NZ '17...Beaches, Boulders + Bloody Good Times

nev

Super Térrarist
Hook, line + sinker for this Yank backpacker girl. :whistle: :killingme


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I think the ol' maple leaf flag on her backpack might hint at her true origins
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Cape Reinga has turned from the lonely spot at the tip of the island and the end of a sometimes lumpy dirt road into the full tourist-circus thing....time to bail quickly and look for quieter places.
Pick some gravel roads and there's half the rent.
Add a few extra miles of dust...and the world flips back to normal.


Spirits Bay 15k's to the east of Cape Reinga is exactly that.


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Scuttling the boots and bike clobber....


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The promised weather-change drives us south....
The skies turn leaden and the ferocious wind-gusts blow the riding jackets into balloons.
Overtaking cars or even a camper becomes a matter of when one dives from Michelin-Man-Mode into the deflating dead-calm of the lee, the jacket and helmet suddenly slapping onto the skin like a sheet of glad-wrap.

Waitiki Landing, the northern-most outpost in NZ offering Caravan Park, fuel and food is a sorry affair....while there's fuel, the distinct lack of even frozen pies says it all.

Deliberately ignoring the "no vacancy" board of the Pukenui Motel results in a couple of neat units that were cancelled by a boating party just as I entered the office...PERFECT!
Ant and Tim cook up a storm, the picnic tables offer some fantastic views across Houhora Harbour. :chug:


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Through the night, the wind howls and the rain hammers onto the roof.
 

dougman1

Part of the furniture
Our digs at Ahipara, sufficient enough for us and very close to the entrance to Ninety Mile Beach.

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The very next morning. The beach was ours!

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Looks inviting dunnit.
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On to Te Paki stream and the exit

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A quick fang to Cape Reinga.

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The beautiful sands of Spirits Bay
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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
You've got some sweet shots there, mate.....LOVE that dune-shot with the sun/ shadow play...the beach shot of the gaggle of bikes in the distance is a grabber, too :clap:
 

dougman1

Part of the furniture
This is part of the walking trail from the top of the North Island (Cape Reinga) to the bottom of the South Island (Bluff)

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Cape Reinga in the distance to the left.

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We left this top spot and continued down the East coast this time, stopping at Pukenui on the shores of the Houhora Harbour.
I can remember seeing a signpost indicating that it was 10 km to Te Paki Stream. The Island isn't very wide up here.
That's East to West coast at 10k, possible less if it was straight.

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After a hearty meal (thanks guys). I would have helped if my DR butt paralysis wasn't peaking. :bt

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Next morning...
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We set off, and took a detour down to Wageners Holiday Park. This is the view out to the Harbour heads.

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Then down to Awanui, where Pete had a crack at fixing Ant's Tyre, which the bead wasn't properly seated.

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dougman1

Part of the furniture
From Awanui we were headed south east. The Karikari Peninsula was on the menu.
A nice shot of Derek just turning around at the entrance to Rangiputa Beach.

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There wasn't much to see here, although I know it's a top holiday spot. I spent most of my teenage years learning to drive on Tokerau Beach.

We were heading inland again.

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After a lovely run through the back country we ended up at Mangonui.
This is my old home town, my folks ran the grocery store here from 1973-1983
It was familiar territory for me.

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We piled into the fish shop and gorged on the tasty treats behind the counter. I'd scored some smoked Hapuka (Grouper)

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That's where I used to live. A fascinating place. At high tide it wasn't uncommon to see fish of all types and sizes off the verandah.

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We pressed on to Whangaroa where we had some top accomodation and elected to stay there for 2 nights.

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There were many reasons to be happy here.

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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
It's a dark morning...but dry. The promised weather front is taking its time and giving us plenty of warning.


Gmap for the day http://bit.ly/2B2i9VB


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A quick look at Wagener Caravan Park, the old homestead is still locked...Houhora Heads look rather ominous in the gloom.
A few dozen k's south, the skies start to lift and brighten a little....re-seating Ant's front hoop at the busy servo in Awanui is only partially successful, the hoop has to come off to clean all the gunk from the inner surfaces (sloppy work by whoever mounted the thing in the first place)

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Now at least good for lefthanders :bt , I sail past the Tahanga Rd. turnoff twice as it's half-hidden by foliage and another turn-off....that mythical "grassy path" running parallel to the coast and tying into Wallace Rd. near Rangiputa....is....ahhh...just is no more!
The muddy boatslip in the stinking mangroves isn't too inviting, so it's up the Karikari Peninsula via the main road for a look at Rangiputa, a pretty, little place.



Time to get into those hills again....cutting south towards Victoria Valley.


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Which one we gonna take?


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:glu THAT ONE!!


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Peria Valley Rd.

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Now in "Doug"-Country, it's off to the Rangikapiti Pa that sits above Mangonui, controlling the Harbour mouth.


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Pope Crusty?....or is that a GeoCache over there? :whistle::bs


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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Mangonui Central...the famous "Fish+Chips on stilts above the tidal mud, the pier and Fishing Co-Op on the left and the 4-Square grocery store on stilts again, mostly covered by some trees.
Looks like much of the commercial ventures are barely tacked onto the narrow coastal road, like teeth of a zipper.



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... window-shopping...


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Doug's old home as a backdrop


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After the shopping spree...."Where the fcuk we gonna stash all this stuff?" :bs


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Pissacake, mate!


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Buzzing around the steep back-alleys of St. Paul's Rock in Whangaroa...." where'd you say this joint is?"



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Whoohoo...they're OUR digs? :wot:
What a place! :clap:
The 140 year old former hospital up on the hill sure is impressive!


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dougman1

Part of the furniture
How's this for backpackers accom.

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I had to stay here to cook the chips for the gang as our oven had expired.

I was having an Epic time...who knew that cooking chips could be so much fun!

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The next morning we were up early for a day ride. Matauri Bay, the resting place of the Rainbow Warrior, was on our list of places to visit.

Here's a pic of the memorial.

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And the Rainbow Warrior is out there somewhere.

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You can actually get right to the cliff edge, and it is straight down.

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Matauri Bay campground, before the Xmas rush.

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A classic coastline view.

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Only I could go through...I proved em was wrong. :bs

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