Ross and Wyn Davies Travel Blog

Thursday was time to move on. We were still buzzing from our boat trip the previous day – we’d all managed a few fears. It was towards the middle of the day by the time we headed out of the marina. It wasn’t far back to Whangarei and we parked up down near the harbour basin. I unhitched the car and Andrew and I went off to do a few things; trying to find a part for a door handle for the car and getting our mail and getting some groceries. It all took a while but eventually we were done and we hitched up and headed off again. We went a short way south again, and stopped at the Uretiti DOC camp. This was the third time we’d stopped at the beach there – it is a lovely camp. Continue reading →

Wednesday was an auspicious day, being the 9^th of the 9^th of the 9^th. We’d been offered a boat trip out to the Poor Knights Islands and Wednesday was the day. We were up early and watching the weather. It was calm and overcast, we hoped the sun might come out. We crossed the marina car park and reported by 8.15am and got sorted out for wet suits and stuff. I was keen to have a go snorkelling, Wyn thought she might and Andrew probably wouldn’t. There were 6 others, and three Dive Tutukaka staff. Four were diving and two others were prospective snorkellers. By 9am we were puttering out of the harbour and soon zooming out to sea. Continue reading →

After our big Sunday, we all started Monday slowly. It was another lovely morning, fine and sunny and warm. Wyn did some washing, the boys wandered into town to the coffee shop, and I must have done something. We started thinking about taking up an offer of a trip out on a boat to the Poor Knights Islands and Michael started getting ready to fly home. We had taken Wyn’s bike back into the bikeshop first thing for some more fixing and it was all done later in the afternoon. And a great little bike shop it is too. Continue reading →

We’d kept an eye on the weather forecasts, and Sunday looked like the day for a drive north. The boys were reasonably keen on getting to the top, and we were happy to go back again to see it in the sun. It was an auspicious day in several ways. It was one year to the day since Andrew’s accident returning from a visit to the southernmost point in New Zealand (Slope Point). And it was Father’s Day and Father’s Day last year wasn’t the best one ever. We could have stayed off the roads and been 100% sure nothing bad would happen. Or we could drive for 400kms and have good things happen. All of us – Andrew, Michael, Wyn and me (and many others) – were all conscious of the occasion. Going for it seemed the right thing to do. Continue reading →

Friday was a more soggy day, raining and cloudy and cool. We mooched around in the morning – Michael had a go getting the satellite receiver to record properly –  and went for a drive to Puketi Forest in the afternoon. This and the adjoining Omahutu Forest make up one of the largest native forests in Northland. Much of the kauri is gone, but there is still some good stuff left. It mightn’t have trees as big as the Waipoua Forest in the west, but there are wonderful groves of mature trees that still look big enough. We did the Manginangina Kauri Walk, a 15 minute loop track which was very impressive. Continue reading →

Thursday was supposed to be an OK day weather-wise so we planned on this one to explore Russell. It started clear and misty – the camp is in a valley with the river running through. It was only 4 degrees outside at 6.30am.  We had an early-ish start – driving to Paihia. We got the same free park outside the Police Station in the zone that is P60 from Labour Weekend to Easter – it’s good to get perks for visiting in the off-season. We took the ferry over to Russell, putting on spare clothes for the short trip as it was cool in the breeze.  Once there we started with the coffee shop for those in need, Wyn and Michael. Continue reading →

Wednesday 2^nd September started off slowly in the Kerikeri Top 10 Holiday Park. Michael and Andrew were slow to surface, and it was a cool morning. Eventually we got ourselves sorted out and with the sun shining decided to go for a drive north of Kerikeri. We’d never seen the Kerikeri Inlet or the northern part of the Bay of Islands. We headed north and took the road along the Purerua Peninsula. We were looking for the Marsden Cross. We’d read a bit about it, but it wasn’t that easy to find. For a start there were no road signs, but fortunately as we got along the peninsula the road signs were helpful. The Marsden Cross in Oihi Bay is a large memorial to what is an enormously significant place in the settlement of New Zealand. Continue reading →

I used to love the joke about the day when Big Ears was going across town to see Noddy. [Does anyone remember “Weetbix” jokes?] Anyway, Tuesday was the day we were going across town to meet Michael and Andrew at the airport. They were up in Dunedin much earlier than us to catch their first plane to Christchurch. It is so cool to be able to follow the flights these days on the internet via the arrival/departure page on Air NZ’s web site. I am sure that the information there is as up-to-date as the arrival/departure boards in the airports. By the time I started checking they’d already arrived in Christchurch on time and would have been boarding their flight to Auckland – also on time. It was a lovely morning in Kerikeri – no thoughts of airport closure today. Continue reading →

It was a windy and wet night but we woke to sun on Monday. The river at the bottom of the camp was brown and rushing. The sun was shining and it was still breezy so it looked like a good washing day. It was sheet day so we used the camp washing machine and soon had them flapping in the “breeze”. It was time to clean the inside of the car out again so that it didn’t look so “lived in”. Wyn did a small wash in Suzi’s washer as well. A shower passed through but that was about it for rain for the day. Wyn’s bike gears are still playing up and her chain had rusted so I had a go freeing up the cables and cleaning up the chain. Working on the bike in the sun was hot; I was down to shorts and short-sleeve merino and then had to break out my old sun hat. YAHOO… Continue reading →

There was lots of rain in the night but Sunday started out OK, overcast and muggy – it was 16 degrees at 7am. We had searched again on our way back the previous day for the road to the walk to the lighthouse, without success. Finally we had asked at the shop at Tutukaka. It turns out the road has now been marked as private – even though it gives access to a scenic reserve. The woman in the shop was adamant that parking at the end of the road was not advisable – bandits are at work in the area breaking into cars. There is a track from the marina and she advised this was the best option. So on Sunday morning we got packed up, and towed the car over to Tutukaka and parked at the marina. We set out from there, and took the (unmarked) track up to the private/public road, and along that to the end. Continue reading →

Saturday dawned cloudy and there had been showers in the night – it was that sort of weather. We were keen on a walk out to the lighthouse on Tutukaka Head – it’s on an island that is cut off at high tide. We got ourselves going reasonably early, packing our lunch and clothing for whatever sort of weather we might get. We headed back through Tutukaka, thinking it was probably a bit late for the walk but thinking we’d check it out anyway. Except we never found the road off to it, so ended up at the next bay – Matapouri Bay. This is a gem. Continue reading →

It was hard to drag ourselves away from Manganese Point beside Whangarei Harbour on Friday – it was such a lovely morning. We managed it eventually and headed off with the car in tow. To go north up the coast we had to go back into Whangarei, before branching off almost immediately to the Tutukaka Coast. We passed though Glenbervie, a long-established farming area famed for its stone walls. And the fame is well placed. The stone walls are extraordinary. Continue reading →

Today – Friday – has dawned calm and clearish. It is quiet, except for the tuis and parakeets. Out the back window I’m looking at Whangarei Heads and Marsden Point. We can even see Busby Head which was where we walked yesterday. Birds are doing the diving thing into the calm water a few metres in front of us. The sun is about to come over the ridge, although there are a few clouds to make the sky more interesting. It’s 13 degrees outside at 9am, and 17 degrees inside without any heating. We’re going to head on today further up the coast. Continue reading →

The wind was still keen in the morning on Thursday (27 August). But the sun was shining mostly. We’d set this day aside for exploring the area down towards the heads. The Whangarei Visitor Guide includes a wonderful lot of information on the area and we were keen to see more. As visitor guides go, the Whangarei one deserves an award for good interesting helpful information. It certainly provides plenty of help in keeping visitors occupied and staying longer. Parua Bay just around the corner was a good place to start – it was sheltered from the westerly. We drove on over to Pataua, a nice settlement by the sea out on the coast. Continue reading →

Wednesday started early for me. I’d agreed to get the car back to the garage when they opened at 7.30am. So it was the alarm for me. Often I’m up early anyway, but as luck would have it was in a deep sleep when the darn alarm went off. It was a nice warm humid sort of morning. I got the car there on time and was soon back enjoying breakfast. Such is the convenience of living in a downtown car park. It wasn’t long before they let me know the car was ready and I went back over to collect it. The coffee shops were also handy so we went back to the one with the great muffins for an early coffee. Continue reading →