From the fact that it is a bay which is full of islands. Smart, eh? Anyway, we went there today on our bikes to take in the amazing scenery. This shot was taken at a viewpoint high above Matauri Bay, from a road that is known as the Million Dollar View Road. It is worth every single penny!

After three weeks on the road bones and muscles hurt and ache. Thankfully Ken brought his wife to help him stretch...

Even more relaxing than the gymnastics session was our picnic. We had the national dish - fish & chips - in a perfectly fitting location: on a boat!

Tour guide Alan went out to fish some dory and deep sea bass, deep fried it along with some chopped-up potatoes, and served it steaming hot. Thanks Alan!!!

After a picnic lunch people usually resort to a variety of strategies to digest, relax and regain their strength to ride the bike again. Gilberto and Espe lounge on the sofa...

... Amber takes a nap in the sun...

... and Ken checks his mails.

Then came the final highlight of this day: the Old Russell Road, 70 km of curves and views, truly a delight for every rider.

Stephan, Gilberto and tour guide Thomas didn't even try to resist the temptation and went fast...

"Los Tres Locos" Gilberto scraped a bit of metal off his bike. Don't worry Gilberto, we won't charge you for that... Scott and Susan, arriving at the viewpoint

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Today the group decided they would like some extra fun and adrenaline, so they joined a guided quad bike tour on 90 Mile Beach. The guide took us not only to the beach, but also to the top of a giant sand dune, where we enjoyed spectacular views. It was an challenging, exhilarating ride! (photos by Alan Magnoni)

Here are the quad bikes, lined up on the beach, waiting for the adventure to begin So here we go, let's ride! Stanley is not sure what he got himself into... Ken and Amber from Texas Stephan from Switzerland "Los Zapateros de Chiapas en Nueva Zelanda" At first glance it looks like an easy ride... ... but it turns out to quite rugged. But we made it to the top of the dune, and the reward was an amazing view down to 90 Mile Beach and the Tasman Sea. Look at those happy faces! Una vista muy bonita! Quad bikes are by far the best way to experience 90 Mile Beach After returning from the sand dune Ken and Amber chill out on the beach...

After this grand adventure the next highlight already waited for us: Cape Reinga, the northernmost point of New Zealand - well, sort of. It is a beautiful ride to the famous lighthouse, especially on a warm and sunny day like today.

Cape Reinga lighthouse Tour guide Alan likes to look at the world through his orange sunglasses. Cape Reinga looks great even without additional color. The famous signpost on the cape tells you how far away you are from home. They made it to the far, far north: the group at Cape Reinga

It is only the second time that we do the North Island extension, an extra week of riding in this beautiful country. We have a closer look at Coromandel Peninsula and cover everything that lies north of Auckland, like Whangarei, the Kauri Forest, 90 Mile Beach, Cape Reinga and the Bay of Islands. Here are some impressions of the first three days:

Stanley's RT pulled over in Coromandel Town for a chat with a local Kawasaki and a Ducati Diavel from Auckland. Ken, Amber, Stanley and Stephan on the Coromandel Coast The Lakes Resort in Pauanui, our home for one night. Only one night, unfortunately... This hotel has "Villas" instead of rooms... Stanley's camera is broken but he keeps taking pictures nonetheless. This is Stephan from Switzerland, trying to capture the beauty of Piha Beach. Piha is one of the most popular surfing beaches in New Zealand Whangarei, the biggest city in Northland, has a very pretty marina. The unusual "Cafe Eutopia" serves great coffee! At 105 km Ripiro is New Zealand's longest beach. During low tide it also serves as a road! Kauri wood and Swamp Kauri Gum are great souvenirs from Northland Tane Mahuta, or Lord of the Forest, is the largest remaining Kauri tree in New Zealand. Looking at this giant makes you feel very, very small. A lovely place for a lunch break Gilberto and Esperanza from Mexico feel right at home at this fantastic beach. 90 Mile Beach, which is actually "only" 95 km long, is the most famous beach in all of NZ. Tomorrow morning we want to go quad biking there. Watch this space!