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The Bay of Islands

Ok, get this. We leave the pretty Coromandel Peninsula and gun it to the Bay of Islands on a perfectly sunny day (it took about five hours), and the very next day, with expectations of heading out to see the famed Bay, it gales. I don't mean friendly little rain drops, nope, it was driving rain. The kind that blows you right over and pummels you till you're well and truly drenched!

Walking amongst giants

Our first LOTR-type experience was probably walking through the ancient Kauri forests of Northland. Wow...talk about BIG trees - we really did expect to be tapped on the shoulder by a friendly Tree-Hearder and asked what we were doing there. Unfortunately, the only other moving lifeforms in this amazing place were (yet more) German tourists (if I had a dollar...)!