The Bay of Islands. Well it's huge, it's beautiful, and there's lot of islands :) I took a boat tour out one afternoon; there are 144 islands. The Bay was the first part of New Zealand to be settled by Europeans. Some of the islands are privately owned by very wealthy people who have summer homes built on their island. The author Zane Gray stayed on one of the islands for a time when he was studying deep sea fishing. The highlight of my tour of the bay was the "hole in the rock." The water had gotten a tadbit choppy by the time we got out there, but we did get to see some seals playing at the edge of an island. On calmer days the boat can go through the hole, but due to the weather I'l have to go back for that :)
I stayed in a sleepy little town called Paihia. Having grown up in a small town, I felt right at home. Everything was close by and the people were friendly. Despite the area being a popular tourist destination, the townsfolk were happy to trade stories. My favorite was the little Mexican shop I wandered in for a cup of tea. Turns out even though the open sign was out they weren't open. But when they found out I'd come all the way from America for a cup of tea from their shop, they insisted I stay :)
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sign on the church door
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Since I was in a lovely coastal town I thought fish 'n chips was a must have. It didn't take long to find where I'd be having supper!
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Shippy's: museum on top, restaurant in the hold
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