Saturday

Another good sleep. Not working is doing Jon so much good I have never known him sleep so well for years.

We had our breakfast and packed up and left the motel.

We went shopping for lunch for our picnic as I know there is nothing up at the Cape. I had been told there was a post box at the Cape and if you posted a card there they put a special stamp on it so we went to buy postcards to send to the girls. After a stop at the bank and to buy petrol, I didn't want us to run out up there, we finally set off  at 9.30 in drizzle which I hoped would get better.

We stopped for coffee at Pukenui which is about half way as we think it is the only place and although it was nothing special it was a pretty good coffee.

It was a lovely drive to the top and as we arrived the sun came out and it was really warm.

It was very busy in the car park and Jon parked like a real Kiwi on painted white lines!! I looked for the postbox and couldn't find it so asked one of the coach drivers and he told me it had been taken away about six weeks ago but he told me where I could post the cards to get the special stamp.

It was a lovely walk to the lighthouse, beautiful views and beaches. I had been told you could actually see where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific meet as it was so rough. Today it was like a mill pond out there and really calm. We spent a long time taking photos by the lighthouse and also by the sign telling you how far it is to various countries before walking back to the car park which was much steeper going back!

I was glad we went early as by the time we were leaving there were lots of coaches and cars there and it was very busy.

We drove to Tapitatoa Cove which is just a few minutes away, for our picnic lunch. There were lots of coaches there as it is one of the easier coves and beaches to get to but it is a lovely spot. We were so glad we brought our picnic.

We then went on to Te Paki stream where the coaches go onto Ninety Mile beach and you can surf down the huge sand dunes. I wanted to do it then thought oh no I won't bother but then I decided I would not get the chance again so I went and hired a board!

I went up the 'Family Fun' dune first which didn't look that high until I turned round and looked down at Jon and he looked very small!! Not only that at the bottom is the stream so I worried that I would not stop!

I decided for my first attempt I would sit on it and go down as I had seen some men and it felt safer. Jon took a photo of me and my expression is one of panic!! However, once down I loved it and went up again and came down on my tummy and got sand everywhere but it was great fun. Unfortunately, a swarm of sand flies came over and everyone was swinging their arms in the air to get rid of them and it was very uncomfortable so we called it a day but I would have liked to have gone up higher and do more. even though it was hard work walking to the top.

We then turned off the main road to visit a place on the map I had seen but we must have gone wrong and ended up wasting 40 minutes driving down gravel road to a cove that was not very nice.

One of my friends visited the Cape a few weeks ago and told me of an ice cream store where you can buy the 'biggest ice cream in NZ' and I had asked the coach driver where it was and so we stopped at Te Kao to buy one. It was really busy but they serve you very fast. We only had singles and I couldn't finish it!

It was then on to a Gumdiggers site which was very interesting.I had never heard of Kauri Gum till we did this trip and I would love to buy a piece but it is very expensive. It is the fossilised sap from the trees and looks like, and is often called amber, but it isn't. The Gumdiggers used to dig down under the old kauri forests for the fossilised gum and wore very high, rubber boots which is where we get 'gum boots' from. The fresh gum which bled from the trees was shipped to UK and used to make very good quality varnish. We learnt so much on this trip.

Kauri Kingdom was last stop on our trip and is just a big souvenir shop where all the coaches stop to get washed down after the drive along the beach. There is a huge kauri tree log in there which has been made into a spiral staircase which joins the two floors. There are also lots of carvings from swamp kauri.

We were about to buy salad servers for the girls made from swamp kauri but then saw they were made in China! So they dig it up, send it to China, make it and then ship it back here! We didn't buy them. But we did post our cards so hopefully the girls will get them one day!!

We then drove to Doubtless Bay and our hotel which was a world away from the last two nights very plush and right opposite the bay, lovely room and owners. We had a cuppa on the verandah then a shower to get rid of all the sand I had picked up from the dunes.

We walked to world famous Mangonoui fish bar for our dinner. You order just like in a fish and chip shop and are given a number. You then order drinks and can sit at one of the big tables with about twenty people or around the windows on high stools like at a bar. We were number 100 and they were serving 85!
It was a lovely spot to sit at high bar, near window, overlooking the bay, 20 dollars for dinner and a million dollar view great night! The fish and chips from a shared paper, bluenose fish, salad and a glass of wine. Lovely Kiwi ice cream for pudding. You could not ask for better.

Walked back then coffee and bed perfect day!

 WEATHER
Rain to start then sunny 26 degrees.