Waihau: Boy, Rockpools and salty sea dogs

Approximately 1o0kms from Opotiki is Waihau Bay.

Waihau was used as a film location in one of my favourite New Zealand films; BOY.

American readers – this movie is apparently coming to the USA this March – you MUST see it if you are at all interested in New Zealand, Michael Jackson, the 80’s or just want to watch a darn good comedy-drama. Take a look at the trailer on the link above.  I love it!

(My other favourite NZ film is World’s Fastest Indian with Anthony Hopkins playing Burt Munro – a kiwi who set land speed records on an Indian scout motorcycle at the Utah salt flats in the 50/60s.)

Back to Waihau..

We found a nice cheap place to park up the KiwiBlogBus for the night; a field under a gigantic pohutakawa tree, just over the road from the ocean.
The owner was busy milking his one cow and tending his impressive market garden as he took our $10 payment.

The dogs and the nine-year-old wanted to go and explore the rock pools so we went to see how wet we could get.

Or maybe that wasn’t the actual intention we set out with.

The next day saw us head towards Cape Runaway and then leave the coast for a few hours drive inland through Manuka covered hillsides before arriving back at the coast near Hicks Bay.

My next post will include the largest Pohutukawa tree in New Zealand and one of the most ornate Maori churches in the country.

The East Cape… to be continued.