The Americans are coming!

Woohoo! The Americans have arrived!
Ben, Pat, Joe and their friend Gilbert are traveling the North Island for a few weeks.
After some communication finagling we met at Orewa holiday park Monday evening.
We grabbed some dinner and supplies (liquor and cookies for me).
Then got back to the park for a beautiful beach-side sunset.

Orewa beach

It turned into a late night. It was so good to see friends and hang out! I learned about 8 new ways to play poker and held onto my $5 buy-in for a couple hours. I'm so proud.
The next morning I parked my car on the roadside and hopped into their Subaru to drive up to kauri forest in northland and back to the best damn holiday park, again!

Hello zip line.


Fancy meeting you here.


.....I've missed you....

Ho-hum just another NZ beach side sunset

Today was a quiet day. One of those days where you can cram 5 people into a Subie and drive 3 hours with hardly a peep.
This quiet day was brought to you by bourbon.

But we rallied.
We got to the holiday park. And of course it was raining. So we went for a short hike through the Kauri forest then stopped to watch the last half of the niners game and eat the BEST FISH AND CHIPS in New Zealand. The locals remembered me from when I was here a month ago. That's how awesome the Kiwi's are.

Then it was back to the park where the sun made a welcomed appearance. The guys played soccer for a bit. I declined after gorging  so much on dinner. Then Ben played guitar for a bit.

Afterwards there were a few games of dominoes and we rode the zip line till we got kicked off for being too rowdy after hours. So we walked to the nearby bridge and scoped out the beautiful glow worms.

Night rider and the far north

So, I left Matouri bay and once again started towards Cape Reinga. I was tired from only sleeping a few hours the night before. So by the time I got to 90 mile beach I was ready for a nap. I pulled into an almost empty holiday park and snoozed away in my car while it continued to rain for most of the afternoon.

90 mile beach the following day. Still freezing, but no rain. 

When I woke up it was still too cold and windy to go to the beach so I hung out made some dinner and ended up meeting another nice stranger, Steve Hale, in the park's tv room.
While we watched tv, I chatted with Steve, a local writer who was traveling with his dad for an article. In exchange for some of my whiskey, actually, most of it (very Hemingway of him) he promised to send me a copy of one of his books. I picked his book titled Kiwi Man Caves. So stoked. It should be in the mail any day now...
The next day the niners were playing. So into Kaitaia I drove, to hole up for a few hours, watch my boys in red and gold and eat kiwi nachos. Go Niners!
*shake fist at what kiwis call nachos*
Then all the way north. Cape Reinga or bust!

Looking west from Cape Reinga

I got there in time for sunset and it was gorgeous! Cold. But gorgeous all the same.

Cape Reinga is the most northernly point of New Zealand (that is accessible). It's also where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman sea meet. There are some wicked waves out there.

Local fisherman with a giant snapper at Cape Reinga light house

The light house at Cape Reinga

Then I drove back south through the night to find somewhere to sleep.
This was my first time driving in the dark.
Driving at night makes you an animal killer.
All sorts of animals run through the street and before you have time to see them....it's all over.
I was told to aim for possums. I swear! Because they kill so much of the native flora and fauna. But it's still pretty disgusting when it happens.
After my second hit and run (they were about 15 minutes apart)...
I became a stone cold possum slayer.
Night Rider!
On to more pleasant things. I got tired and crashed at another holiday park then the next day made my way down the west coast of northland and stopped for a few photo ops and small walks.

A coastal walk near Opinono. The island in the background is just one giant sand dune. How I want to roll down you giant sand dune! "As...... You..... Wish....!"

Pretty walk on the coast of Opinono, no giant sand dunes tho...

Then onto yet another holiday park. THIS ONE IS AWESOME!
It has a zip line and trampolines and a rope swing over the river! So much fun! Kauri Holiday Park. Ungh!

Zip lining it at sunset

River at the holiday park

Tomorrow I head back north up the coast to hike in the Kauri forest before heading back to Russel to work at the vineyard.