We had a long, difficult drive today so we set the alarm clock and were on the road by 7 AM. We stopped along the way to photograph some big Kauri trees. Kauri, which used to be plentiful, can live for 2000 years and only grow in Northland and on the Coromandel Penisula. The trees used to be harvested for timber and for the gum which is an important ingredient in varnish.

We drove through Auckland at 10AM and were thankful that it wasn’t rush hour. The highway was crowded and the bridge was especially so.

Then we stopped for lunch at a wonderful beachside park in Orewa. The local policemen were having a race on the beach so we had entertainment while we ate our sandwiches.

We arrived in Whangarei in time to hike around Whangarei Falls. It was a lovely walk around the Falls and along the stream where Mauri used to have traps for catching eels.