4th
Today we headed to some hot springs as planned but much like in Hanmner Springs they are in a spa complex but we thought we'd go for a little dip in the mineral pool. We spent a nice hour there and then headed to the lake to take in the early morning views. After that we drove a good few hours toward hot water beach which is on the coromandle peninsula. We hired a spade there and we got there just at the right time to get digging. Unfortunately we didn't have much luck because the sea was, even in low tide, very choppy. We assumed it was the knock on effect of the Chilean tsunami and a few people we spoke to also thought as much. Unfortunately we couldn't therefore relax in our hot warer pool, as soon as you struck boiling water, the water along with your new hole were washed away. The water when we did get to it was very very hot and it was fascinating that the water was so hot under the sand. When we finished on the beach we carried on a few miles up the road to Cathedral Cove. It was a very long walk but it was beautiful when we reached the beach. We spent some time looking at the very impressive cathedral cove which is a huge cliff which is shaped like the inside of a cathedral! There were a few other free standing cliffs that are naturally formed and are very artistic. Tonight we struggled to find somewhere to stay so we decided to drive back to Auckland to sleep there and make plans to go to the bay of Islands. We arrived late but it was nice to spend the night in a nice (big enough) bed for a change.
5th
Today we spent the day with Karel and Erna again and the first stop was a house new on Karel's renovation list. We helped pull wallpaper off walls and cleared out some wood in the house! We spent most of the day doing that at the house and planning our Bay of Islands trip. Not much to report!
6th
Today we headed North up the west coast and on the way to the Bay of Islands we stopped at a Kauri forest. There are very little native Kauri trees left in New Zealand and there are strict rules when we walked around the track not to go near the trees and to make sure we clean our shoes to endure we don't spread contamination that could harm them. There was a very big Kauri in the middle of the walk we went on and it was over 1000years old. It was very impressive. We then drove further up and went to a great lookout where you could see the rugged west coast as well as the magnificent sand dunes formed there. Unfortunately we forgot the body board so didn't go over to the dunes in the end. We then found our campsite and set up camp for the night about 20km north of KeriKeri.
7th
Today we went into KeriKeri and we had talked about the possibility of going Sky Diving so after driving and asking around we headed to the airfield for more information. We arrived with the intention of finding out more information but before we knew it we were strapped in and waiting our turn. We waited a while and the nerves and excitement were building up as we watched other people take the plunge. We saw a grandmother go up and jump down and we thought we can definitely do it too. Soon it was our turn. Fully harnessed we got into the small plane. We were beginning to get a little more nervous now! It took about 10-15 mins to fly to our altitude of 12,000 feet and the views were absolutely breathtaking!! As they stapped us tightly to the instructor it became very real and when they said it was now time to jump our hearts raced a little. Katrien was first to jump and with not much time to think about what was about to happen, Katrien was dangling over the edge looking down at the ground a very long way down. Within seconds we were out and the feeling was incredible. Rob wasn't far behind and we were free falling for around 40 seconds before the instructors pull the parachute out. The relief when it comes out is so good. While we were gliding down they let you take control for a while and it was an absolutely amazing experience. The scenery was amazing, one that. Words cannot describe!!! You could see both sides of the island as well as the beautiful bay of islands! It took around 5-10 minutes to reach the ground and when we landed it felt as though we hadn't just jumped out of a plane at 12,000 feet but we were so so pleased to have done it! An absolutely incredible experience, one that will stay with us forever!! We opted for a photo package and will definitely show you our 200 odd photos!!!
After the jump it all still felt a bit surreal but treated ourselves to a nice lunch before heading to Paihia. After getting a booking for our camper we went into Paihia town and walked around the beautiful town and beach front. We are definitely very tired after all the excitement today and we are up early tomorrow for a boat trip around the Islands.
Its safe to say today was pretty amazing day today and looking forward to a nice day tomorrow!
Don't worry we are safely on the ground and will post again soon!!
Lots of love Rob and Katrien xxx
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