When I did my first trip to New Zealand in March of last year I really didn't expect too much. My daughter Nikki was there for a year and I really went to be able to visit and spend time with her. Little did I know what incredible adventure and beauty were awaiting me there as we spent 3 weeks living van life and exploring the breathtaking North Island. ✨
My first steps on a New Zealand beach were at magnificent Bethells Beach. It's a black sand beach and it was unlike anything I've ever seen before. The rocks jutting out of the ocean framing the beach were absolutely epic and much to my surprise like virtually every beach we visited in NZ there were no other people there.
It was so exciting trekking along the deserted path to the beach walking through the bush not knowing what you were going to find. I really hadn't researched anything about NZ so everywhere we went was a surprise and a new learning experience.
That's Nikki and her BF Jono leading the way along the path to the beach... you could hear the surf pounding and feel the energy of the fresh ocean air as you make your way to the beach.
We wandered about and discovered an amazing cave at the end of the beach.
It was absolutely incredible inside... dark, mysterious and mossy.
And the view from the inside to the ocean was stunning. It's mother nature's custom design for taking silhouette photos!
When the tide started shifting the surfers came out and they were so much fun to watch!
While we were hanging out we had a cicada literally drop on me while we were sitting on the beach. If you've ever been to NZ you'll know that the air is alive with the sounds of the cicada and birds. I was literally talking about how someone should make a sleeping app of them when this guy landed on my leg!
It's really incredible that this beach paradise is a one hour drive from Auckland. Without a shadow of a doubt the raw beauty of Bethells Beach set the bar high for a magical three weeks exploring the North Island of New Zealand. ✨
