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345--New Zealand: Cruising Cape Reinga in a Shagzda @ CherieSpotting     Mar 25 2006 - 20:32 PST cherie writes: What is an American doing with an Irishman in New Zealand in a car with the Union Jack on it? Exploring! My Irish buddy Hugh and I drove up the northern coast of New Zealand to Cape Reinga. The famous lighthouse at the Cape looks over the Columbia Bank, where the Pacific Ocean smashes into the Tasman Sea creating waves up to 30-ft high. Since Hugh and I didn’t want to boogie-board on waves taller than an apartment complex, we opted to boogie down the local sand dunes. Leave it to New Zealand to create an adrenaline-pumping sport out of a heap of sand! After we exfoliated our skin properly by rolling down the sand dunes, we headed for one of the longest beaches in the world. Driving down the “official highway” of Ninety-Mile Beach (actually about 60-miles), we gave the car a refreshing salt-water splash in the Tasman Sea. It turned out to be our lucky day...not only did we avoid getting stuck, but we also found a Mercedes! You never know what treasures are waiting for you just beneath the sand. Click on each picture to see it full size. read comments (0) | write comment| views: 4220    | rated: 0.0    printer-friendly version   Cruising Cape Reinga, where the Tasman Sea crashes into the Pacific Ocean, in the "Shagzda" MX-5. Hey...there's my Irish buddy Hugh. I think I'll give him a lift! The lighthouse at Cape Reinga is perched 290-meters above the wild waves of Columbia Bank. This is where Maori souls leap into the sea and soar to "Hawaiki", the ancient land of Maori ancestors. It feels like we're standing on the edge of the world. Hey...there's a mailbox here! Not a bad view. The Cape Reinga Lighthouse is the end of the road in New Zealand's North Island. Let's boogie down the sand dunes! Ready to go? And he's off, sliding down the sand dune on a boogie board. Only in New Zealand could you create a high-adrenaline sport with a pile of sand. I think Hugh may have snagged a toe on a grain of sand. Dust to dust. Even though Hugh just ate a sand sandwich, the optimistic Irishman is forever smiling. If the slide down the sand dune doesn't get your heart pumping, the climb to the top certainly will. There goes Cherie. Who says you can only use a boogie-board in the waves? That's a whole lot of beach to boogie on. Ninety Mile Beach is an actual "designated highway." Is that a mirage in the Tasman Sea? Looks like someone didn't check the tide charts. We better not stay in this wet sand for long, or we'll be parked here for good. So this is why rental car companies won't let you drive the car on the beach. Do you think the insurance classified this as a "total loss"? Hugh thinks we can drive it out. All we need is a little push! Kids cooling off. The dramatic northern coast of New Zealand. Spiral shells. Shells designed by nature. The Tasman Sea along 90-Mile Beach. Off-roading. Hold on...I almost have it started. Which car do you prefer? Want to rent a wreck? Another one bites the dust. On the way down the coast we stumble upon these big boulders. Big rocks. Lush surroundings. Hugh takes a refreshing dip. What happens if we cross the river? Do we get attacked by giant bugs? Nature in the wild. How now little cow? The white cows all hang out together. Bad-ass black cows. Funky rocks. These rocks are out of this world! Waiting for wind. My friend Justin and his family moved to New Zealand. Big smiles from a little "Kiwi". The picturesque Mason Lodge in Kohu Kohu. It's where all the Maori Masons meet. New Zealand is peppered with tiny towns filled with charming architecture. The bustling main street in Kohu Kohu. Of course the church in Kohu Kohu is on Church Street. Breakfast with friends. When do shoes become art? The pier in Kohu Kohu. If your car gets stuck in New Zealand, the official policy must be "just leave it." A Maori carving off the side of the road. I think the eyes are following me. Watch out for "Kiwi". New Zealand's beaches are extraordinary. Is that a penguin washed up on the beach? Is that a jellyfish?