Northland

I finally gave up on trying to do any sightseeing in Auckland and headed out to Northland, the tiny bit at the northern most part of New Zealand. The bus took me up along the west coast and made stops to view the Big Tree in Waipoua Forest, and the Hokianga Bay. I made a stop over in Paihia in the Bay of Islands. Small and nice, but very touristy. Lots of activities, but very expensive. (Btw, NZ is so expensive that they have no dollar store - it's a two dollar store. A McDonald's value menu is $1.95, not $1.) I wasn't ready to blow all my money just yet, so I hot tailed it out of there the next day and headed over to Wharengei. I hiked over to the falls and around. At the end of my hike, I saw some guy setting up abseiling (rapelling). He let me have a go!!! It was not a very high abseil, but as it was my first time and I am not too keen on heights, it was just right for me. I got more than what I'd bargained for in Wharengei.