day 04-05

I've been so busy seeing the sites here that I haven't had the chance to write! 

Yesterday I took a bus from Auckland to Paihia, otherwise known as the Bay of Islands. The drive was through mountains covered in sheep and lambs. I was sure that those views couldn't be beat, but NZ just keeps topping itself.

 

When I arrived in Paihia, I decided to take a ferry out to "the hole in the rock", which is exactly what it sounds like...a giant hole through a giant rock in the middle of the sea. Along the way we passed several..islands...in the bay. A few were just islands that incredibly lucky/rich/awesome people live on and rely on the ferry to get their mail. 

Today I woke up at 6am to catch a 7am bus to Cape Rainga, which is exactly the top of New Zealand. The drive was spectacular and we had a crazy Maori bus driver that sang to us and revealed way too much information about his personal life to a group of strange tourists. Luckily I had my ipod with me so I could tune out the crazy and enjoy some "sweet as" (my new NZ phrase!) tunes while looking at views that caused my mouth to be open all day long. 

I got to drive down 90 Mile Beach, which isn't 90 miles long at all. We saw a seal and I collected quite a few shells. Then, unbeknownst to me, we went boarding down HUGE sand dunes. I didn't know that I needed to bring a change of clothes and ended up being the only person on the whole bus to end up landing in the huge stream at the bottom of the dunes. I was soaked. One lady lent me her towel, so I visited the rest of the sites looking like a crazy bum with hiking boots and a multi-colored beach towel around my waist. 

Cape Rainga was our next stop. It's the northernmost point of New Zealand and has a view of the Pacific and Tazman Sea intersecting. I really wanted to spend more than an hour there, but alas I had to get back on the Magic Bus (that's really what the bus line is called). Unfortunately my camera battery died right after I took my first picture of the Cape. Luckily, my new German bus-friend, Sophie, took some pictures of me in my towel at the end of the world.

After this, we went to a forest to see Tane Mahuta, the world's largest living Kauri tree. It was basically a rainforest in the middle of some mountains. It was also spectacular and even if my battery hadn't died, no pictures could do it justice. Also, I've had the song "Tane Mahuta" by the Ruby Suns in my head for about four months. I had no idea what it meant until two days ago when I found out it was included in my tour. 

I'm surprised everyday I'm here that so much beauty can be contained in such a small space. There's a big, big world out there and I'm just a little speck, but that's OK. I'm content that I even get to see it. 

Champion!

(another new kiwi phrase I've learned.)