Saturday, 24 March: We left Helensville after a visit to the library and the requisite antique shops and headed north. My camera battery ran out of juice; so I took some photos with my iPad. They turned out fairly well. We stopped at a wayside picnic area on Route16 near Tauhoa and had a nice chat with a farmer who was riding along his fence line with his dog. We ate our lunch as the weather began to deteriorate, and by the time we reached Dargaville it was pouring. We scuttled our plan to stay at Bayly's Beach and opted for a motel in Dargaville. we went to Jo's Home Cookery for dinner...a charming place, good dinner, and a delicious warm apple slice with fresh cream for dessert.

Sunday, 25 March: I only took us seven hours to get from Dargaville to Kaitaia (170Km). We , of course, stopped several times along the way. Our first detour was to the Kai Iwi Lakes just north of Dargaville. We drove to the Lake Tahora beach front. It is a beautifully clean lake with a nice beach, picnic area, and a campground. On the road again we turned off for the Trounson Kauri Park and a half hour walk through native bush...one of many reserves of untouched native growth around the country. It is a beautifully maintained walkway. On through the Waipoua Forest including a stop at a lookout tower, and a picnic near the Visitor Centre. The road through the forest is one of the most beautiful we have been on. the villages of Omaperee and Opononi never fail to debit us with the beautiful sand dunes at the mouth of the Hokianga Harbour. A short drive north to Rawene brought us to the ferry across the harbour to Kohukohu. The ferry takes about 15 cars (today there were five), costs $22 for a car and two adult passengers, runs every hour on the half hour, and takes about 15 minutes to cross the harbour. We stopped in Kohukohu at an art gallery and for an ice cream , and then took the long way through the Herekino Gorge to Kaitaia. Checked into our motel, did a bit of grocery shopping, ate diner, and settled in for a quiet evening. We head for Cable Bay...one of our favorite spots...tomorrow.

Monday 26 March: We left Kaitaia and spent most of the day exploring the beaches of the Karikari peninsula.The east coast beaches include Matai Bay, Tokerau Beach and Whatawhiwhi (Fa-ta-fi-fi)..each one very beautiful. On the west side of the penninsula, at the northern most is the Puwheke reserve. Here, the sand is sparkling white silica. There had been a fire here in November...arson...and the damage to the flora of the hillisde is obvious, but the beauty remains. A final stop at the Rangiputu beach, and we were off to Cable Bay. We checked in to the Driftwood Lodge where we had stayed ten years ago...right on the beach. Six beaches in one day.

Tuesday 27 March: Today we read our books on the deck and walked on the beach. Around 5 pm we bestirred ourselves to drive across the bridge to the estuary and dig for some tuatuas. It took us longer to get there than to dig enough for our dinner. We are the only guests at the Driftwood. It is like having a private retreat on the beach.

Wednesday 28 March: We took a drive around central Northland with a stop at the Omahuta Forest Kauri Reserve to walk the loop and admire the majesty of the trees and the quiet of the bush. It is an unbeatable combination. At Kaikohe we stopped at the library for some internet time, I gave some travel tips to a young couple from New Mexico, and we stopped to watch a group of Maori women weaving flax items. Their work is so lovely. On the way back to the Driftwood, we stopped to buy some fresh snapper for our dinner.

Thursday 29 March: We reluctantly left Cable Bay to begin our drive south .  After stops at the lovely Hururu Falls (sometimes called miniNiagara) and Kerikeri, we boarded the car ferry just south of Paihia for the five minute ride across the harbor to Russell. We took the coast road around to Kaiwaka, and I can say truthfully this was the only disappointing drive in three months. Although the road is coastal, the sea is elusive, and there wasn't a picnic table in 175 km of travel. We stopped in Whangarei for the night and took a walk in Mair Park... a beautiful reserve in the city.

Friday 30 March: We had a look around Whangarei and headed to Auckland, again along a coastal route. This one was beautiful, and we stopped at Waipu Cove for a picnic at the beach. We arrived at the Cohen's in the late afternoon and spent the evening catching up on oneanother's travels over a delicious Shabbat dinner.

Saturday 31 March: We began to organize our belongings for the trip home. In the afternoon we went to MOTAT, the museum of transportation, and had a fun time looking at everything from cars to trains and airplanes. There is also a great display of Kiwiana, and it was fun to see the things we remember from our days in Feilding which have become icons...everything from Marmite to Edmonds Cookery books and Chysa Tea! We picked up a suitcase from Andrew Lorrey to carry home the extra stuff we have collected in three months. He will take it back to NZ after his visit home in April. In the evening Andrew, Tracy, Dan, Val, Buzz and I had a lovely relaxing dinner at MeNeFrego. This is the best Italian restaurant we have been in in NZ. Buzz says it is the best restaurant he has ever eaten in...anywhere.

Sunday 1 March: Standard time begins in New Zeland. We are off to the Mulitcultural Fair at Mt. Roskill, Auckland today, a quiet dinner with Dan and Val tonight, and tomorrow we leave for home. Watch for the epilogue from Hudson