Today our aim was to travel to the most northerly tip of North Island, which we did.
We travelled along Highway 60, over a mountain called Takaka Hill. We stopped briefly at a lookout point which gave amazing 180 degree views of Kaiteriteri and Motueka.
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View over valley from Takaka Hill
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On Takaka Hill are some strange limestone rock formations which with water erosion have created a huge cave network underground. One of these caves Ngarau Caves we were able to visit which was fantastic, lots of stalactites and stalagmites, crystals and dead bird skeletons.
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An unusual rock formation
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Coral on the stalagtites in the cave
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The Ngarua Caves
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Luke coming out of the pothole
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When we came out of the pot hole the tour guide pointed out where an area where they had been filming Hobbit last week!! Takaka Hill was an area where some Lord of the Rings filming was also done.
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The Hobbit was filmed here!!
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From the caves we drove towards Puponga along the beautiful Golden Sands coastline. In places the sand is almost bright orange.
Puponga was a beautiful small community with lovely picturesque mud sand flats out to Farewell Spit a 40km long spit at the most northerly point of North Island.
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Puponga
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Puponga
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The drive back to Motueka along the same stretch of road was equally beautiful but seemed long and windy.
visit the ingleborough caves when you return
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