Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Gosh how very slack I have been!! My only excuse is that I have been having far too much fun!! Well and that I have been in Fiji where there was no internet access at all!! THe Bay of Islands were amazing. I went up to a place called Whangarei where I stayed with Katie Edwards (who originates from Bideford for those of you not lucky enough to know her!) and her husband for three nights. It was great to chill out and have some home comforts there and I got to spend my birthday with them which made it nicer than being with strangers! From Whangerei I went up to Paihia (about an hour and a half North) where I stayed for 6nights in the Pipi patch. As seems to be the norm I was in a 8bed dorm with 7guys!!BUt they were all great and looked after me a treat - well we all went out and got a little drunk to celebrate my being 25 plus one day!!
I went dolphin swimming the next day but as there were baby dolphins (anyone know what a baby dolphin is called?!) there we couldnt actually swim so I was gutted! Especially as I'd got up with a hangover to be at the marina for 7.45!! I also did the day trip with a company called Dune RIder right the way up to Cape Reinga which is the most northerly point of New Zealand. We fitted a lot in that day, we had photos at the lighthouse (see album) and lunch on the beach as well as going sand boarding down some massive sand dunes which was amazing. I went so fast though - it was a bit scary too! On the way home we drove down 90mile beach and stopped to collect shellfish in the surf (and ate some fresh from the sea which was a bit gross!)
One day I went over on the ferry to a little village called Russle which was very quaint. It had beautiful clapboard houses and great seafood chowder which I had for lunch! I just chilled out with my book and took lots of photos but nothing too taxing! I also walked to the lookout point behind Paihia and got some great shots over the bay towards some of the islands. Its such a stunning place - wonderful blue sea and plenty
of yachts and boats dotted around. I met the kids in the school hanging over the railings
and they had lots of questions about where I was from and what I was doing in Paihia
which was sweet.
My favourite trip of all though would have to be the overnight cruise which I went to onboard a boat called the Rock. We left the jetty at Paihia at 4pm on the Tuesday and got back at 4pm the next day. We sailed out round some of the Islands and did so many activities along the way. The staff tied an old sprite bottle onto string and floated it behind the boat as we went along and we all took turns to shoot at it with an air rifle. Fot my first shooting competition I did pretty well - but only one girl hit it and it wasn't me!! AS we anchored for the night the boys got the fishing rods out and we did some fishing off the back of the boat - I caught 3 snapper!! I wanted to let them all go but I'd gut hooked the last one so we had to have him for dinner instead!! The crew said it was traditional to kiss your first fish you ever catch too so I did but I think perhaps they were having us on!!!haha After dinner we went out night kayaking and it was the most amazing thing ever - there was phospheros (sorry about that spelling!) so it was all glowing and shimmering and you could splash water over your legs and have them glow in the dark. We were allowed to jump in for a swim too - I've never seen anything like it!
The next day we had breakfast early and headed out to do some snorkelling off Mussle rock. W snorkelled around and dived down to rip mussles off the rock for lunch. I got a few but also scrached up my hands pretty good in the process! The smaller shells we smashed open and held them out for the fish to eat. They'd come right up and brush against your face and nibble your fingers - amazing! Then we headed out to a lovely Island with a beautiful beach where we had lunch and kayaked and snorkelled some more. After that it was sadly time to cruise back to Paihia and journey back down to Auckland. I got a lift with a couple off the boat and so got there pretty early evening. No sooner had I got back and dumped my stuff when Ambient (friend from Bideford guys!) rang and said he was in Auckland too! So of course we had to meet up straight away and have a few beers to celebrate both being in the same place at the same time!!!
- comments