Taharangi Marie Lodge Ahipara

... in Ahipara sahen wir dann uebrigens unsere ersten Wellensurfer. Aber die Wellen waren zu klein...

Achja und heute hat sich mein Cerbellum nochmal gemeldet. Zu Hause schalte ich beim Bremsen und Ausrollen des Autos oft schon in den 1. Gang. Voellig in Gedanken habe ich heute das gleiche mit unserem Auto gemacht. Dabei habe ich dann gelernt, dass man einen Automatikwagen besser nicht beim Rollen auf P stellt... Hat schoen geschaukelt unser Auto... :o)

... fast, hinter der einen Wolke am Horizont schon den Philip von Fiji winken gesehen zu haben, in dessen BeachsideRESORT Emanuel und ich die ersten Naechte verbringen werden). Zurueck zu den Meeren konnte man tatsaechlich gut erkennen, wie die Wellen von 2 Seiten aufeinandertreffen und Strudel verursachen.
Auf dem Rueckweg sind wir nach kurzem Stop in schon wieder einer tollen Bucht noch zu einem Kauri-Museum gefahren. Dort wurde uns gezeigt, wie frueher die ersten ...

From Ahipara we drove down the west coast to Rawene a tiny town with nothing of intrest but a lovely but basic camp. I got photos of the most amazing sunset I have ever seen (photo to follow). We did a nice hke up to wh********* falls and then as the day was pretty **** drove down to the Wipou forest. We were going to go to Russell for the wekend from here but the storms were quite bad and I did not want to be going out to sea on a ferry!!! Big girl I know ...

... spirits in the form of word and song, it was incredible to be standing within metres of these massive structures, and the a dull grey silhouette, listening to the Maori language. And for a moment there was silence. A stillness which echoed throughout the forest, broken by a rustle of the leaves (ignoring the restlessness of some people). At the second tree the guides also played a recorder like instrument which harmonised with the song of praise. With eyes closed the gap ...

We took the 5 minute, $12 car ferry over the bay from Russell to Paihia. Here we tried to sort out this flipping fridge in our van at a garage and with a 'mobile fridge specialist' but to no avail. The fridge had officially died. So with the harrowing prospect of warm beer we trundled though a depressingly foggy Paihia to see the site where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed (from outside the gate to save ...

... visited by cows, deeps hoff prints in the ground making getting down again treacherous. After slipping over for about the 3-4 time I started to wish i had the cows steady feet and unworried step. Then I remember that although if I fell and broke a leg it would be bad, if I was a cow and fell and broke a leg they'd shoot me in the head and make burgers. I stopped wanting to be a cow and made it back to the hostel with only slight cow issues but no more cow envy.

... not proper summer yet) * Spent some quality Hammock time which was good * Tomorrow i'm getting the bus as far north as you can go (without leaving New Zealand, except for the other bit which is further north but you can't go there), thats why i needed some money, they won't take you for free. * Bloody bites are still annoying me - I hate insects!

... were going to turn up at any time. We eventually found what we thought was the house in darkness with all the curtains open, no number, no purple post box anywhere. So I gingerly tried the keys and I opened the door standing in the doorway shouting "is there anyone there"? as the place looked lived in and when we got no answer we went in and looked around and found the visitors book with our friends names in so we new we were in the right place.

July 9th We had booked the tour the night before. If ever you go to Kataiya in New Zealand I strongly advise you to take a bus tour along 90 mile beach. For 45$ you get to see the beach, the dunes, cape reanga, eat lunch (which is provided) and the whole ride is made enjoyable by a very a comodating bus driver. 90 mile beach isn't really ninety miles long but 9 kilimiters and very long. Cars arn't allowed to ...

... euch also vorstellen. Eigentlich wollte unser Captain da auch durchfahren, aber die Stroemung war viel zu stark, leider. Wenn wir vorne an der Reling gestanden sind, mussten wir uns mit beiden Haenden festhalten, sonst haetts uns weggeblasen. Aber es war richtig geil!! Lunchpause gab's dann auf der Insel Urupukapuka in der Otehei Bay, hoert sich toll an, nicht? Auf dem Weg zurueck sahen wir dann sogar noch Delphine, aber ...