Pahia to Cape Reinga, then to New Plymouth

After failing to swim with dolphins, I headed North West. I used small detours to avoid state highways like the tourist drive that goes through Matauri Bay, Wainu and Tauranga Bay.

I slept on Karikari Peninsula. Very beautiful, but either full or very expensive at the top 10 holiday park (35$ for one person!), holidays in New Zealand... prices are higher.

The next day I headed to Cape Reinga and stayed at Taputupotu Bay, beautifuld and very windy.

As I could not go further north, it was time to head south, completely south. On my way, I planned to sleep at the south end of Ninety Mile Beach, Ahipara, but the place was not appealing.

So I continued driving through small winding roads, took the ferry at Rawene on Hokianga Harbour, and spent the night in Omapere.

Then, kauri forest. I drove through Waipoua Forest and saw a few of the biggest kauris left in NZ.

Because it was early in the day, sunny, and there was “nowhere” to sleep, I drove until Hamilton.

It was finally time to go see Mt Taranaki. The volcano I saw from very far away on Mt Tongariro last month. On my way to New Plymouth, I stopped at Whitecliffs Conservation area for a walk. But I did not feel like it in the end because of the weather. And because I was lazy.

On my first night in New Plymouth, I went to Pukehura Park with people from the hostels to check out the music and fire show that was on.

The next day, after waiting for the weather to be better, I finally decided to walk the Mongorei track with a German Swiss (Switzerland German?). Not that hard, 3 hours 30 minutes walk. 740 meters climb in total, with lots of easy stairs to climb.

Later in the afternoon, I went to the zoo.

More pictures here