Paihia, Ninty Mile Beach, Cape Reinga, Fish and Chips, and More

The drive to Paihia was a good one, we crossed over the Auckland Harbor Bridge again and we saw a lot of cool landscapes.  Something that has amazed me is how in the hills you can still see the ripples still from the water before New Zealand was push up out of the sea.  I hope you can see them in my pictures but I am not sure. 

 Saturday Morning December 2^nd we caught the Awesome Bus (it was really called that) and headed out for a day of fun.  We started by riding to a little Bakery pretty much in the middle of nowhere.  At this bakery we got a whole loaf of bread for $1.50.

Then we were off for the day.  We started by going to Ninety Mile Beach.  The bus actually drove down the beach.  This beach is used as a road and is a lot quicker then the hwy because it is straight.  We learned along the way that the beach was named Ninety Mile Beach because some early New Zealanders use to drive cattle up it.  They figured it was about 90 miles, because they thought they could walk 30 miles a day and it would take three days, therefore Ninety Mile Beach.  However the beach is only about 67 miles or 108 kilometers but the bus driver told us neither of those numbers had quite the same ring. 

We got to get off of the bus for a bit and walk around.  The Tasman Sea water was pretty cold.  When we got back onto the bus we were told that the only way off of the beach was up a river, unfortunately the river was almost bone dry and so the sand was soft.  We all had to get off of the bus, and walk up the stream so it would be lighter, then the bus gunned it and luckily made it through, we were told that a bus the previous day had gotten stuck. 

Once through the stream we got to go Sand Dunning (this is what they call essentially sledding down the sand duns.  Our driver found a huge dune and we all grabbed a board and started to climb.  It was not just walking up a hill though; since the sand was super soft every two steps you took up you slid one back.  When we made it to the top the guide told us to hold on and gave up a push.  WEEEEEEEEEEEEE the ride down was a blast, like sledding in the warm sea air if you can imagine that. 

When everyone finished sledding we were off again, we stopped at a little bay.  It was so nice and the huge cliffs blocked the wind!  When everyone had played a bit in the water and gotten a bite to eat we headed towards Cape Reinga. 

 Cape Reinga is one of the most sacred places in New Zealand for the Maori people.  The consider Cape Reinga or Te Rerenga-Wairua to be the jumping off place for the souls of the deceased as they depart on the journey to their spiritual homeland. 

  

This is also where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet, we were told that you should be able to see the divide by the color distinction.  But we really were not sure where it was, it probably didn’t help that it was super foggy. 

Next went to the Ancient Kauri Kingdom.  Here 500,000-year-old Kauri stumps are dug out of the swamps (they call them Swamp Kauri) and made into lots of different things.  There was everything from benches to tables, to spoons, to spinning tops.  It was cool to see, there was even a huge stump that was hollowed out and a staircase was carved into it.    

 We got dinner at Mangonui Fish and Chippery.  This is supposed to be the best fish and chips in New Zealand, because the fish is so fresh.  The fish of the day was Bluenose.  It was super good!  We ate on the bus on the way to the Kauri Forrest.  

Here we got to see giant Kauri trees.  This was exciting because there are not a lot of old trees left in New Zealand.  Most of them especially then Kauri trees were cut down by the English Settlers to be used as masts on their ships because Kauri trees grow tall and straight.  These trees grow up for the first 105 years and then drop their lower branches, so there is no knots or week spots in the wood.  This gave the English ships an advantage in battle.  The remaining trees were cut up and used a lumber.  Today Kauri Trees are being replanted and are protected from being cut down or damaged. 

When we got back to Paihia we were beat, we walked around town a bit and then headed to bed for an early night.  The next day it was raining hard so we stayed in the hostel most of the day and then we got soaked walking back to the bus to head back to Auckland for my last night with Hayley, Karl, and Mia.  

Last Day of School

The last day of school was a bittersweet day.  On one hand I was about to go and travel for two weeks and I was very excited about that.  On the other hand I will really really miss my students in room 11.  They were so much fun to come to school and see everyday.  Always up to something random, calling people Drangos, or having fun being themselves. 

On my last day we had our final Spelling Dee (a spelling bee but they were syndicate D).  In block one, students caught up on work and there was a Monkey’s Wedding outside.  That is what they call it when it rains and is sunny. I don't know if you can even tell in this picture that it is raining but believe me the kids came in early from lunch soaking wet and it was poring.  

Block three we had an assembly and lots of talented students performed for the school.  Some dances, a flash mob, singing and live music.  We ended the assembly by singing Do I Make You Proud by Taylor Hicks and  I am the World’s Greatest by R Kelly.  

At the end of the day the class gave me a really cute card, pineapple lumps (a New Zealand Lolly (candy)), L&P (a New Zealand soda) and a jar of vegemite; all things to remember my time in New Zealand.  Then I handed out Clark Bars and we headed to town to catch a bus to Paihia.  

New Chum's Beach

 Sunday was a wonderful low key day.  We woke up and ate breakfast, not really knowing what we were going to do for the day.  We started off with a walk around the town and then considered taking a train through the bush.

But then we remembered that Coromandel Adventured (the company from the day before) had a different beach adventure.  So we walked to their office to check it out.  We learned that they were going to New Chum's Beach.  A little beach on the east cost, that was rarely busy because of the hike to it.  We decided to tag along, it was a perfect beach day will very few clouds and hardly any wind.  The sun was warm and it was very relaxing.  This beach was awesome not only because it was almost all to us but also because there were starfish all over.  We also got to hold a sea urchin and we even swam in the water.  Brrr the South Pacific Ocean is COLD.  I used my underwater camera case for the first time and it works!!  

Cathedral Cove, Stingray Bay, Gemstone Bay

After we left Hot Water Beach we went to Cathedral Cove, a huge famous stone arch.  The cliffs are made of ignimbrite, a white rock formed from pumice and ash that was erupted millions of years ago.  Because this rock is quite soft it is easily eroded by the wind and water.  

 

The walk from the car park was to take about 45 minutes and the walk was great.  Along the way we got to see Gemstome Bay.  This pretty little rocky bay that was nestled down some stairs close to the car park.  At this bay we saw several groups of people snorkeling and the cool thing was that it is set up with buoys that had pictures and information on them.  This way you could learn about what you were seeing in the water as your snorkeled.  I thought it was a very clever idea but we had limited time and no gear so we didn’t snorkel or swim.  

  Then we went to Stingray Bay, a bay where the stingrays like to gather in the warm shallow water.  We even saw several stingrays in the water and swimming around.  

  

Next we went to Cathedral Cove and took pictures.  It was roped off and had an exclamation mark on a sign.  So we went in, though I knew it meant potential danger I chose to think that it meant excitement.  So through we went, and nothing bad happened.

 

We ended the day going to a tiny winery, a little restaurant for pizza (Laura and I split the Triple P pizza.  It had shrimp, pesto, pepperoni, and more on it), playing on the rope swings by the beach, and watching the sunset.  It was an amazing day that I will never forget!