Rubin Trek 2016: Taronui Bay and Cape Reinga

Another boring day on another boring walk. Sigh. It's a rough life.

We walked through pastures and farmland to Taronui Bay.

On the trail

Giant fern

Not a bad place for a farmhouse

Taronui Bay

Picture perfect

Miles the Wimp--a little too cool to swim

Another day we drove about 3 hours to Cape Reinga, the northernmost tip of the North Island. It was loaded with Christmas vacation visitors and some clouds, but that didn't interfere with our enjoyment of the views. This is where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. From the lighthouse it is possible to watch the tidal race, as the two seas clash to create unsettled waters just off the coast.

On the way to the lighthouse

Signposts to places near and far

The clouds were lifting

Fan-like waves

A lone tree growing out of the rock and blown by salty winds

On the way home, we stopped at Ninety Mile Beach, a very wide sandy area renowned for spectacular sunsets. It also boasts one of the best left hand surf breaks in the world. In 1932 the beach was used as the runway for some of the earliest airmail services between Australia and New Zealand. It is officially a public highway and sometimes used as an alternative road to State Highway 1 north of Kaitaia when the main road is closed due to landslides or floods.