Stray Bus Tour to the Bay of Islands

This weekend Andy and I went took a bus tour up to Paihia. Pahia is a beautiful small beach town with tons to do.















Our first day Andy & I chose to walk to the Waitangi Treaty Center.The Waitangi Treaty is an agreement between the British & Maori stating that the British will provide protection over the Maori. There we saw a large maka (canoe) that was used in the 100 year Waitangi celebration. Then walked the beach up to the home where Busby (the man who drafted the treaty) lived. He mediated with the Maori and British and on February 6, 1835 thirty-five Moari tribes signed. This is recognized as the beginning of New Zealand, and the beginning of peace between the Maori & the Pakeha (British). The flag pole marks where the treaty was signed. It has the Maori, British & New Zealand Flags flying.

On the walk home we stopped to lay out at the beach. It was SO wonderful! I just watched the crashing waves and thought about life. It was so relaxing, and I felt really at peace on the beach. My purpose for this trip is to think about where my life is going and laying out on the beach I finally had a chance. I was able to clear my mind, think about my priorities, and daydream about the future.

That night everyone from the bus hung out, ate dinner and went to some bars. It was really fun to get to know them. Everyone’s from different parts of the world, and we were swapping cultures. We found out one thing for sure – there are hundreds of different rules to pool, and it’s best if they’re discussed before you begin playing. We learned that one the hard way.



Saturday we had another bus tour up to Cape Reinga, the northern tip of New Zealand. Our first stop up was at the Gumdigger Park. Remember those Kauri trees I wrote about. Well, at this park there are the remains of Kauri trees that are 45,000 years old! From those trees resinous sap hardened and fossilized into gum, or amber. We saw some holes where the digging took place, and the houses the gum diggers lived in during the 1870 – 1920 (the big gum rush).

Then we continued on up to Cape Reinga. We saw lots of the countryside - tons of hills, sheep and cows. It’s sad that so much of the natural forests have been demolished for pastureland, but what forest remains looks just like from King Kong (filmed in NZ). At Cape Reinga we walked to the lighthouse. As the most northern part of the Island the Maori believe when one dies their spirit goes here and leaps off this specific tree into the heavens. This is also the place where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean collide – gorgeous!

After we went to the Sand Dunes for some dune boarding! This was fantastic fun. We climbed an 80 meter sand dune (what a killer on the calves) & rode down on specific dune riding boards (like boogie boards but very slick on the bottom). You got going quite fast, but it was loads of fun! Got a nice tan, and sand everywhere.



The bus adventure then went on to drive down the 90 Mile Beach. This beach is actually 103 kilometers, approximately 64 miles, not 90 at all. Apparently some man used to drive his cattle down the beach & his expression was that it was so long it was the ‘90 Mile Beach’ and that name stuck. This place was magnificent! We got out & took pictures by what is known as ‘Hole in the Rock’. Then we drove down the beach. Saw some wild horse tracks in the sand. Our guide pointed out all kinds of birds to us. And we stopped one more time to get out. That was the end of the super fun parts, but we did go to a gallery where one could purchase art and trinkets made from the 45,000 year old Kauri trees. There was even a spiral staircase carved inside the trunk of an old tree.



Today was our last day in Paihia. We packed up our things and just went to lay on the beach. I fell asleep in the sun. Loved every minute of it. The bus trip back was with the same driver – tons of fun! Made it back to Auckland this evening and now this week I hunt for a job. Wish me luck!