New Zealand – the first 12 days! - english version

The first 1,5 week are over and we already have seen and experienced so much. :)

We started in Auckland. After one day we bought this car – our new home for the next four months. We did a few repairs and off we were! :)

Home sweet home!

Auckland is just a big city like any other city, therefore there are no pictures and there is not much to say about it. After four days we left Auckland heading north. Fabio, Marleen and Mario (The name of our car :) ).

One thing Marleen can tell you, Fabio was really right, New Zealand is just amazing, the nature, the landscapes, just a dream!! Lushes green and fields and cows and sheep on the meadows and the possum, which are sleeping on the roads – at least that’s what Fabio is always  saying, when we see one that is lying very thin on the road.. :/ and the weather is really annoying. The clouds in the sky leave us freezing, long pants and fleece jacket have to be worn. But when the sun is coming out you would like change your clothes in a second! You feel like going for a swim, it´s getting soo hot!! You need the onion look! :D

Aaaand… the movie „Lord of the rings“ could have been shot anywhere here, it just looks everywhere like in the movie, JUST EVERYWHERE!!!!! 

We love New Zealand!!! And we are looking forward to the next four months!!

Waipu Caves – without a torch it´s just black!

Our first stop was at the Waipu Caves . Everybody told us that you need 1 hour to get in and out of the cave, we don’t know, but we finished the trip after 25 minutes - it was just too dark,  narrow, muddy and…! :D After 10 meters in the cave you couldn’t see anything without a torch, not even your own hand in front of your eyes, scary. The only thing you could see was the hundreds of glow worms.

Hunderwasser toilets

Whangarei (speak Fangarei)

Next stop was Whangarei. We were so lucky, that Marleen had to pee, otherwise we had missed the “Hundertwasser toilets” :D

Of course we didn’t miss the short walk to the Whangarei Falls! :)

Whangarei

Sandy Beach – Freedom camping

Our first experience with freedom camping. No sign that it is forbidden to camp there and there were already other backpackers. We had the beach close to us. After a quite night we used our gas cooker for the first time – we had poridge with fresh fruit!

Sandy Beach

Cape Reinga – Two days trip to the most northern point of New Zealand

From Paihia we did a two day trip to Cape Reinga. That is the most northern point of the mainland of New Zealand. After a few quick stop on a DOC (Department of Conservation) campground we met this german couple, Madeleine and Benjamin GANDALF :D, our new companions for the next two days. Same Car, same age, all was fine and therefore we enjoyed the days together and shared the fun! :)

We had a stop and stayed the night on the camp site at Rarawa Beach - the whitest beach in New Zealand :) – we drove – NON STOP 105 km – to Cape Reinga.

Rarawa Beach

We arrived at the camp site and packed very fast all the things we needed and started our two our (one way) walk to Cape Reinga. It would be more beautiful if there were no mountains :D Up and down and up and down again and up again, that way backpacking is more than fun! :D but really .. we had fun, eamlike views and at the end we were rewarded by the most northern point! :)

Our way from "here we are" to number four!

Break on the beach!

Find Marleen :)

After a quick break and a few pictures we were on our way back to the camp, where a cold shower and delicious pasta waited for us! :) At the end of the day we had a beer with Madeleine and Benny!

Fabio, Marleen, Madeleine and Benny

Unfortunately we didn´t do any sandboarding or driving along the 90 mile beach because of the bad weather… :/ we will do it next time! ;)

Paihia – our first job in the hostel

A small cute village, not much to do, but enough for hanging around for a while. We will do some trips to Russel and Kerikeri. We will stay here for the next few days, because we got our first job in the hostel for free accommodation!! But we will tell you more in the next post – stay tuned! ;)