Blogs from Northland, North Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 7

Mmm, waar waren we gebleven. Oh ja, 24 december de dag voor Kerst. Wat een ongelofelijke prutdag was dat. Er lag ongeveer 40 kilometers asfalt voor ons klaar toen we s'ochtends op de fiets stapten. Niet veel dus en volgens onze planning zouden we dan ook op tijd in ons volgende hostel aankomen. Gosh, were we wrong! Na 5 minuten vielen de eerste spatjes regen. Na een uur waren we zeiknat en verkleumd en zijn we, halverwege een zware beklimming, in Manganoui een fish en chipstent ingevlucht. Iets vroeger dan gepland aan de lunch maar wel even droog. Na een uur bijkomen, opwarmen en zuchtend naar buiten kijken dan toch maar de stortregen weer ingedoken. Tot op het bot doorweekt kwamen we uiteindelijk aan in het Kahoe Farm Hostel. Hier stond s'avonds een heerlijk Kerstmaal op ... read more

Week 1 – In which our heroes arrive in a very far place, acclimatize, and see more green and blue colors then they thought were possible. We arrived to New Zealand and already a week has passed. The flight Usually parents dread flights and cite the flight as an excuse for not traveling with children. We, on the other hand, understand that the flight, no matter how exhausting, is a onetime event that just needs to be overcome. But this time around we were worried. Two back-to-back 10 hour flights is not easy even for an adult traveling alone to endure. We were facing over 36 hours door-to-door of sleep deprivation, baby holding, children crying hell. After a day of work. This should surly rank as inhumane and unjustly cruel together with waterboarding and torture. Our ... read more

Citroen 2CV’s take on the Roads Less Travelled in the Far North More 2CV Adventure..... After our Shadow of the Andes Expedition earlier in the year and enjoying the little cars so much, it was time to share some of it’s capabilities with other owners, so in consultation with Paul Absolum, in Auckland, we hatched this Raid on the Far North. The plan was to get to the Cape and back by the roads less travelled and keep as far away from main routes and tar seal as possible. After sending out the invitation for 2CV owners to join us on the Far North Raid, we received a very positive response and by start day we had Paul and Melean Absolum, who had joined me on the Shadow of the Andes Expedition to Chile, Argentina, Bolivia ... read more

According to the guide books and maps of the area, we knew that Rawene probably had little to offer in regards to tourist attractions. The one thing it did suggest doing however was the boardwalk around the site of the old Kauri tree sawmill and so we left the campsite ready for the walk. Due to my navigational screw up, we were heading in the wrong direction for the walk, and so I urged Donna to turn around. When Donna had passed what I took to be several ‘perfect’ spots in order to turn around, I ever so slightly lost my temper and just told Donna to get on with it…’Turn round already will ya!!’ This prompted Donna to get a little miffed too, and a heated discussion took place. When I noticed a steep and ... read more

We woke up the next morning to a pretty dreary day for the first time on the road trip so far. Still, we didn’t let it dampen our spirits, and we comforted ourselves that considering it was winter, we had done quite well for weather up to now. Despite being overcast, the drive was again spectacular. I happened to be driving on this day, however Donna and I take it in turns to drive on alternate days, this way, we each get to have one day of fun in the driving seat, and the next day to relax and take in the views. We also have a deal. Whoever is driving gets to pick the music all day, and the passenger makes dinner. This means that after a long ride, the driver can sit back and ... read more