New Zealand - Welcome back

With a huge smile on our faces and incredible joy, we started our tour of the North Island. We didn't know exactly where to go yet. The feeling of freedom was enormous and we zoomed off. Although our camper initially had some problems with the ignition switch, we had to go back to the rental company for a short while, but then luck was on our side - upgrade! With the newer model, we drove from Auckland to Wellington in the first week. We got to see many cities, towns, attractions, natural highlights, and campsites.

In Hamilton, we visited the Botanic Garden, which was really great and even free. The award-winning gardens have different themes such as the Japanese garden, British garden, modern garden, etc. Of course, the first shopping trip was also a must. We bought everything we needed for our camper and what we had been waiting for for two years. The famous TIM TAM cookies, there are no better ones! We were also eagerly looking forward to our first visit to DOMINIO's Pizza, because who would miss out on a super delicious pizza for only $5, right?! After satisfying our hunger, we booked a tour to Hobbiton and Waitomo Glowworm Caves. I hadn't seen the movies or had any idea what to expect in Hobbiton, unlike Simon. Despite the bad weather, I was really impressed! Such an extraordinary place was created here with so much attention to detail. After having a drink at the Green Dragon, we continued our journey to the caves. A huge labyrinth of caves with countless stalagmites and stalactites. A real natural wonder was created here over thousands of years. We explored the caves on foot and then by boat, our guide was a true Maori and he passionately explained everything. There is a kind of natural cathedral at the highest point, which creates a great acoustics. Concerts and weddings are also held here. Our guide sang a little Maori song for us - truly goosebumps! We went through the darkness by boat. Above us hung the glowing worms, which looked like a starry sky. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed in the entire caves. That's why we inserted two photos from Google, so you can get a better idea.

Once we reached the West Coast, we had a great campsite right where a river flows into the sea. The pitch-black sand, the sunrise and sunset, and the cliffs with their rock formations were awesome. We also had the rather rare luck of seeing the volcano Mount Taranaki from a distance, which is often hidden behind the clouds. At low tide, we walked to Elephant Rock and the Three Sisters.

Our journey then took us to New Plymouth. The coastal city has a great park, a small free zoo, a beautiful walkway along the coast, and a cool bridge near our campsite. We continued on the Surf Highway to Whanganui. Here we visited a weekly market and finally had real bread for the first time since the beginning of our trip. It is called 'real bread' here and is really rare. The historic, almost 100-year-old elevator took us to a viewpoint of the city.

After a week, we finally reached our destination - the capital Wellington. It is also called the 'world's coolest, little capital'. It happened to be Saturday evening when we arrived (because most of the time we have no idea what day of the week it actually is) and thanks to our campsite in the middle of the city, we could visit the night market. The famous Cuba Street was full of culinary delights. Whether Indian, Ethiopian, American, or Korean, we ate our way through it all. The next day, we finally had good weather. The sky was bright blue. We took the cable car and visited the beaches of the city. A detour to the famous Te Papa Museum was also a must. We went to Mount Victoria for the sunset, but unfortunately, the sun hid behind the approaching clouds. For us, it was clear that Wellington is a great city with a lot to offer.

Now our journey continues along the East Coast towards the north, hoping for sunnier weather.