So, after leaving the Coromandel Peninsula, we made the 4 1/2 hour drive up to Northland! Before we got there, we took a quick pit stop at some famous public toilets called the Hundertwasser toilets. They are NZ toilets designed by a German guy using all eco-friendly materials. Pretty cool.
Our next stop was the Bay of Islands where we had an overnight cruise on the Rock houseboat! We managed to get 50% off coupons on GrabOne, which was good, as this was something that I had wanted to do since I saw a brochure for it when we first got to New Zealand. We made it to the quaint coastal town of Paihia just in time to park the car and wait on the wharf for our cruise to depart. The staff of the cruise was really nice--Ben, Mink, Skipper, and two Irish girls who were just deckhands for the cruise. We had to take a few shuttles to the boat, which was anchored in the harbor. It had originally been a passenger and car ferry, but when the new owners bought it about 10 years ago, they built it up into a houseboat.
The downstairs had a nice bar running along the middle, with a pool table piano, and guitar in the back, a few seating areas, and they even had a fireplace! Upstairs were the cabins--we shared ours with an older couple and two other young German boys. The cabins were small but cozy.
Once everyone was on board and settled we were off! The first activity of the night was a shooting contest. In the past they used a small rifle, but now they just use a paintball gun. They tie a wooden duck, attached to about a 10--foot rope, off the back of the boat. You get three tries and whoever hits it/gets the most hits wins! John hit the wooden duck once!
For the guys though, they had a "playoff" for a few guys who hit it twice. The male winner was a guy from England and the female winner was a girl from West Virginia (go figure). We were able to relax for a while as the sun set, which was very beautiful right over the water.
Once it was almost sundown it was time to start fishing! Snapper is what we were after, as they feed in the dark near the bottom of the bay, but they had to be a certain size (27 cm minimum) in order to keep and eat them. John and I caught one! Unfortunately, it was too small and we had to throw it back. No one else caught a big one either, which meant no fresh fish for dinner--but the rest of the dinner was really good! It was buffet style and we all sat along a long table than ran down the side of the boat.
After dinner it was time for night kayaking! We had to go in four groups as they didn't have enough kayaks for everyone at once. John and I were in the 3rd group, so I took the 45 gap we had to hop in the only shower on board. They turned off the generator at midnight, so in order to get a hot shower it was best to take one right after dinner. It was a very quick shower, as they ask you to keep it under 2 minutes. Pretty soon, it was our turn to kayak! One of the crew, Ben, led us out to an area out of the moonlight, under the shadow of a tall hill. In the darkness you could wave your paddle or hand in the water and see the phosphorescence. It was really cool--they were green and glittered as you moved through the water. One of the people on the ship, a German kid named Erik, was on his 9th beer and was just absolutely amazed by the glowing in the water! He then decided it would be a good idea to play bumper boats with the kayaks and was ramming into everyone. After he suddenly ran into mine, I kindly asked him to stop as I did not want to fall into the water. Luckily he did, or I would have snapped at him if he'd done it again. It was a chilly but fun experience and after that it was back to the boat to enjoy the warm fire!
There was a trio of Indian guys on the cruise who turned out to be the life of the party. They were really nice and after everyone returned from kayaking they organized a game of charades. John decided to play, but I was sleepy as it was about 11:00 at this point, so it was bedtime for me! Luckily, for the overnight bit they anchored in a very flat and clam area of water out in the bay, so I couldn't feel the boat rock as I went to sleep that night. John joined me soon after that--his team having won charades.
The next day it was up pretty early to get ready for the day and have some breakfast.
The itinerary for that day was to dock at one of the beaches, where we could enjoy some beach walks, snorkeling, and kayaking. John did all three!
Before we stopped, one of the crew members gave us some history about some of the islands. On one of them, some super rich American guy who helped bring satellite TV to New Zealand had a nice compound in one of the coves. Apparently, during the summer you can see some pretty fancy yachts parked there.
Once we got to our little island (can't remember the name), I walked up to the top with a larger group. It was a pretty sight from the very top and you had a 360 view of the Bay of Islands.
After that John decided to go snorkeling, but I opted against it as the water was very cold! I just hung out at the beach for the rest of the time enjoying the tranquility. John and the other guys who went snorkeling also went looking for Kina, or sea urchin. Apparently their eggs are quite a delicacy. They stayed out in the water for over an hour before I saw John make his way back to shore with their big bag of Kina. His skin was blue and he was shivering when he got out!
But, they had brought back a lot of Kina. Soon it was time to board back onto the ship and make the voyage back to Paihia.
One the way back, one of the other crew members, Mink, showed everyone how to open and eat the Sea Urchin eggs. Here is the video for your viewing pleasure.
After a wonderful 23 hour cruise, we arrived safely back in Paihia. It was a really great trip and an experience we were very glad to have.
We had great weather and a great time exploring the beautiful Bay of Islands!
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