I set my alarm before I went to bed and I woke up even before it went off. Honest, I hate alarm. I had history of throwing them (clock) on the wall when I was in my teenage years. Annoying to be awaken by a sudden high pitch noise. It ripped my soul out. But as I'm getting older or wiser I should say, my body will automatically turn on at about 6 something. I switched the alarm off before it annoys my other dormmates. Got ready, had breakfast and waited outside.
My bus came right on time at 720 am. The driver made some other stops to pick up more terrorist- tourist I mean.
The first stopover was at the Puketi Kauri Forest . The housed the oldest living Kauri tree in New Zealand (probably in the world too). Some of them were more than 1000 years. None of us were even here. Not even Moari in Aotearoa. Century ago this land was uninhabited. Kiwi birds running free under these Kauri searching food without any worry of predator. If these trees can talk, they could tell a heck of stories and may take hundreds years to be told!
Our driver warned us the temperature in the forest colder than outside. Indeed. Cold like in a fridge. A I came closer to the trees , standing next to its trunk, I realised how small we human on this earth. But a tiny creature like us able to flat a mountain and thin the ozone layer! I read the plaque on the ground, Kauri are the giant of the Pacific. Yes, they are.
I ran to the bus since we only stop for 15 minutes. I don't want to be left behind in this freezing forest. I won't last 4 minutes. I'll die of hypothermia. Thanks to my fatless body! The driver walked down the aisle counting us. I heard him say two missing and someone in the bus pointing the two Chinese tourist cam-whoring at the sign!
We drove another good hour or so further up north abefore stopping at Ancient Kauri Kingdom. Let me tell you about this place- it's a factory with cafe and souvenir shop. But what factory you might ask. Judging by the name you might think they produce by-product of Kauri tree. Well partly true. The tree that they used are the Kauri has been buried in the earth for over 45 000 year! This is not a typo, they have been carbon dated. 45 000 years prior to the unearthing, all those dead Kauri lived for at least 1000 years! It took me awhile for me to digest it, how can this dead trees not rotting or decompose into soil? 45 000 years was a long time. Then I learnt swamp water helped to preserve them.
The Kauri stump turned into furniture, souvenir and some other household products. The price were unimaginable. A 3 seater sofa will cost you a handsome NZD$50,000. If you want a prehistoric thing in you living room.
the centrepiece inside the souvenir shop was a spiral staircase made from a single Kauri stump. Absolutely giant. It took 700 man hours to carve it. I feel like a Smurf when I walked up the steps. Wondered why the owner not building a tree house out of that trunk. Sure it would bring out the child/ Smurf in every of us.
Since there'll be no shop in Cape Reinga and at Te Paki, I bought Tuna sandwich, a cheese scone, yogurt, and hot chocolate and to my surprises they cost me almost 15 bucks. Freaking expensive. I understand this is a tourist spot but 15 dollar for those items were bloody ripped off. Can't complain. I just suck it up else I'll be starving.
We continue the journey driving pass though through vast farmlands, orchards, native bush, through the dark pine forest then hit the seaside town of Houhora. I had the best seat ever- window seat on right aisle . Along the way my view was Pacific ocean. Absolutely stunning.
At About midday we finally arrived Cape Reinga. I can't belief we have been on the road for half a day to reach the tip of North Island. Before we got there, the driver told us this place was very spiritual to the Maori and sacred. It's a holy ground for the departing souls before going to the underworld. He sang something in Maori, a calling to the spirit to join us! Beautifully sang. The melody sound very mystical just like the Javanese chanting. I got goosebump. I could be superstitious at time (I'm a Malay remember). Some moron clapped their hands after he sang it. Idiot.
I took a slow walk to the over-photographed light house. Quite a walk. The vegetation down the gorge were dwarfed. The plaque read, strong wind, the high level of salt made the plant into bonsai size. Oh-no-wonder, I nodded.
Cape Reinga, the northern tip of New Zealand, it is here where the Pacific ocean meets the Tasman Sea. Subhanallah, it was amazing. Allah has His way of differentiating the two waters. The Tasman on my left or on the west was almost bluish greenish and the Pacific on my right was almost navy bluish. When these two waters met each other they created waves and swell and you could tell that was the border between them.
I sat there in front of the light house looking at seas in amazement.
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