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Northland & Bay of Islands
Thursday 24th to Friday 25th November 2011
Day two - Paihia to Cape Reinga and back
Today we explored the mighty Kauri forest (Gumdiggers Park), which used to be farmed for its gum trees (think rain boots and flip flops and you're on the right track in understanding what the gum was used for). From here we then headed to 90 mile beach, saw the clashing of the two oceans at Cape Reinga before ending the day dune surfing. What's this I hear you ask! In short - Dune surfing involves climbing up a whopping great big pile of sand and then throwing yourself down it on a boogie board. Great fun, a lot of laughs and a few inches lost of the hips (yes this is possible Darren). The day was finished off with traditional Kiwi fish and chips and a few drinks on the beach with some of the group back at Salt Water Lodge in Cape Reinga.
Day Three - Paihia to Auckland
Today we had until 4pm to do what we want. I decided to book 'swimming with dolphins' which I was really looking forward to, and being that I would not have time to get to Kaikoura on this trip I thought it would be the best place to tick off my list. However, after an early 7am trek to the water front I was disappointingly told that this had been cancelled. So instead I settled with a boat cruse of the Bay of Islands and a bike ride around Paihia.
Returning back from my mammoth bike ride I popped into the supermarket where I bumped into the couple I met from Bath at Ponsonby backpackers (small world).
Departing Paihia we headed back to Auckland. On the way we stopped at the Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa for something other than cursing ;-)
Friedensreich Hundertwasser was a internationally regarded architect, and in 1997 was commissioned to design and build this toilet block in the town's main street.
This block was one of Hundertwasser's last creations. It's strangely a really interesting build and made using these facilities more enjoyable than others ;-)
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