Rae Roadley explores eastern Kaipara's coastal loop via Waipu and Mangawhai

It dawned on us how glittering the Waipu-Mangawhai coast has become.

Sometimes it can feel as if we live near the border of two countries and this is most evident when we show off our part of the world to visitors.

This summer the farmer and I hosted an Auckland couple we'd met on our overseas holiday. We had no idea whether they knew the north well or not. The answer was not for decades.

As we live miles down a dead-end road, on day one we all met in Maungaturoto and set off on the coastal loop via Waipu and Mangawhai.

The pale Kaipara has its own magic.

Turns out the last time Mr Holiday Friend had been in the area was four decades ago and he had memories of not much more than a dairy. He was well pleased.

Just as we'd done in Spain, we meandered around the Waipu market and poked into shops before enjoying a yummy cafe lunch at The Cove. Then on via Langs Beach with a jaunt into its suburbia, then the pretty countryside that leads to Mangawhai.

It was a sparkling, blue-sky day. The glittering ocean showed off its sprinkling of islands to perfect effect. The coastal views were at their best at Mangawhai Heads where happy holidaymakers splashed and sunned.

After a stop at the bustling grocery store, we ambled to the other side of the Kaipara countryside.

■ Rae Roadley writes a weekly column for the Northern Advocate.

How to describe it? Last week I collected a kitten from the Vet Centre and the vet jokingly said it was heading for life in the 'boondocks', a word whose meaning I've been inspired to discover. It's an American term for "a remote and inaccessible area" and is based on "bundok", the Filipino — or Tagalog — word for mountain which found its way into US soldiers' vocab during its war with the Philippines.

Who knew America fought against the little Philippines? Not me.

In 1899, the folk of the Philippines, then a republic, took issue with the Treaty of Paris which enabled the US to claim it from Spain — and which ended the Spanish-American War.

They won the war against the Philippines but nasty scuffles ensued and the country finally gained independence in 1916.

During the war, the Filipinos used the mountains to their advantage and the word 'boondocks' earned its place in the US dictionary.

But back to that day when, tailed by our guests, we headed along our gravel road to the boondocks of Batley and en route the difference from the groomed eastern Kaipara was evident. There's the dusty gravel road, forestry blocks, kikuyu, bigger farms, more kikuyu, the harbour which is mostly a paler blue than the Pacific. It has its own magic.

On day two we meandered around the farm then, after diversions to the pretty harbour villages of Whakapirau, Paparoa and Pahi, headed for The Kauri Museum. Despite their long absence from rural Northland, our friends knew of it and wanted to see it.

The farmer and I have been there often, but hadn't visited for a while. And, once again, we were proud and impressed. Mrs and Mrs Holiday Friends said it was the highlight of their weekend.

Then we finished with dinner at the Paparoa Hotel's café, The Thirsty Tui. The farmer and I had eaten well there in the past and hoped for a repeat. We badly wanted pub grub on the less fancy side of Kaipara to look good, taste good and impress our friends. Just like last time, our meal was delectable and stylish — and way classier than you'd expect in the boondocks.