The Meeting of Two Seas

As part of our Kiwi Experience pass we had trip up to Cape Reinga. Cape Reinga is the most northerly point in New Zealand and holds huge spiritual value to the Māori people. Many of the guys we were traveling on the Kiwi bus with were going up to the cape and so the bus picked us up from outside our hostel at 7 something am. It is a fairly long drive from the Bay of Islands but it is made a hell of lot better by the fact you get to travel along 90 mile beach.

 

The coach we travelled on is specially designed to travel on the beach and our driver played some wicked tunes as we cruised along.

 

Norman thought it was pretty cool.

 

Despites it's name 90 Mile Beach isn't actually 90 miles long. It is only 55 miles which is 90 km. One theory as to why it is called 90MB is because old traveller beloved they walked at a 30 mile a day pace and it took them 3 days to walk the length of it.

 

As we came off the beach we stopped by some sand dunes and went sand boarding which was EPIC!!!!!! It was bloody hard work getting up there though as the sand just slipped back when you stood on it.

 

Look at that bad boy:

 

From here we travelled up a stream, back inland and towards the cape. Once in side the gates of the cape we were asked not to eat or drink as it such a spiritual place of Māori's. The Māori people believe that once someone has died, their spirit travels up to the cape and then flows off of the land and in to a peaceful resting place.

 

The views from the end of Cape Reina are beautiful.......

 

 

 The Tasman Sea

 The Pacific Ocean

 

.......But it is along way from everywhere.

 

 

 

In this picture ^^^^ you can see the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meeting. The came together at the head of the cape and you can sea the difference in colour. I must admit the Tasman Sea looks a lot more appealing.

 

Our time at the cape drew to an end and to all hopped back on to the bus and went to a quiet local beach for a picnic lunch. It was beautiful and it was only our coach there. I even went in the sea (because Rachel bet me $20).

 

After lunch we headed south again and back towards the Bay of Islands. On the way we stopped at a Kauri Forrest. These are the huge native trees that the Māori's built their canoes out of. Many houses if NZ are actually built of the wood. The trees now are protected as 97% of the trees were cut down and there is no way they can be replenished at the rate they were being torn down. Apparently the biggest tree in NZ could fit two coaches in length ways.

 

Here's one, but it's only small in comparison

 

We then went to see a staircases that had be carved out of the trunk of one of these huge trees! - Pretty Impressive- and then headed back to the hostel and after a busy day we were knackered so had a hot chocolate and went to bed.

 

Ciao for Now

Jess

xxxx