There and back again...A Northland Tale {Part 1}

Our tale starts on a couch somewhere in Wellington. With two keen travellers who have been bound to family life with two young uns, and where far-flung adventures have been pretty hard to come by in recent years. And so it was that they watched North, the TVNZ series by Marcus Lush, showing off some of the most gorgeous and quirky sights the Far North had to offer. And they made a pact. We will see these places they said. Together. And so it was agreed. And so it came to be.

Fast forward a year or so. Six eager travellers rose at the crack of dawn, anticipation brimming. The dawn cast its favour on their journey in a show of brilliantly splayed, golden light.

They entered through the magic flying portal that was to take them towards their destination, blissfully unaware of a near disaster as a hand reached out for them...creeping ever closer...

They narrowly escaped the clutches of the devious being, tucking into special dawn traveller fare, a treat of highly sugared donuts from Donut King.

Their magic flying experience passed uneventfully, and so began the next leg of their adventure, a long cruise up country in a machine worthy of christening the "Maloney-mobile".

The landscape soon changed and skyscrapers and harbour bridges fell away to be replaced by endless fields and tropical native bush.

Somewhere, quite far from anywhere, their hunger overcame them, and they pulled into the Dragon's Rest cafe to refuel empty tanks.

The littlest traveller crept outside, perching on tippy-toes to watch other travellers whizzing by in both directions, all intent on reaching their own destinations.

And so the travellers returned to the road, arriving at their destination later in the day. Immediately filled with awe and wonder. Could this amazing location really be their rest for the next 5 days? It hardly seemed possible.

 And it wasn't just the cottage that had them in awe. It was the view.

This view. The sound of Haruru Falls not only serenading their arrival, but it would also lull them into blissful slumber each night, a background lullaby even more soothing than the sound of constant rain on a tin roof would be.

They were quick to go and explore their new surroundings up close, marvelling at the power of this awesome force of nature, and their luck at finding themselves in such a special place.

The waterfall drew them in close to view time and time again, even at break of day when golden early morning light only shrouded them in greater glory.

And with a few small tweaks of the camera dial, frozen droplets could be turned into a silken sheath.

And back again.

There were little adventurers eager to be part of this early morning action.

But the same little bodies were safely tucked up under the comfort of their covers at day's close when the attraction of the falls called one keen traveller back for more.

For one last glimpse under starry skies.

To complete the day's journey through the eyes of this ever-giving, life-sustaining element.

But what of the travellers tucked up in their bed replenishing their energy? And their adventures?

Well...their journey had only just begun.