Kauri forests and giant sand dunes in Omapere
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Omapere, North Island, New Zealand
Sat Mar 15
The predicted cyclone arrived over the night and we awoke to high winds but only light rain.
Wrapped up some CA house business and all is well there. After some debate, we decide the weather was decent enough to drive to our next destination. It was windy and drizzly but really not too bad.
We stopped quickly for gas and then a longer stop at the Kauri museum. It was pretty interesting and having something to so out of the rain helped prolong the interest. We had lunch at the neighboring cafe and then resumed the drive.
It took another two ours to reach Omapere and we were all glad to get out of the car. The last half hour through the Kauri forest was a bit windy.
We checked in and then walked down to the nearby I-site. We got some info about hikes and activities in the area and most importantly the news that the weather should clear up over the next day or so.
The boys got a little unruly on the beach walk home so they stayed in to read while I went and explored the town. This did not take too long and all I really found was the ice cream shop. This will likely come in handy later.
After a spirited game of Uno, we headed out for dinner. We wisely passed on the fancy hotel restaurant and went further up the hill to Schooners that I had read about at the Kauri cafe. This turned out to be an excellent decision and meal. We had the place to ourselves, got the prime table next to the window overlooking the dunes, and had the sole attention of the friendly staff. They also had a vegetarian menu so Laura and I grabbed a bunch of veggie dishes to share. The food was great and it was nice to have a full helping of veggies. It was a very successful dinner and the boys enjoyed their very large thick shake as a dessert treat.
Hopefully the rain and wind will shut down tomorrow so that we can enjoy the outdoor activities that this area has to offer.
Sun Mar 16
The rain and wind seemed to have shut down and Laura and I got out for morning runs. The boys wound up a bit in the morning and after some convincing I was able to get them to go with me to the I-site. We checked on the status of the ferry and the operator wanted to wait until tomorrow. This turned out to be the prudent choice as drizzle moved in.
We headed to the Kauri forest where there was some protection from the rain. We did a short hike to the biggest tree in NZ. It was impressive. We drove to another set of hikes to the second largest tree in the forest and the Four Sisters. It was a good way to spend a drizzly morning. The Kauri museum information proved useful.
We started our journey back and took a muddy road to a puzzle vendor. The guy was kooky as expected. We tried his puzzles and failed at most of them. We also did his maze and collected letters and solved the riddle with some substantial hints from his wife. Finally we left and stopped for lunch at Schooners on the way home. It was fine but not as excellent as dinner the night before.
We took a quick break at the lodging including a walk for ice cream for the boys. Then we headed out for a short hike along the beach to round boulders. It was better than expected and we all had fun. We had a simple dinner of pasta and broccoli back home and then a fun game of football on the beach as the sun set.
Tomorrow we take the ferry across the harbor to the giant sand dunes to boogie board down them. It should be great fun.
Mon Mar 17
Weather had totally cleared up and got a morning run in. Kept boys entertained and packed up for our ferry trip across to the dunes. The boat ride was a quick 10 minutes and there we were at these large, deserted dunes. There was no one in sight and not a footprint on them. It was pretty cool.
Despite Captain Pete's warnings, boogie boarding down the dunes was not that treacherous nor that speedy. The dune flattened out abruptly toward the water so the landing was a bit jarring. It was fun to skim into the water.
The other fun path was the "side winder" where you would start on one part of the dune at an angle and then ride the hump over and straighten out for entry into the water. It was good fun and all boys had a good time but it was a little hard on Laura's back.
We took a break from boogie boarding and played on the dunes. It was fun to walk along the sheer drop off that was 3-6 feet in places and cause cave ins. We all giggled as we slid down the collapsing sand.
We had a quick snack and then started sand wrestling or basically king of the hill. The boys ganged up on me and it was exhausting. They were pretty much the victors.
We took a few more boogie runs and the boat arrived to pick us up. I could have stayed longer but the crew was ready to return.
We got cleaned off at the hotel, which was a feat in itself, and then headed to lunch. The food was slow and OK but the outdoor table overlooking the dunes was pleasant. We could see our footprints and the areas where we had boogied and wrestled.
We treated ourselves to ice cream on the way home and then had a little down time to rest up, digest and hide from the sun.
In late afternoon we motivated for an hour hike around the headlands. It was pretty although a touch hot. We were glad that we did not attempt it earlier in the day.
We ended the day with dinner at the swanky hotel in town. The view from the deck out over the bay as the sun set was quite spectacular. Laura and I shared appetizers and they were tasty, the calamari in particular. It was a nice end to a fine day.
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