Kia Ora: 90 Mile Beach

Friday was a complete JAM PACKED day! We woke up early and drove for an hour and a half to 90 mile beach. Brittany and I think that 90 mile beach was one of the most fun things we have done on this trip. Pretty much there is a 90 mile beach that is a legal freeway that you can't swim on because it has car traffic!

I think what made it so much fun was that we were driving ON THE BEACH, which was beautiful, we had the music blasting, we were singing and dancing nonstop, and we were just enjoying the moment all together as James cruised on the sand. I loved it!!!

It was funny though because Ramona's car and Chris's van started driving right next to ocean water to pass us. They were driving SO FAST. But James just stayed on the sand next to the water because he knew that salt water damages the bottom of cars. Ramona and Chris were being wild and crazy!

After we drove on the beach freeway, we turned to go driving down a river to get to the sand dunes. But. . .Chris stopped too long in the soft sand and before we knew it, the van was STUCK in the sand. Everyone had to get out of all the cars and help to get the van unstuck. We had to literally dig out the sand under and around the van, because it was pretty sunken in and WASN'T moving. Lucky for us, some nice Maori men stopped in their 4-wheel drive car to help us. They went and found big logs to put under the wheels and then hooked up their car to our van to help drive it out. We were finally able to get it out, but it was a pretty close call. If it hadn't worked that last time we would of had to call someone to come tow us out. Whew, we were lucky!

It was pretty funny to see all 20 of us girls scooping up the sand all around the van. A lot of us were covered in mud too, because when the wheels would spin the wet sand would go flying EVERYWHERE! It was also interesting because we had a car of white guys drive right by us and not even offer to help. James said, "see Maori men will ALWAYS stop to help but the Pakiha men hardly ever will." ("Pakiha" is Maori for white man.) It is very true though, the Maori people are the most giving and serving people I have ever met in my whole life. They would give you anything you needed even if they didn't have that much to give!

After getting the van unstuck we drove to the sand dunes to go sand dunning! We took a bunch of boogie boards up on the sand dunes and rode them down the hill. It was actually kind of freaky, but a lot of fun. Sand was flying EVERYWHERE and got all in our mouths, ears, and eyes. At one point I was at the top of the sand dune and a HUGE sand storm came. The sand started pelting me so hard that all I could do was kneel down, put my board on the side of me, cover my face with my shirt, and sit there hoping that it would pass. I remember feeling really scared actually, because I literally couldn't move. The sand was completely over taking me and I just had to wait there hidden in my shirt hoping it would calm down. It finally did and I was able to ride down the hill on my board. I didn't climb back up again after that lol.

Once sand dunning was over, we drove to the northern most point of NZ. It was absolutely breath taking!! This is the very very tip of NZ where the Tasman sea and Pacific ocean come together. There is this cool sign that has all these labels which point out to the countries and areas all over the world from that point. It was amazing to see!

After the seeing the northern most point we went and ate fish and chips, saw a BEAUTIFUL beach as the sun went down, and drove back to our hostel to party. . .I mean sleep :).

Margo was set up to sit with Mitchel the whole drive
to 90 mile beach. She met him at Jame's house on our
Whanagrei trip a while back, and they hit it off back
then. Lucky for us, he was able to come visit for this
Friday and we all helped to get them in the same car
together so they could...catch up on life :)!!