Visit from home - The Fuldaranerin Part 1

Today we were finally expecting visitors from Germany. Despite initial difficulties with Pia, she actually managed to arrive in Auckland a few days ago. She used the first few days to get used to camper life and explore the Far North. We wanted to explore the next areas together. Pia had rented a camper, so we could travel relatively flexibly.

In the afternoon, Tim and I spent time in Paeroa. We strolled through the shops and suddenly found ourselves in a Maori shop. It felt like a museum in some ways, because many old pictures, handicrafts, and tools of the indigenous people could be admired. Tattoo art was also addressed and stirred up our thoughts about it. We got into a conversation with the owner of the shop - an older Maori.

But now to the aforementioned reunion! In the evening, we arrived at the agreed campsite. Wow, finally the time had come, after almost eleven months we could finally embrace each other again at the other end of the world - crazy. We all enjoyed this moment very much and wanted to introduce Pia to a specialty of the country: Kombucha. Even the New Zealanders say "Either you like it or you don't". Pia seems to belong more to the second group and Caro's enthusiasm for this drink couldn't persuade her. Well, then there was just more for us :)

The first evening together went by faster than expected. But there was also so much to talk about... What's new from Germany? How was the arrival in New Zealand and the previous experiences with the Kiwi's? We chatted into the night.

Our first stage should take us to the promising Coromandel Peninsula. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side, so instead of hiking, we headed for the northernmost town on the peninsula.

The drive there demanded careful driving. The narrow roads snaked closely along the coast and steep cliffs. In front of the next curve, suddenly there were countless people on the road... we were surprised and slowed down, and suddenly we saw something big jumping out of the water. Immediately we hit the brakes - we could hardly stop because of curiosity. On closer inspection, we recognized a large school of dolphins. It was so impressive! They jumped out of the water and even performed little 'tricks', they raced past the shore to hunt for fish, and occasionally a baby dolphin popped up. A very special experience that made us forget about the rain above us...

Arrival in Coromandel and you guessed it - it's still raining! So we decided to stroll through the shops and they were definitely worth it. Here, there were things that were not available in every other shop. The shopping street was manageable and with the small wooden houses, it was truly picturesque. And what's the best thing to do after a stroll? Eat and drink - we really indulged ourselves and enjoyed it to the fullest.

We spent the night at a better equipped campsite, because after all the rain, we wished for a warm shower and a dry communal area. With a warm tea, we planned the next excursions and stages, hoping for sunshine.