An early start, the alarm went off at 6.30 and we actually got up. No lying around, no quick snooze, we got up. Must be dreaming. After that, a relatively slow breakfast so that we packed the car and started by 8.30.
Auckland's rush hour is not something to fear, it turned out. More of a mid-week run to the shops than a two hour slog to travel a mile. The road north winds through forest and lush green grass covered hills in a the best bits of British roads all rolled into one sort of way. The guide book suggests the 160km drive from Auckland to Wharangei should take three hours . We were there in two. We continued at this hectic pace rushing past all sorts of attractions thinking we were making excellent time without realising you were meant to be stopping at some of these, hence the slower [book] time.
We almost passed the Bay of Islands turn and only a cup of coffee/toilet stop made us check our pace. As it happens you can't really see much of the Bay of Islands without partaking of an expensive boat trip as there are virtually no drivable roads in the vicinity. However we stopped for lunch in Paihia (pronounced: actually, we don't know, a "puh" and a "huh" with some vowels sounds, probably). 
We dropped into the local dive shop and asked about dive trips to the Rainbow Warrior wreck (the Greenpeace ship, famously sunk by the French Secret Service -- "I'm sorry, this has absolutely nothing to do with us!" -- in Auckland harbour and relocated to the Bay of Islands) but the woman said the underwater visibility was well under 10m and the water was only 13-16 degrees. Yikes! That's chilly, no thanks!
We booked ourselves into Kaitaia's YHA lodge and set off up the coast in that general direction. Almost straight away we were in Whaitangi nature reserve, a Kiwi [bird] habitat, though none poked their beaks out. The golf course [which can't do the nature reserve much good] has good views over the bay. At the end of a gravel road you reach Haruru Falls (Haruru was obviously a lesser Queen than Victoria -- or Niagara?).
We stopped at another dive shop in Kaikeri where the blokey ignored our inquiry about Suunto dive computers and gave us a spiel, mostly involving reading the marketing material in front of us, about Uwatec computers. I'm not strong enough to tell people to stop or to walk out.
Another stop at a petrol station, where I must have stood looking stupid at the petrol pump as the woman came out to help me, and we bought a good road map of New Zealand. This is a huge improvement over the tourist giveaways. It's a pleasure to read, though probably in a sad way.
We rolled into Kaitaia, in daylight, which turns out to be a one street town. Which is good as our lodge was on it. The choice of eateries was KFC (I feel obliged to mention it as it was next door and there was a delicious smell of fish and chips on the air which was very tempting until we noted the vendor); an expensive restaurant; two Chinese restaurants and a steakhouse that didn't advertise its prices. We went for the steakhouse and had pork and chicken.
Mainstreet Lodge, Kaitaia S35.10923
E173.26038 Elev. 7m. 
Copyright 2002 Ian Fitchet. All rights reserved.