Hello North Island!

Yay, we are on the North Island. Although the start was a bit bumpy. Let's begin our beautiful journey with the ferry. From Picton, you can take the ferry to Wellington on the North Island. The journey takes about 3 hours. It's actually quite nice because you drive through fjords for quite a while. What's not nice is when you have bad weather, can't see anything because of fog, and the waves are very strong. So strong that everyone around you gets seasick and reaches for a bag. Seriously, it was a horror trip 😂. David and I also didn't feel well at times, but luckily, we didn't need a bag. Well, in any case, the waves were sometimes so high that tables and chairs fell over. Phew, finally back in the car. God, I was relieved! First, turn on the heater because it felt like winter. Yes, that's also New Zealand. The weather can change so quickly. Suddenly, you're sitting in the car with a second blanket and freezing. Well, at least I am, I'm a cold person. So there we were in Wellington. It was pouring rain, I still felt sick, and it was bloody cold. But hey, we're real globetrotters, it doesn't bother us, and there's allegedly only bad clothing! What a bummer! You just want to be in a warm living room! But let's get back to reality. In retrospect, it's really not that bad. A cup of tea warms you from the inside, and with long pants, socks, a sleeping bag, and a blanket, I'll eventually warm up. Luckily, we now have two blankets. We no longer have to argue about who gets them. Oh, and I always have my heater with me. By that, I mean David. He radiates heat like an oven. So, as you can see, I'm well equipped for cold nights. The next day, we were lucky with the weather and could explore Wellington. Although, as a conclusion, I can say that Wellington is not a really beautiful city. In any case, the weather remains changeable. So, it's a good opportunity to drive north, go shopping, and continue planning our trip. In Whanganui, we spontaneously went to a swimming pool with hot pools, a steam bath, and a sauna for $5. People, a hot shower after many cold, uncomfortable showers feels really good! As if we knew. One thing we found very strange is that New Zealanders go swimming in regular clothing. How strange is that? You almost feel like an alien in a bikini! 😂 Well, after the strange swimming pool experience, we continue towards Egmont National Park and are lucky with the weather for a few hours. From a distance, you can see Mount Taranaki. One of the first volcanoes we get to see in New Zealand. Covered in snow and cone-shaped. Just like in a textbook. It's a gigantic view on the road when you approach such a big volcano. Our next destination will be Tongariro National Park. There, we will do the popular Tongariro Crossing. The Crossing is popular because many people know the national park as Mount Doom from the movie 'The Lord of the Rings'. The hike is 19.4km and is described as a rather challenging hike. The weather forecast looks good, so we are optimistic and looking forward to the Crossing. Tomorrow, we will hike to the famous Mount Doom (Mount Ngauruhoe) like Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. So, what do you think, which movie could we watch the day before the hike? Of course, The Lord of the Rings! We haven't had the chance to do that yet. And honestly, it's the perfect time to do it. So, now we'll have a delicious Kumara (sweet potato)/pumpkin curry with rice (I think I should write a recipe book for camping), and then we can start the hunt for the Rings.