Meadows and mountains maybe but sand dunes are something that I never anticipated stumbling across in New Zealand.
Whilst on our way up to Cape Reinga, the northernmost tip of New Zealand, we were surprised to find sand dunes towering above us like golden mountains.
The textures made by the wind are so beautiful, I felt like I was walking through a textile installation.
Luke powered on up to the top …
I took the slower approach.
Luke started doing this survivor from a plane crash impression once I reached the top … it kind of freaked me out.
Video – Luke’s descent – 19 seconds
Video – My descent – 40 seconds
As we were about to leave, a Chinese man started frantically running towards us over the dunes – he was wet from the hip down and covered in sand. It turns out he had driven across the beach (you can do that here) but panicked as the tide came in. He ended up driving his 2 wheel drive hybrid electric RENTAL car off road to this point where he was heading straight into a river ….
Frightening.