Northland

My first trip off the continent and into the land of New Zealand to study and explore!

... and good surf beach, where the first Scottish Presbyterian settlers arrived in New Zealand via Nova Scotia in the 1850s. Whangarei Northland's capital. The town itself is not much to look at really (although it has kindly named a street after me!), ...

The rain that was simply heavy in Auckland yesterday was devastating in the Northland, flooding homes and farms.  It was the result of 2 storm systems meeting over the north, what the meterologists here called an 'egg-beater' system.  We were ...

We spent a ridiculous amount of time in Northland. Too much probably. We started by hitchhiking. We went up to Whangarei first. Spent time at his nice little hostel called Bunkdown Lodge where we made asses of ourselves...hence why we had to leave. ...

... feature of this part of our trip was the wondrous kauri tree (a species of pine). Kauri forests once covered the Northland, but since the Europeans arrived they have been decimated. The timber was used for building, furniture, everything, and the gum ...

I am so excited it's ridiculous. Exhilerated at the thought of freedom. My first rental car. I phoned last night before the cosiness of a proper family home could envelope me and booked it. $45 a day plus $10 a day to reduce the excess to $100. ...