Arrival...and away I go

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Driving Discomfort

After 12 1/2 hours in the air, I finally arrive in Auckland. While the bad news is that you lose a day in transit after passing over the International Date Line, the good news is that you get in bright and early to get a full day of sightseeing in. So, off we go...

First, driving on the "wrong" side of the road. This I knew was going to be a challenge, but I just wasn't sure how much. A the start of this entry is a video of me trying to acclimate myself to this change to something has come as second nature to us all. The net of this is that yes, it is very much a challenge, but with practice (of which I've had plenty by now), it becomes fairly natural, with the exception of backing up (looking over your left shoulder doesn't help much), making turns at intersections (right turns cross 2 lanes...look left, then right, then left again), and no matter how many times I get in and get out of the car, the steering wheel is always on the right-hand side.

Anyhow, on to the trip. Once I nervously made my way north out of Auckland, I found the one lane twisting highways of the Northland region to be good for stretching my high speed driving skills and for taking in some dramatic scenery. Not sure if this sea gull was trying to send me a message. As you can tell in the pictures, the weather was absolutely brilliant.

My general approach to these open-ended trips where I've got the freedom to travel where I choose (as opposed to anything guided, or where the direction of the vehicle I occupy isn't directed influenced by me) is to find a great guidebook as a general list of sights to see and areas to explore, and improvise. In this case, since I'm completely on my own until my friend Greg arrives on the 14th, I figured I'd head up the east coast of the Northland region and down the west coast. And because I didn't have any reservations anywhere until the 12th, that left me the flexibility to stay wherever I thought it made sense.

All the photos taken were of things that caught my eye between all of the recommended "scenic" routes designated on the maps I have with me and other turn-offs I saw along the way. Feedback is welcome. 😊

At the end of this first long day, I came across a nice-looking hotel in the town of Tutukaka (try not to laugh). It's located about halfway between Auckland and the northern tip of the North Island along the eastern coast. The town was home to a small harbor where the local yacht club had just wrapped up a 2-day fishing competition, and the local bar (one of only 2) was "full-up" with the announcement of the winners in each category and so on.

I opted for a smaller venue just down the street, where I managed to score a nice meal of a filet of Dora with 2 pints of local beer on the side. I also met a nice Australian couple, where one was a former local and both were now living on the Gold Coast of Australia and working in the jewelry industry.

Anyhow, that's it for now. I'll be posting a select few of the pictures from this first day. The entries should be coming out more frequently as I go along, though Internet access isn't always right there when you need it. So, I appreciate everyone's patience, both with my sporadic entries and with in reading all the way to the end of this entry. The next few will likely be shorter.

Until next time, here's a map of the route I took on this first day.

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Photos

As You Wish
The Kiwis' way of saying yield

Surf's Up
Caught a couple of bros headed out to catch a few waves

Special Instructions
Found this sign on a gate leading to a frightened homeowner

Gandalf...
...is that you?

Boat out of Water
I found a few boats that were in the wrong place when the tide when out...