I have never been one for coach journeys, and while I could have driven on 90 mile beach, having got the car stuck in mud once, I didnt want to risk it again especially with a tide coming in. The people on the bus were; two English girls, a Dutch couple with their two young children, and their parents. The couple had just bought a motel on the edge of Kaitaia.
Sonny, our driver and tour guidetold us various facts about Northland. Some of it was interesting, some of it was tosh, but then thats what you get for coach tours. I hadnt realised that a lot of Yugoslavs came to New Zealand and became gumdiggers, and that they got called Dalmations as this was the area of Europe they were from. I hadnt realised that gun, Kauri gum, the deposits of sap from the Kauri tree that are found in the ground, used to be as valuable as gold. I hadnt realised that Cape Reinga is the place considered by the Maoris to be the physical point on the earth in New Zealand where the departed souls begin their journey to the afterlife. I hadnt realised that 90 mile beach is actually nearer 90 kilometre beach, but then thats just being pedantic.
It was a good day out and took the stress out of driving along the beach and down the main road, and of having the car broken into if I had left it at any point. We went toboganing, on tobogans down the side of a sand dune and the coach was able to drive down a stream to the beach. I think my car would have become part of the beach if I had attempted it.
Still, it was a long shower to remove all the sand.
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