4.1.20 Storm, a Bohemian village and the beautiful Whangarei

Compared to my usual habits, I sleep in today. So I only have breakfast at 8:30 am. The wind is blowing strong and there is really nothing that draws me to the road. I have to drive 200km now, because I will not - as I thought and wrote yesterday evening - drive to the beach in Piha, which is about 1 hour northwest of me, but I have to drive further. 

Reason A: At the west coast, not only is there even worse storm, but also no sun is forecasted. 

Reason B: In addition, I have checked all the campsites online until midnight that are located between me and Whangarei. Now places like Piha, Orewa or similar are all holiday resorts and it is the weekend, holiday time, and I am moving around the area of ​​the largest city in New Zealand. There are no vacancies.

With around 1.7 million people living here, almost 35 percent of all people living in New Zealand live here - and they all have time off now. 

After having breakfast with a cat that thoroughly inspected the inside of my camper, I set off shortly after 10 am. The highway access road is 100m from the campground and initially it is quite good to drive on the multi-lane SH1 as I groove into the slow left lane. Auckland stretches tremendously and my route takes me over the Harbour Bridge with strong gusts of wind. 

Soon the SH1 is even 4-lane and after 40 minutes I have already covered 40 kilometers - that's cool. But think again. 

A little further I take a short detour from the subsequent toll road and have a look at the village Puhoi, which was founded by the Bohemians at some point. I'm a confessed fan of the same-named yogurt, even if a cup with 450g costs between 6 and 7 dollars here. I like the place as much as the yogurt. 

In the village shop I find a flavor that I don't know yet and a really delicious second breakfast in the form of a pastry. The small village library looks like it's from a Faller kit, and the old hotel with an attached pub could serve as a great movie set. 

I am attracted by a tree trunk that is prominently displayed under a roof. I wonder what that could be, and I read that this is a historical tree trunk! Ohh! And then I read from when it is: From 1920. And what makes it worth exhibiting? It got entangled somewhere. Well, maybe I'm not the best fan of local history museums, but that's quite funny. 

Back on the SH1, the traffic density hasn't changed. The road is single-lane here, there are huge construction sites, and in both directions, everyone is bumper to bumper. It gets really bad when it goes through a town. Possibly even with a traffic light. There, where you turn right to the islands Karau or Goat Island, to Orewa Beach or similar, it is total chaos, as an endless queue of cars, campers, motorcycles, caravan trailers merges into the turning lanes, which cause traffic jams on the straight lanes as well. 

In addition, the wind is blowing like crazy and I can't dare to hold the steering wheel with just one hand for a moment, maybe to wind the window up or down, and I often drive for kilometers in third or fourth gear because I can't even take my hand off the steering wheel to shift up or down. I fear that it won't be long before someone feels the need to call the police because I'm swerving so much. In the end, after almost 4 hours of driving, I reach Whangarei, a place in Northland. 

The campground that I reserved yesterday still has an affordable site with electricity and also vacancies for a second night. I am not surprised that I have to pay 30 dollars here. Online it cost 50 dollars and that was too much for me. Other places charge 65 dollars if you want to use the toilet. Without toilet usage, it costs 40 dollars. The booking systems are often garbage. The vacancies are not up to date and the prices for 1 person are not stored. 

I enjoy the sun for two hours, two big cups of coffee, and read about what's here, sitting with maps, Google Maps, travel guides, and information brochures at a camping table that I organized for myself. 

Then I walk about 2 km in the sun and cold wind to the town of Whangarei (pronounced: Fangareeej). It is so beautiful! A marina, small shops, typical buildings, and lots of street art. I walk through the town in a zigzag pattern following a city map that shows the paintings from a competition in January 2019, although unfortunately the shopping streets are completely deserted. In New Zealand, everything closes at 5 pm. Except for the big supermarkets. 

Only pubs and some restaurants are open here too. Due to the wind, everything is happening indoors. I can't walk around here without a jacket either and I'm glad I have my bandana for my neck. 

After a stroll through a flower-filled park, I walk to the supermarket, get myself expensive raspberries - but it has to be today - and take pictures of the prices. In any case, 1 kg of beef is cheaper than 1 kg of cherries. And that in summer. 

Back at the campsite, I realize that I have walked about 7 km. There is tomato soup and the raspberries, and then I start with further planning. 

Tomorrow I will decide whether I will stay here for a third night. There is enough to see within a radius of 30-40 km, but no more sensible campsites. Many of today's pictures are of the street art in Whangarei. Tomorrow there will be pictures of Kauris, because there is a Kauri forest here and there is a waterfall and I still want to drive to a Maori site. Now I have to go to bed. It's already half past nine and I'm exhausted. My back hurts from the tension of driving in the storm. A flat sports car is simply better...