The long road home

It will seem very surreal in a few hours, when we are home in front of the fire, to think that we started the day with another visit to the Treaty Grounds and a quiet sit in the sun on James Busby’s doorstep contemplating the flagpole and the view across the water to Russell.  It was worth another visit, and we also took in a lovely photographic exhibition which we didn’t have time for yesterday.







Then onwards, leaving the Bay of Islands behind for our final ‘tourist’ box-tick, the Hundertwasser public toilets at Kawakawa.  Gaudi meets Dr Seuss best describes this gem in what is otherwise a very ordinary little NZ town.  We had enjoyed Hundertwasser in his home town of Vienna 6 years ago, and it was nice to visit his strange gift to New Zealand (and make use of it).





After this we were mindful of our flight deadline and the big unknown which is the time needed to get through Auckland and out to the airport.   Via the new (to us) toll road and the motorway around the western edge of Waitemata Harbour, it was an easy run back to the hire car depot.


We do ‘busy’ holidays and this was no different. A fabulous trip to a new part of the country, where we discovered wonderful landscapes and lush flora, and gained a new appreciation of what it is to be New Zealanders.

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