Kahoe

On the way back south after Cape Reinga, I hopped off the bus in little Kahoe, by Whangaroa Harbor, while the rest of the tourists dutifully rode back to Pahia. It turned out to be one of the nicest stops of the trip. Kahoe Farms is a very comfortable little hostel. It was a small group of guests and everyone was really able to make friends. Without exception, everyone there stayed longer than intended. One couple planned to spend two or three days of their four week trip in Kahoe and they ended up staying two weeks. My one day stopover easily morphed into three. Stephano, the host/chef is really personable and he organized pickup soccer games as well as drama filled livestock races. He had a small pack of kune kune pigs, which are an interesting story in themselves.

The area, like so many in NZ, has some unusual volcanic formations and some nice hikes leading to them. One of the absolute highlights, though, is the walk to the rock pools. I followed a small trickle of a stream (crystal clear, natch) into a valley where the water dropped into three consecutive pools. You can only see part of two in the photo, but they made the most amazing natural swimming pools. The water is clear and fresh and the pools are so deep, I couldn't find the bottom. I could safely dive in and swim short laps in these possibly bottomless pools.


Another great activity in Kahoe is kayaking. There is the beautiful Whangaroa Harbor with its tiny entrance, volcanic formations, and clear water, but I opted for the mangrove kayaking. I went the other direction, away from the ocean, and found a huge swath of mangrove trees to explore. Quietly snaking through these high-tide routes was really great and I got a good look at several kingfishers. Then, as the tide turned, I just drifted and let the retreating ocean bring me back out.

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