The East Cape

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DATE VISITED: 30TH DECEMBER 07 It took a good few hours to get from Rotorua to our first stop at the East Cape which was on the East Coast around the corner. The hostel was right by the sea and our pitch was in their garden along with a few other tents. Some other travellers were here and we shared a few beers chatting and exchanging tips that night.. The host was really relaxed and made us feel real welcome. We loved the outdoor kitchen where making my vegetarian curry was a treat with a sea view and accompanying breeze! The outdoor shower was refreshing too!

The journey to here was long but worth it for the coastal views and quite hilly and rugged hill terraine (the forested mountains in the distance were pretty too!). The roads were windy but with amazing sea viwes and vast empty landscapes it helped pass the time!

We wanted to see this east region to experience rural New Zealand where there are no towns for miles and just endless vast valleys and views afar - we were suprised to see the few cars and village shops we did but even so we had to ensure we stocked up on petrol, drinks and eats before leaving the Bay of Plenty area.

The Bay of Plenty which was the region between Rotorua and East Cape we didnt really see (apart from driving along its coastal road - some dolphin cruises depart from here but we decided to save this for the South Island where we can see Whales too!)

The East Cape was a massive detour but we really didn't know what to expect. The coastal highway was lovely to drive on but if I was here just for a few weeks I would probably have given it a miss... In fact it was worth coming here just to chill at that nice sea front camp (well almost!) and look at the incredibly dazzling star consolations where I sneaked a view when I awoke in the night..so so bright which they would be as there is no town for miles and miles...

We continued our drive south the next morning after a relaxing evening at the camp to enter New Zealands' famous winemaking area of Hawkes' Bay.

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