The first attraction was Baylys Beach on the West Coast. An endless, supposedly 100km long and sparsely visited yellow sandy beach with towering crashing waves. With the sunny weather, it was a great start to the long day.

We then continued to the Kai Iwi Lakes with their stunning turquoise water and white sandy beaches. We took a refreshing swim in Lake Tarahoa, along with many kiwis who were spending their Sunday or holidays here.

After a winding drive through the largest original forest in Northland, we took a short break at the Waipoua Kauri Forest Visitor Centre. Unfortunately, the cafe there was already closed. The cafe manager, who happened to pass by, recognized Jana and asked, "Hey, do I know you?" It turned out that he had given Jana and Maja a ride while hitchhiking a year ago and had provided them with free accommodation at his campsite. As a result, Joachim finally got his coffee and we had a very nice conversation with him about 'the good old times'.

Our next destination was the Lord of the Forest, 'Tane Mahuta', the oldest tree in New Zealand, estimated to be about 2,000 years old (some sources claim it's 3,000 years old) and standing at a height of 51 meters. Visitors are only allowed to enter the forest after thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting their shoes, as some trees have already been affected by introduced infections. For this reason, access to the original forests in the parks has been closed to hikers in many places.

We then headed to Hokianga Harbour, which can be explored with walks lasting from hours to days. We chose a shorter route, and the view of the coast and the huge sand dune on the opposite side was breathtaking. We made a quick stop at the beach in Hokianga Opononi and then continued to our second to last stop, the Ngawha (pronounced Nafa) Springs. These are sulfuric thermal pools mainly visited by locals, as they are not listed in the guidebooks. Here, you can indulge in various warm, hot, and cold pools of sulfurous mud, which is said to be good for the skin - and we did it ;-). We quickly struck up conversations with some locals, discussing topics such as investment options in gold and silver, or the transition period from Russian communism to the time of Yeltsin.

The last stop was an artistic public restroom in the town of Kawakawa, designed by Hundertwasser (Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser). He lived in this town for the last 27 years of his life until 2000.

But even such a beautiful day eventually comes to an end, and so we finally arrived back in Whangarei around nine-thirty. Hala cooked a typical Syrian soup and delicious shrimp filled dumplings - delightful.

14/01/2018 - Whangarei, the 3rd day

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