Paradise

East Cape is the least visited part of the North Island in New Zealand; largely because of the distance but also because the roads are poor, mountainous and with very few settlements along the way. As we drove up the west side of the cape, in the dark and with the diesel running out, we started to question our decision to travel so far off the beaten track. All based on a romantic vision of being the first people in the world to see the sunrise on East Cape. In reality, it got to 8pm and, exhausted from driving, we decided to pull in at the next settlement. Ho-hum, it got to 9pm and we still hadn't driven through a village yet. At 9.30pm we stumbled on Whanarua Bay and found a backpackers lodge with a friendly owner who let us camp in his car pack. Exhausted, we fell asleep straight away, disoriented and without a clue as to where we were or what our surroundings were like.

Paradise. Simply Paradise. Cliched, but how do you describe somewhere so perfect it takes your breathe away? We awoke in a bay so beautiful that we could have spent 3 days just staring at our surroundings; blue water lapping the shore, hammocks framing a waterfall cascading from the cliffs and paua shell lined staircases leading to a wooden lodge. The retreat itself is beautifully built and takes inspiration from the nautical; ropes, shells and driftwood. It was like a dream as we sat on the rocks, bathing in the sun and looking out to sea.

Maraehako Bay Retreat (meaning 'Retreat for good people' in Maori) is owned by Pihi Hei and his family own over 20,000 acres on East Cape. The land was passed down by his Grandfather who was the first Maori barrister in New Zealand and thus left his inheritance protected from the Government and firmly in the hands of his family. Pihi invited us to help him collect his crayfish pots that morning and we gladly took him up on his Kiwi hospitality. His fishing boat whisked us across the sea and we helped pull up the pots housing the extremely ugly Crayfish. Or rather Steve helped, Beth wasn't going near them. On our return, Pihi drowned them in fresh water then boiled them in sea water so we could enjoy lunch of fresh Crayfish - the like of which you would spend a fortune on anywhere else in the world!

One of the cast from Lord of the Rings got married at Maraehako Bay Retreat and you can see why - in fact we may have our wedding blessed there in another 30 years! The key to it's beauty is that Pihi has no plans to develop the retreat or the area further commercially - Pihi simply wants to share his home and family with the visiting backpackers who all arrive on word of mouth and end up staying much longer than planned. A little like in 'The Beach' really! We might not have made it to see the sun rise at East Cape but the Paradise we stumbled upon was infinitely more perfect.