NZ Day 34 (Tolaga Bay)

June 8

Day – Ui’s Hawaii Birthday, epic Hike / Surf Cook’s Cove

Night – Tolaga Bay Holiday Park

The morning brought a striking sunrise.  Colors across the sky were a deep orange that reflected off of the ocean.  I knew from the morning that this was indeed a very sacred place.  Ryan and I decided to take a walk along the wharf, where old train tracks still remained.  It was used to carry cargo to and from the docked ships in earlier times.  Ryan and I went to view the waves coming into the bay along the wharf.  Tide was high and so we decided to wait for the afternoon to surf.  In the mean time the four of us decided to visit the town’s i-site where there was free internet.  That is where we met a man named Nikora Curtis.  A very kind, humble, Maori whose spirit and energy drew our attention immediately.  He had created his own radio broadcast station called UAWA FM and volunteered everyday to keep the radio station active.  He invited the four of us “Hawaiians” to join him in a special radio broadcast the next day.

Sunrise over Tolaga Bay Wharf

U'i between the railroad tracks

After the internet use, we headed back to the holiday park to gear up for an afternoon surf.  The holiday park manager mentioned that it would be better to hike the Cook Cove’s trail, which was a 50 minute hike over steep hills and pasture lands to reach a secluded cove on the backside of the peninsula.  After suiting up in our wetsuits we made the trek along the Cook’s Cove hiking trail.  Historically Captain Cook landed at Tolaga in 1769 and had brought his entire ship into the cove during the high tide to apparently lay his boat on the side for cleaning.  There were many Maori families living at Tolaga (traditional name Uawa) at the time of Cook’s arrival and many more during pre-contact times.  Maori had settled there in the early part of the 1300’s and it was the oldest Maori settlement on the east side of New Zealand.  The hike had a 20 minute incline through heaps of muddy grass and a 25 minute decline through a forest.  It was a very intense walk through pasture land, cow-pies, mud and a thick, dense forest.  It really reminded me of movie scenes in the Lord of the Rings.  And straight out of Endless Summer.

Swells were rolling into the Bay.  Cooks Cove is beyond the point in the distance.

 The waves are faint in this zoomed in photo from the end of the pier.

Starting our trek up the mountain, not sure what's waiting ahead

Our first glimpse of Uawa Town (Tolaga Bay)

Making our way above the cliffside

 Crossing an upper pasture fence

At the top of the incline there was a view of the wave lines coming into the bay creating beautiful point breaks, the top most being where the waves were the biggest.  We would have to paddle out and around through Cook’s cove at the end of the hike to reach that particular break and either paddle back to shore or hike back to the holiday park in the dark since it was the later part of the afternoon.  Before we reached Cook’s cove, we ventured to a place called the “Hole in the Wall.”  Literally it was a hole in the wall…well the cliff had an unusual hole that had developed over years of erosion.

Halfway there, Cooks Cove is visible in the center of the photo

At the bottom of the trail is the infamous "Hole in the Wall"

 Stepping through the hole reveals the cliffs and wharf in the distance

JV and a little Photoshop

After leaving the hole in the wall we continued another 5 mins across the pastureland to Cook’s Cove.  The tide was very low and so we walked the entire cove until we reached the point, near to where the waves were.  There were two islands in close proximity to the cove, one was named Mitre island and the other was a “private” island owned by a Frenchman.  How he was able to acquire the island…the Maori still are not sure to this day.  (We would kayak there at a later time).  There were samples of waves wrapping around the different islands, the best at that time being the one around the corner of the cove.  Ryan, Jason and I were unsure of how the wave was going to be.  From shore, it seemed to be a bit choppy and a good head high, but as soon as we paddled out, the waves turned to glass and doubled in size.  I remained on the shoulder for a while, watching the wave as Ryan and Jason paddled into some overhead bombs.  The waves eventually crashed right against the side of the cliff and was a bit terrifying if caught on the inside.  I finally built up the courage and paddled over near Ryan and Jason…my greatest fear was getting slammed into the sharp crevices of the cliff.  My first wave was an intense, steep, right drop and I held on to my body board very tightly, almost feeling a bit out of control.  The wave face opened up and it was such a beautiful ride!  Who knew we would find such a remote gem…after a long 40 minute hike…a very spiritual session.

Walking through Cooks Cove at low tide

Our first glimpse revealed waves, although windy and only head high...but it would get better

 JV tearing it up

Ryan dropping, JV heading out, U'i paddling to the peak

 An awesome shot of Tolaga Bay - Thanks Hil!

Soon however, the sun was making it’s descent behind the mountains and only a faint light was beginning to linger over the ocean.  I hinted to Ry that it was time to either paddle or make the hike back to the holiday park.  Out of fear of getting stuck in the woods in the dark, with temperatures dropping to 40F at sunset, we decided to make the incredibly long, eerie paddle back to shore.  The journey took us next to very steep cliffs, through thick seaweed, and across random, bulging reefs that emerged from the water.  I unfortunately began to get caught in the current moving out and at times found myself to be quite far from land…a scary feeling indeed…as darkness crept over us.  The wharf began to look closer and closer.  After 45 minutes of strenuous, constant paddling, we neared the beach break.  The only way in was to catch a wave that was breaking along the wharf.  Ryan made sure that I had made it safely because it was getting very dark and there was a looming cave along the side of the beach break…he was my eyes in the darkness.  We all eventually made it back to shore…it being the longest paddle of our lives and the longest ride in to the beach!  Hot showers were only a short walk away.  Hilary was waiting patiently for us on the dock, to make sure we had made it safely.  I’d have to say, it was one of the most powerful experiences of my life, witnessing the raw beauty of the ocean and the cliffs…a thankfulness to be alive and safe was felt by all that day as we hugged and hi-fived each other in an ultimate feeling of relief.     

 After a 45 minute paddle, we hit the sand in the dark, stoked.

NZ Day 33

June 7 (Day 33)

Day – Ui’s NZ birthday, hike lighthouse, Waipiro Bay, birthday party

Night – Tolaga Bay Holiday Park

My birthday day was truly a day to remember. It was actually more like a culmination of 2 amazing, fun-filled days.  I woke up to take a walk on a beautiful beach located on the eastern most point of New Zealand with Ryan, taking pictures of the now fully risen sun that lay hidden within a blanket of thin cloud cover.  The beach was located on the Eastern most tip of New Zealand, where the sun first touches and warms the lands.  Hilary woke up quite early to view the sunrise, but I was very tired from the long east side drive the day prior and so Ryan and I missed the sunrise by about 20 minutes.  The East side of New Zealand reminded me of the Northern part of the country, where we visited Cape Reinga.  Both areas displayed such a raw beauty, with wild horses roaming the fields, majestic, rushing waterfalls, and thick mists that lined the empty coasts. 

After Ryan and I’s long walk on the beach, Hilary and Jason met us and we walked to the camper van.  When I opened up the van, there were dozens of pink balloons and I screamed with joy at the surprise.  Hilary also pulled out green and pink party hats with my-little-ponies covering the front.  We wore the hats for the rest of the day!  

Apparently the paparazzi were out for our morning walk 

 

 

 U'i and her birthday surprise

After the lovely surprise we drove to the lighthouse at the end of the eastern most peninsula for a short hike.  It was truly worth the hour long walk.  At the very top there were plaques describing the small island off the cape.  In English the given name is the “East Island,” obviously because it is the Eastern most island, but the Maori had several names for the island, Whangaokena, Hauroa and Teke o Kaiawa.  In mythology, the island was used to hide many different types of plants and the New Zealand lizard (forgot the native name) for a chief whose name was Wheneke?  He had a male dog guardian who watched over and protected the island so that no one was able to enter and take any of the unique species.  Contemporarily, the island was the location of the first light house, but the families who had to live on this tiny motu (island) struggled with loneliness and also safety issues.  There were deaths that occurred on the island, one accident being a child who fell off of the steep precipice.  The lighthouse island on Teke o Kaiawa eventually fell to ruin and the lighthouse was formally moved to the end of the eastern most peninsula.  

The crew at the lighthouse

East Island

 Our vans and a few sheep in the valley below

After the hike, we drove along the East Coast to Tikitiki where I had wanted to visit a church.  It was very similar to St. Faiths, but Hilary was able to gather pictures of the inside.  Beautiful, magnificent carvings were displayed and the pews were covered in crocheted blankets and pillows of various colors.  It was a beautiful sight.  We continued our way down the coast to find a place to stay for the night.  After hours of driving we finally pulled into the small town of Tolaga Bay.  The oceanside holiday park had very clean facilities and was right next to the historic Tolaga Bay wharf.  When we arrived, there were waves coming into the bay.  We walked to the end of the wharf (the longest wharf in the southern hemisphere) and could see right peaks breaking near the horizon off tha distant peninsula.  That night we had a party in Hil and J’s van, with apple pie, ice cream.  It was definitely the best birthday I could have asked for.  Who knew that this place would bring the most spiritual of all surf sessions and be a place where we would return for our last days in New Zealand.  A very peaceful place that had a very rich, deep history.       

Leaving the East Cape Lighthouse

Inside the church

 A double scoop in NZ means an extra wide cone too

Our first view of Tolaga Bay and the wharf

Looking east up the point.  We would eventually surf at the tip.

Looking west across Tolaga Bay

Birthday Sunset

Tolaga Bay, 2011

Celebratin back in the van

Apple Pie and Ice Cream

U'i showing off my present, NZ Pounamu Pendant

NZ Day 32

June 6

Day – Surf Hawai Bay, Check motu river, drive east to cape

Night – East Cape Campgrounds

U’I and I got up early and backtracked to Hawai Bay to surf (I was itching badly both at the feet and for waves).  Yesterday when we drove by, the water was ugly, large and stormy – completely un-surfable.  Today looked like a different ocean altogether.  Head high sets peeled along the point and barreled against the inside sandbank.  There were about 6 guys out.  I jumped in the water for 2 hours and caught some fun ones.  By noon a front began to blow in bringing clouds and onshore winds.  Our timing was good, and we packed up and drove the crazy mountain road back to camp.  Hil and JV passed us on the way, but turned around due to the foul weather.  

The roads were treacherous at times

 Another empty bay and point break

 

 

The inside at Hawai Bay, storm front arriving

On our way over to Hawai Bay, we crossed a river called Motu River.  There was the most perfect wave I have seen in person, my entire life.  The wave was comparable to the best footage captured of Barra or Superbank.  A grinding barrel running down a sand bank for over 200 yards.  I frothed at the mouth and tried to figure out how to get down there.  As we continued to drive to Hawai I noticed a small road that led to a village settlement down by the water, with the river mouth on the far end.  It was raw and very local, and we hesitated, deciding that if Hawai was junk we would return and try Motu River.  At Hawai I asked one of the local surfers about Motu.  He said, “can’t surf there anymore mate.  Don’t surf there.  They’ll chase you out with a shotgun.  It’s gotten real ugly the last couple years”.  I wasn’t sure if this was his tactic to keep it private amongst the local surfers.  He continued, “Eight years ago a couple surfers paddled out when they shouldn’t have, stormy day, the river was full of timber and logs.  Some of the boys drowned.  When a person drowns, Maori culture requires them to close the ocean to fishing, diving and general sea going until the bodies are recovered.  They never found some of the boys, and the oceans were closed for a long time.  The locals went hungry, it was bad.  Don’t surf there mate”.  I believed him.  (UPDATE – CHECK RECENT POST FOR AN UPDATE TO THIS).  We continued on that evening out to the East Cape.  We passed at least three other bays with good breaks along the way, but kept on driving through.  We took the long narrow gravel road towards the lighthouse, and spent the night in the middle of a field on the ocean.

 East Cape camping, about as far from a city as you can be on North Island

NZ Day 31

June 5

Day – Weather clearing some, Opotiki Town, drive east

Night – Oceanfront private land in Te Kaha

Driving east past Opotiki is quite an experience.  The east cape region of Aotearoa is home to its largest population of Maori.  One feels their presence almost immediately.  The small winding road was dotted with homemade signs of painted plywood shouting variations of “RESPECT”, “THIS IS MAORI LAND, ACCESS WITH PERMISSION”, and over a hundred signs demanding “NO DRILLING”.  We stopped in at a local store to buy some snacks and picked up a paper handout describing the issues.  The front of the hand-out proclaimed in caps, “STOP DEEP SEA OIL DRILING IN THE RAUKUMARA BASIN: APRIL 2011—GOVERNMENT OF NEW ZEALAND USES MILITARY AGAINST NZ INDIGENOUS CITIZENS TO ADVANCE ITS PROSTITUTION OF OUR PRISTINE OCEANS TO BRAZILIAN OWNED OIL EXPLORATION COMPANY—PETROBRAS.  STAND WITH TEWHANAU A APANUI TO OPPOSE DEEP SEA OIL IN NZ WATERS.”  Anyone can go online and read on this very important issue at ‘Stop the drilling on our East Coast’ and the ‘Te Whanau a Apanui’ group page.  Their primary concern was the inevitable spills that occur, and the history of spills, poor containment and cover up that the massive Petrobras Corporation has created globally.  For these people, there are no supermarkets.  The land and primarily their ocean provides everything they need to survive.  These areas demand utmost respect and care for their sustenance to continue.  It is quite obvious why this issue is heated.

 

That night, the only motor camp for 4 hours wouldn’t allow us in, because of the ground saturation from several days of rain.  We were forced to freecamp in an area that, while friendly, carried a certain undertone of “welcome to our home, now leave”.  Camping on someone’s land with two large vans wasn’t exactly discreet or respectful.  We inched up and down the coast, trying to find a little area off the road under some trees to provide some shelter and hide us from view.  There were little options.  Finally we found a small field right on the water, with a sign posted “Camping with permission from owner only.  Don’t embarrass yourself.”  We decided it was worth it to find the owner.  The first house we walked up to was helpful and told us to walk up the road where we would speak with another man.  They sent their daughter with us.  The man was kind, and after hearing our situation allowed us to spend the night.  It was a beautiful place, and we felt safe.  It was also the place where I was attacked (unknowingly at the time) by over a dozen sand flies, something that would haunt for weeks to come.  They are small creatures, between the size of a flea and a house fly.  One barely feels a sand fly as its jaws penetrate the skin to suck on your blood.  They may inject an anesthetic for all I know.  There is little pain for several hours, only a slight itch comparable to a small mosquito bite, one that can be forgotten if distracted.  Either that night or the following day, the real adventure begins. The bite begins to swell some and turn bright red.  It looks as though you might squeeze the “poison” out but nothing exits the wound.  The itching begins, and doesn’t let up for 5-7 days.  It starts slowly, and grows to a mind numbing, eye watering scratch fest.  Stimulating the skin only makes it worse and provides very temporary satisfaction.  Nothing would work against my reaction, Benedryl, hydrocortisone, Claritin.  By the third day I (Ryan) counted over 30 bites on both feet and ankles.  My feet were swollen and alien looking, and felt as though they were stuck in a bucket of nettles.  Nettles with itching powder sprinkled on top.

Driving east from Opotiki - how many points can you count?

 Our home for the night at Te Kaha

 Distant island active volcano