J'AIME SEPTEMBER 2020

RB COLLECTION’S
HOLLY ON A TRIP TO
THE BAY OF ISLANDS
visit to the historic museums which detail the town’s
interesting history.
Other popular tourist attractions in the area include
the Waitangi Treaty Ground, which is the site of
the first accord between the British Crown and the
Maori people. Here, history has been preserved
and you can learn about why there were issues
with this treaty and why Maori representation and
preservation of the culture is so important. Many
visit this site for a Maori demonstration, but if you
are travelling to Rotorua at any point in your trip
it is better to save your money for this experience
down there. I didn’t visit this attraction due to money
constraints, but it is a great spot for travellers in New
Zealand who wish to learn a little more about Maori
and European history.
Another popular attraction in Paihia is the range of
water sport activities. My trip kayaking and paddle
boarding to a waterfall was one of the highlights of
my visit to this region. We first met on the wharf and
hopped in a boat to travel inland towards Haruru
Falls. On the way, our guide told us stories of the
river and we enjoyed watching the birdlife on the
riverside. As we got closer to the falls we transferred
into kayaks. As we reached the falls, we were
encouraged to go underneath them. This was huge
fun and we tried many times to do this and see how
long we could stay under the water.
The last time I had visited this waterfall it was a wet
cold day and I had watched the kayaks with remorse
for them. This time, on a warm summer evening it
was a great experience and we stayed in the water
longer than we needed to. A few of us opted to kayak
or paddle board back while others warmed up in
the boat. We paddle boarded all the way back to the
river mouth as dusk fell. This led to an incredible
moment. As it got darker, we started to notice the
water around our paddle boards
glowing. Intrigued, I put my hand
in the water and was amazed when
the water around my hand started to
glow. This was the elusive glowing
plankton I had heard so much about
from other travellers all over the
world.
Every time we paddled the whole
area around our boards glowed
and it was a truly magical moment.
None of us wanted to get out of
the water after this and were so sad
to get back to dry land. I would
recommend this trip even without
the plankton as it was a great way to
spend the evening.
Aside from Paihia, the Bay of Islands
region has a lot more to offer. On
the long drive to Paihia from Auckland there are a
couple of places which stand as great stops along the
way. The first is Whangarei Heads, around halfway
to the Bay of Islands. This peninsula has an amazing
beach, breath-taking views from the cliffs and a great
sub-tropical climate and landscape.
We stopped here for an afternoon and really enjoyed
our walk up the cliff to amazing views over the whole
area. Looking to the left, we watched as the cliffs fell
into the Pacific Ocean. On our right we had a view
of the rolling fields leading back to Auckland. The
area also has fantastic surfing beaches and is worth a
THE FAMOUS HOLE
IN THE ROCK
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