87, 88, 89, 90 the end

Our 90 days in NZ is coming to an end but our last two weeks have been as adventurous as the rest. Time was spent surfing in Sandy Bay, snorkeling at Poor Knights and watching rugby in Pee's backyard.  Tomorrow we're off to Auckland and Sunday we are on our way to The United States of America, also known as the USA.

The surf has been all time around here.  Laura was ripping it until the swell got too big and now, sadly, has gone flat. A lot of the locals on numerous occasions have said that last week was the best it gets and boy was it good.  Five days of killer surf from small clean and fun, to maxing out big critical drops.  I have now surfed Sandy Bay in all its shapes and forms and really like it.

The first cyclone that came through not only brought buckets of rain and gusty winds but it also delivered nice waves. At one point the waves were nice enough to surf Ngungy Bar which is another one of those rare waves (works a handful of times a year).  We did not get it perfect but it was fun.  On the same day Laura and I also managed to surf a couple other bays that usually don't have surfable waves.  Our biggest surf trip was up to Moureeses Bay where Laura paddled out into some heavy stuff confidently which was nice to see.  We made a couple critical drops and enjoyed the day there.  The bays around the Bay of Islands are pinch yourself perfect and being a surfer is a great excuse to check them out.

The next cyclone produced another buffet of waves but the storm was crazy.  It wiped out roads, flooded fields and did a lot of damage in general.  Once it passed, and the roads cleared, Sandy's had a little love left and we surfed the out going swell until there was nothing left.  It has been flat around here since but The Blues (Auckland Rugby team) came up to entertain us by training on the field directly next to us before their friendly against Wellington.  Jess came up for a few days and we hung around, did some surfing, eating, drinking, beaching and yesterday snorkeling.

The Poor Knights are these amazing islands a couple km offshore from the coast.  We did a snorkel tour with Perfect Day which takes you on a tour of the islands and you get to snorkel.  The spot we stopped in is one of Jacque Cousteau's top ten dives and although we were snorkeling it was still amazing.  We did a little jumping off the boat, I had my first flat water experience on a stand-up paddle board and we took in the sites.  Real nice trip and worth the pretty penny we spent.

We have sold our car and were sad to see it go.  It has gone to a good home and our 11,000km's behind the wheel has left us with some incredible memories.  Our camping gear has also found a new owner.  All we need to do now is pack up and get to the airport by Sunday.  Our time in NZ has been enjoyed to the fullest and we are sad to leave.  I think the real attraction here are the people.  We had the best experience meeting Kiwi's and were blown away by their hospitality.  The waves, weather and views are the icing on the cake. The wine, cherry on top.  I want to thank Pauline for opening up her home to us in Ngunguru. We loved every minute of it with Laura's aunt (Pee), Claudy & Nicola and the Sandy Bay crew.  I want to thank Mother Nature for doing her thing and producing beautiful weather and waves.  Thank you Backdoor for hooking us up with boards, suits and everything else.  If you are coming to NZ and need surf gear when in Auckland head there. A little shout out as well to the Warehouse for cheap prices and surprising reliable camping gear. We can't wait to come back to have more fun.

Sandy Bay

Creeping on the Blues 

Poor Knights