11|10|18, Warning, Flat Tire, Cathedral Cove

Hello guys,

the day started off exciting.

Woken up by sunlight, I got out of the van and brushed my teeth.

During the usual walk around the car, something unusual caught my attention today.

A little note between our windshield wipers.

Title: 'Warning'

Since we parked just outside the designated camping zone last night to have a wind-sheltered area for our gas cooker, it seemed that an officer came to check, which he apparently deemed as a serious offense despite the whole place being almost empty.

So, we received a warning that we have until 9:00 a.m. to vacate our spot, or else face a hefty fine of 200 Dollars.

Well, the consequence was that we immediately drove to a spot by the sea, where we had breakfast.

What seemed like a stressful morning up to this point, was just the beginning!

A friendly Kiwi pointed out our car to us.

He pointed to our tire. The tire was completely flat.

To be honest, we hadn't dealt with the topic of 'tire change for Toyota' until now.

The spare wheel was easy to find, but we couldn't locate the tool to remove the other tire.

Of course, we were in the middle of nowhere, so we were just about to call for roadside assistance.

At that moment, a Kiwi arrived at the parking lot.

As if he had only driven for this situation, he came directly with a whole set for changing a tire in the trunk.

After asking quickly, he practically jumped out of the car and enthusiastically joined us in solving our flat problem.

Fortunately, my dad had taught me how to change a tire, so with his help and the tools, I was able to change the tire quickly.

The Kiwis are just a great people! Always helpful, friendly, and courteous.

In Germany, we can only dream of that...

We then went straight to the tire dealer, who fixed the tire immediately.

For 24€, we accepted the patch as a temporary solution, but we will change the tires in case of the next flat tire.

With the patched tire, we went to a real natural highlight in New Zealand, the 'Cathedral Cove'.

In this bay, volcanic rock has been prepared by the water for over 8 million years, creating unique shapes and landscapes.

The view, combined with the turquoise water, was truly amazing! 😊

From there, we drove to our campground near a ferry.

We took the ferry to the neighboring town once again, as it saved us 80km of driving, and did some shopping.

We bought ingredients for a proper German 'dinner', which almost worked out.

It can only be said that the New Zealanders, even though they call bread 'German Bread', can't bake decent bread.

It's more like a dark, soft wheat bread.

But it tasted good in the end and made us full!

Now we have been in the van since 6 p.m. because the weather is really bad.

We have planned a trip to the 'Hot Water Beach' for tomorrow.

Here, you can borrow a shovel and dig a hole during low tide, which will then have 30-50 degrees Celsius hot water.

I'm excited!

Greetings from Ferry Landing, New Zealand! 🇳🇿

Your Tim! 😊