The East Cape is one of my favourite parts of NZ. Apart from the beaches and the fact that there is just one stunning beach after another, I think it’s the overall beauty of the place, the contrasts between the rolling hills that move to rugged bush ranges then to the sweeping sand and blue blue sea. It’s also where, I think, you’ll find untouched NZ although for how long it will last I do not know. The drive around the Cape is not to be underestimated. Although its only some 320 km it’s a good six hours of driving and that’s not including any stop-offs, of which you can be guaranteed many.
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Before we left Gisborne we had a look around the town (which is far more upmarket than I remember it to be) and watched a canoe race that was obviously part of some regatta. These guys were really working in the heat but they were strong, really strong.
Next stop was Wainui beach where there were some pretty lovely houses perched right on the beach edge but we were to leave these far far behind….
Makorori beach was a bit wilder, and so it went the further up the Cape we got.
Tolaga Bay, about a third of the way up the Cape, has the longest pier in NZ. Its been out of use for a long time and was heavily used when ships used to come here and pick up wool and meat in the years when the industry was at its peak. Now, there is a milk tanker that makes the long haul up here from Ashburton, some 200 plus km away.
Tolaga beach was pretty busy (not!) and the camping ground looked pretty full.
Kawakawa Bay is at the tip of the Cape
and Te Araroa is home to what is claimed to be the largest Pohutakawa tree in NZ. It certainly was a monster and the ute parked under one of its boughs gives it some scale.
The sea gets pretty rough here and the beach was littered with driftwood.
This is the view of Kawakawa Bay from the other side. It was about 2pm and getting hotter and hotter. As we were driving we could hear the tyres squelching through the tar (which was melting) and at times the car slid a bit going around corners.
We stopped off quite a lot on our way around and it was at the below that we swam and played in the waves for a while. A welcome break!
This is Raukokore Anglican church and we thought the setting was brilliant.
Just down the road in Te Kaha,
the Cape stretches out behind you
and we started to come across more camping grounds right on the shoreline.
It wasn’t far past here that this chap on a horse, arm waving madly, galloped out in front of the car. I thought he wanted me to slow down (so I did) but he was just indicating to merge with the traffic then pull into this petrol station to get a drink.
We stopped and I went over to talk to them and take a photo. They didn’t get off their horses but were met by someone from the station who got them what they wanted and took their money. They asked me where I was from (I always say Wellington) and they said “aww, no way? Choice!” and we chatted a bit more before they wandered off.
The base of the Cape seems endless and this is the view down the coast to Opotiki and Whakatane.
We were heading to Ohiwa Harbour, just past Opotiki to stay with Bridget. About 50km off the coast is NZs only active marine volcano, White Island. Its somewhere that I’ve always wanted to visit and, seeing as we were in tourist mode, we’d booked a trip out there the day after we arrived.
View Larger Map
Before we left Gisborne we had a look around the town (which is far more upmarket than I remember it to be) and watched a canoe race that was obviously part of some regatta. These guys were really working in the heat but they were strong, really strong.
Next stop was Wainui beach where there were some pretty lovely houses perched right on the beach edge but we were to leave these far far behind….
Makorori beach was a bit wilder, and so it went the further up the Cape we got.
Tolaga Bay, about a third of the way up the Cape, has the longest pier in NZ. Its been out of use for a long time and was heavily used when ships used to come here and pick up wool and meat in the years when the industry was at its peak. Now, there is a milk tanker that makes the long haul up here from Ashburton, some 200 plus km away.
Tolaga beach was pretty busy (not!) and the camping ground looked pretty full.
Kawakawa Bay is at the tip of the Cape
and Te Araroa is home to what is claimed to be the largest Pohutakawa tree in NZ. It certainly was a monster and the ute parked under one of its boughs gives it some scale.
The sea gets pretty rough here and the beach was littered with driftwood.
This is the view of Kawakawa Bay from the other side. It was about 2pm and getting hotter and hotter. As we were driving we could hear the tyres squelching through the tar (which was melting) and at times the car slid a bit going around corners.
We stopped off quite a lot on our way around and it was at the below that we swam and played in the waves for a while. A welcome break!
This is Raukokore Anglican church and we thought the setting was brilliant.
Just down the road in Te Kaha,
the Cape stretches out behind you
and we started to come across more camping grounds right on the shoreline.
It wasn’t far past here that this chap on a horse, arm waving madly, galloped out in front of the car. I thought he wanted me to slow down (so I did) but he was just indicating to merge with the traffic then pull into this petrol station to get a drink.
We stopped and I went over to talk to them and take a photo. They didn’t get off their horses but were met by someone from the station who got them what they wanted and took their money. They asked me where I was from (I always say Wellington) and they said “aww, no way? Choice!” and we chatted a bit more before they wandered off.
The base of the Cape seems endless and this is the view down the coast to Opotiki and Whakatane.
We were heading to Ohiwa Harbour, just past Opotiki to stay with Bridget. About 50km off the coast is NZs only active marine volcano, White Island. Its somewhere that I’ve always wanted to visit and, seeing as we were in tourist mode, we’d booked a trip out there the day after we arrived.
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