Saturday 30th November.

A shout in our direction caught our attention. 'Hey you guys, where're ya headed?'

'Just into this……'

'Yup, I know you're going to the bar, I mean where on this road ya goin? We're farmers, see, and we don't see much of you sorts here'.

'East Cape, staying over tonight at Anuara Bay'

'Hey, that's sweet as, nice up there, y'all have a great time, right!'

As so our introduction to the East Cape began, outside the Tolaga Bay Hotel, in front of four farmers beering up on a sunny Saturday afternoon. It's not that remote up there, but to have four locals acknowledge that you are a bit of a traveller was cool.

Anuara Bay is everything the guide book says and more. A book can't truly convey the experience of setting up for the night beside a virtually deserted beach, and quite unexpectedly as we sign in we are approached by a nurse colleague of Lesley's who is spending the weekend nearby with a friend. 'I was watching for you arriving, and wanted to give you this. We caught nine of them today, this is cooked and ready to eat'. Indeed, a surprise awaits us inside the package, a huge red crayfish! Well, the last time we had crayfish was 30 years ago I think, on South Island, and that sticks in my memory. What a scene, motorhome beside beach, campers eating crayfish!

Sunday 1st December : Mount Hikurangi.

Not having been up a decent hill since we left Scotland, we are keen to see how we fare on Mount Hikurangi (1,756m), the highest non volcanic mountain in North Island. It's a sacred mountain, on Maori land, and we 'phone ahead to get permission to be on the land, which is a sheep station. There is nothing complicated about the hillwalk, it is up a vehicle track, but we've already dismissed the notion of getting to the top, as it requires a good deal of fitness and about 10 hours return. We've set our target of getting to 1000 metres, where there are Maori carvings, but stop at 900 metres in a chilly wind; however it is still a great hillwalk in alpine/dolomite like country with views....much like the walking we're used to back home.

A drive of a couple of hours takes us to where we really want to be tonight…….right up on the East Cape road, stopping for the night a few kilometres from the lighthouse. This camp is pretty basic, with no showers and a long drop toilet in which a clothes peg on the nose is mandatory. But the van has a shower so we're a clean couple today! For a second night we've got a sea view, all very much worth the $ 12 honesty box fees. The camp has about half a dozen other vans and tents, the occupants sitting outside in their camp chairs, wrapped up in jackets and balaclavas but nevertheless enjoying the view with wine glass in hand.

Monday 2nd December : East Cape to Whangarei

We are the late risers at 7.45am, a quick glance outside tells us that everybody else is away. So it is off to East Cape lighthouse, 20 minutes drive, the 757 steps to the top we take in our stride having stretched legs on Hikurangi yesterday. Unbelievably, there are cattle farms in this area, we had thought that the East Cape would be a wilderness but there is quite a lot of habitation in lower areas : the mountain ranges are native bush and nobody goes there. A lengthy run down the west side of the peninsula takes us through Opitiki where we stock up with supplies and we pitch up in Whangarei for the night in a site which is quite expensive at $ 40 but offers a second night at $ 20 so we take up that offer.

Tuesday 3rd December : White Island

This trip is the real attraction to Whangarei for many folk. There is something intrepid about setting foot on an active volcanic island. It's up earlyish to catch the boat at 8.30am…..we are quite surprised by the presence of another 46 folk with the same idea as us….it's a popular day trip. White Island is named for the constant presence of a white plume of steam visible from the mainland some 25 miles away. Worryingly, we are all given a disclaimer to read (aka if you fall into the crater you won't be able to sue the company, that sort of jargon) but it's a formality and nobody is put off by it. We are issued with safety helmets and gas masks, precautions really but maybe a bit of build up to the adventure? We are not seasoned volcano trippers (though we have done one before at Santorini, Greek Islands) and it really is a fascinating landscape with steam, sulphur, fumaroles and boiling bubble baths. Within the crater itself extremely acidic water hisses and bubbles and the escaping high pressure steam roars like an express train. The activity is monitored by cameras and other instruments so, we are assured, if anything really big is going to happen, you would not even have left port today.