A continental breakfast was included in the price of our accommodation at Kiwi Cottage, and we had some mushrooms and eggs to add. Just the start we needed for another day of travelling (Tuesday 10 December). After bidding Abby and our hosts farewell, we left Whangarei for a journey up north.
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| This was the view I woke up to. |
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| Breakfast at Kiwi Cottage |
Whilst driving on the Twin Coast Discovery Highway, somewhere near Kawakawa, I spotted an oyster factory right by the side of the road. Needless to say, we had to stop. We had tried Mahurangi oysters at Puhoi and Orongo Bay oysters at Whangarei. Now it was time to try Paroa Bay oysters. Oh, boy! They were so fresh and sweet...we had to go back for seconds.
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| Oysters! Yippee ya yeah! |
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| Oysters are best eaten raw, with a touch of lemon. |
When hubby and I go on on road trips, we always get ourselves bottles of lemonade to quench our thirst and perk ourselves up. And being in New Zealand, I had to try their Lemon & Paeroa drink. It's lemon juice combined with carbonated mineral water from the town of Paeroa, further down south.
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| One of the must-try drinks in NZ |
After driving for nearly 3 hours, we finally arrived at Kaitaia, the gateway to the far north. It's the last major town before you reach the top of New Zealand. We had also been warned that crime rate is a little higher here than in other parts of NZ, so we had to be careful of what can be seen in our car. Kaitaia was in our itinerary, mainly to break our rather long drive, to ensure our petrol tank is filled up, stock up on some food provisions and to get a quick lunch. Having done some homework on TripAdvisor, I knew exactly where to head to for some Asian food - Kai Thai Takeaway. Although we arrived very near their closing time, we were warmly welcomed. The food we ordered was tasty and came in huge portions. We even left with dinner, which we planned to just heat up at our accommodation later tonight.
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| Lunch at Kai Thai |
So where were we headed for? To Cape Reinga, another 95.7km away. Cape Reinga is the most northern point of North Island, New Zealand. It's also where the Tasman Sea collides with the Pacific Ocean and the Maoris believe this is where the spirits of the deceased leap from this point into the ocean to return to their ancestral homeland of Hawaiki.
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| Cape Reinga...the remote point where two oceans meet and the spirits of the Maoris begin their final journey |
There's no place of accommodation at Cape Reinga; the nearest being at Te Kao, 30 minutes away. So before proceeding to Cape Reinga, we stopped for a brief rest at our accommodation for the night, Te Kao Lodge, where we paid NZ$120 for a night. The rooms and furniture of this lodge were rather dated, but generally, the place was clean and comfortable, with the bonus of a strong wifi. The hostess, Irene, was also friendly and accommodating. And the shared kitchen was well-equipped.
Anyhow, we didn't linger long. Cape Reinga was beckoning. And yes, it was indeed a sight to marvel at. I especially loved it when dusk approached and the tour buses had to leave. With less people around, the whole environment became tranquil and mesmerising. Hubby was engrossed in finding the right spots for his photography while I was left to wander around to truly drink in the essence of this place. I was quite taken by the lighthouse at Cape Reinga, a New Zealand icon on its own. It was constructed in 1941 and was the last manned lighthouse to be built in New Zealand. It was manned by a real person until 1989 when it became fully automated and is now operated remotely from Wellington.
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| Definitely a sight to behold! |
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| Cape Reinga Lighthouse |
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| Lighthouse, signpost and me |
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| Sunset at Cape Reinga |
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