We are now just three sleeps from home, all being well. Auckland has been a bit rainy but we still managed to do a few laps in the city, a ferry ride to Devonport for a walk about in that quaint little, hilly village and our objective trip to the Bay of Islands.
If you think things are expensive in Ontario then come to Australia. If you think things are expensive in Australia then come to New Zealand. When we left home gas prices were about $1.30 / litre, in Australia $1.40 / litre however, in New Zealand try $2.40 / litre. Restaurant meals in New Zealand, Auckland anyway, run at $15 to $20 for a continental breakfast and up to $30 for a full breakfast. Even a McDonald’s burger combo will cost about $8. For one lunch, two servings of very good chicken soup, a warm fresh roll and one small beer down by the harbour set the VISA bill up by $42. We had less opportunity to eat out in Australia but the prices are only slightly more moderate.
We were able to take our excursion to the Bay of Islands as we had hoped. It is a three hour bus trip from Auckland to Paihia from which our charter boat would take us out into the bay. It was rather cool at 6:40 AM as we awaited a shuttle bus to the actual coach boarding area and what seemed like a long time, really only about 30 minutes, waiting on Quay St for our coach. The terrain north of Auckland was a very green combination of natural bush, commercial pine forests and farms, about equal parts sheep and dairy cattle with a little beef cattle. Our coffee stop was at Te Hana, a Maori cultural centre and restaurant. We arrived in Paihia near noon and had a little more than an hour to wander around in what had become a rather pleasant sunny day.
We found a sidewalk cafe, as many of them are in the tourist area that is Paihia, and had a sandwich for quite a reasonable price, by New Zealand standards. We then took a long walk along the beach. We had a brief conversation with a couple of youths from Germany who were traveling around the country backpacking. We had noticed one other earlier in Auckland but after this we began noticing quite a number of young people with the characteristic large pack. By the time we returned to the boarding area for the boat most of the other coach passengers had already arrived and it was not long until we were invited to board the boat. There were quite a few more on the boat than had been on the coach. During the trip we casually met other passengers representing Brandon, Manitoba and Vancouver, BC. Canada was well represented. Throughout the trip we chatted with a very nice Australian couple.
The weather remained sunny and warm enough with a sweater. The Bay is littered with islands and rocks that haven’t achieved the status of island. Our trip took us to visit two specific islands. Motuarohia was typical of most of the larger islands but was the island from which Captain Cook first viewed and named the area. There are stairs leading from the beach to that same look out, only for the brave.
We had an unexpected bonus when we stopped for a few minutes in Parekura Bay and were visited by a very large collection of dolphin pods. There were several youngsters still being tracked closely by their mothers. For a while you could see dolphin dorsal fins regardless of where you looked. They swam up to, around and under the boat. As we moved off to our next stop they were visible in our wake.
We next stopped at the end of the Cape Brett Peninsula (Rakaumangamanga if you want to try it in Maori). There is a light station there and although the light is no longer being maintained there is still a marine beacon in place. Below the light is a cottage once occupied by the keeper now available to hikers for $15 per night. Be prepared for a very long hike to earn your $15 accommodation. It also appears that the remnants of the dock and rail system once used to haul construction supplies up the hill are still visible.
The advertised feature of most trips to the Bay of Islands is a visit to the Hole in the Rock, Motukokako island. The Captain let the boat bob and roll in the waves while we all got a good look at the rock. A narrator described some of the rock’s history and pointed out to us where the ocean was gradually carving new holes in the rock that might eventually form another tunnel. Finally, after the narrator generated as much excitement about the possibility of sailing through the hole, the Captain applied the power and sailed uneventfully to the other side to the music of electronic shutter clicking sounds. She then turned the catamaran around and sailed the outer route around the island and we were soon back in Paihia.
By 4:30 we we back on the motor coach en route to Auckland again. As the light faded rain began. We stopped again for bathrooms and coffee at Te Hana after about two hours on the road. We had to dodge rain drops to get from the bus to the restaurant. After the stop, that included a scone and cup of tea for us, we boarded the bus during a brief pause in the rain. After another 90 minutes we were back at the Sky City Bus Terminal and transferred to the shuttle then to our hotel.
We grabbed dinner at the hotel because the rain was still on and off then ended a very enjoyable day.