The ‘KAIPARA TRIP’

Sunday January 8^th. We travelled from near and far and gathered at Shelly Beach (a little bit North from Parakai), to await the arrival of the ‘Kewpie Too’ from Helensville. As soon as all were aboard, we headed north to the Kaipara Heads and then onto Puoto Point. At Puoto Point, we left the boat and boarded a bus for a trip round to the old lighthouse. The lighthouse was built in 1884, and is the last wooden lighthouse built in New Zealand. For the short trip up to the lighthouse there were 2 options: - to walk up or to take the beach buggy. Some of us took the second option and wished we hadn’t, it was an adventure in itself. The views from the lighthouse were stunning. We stopped for a lunch break here. All too soon, the bus was back, and we made our way back down the dunes and headed out to the coast to see a couple of the many ships wrecked trying to cross the Kaipara Bar. Then back to Puoto Point and to reboard the Kewpie Too for the return trip.

The Kaipara Harbour is the largest enclosed harbour in the Southern Hemisphere with a shore line in excess of 3200 kilometres. It has 5 rivers feeding into it.

The Kewpie Too was built in Opua in 1958. It used to the ‘Hole in the Rock’ Trip and the ‘Cream Trip’. There is also a royal connection in that; there is a photo in the Maritime Museum of the Queen boarding the Kewpie Too, during her visit here in 1963.

Thoughts about the day. It was a great day out and good to catch up with friends. Well worth doing.