2nd - 5th Sept 2013
Time to jump on the Kiwi Experience bus. Late nights, early mornings, constant activities, much alcohol and heaps of fun.
 |
| The Big Green Bus |
DAY 1
The day started very early, at 7am, when I jumped on the bus to find I was the only guy amongst 6 girls. I expected there to be at least 20 people taking the trip north of Auckland to the Cape but it was just the seven of us. The first stop on the road to Paihia was a small cafe at the side of the highway. Fly, our driver, said we were the first group to go there and we were to test it out. Nobody bought any food because it was really expensive but out the back they had an area for watching sheep sheering and we got to feed the lambs.
 |
| Feeding a lamb |
Everyone's lambs were really well behaved except mine. It kept backing away from me when it was trying to drink which just did not work so I ended up walking around with it while it was drinking. That was something I've never done before! The farm also had some pink sheep in a pen beside the road for no other reason than to be living billboards for the cafe.
 |
| Paihia - Bay of Islands |
Now that everyone on the bus were properly awake now we started chatting and getting to know each other. There was Portia, the poshest person I have ever met! Maz, Belinda, two swedish girls and I think a german who I named Snotty McSnorer for obvious reasons. By early afternoon we had arrived in Paihia (pronounced pie-heya) and while some people went off to go on a dolpihin cruise or kayaking I decided to go for a walk as I planned to do those things later on the trip where I was told it would be better. So Bellinda and I went out looking for this waterfall we were told about.
 |
| Out exploring |
 |
| Swampy |
I think she was called Bellinda, She seemed like a Bellinda. If that wasn't her name then she should change it! She was to go back down south the day after with the people that weren't going up to the very top of the North Island. The rest of us were to take the next bus a few days later.
 |
| Found it! |
It was quite a walk but we got to the waterfall eventually after walking through a forest and then a swamp. We were told we would be perfectly safe to hitch hike back to town from the waterfall as Kiwis are friendly enough. It didn't stop us feeling a bit sketchy especially when no one was stopping for us. We were just about to give up and set of walking when a huge and scary looking Maori guy pulled up and offered us a lift. He was actually a really nice guy and his job was help teenagers, who had run away from home or quit school to get jobs and homes.
That night we went to the bar. I say we there was only about three of us so we went to bed early.
DAY 2
We jumped on a different bus today. The one that would take us to the top. I think there was only Portia and I from our group that went. This wasn't a Kiwi Experience bus, this was run by a different company so there were other groups on our bus so we weren't lonely. The driver was really chatty and seemed to really enjoy his job.
 |
| Big ass trees |
The first stop of the day was a national park with these massive trees. The story of these trees is quite a sad one. They used to be all over this part of the North Island and the Maori would use them for building boats and things. They are sacred trees to the Maori as they believed that one day the sky god and mother earth were pushed apart by these trees to allow life to grow. They rarely chopped them down and only did it after a special ritual. Then us pesky Europeans came along chopped a ridiculous amount down and the ones that were left standing were cut to harvest the sap, these trees later died. They are now heavily protected by the government but they still let people hug them occasionally!
 |
| Lunch break |
Further up the road we stopped in small town by a lake for some snackages and a couple of pictures and then we went onto 90 mile beach which is exactly 55 miles long! I knew this because Jeremy Clarkson had said it on Top Gear when they were here a mere month earlier!
 |
| 90 Mile Beach |
We drove up the beach for a while and then up river to the sand dunes were I went sandboarding almost exactly a year since I last did it!
 |
| Sandboading |
We went all the way up to the very top of New Zealand at Cape Reinga (Re-an-ga). Well almost the very top. If you looked to the right you could see another outcrop of land that extends a few more metre further north but it's a bit more difficult to get to.
The view was simply spectacular. We had a fantastic day for it and you could see for miles and miles.
 |
| No words needed |
 |
| Add caption |
This was sacred site for the Maori People as its where they believed their spirits descended to the underworld. There was a sign which said:
Clinging to the rock there is the ancient kahika tree, named Te Aroha.
The spirits descent to the water on steps formed bu the tree's roots.
They continue on their journey to Hawaiki, the spitual home.
 |
| The lighhouse |
Its here were you can see the Pacific Ocean clashing with the Tasman Sea. It really does clash! You can see the waves from each side slamming together and its loud too, huge bangs over the sound of the turbulent water.
 |
| Could sit here forever |
 |
| Was once a huge tree |
On the way back south we stopped of at this place where they carve those massive trees I mentioned earlier. The Kiwi's don't cut them down anymore but as most of this area is swamp land that is being dried out for farming more of these ancient trees are being found in the mud. The biggest of these is this epic beast above where someone decided to build a staircase through the middle of it! Its 50,000 years old and weighed 140 tonnes before they cut the middle out of it. They then built the shop around it.
That night we were all pretty much knackered so it was another early night.
 |
| Note the no picture sign |
DAY 3
In peak season there would be another bus we could jump on to go back down south but as it was we had a day and a half to fill so today I took a short ferry across the river to Russel (pronounced..er..Russel). There is a very old port town where a lot of naughty things happened back in the day. I went on a walk to the top point where you can see amazing views of the Bay of Islands.
 |
| Russel |
 |
| Never seen one of these before. Makes you worry a bit! |
The road to the top of this point was so steep that I thought I'd try a more adventurous route back to town. I was going to walk around the bays, climbing over the rocks in between. This was mostly ok but I got to one fairly steep bit which I couldn't get around so I decided to try and go over it. I climbed up this rock to find that it was a sheer face on the other side. I was a bit peeved coz this meant I had to walk all the way back the long way around so I turned around to find the rock I had climbed up was considerably steeper than I'd realised and covered in mould which could slip from underneath my feet at any point. Slightly panicking and having thoughts of broken legs or calling for help in my mind I slowly edged my way back down the rock and walked back the way I came feeling a little bit silly. Still it was an adventure!
 |
| Rock climbing |
That night was a bit more lively with a new kiwi bus in town that had a few more people on including scottish Steph who was quickly renamed Miranda, Caitlin and Callum who quickly had his shirt untucked by Portia!
 |
| KIWI PPL |
DAY 4
This was such a non day. We had to check out by 10 and hang around till 2 o'clock which was when our bus would take us back down to Auckland. It was pissing down outside so we all just sat in the lounge area watching the family guy star wars episodes.
