Today we did something interesting, we paddled in the sea on one side of the North Island, and later in the day, we paddled in the sea on the other side! From Pacific Ocean to Tasman Sea. And tomorrow we go to the very tip of the North Island, Cape Reinga, where we see those two mighty seas meet head on! Photos inside the cut!
I have had flashes of intense responsibility, taking my children so far from home by myself. I really felt it as we thundered across the Auckland Harbour Bridge, heading north of Auckland for the first time in 25 years. I did a teaching section over the Bridge when I was at Teachers' College, the section after the Bay of Islands one, and my friend and I used to drive over the Bridge every day in her grandmother's old Morrie Minor, so old it didn't have seatbelts fitted. We thought we were lucky, but now I'm amazed we survived!
Anyway we drove north, all the way to Paihia in the Bay of Islands. The scenery became more and more beautiful as we drove further north and it feels a lot more like Australia, red soil, tall trees, huge plants and hot hot hot! The air just clings to you. While in the Bay, we caught a jet boat out to the Hole in the Rock - we went right through!
It was very exciting, all of us in raincoats and life jackets. The Bay is full of history, original landing area for the first Anglican and Catholic missions, Samuel Marsden and Bishop Pompallier. Out at the Hole in the Rock, we floated into a huge cave in this island way out beyond the Bay, and it was there that the Maori warriors used to wait in hiding in their waka (war canoes) for approaching tribes who had been spotted travelling up the coast, wanting to fight. They would dash out and catch the tribes unawares and deal to them on the water! Must have been amazing hiding and waiting in that silent cave of ocean deep water!
It was so eerie floating there in the silent cave.
Anyway, that's enough for the first post!
ETA: Kaitaia is like Wiesbaden, closed on Sundays!!
The lady in the office keeps disconnecting the internet connection because some people are sitting outside in their cars using the connection as a hot spot! OMG so I guess I might not get back here for a day or so unless we get lucky tomorrow night... hope you are all well, anyway xx
