Homeward bound

I set my alarm for 'really early' because I wanted to see the sun rise over the bay of Islands. Bad news is I missed the first rays and the it was a bit cloudy! I did sit in the loggia and watch the bay for a while though, I could definitely wake up there every morning. We sorted out our cases to ensure that they weren't too heavy, I was bringing a lot of Vickys stuff home, and we had no liquids in silly places. Today we were heading back for Auckland, throwing Vicky out at Unilodge, then heading for the airport and the red eye for Kuala Lumpur. 

We had a lovely breakfast outside watching the bay activities then a short walk along the beach. It really is a pretty place.

 

Trying the black and white mode

Apparently this is the Walters family pose. Mmmm!

Next we stopped off at whale beach. It was a beautiful day, quite warm, and a stunning beach, but there were very few people on it. It even had a toilet!

From the cliff top

Posing again. If Kathy and I are there we apparently slot in either side but with arms pointing down.

Ah, here's the beach. Just the annoying family to the right and another one in the distance.

Next we stopped at a really posh bistro on the marina in Tutukaka and had a posh lunch.ian had clam chowder and Chris had a pork sandwich but they had to swop due to cabbage on the pork. 

Along the way we passed lots of kiwi crossing signs, but they were all in bed. 

Next beach up was even more deserted. Not a soul on it despite being right next to the road. 

No crabs though, much to Ian's disgust.

We drove back into Auckland, harbour bridge again, this time the city was all lit up and looked amazing. I didn't get any photos but it was something like this.

We said our goodbyes to Vicky and it was time to leave. We dropped the car off, and the lovely apex man took us to departures. We checked in, once again found being British an advantage in passport control, found a base, and waited for boarding. The plane left early at midnight, then they fed us, we slept, woke up, they fed us again, and we were landing in Kuala Lumpur. These overnight flights are the best, especially ones like that with exceedingly well behaved children. We also had less time at KLIA than I thought so up in the blink of an eye  we were on the airbus to Heathrow. This time we had a row behind the bulkhead, the ones with loads of legroom that you have to pay the earth for. Very nice. This one wasn't quite so good with time though, we left KLIA at 10am, 12 and half hour flight, then into Heathrow at 4.30. So we fed, dozed, fed, dozed again, watched films, dozed again etc. kids were well behaved again though. And we arrived a little early. The queue at passport control for non EU  members was horrendous, we think a few big flights had arrived at once. Even the EU, electronic queue had a little wait, us british should have our own line and let the rest of EU battle it out with the rest of the world. New Zealanders can come in our queue of course. Baggage was out quick, and we pushed trough nothing to declare behind two Asian women with loads if great big boxes all parcel taped up. Really, what did they expect! 'Step this way' said a customs officer. We exited arrivals to a movie star welcome, hundreds of little face peered over the barriers, the other plane must have come from somewhere in Asia. But we did have our own welcome home in the form of heather and David who had come to pick us up. very much appreciated. 

And that was that, our adventure was over, but what an adventure!

Really old trees and amazing views

Our plan was to drive up the left hand side of Northland, as the wilds above Auckland are known, to our motel in paiha on the bay of Islands, and the back down the right side tomorrow. We left auckland behind after a short detour to a laptop shop to drop Vickys broken one off, once again crossing the harbour bridge. We were looking for big old trees, although they would have to go some to beat devonports offering, of the kauri variety. We stopped in a really small town at an 'award winning' restaurant for lunch. It turned out to be quite good, although Chris was a little concerned by the hillbillys on the next table. The big tree we were looking for was in the middle if a Kauri forest, unsurprisingly, where we had to drive on some if the windyist roads we had come across yet, and New Zealand has plenty of them. They had made a nice little path to it and a viewing platform. It is called Tane Mahuta and us estimated at 2000 years old.. 

We then continued North. We rounded a corner on a country road and came across the most amazing view. 

It is a bay called Hokianga harbour, and apparently they ship the sand out to other areas of New Zealand as it is so good and plentiful. You could see for miles all around, sea and hills.

The road across country was also really pretty. We stopped off for a short time at the horseshoe shaped Haruru Falls, then continued into the very picturesque town of Paiha and our motel, the Austria Motel. The lady showed us to a wonderful apartment with a small loggia with views over the bay of Islands and we sat outside with a glass of New Zealand red watching the sun go down. It doesn't get any better. Well, not unless you are Chris and you go to Jimmy jacks rib shack for tea. 

Notice how ginger my hair is

Ice cream and volcanos

Vicky had lectures all day ( I know, she is doing history!) so the three remaining Walters decided to visit Devonport, a seaside town across the harbour. It can be reached by ferry or by car, we decided on the latter as it meant we could cross the harbour bridge. It only took 22mins to get there which was another plus. Unfortunately, due to our other New Zealand adventures being so good, it was a little disappointing. Just like Bournemouth really, but with no amusements. It did, however have a nice cream van and some amazing trees. 

Just look at the trunk on that, pans how the branches grow roots. We never did find out what kind it was. Ian always likes to look for crabs under rocks and then pick them up and wave them at us. Devonport was no exception, this little blighter gave him a nasty nip though. 

On the front, see how nice the weather is. Suntan lotion required.

Having exhausted Devonport we crossed back over the harbour bridge and drove to the top of mount Eden, one of many extinct volcanos in Auckland. It had great views over the city and harbour and an interesting crater covered in grass that it was forbidden to enter due to it being a Maori sacred sight. It was great fun when a couple of Chinese people tried to slide down. We were horrified, but their leader (parent or bus driver, not sure which) gave them a good tongue lashing and they ashamedly slunk out again. We also saw a little old man on a wheeled Zimmer frame making his way back down the path having obviously wheeled all the way up. They are All really fit these Kiwis.

Vicky returned to the hotel room at around 7 exhausted and miffed that we had seen two of the places she has yet to visit. We decided on Italian for tea and found a tiny one on a back street, so small we had to sit outside. Luckily it was still lovely weather and they had gas heaters. It was to be our last night in the waldorf celestion before heading off to the bay of Islands

Waitakere

Vicky had lectures again so we once again picked her up outside the uni, today we were headed to the western side of Auckland and the Waitekere ranges, a much shorter journey of only around 45mins, this is where Aucklanders tomato the seaside. We started off at Piha, a small town with a big beach. The beach a famous for surfing but there was no one on it, except one man and his dog. It was also a little chilly even though the sun was out and the sky blue. In the middle of the beach is a huge rock called lion rock, use your imagination. 

In New Zealand health and safety is very lax and Chris was able to climb almost to the top legally, which he gleefully did, and lived to tell the tale. We then visited Kitekite falls, a nice waterfall in the middle of a Kauri forest. Kauri are famous New Zealand trees that unfortunately have been getting some deadly disease that causes them to bleed and die, so the path too the falls had a boot sanitising station on it to try and stop the spread. Good idea. The falls were really lovely and you can swim in the pool at the base if you live, NZ H and S again.

Next up was bethells beach which we didn't like as it was like cleethorpes with black sand.

We then drove through the ranges back to Auckland.

Tea was a lovely mexican under the shadow of the sky tower (the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Chris looking very cross.