The North Island - overrun by big city feeling

And there we were finally. After a very shaky crossing, we left the South Island behind and arrived in Wellington on the North Island. We were shocked by the big city feeling on the first evening. Two to three lane roads, well developed and people on the streets even in the evening. So this was Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.

The next morning, Marie flew back to Australia. Nik and I spent the day exploring Wellington. But the bad weather didn't really motivate us. We postponed the rest of the tour to the next day. There, we were surprised by Wellington. After not really feeling like being in a big city the day before, the second day turned out to be very good. In Wellington, we stumbled upon a street festival and had something to amuse ourselves with. After that, a relaxed stroll along the harbor in the sun. A day couldn't be much better. I realized that Wellington has a certain feeling that attracts you. But eventually, we had enough of the big city. It just didn't fit the image we had of New Zealand. Not to mention that it got even worse in Auckland, but more on that later. Our next destination led us exactly there. Niklas' girlfriend Caro landed in Auckland five days later, and my sister had already arrived in New Zealand, Auckland at that time. So we set off on a five-day trip to Auckland, along the west coast.

However, the first stop was the southernmost point of the North Island, Cape Palliser. Unfortunately, it's not spectacular. So on the same day, we headed back to the west coast. There, following a tip from my parents, we enjoyed an amazing sunset on the beach with the small island of Kapiti Island

We continued to Palmerston North. Palmy doesn't have much to offer, but it has the National Rugby Museum. Equipped with many old relics of rugby on the one hand, and a small interactive area where you can test your strength, shooting technique, speed, and much more on the other hand. So it quickly happens that you spend more time in the actually very small museum than planned. But we took this time.

From Palmerston North, we continued along the west coast, passing Whanganui, to the next sunset camping spot on the south/west coast, halfway between Whanganui and Mt Taranaki. Because that's where we were heading the next day. Mt Taranaki is a volcano that stands alone in the area. So it looks like the perfect mountain. The slopes gradually rise from the ground and merge just as gently back into it. Look at this picture. I think it's brilliant. A wonder of nature.

Before we approached the volcano in the evening, there was the Forgotten World Highway. The least traveled highway in New Zealand. Highway 43. Our destination here was Whangamomona. A small crazy village. The story goes that about 30 years ago, the village was supposed to be divided by a territorial reform. But since the approximately 20 residents didn't want to be bothered and didn't want to be dictated to, they declared independence (of course, the state never approved this). But the state of New Zealand still let the residents have their fun by leaving the sign "Welcome to the Republic of Whangamomona" at the entrance of the village. For a small fee, visitors can have a stamp put in their passport. A weird little bunch.

We had chosen a very special place for the same night. We stood at an altitude of about 1200m on Mt Taranaki, which has a total height of about 2500m. Since it is the only elevation in a wide radius, you have a brilliant view over half of the North Island to the Tongariro National Park, where the next bigger volcanoes are located. I would have really enjoyed the night if my mattress hadn't had a hole for the second time. Comfortable is something different.

The next day, we continued north. The last stop we wanted to make on the way to Auckland were the Waitomo Caves. The Waitomo Caves are limestone caves. A guided tour gives you a closer look at the cave and its structure, which is explained very vividly. But the highlight of the tour through the cave is the boat ride on the lake. You glide silently over the cave lake while feeling like you're under the starry sky. Everything around you is dark. But the entire ceiling is covered with small glowing dots. These are glow worms that nestle in the cave. They illuminate large parts of the cave ceiling. A brilliant natural spectacle.

We had already arranged a meeting in Auckland with my sister for the next day. And as luck would have it, my parents were also in Auckland again. A family reunion in Auckland. It felt extremely strange to see my whole family here in New Zealand, as it had been a place in the world where my family didn't belong until now. But I was thrilled to see them all here and show them a country that I loved in its entirety. It was a fun evening with my sister's host family, and we enjoyed the time together very much.

I would see my sister again in the next few days/weeks. But unfortunately, my parents flew back home in the next few days. However, Niklas' girlfriend Caro visited us now. You can find out exactly how the next few weeks went in the next post.

Until then

Your Luca