The Northland
Friday, August 21, 1998
Well, I'm still in New Zealand having spent a L-O-N-G 3 weeks in the Northland waiting for a package to arrive in Auckland (which, by the way, has yet to get here. AAAAGHHHH!!!) Auckland is quite cold and rainy at the moment. I almost lost my sense of humor with the rain when I was standing outside in a blustery cold southerly wind waiting for a bus and getting absolutely soaked to the bone the other day. Yesterday, as a matter of fact. But, other than that, I have been chipper in spite of it all! I will probably be heading south early this next week as I just can' t bear Auckland much longer. It's a nice city, but it is, after all, just a city.
The Northland was beautiful and green, (probably due to the HUGE AMOUNTS OF RAIN), and I had a great time up there. As you know, I swam with the dolphins, took a trip up to Cape Reinga and a really fast boat out to the Hole in the Rock.
Cape Reinga is the northernmost point of New Zealand. It has a very cool lighthouse on it and the Maori believe that this is where the spirits of the dead depart the earth. The trip also entailed body-boarding down some sand dunes, which was pretty messy, and hauling ass in a big bus down 90 mile beach. The Hole in the Rock is fairly self-explanatory - it's a big hole, yes, in a rock in an island and they fire you through it at high speeds in some crazy boat. It was pretty cool.
Have met some wonderful people and have stayed in some neat hostels, the best being the Treehouse in Kohukohu. It is this absolutely beautiful wooden house nestled into the forest and completely surrounded with impatiens and water lilies and a stream running nearby. Just amazing! Check out the site I've linked to for some awesome pics!
Anyway, I don't have much time left but will write more soon. I still have loads to tell!
Love to you all!
Kodie
