Return to Waipu
Our return flight was just two days away and as much
as we hated to leave the Bay of Islands, we headed south, knowing we would
return to Waipu and camp at the beach at Waipu Cove.
We stopped in Waipu to talk with Betty at the Heritage
Center, for some more scones, and a bit of retail therapy at The Thistle
(a lovely store which also serves as the post office). We purchased a vest,
a painting, postcards, and a tile depicting a spot we'd hiked to on Waipu
Cove where greenlipped mussels can be gathered when the tide is right. We
spent the afternoon running and strolling on the beach, knowing that our trip
was coming to an end.
A word about our campervan: In spite of the poor maintenance
by the Maui Campervan folks, we were mightily impressed with the vehicle.
It took every hill with loads of power. The 5-cylinder Mercedes Benz diesel
engine got a hefty 22 miles to the gallon. It was relatively quite riding
and was generally well organized for basic self-contained travel. They are
just becoming available in this country. Compared to our '86 Toyota mini-home
which has trouble making it out our driveway, we think this is an RV (class
B) worth looking into.
