Penrose office to Kerikeri private car — Sarah's holiday

The usual late morning hustle was just starting to thin out around Penrose as I pulled up. December heat was already pressing down, making the tar shimmer. Sarah M. was waiting right by the entrance of the office building, looking surprisingly fresh given the humidity. She had a small, well-packed overnight bag and a light sunhat already on, the kind that suggests she knows exactly what she’s doing when it comes to Northland summers. She was heading to Kerikeri for a few days of what she called 'decompression' after a particularly manic year.

She’d booked me sort of last minute, she mentioned, having decided on a whim to escape the city before the real Christmas rush hit. Her plan was simple: check into a nice B&B she’d found near the Stone Store, spend a couple of days wandering, maybe catch a ferry to Russell for a bit, and then head back to Auckland before the weekend. No fixed agenda, just peace and quiet. It sounded like just the ticket after a tough year, and I could see the anticipation in her eyes as we set off north. The traffic out of the city was its usual December self – a bit sluggish through the Bombay Hills, but once we cleared the main Auckland sprawl and hit the open State Highway 1, things started to flow.

We had a good run through Warkworth and Wellsford. I always like that stretch of SH1 as it opens up into rolling green farmland. Sarah pointed out a particularly striking old villa perched on a hill, and we chatted briefly about the changing landscape. She told me she worked in early childhood education, which explained her calm demeanor – you’d have to be pretty unflappable to manage a classroom of toddlers. She mentioned how much she loved seeing kids discover new things, and how she hoped to find some of that same sense of wonder herself in Kerikeri. “Just want to see some proper green and blue without concrete everywhere,” she’d said with a small smile.

Around Whangārei, the road starts to feel more familiar, narrower in places, winding its way north. I stopped at a small roadside café just past the city for a much-needed coffee and a stretch. Sarah opted for a cool drink and sat outside, taking in the wide blue sky. It was one of those perfect Northland days – warm, breezy, not too intense. We didn't talk much during this time, just enjoyed the brief respite. Back on the road, the kilometres to Kerikeri seemed to melt away faster as the scenery became more lush and coastal, hinting at the beauty of the Bay of Islands. She told me about a small art gallery she’d heard about in Kerikeri, and how she hoped to find a unique piece to take home, something that reminded her of this trip.

There was a moment, as we drove through the citrus groves just before Kerikeri, where the air smelled sweet and heavy with blossom. Sarah was quiet for a bit, just looking out the window. Then she turned to me and said, almost to herself, “This is it. This is what I needed.” It wasn't a profound statement, but there was a deep sense of peace in her voice. You could tell she was letting go of the city stress with every mile we covered. The final stretch into Kerikeri felt serene, the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees lining the road. I dropped her at the entrance to her accommodation on Cobham Road, a charming-looking place with a sprawling garden. She thanked me, her smile genuine and relaxed now, a world away from the slightly tense figure I’d picked up earlier that morning. As I turned the car around to head back towards Auckland, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows, and I felt a quiet satisfaction. Sometimes, it’s the simple journeys, the ones where someone just needs to breathe, that feel the most meaningful.