A 44 seater coach can do that?

So we got ourselves organised for trip out onto 90 mile beach which is a big swizz as it's actually only about 90km. Apparently in the old days they reckoned they did 30 mph with horse and cart up the beach and it took them 3 days to get from one end to t'other - they forgot to take account of wet sand slowing them down and then noone bothered to change the name.

Anyway book said it was a gravel track up to Cape Reinga and hire cars not allowed so we thought we better do tour. Have just checked and guidebook is 3 yrs old - gravel track now road so we could have driven ourselves but nevermind - if we had done that we would not have experienced our bus journey.

We were picked up at 0930 having been told it was a good job we were doing the trip today as all 3 roads out if here were blocked by wash outs due to the cyclone. Our company was apparently the only ones brave/stupid enough to go out today. Off we went and in 5 mins we were zooming off down the beach at 100 km/hr which was fun in a bus.

We stopped for some piccies and the driver said something about the normal route going up a small stream and we had got so close we might as well go and give it a try. Then the real fun started. Now we've done 4WD trips and loved them but we has no idea a BUS could 4WD the water spray came up to top of window, we tried to see if we had missed snorkel in front of bus but no.....

We went round in circles for a bit as the driver said there were some surges he was trying to time- this did not fill me with confidence.....made it through that bit only to look out window and just had time to say to Martyn "hmmmm I dont think we're going any further" before the driver said "woooaaahh, hold on folks" and swung the wheel hard. I swear we only had wheels on one side on the ground. There was a very big wave, the bit of road we were supposed to exit on was instead something of a raging torrent and a stick got stuck in the air vent. This was apparently v bad as it may have resulted in the brakes sticking on and we has to keep moving as we were on quicksand!!!!!!!!

After numerous more requests to "hold on folks" we made it back to the beach for some quick bus repairs.

Rest of day quite boring really, just tootled on up to lighthouse and back. Martyn loves bus driver though as he scheduled stop for ice cream on way back!

Sun came back out again but it is blustery and I needed a jumper which is a bit much.

Oh, and Martyn and i are having an ongoing debate ..... Cheese and apple - which tastes best? He says cheese then apples, I say apple then cheese. This is serious stuff you know.