Finally a bit of sunshine this morning even though it was still damn cold! We were like shrek and donkey this morning (Ellie being lively donkey and myself shrek). I cannot bring myself to be hyper and upbeat in the mornings I’m useless.

We got on a bus tour up to Cape Reinga and back for today organised by another tour company, we even got a free fish and chips lunch card for the day. Only to find walking down the aisle of the bus that we were in fact on the golden oldies bus. Just to help us go a little more senile than we already are.

The bus driver wasn’t a Maori but he spoke the fluent maori language, Paihia where we were stopping only had a population of 1500 people.
Then we went through the town of Kerikeri (said “kiry kiry”) apparently this is fruit country where they were famous for growing oranges, lemons, limes and kiwis.

All I can think of how to explain the scenery is imagining wales about 80-90 years ago with no buildings or cars anywhere because it’s that quiet. Lots and lots of cattle and very very few buildings anywhere. Athough it’s more tropical with palm trees and bamboo trees poking out in between fur trees. First stop of the morning was in Puketi Kauri forest the kauri trees were around 800 years old and were used to make the Maori canoes for the villagers years ago.

We have established why older people are always cold, it’s because they don’t walk fast enough or at all so there isn’t any blood pumping around their body, this is why they are always drinking tea and eating cake to keep them warm! It’s a vicious circle this being old business. Ellie says she wants to be old, not before 22nd December because I won’t let it! Haha.

Next village we drove through Kaeo, an old Maori village. Then a stop for coffee a little further north, it was bloody freezing! Then the next stop was for lunch that was included - fish and chips (they weren’t chip shop chips though so that was a little disappointing). The views were lovely though, overlooking the bay and mountains.

Back on the golden oldies bus and onwards to Cape Reinga. We drove passed one of the Purest sand dunes in the world, the white sand dunes used to be used to make glass!

We got up to Cape Reinga, the Windy was almost literally blowing us off our feet! The wind was crazy! Again though the scenery beautiful and the water turquoise. We got blown down to the lighthouse, where we could see the Tasman and South Pacific sea meeting each other, you could see the waves hitting one another which looked pretty cool with the naked eye.

I’m pretty sure I lost half a head of hair when I brushed it back in the bus...
After cape Reinga we went down to the Te Paki sand dunes and did some sand-boarding it’s always fun coming down but next so much fun going up to the top. It was elites first time, she did pretty well! She didn’t want to go too fast though so kept her feet dug into the sand all the way down haha. Our driver challenged me to get to the guy at the bottom in the yellow high vis, and of course I took him up on this challenge and succeeded of course I splashed the guy with water when I got to the bottom because I got to his feet haha!
So much fun!

We were then going to travel down the ninety mile beach in the coach, that was pretty cool! The bus has special somethings underneath the bus which allows it to go on the beach and not get stuck. Afterwards they had to wash them off though.

Ellie’s head almost fell off her shoulders on her back she couldn’t keep her eyes open lol.
Once back in Paihia after the lovely drive back through the countryside we headed into the supermarket for some ingredients for lunch and dinner tomorrow. Thought of buying a bottle of wine for the picnic tomorrow only we weren’t allowed to be served because we didn’t have our passports on us and they only take that for tourists... she took great joy in telling us that we couldn’t purchase the wine. The Old bag.

Felt a little naughty as if we were under age and were breaking the law trying to buy it. A local lady came running after us down the street and asked us if we wanted her to buy our bottle of wine for her because she felt sorry for us. Haha! Now we really felt underaged!
I went down the to the liquor store at the end of our road and got a bottle. This time I left Ellie outside because she thinks she looks the youngest out the both of us. I’m going to go with the beth has a resting b**** face which makes me look older and Ellie has the lost puppy dog look on her face that makes her look younger and perhaps guilty or worried haha.