Northland - New Zealand

If New Zealand was one of the key destinations on this trip then catching up with Jan & Paul, Doug's cousin Jan being Chris in Christchurch's big sister, was another. We had met Jan & Paul a few times when they visited the UK on a couple of occasions about 20 years ago!

Brian and Linda in Poole - please note the size of their balcolny! Honestly it must have been 50ft x 25ft at least! Can't magine the engineering that went into its construction!



















They now live in Cable Bay, part of Doubtless Bay, Northland which is where we finally caught up with them and some great weather. They have recently purchased this house set high on the hills overlooking the bay and are just about finished renovating and are about the start landscaping the garden. It would be difficult to beat their view as you can see. They are making a real "Homes & Gardens" potential feature, we're sure!

Jan and Paul took us on a great drive around their local area showing us Northland villages and attractions and included in the trip a stop at Manganoui where Paul's great grandparents had lived and where we were able to see the hotel they ran, and the cottage where they died.

Later in the day we were to have fish and chips at a famous restaurant in Manganoui.... they save on the washing up by serving your dinner in paper and it's a fingers job.














We had a quick paddle at the start of 90 mile beach.... not enough time to drive the whole length... that will have to wait till next time.



These guys then had to dash off back to Auckland on business so it was very much a flying visit, but we are very grateful for their hospitality and conversation and fun-filled time - and we hope our paths can across another time.





We headed off to Russell, Bay of Islands, which is where Doug's Uncle Doug and his wife, Fran had been based in later life and we knew from reports from other people that we would find a very pretty location - and it did not disappoint.






We saw the hotel where Unlce Doug had been the bar manager - The Duke of Marlborough Hotel, which is the oldest in Russell, we wandered through the shops and backstreets and spent a day out on a boat cruising the bay. This is where we went swimming with dolphins, saw where Captain Cook first landed in NZ, spent the lunch period on an uninhabited island and travelled through the "Hole in the Rock", at Cape Brett. All this in glorious weather and we were pleased to be able to top up the suntan, which had been fading!

This was our first view of Russell.... isn't it
lovely?







Then it was the boat trip... the Hole in the Rock at Cape Brett..














Our catamaran was able to get through the hole okay.... and then the tender took us to our picnic site... and it would have ben nice to have been left there for a day not just an hour or so.













This is where Capt Cook landed.


























We saw fantastic rock formations similar to the ones at The Giants Causeway in N Ireland.









































On then to Waitangei - where the Treaty with the Mauris brought New Zealand under British control and protection was signed - we loved all the Mauri carving - including their "waka" or cbig canoes, paddling type boat which is similar to the one which first brought them to NZ from other Polynesian Islands.























































We were specially pleased to catch up with the Kiwi cousins, and only sad that Pete & Raewyn, the other brother of Jan and Chris has now moved to Brisbane and we flew right over him earlier in the trip when we flew from Cairns to Sydney. A good reason to return.

So our trip to New Zealand was fast coming to an end and the realization that we were now on the homeward run suddenly dawned.....

But the UK is still nearly a month away so it was back to Auckland and a flight to The Cook Islands... and hopefully some more sunbathing!