East Cape and the start of the new year

We had to leave our beloved accommodation and the next destination was East Cape. The journey there was typical of New Zealand, very adventurous. It went along the Pacific Coast Highway on gravel roads and along unsecured cliffs, on roads where there was sometimes only enough space for one car. Before every curve, we were anxious that no car would come :D Cows and sheep crossed the road and many cars did not dare to go to the lighthouse. It is at the easternmost point of the New Zealand mainland and to get there you had to climb 800 steps. But it was worth it again! Not far from there was a great campsite where we spent the night and could admire an incredible starry sky once again. We set our alarm clock to be the first in the whole world to watch the sunrise in the morning. A magical moment. The next day we did another smaller walk and then drove to Gisborne. We explored the city and in the evening we drove to a spot by the water where we celebrated the new year. Things are a bit calmer here than in Germany. There was "only" a small fireworks display on the beach and in the city on the other side. The next morning we woke up at the perfect moment to see the first sunrise of the new decade :D

For the next few days, we did a few more tracks and stayed in Napier for 3 days, which is a really great and worth seeing city. The small Art Deco town captivates with great lanes to stroll and lots of street art. It's simply inviting to linger :)