East As

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We got up early and piled on the mini bus and fell asleep again until the evil smells of Rotorua filled our noses. we jumped off had an energy drink and then met our new driver. We were told he was called sexy rex because he was on the cover of a 1996 edition of Mens Health.

This, my friends was a lie. He was not! He was however an ex rally driver. And boy did we know it! The next four days he threw us around in a minibus as if it was a subaru, supercharge, v8! We zipped through to Gisborne and arrive and hour and a half early...we did a quick food shop and headed to Tatpouri, where we were met with Tea and Coffee.

We had a lazy day, i sat in a hammock, and did a wee bit of sun batheing. No one was really up for any of the activities that day, which was pretty cool. After dinner we watched Whale Watcher, a film about a Maori legend. Our driver was taking us to the village where it is based and was filmed the next day. We then headed down to a camp fire with a few of the locals and learnt the song we had to sing to the Maori the following day. The rest of the evening was spent sharing travel experiences, though it only felt that Rob, Gemma and I were the only ones talking...

The next morning i got up with Dave, another Cardiff Lad, to watch the sunrise. The east cape of New Zealand is the first place in the world to see the sun rise. It was pretty awesome but there was a wee bit of cloud so it wasn't as clear.

We drove to this village, but were not greeted by the Maori, which was disappointing. Instead we went to Captain Cooks landing ground, which is now the longest wharf in the Southern Hempishpere. Mussels grow on the supports of the wharf so i dived down, about 15 metres into the water, and caught a few mussels for my lunch.

A lady called Anna, a local Maori school teacher met us at the wharf and we followed her in the bus to the local village pub and we sat in the Anzac room learning about the local way of life. It was really cool to learn about the Modern Maori. We performed the song for her and she really enjoyed it, which was a good sign.

Our final stop was Eastenders Farm in Rangitukia. After a light lunch we jumped on the horses for two hours of free range riding. We could do what we like, we could gallop along the beach and up into the hills where the views were stunning. The guides were there to make sure we got home and encouraged us to control the horse instead of just follow the person infront of you. I ended up charging across the beach, one hand in the air, surf splashing my legs.

Rob and i had a stir fry for tea and sat down with a few others for a camp fire. Not the best idea when your trying to rid your clothes of the smoke smells from the night before... We turned in early. We were at the most easterly point of the world and everyone wanted to get up to see the sun rise, though a few of us were going to do it in a slightly different way to the rest...

At 5.30 am Rob, Katja and I woke up. Booted, Saddled and mounted up. After a short ride we were on top of the mountains again looking out to sea. It was a beautifully clear day. Not a single cloud. The sun rise was...well i was speechless. It was the bloody amazing! The colour of it! Most people have seen a fair few sunsets. But that seems silly right because Sunsets signfy the end of something. Sunrises signify the beginning .

After the sun had risen, we rode along the beach again galloping from end to end before heading back to the ranch to have pancakes cooked by Sexy Rex. He wanted to push off early that day because he wanted us to see a Maori Performance in Te Kaha as well as a lighthouse. I realised why he wanted us to see the lighthouse. It was up 700 odd steps...

He then rallied us, literally rallied, phsyicall rallied. I think we all aged at least ten years on stepping out of the bus at Te Kaha, but it was sooooo worth it. he managed to get us there in time for the Local Haka, which went on for five minutes. The guys performing it were well into it and by the end their legs were red raw and they drew blood as they scratched their chests. It was incredible.

That nights bed was in a homestay with a local Maori family. The "boss" wandered up to us and greeted us with a hungi, the nose kiss, and then got us all to introduce ourselves. The emphasis on this place was to slow down and relax. There was a beach with some amazing surf and we could help ourselves to surf boards and kayaks, there was a fresh water shower and best of all a hottub, facing west.

We spent the day on the ebach, some sunbathething but i had to get out on the water in the kayak and ride the surf. It was great fun.

Before dinner i went for a run. Good to know how unfit you become in two months of not exercising and eating pies and drinking beer. We had a light feed of noodles before whipping on our bathers and sitting in the hot tub with a few cold ones to watch the sunset with most of the people on the bus. Some didn't join us, but their loss. What a way to end that day. Sunrise on horseback, sunset in a hot tub. Awesome.

Peace out.

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