The second week of our New Zealand stay was a relaxing trek through the beach towns of the far north of the north island.
Our first stop was the town of Coopers Beach.
From Coopers Beach, we did a day trip through the peninsula that's the northernmost part of New Zealand. The west side of the peninsula is 90 Mile Beach. The beach isn't 90 miles long (it's only 55) but it's still very impressive.
We headed north up the beach and at the end, we reached Cape Reinga which is pretty much the most northern point of New Zealand. Here are a few photos from the Cape and our return trip down the east side of the peninsula.
The region has huge conifer trees called Kauri. The trees can grow to 50 metres (150 feet) tall and 5 metres (15 feet) wide. Kauri can live to be over 1,000 years old.
Next up was an area called the Bay of Islands. The two main towns on the bay are Russell and Paihia.
The bay is home to dolphins. We never pass up a chance to see dolphins so we did a dolphin-watching tour. The dolphins put on a show for us and Vanessa the sharpshooter was able to capture some of their acrobatics with her camera.
From the Bay of Islands, we made our way down the east coast and back to Auckland. Here are a few photos from the journey.
Our two week stay in New Zealand seemed like it finished just after it started. We had a great time and we wished we had time to explore more of the country. New Zealand is high on the list of places that we'll be back to.
Vanessa and Blake
Our first stop was the town of Coopers Beach.
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| View of the beach from our apartment |
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| Down on the beach |
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| Testing the water - it was "fresh" |
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| Blake on a boogie board |
From Coopers Beach, we did a day trip through the peninsula that's the northernmost part of New Zealand. The west side of the peninsula is 90 Mile Beach. The beach isn't 90 miles long (it's only 55) but it's still very impressive.
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| The beach at low tide - it goes forever |
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| There are large sand dunes along beach |
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| We rode boogie boards down the dunes |
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| Vanessa made it safely to the bottom |
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| Blake went for a tumble |
We headed north up the beach and at the end, we reached Cape Reinga which is pretty much the most northern point of New Zealand. Here are a few photos from the Cape and our return trip down the east side of the peninsula.
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| Us at Cape Reinga where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet |
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| The lighthouse at Cape Reinga |
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| More nice beaches on the east side of the peninsula |
The region has huge conifer trees called Kauri. The trees can grow to 50 metres (150 feet) tall and 5 metres (15 feet) wide. Kauri can live to be over 1,000 years old.
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| Blake's sitting on a carving with the trunk of a Kauri in the background |
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| Kauri carvings done mainly by chainsaw |
Next up was an area called the Bay of Islands. The two main towns on the bay are Russell and Paihia.
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| Russell's harbour |
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| Russell's waterfront is lined with beautiful buildings and huge trees |
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| Paihia isn't as quaint as Russell but it's still a great place to relax |
The bay is home to dolphins. We never pass up a chance to see dolphins so we did a dolphin-watching tour. The dolphins put on a show for us and Vanessa the sharpshooter was able to capture some of their acrobatics with her camera.
From the Bay of Islands, we made our way down the east coast and back to Auckland. Here are a few photos from the journey.
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| There's lots of beautiful countryside |
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| Toilets are never far away |
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| There are no straight roads anywhere in New Zealand |
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| Whangarei Falls |
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| These flowers grow wild all over New Zealand |
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| One last beach photo |
Our two week stay in New Zealand seemed like it finished just after it started. We had a great time and we wished we had time to explore more of the country. New Zealand is high on the list of places that we'll be back to.
Vanessa and Blake
