end {strange bowel movements} start {summer holiday}

Ahipara, 90 Mile Beach, Northland, New Zealand

Did I say it already? Fuck Cathay Pacific. They haven't yet managed to reply to my complaints. Nevermind. Life's too short anyway. Summer in NZ has been great so far! I somehow managed to drive from Auckland to Ahipara on Wednesday although I had not slept at all, but in the morning my digestive system was back to normal, I was hungry like a wolf and the fine Jamaica Blue Cafe at Auckland airport saved my life.

Ahipara is great, basically nothing there but beach and waves, so all you need. We stayed at "Endless Summer Lodge", a hostel in an old Kauri house, right on the beach, extreeeeeemely nice location! Room with seaview, waves lulling you to sleep ... .

On Thursday we finally made it up to Cape Reinga, after several failed attempts in the past 8 years ... . The trip is well worth it. While the lighthouse itself is just a blood lighthouse and not even an operating one and I don't give a fuck for any esoteric connotations, the landscape to the left and right is very beautiful. It's the place where the Pacific and the Tasman Sea meet and that makes for some nice waves. 
Friday, we drove to the Karikari Peninsula. I'm kinda lost for words. Kilometers of white sandy beaches, not a soul in sight, blooming pohutukawa trees all around. Amazing. This is a gem and luckily not on any of the bus tour itineraries so far. Hope it stays that way. Paradise is here on earth after all.




Lunch was at the Karikari Estate Winery ... good food, even better setting, on top of a small hill, overlooking the ocean. This, my friends back at the Mosel, this is how a vineyard should look like:


Cheers!
On Saturday we bought all the fresh fruit at Kaitaia's Farmers' Market and drove south to KeriKeri, which is a really cool place as well. But another time, am hungry now, must eat!

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