Tauranga Bay – We stop at Tauranga Bay where we have a sea view from the van. This is a long bay with cliffs behind you and at the end of the bay. As the tide is on the way out, we go for a walk on the beach to the end of the bay where Don has a little explore of a cave.

Matauri Bay – OMG! A little bit of heaven on earth. We are camped right on the beach between two Norfolk Pines with views of the whole bay. So many colours of blue in the ocean, these photos do not do it justice. We have morning coffee looking out at the view, which is people surfing or learning to surf – the sound of laughter is filling the air, the sun is shining and the coffee is good. Even when the rain comes in as we walk up the steep hill to the memorial, it is still beautiful and it isn’t long before the sun comes out again. This is the pacific ocean and we have our first swim of our trip here. Just wonderful. Sunset and sunrise are just stunning. We both agree, this may be our favourite bay so far on our trip.

A Warrior remembered – At the end of the bay, a hill rises, at the top of which is a stunning memorial which commemorates the 1985 bombing of the Rainbow Warrior Greenpeace ship. Rainbow Warrior was moored in Auckland harbour preparing to lead a flotilla of yachts to Mururoa Atoll in an attempt to protest against French nuclear tests in the Pacific. Two bombs were planted on the hull by French Government agents. The first exploded just before midnight. Most of those on board managed to escape. However, one man, Fernando Pereira did not and he died on board the ship as she sunk. Rainbow Warrior was deemed to be unfit for sailing and she was scuttled offshore close to Matauri Bay. The memorial that sits at the top of the hill was created by Charles Booth and is made from local rocks. It was designed to represent a black rainbow of mourning and includes the ship’s propeller.