Forget frost, snow and down jackets: the pre-Christmas period in New Zealand is (usually) characterised by heat, beaches, ice cream and—too often—sunburn. Just before the children finish school and their parents escape work, the campsites are considerably less busy. It’s an ideal time prior to the summer madness to visit some beaches, get in some walking (or cycling), and convince yourself to enter the chilly South Pacific waters. This called for a week of beach hopping in Northland (apologies: sending warm thoughts to friends and family who are wrapping themselves up in Europe!).
Coordinates
Sandy Bay
A short drive from our Northland base, Sandy Bay is popular with board surfers. The pōhutukawa—also known as NZ’s Christmas tree—provide a seasonal dressing of red on the shoreline. Some pōhutu reach a rather large size, extending out horizontally from the bank to provide much-needed shade (the sun in NZ is quick to burn unprotected skin). Nestled against a pōhutu branch we found a washed-up bluebottle (also known as the Portuguese man-of-war) on the beach, a jellyfish that delivers a painful sting—even some time after beaching. So yes, NZ is not entirely free of biohazards, but it doesn’t merit comparison to Australia (where much of the local fauna seeks to shorten your existence). On a more relaxing note, pōhutu that extend over water when the tide is in may be fitted with swings made from rope and driftwood: they’re something of an icon on NZ beaches.
If making a splash is not your thing, beachcombing offers alternative entertainment. What has the tide brought in, and will you be first to discover it? With a touch of fantasy (or was it sunstroke?) we invented Verdelabius solopodus, a green-lipped one-legged creature found exclusively at the southern end of this beach (the pictured specimen is male; the female is legless). As the second picture shows, the nest contains a number of eggs:
Helena Bay Café
Helena Bay Gallery (and café plus sculpture garden) is an easy recommendation for breakfast or lunch, should you find yourself between Russell and Whangārei with an appetite for fine views served with eye candy. Responding to local intel, we called in en route to Whangaruru.
Pūriri Bay
Pūriri Bay sits on the Whangaruru North Head. Prior to our arrival, the Department of Conversation had telephoned to forewarn us that the local iwi (tribe) had placed a rāhui (temporary prohibition of access as a sign of respect) on these waters, due to a recent drowning. Although without any legal standing, it would be considered culturally insensitive to enter the water, go fishing or collect shellfish. The seascape was serene on our afternoon arrival; it soon turned into the golden light of a peaceful sunset.
Whangaruru North Head Track has both a northern and southern loop, departing from Pūriri Bay Camp. Despite being only 4km long on the southern loop the sights were varied, including bush, sea cliffs, beaches, groves of cabbage trees and what we presumed to be velociraptor hunting grounds 😬.
During the walk B recorded the chirping of a solitary cicada (at the height of summer the cacophony of many singers can become unpleasant):
Otamure Bay
As the next day began damp we took the coastal route up to Kerikeri, visiting not only the public dump station but also the Makana chocolatier. This involved some 30km of winding gravel road, but the underside of our vanship came out the other end surprisingly clean!
We moved on to Otamure Bay camp, Whananaki, and on return from a beach walk caught the gulls lining up to inspect what fellow campers were preparing for dinner. As we saw to our own meal, a sea mist rolled in abruptly to transform our view of the beach.
Not to be defeated, the evening sun wasn’t giving up without a fight. This made for wonderful lighting conditions resulting from the interplay of sea mist and a muted sunset.
Moureeses Bay
Moureeses Bay is a short distance further on from Otamure Bay camp. It has an attractive beach lined with the obligatory pōhutu (as well as various other flowering plants) and, of course, resident dotterel and oystercatcher pairs.
Tauwhara Bay
A path (the Watkin Powell Track) leads over the hill from Otamure, to the neighbouring Tauwhara Bay. We reflected that despite the lovely baches, those investing in fixed accommodation were lacking the freedom we have in the van to visit, swim and move on to the next favourite spot!
Whananaki South Beach
We began with a short cycle from Otamure and then walked part of Te Araroa trail, taking the longest footbridge in southern hemisphere (395m) linking Whananaki North and South across the estuary since 1947. Whananaki South Beach is vast, edged with pink-flowering “Pigface” succulents (Carpobrotus glaucescens) and sprinkled with the delicate spiral shells of “Ram’s horn” squid (Spirula spirula).
Woolleys, Whale and Matapouri Bays
As the week came to a close we drove towards home base via Woolleys Bay, Whale Bay (a personal favourite for B) and Matapouri. At the latter beach bright yellow and orange gazania invading the dunes provided a splash of colour on a mostly dull day: such intricate variations in pattern for a weed!
This concludes our pre-Christmas adventures. After the holidays—which we look forward to spending with family and friends—we will be back with more, so stay tuned. Meantimes, we wish all our families (or whānau in te reo Māori), friends and subscribers a peaceful Christmas that allows you to recharge your batteries and connect with those you love.
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