Catching up at last—here’s the Mangawhai-to-Napier stretch, cats and capes to art deco and goodbyes, all in one go.
Mangawhai Heads Arrival & Saturday Market
At last report we were on our way to Mangawhai Heads for an eight day housesitting gig. We drove from Thames to MH, zooming by Auckland without stopping so we could be at Carol and Chris’ by noon. We rolled into Mangawhai by 11 a.m., which left time for the Saturday market: fresh bread, veggies, and eggs to set us up for the week.
Open-Air Living & Three Very Opinionated Cats
Carol and Chris’ place is gorgeous. On warm mornings we slid the deck doors wide so an entire wall opened to the outside—winter looming or not, we were in shorts. Our charges were Tiger, Ginger, and Billy: free-range charmers who mostly needed topped-up bowls and occasional cuddles. Billy often slept on our bed; Tiger played hard-to-get, then folded.
Slow Days & Hilly Runs
We sank into the quiet for a couple of days—home-cooked meals (credit to Nic), sunny deck time, and our every-other-day run routine. Mangawhai is hilly; “easy pace” had some creative redefinitions.
Waipū Coastal Track
We dipped down to Waipū Cove for the coastal track—about two hours. High tide kept us up in the hills on a rougher path, with “pancake rocks” reminiscent of the Catlins. We closed the loop back along the road and grabbed a few groceries in Waipū.
Bay of Islands Cruise
Bookme.co.nz scored us a half-price Paihia boat trip (normally $99; we paid half), a four-hour loop among the 144 islands with a light lunch. The dolphins were the show—leaping with fish in their mouths like acrobats. Swimming was off the table due to juveniles in the pod (and, honestly, the water temperature).
We also visited “Hole in the Rock.” Swell was up inside the tunnel, so our skipper first called it off—then gunned it and threaded the gap. Big grins on deck. A quick island stop gave us a 360° summit view before we headed back.
Northlands Weather & Night in Ahipara
From Mangawhai we pushed north through a gorge in foul, dark, sheeting rain—proper twisty-road drama. We based ourselves near Kaitaia, in Ahipara on the Tasman side.
Kauri Kingdom & Gumdiggers Park
We joined a Cape Reinga tour that started at Kauri Kingdom: ancient kauri recovered from former swamplands, some 50,000–150,000 years old, milled into sculptural pieces (including a spiral stair carved inside a single trunk). The kauri were found by gumdiggers—tree resin (amber) hunters—who first gathered gum from the ground, then dug near the roots. Many trunks lie aligned, likely felled by an ancient tsunami.
At Gumdiggers Park we walked the old diggings, now an open-air museum of the trade and its rough-and-tumble camps. You can even buy amber—with bugs straight out of Jurassic Park—if your wallet is brave.
Cape Reinga & the Meeting Seas
After a buffet lunch (the whole tour was $55 each—far cheaper than the longer Paihia version), we reached Cape Reinga. A 45-minute walk took us to the lighthouse and the point where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet. Not wildly stormy that day, but you could see the line of whirlpools and cross-chop where they collide.
Sandboarding & Ninety Mile Beach
The return leg followed Ninety Mile Beach (actually 94 km). We detoured up a stream to towering dunes for sandboarding. Nic braked politely the whole way; I tried to skim the water, hit a bump, and performed a graceless cartwheel into the stream. Souvenir raspberries acquired; pride slightly dented.
Kauri Giants & a Kiwi by Red Light
Southbound on the west, we crossed by ferry and wandered the living kauri forests: Tane Mahuta, the largest (roughly 1,500–2,000 years old), the second-largest, and the Four Sisters—four trunks apparently sharing one root system. Awe in the hush.
That night at a Top 10 Holiday Park, the owner Chris led a red-light kiwi walk in Trounson (dogs are their biggest threat). Under a riot of stars we quietly patrolled boardwalks. Odds were 50/50, and we got lucky—one kiwi dashed beneath the path, then (perhaps the same bird) another blur into the bush. Bonus: glowworms twinkling like tiny constellations on the way back.
Auckland Errands & a Night at the Ballet
Two practical days in Auckland: swap the rental (visa insurance window closed; we re-booked with paid cover), pick up snorkels/masks for Fiji—and a proper night out. We caught the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s “Coppélia,” finally ticking Nic’s long-running quest to see a ballet on this trip.
South Again: Hamilton, Taupō, Palmerston North
We looped through Hamilton for swimsuits and a few Fiji bits, Taupō for second-hand treasures, then pressed on to Palmerston North to see Christa—Nic’s friend from her Africa travels a decade ago. She and Fraser fed us royally, showed us their trails, and proved (despite locals calling Palmy the armpit of NZ) that good company makes a place shine. Also: hillsides of wind turbines—a fitting touch for a Dutch friend.
Napier’s Art Deco Finale
We finished in Napier, Hawke’s Bay: rebuilt after the 1931 quake in cohesive Art Deco style, and proud of it. Tomorrow we’ll nose back toward Auckland—but not into it—and stage within an hour of the airport.
Next Stop: Fiji
Then it’s beaches and hot sun. We may be offline there, so this could be the last update before Canada. One more wrap-up post at the end, for sure.
P.S.
We overnighted in Hamilton en route north—perfect for Nic: the botanical gardens are lovely.
Reflection
These last New Zealand weeks felt like a softer landing: doors open to winter light, cats underfoot, sea air and geothermal steam, ancient forests and a nocturnal blur of feathers. We’ve been collecting small comforts—markets, home cooking, long chats with old friends—right alongside the big landscapes. With Fiji on deck and home appearing on the horizon, I’m realizing the best days often mixed the ordinary and the epic: a hot pool after a run; a ballet after a grocery run; a lighthouse after a packed lunch. It’s a good way to wind down a big year—lighter bags, fuller hearts, and just enough sand in our shoes to remember the ride.
