Well it's time to head further north. I have a housesit in Kaikohe which is about 240kms north of Auckland, near the Bay of Islands. It's a very miserable day and therefore not much to see out of the bus window. It's also the Queens Birthday long weekend and as a result the bus is fairly full. But by the time of the last leg from Kawakawa to Kaikohe I'm the only passenger left. Obviously Kaikohe is not a "must visit" sort of town. My housesit is more like a "shedsit". It's on 5 acres and the "house" is a corrugated iron shed. Very basic, but liveable. Probably only a step or two up from camping. 12 ducks, 6 chooks, 5 cats, 2 horses and a dog will be my companions for the next week. The weather is foul and I'm housebound for the next 2 days. But a good wood fire and some books keep me occupied.

A marginal improvement in the weather encourages me to get outside and provide some relief from the cabin fever that has started to set in. Oponini and Omapere and basically sister towns on the west coast, that sit at the mouth of the Hokianga Harbour. The most remarkable thing here is the difference in the headlands at either side of the harbour. The side I'm on is the typical ocean scrub, whilst the opposite headland is a massive sand dune. From there the dunes continue for kilometres up the west coast, virtually to where the Ninety Mile beach starts. It's quite a contrast to what I have become used to seeing in New Zealand.

With a slight improvement in the weather it's time to continue exploring. Today's destination is the Bay of Islands area. Waitangi is famous for the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi Treaty which is essentially the founding document of NZ. Signed by the British and about 540 Maori chiefs it sets out how NZ will be founded and governed as a nation state. From Opua it was a short ferry ride across to Okiato, which was actually the first capital of NZ, albeit for a very short period of time. The main town in this area is Russell, quite an attractive beach location and judging by the houses and boats, there is certainly some wealth about. From Flagstaff Hill there is a 360 degree view of the nearby islands, mainland and surrounding bays and inlets. From here I headed to Ruapekapeka ,a well preserved Maori fortress known as a "pa". It was the location of the last battle in the Northern wars between the Maoris and the English.

The weather has continued to improve (ie. It's not continuously raining) so I decide to head further north through Ahipara to Kaitaia. Not far into the journey I have to catch a ferry across the Hokianga Harbour. At $20 for a 10 minute ride they are certainly capitalising on the captive market they have. Ahipara marks the southern end of the Ninety Mile Beach. You can actually drive onto the beach and it seems as good a spot as any to have lunch. From here through to Kaitaia it's probably some of the flattest country I have seen in NZ, but that's not to say that there are no hills. Kaitaia is the major town in this part of the country and as a result it is well served with facilities, retail shopping and the like. My drive home is through dairy country, more rolling hills and it also skirts the southern shore of the Hokianga Harbour. This evening provides a little bit of excitement. One of the cats escapes from the house and in the process of looking for her I discover that one of the mini horses has also escaped. Despite my best efforts I can't it back into the paddock so I have to enlist the help of a friend of my hosts. Amazing how easily lead horses are when tempted with a bit of food! Lesson learned for next time.

I wake up the next day to undoubtedly the best weather I have experienced here. Sunshine and blue sky. So decision made, I'll head to Kerikeri and surrounding areas. Kerikeri is a beautiful town, built on the Kerikeri River which flows into the Kerikeri Inlet. It has a long Maori history and is also the site of the Stone Store, which has operated continuously since 1836, making it the oldest operating store/shop in NZ. And tonight the horse escapes again - but I'm now an experienced horse whisper so have him back in the paddock in no time. And just to keep me on my toes he wanders past the door next morning whilst I'm having breakfast. My last day provides some home comfort. A live telecast of the Cats v Roos game. And with a good win to the Cats it caps off what has been an interesting week.

And so my time in the far north comes to a close. Next and final stop on my NZ sojourn is the Coromandel Peninsula.