The unmade gravel road wound for several miles through dairy and sheep farms, gentle rolling countryside reminiscent of England. At its end, incongruous and mysterious, stood Puketi Forest, a remnant of the vast, thousand year-old woodland that once covered northern New Zealand.  Puketi is home to one of the grandest species of tree, the kauri.  Topping out at more than fifty meters, some kauri live for more than 2,000 years and are sacred to the Maori people.  I parked my car and strolled for an hour among these ancient giants, getting thoroughly soaked by the mid-morning rain.

A few hours and thirty miles later the sun was shining as I strolled on the beach at Matauri Bay.   A few hardy surfers were in the water but I had the stunning strand to myself.  The contrasts are striking in what New Zealanders call Far North.  Pristine beaches, subtropical forests, pretty farmland, towering cliffs, and stunning coastline – all within the space of a few miles.  And if, as I did, you visit at the end of autumn, you get to see it all without the crowds.  The weather might be a little unpredictable – four seasons in a single day is typical – but it’s a tiny price to pay to have this paradise to oneself.

In the late afternoon I was the sole passenger on the ferry from Paihia to Russell, docking there in warm sunshine with lots of time before dinner to explore the small town.  It boasts the oldest church in New Zealand with a gravestone marking the burial place of Hannah Letheridge, “the first white woman born in New Zealand”.  Having fun can be hungry work, so I settled down at The Gables for delicious fish and chips overlooking the dock.  My reward?  The most perfect sunset to end my day in Far North.