This post is dedicated to our travel expedition to the Bay of Islands. This weekend can only be described in one word: epic! We packed in so many amazing experiences and encountered some thrilling surprises along the way.
We embarked on Friday afternoon right from school. Yara and I met our other student teacher friends, Brianna and Eric, at Half Moon Bay to take the ferry into Auckland City. We even had a blast on the ferry! Once in Auckland City we hopped on a bus for a 4-hour ride northward to the Bay of Islands.
Yara, Eric, and Brianna on the ferry! This was the first time we all hung out. At the time this picture was taken I don't think we could have anticipated just how many laughs we would have together. :)
On the ferry with Rangitoto (volcanic island) in the background!
We arrived at our hostel in Paihia around 9 pm. It was located on a row of streets with other hostels and motels. The street was relatively quiet....except for our hostel! There was a restaurant/bar that drew quite the crowd and it was booming when we pulled up. We all exchanged skeptical glances as it was our first time staying in a hostel. It was definitely an experience! We met some characters including our quirky roommate, Cynthia, who was stuck with all of us. However, we wound up having a lot of fun and it was definitely cost effective.
That night we also received a shocking surprise and one of the highlights of the weekend: Yara's husband, Mazen, showed up all the way from Bethesda, MD to surprise her for Valentine's Day! As he located us, Yara was absolutely floored and kept repeating, "Am I dreaming?"! It was probably the most romantic gesture I have ever seen and Mazen was a great addition to the group, fitting right in with the rest of us! Plus, everyone who worked in the hostel loved us for the rest of the weekend because they thought the story was so sweet since Mazen contacted them beforehand. Brownie points!
The next morning we woke up bright and early to catch a dolphin cruise. It was a lovely way to spend the morning with gorgeous views of the Bay of Islands! We made a stop-off at a nice, little island to relax. We also paused on the water to view the "Hole in the Rock," a famous landmark where Maori canoes were believed to have passed through. Plus, we spotted a ton of dolphins on the cruise and at one point were standing at the tip of the boat as they swam in front of us!
Breathtaking cruise views!
Yara and Eric on the island stop-over.
My dolphin video!
The cruise ended at Russell, a quaint town directly across the water from Paihia, where we were staying. Russell was the first permanent European settlement and sea port in NZ. The town had many historical homes and museums. We enjoyed walking around and grabbing a tasty lunch. We then discovered Long Beach, or what we have deemed "the best beach ever." It was a far cry from Long Beach Island in NJ where I spent my summers growing up (although I do love LBI in its own way!). NZ Long Beach had smooth sand, clear and warm water, and there were beautiful sights of other islands and mountains in the background. We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming and relaxing on the beach with drinks and snacks. And luckily this time I had appropriate sun lotion!
The dock at Russell.
Russell's beach and boardwalk with shops and restaurants behind.
Spending an amazing afternoon at the best beach ever!
Every view was spectacular. We had to force ourselves to finally leave!
The next day we decided to take advantage of Mazen's rental car and we drove a few hours to the northernmost point of NZ, Cape Reigna! It is very sacred ground in Maori culture and it felt very serene. It was also had spectacular views and it was neat to see where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean met!
The meeting point of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean! You can spot where the currents clash (the white waves in the water).
A neat sign showing where we were in relation to other major cities around the world.
After a peaceful walk around Cape Reigna, we decided to be daring and go sand boarding at the Giant Te Paki sand dunes. Boogie boarding down sand...sounds like fun, right? Well I was not expecting the dunes to be quite so large and steep! After bombarding the surfer dude manning the station with a ton of questions, watching the others go down smoothly several times, and freaking out with Yara, I finally pushed myself to slide down the dune. All went well until I got nervous and put one foot into the sand. This was a huge mistake as it caused me to spin out of control, flip over, and disappear into a dramatic cloud into the dune! When I finally reappeared every inch of me was covered in sand; I was literally blowing sand out of my nose. Only me! While everyone at the bottom was laughing uncontrollably, poor Yara was still at the top watching my accident in horror. She luckily still managed to go down, but went at a snail's pace.
I felt like I was in the middle of a dessert!
When I started spinning out of control! (Photo credit: Brianna)
My mysterious disappearance into a sand dune! Or "Sand Monster!" (Photo credit: Brianna)
As we left the sand dune area we encountered another surprise, and one that we had all been waiting for since arriving to NZ: a herd of sheep! They were all over the place and blocked the road in front of us completely. Unfortunately, I was not quick enough to get a good shot to portray the magnitude of the sheep, but I did get a video as they dispersed to make way for us (I felt the need to tell them that they had "good manners" for doing this...always in teacher mode!).
Sheep video!
Afterwards we decided to end our adventurous streak with a visit to Ninety Mile Beach on the western coast of the North Island! What is neat about this beach, apart from its length, is that you can drive your car right up onto the sand. Mazen took full advantage of this and we had lots of fun; it was thrilling to be right against the water in a car as the sun was setting!
Yara posing in front of the car!
I hope that everyone back in the U.S. is excellent and managing to stay warm! Sending you all sunshine through my computer screen!
Lots of Love,
Katie
Fun Fact: In Maori culture, Cape Reigna is believed to be the place where the spirits of the deceased leave NZ and begin their final journey to their homeland of Hawaiki. I have to admit, it did feel a bit eerie up there!
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