We had a long drive from Taupo to Wellington, but we enjoyed a stop along the Kapiti Coast, which is along the southwest coast of the North Island, just north of Wellington.
We caught the afternoon ferry to the South Island and then drove down to Blenheim. We couldn’t have picked a more beautiful day to cross Cook Strait.
Kaikoura is a coastal town known for its seal colony and lots of opportunities for whale and dolphin watching. We passed on paying and arm and a leg for the whales and dolphins (been there, done that) but we did take a peek at the seal “colony.”
Road Trip Journal – February 16, 2015 (Lake Taupo to Paekakariki)
Taupo –> Paekakariki
Pitstop at NZ Army Museum @ Waiouru. Nice coffee shop, bathrooms, and gift shop.
Pitstop @ Sassy Cafe in Sanson. Flat white cost $4.50
Pitstop at Raumati beach to stretch legs
Arrived at Paekakariki Holiday Park. $95/night. Cabin 2/ queen + bunk beds, kitchenette. Small shower/bathroom & kitchen. Playground, trampoline, creek. At edge of Queen Elizabeth Park. Short walk down to beach. Check-out 11am. 4 min hot showers.
Lake Taupo to PaekakarikiWe took a pitstop and stretched our legs at Raumati BeachTim and Brenden had some races along the beachAnd yes, I was there too! (but not Alex, apparently)We intended to drive all the way to Wellington, but decided instead to stay at the Paekakariki Holiday Park about an hour away from the ferry terminal in Wellington. It was a nice campground with a creek and close beach access, but the highlight, by far, was the trampoline. It turns out many holiday parks have trampolines, and this will become one of our metrics in our holiday park rating.Tim enjoying his beer while watching the trampoline mayhem
Road Trip Journal – February 17, 2015 (Paekakariki to Wellington to Blenheim)
Paekakariki –> Blenheim
Drove to Wellington. Nowhere to part at botanical gardens
Drove up to Stellin Memorial Park to eat our sandwiches. Great view of harbor. Lots of trails. couldn’t have picked a better day for the Cook Strait Ferry. Sunny with light breeze.
Took the Interislander $259 booked online a few days in advance.
Took the Interislander $259 booked online a few days in advance.
Stayed at Blenheim Top 10 Holiday Park. $112 for basic cabin with 2 bunks. Sm TV, kettle, and toaster. Train tracks. Bikes for hire. Trampoline not as good. No dishes in kitchen. Would not recommend. Checkout 10am. Beds like hammocks. Unlimited hot water.
Paekakariki to WellingtonWe arrived in Wellington with some time to spare, so we just picked a random park on a hill to have lunch……and the views of Wellington and the harbor were amazing!Wellington to BlenheimWaiting in line to board the ferryHere it comesFerry top deck. (We didn’t stay there long after departure, because even though it was a beautiful sunny day, it got very cold out there)Not happy because they were just told they couldn’t play their iPads the whole way.Making our way down Queen Charlotte SoundThis ferry can turn on a dimeLots of sailboat traffic around Picton
Road Trip Journal – February 18, 2015 (Blenheim to Kaikora)
Blenheim –> Kaikora
Winetasting @ Wither Hill. Medium winery, large tasting room, restaurant, lawn with beanbags. Stairs up to lookout for good view. D still sick, so hard to judge wine. Friendly but somewhat unprofessional staff.
Pitstop at The Store, cafe with wonderful atmosphere and setting on the beach
Peketa Beach Holiday Park – $55/night, tent site right on the beach. mini-golf $3/person. No dishes in kitchen. Kids school camping trip 9-10 yr olds. Met Lukas from Czech.
We stayed one night in a holiday park in Blenheim, which has the premier NZ wine country right in its backyard. We hit one winery on our way out of town.Boys hanging out while mom finishes her tastingDrive from Blenheim to KaikouraBetween Blenheim and Kaikoura we made a pitstop at The Store, which is a cafe all alone in a great locationThe beach just steps from our campsite
Road Trip Journal – February 19, 2015 (Kaikora)
Drove to Kaikoura. Parked at end of peninsula
Point Kean Seal Colony – FREE. Low tide, lots of rocks to walk out on tide pools. Just a few seals up close. Some more further out. T/Boys walked pretty far out. D walked up to the lookout
Parked in town center for a picnic lunch
Drove out to the end of South Bay. The othe rend of the Kaikoura Peninsula walkway.
Back to camp, boys played on the flying fox & worked on Pigi.
Chili for dinner
Watched kids do “Fear Factor”
We spent the afternoon walking around Point Kean hoping for a glimpse of the seal colonyThe boys were good sports We were there at low tide, so the seals were not easily accessible. The guys walked all the way out and saw quite a few.Close in, this guyswas the main attractionLunch in KaikouraWe drove around to the other side of the peninsula to check out the views thereBack at the camp the fog was rolling inThe Gresham men rocking the computer room at the holiday park
We spent three nights at Lake Taupo, but we didn’t do much since some of us were sick. But here are some highlights anyway…
Road Trip Journal – February 13, 2015 (The Rotorua Area to Lake Taupo)
Tuck Farm –> Taupo
Great Lake Holiday Park. $114 for deluxe cabin. 4 beds (1 double, 3 singles. bunk beds.) TV, fridge, 1/2 bath (toilet & sink). Nice accomodations. Game room, BBQ area, lg kitchen & bathroom. Showers free. Hot tub ($5 / half hour). Playground, trampolines, internet for free (Alex couldn’t get it to work). 5 min hot water showers but not hot.
Rotorua to TaupoAlthough we had intended to tent camp, we stayed in a cabin. Who wants to sleep on the ground when they’re sick?The lake view from our cabin window
Road Trip Journal – February 14, 2015 (Lake Taupo)
D – snacks at Taste Cafe along the waterfront. Chips & flat white. Good location & wifi. Walk around town.
Cooked dinner in park kitchen. Big area. 3 of us cooking at the same time.
A small beach along the lakes edgeSnow capped mountains across the lakeA flat white and chips. Don’t judge.
Email to family and friends dated January 14, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Sick in Taupo
We had a great visit with Mom and John and did a lot of cool stuff around Tauranga and Rotorua (new photos already uploaded to fb), but right now we are in Taupo trying to get well. Our plan was to start our camping trip when we left the farmhouse and parted ways with mom and John, but when we arrived in Taupo yesterday and pulled into a holiday park, 3/4 of us felt so lousy we rented a deluxe cabin (instead of sleeping on our tents) and we’ve been holed up here ever since, barely even leaving the cabin. So far, Alex is the only one who hasn’t gotten sick, and hopefully he holds out. When everyone was still asleep at 9:45 this morning, I went and paid for another night, so we’ll be here until at least tomorrow. Maybe we will venture into town today, maybe not. Love and miss you all, -D.
Road Trip Journal – February 15, 2015 (Lake Taupo)
Drove to Huka Falls. FREE. Short drop but immense flow rate. Roaring rapids.
Drove to Spa Park. FREE. Short walk from parking to hot spring. Very crowded.
Takeout pizza and wedges from Hell. Don’t recommend.
Huka Falls. Not a huge drop, but a ton of gushing water through the chasm.Spa Park Hot Spring on the Waikato River is not exactly a secret, but it is FREELuckily we got there just AFTER a tour bus leftMy spot by the river in the shade……with my duck buddy. These guys are clearly used to being fed because they would walk right up to me.A trek back to the carApparently the pizza is crappy in Hell
We stayed at the Tuck Farmstay Inn, which is about 30 minutes south of the town of Rotorua, and it is a working dairy farm. We stayed five nights and had quite a few adventures.
Road Trip Journal – February 8, 2015 (The Tauranga Area to The Rotorua Area)
Poripori –> Farm Tuck Inn
Adrenalin Forrest on the way. Adults $42. Kids > 1.45m (Brenden made it) $27. Kids > 1.3 m and < 1.45 m $17 (can only do pathways 1, 2). Tim & boys did all 6 pathways. D did 5. 1-3 were fun and easy. 4-5 were hard. 6 was hard and long.
The Tuck Farm Inn was south of Rotorua, but I can’t find it on the map nowBetween Tauranga and Rotorua, we stopped at The Adrenalin Forest. Brenden barely made the height requirement, but that didn’t stop him from completing all six levels with Alex and Tim. I made it through five levels, and that was hard enough for me.Finished the safety briefingAll fun and games through the first 3 levels……although Tim was still the picture of concentrationThese barrels are suspendedGetting a bit higher…This challenge, called the Tarzan Swing, was in level 4 and it was the first one I remember being hard. Looks like Brenden’s enjoying it though……Me? Not so much.“I don’t want to do that one”The ladder up to the first platform on level 5This and the next 2 photos are three of the hardest challenges in Level 6We made it!!!This was our house on the hill at Tuck FarmA view from our houseAnother view from our houseThey milk the cows twice a day, morning and afternoonThe house had a small closet room. Would have been perfect for Andrew! But Brenden claimed it.
Road Trip Journal – February 9, 2015 (The Rotorua Area)
The Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forrest. Free. Mom & boys did blue track, 1 hour easy. T/D/John did the yellow track, 2.5 hours (stopped to watch Te Puia geyser)
We went all the way to New Zealand to see California Redwoods! We spent an afternoon hiking around Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest, which is one of the few FREE activities around Rotorua. This photo is actually of the bathrooms at the visitors center.Ready for a hikeThis group took the hour long flat “blue” hike, while Tim, John, and I took the two hour “yellow” hike.A view from the “yellow” hike. In the foreground is Te Puia, a thermal reserve including geysers. Behind that is the town of Rotorua, and behind that is a view of Lake Rotorua.A view of Pohutu, the biggest geyser. We waited for about 20-30 minutes hoping to see it erupt, but this was the best we got. Beats paying $50 to go into the park, I suppose.
Road Trip Journal – February 10, 2015 (The Rotorua Area)
Waimangu Volcanic Valley. Booked online 1 day in advance on bookme.com and saved $12/adult. $24/adult, $12/kid. T/D/B – took “more strenuous” Mt. Hazsard track. Incredible geothermal sites throughout the park.
Kuirau Park. Free geothermal park right in the middle of Rotorua. Several hot pools to soak feet in. Boiling mud pools. Steaming vents. Playground. No hiking required.
Dinner at Abracadabra Cafe & Bar. Flavorful food. Tapas. A bit pricey (just like most NZ restaurants). Recommend chicken enchiladas, burrito, lamb salad. Tapas – mushrooms, tortilla soup. Do not recommend spicy steak or fish of the day.
We spent a day visiting Waimangu Volcanic Valley. This wasn’t FREE, but it was well worth it. It was a self-guided walking tour down the valley, and then a bus ride back up. This is the world’s youngest hydrothermal system and is the only one that we know exactly when it was created. On 10 June 1886 Mt. Tarawera erupted.A view down the valley from the top near the visitors’ center.The first major feature we came to was The Southern Crater. Kinda gross looking.First Brenden gets a talking to……then Alex. I figured out later that they were challenged to be engaged and ask me lots of questions about volcanic features. “Hey mom, how hot does this lake get?” “Hey mom, is the water boiling or is that gases coming up?” This went on all day, and it was kinda fun, even though I knew they were put up to it.Brenden thought this looked like bird poop.Frying Pan Lake, the world’s largest hot springOf course Tim had to test the water! Was there ever any doubt that he would? It was hot, you can tell because the lens is all steamed up.This beautiful blue lake is Inferno Crater.A view of Lake Rotomahana which is at the end of the valley (and where our tour would end)Brenden thought this looked like cracked eggs. Smelled like it too, rotten ones.Stopping for lunchThe end of the tour. Waiting for the bus.These next three photos were not taken at Waimangu. They were taken at a public park in Rotorua called Kuirau Park, and access is FREE. There were even a couple pools you could soak your feet in.
Road Trip Journal – February 11, 2015 (The Rotorua Area)
House day. D-sick. Mazzarella cheese making with Kathryn. Feeding Pinky the sow and 12 little piglets. Fresh milk yum.
House day! After a couple days of running around, we decided to spend a full day just hanging out on the farm. This photo was taken during a very heated cherry pit spitting competition.Mozzarella cheese makingIn the photo with John is Kathryn Tuck, the owner of the Farm.Brenden gives it a good stretchNot to be outdone, Alex goes for an even longer stretchThe cheesemakers with their productAfter cheese making, we walked down the road with all of our food scraps to feed Pinky the SowSo, I cannot adequately describe my surprise when we walked up to the pig pen and saw how big Pinky was. She heard us coming and greeted us at the gate and vigorously chewed on the fence until we gave her somthing to eat. We didn’t enter the pen, because she was big and scary, but also because…… she had piglets that were just a few days old. So, she would have been even more aggressive and scary than usual.We just filled her trough and watch her go at it.Tim and the boys even fed her by hand, being very careful not to lose a finger, or a whole hand.Pinky made the most happy smacking eating sounds I’ve ever heardAlex tried to get her to jump up. Her little legs were going and going, but it turns out that pigs can’t jump.A view of our house from down by the dairy shedWouldn’t want to run into these ladies in a dark alleyMac the farm dog. We could always hear him barking away when the cows were coming to or going from the dairy shedSunset reflection over Tuck FarmWhy yes, that IS Tim hanging clothes out to dry
Road Trip Journal – February 12, 2015 (The Rotorua Area)
Another house day. D – drive to Auckland to deal with immigration issues.
Kicking off Road Trip New Zealand 2015! Tauranga is a coastal town on the Bay of Plenty, and to be honest, we never actually made it into the town of Tauranga itself. My Mom and John were visiting us here in New Zealand, so we started the road trip off in style by renting a couple houses. Here, we stayed for two nights at the Poripori house just south of Tauranga. Thanks to Grandpa John for all the great photos at The Adrenalin Forest.
Road Trip Journal – February 6, 2015 (Whangarei to The Tauranga Area)
Whangarei –> Poripori Homestead
Beautiful property
The Poripori House. Only half (the left half in this picture) was our rental part. The owners also live in the house, and they were quite nice and welcoming.Our patio and pool. We didn’t use the pool.At first I thought this was a photo of the boys doing dishes, but Alex has his iPad, so I have no idea what they were doing.
Road Trip Journal – February 7, 2015 (The Tauranga Area)
Mount Brewing Co – 4pm, kitchen closed. Good beer and fries.
Dinner at Astrolabe (also on main drag) – crappy pizza. Good fries. Mac’s beer on tap.
McLaren Falls at dusk
An afternoon in Mount Maunganui, a coastal town on a strip of land that reminded me of Mission Beach with the “beach side” and the “bay side”A view of the “bay side” boardwalk towards Mauao (The hill in the distance)A view back towards the “bay side” beach from the base onf MauaoAction shot as we walked around the base of Mauao (about 3.5 km, mostly flat)The current in this channel looked wicked. It reminded me of passes in the Tuamotus. That power boat is barely moving.A view towards the industrial portAlmost all the way around the base of Mauao. In the background is the “beach side.”The base track walkers are done with their hike…… but the summit walkers are just beginning.A view of the “beach side” from part way up to the summit of MauaoWe made it to the top……John tooAfter our hikes and dinner in Mount Maunganui, we stopped at McLaren Falls, which was very near our houseBrenden was first down to the rocks. I was shortly to follow, but of course there is no photographic evidence of that.Wait! Evidence!Everyone else watched from the bridge.
Email to family and friends dated January 7, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Road Trip Day 4
We started out the road trip by spending a fantastic couple of days with our friends on Field Trip in the Town Basin Marina in Whangarei. There were so many boats we know there, including many kid boats, and we all had a lot of fun. Yesterday we made a 4.5 hour drive down to the area between Rotorua and Tauranga and we are staying in a house with my mom and John. We had a great evening yesterday making dinner and catching up. And wow, what a luxury staying in a house with such things as a huge living room and kitchen, carpet, real beds, high pressure showers (that don’t cost $2), and get this, a dishwasher! The boys were very excited about that. Love and miss you all, -D.
The Exodus Deck Log did not come with us on this road trip, but I did keep a small journal to document where we went and what we did on this Epic Road Trip that took us from Opua all the way to the southern tip of the South Island and back.
Logbook – February 4, 2015 (Straight Outta Opua)
Daily Notes
Road Trip Day! Leaving Exodus
Road Trip Journal – February 4, 2015 (Opua to Whangarei)
Opua –> Whangarei
Stayed 2 nights at Chez Field Trip.
Dinner on Field Trip
Guys night out
Road Trip Journal – February 5, 2015 (Whangarei)
D – Running – Hatea Loop Walkway
Girls night out (Sarah, Jenny, Sabina, Liz, Estie)
The Butter Factory – Good pizza, lousy service. Live cover band.
Field Trip graciously offered to let us stay with them while in Whangarei marinaLook who we found!
We were in Whangaroa harbor almost a week, but mostly it was doing life sort of things like school, so there aren’t many photos.
Logbook – January 23, 2015 (Whangaroa)
Daily Notes
T/Boys/Jack – Scallop hunt 😦
Brenden loves his spicy hamachi rolls. He doesn’t even bother slicing them, just eats them like a burrito
Logbook – January 24, 2015 (Whangaroa)
Daily Notes
Day trip to Pukenui then Te Paki for more sand dunes w/ Dafne and Field Trip. Dinner @ campground. Boys got to stay the night.
Te Paki Sand Dunes (we remembered the boogie boards this time)Post-dune beersPreparing the girls for their college daysAlex let Jade give him a ponytailLookin goodPlaying at the campgroundCrazy sleeping bag kids….Cleo, Elizabeth, and BrendenI take the grilling of potatoes and onions quite seriously
Logbook – January 25, 2015 (Whangaroa)
Daily Notes
D – run along the waterfront
Boys back at noon, very tired
Logbook – January 26, 2015 (Whangaroa)
Daily Notes
After school – Hike up to St. Paul’s rock. Very short section with a chain. Awesome views.
The floating dock near at the boat ramp. At low tide it would be fully resting on the ground. Not much of a dock then.
Logbook – January 27, 2015 (Whangaroa)
Daily Notes
D – slept all day
Boys – movies & games
Fish curry for dinner
Email to family and friends dated January 27, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Whangaroa Harbor
Whangaroa harbor is a huge bay with lots of nooks and crannies, and we are currently anchored by our lonesome in one of the offshoots called Waitapu Bay. It is about a mile dinghy ride to “town” which consists of a marina, a fishing club/restaurant, and a small general store. We’ve enjoyed a couple of day trips by car to hang out with a couple other kid boats, and the boys even got to stay over at a campground with them the other night. Yesterday afternoon we had a family hike up to the top of St. Paul’s Rock which was a relatively short, steep hike up to a spectacular 360 deg view of the entire harbor. Hopefully in the next few days we’ll get good weather to head back down to Opua and start prepping for our big road trip and Mom and John’s visit. Love and miss you all, -D.
It’s here we split crews while Tim and Jack lived out their spearfishing dream at Three Kings Island and the Boys, Camille, and I enjoyed the quaint little town of Mangonu, which means “Big Shark.”
Logbook – January 17, 2015 (Cavalli Islands to Mangonui)
Passage Log Highlights
0842 Engines on
0852 Depart
0905 SB engine off
1353 SB engine on
1432 Engines off. Arrive Mangonui
1450 Mayday Relay VHF Ch. 16 (1)
Daily Notes
(1) Mayday relay by Kaitaia Maritime radio. 10m vessel sinking in Cavalli passage neary Matawi bay.
Cavalli Islands to MangonuiTucked inside the bay at MangonuiRounding the point into Doubtless BayTim and Jack leave for a few days on Iguana for an epic fishing adventure at Three Kings
Email to family and friends dated January 18, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Excursion to Three Kings Island
We moved a little further north up to Mangonui harbor where we are anchored in a nice sheltered spot in shallow water. There is a small town here, so after just a couple days off the grid we are excited to go ashore for dinner. But we will be short one of the Exodus crew. Tim is leaving with Jack on Iguana for a couple days to go up 100 miles to Three Kings Island where the fishing is supposed to be spectacular. Camille is staying with us and tomorrow our other friend Briana from Tusitala is going to come hang out, so we’ll be doing some wine sipping, I’m sure. Love and miss you all, -D.
Penguin crossing?The Mangonui cruisers clubRaw eggs are definitely not what you want in your bilge.Iguana returns
Email to family and friends dated January 20, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Monster Fish
Tim and Jack arrived back from Three Kings Islands last night, and their trip was absolutely amazing. I won’t be able to do it justice, so I am really going to push Tim to write a blog post. They each came back with a ~90-100 lb yellowtail kingfish. The photos and videos are unreal… I think Jack tagged Tim in a couple photos already on facebook. I will try to get more stuff uploaded over the next couple days, but today the boys and I are taking the bus down to Opua to see some friends, another kid boat, who had sailed on to Australia, but they have flown into NZ for a week or so. They have 3 girls and let’s just say the oldest one is about Alex’s age and he voluntarily took a shower last night for the first time in I can’t remember how long. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – January 21, 2015 (Mangonui)
Daily Notes
D/Boys – Bus to Opua to see Dafne. Glowworm caves and Waitangi treaty grounds w/ Dafne and Field Trip.
Saw John & Rosemary at Opua Cafe
Ginge, the Mangonui community catWaiting for the busOur second trip to the Kawiti Glow-worm Caves; this time with friends (Dafne & Field Trip)Cultural show at the Waitangi Treaty grounds
Logbook – January 22, 2015 (Mangonui to Waitapu Bay)
Passage Log Highlights
0915 Engines on/depart Mangonui
0940 Port engine off
1111 Engines on (both)
Daily Notes
T/Boys – Motor Exodus to Whangaroa
D- run in Mangonui, drive up the hill to the Pa for a spectacular view. Breakfast @ Little Kitchen. Drive to Whangaroa.
Mangonui to WhangaroaWhangaroa HarborAnchored in Waitapu Bay
We buddy boated with Iguana and Field Trip on the North Bay of Motukawanui Island, which is the largest island in the Cavalli group. Highlights included a nice hike across the island, Jack breaking Tim’s record with a 45 lb kingfish, and the appearance of the Field Trip Quad Copter. If you haven’t seen the video yet, you definitely need to check it out. Some stills are captured here.
Logbook – January 14, 2105 (Opua to Motukawanui Island, North Bay)
Passage Log Highlights
1010 Depart fuel dock
1222 P engine off. Main + Genoa
1532 Engines Off Motukawanui Is. North Bay
Daily Notes
Day sail to Cavalli Islands
T/B/Jack/Mark (Field Trip) spearfishing. Jack shoots B’s fish that got away
Opua to Cavalli IslandsAnchored on the North side of Motukawanui Island
Email to family and friends dated January 14, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Cavalli Islands
We are heading out of the Bay of Islands to go about 20 miles north to cruise the Cavalli Islands for a couple of weeks. Not sure what internet connectivity will be like. I just uploaded a new movie to youtube (link on facebook) from when we were at Minerva Reef. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – January 15, 2015 (Motukawanui Island, North Bay)
Daily Notes
T/J – spearfish – J huge yellowtail
D/T/B – short hike on island
Dinner on Exodus w/ Iguana & Field Trip
Jack’s monster kingfish
Email to family and friends dated January 15, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Spear Fishing Follies
We made it the short hop up to the Cavalli Islands and we are anchored off of the largest island, called Motukawanui. There’s a low pressure system passing to the East of us that isn’t supposed to affect us too much, but it could kick up some south winds, so we’ll probably hang out here until that passes. We are here with Iguana and Field Trip, and as soon as we got here the guys were in the water, including Brenden. It wasn’t a very lucrative outing. Brenden shot a medium sized Trevally, and it got away. But a little later Jack was stalking a school of fish and he saw one that already had a hole in it, so he took a shot at it. He brought it to Brenden, and sure enough, that was Brenden’s fish that got away. Crazy! There’s no cell service here, so I’m back to old school SSB email. Oh, the horror! -Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – January 16, 2015 (Motukawanui Island, North Bay)
Daily Notes
T/J – Spearfish with guys from Auckland (Mark Helms)
D – hike across the island
Potluck on Field Trip. Resistance.
A hike across the islandTim stole my drinkField Trip, Exodus, Iguana
We came back to Opua and did a couple shake down overnight road trips foreshadowing our upcoming epic Road Trip New Zealand. We also did a little North Island Cruising for good measure.
Exodus road trip. Cape Reinga. Te Pake Sand Dunes.
Pukenui Holiday Park with ponies and ducks.
We took a 2 day/1 night road trip up to the most norther section of New Zealand. We packed a lot into 2 days, and it was a lot of fun. First stop: our camp site at Pukenui Holiday ParkKind of random, but they had ponies thereSecond stop: A nice roadside view on the way up to Cape ReingaThird stop: Cape Reinga, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman SeaFourth stop: a small beach called Tapotupotu.The only photographic evidence I was on this trip. These are my feet in Alex’s huge jandals (aka flip-flops)Fifth Stop: The sand dunes at Te Paki
A little paddle board back at the holiday parkA little chili and a little Tempranillo in the kitchen at the holiday park
Ahipara – very end of 90 mile beach, helped people stuck in sand
Morning relaxation in the loungeSecond day, first stop: 90-mile beach near Pukenui. In reality, the beach is only about 55 miles long, but does it really matter?
Just driving along the beach, nothing strange about thatSecond day, second stop: The very southern end of 90 mile beach near Ahipara. Helping another vehicle that got stuck in the sandSwim between the flags.Paddle ball anyone?
Logbook – January 7, 2015 (Opua)
Daily Notes
T – spearfishing w/ Andy – 42 lb Yellowtail!
D- run along Kerikeri rivertrack to Rainbow Falls
Our new favorite anchor location in Opua, behind Motu TokapeI went for a run along Kerikeri River Track…… passed Wharepuke falls……Rainbow Falls…… And the Fairy Pools. I saw this sign but couldn’t figure out what the attraction was.While I was running, Tim was taking care of the serious business! A 42 lb Kingfish (aka Yellowtail)These were the gorgeous kingfish steaks we had for dinner that night
Email to family and friends dated January 7, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Mini-road trip
We decided to take advantage of the warm and sunny weather to take a mini road trip to the far north of New Zealand. It was kind of like a dry run for our upcoming road trip, and it served its purpose and then some. We went to Cape Reinga, which is the northwest tip of the north island where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea collide. It was good weather so the wave peaks were fairly benign, but the views were stunning. The Maori consider it a sacred place, where souls depart this world for another, and both my guidebook and the sign at the parking lot said it is taboo to eat or drink there. But that didn’t stop a Kiwi family from having a full blown picnic out there. I’m sure they didn’t mean to be so disrespectful, but c’mon, do a little reading. We also went to the Te Paki sand dunes, and even though we forgot our boogie boards and were too cheap to rent them (NZ$15) the boys still had a blast climbing up and then running down the dunes. We stayed the night at the Pukenui Holiday Park, which seemed a bit over priced for what it was (NZ$54 for the four of us for just an unpowered tent site), we had a relaxing evening chatting with some folks from Singapore who were winding down a relaxing vacation away from the work stresses that I guess are so prevalent in Singapore. The next day we headed out to 90 mile beach, and wow, what a treat. It’s not actually 90 miles long, more like 55 miles, but at that length, it really doesn’t matter. The slope of the beach is very very gradual and the sand is hard packed so most of the day, excepting right around high tide, you can drive out on the beach. Some of the entry/exit points aren’t accessible for 2WD vehicles like ours, but we still found a spot to get out there and go for a spin. Turns out it would have been possible for us to drive the full length of the beach, but without knowing for sure, we didn’t go that far. We made it back to Opua last night after dinner in Paihia, and since this is the first time we’ve left Exodus alone at anchor, we were happy to find her right where we left her. Today, Tim is out with a local guy he’s made friends with spearfishing at Cape Brett, so we are hoping for some Hamachi sashimi tonight. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – January 8, 2015 (Opua)
Daily Notes
Dinner with Lumbaz – curry & sushi
Logbook – January 9, 2015 (Opua – Kerikeri)
Daily Notes
Family Kerikeri day. Winery, propane, camping store, liquor store, grocery store (for yogurt covered raisins.), hike along river track
I made the boys go with me again for a hike along the Kerikeri River Track. They weren’t thrilledBut I got another view of Rainbow fallsAnd the highlight of the day for Brenden were the Roosters in the parking lot
Logbook – January 10, 2015 (Opua)
Daily Notes
Science & programming day. Brenden loves oobleck. Programming not so much.
A blue heron keeps visiting
Logbook – January 11, 2015 (Opua – Roadtrip Waipoua Forest)
We took another one-night road trip, this time to the southwest to the Waipoua Forest on the Kauri Coast. We stopped at the Wairere Boulders Nature Park along the way, and it was quite a treat, even if expensive. It’s privately owned and operated, which explains the cost, and if you are a geology nut this is a must see. The rocks are basalt, and the fluted ridges are from erosion from acidic water from Kauri Tree runoff. Apparently, Basalt eroding like this is very, very rare.They had a bit of a game set up for kids. It was to find all the rocks made to look like animals. The boys found the turtle.Tim found the crocodile.Brenden found the octopus.This rock apparently fell over at some pointThe main hike through the park was a loop, but I opted to take the additional one-hour extension up to a lookout point. The boys opted to wait for me in the car. Party poopers.We made a quick stop at the small town of Opononi on the south side of Hokianga Harbor. Beautiful.We hiked to the end of Southhead, the southern point of Hokianga Harbor. More stunning views.A view from Southhead back towards the towns of Ompere and OpononiA view across to NorthheadA stunning beach on the Tasman SeaA view back up the harborWe finally made it to Waipoua ForestTane MahutaFour Sisters The campground at Waipoua ForestA stream ran right behind the campground
Email to family and friends dated January 11, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Another short road trip
We are heading out this morning on another road trip, this time to the Waipoua Forest where the largest Kauri tree stands. And supposedly there’s some nice short hikes there. In my last email after we got back from the previous road trip I mentioned that Tim went out spearfishing with a local guy, so I wanted to report that it was a highly successful day and Tim came back with a 42 pound Kingfish (we know them as Yellowtail). We gave some away then had a sushi feast with our friends on another kid boat, s/v Lumbaz, and we still have a freezer packed full of fish. We will be doing some cruising up north once Iguana gets back from their road trip in a few days, so Tim is on a fishing ban until then. 🙂 Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – January 12, 2015 (Opua – Roadtrip Waipoua Forest)
Daily Notes
Labyrinth woodworking. “The Village Green”
Back to Opua
One more visit to the stream at teh Waipoua campgroundOn our way back, the boys made it clear they were hiked out. So, we stopped at this little game and woodworking store, and they had a maze game to play. You had to walk through the maze to find 15 letters and then unscramble the letters. Not as exciting as the Sand Dunes on the previous trip, but they appreciated not having to hike again.And there was a peacock that Brenden kept calling a Chicken.
Gresham Family Exodus 