East Cape & A Journey Back in Time

New Zealand is a dream nation of endless scenery and natural landmarks bringing visitors from around the world and making Kiwis proud of what lies in their backyard. I can say that New Zealand as a first world country opposed to its neighboring Ausssies, is stuck back in time in a number of places with zero cell service, unsealed roads and even so quite breathing seems like it’s an audible sin. But out of all the places I have seen and experienced, nothing compared to the timewarp feeling I had when I motorbiked around the East Cape peninsula in the North Island.

The East Cape is not only home to the easternmost point of the country, and endless bays, but is a huge region of Maori culture and population. While Maori and Pakehas have found a way (that can be disputed) to coexist in the Land of The Long White Cloud, the East Cape felt like what New Zealand would be had the Europeans never set foot here. It’s an experience that can’t be explained in a few words like visiting Cape Reinga, it’s a spiritual and energy filled experience that you feel within the soul. Here are my experiences of what I saw and felt in images.

Starting Point: Gisborne

Poverty Bay in Gisborne marks the point of Captain Cooks landing site in Aotearoa and would change the history of New Zealand forever, as Maori eventually evolved to coexist with Pakeha.

Riding east of Gisborn quickly takes you back to a road right along the sea. On the perfect sunny day, this makes this the ultimate start to a road trip.

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Tolaga Bay

What is unique about Tolaga Bay isn’t only its wide bay and beautiful bright cliffs, but its Wharf is an icon of the town and region being the longest wharf in New Zealand at 660 meters. Taking a long stroll to the end was a reward on it’s own taking a nice panoramic view of both the sea and the cliffs above.

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Anaura Bay

Google Maps states that this was “THE” landing site of Captain Cook and because I didn’t actually find anything, I simply took in the beauty of the bay with my own eyes and was very much happy with that. But little did I know, Captain did make his SECOND landing right in this bay.

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Tokomaru Bay

I made a mandatory gas up, toilet, and coffee pit stop, minus the coffee since I found the Coffee at Cafe 35 quite overpriced with no ways to drink in. Sorry guys, I did make a nice road sandwich proped on the towns beach listening to the ways and enjoying the wide view of the bay. Didn’t walk around town, but it did look cute, quiet, and quaint. Wouldn’t mind having a simple quiet life here.

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Waipiro Bay

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East Cape Lighthouse

And Te Araroa

My final stop on a single day of motorcycle travel was in the cute small town of Te Araroa home to the largest Pokutukawa Tree.

With a front tire reaching it’s near end and understanding that the road to East Cape Lighthouse is all unsealed, I was left with a decision on whether or not I should go. But because this could be the first and last opportunity to go and discovering a $6 campground, I didn’t hesitate to make the ride. That ride was absolutely beautiful and insanely isolated. I set up camp for $6 overlooking the sea and set off for the East Cape Lighthouse on a long unsealed road, some of which hugs a cliffside over the sea. The lighthouse sits on a hill over private land overlooking the sea with views of the coastline further south. Surely would have been a regret not coming here.

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Waihau & Te Kaha

Next morning I crossed the northern edge of East Cape over to the Bay of Plenty riding back down towards Whakatane with a stop in Waihau for a quick gas up. Along the way, I stumbled upon a beautiful place to stop under a maze of beautiful coastal trees on a tiny beach.

Endless Marae and beautiful Maori woodwork

The main highlight of this journey around the East Cape was checking out the endless Marae, woodwork, and Maori settlements. It was this lengthy ride that allowed me to enjoy and embrace what life would have been if the Maori advanced on their own without European intervention. Only the motorway allowed way for a motorcyclist like myself, to ride and fully enjoy.

 

Endpoint: Whakatane

Many things I couldn’t photo alike the rest of my entire journey, only enjoyable with my own eyes. Even if I ride by and catch a glimpse for a mere few seconds. That’s the beauty of riding sometimes. The East Cape is an experience on it’s own. A time warp! Once you leave Gisborne, there is a really that takes you away the further into the peninsula you go until you are lost in time with the villages you visit accompanied by the beauty of the endless bays. East Cape, is surely a ride you don’t want to miss.