Paihia - A week in the Hawaii of New Zealand

I know. I know. I haven't been good about blogging this week. But, when you go to Hawaii, don't you turn your phone off and forget to check your email, too? :) Yeah, welcome to my week.

The reality of this trip is not lost on me. Just in case you were wondering. I've been soaking it all up. The beaches. The beer. And, the accents, up close and personal. Of course, my tame oat here in the Bay of Islands was American... can't seem to escape a good ol' East Coast boy. Ironically enough, he's still the only other American I've met traveling. It's definitely not difficult to meet other travelers here, but they're Dutch, German, English, French, Brazilian, Swedish, etc. If I had to choose, I'd throw a Swedish girl or two in my bag to bring home to my guy friends... they've been DARLING! I've met some great girls though... And while this is a horrible picture, it's the only one that was taken on long hike up to Hurura Falls.

On our hike back down, a cyclone hit. So we looked like wet rats by the end, but laughed the whole way... So fun! I mean, who gets caught in a cyclone on a hike in New Zealand?! Yeah, these girls. It was an easy fix though... A quick swim in the warm water, a stop at the liquor store, and all was well again... Did I mention that New Zealand wine is quite good? (Oh, geez, I'm even starting to write the way I'm speaking here...) One of my favorites:

I made taco salad for my new friends before hitting The Pipi Patch which is one of the only bars in Paihia. The boys, Atilla and Mark, who came along from Auckland, and then Brit and Karen who I met on the way up.

The temperature in Paihia is always warm... a bit humid, but very comfortable. So, when the bar got too hot, we headed out (the next evening) for a walk along the beach. The camera didn't come close to capturing the beautiful moon, but I can still see it in my mind... Brit had headed back to Auckland by this time, and we had a new traveler, Emma, join us.

And then our final night in Paihia, we decided to venture out and try a new wine. You know, keep things fresh. :) Another favorite:

I wish I had taken more pictures of our water activities, hikes, suntanning naps, etc., but it's difficult to remember there are things to capture when you're just enjoying it... I have SUCH a rough life.