09/05/2018 - Workshop visit in Takaka

Sunrises like these are simply wonderful. The outside temperature was in the double digits and the beach was only a few steps away. While Tobi grabbed the tripod and camera, I made myself comfortable on the bed with the trunk open. We captured the morning sky spectacle - through photos and videos. After showering and breakfast, there was almost nothing standing in the way of continuing our journey. If it weren't for our little problem with the front bumper. Despite the repairs the previous day, it banged - sometimes louder, sometimes softer, but steadily - while driving. We inspected the problem area again, but couldn't find anything unusual. We sought advice from the campsite owner, who referred us to two workshops in Takaka, the nearest major city.
So we left Pakawau and headed to the "hippie capital" of New Zealand. Along the way, we made a second short stop at the Pupu Springs before reaching Takaka shortly after. We found the recommended workshop and spoke to the owner about our problem. He asked us to drive the car into the backyard. Our Sam was quickly put on the lift. It wasn't a pleasant sight to see his "home" up there. Two mechanics examined the undercarriage closely. One of them confidently reached under the bumper and found ... a rock! It wasn't a small stone, no - it was a hand-sized one! The mechanic dropped it to the ground. We were all amazed.

Since the employee brought the stone to his boss's office, we unfortunately don't have a tangible memento of this crazy situation.

They lowered the lift and then took a quick look under the hood. The workshop visit cost us $20/12€. Additionally, the employee pointed out significant wear on the inner sides of both front tires. Somewhat surprised and slightly overwhelmed, we drove away from the premises. During the subsequent drives, we didn't notice any changes or uncertainties. We decided to get a second opinion at a later date.
After the workshop visit, we strolled up and down the shopping street in Takaka. The few shops were tailored to the residents - floral dresses, crocheted tops, or playful hair accessories were on display.
The peaceful city walk was over and we craved some movement. The Labyrinth Rocks were perfect for that.

A group of volunteers has created a kind of maze for the community here. The special thing about it is that small plastic figures were placed in the various corridors and hiding places. During exploration, you will repeatedly come across familiar Disney and animation characters from Pixar. A great idea!

We sneaked past the tall limestone formations and turned into almost every corridor. The deeper you went, the narrower the corridors became. Eventually, they became too tricky and narrow for us - but children will surely have fun here!
The last item on today's agenda was on a direct path to the new campsite. A 15-minute hiking trail led us through New Zealand bush to an elevated viewing platform. Just before we reached it, the path ran through a 15-meter-high stone gorge. The sun, the blue sky, and a high mountain range welcomed us on the wooden platform. What an oasis!
Last but not least, we went to "Pohara" where we enjoyed a radiant sunset.