Mt Maunganui

---

Wednesday December 23 – We woke up this morning and Jeroen had a cold, so that was not the perfect start. We made breakfast and unpacked our suitcases into the camper, which was kind of fun. Xander came at 10:30 to show us how it all worked and by midday Jeroen was driving this thing to the grocery store, so we could fill up our fridge, and then onto a beachside campsite, less than 10 miles from where we started. It was at the base of Mt. Manganui and was quite a beautiful place. We were surprised at the camp site prices – we paid about 65 New Zealand Dollars for the night (about 40 US dollars). Our van had cooking facilities, but we used the kitchen at the campsite. Once we were settled, we took a walk up to the top of the mount, about an hour each way. It was not too challenging, but it was difficult with Jeroen not feeling well. Beautiful, though. We slept early, and quite well. The camper was turning out to be quite a good choice. Large enough for Jeroen to stand in, and sleep in, and it was comfortable too. The sitting area and table transformed into the bed, and the cushions were quite thick. Plus, you take everything with you always. So convenient.

---