New Zealand - coast north of Gisborne - 6 January 2010

We drove north of Gisborne only a short while to find quiet stretches of white sanded beaches mixed with farming and houses.

We stopped and walked around a few beaches until Makorori where I had an okay fun surf (I think it was that beach) before the wind picked up.

Tolaga Bay was very impressive. The beach was strewn with logs and flotsam with heaps of people swimming and lazing. We walked out on the pier which went for ages. The bay itself has two dramatic and high headlands on either end that stretch out far into the ocean.

Sponge Bay was differently dramatic, being a picture postcard perfect headland and an island. There was a great lookout affording amazing views of Sponge Bay and in the vast Poverty Bay.