Less than a 30 minute drive north of Auckland and your back in the country side. Our final home in New Zealand was Raukaka, a small beach community about 90 minutes north of Auckland. This was our last opportunity to soak in the New Zealand Mountains and Beaches.
Our first hike was the Maunganui Cliffs Walk, a 30 minute walk on the beach followed by a steep ascent and a few miles along the cliff. During low tide, you hike back along the beach, but it was still high tide and we just retraced our steps and spent a few hours on the remote beach with outrageous shells.
For the second day, as is tradition, we found the tallest mountain and climb to the top. The Mount De jour was the Mount Manaia. The hike was mostly stairs and an outstanding view at the top. These stair hikes are really tough with 45 pounds on my back.
We spend our last morning with Bryce on the beach before heading to the Airport.
In the blink on an eye and 2500 pictures, our time in Australia and New Zealand has come to a close. With sadness, We say goodbye and see you soon…
Next Stop… Kona!