolling in, I boarded a catamaran along with lots of expensively-dressed and coiffed Japanese tourists for a cruise around the Bay of Islands. We were extraordinarily lucky to meet up with not one, but two different pods of dolphins along the way! Seeing dolphins cavorting in the waves is always a magical sight, and it was incredible to see their playful nature up-close and personal. I was really glad I'd dressed up in lots of layers, as it started to rain pretty hard on the boat (sending the many well-coiffed Japanese tourists fleeing for cover). We circled round the impressive Hole in the Rock, then headed back to Paihia.
I'm planning on meeting up with a new friend, Charles, down in Taupo (about seven hours' drive south), so I headed back to the Hardies' place from Paihia. I took the very scenic route along the western coast of New Zealand, stopping along the way to gape and gasp at the beautiful sandstone cliffs of Arai te uru Recreation Reserve, which I can honestly say was the most beautiful view I'd ever seen in my life. I was literally left breathless by the contrast of the sandy cliffs dotted with tea tree plants, all draped against the aquamarine Tasman Sea. The scent of tea tree was everywhere, giving the whole scene a dreamy, hypnotic feel. Really, absolutely stunning.

Heading south, I went through one of the last remnants of subtropical rainforest in New Zealand: the Waipoua Forest, filled with ancient kauri trees, incredibly huge ferns, and dripping with life everywhere. The highlight is a 2,000 year old tree named Tane Mahuta, and photos of that magnificent tree just don't do it justice. It has dozens of species living in and off its canopy alone; the best comparison (geeky, I know) is to the Tree of Mana from the Secret of Mana video game series. I'm not a religious person, but I could clearly feel that it was an extraordinarily holy place, and I felt awed to be in Tane Mahuta's presence.
The Hardies treated me to a home-cooked chicken soup meal (yum!) and we drove back to their place in Auckland. I'm in their cozy guest bed now, and plan to drive to Charles's place first thing in the morning. Goodbye, beautiful Northland. I'll never forget you. Central North Island, here I come!
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