10 November 2016 - Maitai Bay Recreation Reserve, Karikari Peninsula, Northland

We woke after an excellent night’s sleep, undisturbed by the good folk who live about at either Ngawha Springs or the all too close Ngawha Prison. I had heard a morepork through the night, and they seem only to haunt peaceful night skies. 

After breakfast we headed back into Kaikohe, firstly to the garage suggested last night where we found a chap who might have been able to help had he not already been committed to work afar, already running late. He suggested Birchall Auto Electric down the main street and sure enough they were happy to oblige, immediately replacing the worn out switch on the water pump. This does raise the question of how it has worn out after so little use; something else to sort out before we head off to the South Island for the summer.

While still in relative civilisation, we topped up with fuel and water, the latter reserves having been depleted during the repair session. Then we headed north toward Kaitaia, past Lake Omapere which has had major problems with algae over the last decade. Today the surface glistened with good health in the bright sunshine, a fact we rejoiced in before passing on down into the lovely Waihou Valley, then up and over the prosperous farmland about Umawera, down again to Mangamuka Bridge, both valleys at the head of the Hokianga Harbour. At the Bridge we stopped to buy a newspaper; to check whether we were the one lucky party to have struck the $44 million Lotto win overnight and to read the comments and review of the astounding election result to have come out of the USA. (Note: we won nothing and will stay off wasting our money on such stupidity until the next Big One)

We had forgotten how long the ascent of the Mangamukas was, climbing up through dense native forest. The road passes over near the summit, a height of 395 metres ASL. The northern descent is just as steep but seems shorter; I guess the Victoria Valley into which one descends is still well above sea level. From here it is less than twenty kilometres to Kaitaia and we were reminded that the countryside, dotted with puriri and totara trees, is really quite attractive from a residential point of view; our opinion has been coloured over the years by the sins and crimes of a certain section of the population who live north of the Mangamukas.

Chris was keen to take a break, but I was not interested in stopping in Kaitaia today; we needed nothing and had checked it out nearly eighteen months ago. So we carried on north and stopped for lunch at Awanui, from where one would carry on northward to Cape Reinga. 

Instead we took the easterly turn back toward Doubtless Bay, on past dozens of abandoned farm house shells, all of which would be better off razed to the ground, turning again north to travel up the Karikari Peninsula. The isthmus is not very wide and is low enough to easily imagine it covered by the sea not too many millennium ago. Toward the end of the peninsula the land rises up, leaving the seaside baches and facilities, through country that obviously remains in the local tribal hands. There at the end of the road is Maitai Bay, a sand rimmed bay broken in two with its own little inner peninsula, the boat launching area on the eastern bay and the camp on the western. 

Maitai Bay

We were surprised how many motorhomes were already here amongst the pohutakawa trees, many looking well established, as if they are staying as long as their DOC Passes will allow. We have again purchased a Pass but will stay only the one, or maybe two nights. The water pump is not operating as it ought and we are keen to be back in Whangarei for another round of appointments lined up for early next week; the pump will be just one more thing to attend to.

But for now we are enjoying the bird song, the fantails, plovers and pukekos with their leggy checks, gulls and a host of other little birds busy in the bushes. Two visitors came by, one less welcome than the other; the first a Maori boy on a horse just checking us all out and the other a black cat with white feet and a white tip on its tail. So much for no domestic animals or pests being allowed in the park!

Tomorrow we will wander out to the heads, taking advantage of the good weather before the rain front arrives.