beaches, beaches, beaches!

We got the hire car off hostel-owner Chris - it turned out to be a giant-seeming 4X4 - it took a little bit of nervy reversing and some interesting manouvres in the petrol station before I got comfortable with it, and don't even get me started on those one-lane bridges they seem to love in NZ!

We drove first to the Farewell Spit, going up to viewpoint (you can't go on the actual spit without a tour), then drove to Wharakiki Beach (sp?) which is a gorgeous, paradise-style beach (with some distinctly un-paradise like rip-tides), with golden sands, massive rocky outcrops in the ocean, a seal colony, and caves to explore on the beach. We spent a perfect few others there, just chilling out on the sand, then drove to the legendary Mussel Inn, normally a lively den of live music (and poetry readings?), but at 5pm, just a nice pub with local beers (homemade lemonade for the designated driver of course),good food, situated in a woody area with a large, colourful garden.

Back at the hostel the Antarctica guys, a dutch girl and I head to check out the town's nightlife - a bar which is closing at 10pm as we enter! So we head down to the beach instead, to watch shooting stars and talk. There's also the mini-adventure of trying to bash our way through the dune undergrowth to find our way back to the road after clouds obscure the bright moon!

written by  LizIsHere on February 23, 2010 from Collingwood, New Zealand
from the travel blog: New Zealand & Australia 2010
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