The bus showed up a little later, at 7:45 (I had already begun to panic and called the office twice, because I wasn't sure if we had missed it - I knew the bus was on a tight schedule).
We picked up two more people (two students from Canada) at a backpackers hostel and then we got on our way North.
We made a first stop at a giant Kauri tree. Kauri trees are on the verge of going extinct, so it is forbidden to chop them down nowadays. However, the Maori and also the white settlers back in the day cut them down merrily, building everything out of them, from Maori war canoes, to houses and furniture.
This particular Kauri tree is said to be the son of Tane, the great god of the forest. According to Maori legends, Tane helped separate the Earth and the Sky, shaping the world as we know it today (read about it here).
Also, hugging the 800 year old Kauri tree apparently brings good luck.
After a quick drive, we stopped in Warkworth to get coffee. Then we continued our drive North to stop and take a look at Goat Island.
Goat Island is one of many islands along the coast that have no natural fresh water source. Back in the days, the settlers would leave goats on the islands (they seemed tough enough to survive on these barren islands) for sailors that needed supplies of fresh meat.
Ironically, goat island never housed goats. Instead, the settlers left pigs on the island. Oftentimes, however, the pigs simply jumped into the water and swam back to the main lands when they got thirsty... ;)
Behind Goat Island, there is also a group of smaller islands that looks like a crocodile lying in the water. These are the Chicken Islands (I believe they had actual chicken on these islands).
While our driver settled down with the day's news paper, us four tourists climbed down a cliff to the beach. We climbed around some volcanic rocks and watched snappers and blue maomao fish come close to the surface of the water! The whole area is a Marine Reserve so fishing is not allowed and the fish can safely be curious :)
In the summer, many people come to go diving in the area.
By now, the landscape we drove through had become quite rural. The houses disappeared and were replaced by cows and sheep. Around this time of the year, all the little baby cows and sheep are born, and I saw many of them trying their first steps next to their moms in the grass :)
Also, the roads got worse as we continued up North. Even though we were still driving on "State Highway 1," don't let the name fool you... In many areas, "State Highway 1" is merely a gravel road complete with pot holes - and our driver did his best to speed up, down, and around the mountains at a constant speed of 80 kmh... When I started to feel queasy in the stomach, I simply went to sleep :)
Next, we stopped in Whangirai and got lunch at a small cafe. Here, the two Canadians left us (they had registered for a five-day diving course in Whangirai).
We made another stop in Kawakawa where we looked at the (possibly) most popular public bathrooms in the world ;)
This public bathroom, as well as some store fronts in Kawakawa were designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser. The famous Austrian designer had moved to Kawakawa and was buried there after his death in 2000.
Hundertwasser also designed the "Koru flag," which some New Zealanders would like to see adopted as the official flag. The current flag reminds them too much of the British Empire and British colonialism.
At around 2:30 that afternoon, we reached Paihia, a small village on the coast about half-way between Auckland and the northern most tip of the island.
We booked into the "Saltwater Lodge" backpackers hostel (a 5-star backpacker's place!). Since it isn't high tourist season yet, Camilla and I got a four-person bedroom to ourselves. We also had our private bathroom, and there was a communal kitchen (fully stocked with dishes, silverware, and appliances) and living room area (with couches, tables, a big TV, and a large collection of movies).
We left our bags at the hostel and went about exploring Paihia.
A one-minute walk brought us to the beach. We took a look at the ferry wharf, and ventured up into the rainforest surrounding the small bay.
An easy one-hour hike took us up to a look-out with a beautiful view over the bay. However, as soon as we got up there, it started to rain... :)
For dinner, we stopped at a little restaurant called "beach house" next to our hostel. They had amazing homemade burgers!
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