Auckland to Bay of Islands Via (Leigh, Pakiri, Mangawhai, Russell and Paihia)

10th to 15th March

After a short flight from Australia we touched down in Auckland at around 5.30 in the evening. There was a spattering of clouds across the sky with plenty of warm sunshine. As we left the airport we headed for the bus which would take us into Auckland city centre. On arrival there we booked into Nomad's Backpackers where we would get our feet for two days before collecting the infamous campervan that we have been looking so forward to experiencing. As the evening rolled in we headed out for dinner at a small Asian market where we enjoyed our favourite cuisine before catching an early night after a busy day of traveling. The next day we spent the majority of the time hunting around Auckland, from clothes shopping to sight seeing we crammed as much in as possible on the penultimate day before our camping experience. As déjà vu set in we headed back o the Asian food market for one last taste bud treat before catching the new movie 'Watchmen' at an Imax cinema, although the film was in 2D the size of the screen was literally out of this world.

As we awoke the morning of the 12th had finally arrived and it actually felt like Christmas with us as kids just waiting to see what Santa was going to bring. We left the hostel and hopped on the city link bus service to get to Juicy Rentals. On arrival we saw her. Sitting perfectly on the fore court being washed like a princess was our Cindy. Once the formalities had been completed we were introduced and although she looked like she had been around the block a few times she still stole our hearts. However as we sat in the front ready to start the journey, keys in the ignition, we noticed a slight problem. Cindy was an automatic. I called over the technician to give us a quick run down on what everything meant, 'don't laugh' but these lazy gears are not the easiest to drive. Having got the general gist of accelerating and breaking we got on our way and our first stop was a 'pack n save' (supermarket). We headed for a small town called Albany, yes Auckland big city, no big supermarket. We had the windows down and the radio pumping, maybe a little too much as we drove straight past the turning for Albany. Turning back we arrived and stocked up to the max with food and survival essentials, like broccoli and banana cake before hitting the road again to Pakiri. As we made our way up the Northern spit of the North Island we headed for the east coast passing over rolls and rolls of hilly green land where vast numbers of cows and sheep were grazing and small bays loaded with marine life. Following a few stops along the way to take in the sights we pulled into a secluded bay called 'Cape Rodney' on the edge of Leigh. Leaving the campervan to take a walk down the hill onto the beach memories of Asia came flooding back as just off shore there was a small island with crystal clear waters, ideal for snorkling in. As we strode onto the rocks Rachel noticed some star fish before we wandered around caves on the island. As rain started to fall (again) we made our way back to base before driving around 10km to a small place called Pakri where we set up camp for our first night. As the sun set we quickly got to work on cooking dinner, our first meal in Cindy, the romance was out of this world as we shuffled past one another. After dinner we made the bed for the first time before sitting snuggled together watching a film in what would be our last time on a fully functional laptop.

The next morning we awoke to clear blue sky and the sounds of birds singing their morning tunes. After breakfast we got chatting to an Irish couple, parked in the next space along, who gave us some interesting hints on places to see as we traveled further north. As the temperature picked up we jumped straight into first gear (or drive) and we were away. The journey today took us down many small roads that rode up and down after every bend. Before long we arrived in the small town of Wellsford, where we picked up a few cooking utensils for pennies and attempted to buy a New Zealand sim card which we later found would be harder than first thought. After a brief stop we made our way to Mangawhai Heads, or so we thought. Unfortunately, me being in charge of the map would have serious repercussions in the sense that I would allow us to drive around 30 minutes out of our way until the road pretty much ended. It was only then that I noticed I had sent Rachel down the wrong road, oops! Once back on track we passed through many areas of wildlife, some that I think included wild eagles as on a number of occasions these giant birds flew down to capture their prey and I could see they were slightly bigger that the British Kestral. After a long drive we eventually arrived at Mangawhai Heads where we stopped for lunch and enjoyed a scenic view over grassland and sand dunes.

The journey continued with us visiting New Zealand's next major town to Auckland known as Whangarei where we picked up a few more food items and finally sold our Australian East Coast lonely planet book to a very friendly bookshop keeper. To our amazement she did not buy it for the book store but for herself so we managed to get $19 for it which was a reasonable deal, all factors considered, although we did disagree on new American President Barack Obama. We then took the coastal road towards Russell where we enjoyed more eagle sightings and plenty of stunning views of the ocean and coast. As the light started to fade we started to hunt for a place to stop for the night but found that this time we had left it late so eventually had to settle for a lay-by just outside of Russell due to camping restrictions. Although not ideal we had little choice but would need to bear this in mind in the future. Dinner was also on the less fancy side but one of my favourites as a youngster consisting of pasta, baked beans and cheese.

As the sun rose the next day started quickly. We wasted no time and drove back into Russell where I washed the van after driving through wet cement and Rachel got to work on clearing the mess from the night before. After breakfast we parked up and explored this small quaint village before booking up to swim with the dolphins in their own environment that afternoon. Before we could blink we were on the catamaran and heading out to the Bay of Islands. As the boat sailed in the wind we admired the volcanic formations that have made the area such a hot spot. Moving around the islands we saw small penguins diving down under the boat and Australasian birds diving from the sky into the sea for their afternoon snack of fish. As time ticked on the window to find dolphins was closing fast but fortunately we did eventually find a pod of around 9 blue bottle nose dolphins. As they elegantly glided through the water, some more playful than others, we got our stuff together and headed for the water. As the boat maneuvered into position it felt like we were in the middle of a war waiting for the green light for us to jump and invade. Standing in anticipation we were told it would be hard to keep up with these natural wonders but it would be possible if we were reasonable swimmers. All of a sudden the captain shouted… go go go. We jumped off one by one with some getting away quicker than others. On our first attempt Rachel and I knew they were close but we just did not have the legs to keep up so as the dolphins swam on we jumped back on board and hitched a lift to catch up and then the process was repeated. This time Rachel experienced what we had set out to do as when she paddled through the water all around her were five huge dolphins. They glided around her as if she was one of their own but before I could get there they had passed but I knew from her face that she could not believe her eyes. This time I did not get such an experience but I did get close but luckily on our third attempt it was my turn. All the other members from the boat jumped off and swam off straight but I stopped, surveyed the area, and made my play. I was the only one to the side of the boat and I think they felt sorry for me as in a flash three dolphins were around me diving up and around and underneath me, I could not believe it. A dream I had set out to achieve since I first saw dolphins in shows was to swim with them in the wild and here I was swimming with them in their waters. After a brief play with me all I could hear was their call. I spent a little more time in the water and they glided back around me some more but not as close as before but still within view. The experience was simply breath taking.

As we made our way back to Russell we sat a bit chilled on the boat talking about what had just happened. I instantly said I will do that again sometime on this trip, but only time will tell. Once back ashore we packed up the campervan and got ready to move on, only to be delayed by a huge smashing sound. As we peered out the door we saw a car, bonnet up and drivers head implanted in the windscreen. We feared the worse but thankfully he emerged from the car. What happened we don't know but some how in this small village someone had managed to completely cut all power supply by ramming his car into an electrical mast and destroy his vehicle. After checking out the damage we set off to Paihia, which was a small ferry crossing away. After paying $11 we drove onto the ferry which took us to Opua bay from where we traveled the sort distance to Paihia where we stayed for the night in a campervan car park and dreamed of the days events.