Coromandel

After our short detour towards Northland, we decided to continue southwards and explore Coromandel and the entire east coast of the North Island. Our next destination was Tapu, as there was supposed to be a nice and affordable campsite there. On the way, we spent a night at a free 'camping site' in the middle of nowhere without toilets and water. Upon arriving in Tapu, we decided to stay here a little longer to recharge our energy. Here, we tried the brewing skills of the New Zealanders for the first time and met two other backpackers from near Offenburg, whom we would encounter more often in the coming weeks. After three relaxing days, we moved on towards Coromandel Town to do some shopping, as there were no more shops or gas stations north of there. Here, we met the two Offenburgers again (names still unknown), and this time we jokingly said goodbye with 'see you soon'. Our next destination was a farm north of Colville, which promised an authentic farm stay and was advertised online and in the travel guide. In reality, we only got a spot on a field for a lot of money, nothing more and nothing less. That's why there are no pictures of it and we moved on quickly.

Our next destination was Port Jackson, the almost northernmost point of the peninsula. The drive there once again took us on a 10km gravel road, but this time with a great view of the ocean. The location of the campsite was fantastic: front row to the beach in a beautiful bay. We decided to go for a little hike, where we discovered many green hills, beautiful bays, large stranded jellyfish, and a school of dolphins very close to the beach. Although it was incredibly beautiful here, we explored everything in one day and continued on Route 309 to the eastern side of Coromandel.