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After our morning at Waitangi grounds we catch the ferry to Russell where we decide to stay for the night and hopefully tomorrow will be sunny and we can go out on one of the boat tours.  We stay in a great little studio room at Hukanui lodge where the unit is sparkly clean and cosy as well as having a lovely outlook through the Pohutukawa to the foreshore.

We wile away the rest of the late afternoon wandering and writing and then eat at the pizza bar next door as it is raining hard and steady now.  The dawn breaks slowly and the weather does not inspire us to head out onto the water so instead we once again hit the road and take the scenic route.

We wind around bay after bay of sandy shores that are draped in  Pohutukawa and framed by rocky cliffs.  NZ bush is spectacular and we debate if this is because it is “ours” and like newborn babies that are our own,  we are biased, or is it truly the best bush/forest in the world.

We have visions of staying in Tutukaka but it doesn’t inspire and before you know it we are in Whangarei.  I will admit that it does not inspire either but we are hungry after eating the last of our meagre rations of crackers and vegemite in Sandy Bay many hours ago.

We check into the Quest who happen to be having an art gallery opening in the lobby corridor and of course a piece jumps out at me.  It’s called The Queen, the Treaty and the Crown and it is an etching and print by a local artist Virginia Grey.   The piece resonates with me in this time and place so it is purchased and checked in with us.Kamagra tablets became viagra levitra cialis the most prescribed drug to enhance the female sex drive. By improving the blood-volume, Kamagra tablets slovak-republic.org generic cialis for sale 100 create circumstances for penile organ becoming erect. The tablet starts working after an hour and provides you with the same benefits and results. online viagra pills It offers cialis 20mg tadalafil slovak-republic.org the effective and safe herbal remedies for seminal discharge.

The next morning we check out and are going to do some walking in the bush and visiting waterfalls but head to the town basin Marina for brekkie first.  (Yes our food supplies are now non existent unless you count one lemon waiting for fish and chips that were never had and some butter waiting for some toast or at least crackers)

The Town basin is lovely and the sun even makes a rare appearance.  We have a great breakfast and coffee at the QUAY cafe and then wander.  And wander. At some stage we go back to the car and put more money in the metre and then we wander some more.

In Whangarei they are building a new art museum, not just any art museum but a Hundertwasser.  Think Kawakawa toilets, Kuchlbauer tower if that still does nothing google Hundertwasser buildings.  I learn lots of fascinating things about Hundertwasser and his links with the north, his relationship with local iwi and the new Whangarei art centre being built from sketches he did for a Maori art gallery in NZ, which have been resurrected and are now being implemented.  But wait there’s more – I purchase a Dick Frizzell named Whangarei Tiki from a great gallery called Burning Issues.  Who knew – Whangarei- it’s great.  Obviously lots of people already knew that but I am a recent convert.

The parking metre has been fed again and we finally leave after lunch by which I refer to as in  time and not food as we are still digesting our breakfast.

We head to one of the many tracks, the first being the Kauri and canopy walk, brilliant, followed by the waterfall, lovely,  and the loop track, nice.  Have already said all there is to say about the NZ bush so with tired legs (or at least mine) we hit the road and with an obligatory stop and nosey at the port we head for home with promises to myself to return as we have to take grandkids  to Waitangi, walk some more tracks, get out on the water in the Bay of islands, and visit the Hundertwasser art centre which will also hold the Wairau Māori art gallery, when it opens of course.  Can’t wait and of course I will take the camera.

There is no doubt that this part of the world is stunning.  Our country is new and as such we have so little history especially in relation to other parts of the world.   Being in this part of the country our history is front and centre, it’s on plagues and poles and photos.  Landmarks are everywhere and the explanations to go with them.

I recognise that I am limited in my knowledge of NZ history but also that I fare better than many.  I have travelled here before and knew about the Stone house, I had been to Waitangi  and even knew a version of Hone Heke and the chopped flagpole, I thought I had a good knowledge of the treaty, I knew about the whalers in Russell.  This piecemeal history of mine was about to be enlightened.

We begin our history lessons in Keri Keri.  We wander the old Pa site, the missionaries gardens, we learn about the teaching of bee keeping, visit the old stone store.

We move on to Paihia and decide to get somewhere to stay whilst time and light is on our side.

Once settled in our hotel we head to Waitangi grounds.   It’s nearly 3pm and the half price entrance fee seems great (you need to provide some NZ I D for this).  The lovely lady serving us asks if we want to join the tour which starts at 4 and meets just outside the museum,  we say ok.   We head into the museum first and yes I am thinking what will I be doing once I have finished in the museum and waiting for the tour to start…….Nearly an hour later and only half way through the exhibitions I glance at my watch and realise we have missed the tour.  We carry on and emerge after another hour.  Truth be told I could probably have gone back in.  The museum is dedicated solely to the treaty of Waitangi and it is truly fascinating.

There is so much inside of us as kiwis that has influenced our perceptions and ideas of Waitangi and the treaty.  Here it is laid out before you, to unwind and uncover.  You can read, listen, watch, even touch, using whatever medium makes sense to you and the journey is great.  My threadbare treaty education feels whole and I wish I had done it years ago.

On our way out we apologise for missing our tour and are simply invited back for one in the morning. We duly comply and our  guide is great a mix of knowledge, humour and respect and our education continues.  We tour the grounds, the flagpole, the Wharenui, the waka, the homestead and are even treated to a cultural performance.  We spend the whole morning here and finally wander away at midday.  It’s been great.

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I have already written in regard to museums and I have been to many. on my “ability to hold attention” ranking system many have been bad, some average, and every now and then, really good but I have now been to two amazing ones which have absolutely captivated me for completely different reasons, The Guggenheim and Te Kongahu – Museum of Waitangi.

Some fun facts that I didn’t know below (hope I got my dates right though……so maybe go and check it out yourself and don’t take my word for it)

The first flag of NZ was as below.  I wonder why we changed it? It is still a legally recognised flag today.

Lord and Lady Bledisloe privately bought the 1000 acres of land that is Waitangi and gifted it back to the people’s of NZ in 1938.  They restored the house before they gave it all back on February 6th – Waitangi Day.   Māori then built the Wharenui and instead of it facing East as per the norm it faces the South to keep the dialogue open between the two parties. 10,000 people came to original Waitangi ceremony.

There are woman signatories on the treaty document.

There was a Declaration of Independence signed prior to the treaty.

There are so many more fascinating facts and theories about how we got to be where we are today and everyone should try and visit this place at least once and give it the time and attention it deserves. You need to spend a day here.

We give Kaitaia a miss as it didn’t inspire any desire to return on our way through earlier in the day.  We take the coast road and head for Mangonui.  It’s been a long but lovely day and looking for somewhere to stay starts to be annoying.  WH finds the Waterfront Apartment motel, does some reconnaissance, then books a room with a view.  It’s raining again and getting dark and I won’t tell the story about how I didn’t like the stairs in that particular split level apartment and WH moved us to a really cute, bathroom on the same level one and I feel older than I am.

In this very small town our dinner options were quite amazing.  There is the world famous Mangonui fish and chips,  the local pub fare looked enticing but straight underneath us  is the waterfront cafe which due to the time of night and the length of the day seems perfect.  It doesn’t disappoint as I have the pan seared snapper with caper sauce and WH has the lamb rack.  We even have brandy snaps for dessert and all is well with the world.

The morning breaks and it’s stunning.  I ache for my camera as the light is perfect and every moment feels that it’s at its very best.   All the photos on today’s (and every days) are taken on my phone so it’s literally point and shoot.

There are many more photos like the above but you definitely get the picture.  We wander and get a great coffee from the Little Kitchen cafe and then wander some more.It should be taken 40 minutes before the sexual activity to enjoy the best results.’ 1 pill of cialis pills for sale impact or keep going for 5 to 6 hours. Those under the age of forty five with significant risk factors should have yearly tests order levitra online http://www.midwayfire.com/?product=7168 as well. It’s rare to have trouble of digestion, giddiness, stuffy nose online sale viagra and change of sight. You don’t want your gadget http://www.midwayfire.com/minutes/08-12-08.pdf prescription du viagra be permanently damaged, do you? A little rain and a little splash can be fine.

It’s hard to take yourself away from the ordinary being extraordinary.

Watching the sun rise, following the John Dory and stingrays around the board walk, hearing the fishing boats get ready at the wharf,  I can only say that everyone’s bucket list must include Mangonui.  Go. Stay at the Mangonui Waterfront apartments.  Eat pan fried snapper at the Waterfront cafe.  Get coffee from the Little Kitchen and maybe even stay another day and have fish and chips as well.

I know that I should of posted this yesterday and didn’t but I ran out of time and it deserved its own space.  I find myself eager to get there, the building excitement was unexpected and I am not sure if it was purely to be in this space or the retracing the steps of childhood memories, either one was fine with me.

We head past Kaitaia thinking we will find somewhere for lunch up ahead and a while later are greeted with sign pointing to a beachside cafe.  After taking this scenic diversion we find that alas it is closed on a Monday.  “Ah ha” I say and yes of course you guessed it, I remind WH that is it not wonderful to be married to a wife who packs crackers, butter, vegemite and even a tomato.  “But no knife” he says.  A quick opening of the glove box reveals a particularly sharpish plastic one I placed there some time ago for just such occasions as being hungry up North, in the rain, at a remote picnic spot with stunning views.

The beauty of the rain was that there is not many people around and we cannot help but be pleased when on arrival at the Cape Reinga car park the big bus departs just after we park.   I remember at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland when we arrive late in the afternoon thinking we will have missed the rush and there are 15 buses in the car park and 100s cars.  It’s good to be here, home.

We wander the path and the tip of the North finally reveals itself in the distance only to be quickly covered again in the mist.

We watch the two oceans collide and read about the legends of Māui and the spiritual connection back to Hawaiiki.    We see different birds and I am going to go home and google them to see if they are Godwits who fly back to Alaska every year and return direct across this ocean, the longest known direct flight of any bird.You will get the chance to satisfy your partner well for many hours leading to total satisfaction. tadalafil overnight If you are buying 240 pills you will tadalafil 20mg generic be paying $143.60 and saving $16 US dollars. If you are a woman, and start noticing viagra online canadian the changes. My driver’s license, in 1969, was my ticket to freedom brand viagra and adventure.

We pose in front of the lighthouse and the sign post with the distances to far away places and take an opportunistic selfie to send to the kids.  Sure the weather could have been better but it could’ve been worse and the ebbing and flowing of the mist and clouds added to the beauty.

We finished our stint up here with a detour down to the sand dunes.  Rolling hills of golden sand which could easily have been in some desert scene, but here they are right here in our backyard.

We park ourselves ar the Opononi Hotel and have a beer (or three or ok maybe 4) with the locals and some not so locals …. like us.  We hear some very funny stories and some not so funny ones, some that make you think to much and that you are lucky for your lot.  You eat your burger and chips and head for bed.   Your designer room has everything you need including the best view in the world but you are rudely awakened by the heavy traffic trolling past 6 feet from the open window at 6 in the morning.

Breakfast is included in our double figure room rate and we dine on weetbix and marmite toast (where else in the world would you rather be) before starting our day.  We head to the cafe next door and enjoy a brilliant coffee and the company of the wonderful I-site ladies who provide us with a map,  although getting  lost no longer seems to matter as it’s a one way road with little choice in between.

We head towards the car ferry at Rawene and as it leaves on the half hour every hour we decide that our great coffee and chat means we have missed it, so we detour down a road with a sign that  says something  “boulders” and decide why not?  The rain stops and the harbour is glass, there is a silence that echoes all around and again the gratefulness of living and breathing in this place is never to be taken for granted. It’s stunning even when pictures are just taken with the cellphone.

We continue onwards on our gravel road, dodging the odd roaming cow and lots of chickens and realise we may indeed miss the ferry,  AGAIN.  We don’t.  We end up in the cute little town of Rawene that for some reason reminds me of a car ferry somewhere in Victoria island, Canada except for the Pohutukawa  gracing the jetty.The most frequent cause of canadian cialis generic infertility in women is based on testosterone (T) therapy. viagra price important link Using this sex toy can make you reach the epitome of satisfaction. Pyruvate is used in mitochondria for TCA cycle where an enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase is used in conversion of pyruvate get viagra no prescription to acetyl CoA to intialize the TCA cycle is also a regulating cycle for fatty acid metabolism with its different substitutes and secondary metabolites. To get the maximum effect out of get viagra cheap Kamagra consume it on empty stomach. 3.

We farewell the Hokianga Harbour as we leave it behind in our misty wake. I have many more grey hued photographs framing iconic kiwi scenes:  rugby posts on left over fields, obligatory war memorials engraved with far too many names for tiny two horse towns,  native bush and winding roads where logging trucks pull over  and wave you past.

As NZers of a certain age we remember the ad campaign “don’t leave home until you have seen your country”.  New travel goals were added in line with this theme.  We would visit Northland, Coromandel, Milford, Dusky Sounds, not all at once of course but you get the picture.

For me I remember a family holiday when I was about 12 …..I think.  I can recall the story of Opo the dolphin and visiting Tane Mahuta,  and having our picture taken on the Waitangi treaty grounds by the flag pole. For WH, he has barely made it over the harbour bridge so it’s time  to refresh and recreate the memories.

There are already a couple of pitfalls which I have uncovered about holidaying or I will say exploring your own country.  Firstly it is too easy to postpone it.  We were supposed to go about three weeks ago now but various things come up and it’s far to easier to just keep pushing it out. Now however the weather seems to have had enough of the long hot summer and whilst it is exciting the farmers with forecasts of rain ,rain ,rain, its not so great when heading away.

Secondly I am excited about the fact that this is going to be very cruisy as there are no restrictions on my luggage at all.  Not by weight, or size or even flammability.  I have a big car boot to hold it all – I put my jandals in, my sand shoes, my other dressier cleaner sand shoes, my sandals, even my scuffs…. my jacket, my umbrella (even though there are already two in my boot) …water bottles,  chilly bag with a few things that might be needed in case of emergencies like butter, crackers, vegemite, tomatoes that won’t last until we get home, a lemon,  lemon tea bags, and nuts. Then of course my little suitcase and WH,s whom I must say is now beginning to suggest that I may not need my latest additions into the car boot.  I dismiss his accusatory tone and say the boot is not even full.

Back to the road trip….and more importantly what didn’t go into the boot?  Firstly a map.  We have several good kiwi maps at home but none in the car.  The sat nav one doesn’t give enough info and the wifi on the phone is intermittent and might I say too small to read.

We literally take the scenic route and fittingly when we arrive at the Kauri museum the Jucy van parked next to us said it all…

It’s one thing to say you got lost in France or Italy but not on the skinny tip of home.

The Kauri museum fits into my “I’m not that good at museums” and I have far to quickly for the $25 entry fee seen enough.   I also realise, much to my horror, that one of the things I also forgot to put in the boot was my bloody camera.   I KNOW. REALLY.
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We move on through pretty country and it feels good now I have moved past the knowledge of no map, no camera and I am no good at museums.  We are in search of Tane Mahuta and childhood memories start sweeping slowly into familiarity.  The weather is damp and the bush sparkles so as we pull up into the car park the rain stops and we head off through the disinfecting station and into the bush.

You come around the corner and there he is  “Tane Mahuta” stands majestically.  I choose the word carefully as it is needs something that describes its awesomeness.  There are some things Kiwi that give you a shiver, like the haka at a test match, the NZ anthem when someone wins a gold medal, hearing the crowded house song “better be home soon” when you are overseas…..and standing beneath “Tane Mahuta”.

We finish the days journey wandering the picturesque road into the town of Opononi ready for yet another memory to reawaken and new ones to be drawn.

tips for travelling at home.

Pick a date and lock it in.  Just like you do when you book your airfare.

Take a map

take your camera.