While generally if you're looking for beaches, Australia is the better option, that doesn't mean New Zealand doesn't have its share of stunning ocean scenery. The best of this is the far north of the country around Paihia or Cape Reinga (I never went up as far as Cape Reinga, but there are beaches and sandboarding available up there).
Paihia is a small, laid-back town on the banks of the Bay of Islands. The Bay of Islands is a collection of 144 islands set over beautiful turquoise blue water. Not quite what you normally picture when you think of New Zealand, but just as gorgeous as the rest of it!
Just as a little background on my Kiwi Experience bus pass, I had booked the Zephyr pass which goes from Auckland to Christchurch with a Bay of Islands add-on included. I booked in the off-season that past July (it was now December) and managed to get it at a major discount for $499 (it's usually $1099). The website is always offering sales on different passes, but that was especially cheap!
My travel buddy through NZ, Chris, booked a similar pass, and so we left Auckland (finally) and headed up to Bay of Islands first. Since this was an add-on to the pass and we figured this wouldn't be the same bus group we'd end up with for the rest of the trip, we didn't really bother getting to know anyone for the one night we'd be up there.
The worst part was getting used to the early starts. We had to get the bus at some ridiculous time like 7:15 AM, and that trend continued through the whole trip. At least you can sleep on the bus!
We made a stop about halfway to Bay of Islands at this little farm with a petting zoo where we could walk around to visit the sheep, goats, cows, rabbits, pigs, miniature horses, and deer, so that was nice. Each leg of the trip always included little enjoyable stops along the way.
When we reached Paihia, we were all dropped at our accommodation. So, Kiwi Experience guarantees you a bed in the hostel of their choice (you pay when you arrive), but you're always free to book a room somewhere else if you choose to. A lot of times they'll use the Base hostels which I am not a fan of, so I had done some research on Bay of Islands and instead decided to stay at Bay Adventurer, a Nomads hostel.
Bay Adventurer was a great choice! The rooms were cozy with sliding glass doors to the outside. It was BYO (unlike Base hostels which always have a bar and therefore prohibit you from having your own alcohol) with a picnic area, pool, and hot tub.
Another cool benefit was that they offered free international calling from their reception area! I decided to surprise my mom the following morning by calling the home phone. I got voicemail and was halfway through leaving an upbeat message when she picked up freaking out thinking I had said I was in the hospital (as opposed to hostel). Standard Mom reaction. Maybe it's better not to "surprise" your parents with an international call because they'll likely think you're locked up or dying.
We lucked out on the first day and found a way to see the islands for free. We had all been told when we were dropped off that if we could run and make it to the boat terminal quickly enough, there was a guy there taking promotional photos for a new boat tour and anyone participating would ride at no charge. I may not be the most punctual person in the world, but tell me that there is free stuff involved and I will kick my ass into gear.
Unsurprisingly, quite a few of us turned up for it. It was awesome because we got a full tour on a brand-new boat. It was sleek, fast, and modern. Due to the speed, unfortunately, I was quickly freezing in my bikini. The wind rolling off the sea through the sides of the boat was harsh! At some point, the workers noticed me shivering curled up trying to cover myself in my towel and were nice enough to loan me a big, warm jacket.
The scenery, however, was unbelievable. I honestly hadn't been expecting much since I had just come from Australia and felt like no beach could impress me any longer, but the landscape was entirely different.
The water was the most vivid cerulean blue and there were grassy islands cropping up all over the horizon. After stopping to see a cave in a wall of rock, we hopped off at a beach to chill for a little bit.
The negative side of this free tour was that the whole point was to get promotional photos of the boat, so most of our time was spent speeding around in circles or hopping off onto a beach for all of five minutes while a helicopter or another boat got a few shots, then having to get right back on.
The highlight was one beach where we were allowed out for twenty minutes and had enough time to climb up to a very pretty viewpoint incorporating that beautiful water on either side of the beach down below with the islands out at sea in the background.
They thankfully took the plastic sides down on the ride back which kept some of the wind out, and we stopped once more just to take a quick look at these cool black rocks jutting out of the water.
The evening was spent with a steel bucket of 12 Coronas in the hot tub followed by a short night out at the very unimpressive Base Pipi Patch bar next door.
We took a quick walk to the main beach in the morning to pick up some shells and enjoy the view.
There was one more stop on the way back to Auckland where the bus stopped at Whangerei Falls. (Just as a fun note for everyone else who considers linguistics to be as exciting as I do, if you see a name beginning with "Wh" in New Zealand, it is pronounced like an "F".) It was a nice waterfall, but it was cold out and pouring rain, so we were all drenched by the time we got back on the bus.
It had been a relaxing way to start our tour of New Zealand! Bay of Islands was a gorgeous detour that I'm glad I had the chance to take. It was a good thing to start at a slow pace, because we were about to begin the whirlwind that was the rest of the North Island.
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