138km winds... fantastic day

Time has whipped by in New Zealand... almost every day we're running off somewhere new.
Matt - I couldn't fidn the Canada Car in Auckland... and actually decided to stay away from the car altogether - with my sense of direction, supreme mechanic's skills and after a few hostel horror stories about selling (or buying) a lemon - it was the Stray Travel bus for me.

So - first stop is the top of the country - Cape Reinga, where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet at the upermost reaches of the N.Island. We have fantastic shots - the wind was positively howling - we had to hold onto the sign post to stay up right and all my photos were blurry from the gusting of the wind. We found out later that day, it's because the wind was blowing over 138km/hour.

We had a fantastic old military 4x4, and took it down to the Te Paki sand dunes where, in the middle of a sandstorm - we took up some sand surfing. Those of us willing to brave the exfoiliating walk to the top of the dune were treated with an incredible tailwind that had us whipping down the mountain - it was fantastic! From the Te Paki dunes we drove down 90 mile beach (actually less), catching glimpses of wild horses, more sandstorms and 2 tour buses stranded by the weather in the tide - it was a great day.

After Cape Reinga and the Bay of Islands, we set off for Ha Hei and hot water beach (dug our own little hot tub in the sand - fantastic) and left for the surfer's paradise of Raglan. We stayed at an old surf shack near the beach which has the longest left hand break in the world. The waves were pretty mangy, so I skipped the surf lesson - but I am going back. You could have lived at that place for months just surfing, eating and hanging out with whoever came by (all the staff were lost travelers from the Stray bus who got off around 2-4 months ago and haven't left yet). It is also bloody freezing here - I am wearing 1/2 my backpack - the thought of jumping in the ocean was a little much - I am waiting to surf with you in Oz Almira!

New Zealand is a nation destined to give you all the death-inviting, expensive, adrealine-laced activties you can imagine. Trying to keep my body in one peice is going to be difficult. Not to mention hanging onto any money in my wallet. There are fantastic hikes about, and for the next couple days I am going to try to hang out in Rotorua and escape the bungy jumping.. if I can.