Having got back to Whangarei we went out to the west coast for the day to explore the area of Hokianga harbour, a massive fjord like harbour on the west coast and also the Kauri forests. Kauri are the 3rd tallest tree in the world and they were used both for canoes and for housing until it was realised that they take 200 years to mature and these are now heavily protected.

On Monday morning we drove to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds to learn more about New Zealand’s history and the relationship between the aboriginal Māori and the European settlers. The story here is similar to most places where Europeans settled; however, it’s different in the way that Kiwis make a real effort to recognize Māori culture, language, and traditions.

We learned that the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 to institute British governance in NZ and establish peace and order. The document was intentionally mistranslated so that while the Māori believed they were just giving the British the right to govern them, the English version said that they were giving up their sovereignty. This treaty has been highly debated since its signing. The story that struck me the most was about Lord Bledisloe, a former governor general of NZ. In 1932, he purchased over 1,000 acres of land surrounding the treaty grounds and gave all of it back to the people, even though it’s prime real estate with a scenic view of the Bay of Islands. We need more government officials like him ASAP.

After finishing walking the grounds, we grabbed lunch to-go at a local fish and chips joint before heading to Waitangi Falls. There was a picnic bench in the parking lot for the waterfall so we decided to eat there. Wrong choice. We were immediately swarmed by chickens. They kept flying up on the table staring at us as we kept shooing them away. This resulted in us scarfing down our food before walking over to the falls where we were able to sit peacefully on top of the waterfall and meditate to the sound of the rushing water.

Once we felt relaxed, we drove a few hours to Ahipara where we checked into our YHA hostel. The hostel was composed of a collection of little cabins surrounded by beautiful flowers and foliage. We were only a few minutes walk to 90 Mile Beach, so we went for a little stroll before dinner. The tide was low and the water was surprisingly warm. We were even lucky enough to find a few abalone (pāua) shells sticking out of the sand on our way off of the beach. 

Back at the hostel, we cooked up a big meal of pesto pasta with veggies and ate our dinner outside with a glass of wine. There was a TV with movies in the common area so Mary and I relaxed after dinner with a viewing of “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”.

The next day we made the hour and 45 minute trip up to Cape Reinga which is the northwestern most tip of the North Island. Our intent was to stop along the way at whatever attractions we noticed. That didn’t work out so well as there’s pretty much nothing to see between Ahipara and Cape Reinga. When we arrived, we walked down to the lighthouse, reading signs about the cape the whole way down. We learned that the cape is a sacred place for the Māori people as it is thought to be the point in which spirits jump off and begin their journey into the afterlife. From the cape, we were also able to see where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. The clash of the different bodies of water is evident from the constant white water and waves forming where they connect.

We ate our lunches at a local camping spot just a 15 minute drive from the cape and then headed back to Ahipara. On the way back we did make one stop for Real Fruit Ice Cream, which we were forced to eat in the car due to rain. Once we were back, we went for a swim at 90 Mile Beach and meditated in the sand.

The next day, we packed up our things and took one last stroll along 90 Mile Beach before making our way to the Waipoua Forest. Along the route, we passed by a cute town called Hokianga. Since we weren’t on any tight timeframe, we stopped to explore. I grabbed a coffee and we meditated on a dock where we saw the occasional fish leaping out of the water. We also stopped in an interesting art gallery where we both bought some artwork and connected with the American store owner. About 5 minutes down the road we ended up getting on a car ferry where we ate our lunches with the windows cracked. Soon enough, we made it to the forest which is filled with kauri trees. We were able to do two walks to see the largest and second largest of these great trees.

After enjoying the nature, we headed to our next Airbnb which was on a farm in Mamaranui. Upon arrival we were greeted by one of our hosts, Dennis, with a beer in hand. Mary and I relaxed until the other host, Julie, arrived to give us a farm tour. She showed us her two adorable babydoll lambs, collection of sheep, goats, and pigs, and let us participate in feeding them dinner. Next, she made us a tasty dinner of homemade pizza and garlic bread, topped off with complementary wine, which we enjoyed on the deck while watching the sunset over the farm.

The next morning, we got to bottle-feed the lambs and have some good chats with Julie and Den. I could not have imagined a better place to end our trip. The next thing we knew, we were back in Auckland for Christmas Eve. Alecia hosted a party at our place and we had a bunch of our expat friends over to celebrate since they were unable to be with their own families. We threw some food on the grill and enjoyed a lively white elephant gift exchange. Alecia even got ornaments for everyone and let us take turns decorating the tree. It was a lovely way to celebrate the holiday.