Scenes from Northland (and New Zealand, The End)
Oh, North Island. We wanted to give you a chance, we really did, even though we heard you pale in comparison to the South Island. And you turned out to be perfectly lovely, if a tad less dazzling than the South Island, with interesting features and scenery of your own. But it’s hard to love you when you insisted on rainy weather for almost our entire stay. And not just some rain here and there. Days of nothing but downpours.
After getting a glimpse of the sunshine in Rotorua, we didn’t want to lose it. We consulted with one of New Zealand’s very handy i-Sites (invaluable information centers in every town) on the day before we left Rotorua and they showed rain all over the North Island for days. The next morning, things were looking up and the i-Site told us it looked like it was supposed to be a nice weekend in Northland. So we headed to Northland, which is the region north of Auckland jutting out into the ocean. One coast is the wild Tasman Sea and the other is the Pacific Ocean. Our reason for going far north was to try to fit in a decent scuba dive after our disappointing conditions in the Perhentian Islands. The Poor Knights Islands off the Tututaka Coast in the Pacific have reportedly some of the best sub-tropical diving in the world, at least if you believe the likes of Jacques Costeau.
As we headed north, the darks clouds rolled in, and the rain started pouring down. So much for sunshine. We held out hopes for diving anyway, but when we finally reached Whangeri and checked in with the dive company, we learned they anticipated not being able to go out to the islands until Tuesday – the day we were leaving New Zealand. Quite disappointing, but at least I wouldn’t have to freeze my butt off on the dive boat.
Since we were all the way up north, we tried to make the best of it. We drove up to the Bay of Islands and then over to the Kauri Coast using mostly the scenic routes, trying to fit in as much beautiful scenery as we could. Mother Nature had other plans and threw some fierce winds at us for our final days. As I mentioned here, the winds were so strong it was a constant struggle for Sean to keep our campervan on the road. It’s hard to convey wind in a photograph, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if the wind lifted me up and blew me away when I was taking the picture above. Turns out winds reached up to 80 miles per hour; there was a tornado the day we left just outside of Auckland. Mother Nature, please give New Zealand a break.
By the time we left New Zealand, we were glad to ditch the sailboat/campervan. But we absolutely loved our month in New Zealand and were quite glad we tacked it onto the end of trip after all (even if our bank account isn’t). You’re a beaut, New Zealand, you really are – even when covered with fog or rain.
Taken somewhere between Rotorua and Northland. The last sunny skies we would see for days.
Commence grayness. View of Tutukaka from above, where we would have left for a scuba trip to the Poor Knights Islands.
Somewhere along Northland's east coast
Even grayness can't completely obscure Northland's rolling bright green pastures
Tane Mahuta, otherwise known as the Really Really Really Big Tree in the Waipoua Forest. Tane Mahuta is the biggest kauri tree in New Zealand and is estimated to be up to 2,500 years old. Its girth is 45.2 feet; its height is 168 feet. Now that's a big tree.
One upside of ridiculous rains is a beautiful rainbow. To show you how much it rained, New Zealand provided us with a trifecta: one on the Otago Peninsula, one in Marlborough wine country, and one on our last day in Northland, above.
Your friend Allie in NC recommended I check out your blog since I’m addicted to travel and about to do a 4 month trip. I just married her friend Andy (another travel blogger) who lives in Germany, so I’m about to move there before my big trip. I’m definitely going to New Zealand, so it’s great to look at all your wonderful pictures. I’ll be back on your site soon for some trip research!
Hi Ali. I checked out your site and your love story is so romantic! 4 months is still a lot longer than most people will ever get to do, so it is awesome that you are fulfilling your addiction.