Direction Marlborough Country

In the morning, I wake up with the dawn, open the tailgate, and enjoy the sunrise. I doze in the bunk until eight, but then it's time to go. The breakfast coffee is made quickly in the kitchen, and I eat by the car with a view of the sea. A short walk to the water, then it's on to the north. Following the trucks, I arrive at Kaikura, a well-known surf spot (though I haven’t seen a single surfer in the water). From a hilltop, I enjoy the view with some muesli before heading to a viewpoint by the sea. The seagulls are carried away by the wind, and seals lie on the shore soaking up the sun. There are supposed to be albatrosses here too, but they must all be with the surfers. Continuing on SH1, I briefly encounter a shepherd with his dogs in front of me, beautiful animals, especially the one on the left. The beach sections are deserted, fine gray sand alternates with stretches of gravel, no flotsam except for wooden logs. I am now entering Marlborough Country, THE wine-growing region of New Zealand. In Blenheim, I fill up again and buy some supplies, then drive back 20 km to a DOC campsite right by the sea. DOC stands for Department of Conservation, which cares for the protection and preservation of nature nationwide, maintains (very, very) simple and often remote campsites and cabins, and even operates entire farms. The night at the campsite only costs $10, but only has cold showers and no kitchen block. Katha even bought an annual pass for $190 for all DOC sites. To end the day, I have a beer with salad and turkey strips right by the sea; that's quite nice.