Bay of Islands

June is now upon me and I officially have only 4 weeks left in this beautiful country of New Zealand. I consistently ask myself where the time has gone and I can't help but smile because I know that each moment I have had here has been marvelous! ...and I still have 30 more days to cherish!

This past weekend, Jen and I set out on an 8 hour bus ride to the far northern part of the north island. The Bay of Islands it is called, and that is just what it is. A bay with roughly 145 islands off its coast makes for a beautiful destination.

Our first day there, Jen and I took a sailing trip around the bay. There were only five of us on the boat, making for a quiet and quaint experience. It was magnificent sailing through the bay and seeing many of the various islands - though we actually only covered about a third of the bay, I still was able to capture the marvel of how expansive the space was. In specific spots, we were able to view the open space of the Pacific ocean, knowing that the closest land was Fiji thousands of miles off, it brought me a whole new perspective of where I was. There truly is nothing like sailing in silence and noticing the serenity of nature untouched. We were given an hour to explore one of the islands, something that drew breath away from me as the beauty of such a remote place was so captivating. It was a beautiful day - something very rare to see now entering into winter here, but feeling the heat of the sun once again and seeing the land meet peacefully with the water was beyond picturesque. A gourmet lunch on the boat was just a mid day treat as we then continued to travel through the vast bay. It was a trip that I loved!

The following day, we took an organized trip up to the most northern point of New Zealand - Cape Reinga. Here is the location where the Tazman Sea of the West meets the Pacific Ocean of the East. It was not a definite line of the waters meeting, but a vague change in water color passed through the entire ocean, leading us to believe that was the separation between sea and ocean. It was great to know that we were at the tip top of the island and any other land mass was thousands of miles away. LA lie in a northeast direction 10, 474km away! We dropped off in a rain forest on our way back, something that constantly reminds me of how vibrant the greenery is here! This land is not shy to shout color into the world - such distinct colors paint this place so brightly.

Each morning, we were awake before the sun rose, allowing us to experience sunrises on the bay. It was a spectacular vision; one that reminds you of how special of a gift each new day truly is.

Overall, this trip was delightful and a great reminder of how beauty is captured by this land called New Zealand. I will never forget and always miss driving along the highway and having rolling green hills on either side of me, or rivers and lakes as I just travel from point A to point B. It makes one appreciate the journey and not just focus solely on the destination :)