The Road to Whangerei

Old Stone Store and Mission House in Kerikeri



Finally arrived here on the morning of Nov. 26 after the all-night flight from Honolulu. Picked up the car and drove up the coast of the North Island to Kerikeri, where we had our first stop.

Spent a relaxing 4 nights in a River cottage on Takou Bay - in the Bay of Islands district north of Auckland. The setting was idyllic. Even the weather cooperated for the most part - sunny and warm except for one rainy day. The countryside here is as beautiful as we remembered it, and no probs so far with driving on the left.
The view behind our cottage

Front door of our cottage on the river

Had a chance to take a couple of short, scenic hikes in the surrounding hills and on the beach near our cottage. The place we rented came equipped with a canoe & 2 person kayak, so we made use of those to paddle down river to the mouth of the river where it empties into the Pacific. Lots of critters, and even a couple of waterfalls along one of the hikes.
The view across the river from the front of the cottage

We departed on the 30th for the Coromandel Peninsula near Auckland - which is where we are at the moment. The Falls at Kerikeri

On Our Way

First Stop: Kauai

Well, our long-awaited trip to New Zealand is finally underway. We departed Vancouver yesterday morning and flew to Kauai to spend a few days with Kevin before he relocates back to the mainland in a month or two. We'll finish up with a few days on Oahu before we actually leave for Auckland the evening of the 24th.

The trip has gotten off to a rather soggy start. We were greeted at Lihue airport with heavy showers which continued all across the island as we drove to Kalaheo - near where we used to live from '94-'98 - to stay at a local B&B. Was raining about as hard as we've seen it do here...which is saying plenty for Kauai. Started to clear up a bit last night though, and there's actually sun today although it's still very windy. Forecast is for it to stay unsettled for the next several days. We're hoping for it to clear enough to be able to hike up at Kokee and head over to Mahaulepu while we're here.

No pictures yet, but here are a few from previous visits to NZ.


Hiking in Able Tasman National Park - South Island


Pretty Scenery Everywhere

Hiking Near Farewell Spit - South Island