As far East as it gets
Trip Start
May 18, 2003
1
86
272
Trip End
Ongoing
Motor Camp, Gisborne, North Island,
New Zealand
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
...As I drifted in and out of sleep during the early morning I thought I could hear the sound of sheep outside the tent, so I listened to try and work out if the sounds were getting louder (closer) or not. After concluding that we were in no real danger of an angry farmer shouting "Get aarf my laaaand" there didn't seem to be a reason to wake up Robert and Sebastian so I just went back to sleep. By the time we were up and out of the tent a couple of hours later there was no sign that there had been any sheep around.
Packing up did not take long and we decided to hit the road before having breakfast. We were heading for the lighthouse that is the most easterly in New Zealand (and hence the world). The unsealed road along the way was not much fun to drive on, especially as we knew that we had to drive back the same way on this dead end bumpy track
EastCape11
. Thankfully the passing scenery in the morning sun was very pleasant on the eyes.Once at the lighthouse car park it was a short walk up steps to the top to get a great panoramic view. The lighthouse was originally located on the nearby island with some other houses. When the houses started to get reclaimed by the sea due to erosion the inhabitants thought it was high time to move the lighthouse to the mainland.
On the way back from the lighthouse we found a spot on the side of the road to park and set up for breakfast on the beach. It was our usual menu of porridge with fruit. You can't beat breakfast from a camping stove - it always tastes like the best breakfast you have ever had.
Back on the road we headed for Gisborne - New Zealand's most easterly city (and hence the world...you can see a theme developing here). Having roughed it a little last night we headed for a motor camp next to the waterfront, where we could get a decent shower. After pitching the tent we walked into town to stock up on supplies and I noticed the brightly painted band room on a side road we passed. On closer inspection you could actually see portraits of the band members.
After shopping and cooking dinner back at the motor camp kitchen we booked a surfing lesson for 7am the next morning. Before going to bed we settled down to our first game of Settlers during this tour, something we were going to be playing a lot of during the next few days.
