In Nelson we get in touch with the long missed family again, as Gerry”s mother and her husband Dieter are in Nelson for a few months in winter. We realize, that over the months we appreciate things more. Not only the beautiful house we can live in, the great food from Gerry”s mother, but also
In some of the countries we visit we cruise around and explore. New Zealand is such a place, and here we have fully embraced a travel philosophy that is new to us: I have named it SPONTANEOUS MICRO-EXPLORATIVE FLOW on our last world tour 2001/2002 we used the following mix: 1/3 Lonely Planet 1/3 tipps
Foxton looks like a small saloon town. Coming to the campground at the beach, we discover the beauty of this under rated spot. Especially for kids it is heaven on earth. There is another phantastic beach with nice surf for the kids. Sienna and Robinson became friends with a girl at the beach, who has
On our drive to Taupo we pass the Huka Falls, where the Waikato River which is normally 100m wide, is squeezed through a 20 metre wide gorge and over a 20m drop. Every second up to 220,000 litres of water gushes through the gorge and creates a beautful light turquoise pool. Just watching this natural
Raglan Raglan is known as surfertown with about 4000 people, in season about 10.000. There are three world-class point breaks. Manu Bay is said to offer the longest left hand rides on the planet and featured in Bruce Brown’s 1964 classic surf film The Endless Summer. Further along the coastline sit the breaks of Whale
Every third New Zealander lives in this mega metropolis, and most people in the country seem to despise it. However, it is not so bad after all. The 1.5 million inhabitants are nicely dispersed into the suburbs along the North and South beaches. There are many little towns with beautiful beachfront settings. Living is expensive
On the way South we encountered scenes we had blocked from our minds and avoided so far: loads of tourists frequenting a row of shops perfectly set up to strip them of their money. Such streets seem like a big credit card swipe. We had reached Kerikeri and Paihia, the main attractions and launch-harbours for
The next stop is one of the most best kite spots in New Zealand: Rangiputa. It is a beautiful bay surrounded by white beaches. We see some kiters launching from a little sand bar in the middle of the estuary, which encourages Gerry to pump up the kite. Out of nowhere, Shane shows up with
New Zealand is packed with beaches. Even if you take the most high-stressed corporate job in Auckland, you still work within 15 minutes of the beach and you will likely live directly ON the beach in one of the cool suburbs. Even if you live inland, you can reach a beach within an hour’s drive.
Our trip goes further north to the very north tip of New Zealand. A graveled road leads us over 16 km through green hills down to Kapowairua (Spirits Bay), which is located in the northernmost area of New Zealand on the small, narrow Aupouri Peninsula, north of Kaitaia. What a spot !!! Just before Cape