Coach Tour

Meg in the store with one of the massive acient Kauri trees
see all photos »

We went on a really good full day tour that started in Kaitaia which is 1.5hrs north of Paihia by car. We began the tour by visiting a store where they produce/sell locally carved items made from ancient Kauri trees, some 50,000 years old! We then continued north where we were driving down onto 90 Mile Beach (it is in fact 64 miles long, an error due to Maori shepherd's misjudging its length) which has large grass fringed sand dunes and great expanses of sand in both direction. Funniest thing is that the beach is classed as the continuation of the highway so vehicles are permitted to drive on it but mainly only guided tours and locals do as they're aware of the tides. We got out for a while to take in the views and we collected some shells before we were driven along a large section of the beach which was really quite weird. We got off again to view Motupia Island just off the shore and were then driven up the shallow Te Paki Stream where we got out and went tobogganing down a huge sand dune. This was great fun but hard work getting back up to the top and the very hot sand didn't help. After messing around in the sand our next stop was the very scenic area of Cape Reigna where we saw the lighthouse, got superb views of Te Werahi beach and also of where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet. After, we were taken to the lovely sandy bay of Taputaputa where we sat on a rock in the shade of a tree and ate lunch. People often talk of white sandy beaches, but the sands at Rarawa, where we visited next, are unbelievably white, so white in fact that we had to wear sunglasses! The sand is also so fine and soft that it almost floats in the air. We stopped and got an ice cream at the most northernly store in NZ before our final stop of the day at the picturesque Houhora Harbour. Once back in Kaitaia We drove south to Kohukohu on the edge of Hokianga Harbour, where we spent one night in the Tree House Hostel.