Driving back south on the east coast of Northland (the northern peninsula above Auckland) was quite breathtaking. Still lots of hills and intense green speckled with color from the wildflowers along the roads and in the fields where the sheep grazed. The road cut inland, through the fields and then back out to the coast, winding through beach communities busy with the holiday traffic. But oh how beautiful the beaches and bays were. Bright sandy stretches with the multicolor blue-green surf rolling up. One hike to the top of a hill in the Bay of Islands looked down on beautiful Oke Bay a small bay with emerald water spotted with sailboats. All along the way there were endless sights to take in. Stopping on the Tutukaka coast to splurge a little and dive at Poor Knights Islands produced incredible sights below the surface. And we were greeted by a pod of dolphins on the boat ride back to shore. I got some great insight from some locals as well. The trip north was too fast, as you can easily spend a month there touring the coasts, forests, wineries, farms, golf courses and waters. It’s also a popular holiday destination, bringing abundant tourists, both local and foreign so there can be a crowd at popular spots. I’ll have to return another time.
Much more to come…