Week 10 - Whangarei

First things first – we passed the MOT or WOF! The WOF is now valid for a year, until July 2026. This means that theoretically, we don’t have to do it again. However, getting a new WOF is a good selling point, so let’s see if we will do one before selling or not.

Unfortunately, the repairs turned out to be a bit more complex and therefore also more expensive than we initially hoped. Especially the repair of the brakes was a bigger deal due to the setup of our van. However, the workshop communicated with us very transparently about the costs in advance. The decision to combine the brake repair with the necessary repairs was definitely a good one, as it means we don’t have to work on the rear axle again.

We definitely hope that during our remaining time, our van will be spared from repairs and we can smoothly drive our remaining kilometers through New Zealand. Keep your fingers crossed for us ;)

The week itself was pretty relaxed. We settled in well at the house and the daily routine with the two dogs is going very well. Unfortunately, the weather was often rainy, and our outings were therefore rather short.

We visited downtown Whangarei. However, in the wet and cold weather, it wasn’t a very comfortable stroll. At least the shopping was successful, as we wanted to get some warmer sweaters and that worked out.

On Thursday we headed to the Waipu Cave. This can be visited for free, and you can look for Glowworms there. The Glowworms are not what we know in Germany as fireflies. The New Zealand Glowworms are larvae of a fly species that only lives in New Zealand. These larvae live on the ceilings of the caves and secrete a slimy substance in which they live. At the tip of their tails, they can produce light pulses.

In the cave, we had to wade through ankle-deep water to reach a part further back. There we found many Glowworms and were able to admire their glow. In the dark, it almost looks like a starry sky.

On Saturday we took advantage of the most beautiful day of the week to stroll around Whangarei again. We started at the Hundertwasser House and walked along the Hatea River. When heavy rain started, we took refuge in a cafe and treated ourselves to coffee and a piece of cake.

Overall, it was a quiet week. The owners are coming back on Monday and we are looking forward to returning to van life.