Ebipụtara: 16.12.2023
In Napier at the harbor we treat ourselves to a more than sumptuous dinner. There are two starters and two main courses. In fact, we eat everything, but there is no dessert left. The waitresses don't exactly meet German standards, but we still get everything as ordered and even Maren gets her shandy. Then we drive a little further to a wonderful free campsite. The morning is a little more exciting than usual. Next to us is a really strange guy who runs back and forth all the time, talks to himself and is lying under his car with the front hanging down a bit. Apparently a young woman asks him for help starting the car, because he jumps into the car and reverses very quickly, half the front, almost getting stuck. While we are trying out our solar shower, the police come. So an adventurous shower with an exciting cinema. Refreshed, we head to Cape Kidnappers, where a long walk on the beach, which can only be done at low tide, awaits us. We register at the office of a campsite there. The man wishes us good luck and says that if we hear anything suspicious, we should run into the sea immediately. By this he means massive rock falls, which probably happen sometimes. The path leads endlessly over sand and stones along the steep cliffs. Maren gets bored after a few kilometers and decides to go back and wait for me in the café. I put some cream on myself again and we say goodbye. As an old bird lover, I'm really excited about the destination of the hike: a huge colony of "gannets" that are currently breeding there. I am incredibly happy when I arrive at the first colony after what feels like eternities. I can get really close and am happy to see a few chicks. I decide not to go any further to the second, larger colony. I'm a little worried about getting burned in the blazing sun, so I go the whole endless way back. Unfortunately, I don't come across a quad that can take me with me, but I get back to Maren's at some point, without any sunburn. After some coffee and cake we drive all the way to Wellington. Tomorrow we're actually heading to the South Island.