the farthest north

quite hot up there, though farthest north makes me think of the north pole and lots of snow and white bears. yesterday i journied up to the very tippy top of the north island. walked out to the lighthouse at the cape, saw where the tasman met the pacific. and it was beautiful and much less windy than it usually is (according to ted the bus driver). we also drove to the giant sand dunes where the driver produced boogie boards and we hiked up the most giant hill of sand ever just to slide back down again. my pockets were full of sand and lunch tasted distinctly gritty as well. and the we drove along the entire 90 mile beach (actually closer to 70 miles but still the name sticks i guess) in the giant bus or coach as they are called here, stopped to admire the wildness of the clouds and the perfect beach, some of the travelers even picked small shellfish out of the sand and ate them. right there. raw. i did not partake in this gruesome activity but took pictures for my friends of their stunned faces. and then dinner at a really authentic 'chippery' though i was told by an english guy that it would have been better if they had used newsprint to wrap everything instead of blank butcher paper. yum!