First Days in New Zealand

Well here we are in New Zealand having arrived two days earlier than intended after Cyclone Yasi  prevented us from going to Cairns.  We were lucky to have missed the devastation caused by the Cyclone and the heavy rainfall and gales which continue to spread across Australia.
We are spending our first week north of Auckland and after one night near the Airport we headed for the Kauri Coast enjoying spectacular views as we drove to our destination Matakohe.  We were fortunate to find accommodation at Harbour View Cottages having found our first choice had no vacancies.  We were shown a cabin with stunning views across Kaipara Harbour and then the owner said we might prefer the other cabin with even better views.  We thought we had died and gone to heaven.  We spent two nights there during which time we visited the Kauri Museum on the recommendation of Sally and Martin and Rose and Malcolm.   A brilliant museum which gave us a real insight into the way the earlier settlers lived as well as introducing us to the Kauri tree which has had such an influence on this area.

David relaxing on our veranda

David at the Kauri Museum

A Frostbite class dinghy
 made of Kauri wood

A Kauri tree log at the museum

Enjoying the view from our veranda

We left Matakohe and headed further north towards the Waipoua Forest, stopping off at the Kaiwi Lakes, where after taking a short walk to find a geocache, we enjoyed watching some school children learning to sail in clear warm waters off a gently sloping beach.  Sadly we had to move on from this idyllic spot as wanted to get to Kaitaia.  We stopped in the Waipoua Forest for a walk to see the second largest Kauri tree in the world - didn't have time to stop and look at the largest - and then took a ferry across the Hokianga Harbour and on to our destination for the next couple of nights.

This Kauri tree has a circumference of 16m

The mouth of Hokianga Harbour

 The ferry

Ferry leaving Rawena