Back on tour

On November 20, 2018, it was time for me to pack my things and start my car again. After over a month in Wellington, it wasn't the easiest start, especially because it was pouring rain and not the best conditions for camping. However, it was the right time because a bad weather front was moving up from the South Island, so I was able to drive out of the bad weather a little bit.

My first stop was Cape Palliser, which is located in the south of the North Island at about the same latitude as Wellington. It was a very beautiful and special place. After that, I headed north, this time along the east coast. So I stopped in Hastings and Napier, where I met two friends who I graduated high school with and who are also traveling in New Zealand at the moment. I really fell in love with Napier, which is why I will make a second stop there.

Next, with my two friends, I headed to Gisborne, which is one of the easternmost points of the North Island and offers beautiful sunrises.

Gisborne is a rather small city, but it is well known for its wine and you can discover many beautiful beaches there.

After that, we continued our journey up to Opitiki and Whakatane. However, we didn't spend much time there because we kept fleeing from the bad weather and tried to catch as many rays of sunshine as possible. That's why this destination brought us up to Tauranga, where we were lucky with the weather for a while. However, the weather in New Zealand is something else and is as predictable as a surprise. It changes every minute, so one moment it's pouring rain and it feels like the world is about to end, and five minutes later it's sunny with just a few clouds in the sky.

Tauranga is still one of my favorite cities on the North Island, because it constantly amazes me with its beautiful beaches and the interplay between city and nature.

Tauranga was the last stop with my two friends, who are continuing their journey to the north while I slowly make my way back south to Wellington.

The North Island of New Zealand has incredibly many different places to offer, all of which are special in their own way and still amaze me even on my second visit.