Hokianga and the Kauri Coast

After the excitement of yesterday, I wondered if today would be an anti-climax.  The West Coast of Northland is largely forest and farmland and there was not much “adventure” to look forward to.  But on a day when there is good weather, New Zealand scenery never disappoints.

The first bit of excitement was a trip on the car ferry over Hokianga harbour.  The harbour is huge – more like a fiord than anything else, and there is no way across it except the ferry.  You can drive all the way round, but why would you when there’s a chance to go on a ferry.  It’s only about 15 – 20 mins, but on the smooth water in the morning, it was really lovely.  We drove from Rewene - where the ferry ended  - down to the coast at the twin towns of Opononi and Omapere, and were treated to exquisite blue water and a walk to the headland above the harbour.  Fantastic views down onto a totally deserted beach and across to huge coastal dunes.  People can dune surf on them, but the peace wasn’t disturbed for us this morning.

We drove the rest of the day down the Kauri Coast – through the Waipoua Forest for some of the way – huge kauri trees and acid green tree ferns, underlaid with tea tree.  The biggest Kauri  - Tane Mahuta – is seriously impressive.  And New Zealand has certainly woken up to the power of Tourism since we were here 15 years ago.  Then there was a sign about the size of an A4 paper saying – Biggest Kauri tree.  Now there is a picnic site on the opposite side of the road, a wooden boardwalk and an Info Centre.  And plenty of signage.

Lots of farm land – cattle, sheep and kumera – and a long road along the next harbour – Kaipara.  The Wairoa river that feeds it is wide and muddy, but lower down, the valleys and the water are beautiful.  We stopped at Helensville where we are staying in a beautiful guesthouse attached to a Victorian House.

We’ve both recently read a book by Ngaio Marsh about New Zealand.  It is a murder mystery set in Northland on a thermal reserve near a harbour and takes place during WW2.  Part of the story is that someone in the district is signalling from a peak nearby about ship movements, resulting in the sinking of a merchant ship by the Japanese.  Where ever we have gone in Northland, we’ve tried to work out where the story could have taken place.  At first we thought Hokianga could be it, but then we realised no big ships could be in it.  So that was that theory!  Some of the harbours on the Peninsula could be it – but each one has a problem with it – no thermal activity up North, although we know that there were army units stationed there.  But our last stop might be it!  The Kaipara harbour is huge and deep.  There is a peninsula that goes up to the Kaipara Heads.  There is a themal park at Parakai – it has been developed for a long time – since the 1910s, but a little artistic licence could be excused.  And it isn’t too far from Auckland – so it’s more likely in the 1940s that a huge distance on poor roads.  So we may have solved our mystery – or not! But we’ve had fun doing it.

Our road trip ends tomorrow as we drive to Hamilton to see Jane – a friend since the 1970s.  And then back to Tauranga to get ready for the baby.