This morning swimmers were gathering on the beach for the Ocean Swim, a race from the shore of Russell across to the shore of Pahia, a 3.2km swim. The water is cold so the swimmers all had wet suits.We took a half-day narrated cruise from Russell through the Bay of Islands (a maritime and historic park named by Captain Cook). We saw a group of playful dolphins engaged in adult activities. Then we went out to the Cape Brett lighthouse and Piercy Island, which is k...

We are now officially in Northland, the northern part of the North Island.While on the wharf in Tutukaka, a fisherman recommended that we take the longer coastal road from Whangarei to Russell. We followed his advice and the typical hour’s drive turned into a 5 hour drive. We were definitely “off the beaten track” but we did pass some scenic beaches. We stopped for a walk on Manapouri beach, a lovely area where several campervans were freedom ca...