A Journey Through Paradise - My Travels Through the Northern Island of New Zealand (Part One)

When I think back to my time in New Zealand, it feels like a whole other universe. New Zealand is such a peaceful country, boasting more sheep than humans. I lived in New Zealand in 2014 while studying abroad at the University of Auckland. However, I did not want to be in the center of the city, so I ended up WWOOFing on a farm 1 hour west of Auckland. I also wanted to see as much of the country as I could, so I found a "hop-on hop-off" bus company called Stray. Basically, I bought a "bus pass" of a certain route that allowed me to hop on and hop off the bus whenever I wanted to. The buses ranged from 10-40 passengers and one amazing bus driver, who was also the guide. It was an amazing way to meet other travelers from so many different countries. It also offered an easy way to travel, which I don't usually prefer, but when I was juggling a full course load and working on a farm, I didn't have much time to plan my travels or flexibility to "get lost".

I bought a bus pass that looped around both the North Island and South Island. My first leg of the trip started in Auckland, and I began to explore the most Northern part of the North Island. I packed my backpack and met infront of the Stray office in downtown Auckland on a warm Monday morning. Various other travelers began to gather around, and we exchanged the typical traveler questions - "Where are you from?" "How long are you here for?" "Where have you been traveling already?" "What do you think about New Zealand?" ect. Our bus driver/guide met us and we hit the road!

Our first stop was the Bay of Islands, and we were staying in the town called Paihia. We stopped halfway up and had a little snorkeling excursion. We also stopped at the Parry Kauri Forest Park and hugged some native kauri trees. (Yes, we actually hugged them :-) ). We then drove for a bit more, and entered into the Bay of Islands, which is exactly what it sounds like - a bay with 144 islands trickled through the waters. It was absolutely breathtaking.

We settled into our hostel and organized a barbecue for the night, stopping at the local farmers market for delicious ingredients. The next day we woke up early and hopped on the bus headed for Cape Reinga. Cape Reinga is New Zealand's most Northern point, and it is also where the Pacific and Tasman Oceans meet. It is Maori legend (Maori people are the indigenous people of New Zealand) that Cape Reinga is the departure point for Maori souls leaving New Zealand to return to their spiritual homeland of Hawaiki.

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We then went to a beach called the 90 Mile Beach, which is actually a public highway! And...we drove on it, in our big bus! I had never driven on a beach before, but in New Zealand it is pretty normal to see 4WD cars speeding down long stretches of sand with no one else around. There is that much space and so few humans... We didn't actually race down the beach, since our driver was very mindful of possible wildlife around. We actually saw 3 penguins hanging out in the sand!

We spent some time on the beach, and then hopped back in the bus and headed to the sand dunes. We were going sand dune surfing!!! Yes, it is as fun as it sounds. We all were given boogie boards and circled around for a safety talk. These sand dunes were huge, and just the week before a woman went down a sand dune she wasn't supposed to a broke her collar bone. I was getting a little nervous... We learned how to hop on the boogie boards, ride them, and slow down if needed. We then all began the long climb up the dunes, which was a nice afternoon wake up.

We got in line, and watched as each person either flailed, flopped, flipped, or soared their way down the dune. I was beyond ready to go! My turn came up, and I lay down on my boogie board, setting off into the sand. I went so fast I could barely stay on my board! It was like riding a rollarcoaster, but without something to strap you in or stop you. I went two more times :-)

We headed back to Paihia, and made a stop in Mangonui for a famous fish 'n chips spot for dinner. To be honest, I don't think New Zealand has the best cuisine, but they sure do know how to make amazing fish 'n chips. Granted, this was my first time ever trying the dish, but I loved it. The fish was caught that morning, deep fried in batter, and served up with thick fries. I'm getting hungry right now just thinking about it...

My first few days in New Zealand couldn't have been more perfect. I truly felt as though I had transported into another universe. After spending winter in Washington, D.C., I had found my paradise.