Last night was the first night that we have stayed in a roadside motel since coming to N Island and boy was it noisy. Not just the passing traffic, but also from late night revellers staying at the motel. It was perfectly clean and tidy, cheaper than most of the Top 10 places we have been staying at, but there was a noise price to pay. The Top 10 campsites are generally tucked away just out of town so there is no through traffic and fairly strict rules about making noise. The site we are on for the next three nights is a classic example. We are a couple of kms from the centre of town and off the main road, so we cannot hear any traffic. We are also nestled in a small valley surrounded by trees, with just the birds twittering. We’re here for three nights to explore the Bay of Islands and we may also take in Cape Reinga as it seems a long way to drive in just one day. We think we’ll let someone else do that. It also means that we can get driven down 90 mile beach as hire cars are not allowed on it.
Surprise surprise it was raining when we ventured out this morning, not as heavy as the past two days, but still wet. We went into the basin at Whangeri as it is supposed to be a bit of a haven for yachts during the summer months, hiding from the summer cyclones in the Pacific. It also has some interesting French/Victorian architecture, now posing as trendy bars and cafes along the basin. Whilst it was wet and grey, at least there was some visibility today, so the camera did get a bit of action. As it was wet, we decided to take a trip round the clock museum in the centre of town, which is based on the collection of timepieces that belong to a Yorkshire gentlemen called Clapham. Over a period of time he both made and collected timepieces that ranged from very quirky homemade, through to antique European up to modern day clocks. What made it more interesting was that as we were the only couple in the museum, one of the receptionists came round with us and gave a presentation on the history of Clapham’s clocks and his collection. Again, you got a feeling that she was passionate about these clocks and wanted to share her knowledge with whoever would listen. Clapham’s quirkiness did not stop at clocks as when he built his first house in NZ, on the top of one chimney he built a steam boat, so that in the winter smoke came out the funnel of the steamer. On the other chimney he built a steam train, again with smoke coming out of the funnel in the winter. We spent a very leisurely hour or more admiring the clocks and his engineering capabilities. This is another of those places that is a must to visit.
Soon it was time for morning coffee, taken at one of the trendy cafes surrounding the basin in Whangeri. After coffee we drove off to look at Whangarei Falls, which were in full flow thanks to the heavy rain. I guess there has to be a silver lining somewhere. Then we were back on the road again heading for Kerikeri. We decided to stop off at Paihia as this seems to be the centre for all the cruises and trips around the Bay of Islands and is also the very close to Whiatangi and the Treaty Grounds, which we intend to visit over the next few days.
Just as we entered Piahai, we stopped at a small bay, parked up and had our lunch overlooking some of the islands. Whilst it was still spitting with rain, we did have better visibility than we have had for a couple of days, so quite a few of the islands were in sight. After lunch we went into the town and visited the information office, which as usual, gave excellent advice on trips, where to go and what to do. We wandered around in the drizzle, eventually surrendering to it and got back in the car to go to our second waterfall of the day at Haruru. These falls were not as high as the ones we visited earlier, but were much wider, making them that much more impressive. It was then time to head for the campsite at Kerikeri. We found the site reasonably easily and checked in. The unit is clean and comfortable with a good view over the valley and the rest of the site.
Once settled in, a cup of tea and a dunk under our belt, we headed out again making for the Stone Store and Kemp House the oldest stone building and the oldest house in NZ respectively, which were just a short drive down the road.
Stone Store
From here we did a short circular tour round to see what goes on in Kerkeri. This would appear to be another major fruit growing area, plenty of kiwi fruit, but also some slightly more exotic varieties than further south. Back to the campsite via the supermarket to charge up with dinner for the next few days and to check the lottery ticket as it was NZ$25million this week. You have to have at least four lines, but at a cost 2.40, it was definitely worth a punt. Unfortunately, the kiosk was closed so we couldn’t get the ticket checked, so we may be millionaires, but we won’t know until tomorrow!
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