East of the Northlands

After the frenetic sightseeing pace in Auckland, we stopped in Whangarei (Northland's largest city), for 3 days and caught up with email, saw a film (LadyKillers - very funny) and drunk beer in the fab Dickens bar where we also got our fix of the English football league on the big screen.

Our campsite was directly in front of Mt.Parahaki which dominates the Whangarei skyline. After a 45 minute climb and with flashbacks of the Inka Trail we were rewarded at the peak with stunning 360degree views of Whangarei and the river snaking through the centre. We also met a lad called Tom from Milton Keynes - small world!

In the evening we treated ourselves to dinner at 'Killer Prawn' restaurant, apparently the place to be seen in Whangarei. Slightly embarrassing then when Beth's order of the signature dish involved wearing a bib - Steve was only sorry that he didn't have the camera. Beth of course was highly relieved.

Suitably relaxed, we headed further north, stopping on route for a walk around the beautiful Whangarei falls - not as powerful as the Huka falls but a lovely sight as they gracefully flowed into a lagoon surrounded by glades of fern and trees. Following the Old Russell Road that hugs the coast line, we ate lunch looking out into Helena bay and taking in the lilies that grow wild at the sides of the roads - testament to the sub-tropical air of the Northlands.

Driving through KawaKawa we stopped at the famous toilets. Yes, you read that correctly. The toilets here are the principle tourist attraction and rightly so. They were beautifully designed by the Viennese post-modern architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser in 2000 and with their colourful mosaics, it is a whole nicer way of 'pointing Percy at the porcelain'.

We stayed for 3 nights at the gorgeous Russell, now hard to believe that, as the haunt of many renegade sailors in the 19th century, it was once called the 'Hell hole of the Pacific' by missionaries. Russell is the most historic town in New Zealand sporting the first church, first factory and the first 'Grog' shop - the latter being the one we could most relate to! We spent a lovely day walking up Flagstaff Hill where the British flag was continually cut down by the Maoris eventually sparking the Maori wars. That aside, the views of the bay were breathtaking from the hill: a perfect spring day and shimmering seas dotted with clusters of islands. Booking some Fullers Bay of Island cruises to take us through the islands and to the north of the northlands for the coming days, we whistled all the way back to the motorcamp and watched the sunset across the bay. It was after that walk that we realised Steve's face and neck were growing more lumps...