Paihia and the North

In Paihia, we stay at a busy hostel. It's full of young people from all around the world, especially Europe and Asia. Fifteen or twenty of them crowd the kitchen and dining areas at dinnertime, eating noodles and talking. The noise is unbelievable. A huge flat-screen TV dominates the common room, where several Germans watch episodes of The Simpsons and Family Guy at full volume, with the English subtitles on, so they will have a better chance of understanding the jokes.

John and I go out for pizza, sipping beer on a patio overlooking the boardwalk. We pick up a cheap bottle of red wine and a bar of dark chocolate on our way back, which we enjoy in the company of the dinner crowd at the hostel. Many comment on our healthy "dinner of champions," not realizing that this is dessert. We agree. I tell them that antioxidants are essential to a balanced diet. We offer them chocolate.

We wake up early the next morning and take the free kayaks out on the water. They are really cheap little devices, full of air and made of plastic, with holes in the bottom designed to take in a boatload of water for stability. The weather has turned cold and cloudy overnight, though, and the icy water is not welcome. We sit on our knees on the hard plastic, trying to stay dry and upright as we row across the bay to a nearby island. Ten minutes in, I am no longer having a good time. The wind is picking up, my feet are painfully asleep, and I am wet and cold. Worse, boats going by are creating big waves that threaten to topple me. The island does not appear to be getting closer. I want to go home. John, on the other hand, is having the time of his life. He's a few feet ahead of me, cackling madly and shouting insults at the weather and the waves ("is that all you've got?!"). We reach the island finally, where we see orange-breasted sandpipers and black oystercatchers searching for snails.

Two hours later, having explored the elusive island, I am once again miserable, resolutely steering my stupid kayak towards the beach. The weather has, if anything, gotten worse. The current is fighting me. My ankles are killing me. John is trying to convince me to stay out longer, and I pointedly ignore him, teeth clenched.

That night, we meet a couple of girls in the common room who are eager for conversation as they plan a road trip around Northland. Alexz is a 19-year-old Abercrombie & Fitch model from Canada, who's just completed a one-year tour of Australia. She is tanned, blonde, beautiful, and outgoing. Her favourite expressions are "Oh, my GOSH!", "WOW!", and "That is, like, SO GOOD!". Her goal is to travel the world. Olivia, the Brit, is more serious. She always has her Lonely Planet guidebook in hand, and organizes every detail of the road trip, from hiring the car, planning the route, wine tastings, hikes, and hostels. She's 28, and starts a lot of sentences with "To be fair..." or "To be honest,..." in a somewhat posh British accent. Alexz has nicknamed her "Oblivia," for her tendency to jump into and out of conversation at random. Finally, Ezzy, the Scot, is our favourite of the bunch: she's 23, and just graduated from "Uni" in "maths." She is hard to describe because she's completely unique and unpredictable. She can make realistic bird calls, wears interesting clothes (i.e., a Spiderman-Venom hoodie that zips all the way up over her face to make a mask), and carries a trashy romance novel with her. She's up for anything, like singing campy songs, going for a bike ride, or joining a road trip with strangers without hesitation.

When the girls invite us on the trip, we weigh the cost, and accept with a sense of exciting spontaneity. They leave to go to the pub and ask us to join them later. We do. The pub is in chaos by the time we wander in. A costume party is in full swing-- we see a huge colourful sombrero, brightly coloured wigs, coconut bras, flashy dresses, bright sunglasses, cowboy hats, and men in nightdresses. Olivia, Alexz and Ezzy dance around in full costume, drinking cocktails out of teapots. We end up staying out most of night with a German guy we've met, Benny, who is friendly and interesting, and invites us to visit him in Germany someday.

Needless to say, our 8 a.m. departure the next morning, and the windy country roads, don't go over too well.

But the road trip is a blast. We stay in 5-bed dorm rooms and hike to waterfalls, taking photographs of giant Kauri trees. We pull over often to take pictures of the rolling hills, lakes, livestock, and beaches. We detour to take the scenic route at every opportunity. After just three nights, the road trip is over. The girls drop us off in Kaitaia, and continue on, back to Paihia where we met. John and I are on our own again, heading north.