East coast Pacific Highway.........Hicks Bay

Isolated and beautiful.  The coast and mountains are stunning. A day of rain on the way to Hicks Bay spoilt the journey a little but the first day in to our short sejour and 27C blue sky stunner. 35k, and 20 on gravel to East Cape lighthouse in the morning. After hugging the coast a 700 step up to the bottom of the lighthouse.  1st place to get sunrise in the world...it said!
Back in the afternoon  to Hicks Bay and Oneapua beach to soak up the sun,swim and chill.
The diggs owner is a triple marathon man with a record 2h 11 min in 1969 I think it said. Also has a helicopter that landed in the tail end of a cyclone on a piece of sloping grass not much bigger than a postage stamp. Not to be outdone he did it again in the dark, by searchlight only ,at about 9pm. Incidentally 9 is bed time out here! Helicopter  parted both days outside the huts at 5am, so nothing antisocial.
Hicks accommodation resembles a 1960s isolation hospital but the whole feel of the place, including food was special. No Internet so out of communication until we arrived today here in Tokamu bay at the Stranded in Paradise,  back packers.

 Our digs for the 2 days!