24/02/2015

Travel Tuesday: North Island Part I

Paihia & Cape Reinga

For a week in January myself and two of my friends went to the North Island. I haven’t explored enough of New Zealand, and it’s so beautiful that I wished I hadn’t waited so long!

View from Paihia Beach

We started in Paihia for a few days and stayed in the Pickled Parrot Backpackers, which wasn't too fancy, but it had everything we needed and was comfortable (and a pretty good bargain!). It’s a couple of blocks back from the main street which made it a peaceful place to chill out without being too far removed from the main street and the beach. We ended up being in Paihia for five nights, and it’s a pretty good spot to be based in if you want to get in some day trips and still have time to relax on the beach before the losing the heat in the day.

We set out early on the morning we tripped up to Cape Reinga, as we planned to Tiki tour up there and stop for lunch, rather than blowing straight past all the amazing scenery.

{Mangonui Harbour}

{Mangonui Fish & Chips}

I definitely recommend heading up that way via Mangonui. The fish and chips there were delish!

{Cape Reinga}

{End of NZ with Cape Reinga lighthouse in the distance}

{Made it to the top of NZ!}

It’s definitely worth going up that way on a clear day if you can manage it. Cape Reinga is the top edge of the North Island, so you’re essentially standing at the end of the country looking out to the vast ocean. I recommend walking from the carpark and taking it all in before busting out your camera. We walked to the lighthouse, took our photos and then we picked a spot to just sit down for a few minutes. Just to be in the moment. It was pretty cool to see so many other people around us doing the same thing and not just seeing it through a lens.

{Te Paki Sand Dunes}

On the way back from Cape Reinga about an hour down the road are the Giant Te Paki Sand Dunes. These are a can’t miss! If you want to you can take a boogie board to slide down them or rent one when you get there (don’t get sucked in on the drive there! It’s cheapest to do it right in next to the dunes).




We hiked up to the top of the dunes, and let me tell you it’s bizarre to be standing on a ginormous sand dune seeing the beach on one side and forest on the other. If you go in January and it’s anywhere near as hot as it was when we went here’s a tip you can have for free: take LOADS of water! Even take a chilly bin with a few bottles, because you’ll need it after hauling your butt to the top and sliding down a few times. Trust me on that one!

{Made it to the top!}

It was one of the best days I had on the trip, and I reckon the girls would agree with me. It wasn’t as fun scrubbing the sand off at the end of the day, but just try to think of it as a natural exfoliation. You’ll have smooth skin, awesome memories and sleep like a dead person.

Have you ever been before? If not, hopefully this will push you towards taking some time out to do it.

Love times infinity,

Justine x

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