We left Hong Kong and set off for New Zealand, landing in Auckland on a sunny afternoon. We collected a car and found our way to an apartment near the city centre. All good so far.
The next morning we awoke, bright and early, watched as a shower of rain made a brief appearance and then the sun heralded the start of another exciting day. We drove up to Paihia, a little town where we had booked a coach trip the following day. Alas, as we headed up north the rain became our constant companion!
On our arrival that evening we wandered into the town armed with my umbrella and had a delicious meal on the quay, watching a large cruiser anchor just outside the inlet to the bay. Walking back to our apartment the wind picked up and the rain became significantly heavier. Lying in bed a bit later the wind had morphed into a howling gale and rain lashed down on to the flat roof making sleep almost impossible!
The owner of our apartment had left us a continental breakfast because we were meeting the coach at 7:15 am the next morning. The rendezvous was in front of a motel about a kilometre down the road. I really didn’t feel like going and the last thing I wanted was to be stuck inside a coach with masses of people breathing and coughing, fogging up windows!
The strength of the wind had mobilised our patio chairs and table and hurled them against the iron railings. This clanging noise periodically rose above that of the wind and rain, sounding like heavy chains hammering against steel! When the alarm finally woke me at 6:00 am the weather hadn’t changed! I really didn’t feel like going on the trip and voiced my concern! But we made our way to the meeting point and climbed onto the coach to join the other intrepid looking travellers.
The name of the tour was the ‘Cape Reinga and 90 Mile Beach Day Trip’. We visited the magnificent Puketona Kauri Forest and saw the majestic kauri trees. These giant trees have become protected as their very versatile wood was exported around the world, leaving one of New Zealand’s once prolific species on the brink of extinction. We visited the most northern point of North Island, Cape Reinga and walked along the cliff to the light house. We saw the meeting of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean as they crashed together like two powerful giants rushing headlong into battle. According to Maori legend, spirits depart on their journey home to Hawaiki at this historic site.
We ended what turned out to be a most enjoyable journey, with a drive along 90 Mile Beach. The coach left lone tracks in the sand for miles! We had been so lucky all day as we followed the patch of blue cloud, keeping just enough distance between the rain and the sunshine.
When we arrived back at the meeting place I held onto the umbrella as we walked up the steep hill to our apartment to collect the car keys. We found a small supermarket and bought some cheese, biscuits, grapes and a bottle of wine.
Sitting in our cosy bedroom cum sitting room we listened to the storm showing no sign of abating. We were comforted in the knowledge that we didn’t have to get up early the next morning as we were heading down the coast to hopefully significantly better weather!
I am very grateful that I don’t have a crystal ball! I would not have enjoyed the evening as much as I did if I had known that the next stop was going to be as wet and windy as our current one! Alas, we can’t control the weather! But we can make a concerted effort to enjoy ourselves despite it! 👠
Jenny Burrell 