Cape Reinga Tour

Very pretty.
see all photos »

Hi Peeps,

So the day after swimming with dolphins, not being one to sit on my laurels I was off again on a tour to the northern most point in NZ...Cape Reinga. And rather lovely it was too. Only signed up for it cos it was a cheap throw in with the swimming but I'm glad I did cos I met some great people and had a fantastic day.

An early start took us all the way up north to the untouched forest areas where there are still giant Kauri trees, these things are massive and some date back 2000yrs! I do like a nice tree! Then it was up to the lighthouse at the cape and there are some beautiful beaches up there. Keep you're eyes pealed on these journals for when I manage to get the photos on!

It's a lighthouse!!!! Whooop whooop[!
see all photos »

After that we had an interesting incident where our diver (a very enthusiastic woman) ran a truck off the road. I had the vantage point of being able to see the poor sod's face as he struggled to keep hold of his vehicle and then ended up in a ditch and had to be pulled out by another bus behind. The group on our bus all thought this was hilarious and this typified the mood of the day.

We drove this bus at breakneck speed down something called Ninety Mile Beach which was actually only 60 miles but hey...got off and had an impromptu game of rugby.

More sand in yer pants!!!
see all photos »

The rest of the day was just pleasant and chatty with all the different kinds of people on the bus...this really is the best way to meet people I've discovered. That night we all met up in a local bar and put some hard work into the hangovers we would all suffer from the next day. I seemed to spend most of the evening with a family from Yorkshire who've emigrated out here and were showing their visiting son the delights of the north. This son is a soldier and has been to Iraq twice...and had some very interesting stories to tell.

Large Kauri Tree..well they're all large so nothing special there.
see all photos »

We ended up in a dreadful nightclub and that's pretty much all I can remember...wasn't drunk though Mum...honest!!

The next day was spent watching videos in the backpackers, feeling a bit sorry for myself and getting told off by the owner of the place for having visitors. I think they were quite glad to see the back of me there as there'd also been a mix up where a girl thought I'd stolen her book. I'd accidently put it in my locker as it was exactly the same as mine...she reported me to the owner and everything! There was a stand off in our dorm where it would have come to fisticuffs if I wasn't wearing merely a towel.