POST NUMBER SEVEN

WINDWHISTLE   TO   BAY OF ISLANDS

498 km

Back north to the skipped sections - (in red)

Windwhistle to lake Tepako

Murphy's law I suppose....left this area because of storms....

came back to a new series of storms!   - just not getting any respect!! 

No wiggle room now.......got to go in regardless

Gamble paid off....things are looking up!

-

Huts help...

High point of the whole TeAraroa trail - 1925 meters

Nice that it wasn't shitty weather!

Final 100 meters of the South Island! ....transport just ahead

Crossing Cook Straight to the North Island

Up to bluff - the 'real' start of the trail

Cape Reinga - KM ' 0 ' - now on the home stretch

Steps down to the infamous ' 90 mile beach'

- a misnomer as it's only 60 miles long!  (seems like 90 miles)

Tour buses - just can't get away from them!

Out with the old - in with new!......again!

Heading across the island to the Pacific side

The iconic ' Kauri' tree - currently at risk due to a fungal attack

New Zealand weather strikes again........another major storm

a couple of nights in an abandoned store waiting for improvement

( belonged to a really nice Maori lady - 'Eliza' - even provided a meal or two!) 

Back on the trail again

A Maori fortress - also known as a 'Pa'

Finally the Pacific coast beaches .....easy walking for awhile!

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COACHES' CORNER

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Moeraki boulders just north of Dunedin 

These boulders formed in the mud of ancient times - 

 - erosion by the sea exposes them and they tumble onto the shore

(Darrell taking one home as a souvenir - highly illegal!)

Actual formation is a little complex but can be googled -

suffice to say they are approx. 50 m years old 

Christ Church Cathedral destroyed by the 2011 earthquake .....very humbling!

'Interislander'  to Wellington - North Island

'Hobbiton' - About as close as we got - all tours sold out!

The waters south of Cape Reinga - currents of the Tasman sea meet the currents of the Pacific

The boat in the foreground is approx. 50' and is dwarfed by the seas a kilometer further out!

Sandy getting Darrell headed in the right direction.....

Silica sand dunes - Pacific Ocean side

Regular sand dunes - Tasman Sea side

Gumdigger's  'gold' - fossilized sap from buried Kauri trees

almost as precious as gold to the diggers

Some of the gum produced 'amber' - complete with insects.

Most was mined and sent to Britain - to make top grade varnish!

shades of Nepal - terracing - (done by cows - not people)

Bananas - definitely not B.C.!

Gecko with a 'Cheshire' smile 

A ferocious 'wild pig' - didn't even bother to open his eyes and check us out!

approaching 'Bay of Islands'

Gulf island style - 'roll-on - roll-off' ferry

My kind of motorsailer - ( if I was to get one!)

NZ fishing can be good -

this 'trevally' is supposed to be good eating

Of course if you really want to go fishing you go for Marlin!!

And this is what you bring home to mama!

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