Mike the bus driver (I think probably my favourite bus driver) got us to Paihia by lunch time, which was great as the sun was shinning! Apparently this area has more sun then the rest of NZ. I checked into my deluxe dorm room and headed to visit Waitangi Treaty grounds where the Maori people signed the treaty in 1840 to work together with the Brisitsh empire to ensure peace in NZ from foreigners and tribes that were fighting amongst themselves. It was very peaceful, you got to look at the meeting house, canoe and the home of the British man that was sent over to keep order (I forget his name now). There was also a flag pole marking the actual spot the treaty was signed.

In the grounds was a rather nice cafe that the lonely planet recommended, I felt it was my duty to eat lunch there (and desert) which was a really nice treat. After going round the museum I headed back (about 2-3km) via the supermarket.

The following day it was a very early start for my day trip to Cape Reinga. We had Barry the bus driver and I lucked out getting the front seat, I was dead chuffed. It was a great but long day! First off we stopped to see some massive Kauri trees then we headed to the most northern tip of New Zealand where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman sea meet - it was great to watch two masses of water clashing like that. It is a very spiritual place to the Maori's where they say good bye to the spirits of there loved ones, the bus driver told us rather a sad story about his 5 year old son that had died and how the place had really helped him comes to terms with his loss - poor Barry!

We headed along the coast a bit to a lovely beach for lunch, I stuck to the grassy area (I hate sand) and ate my packed lunch. Then we headed to the massive sand dunes that mark the start of the 90 mile beach (which is about 70 miles long!?!). We got to sand board down the dunes but I got a duff board and was violently thrown off so got sand absolutely everywhere, eyes, ears, pants etc. I was a bit gutted I didn't make it to the bottom so had another go and the same thing happened - it was only then I realised I had a faulty board and it was time to go, gutted!!

The coach then drove down the beach (nearly the whole lenght of it) only stopping to dig up clams from under the sand and to take some pic's). We got off the beach at the other end and headed back stopping at a shop that sold Kauri products (from wood that had been found preserved under swamp water, they are not allowed to chop Kauri down now since 1908). We had the best fish and chips so far on the bus trip back - it was a scheduled stop where we ordered a head and picked it up to eat on the bus on the way home - yum! It was a great day made all the more better because of Barry the bus driver!

Back in Pahiha the following day me and a couple of the girls (the pleasant Californian, Annette, and Julie the nice Canadian) went for a day trip sailing round the Bay of Islands on a Catemeran. The highlight of the day (a side from the bbq lunch) was when some bottle nose dolphins swam along under the boat (Catemerans have to edges that go in the water and it's hollow underneath - you can sit on a trampoline style material at the front). They kept speed with us and we were going pretty fast and did little jumps out the water just infront of the boat (I'm talking a couple of foot away from me) I was dead chuffed! We did stop at an island and tooks some pictures then headed back. It got bloody windy on the way back so I popped one of my sickness tablets and dozed for a while! That evening we headed by ferry to a place across the bay called Russel where we sat down and had a pizza - it was known as the hell hole of the pacific in the 1800's but now it is a tourist mecca with some lovely cafe's (most of which were shut when we got there!).

The next morning we headed out to Hokianga.