I arrived in Whangarei early and realised in retrospect that I had made a mistake. Whilst at the Waitangi treaty grounds I heard people talking about the Kauri tree reserve to the north of Paihia, about a 25 mins drive. I was tempted to go there because I had heard about these giant trees with very straight trunks. The 2/3 that are left in the reserve are thought to be 2000 years old and can be 5m in diameter at the base. Early settlers logged them into practical extinction. There was the remains of the base of one at the Waitangi site but it was a mere baby at 2/3 metres in diameter. I didn't go because I was worried about getting into the hostel at Whangarei, they were not answering the phone when I rang to confirm my booking. I wish I had gone now as I would have had time to do it before setting off south, still hey ho.
On arrival at Whangarei the hostel was closed so I walked up the hill at the back looking for glow worm caves which had been advertised in the hostel blurb. No sign, so I stopped and asked a lady who was working in her garden. She soon put me straight about the caves which were some way up a remote track and required wellies and a torch and also a hard hat. I had none of those so no caves for me.
We got chatting and I recognised her perfect north east accent. She came from Durham originally and had married her husband also from the north east and come out to NZ as a bride of 20. She is now 67 and has lived in NZ all her married life and hated the place. She misses home but can't go back as her children and grandchildren are here. Tears came to her eyes as she talked about England and how much she loved it. She hated the NZ accent which was why she still had her perfect Durham accent. She said that at 67 she could no longer tolerate the journey back to blighty and that her relatives there were all old or dead anyway. Poor lady.
