 |
| Rodger enjoying a camp meal |
I should’ve known I was destined for a myriad of cooked adventures with Rodger after our first meeting. On the inaugural weekly hike organized between me and Maia, the three of us headed to Duder Regional Park in East Auckland. Instead of taking the trails, we decided we wanted to go to the beach and we walked along the headland on the rocky beach until we reached a fence and could go no further. After looking up a map of the park online, we realized that the trails were on top of the hill beside us. I led us on a treacherous climb uphill through the tussock grass and somewhere in the confusion we completed all three of the trails Duder has to offer. Bonus: a dead sheep that I climbed over the fence to confirm.
Despite this adventure, I didn’t really know Rodger when we decided to spend five days roadtripping the Northland peninsula together. I was happy to have the company and kiwi input since the extent of my plan was: see stuff. We decide to drive straight from Auckland to Cape Reinga (the northernmost point of New Zealand) and then zigzag our way across the peninsula on the way back down to Auckland.
After Cape Reinga, our next stop is the Te Paki Giant Sand Dunes. Most people, when they visit the dunes, bring or rent boogie boards to slide down the dunes. Most people, but not us. We have a cardboard box that we intend to use to slide on the dunes but we quickly give up on it. We walk to the top of the dunes and are able to see the ocean. It doesn’t look that far away so we decide to go for it. After walking several kilometers we reach some dense scrub and realize that the ocean is still several kilometers away through the scrub. Hmm. We decide to backtrack to the lone green hill and we climb it to survey the landscape. From the top of the hill we see a creek that vehicles with 4WD have been driving down to reach the ocean. The creek is lined by flax bushes and there is a bit of scrub between us and the creek but overall, it looks easy peasy. We climb down from the green hill and set off for the creek.
 |
| The lone green hill |
 |
| Lost in the desert |
Well, the flax bushes that looked so easy peasy from the top of the hill are actually giant. The fronds grow taller than either of us and there’s several meters of them between us and the creek. I look at them doubtfully but there’s no other way. I gather up a handful of the fronds and bend them over, jumping into the middle of the plant. My feet don’t reach the ground and I rest suspended in the open middle of the plant. Struggling, I continue doing this from one bush to the next, basically swimming through the flax. The flax fights back, resisting being traveled through. The closer we get to the creek, the boggier the ground beneath us becomes and our feet sink into disgusting looking iron-rich water. We are determined to reach the ocean and we make it through the flax, but not without battle wounds. The flax has put up a mighty fight and we are so lacerated by the sharp-edged fronds that we don’t even want to swim in the ocean when we reach it. We wade in and quickly realize how bad of an idea it is, salt stinging our fresh open wounds. Two months later, I still have the imprint of a flax frond on my thigh.
Of course, we didn’t think to bring water on this adventure or to apply sunscreen. The sun beats down on us and we can feel our skin sizzling. Unwilling to put ourselves through the flax again, we decide to walk back via the creek which goes around the dunes. We have no idea how long the creek is or how much time it will take us to get out. Dehydration, exhaustion and hunger do not make for good conversation but we do our best. We drape the cardboard box over our heads to keep the sun off and walk in the creek to cool ourselves. The relief I feel when we reach the carpark is unmatched and we both flop in the shade of a tree beside Bessie Jane, guzzling water.
Te Paki sand dunes: 2. Rodger & Amy: 0.
We eat giant burgers on 90 mile beach that evening while we watch the sun set over the ocean. They are very camp, these burgers, just 1/4 kilo chunks of mince seasoned horrifically unevenly and scorched on my gas cooktop but god, they are delicious.
 |
| Sunset over 90 Mile Beach |
The next day we go to Puheke beach and hike to a private cove where we go swimming and rock climbing. At Puheke, the water is pristine—unbelievably clear and blue—and the sand is white. The distinctive pohutukawa adds a dazzling green and red to New Zealand’s coastline and forests. I love the tenacious pohutukawa tree which can often be seen clinging into rock and growing where you’d think it’s impossible for a plant to grow, much less a tree. I decide to get a tattoo of a pohutukawa blossom in Russell after Rodger and I take the ferry over from Paihia. We climb up Flagstaff Hill and, being careful of my fresh tattoo, he helps me climb a pohutukawa tree. We settle into its trunk and enjoy the 360 degree view of the town and coastline and boats in the harbor. The scenery is so unreal that Russell is possibly my favorite place in New Zealand. There’s so much color and variety and it’s warm but not too warm. Rodger and I do more tree climbing at Tutukaka where our journey to the lighthouse is cut off by high tide. We climb another pohutukawa tree and watch the tide come in from both sides, breaking in dramatic sprays on the rocks around us. This is after we meet a middle aged Kiwi and Canadian couple on the trail. They are living on their yacht for the summer and have moored in Tutukaka harbor for the week to avoid a tropical storm. Later, in Waiheke, I hear that a volcano erupted in Tonga and the tsunami from it hit Tutukaka harbor. Someone shows me pictures of boats turned askew in the Harbor, hulls smashed. Inconvenient for our new friends.
 |
| Puheke Beach |
 |
| Russell |
 |
| Russell |
 |
| Russell |
 |
| Boats in Russell Harbor |
 |
| Pohutukawa tree over Russell coastline |
 |
| Tutukaka |
Rodger’s go-with-the-flow attitude made my time in Northland the adventure that it was. It was a solid start to my roadie and I’m grateful that I had someone to teach me the logistics: to examine Google Maps for things that look like adventure and then to take advantage of the landscape in front of me. If it’s a hill, climb it. If it’s flax, fight through it. If it’s an ocean, swim in it. Whatever you do, just have fun. I’ve taken a version of this as my daily mantra:
Today presents many opportunities. Take advantage of as many as you feel able.
 |
| Posing with the inspiration for my tattoo |
Comments
Post a Comment