We saved the Northland and Auckland regions of the north island for the end of our New Zealand adventure since our flight back home was out of Auckland Airport. Highlights of Northland include: Karekare falls, Piha beach’s “Lion Rock”, Waipoua Kauri Forest (the towering Kauri trees are a sight to behold), Koutu boulders (everyone flocks to the “Moeraki Boulders” on the south island but head to Koutu for a crowd free experience), Te Paki sand dunes, Cape Reinga Lighthouse, St Paul’s Rock in Whangaroa, Kerikeri’s waterfalls, quaint Russell, Kukutauwhao Island’s “lighthouse walkway” near Tutukaka, Whangarei Waterfall, Mangawhai Beach, and the Bohemian town of Puhoi.
Once we reached Auckland, we lucked out big time because our dear friends Goodie and MJ had coordinated a whole range of activities for us to do along with a fabulous free place to stay. Plus we got to hang out with them for a few more days before flying out of New Zealand so it was the perfect send off to an amazing adventure in what has quickly become one of our favorite countries on earth!
Returning our campervan back to Travellers Autobarn was a bittersweet moment as we had grown quite attached to our mobile home over these past 3 months. After finding out we now hold the record for the most kilometers driven in a campervan, we were shown photos of what the previous renter had done to our sweet ride (she refused to evacuate despite numerous flood warnings throughout the night and as a result, woke up the next morning to a flooded campervan in waist deep water). After a thorough repair job, we were the very next renters and we are happy to report that our compact campervan did the job perfectly. Two thumbs up for Travellers Autobarn! And two huge thumbs up for New Zealand!! Even though we spent a whopping 3 months driving 17173 km on both the south and the north island, there is still so much we want to see and do so we will be back. 100% Pure New Zealand – we are counting down the days until we return.
Tree obstacle on the drive to Karekare Falls
Hungry bird demanding food; Karekare parking lot
Secluded waterfall on our hike to Karekare Falls
Karekare Falls
Māori carving at Karekare Beach
Pukeko (swamp hens) at Karekare Beach
View looking down on Lions Rock and Piha Beach
Approaching Lion Rock, a rocky headland located on Piha Beach
Another view of Lion rock, the famous landmark on Piha Beach
Looking down on Piha Beach from the top of Lion Rock
Panoramic view from Lion Rock
Tuatara driveway; North Piha
Beware of quicksand at Bethells Beach!
Black sand Bethells Beach
"Drive like your kids live here" - an important message for NZ's more aggressive drivers!
The Ark; Kaiwaka
Purple wrapped bales of hay; Matakohe
Interesting Northland mailbox
Downtown Dargaville
Baylys Beach
View of Baylys Beach from a lookout
Dolphin lamp post; Baylys Beach
Robby walking through the Waipoua Forest
Spirula shells; Baylys Beach
The mighty "Tāne Mahuta" (Lord of the Forest), the largest kauri tree in the world
Becky hugging a massive kauri tree; Waipoua Forest
Wind swept tree; Omapere Lookout
Omapere lookout view
Omapere jetty
Colorful mural at the Opononi info center
Another section of the colorful wall mural at the Opononi info center
Opo the bottlenose dolphin statue; Opononi
Robby pushing a massive spherical boulder; Koutu Boulders
Becky striking a pose at Koutu boulders, the obscure spherical boulders of the north island
Koutu boulders at sunset
A spherical Koutu boulder
Sunset over Koutu beach
Robby mimics a mural; Kaikohe
Realistic portraits decorate a wall in Kaikohe's city center
Mural portraits in the town center; Kaikohe
Wooden staircase carved inside this massive section of a 50 ton kauri log; Ancient Kauri Kingdom cafe in Awanui
Robby by a large kauri wood carving; Ancient Kauri Kingdom
Māori entrance; Pukenui
Turkeys feeding dangerously close to the road; Northland
A solitary emu on a sheep farm; Northland
Robby checking out Te Paki sand dunes
Another view of Te Paki's giant sand dunes; Cape Reinga
View of Ninety Mile Beach; Cape Reinga
Hiking out to Cape Reinga, the meeting point between the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean
Cape Reinga lighthouse
View towards Tapotupotu Bay; Cape Reinga
Detail of Māori carving at the Far North Regional Museum in Kaitaia
Traditional Māori greeting (pressing one's nose and forehead together); Te Ahu Heritage museum, Kaitaia
Decrepit building near Kaitaia
Rustic house in Mangonui
Becky tackling the climb up to St Paul's Rock in Whangaroa
Robby smiles on the hike up to the peak of St Paul's Rock; Whangaroa
Spectacular views of Whangaroa Harbor from the top of St Paul's Rock
Gorgeous views of Whangaroa from St Paul's Rock
Putataua Bay
Road leading to Matauri Bay
Rainbow Falls; Kerikeri
Robby on the footpath leading to the base of Rainbow Falls; Kerikeri
Pretty Rainbow Falls in Kerikeri
Becky feeding hungry chickens at Rewa's Village; Kerikeri
View on our hike to Wharepuke Waterfall; Kerikeri
Curled fern; Wharepuke Waterfall
Wharepuke Waterfall
Stone store, the oldest surviving stone building in New Zealand; Kerikeri
Sunset view from our camp spot at Falls Motel & Waterfront Campground; Haruru
Tree fern canopy; Paihia School Track
View of Paihia from the top of the school track
St Paul's Anglican Church; Paihia
Colorful wall mural; Paihia
Paihia waterfront
Russell waterfront view
Old buildings line the waterfront in quaint Russell
Christ Church; Russell
Robby stands by a large mosaic sundial on Flagstaff Hill; Russell
Flagstaff Hill Lookout; Russell
Tutakaka coastline
Northland scenery
Colorful mailboxes; Helena Bay
Eagle nest sculpture; Northland
"Dogs kill kiwi" caution sign; Northland
Matapouri coast; Northland
Robby hiking across the causeway to Kukutauwhao Island's lighthouse
View of Rahomaunu Island as seen from Tutukaka Headland's lighthouse walkway
Panoramic view of the causeway linking Kukutauwhao Island to Tutukaka
Upper portion of Whangarei Waterfall
Whangarei Falls, a popular swimming hole in Northland
Abbey Caves; Whangarei
Statue at the Mount Parihaka lookout
Paranui Falls
Whangarei town basin
Whangarei waterfront
Plant display at Quarry Gardens; Whangarei
Marsden Bay
View from Mangawhai Cliffs
Walkway Path leading to Mangawhai beach
Rock formations on Mangawhai Beach
Puhoi Pub & Hotel
Puhoi horse stables. Puhoi is a historic town settled by Bohemians (Czech Republic) in the 1860s
Circa 1880 Church of Saints Peter and Paul; Puhoi
Waiwera coastline
Zane checks out a boat that fits him just right; Auckland
North Head, Auckland's extinct volcano with a view
Gun emplacements and tunnel complex of North Head Historic Reserve, a military installation built to protect the city of Auckland against invasion during WWI and WWII
Posing with our favorite baby in front of the Auckland skyline
Goodie, Zane and Robby stop for snack time; Auckland
Māori memorial obelisk at the summit of One Tree Hill
Posing at the top of One Tree Hill
One of 48 volcanic cones dotted around Auckland
Thumbs up for our burger dinner; Auckland
Half Moon Bay Beach
Goodie and Zane at Musick Point
Zane giving Robby some love
Selfie at Musick Point
Supporting Nick's high school rugby match
City view seen on the ferry from Half Moon Bay to downtown Auckland
Flags in downtown Auckland celebrate Team New Zealand bringing the 35th America's Cup home
Silo park; Auckland
Yummy pizza at Jack Tar bar; Auckland
Enjoying Auckland with Goodie and MJ
Yay! The weather cleared up on a fine day in Auckland as Goodie and MJ give us the grand tour
Historic ferry building; Auckland
"Craig's Building" - Goodie points out his very own building in Auckland
Drinking at the Chamberlain bar
Our colorful beers at the Northern Steamship bar
Auckland at night via ferry - no better way to get home after an afternoon of drinking!
After driving our trusty home around for 3 months, we returned it to Travellers Autobarn. Here is a photo showing what the previous renter did to our van!
