Sand, Sopping, Steep

I love how different decisions you make in life have completely different outcomes and sometimes when I make a different decision, I am pleasantly surprised at the wonderful things that end up happening.

For example, on Friday, I was driving up north and wasn't sure where to stay. The first 2 towns I had thought about didn't sit right and I was just driving through an area called the Bay of Islands on my way to spend the night in a different town when I figured this would be a good town, Paihia. The place I originally pulled into didn't really work and I was driving out of town again, when I drove by another place that I decided to stay at.

The lady was super nice and when I told her of my plans the next day, she suggested this trip so I wouldn't have to drive.

So, as it ended up, I took a bus to the northernmost point of the north island, Cape Reigna and had a fantastic day. It was great because only 9 people on the bus, all from different countries: US, Belgium, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, England and Japan. So great to have such a diverse group!

It was fairly rainy but that added to the fun in a way. We went sandboarding at some sand dunes and it was SO great!! You take about 15 minutes to climb up the steep and very high dune and then like on your stomach on a sandboard and you go flying!! It was so much fun. A bit freaky when I realized that putting my feet down wouldn't actually help me stop.. unless i wanted to cut my feet with the sand, so I just embraced the speed each time and went quite far across the stream at the bottom of the dunes! Was soaked and full of sand after, and didn't have a change of clothes, but oh well. Later when we stopped on the beach, I booked it for the Tasman Sea and washed the sand of my clothes :)

Aftwards we got to drive for 75 kms on the beach! So beautiful! Way better than the road! We had some other great stop, such at a gumdiggers forest, which was a buried forest and is actually the only forest in the world that is super old and hasn't been petrified or fossiled because it's on a sand base. Very cool. Had some good fish and chips too.

The coast here is stunning and the beaches are wonderful. I love stopping when driving and going for random hikes to find waterfalls and other things! Always something to discover!

And while I"m at it, other things I love about New Zealand:

-that they have random fences where people put up their stuff.. for example I have passed fences full of tied shoes, bicycles, gumboots, flip flops, bras... quite funny
-the fact that their roads are so incredibly windy and turny and curvy
-the speed limit (unless driving through a town) is always 100 no matter what kind of road you're driving on
-that I can buy a box of 10 golden kiwis for 2 dollars and it comes with its own kiwi cutter/spoon

That's all for today! Driving south to some really cool caves where more adventures await! And tonight I get to stay in a hobbit hole! :)