We started the day with a short drive through the Waipoua Kauri Forest, stopping a couple of times for some short walks. The first was to see the Four Sisters (a group of four Kauri trees very close together) and Te Matua Ngahere (the second largest Kauri tree). A little further down the road is the very impressive Tāne Mahuta, the largest Kauri tree in New Zealand, which is thought to be around 2,000 years old. Scientists are currently working hard to fight Kauri Dieback disease, which has already killed thousands of trees across New Zealand.

Our target for today was to reach the north coast of the North Island. After many hours of driving (including 16km on a very bumpy gravel road) we reached the Kapowairua DOC (Department of Conservation) campsite in Spirits Bay.