Along the beach at Bruce Bay, we passed hundreds of stone and drift wood sculptures. We contemplated a swim, but the sand flies kept messing with us so we kept driving.
Pulled over at Knight’s Point to see some amazing views and eat Rice Bubbles (rice crispy squares). Sawyer was pleased to listen to the radio, which had good reception for a change.
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Down the mountain from Knight’s Point we drove past coastal plains, lagoons, dunes, and rainforest wetlands. Take a moment to reflect on New Zealand’s topographic diversity. Recall that just this morning we stood at the foot of a glacier.
We stopped at Ship Creek where the sand flies are ferocious. After a liberal application of bug repellant, we walked through the kahikatea swamp, considered one of the best representations of Mesozoic-era swamp forests anywhere. Presumably, anywhere outside the Mesozoic. Filmmakers, geologists, and Michael Crichton fancy the area.
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Hillery took the dune walk along the beach while I cooked dinner with the kids.
In the campervan, we hid from the sand flies and had dinner. I took the dune hike while Hillery did the dishes. We put some miles behind us after dinner. SH6 turned eastward away from the coast and up through the mountains. We saw very few cars on this woodsy stretch of road. On the shoulder were beautiful ferns, shrubs, and bushes, giving Hillery the impression the highways had been landscaped.
The kids fell asleep and we drove onward into the dark, eventually stopping at the Cameron Flat Department of Conservation campsite. Glad to be away from the sand flies, the mountain breeze filled up our senses and sent dark clouds rolling over peaks silhouetted by the dwindling dusk.
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