Smugglers Cove

As our car had to be returned to Auckland on the 29th we headed south and stopped over in Whangarei, which was situated a few hours south of the Bay of Islands. That morning we headed back to Whangarei heads, an area of nature reserve, parkland and beaches, which we had visited a couple of weeks earlier. The area was gorgeous and we decided to do smugglers cove track, a hike which took us round the eastern headlands, finishing in a gorgeous white sand beach. The day was boiling with temperatures reaching the high twenties so it was a relief to reach the beach at the end and soak our feet. After the hike we grabbed some lunch at a pub overlooking the bay and Mt Mania and then headed further south. We eventually ended up in a town on the outskirts of Auckland - Orewa, which was heaving with holiday makers and people enjoying the sunshine and the holiday season.The first camp ground we tried was full but luckily the only other camp ground in the town had just enough space for our small two man tent. We pitched our tent and slept soundly, both tired from our day.