Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Day 320: Bay of Islands

I began my bus blitz around New Zealand heading up north to the costal town of Paihia on the Bay of Islands. I didn't really have a reason for doing this, but I wanted to go somewhere north first and people had told me it was a nice spot. I got into a lengthy chat with an American on the bus who had spent the last 3 years in India. He was travelling with one little bag that had all his personal things, and one large pack that contained mountain climbing gear that he carried everywhere. He'd spent the last month on the south island, so I got a lot of tips on some of the things to do when I got down that far.
I'm going to be spending a lot of time on buses in New Zealand, but luckily it's famous for some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, so at least there's something to see on the trips. The trip north was largely hilly grazing lands, but New Zealand is pretty amazing for how open and empty it is.

It was a nice sunny afternoon when we got to Paihia and the place is small enough that it only took a couple of minutes to get to my hostel and check in. I spent the last part of the afternoon checking out town and picking up some things to eat, but didn't try anything too adventurous.

No comments: