Back to Karekare

After being pretty well washed out in Rotorua, the next day dawned somewhat better, although, during the day, we still managed to be caught in the open during a heavy squall. The whole of the North Island that we have seen has been so boggy underfoot, that we now understand how the All Blacks are good at playing in the mud, and how the comic strip Footrot Flats came to be.

The road from Rotorua to Auckland is much better than the average country road that we've been on the last two weeks, and we were able to maintain very good speeds much of the way. A hail storm provided some entertainment. The passage through Hamilton and suburbs is, however, long, devious and slow, and reminded us of Albury before the bypass was opened. But the rest of the journey was very speedy and pleasant. A very cute frog-themed cafe on the (flooded) Waikato River somewhere along this journey gave us a refreshing break.

We arrived near Auckland early, and decided to have another go at Karekare Beach. This place, where a famous scene in The Piano was filmed, had eluded us on a previous visit. Today, we made it. The beach is about a kilometer from the closest car access, and we found our way there on a boggy, sandy, ill-defined track. The weather was overcast and squally, and a gale was blowing, so we did get a bit wet, but the beach was starkly beautiful, making it worth the effort of getting there. Vast areas of black sand, rough seas and leaden skies contribute to the rough beauty of this place.

It's a popular spot, and there were about 20 other visitors there enjoying this windswept land and seascape. It must be very crowded at Karekare Beach in summer - indeed it must be a different place altogether, because there is a surf club at the beach. You'd be suicidal to swim at this beach in conditions like there were today.