Day 2 - 'From the Edge to the Desert'

The first well-rested day in New Zealand began with the search for a plush kiwi as a mascot (and model) for the trip. Unfortunately, this search was completely unsuccessful, but we were able to admire the morning sun in the Bay of Islands.

On the way to the destination Cape Reinga, we planned two short stops to see as much as possible along the way. These two stops were the Haruru Falls and the Rainbow Falls.

Fun Fact: Haruru means 'thundering noise'... the gentle babbling of a stream is considered noise here.

Arriving at Cape Reinga, the feeling of standing at the edge of the world became apparent. (To say the least, 'at the edge of the world'...)

After such a view, we thought that there would be nothing else interesting to see on this day, apart from the beautiful landscape on the way to our accommodation for the night. We were mistaken... New Zealand actually has everything to offer, including a mini desert in the form of the Giant Sand Dunes at the northern end of 90 Miles Beach:

Lastly, we were even surprised with a kiwi bird sitting calmly in the middle of the road. (The kiwi is doing well, we drove past it without incident, although a bit too quickly for a photo...).