The rain in the night has been torrential and the rivers are muddy and swollen. It has eased quite a bit by the time we get up and so we do a quick walk around the camping ground before leaving. We have to drive the winding road to Tane Mahuta again, then on until we come to the Hokianga Harbour.
The brochure says that we should "Be warned, your first glimpse of the harbour may well take your breath away on a fine day" - Mmmm just one ingredient missing there. However the hills remind me of Phyl's painting - Heading North which we have above our fireplace.
We have to go to the hotel in Opononi to get a coffee mid morning. They are doing a roaring trade, and even have a roaring fire going. The caravan looks good beside the waterfront - the statue of a small child with Opo marks the town's claim to fame
We carry on through pleasant farmland and small towns which mostly have their shops shut until we get to the Bay of Islands. It is just after 12 when we get to the Pahia camping ground where they say - Office closed until 1.30pm. So we decide to park in a suitable spot and have some lunch. But this camping ground has no suitable spots for a caravan being towed - it seems to only be for campervans, so after a few frustrating attempts - making some ugly mud tracks in their lawn we leave. We head to Bay of Islands camping ground - inland a bit, but with very good facilities. Then we head back into town for a bit of a look around, but it is not terribly pleasant out of the car. We drive past the Treaty House, but operations there are not fully up and running after COVID,and there are only a small number of static displays. Then it was back to settle down at the camping ground.
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