So that wasn't planned...

Blog

Oh man. Honestly, I can't think of anything more right now. The past 24 hours have been very...interesting for me. I apologize for the late blog entry, but only now do I have the time and peace of mind to write it.

So, let's start from the beginning:
On Wednesday, I had the whole morning in Whangarei. Compared to what was to come, it was actually a joke. I went for a little walk through mangroves, listened to music, relaxed a bit. The path was nice, but not particularly exciting or worth seeing. A nice route for jogging.
Because I had a little extra time, I decided to go to the Abbey Caves. In hindsight, I should have realized that maybe it wasn't the best idea. I somehow expected a cave by the road that maybe you could only admire from a distance - something like that.
Of course, it wasn't like that. First of all, the Abbey Caves were much further north than expected. Instead of an estimated 30 minutes, it took me almost an hour. In the end, a nice couple even gave me a ride in their car because I was so confused standing on the road.
Then it wasn't just one big cave, but several caves spread out over an area. There was a sign saying that it would take about an hour for the round trip. I didn't have that much time, so I just wanted to check out the first cave (Organ Cave).
I was too stupid to find that cave.
There were many rocks along the way, and there was also a river, but no damn entrance to the cave! I was so frustrated!
'That's it,' I thought to myself and went back to the road. So now what? I had the option to walk aaaall the way back (about 1.5 hours) or go further north and then take the hiking trail (about two hours).
I decided to hitchhike.
It wasn't as spectacular as it might sound (okay, it gets even more exciting). I just stood on the road in the middle of nowhere and waved my city map at every passing car. After 10 minutes, I was lucky and a woman picked me up. I shared the backseat with an office chair and it smelled like vanilla, but I was so grateful. She dropped me off near the city center, and I walked the short way to the hostel.
There, I got a glass of water and a cup of tea before I packed up my entire luggage and set off. Now came the longest distance I have ever walked with my full luggage, about half an hour. I don't want to do it again. When I arrived at the visitor center, my shoulders and arms hurt even more than my feet.
I had planned extra time as a buffer. You know me. So there I was, half an hour before the bus was supposed to leave, waiting. And waiting. Five minutes before departure time, I started to wonder, but maybe the bus was just running late.
Five minutes after departure time, I panicked and called Stray. 'Um, I'm afraid the bus has left.'
-Profanity-
'What should I do now?' - 'Well, there won't be another InterCity bus either, but I can book you directly on the first bus tomorrow. Or you can go to the information center and ask about other options.' Yeah, thanks. You too.
So I started crying because in moments like these, you just start crying. With a tear-streaked face and messy hair, I showed up at the lady's office and told her my problem. The first thing she offered me was a tissue.
From her, I learned that no more buses would be going to Auckland (no kidding), but she could book me a spot in a hostel. Yeah, thanks. You too.
Great. I had absolutely no desire to spend an extra night in Whangarei, especially since my bus to Tauranga was supposed to leave at 12:45 the next day.
So there I was in the parking lot. I wasn't desperate anymore, I was angry. Secretly, I also blame Stray. The problem was simply that the bus driver on the outbound trip had dropped off the passengers right in front of the center and said that's where they would be picked up again. But the actual bus station was on the other side of the street, behind the visitor center. Nice one.
In that situation, I didn't care about anything, I just wanted to get to Auckland somehow. So I approached the first person I came across - hitchhiking.
I asked him if he was going towards Auckland (Yes), then I explained my problem, pressed the tear gland a bit (there was still capacity) and tadaa - I had my transport to Auckland.
Rob, the good soul, is the manager of a manuka honey company and was on his way to Auckland Airport to fly to China for a business trip. He comes from Ninety-Mile Beach and was just stopping in Whangarei to use the restroom. And now he had me in his car.
As a rather quiet guy, we had a long drive ahead of us, but I think we got along quite well.
Around 5:30pm (the Stray bus had already arrived), we reached the outskirts of Auckland. Rob wanted to wait for the rush hour to pass, so he headed to a pub in Northcote where he was planning to meet some friends.
And that's how I also got to know a pub in Northcote - for free! Stray wouldn't have shown me that.
Rob and his friends had a few beers and apparently a fun conversation (I didn't understand a word), and I had free WiFi. My mother was freaking out on the other end of the line, I had slowly come to terms with the situation.
The situation: I missed the bus, had to hitchhike, was stuck in a pub in Northcote, no one really knew how I was supposed to get to the Couchsurfer's place, it was getting late and cold, and I hadn't eaten anything all day. Not ideal, but it could be worse.
When Rob went to get his third beer (somehow he still wanted to drive?), one of his friends took pity on me and drove me to the central bus station. I got a high-five from Rob and his business card. Don't get me wrong - I'm really incredibly grateful to him!
From the bus station, it took three buses to get to the city center and to the Couchsurfer's place. Nevertheless, I paid even less than for accommodation in Auckland CBD.
Completely exhausted, I showed up there, and I think he also took pity on me. He made me incredibly delicious falafel, and I ate countless slices of toast with tomatoes.
Thank goodness, the Couchsurfer (his name is Dion, by the way) was quite tired himself and not interested in a conversation. With a bit of small talk, we managed to get through the rather short evening, and then, finally - I could sleep.

In the morning, he made a delicious coffee (with foam) and then disappeared to the gym. I took the bus back to the center and spent the morning at the IEP office. Free WiFi, restrooms, and water dispenser - I was satisfied.
My plans for Tauranga have also changed a bit because apparently I can't start working until Monday. But I didn't want to see the point of staying in the hostel any earlier (it all costs money), so I secured a spot in a Couchsurfer's flat. Tomorrow, I'll ask everywhere in Tauranga about jobs and then pick the best one.
Now I'm sitting on the Intercity bus to Rotorua, and after yesterday's experience, I'm already dreading getting off the bus and catching the bus to Tauranga (only 5 minutes). But I will truly enjoy the six-hour ride and gather my strength again.
I'm slowly starting to see the story with humor, but maybe give me a little more time to fully recover.
At this point, a New Zealand proverb: 'She'll be alright' - Everything will be fine.