In the end, it was a wee bit of a let down. British TV show Top Gear's episode featuring Northland has aired in New Zealand.
It was a little like parts of Lord of the Rings - big on scenic shots, not so much with the dialogue. In fact, unless you know the region well, it was a challenge to pick up exactly where host Jeremy Clarkson was.
For the record, Clarkson was racing from Coromandel to Spirits Bay on land, against fellow host James May who was on a yacht. Petrol versus wind power and all that.
There were few verbal references to Northland, one being host Jeremy Clarkson's observation about 90 Mile Beach not being 90 miles long.
And that was it. Although a hire car firm in Kerikeri got the plug to end all plugs when the episode diverted from its "we don't really want to reveal where we are" mantra to show the firm's name and phone number.