15th Dec 2010 - Don't They Have Flat Bits Round Here?
From Paihia to Whangarei, Mair Rd Top 10 Holiday Park, about 58 miles. A mostly quiet and very hilly day. Had a look around the Waitangi Treaty area. Steve walked round Flagstaff Hill and looked in the old British resident's house. Steve felt that the treaty was a good example of avoiding unnecessary war whilst Guy was more cynical and thought it looked like a stitch up. Of course the Brits were just, no doubt, the most recent of a long line of invaders. But a surprisingly chatty and trading sort perhaps...We then got the passenger ferry over to Russell ($7 one way for a person but including a bike). Russell a more upwardly mobile version of Paihia... The german couple who had chatted to us at Cape Reinga were on the waterfront at Russell and waved. She's heading off to swim with the dolphins. This seems such a curious thing (do the dolphins want to be swum with, are fish part of the bargain so it's cupboard love?) that I overwhelmed her with questions and I think she was probably relieved when the conversation turned to our mileage for today and we got worried - 12.30pm and no kms done. So we set off along the coast, not stopping for various art galleries, facial scrubs and scented candles. A hill out of Russell gave us a hint of things to come. The next 40 miles were just about all up and down with very little level ground. The biggest hill, about the size of Ilkley Moor from sea level, was after Oakura when the road turns inland towards familiar old State Highway 1. Pleasant views, a couple of dogs, one pair called back after reaching Guy another one just friendly and running alongside us. All in all rather like Kentucky, rightldown to the low wooded hills. Dog dazer at the ready. Along the coast, before we turned inland, there were some beautiful bays. The camera I was using then didn't have a panorama mode but I've stuck two pics together, above, to give a sense of the lovely quiet coast.
Finally reached Whangarei where we shopped and found the Mair Street campsite. Pretty late now - about 8pm. A lady dressed as an elf greeted us, and offered us an enchanted campsite, in the spirit of Christmas. A big salad and a bottle of Mac's Great White - a decent version of wheat beer. And then fell asleep very quickly.
From Paihia to Whangarei, Mair Rd Top 10 Holiday Park, about 58 miles. A mostly quiet and very hilly day. Had a look around the Waitangi Treaty area. Steve walked round Flagstaff Hill and looked in the old British resident's house. Steve felt that the treaty was a good example of avoiding unnecessary war whilst Guy was more cynical and thought it looked like a stitch up. Of course the Brits were just, no doubt, the most recent of a long line of invaders. But a surprisingly chatty and trading sort perhaps...We then got the passenger ferry over to Russell ($7 one way for a person but including a bike). Russell a more upwardly mobile version of Paihia... The german couple who had chatted to us at Cape Reinga were on the waterfront at Russell and waved. She's heading off to swim with the dolphins. This seems such a curious thing (do the dolphins want to be swum with, are fish part of the bargain so it's cupboard love?) that I overwhelmed her with questions and I think she was probably relieved when the conversation turned to our mileage for today and we got worried - 12.30pm and no kms done. So we set off along the coast, not stopping for various art galleries, facial scrubs and scented candles. A hill out of Russell gave us a hint of things to come. The next 40 miles were just about all up and down with very little level ground. The biggest hill, about the size of Ilkley Moor from sea level, was after Oakura when the road turns inland towards familiar old State Highway 1. Pleasant views, a couple of dogs, one pair called back after reaching Guy another one just friendly and running alongside us. All in all rather like Kentucky, rightldown to the low wooded hills. Dog dazer at the ready. Along the coast, before we turned inland, there were some beautiful bays. The camera I was using then didn't have a panorama mode but I've stuck two pics together, above, to give a sense of the lovely quiet coast.