The next day was the best part of the trip. We joined the Awesome NZ for a day trip to Cape Reinga via 90 Mile Beach. The view is splendid but of course to find a great place you have to go up and down the hill trough the snake like road. But since the driver is an expert, so Alhamdulillah the worry is one even though the dizziness still can be felt.
The first pit stop is Puketi Kauri Forest which is one of the world's mightiest trees, growing to more than 50 metres tall, with trunk girths of up to 16 metres. They covered much of the top half of the North Island when the first people arrived around 1000 years ago. The trees maybe would take about 4 adults 'pemeluk'. Just imagine how big it is.
Maori used their timber for boat building, carving and housing and their gum for starting fires and chewing (after it had been soaked in water and mixed with the milk of the puha plant). The gum, too, became essential in the manufacture of varnishes. Gum was obtained through digging, fossicking in treetops, or, more drastically, by bleeding live trees. The exploitation of forests increased with the demand for more and more cleared farmland. Kauri forests once covered 1.2 million hectares; now they have been reduced to 80,000 hectar.
Then we continued our journey to the 90 mile beach which actually to be only 55 Mile beachSeveral theories have been put forward for the Ninety Mile Beach misnomer, the most common stemming from the days when missionaries travelled on horse back. On average a horse could travel 30 miles (48 km) in a day before needing to be rested. The beach took three days to travel therefore earning it the title Ninety Mile Beach, but the missionaries did not take into account the slower pace of the horses walking in the sand, thus thinking they had travelled 90 miles (140 km) when in fact they had only travelled 55. Funny isn't it, but kind of logic if we were in their shoes.
The beach, and specifically the northern dunes are a famous tourist
destination. Few buses full with visitors could be seen when we were there. The dunes, looking very much like a desert landscape, are an unexpected sight for travellers. Which I would feel like I am in a the eastern country only we feel the cool breeze which make it a little different. The best part of the trip is surely the SAND SURFING.
But walking on the sand just make it even harder, since you have to use maybe 10 times more energy than you usually use while walking on the flat land. It takes maybe only 10 minutes for the Kiwis and the other visitors, but within the same period of time, I only make it only halfway. Need to work out even more!! But at least I make it to the top eventhough it take much time, yeay!! The view is splendid, Masya Allah, the wide blue Pacific ocean in front is indescribable. With the white layers of sand, than you could see few ranges of blue and green color and looking up above the sky and the clouds just make a great combination. It is like the BEST PRESENT ever. Alhamdulillah.
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