In Kaitaia you all the shops you need to stock up your supply. We get here at lunchtime, get food and drinks for a few days and buy some heavy stuff to eat right there, like yogurth. A German cyclist gives us some information about camping and little shops on the way north.
From Kaitaia there is only one road, No 1 leading north or else the 90 mile beach. But who ever fears sand or salt has to stick to the No 1 winding itself the 110km up to cape Reinga.
We are surprised to find it rather flat and off the wind. It is sunny and wonderful. The next day we meet a Kiwi couple, living in Australia, that has some great experience in cycling around the world. We chat almost for an hour. They return from the cape, which they say is huddled up in mist and very hard to get there on the last 21km, which are very hilly. We are getting on quite well and once again put up or wonderful chairs along the road for lunchbreak. The northstretch of the Island is wider more civilized then I had expected. Cattel and sheep take turn, with californian pine forests, planted for forestry. In Waitiki the nature reserve starts and the hilly 21 km. Luckily there are not thousands of little hills but 200-300m high bigger hills. Mist is getting us now. Still so some kilometers before the cape at the turn off to the bay with the camp ground we planed on staying the night. For a second we almost decide to go straight to the camp and visit the cape the next day. Bu curiosity to just go up the next smaller hill won. Another few corners and the mist lifted, showed us the ocean and just a bit further we saw the lighthouse – Cape Reinga! Our first goal, the north tip of New Zealand, where the spirits depart, the beginning of the line of the joining oceans, the tasmen sea and the pacific ocean. Great. Now we went down to the little peaceful bay for a rest.