Our July highlights

We put a record-breaking 15 blog posts online for the month of July. - Started in Palmerston North, ended in Stratford. If you look at the map, you can see that the two cities are not far apart. Makes you wonder what we've been up to all month? Well, we didn't use the direct route, but drove up the East Cape to then cross the center of the North Island and get to Stratford via the Forgotten World Highway.

As usual, we thought of eleven questions to review July. To make it clearer for you which answers belong to whom, Tobi's answers will be marked in bold and mine in italics - because of course we two don't always agree. ;)

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- Let's start from the beginning - where did you experience the most beautiful sunrise? -
Tobi: We saw a beautiful sunrise at the East Cape Lighthouse. The special feature of the place is that you can watch the first sunrise in New Zealand from here.
Nadine: Wrapped up under the covers, we enjoyed the sunrise at Castlepoint Lighthouse with the boot lid open. An unforgettable experience!

- New Zealand's North Island is known for its waterfalls. Which ones do you remember from the past month? -
With a drop of 74m, the remote Mt Damper Falls are among the five highest waterfalls in the North Island.
The wide and fantastically situated Marokopa Falls inspired us from the first second.

- Which of the many places you passed was the most exciting? -
Visiting a bay where James Cook and his crew once landed was exciting. A few information boards showed earlier descriptions of the place, which can still be found today.
Hard to imagine what kind of encounters must have taken place at Cook's Cove.

- James Cook could not find her anymore. Maybe some animals for that? -
On the way to the East Cape Lighthouse we passed several animal information signs. When we stopped briefly at the side of the road, we actually spotted a few fur seals. It is one of New Zealand's northernmost colonies.
When we visited St Mary's Church in Tikitiki, a cute little cat accompanied us at every turn. She never let us out of her sight for a minute and was always on the lookout for a few cuddles that we couldn't withhold from her. :)

- Did you learn anything extraordinary in the month of July? -
Victor introduced me to making Maori fry bread. We all liked the result.
Does opening cans with a pocket knife count as something extraordinary?! In any case, Tobi failed miserably. ;)

- Which snack did you like to fall back on when you got a little hungry this month? -
Despite the large selection of snacks and nuts, it was the well-established pretzels that we didn't want to do without.
I agree. For a change, I add rice cakes. ;)

- From which place did you find it particularly difficult to say goodbye? -
On three - 1, 2, 3: Castlepoint! We don't have to think long about the question. The place made a lasting impression on us with its lighthouse, the sunrises and sunsets and the beaches. If we were to visit New Zealand again one day, a visit to Castlepoint would be a must!

- Usually the nights in New Zealand are very quiet. Were there any exceptions in July? -
In Wairoa we slept in a public parking lot. In addition to the arrival and departure traffic, it was above all a local who often shot his rugby ball in the air and frightened us several times.
We had few storms on our New Zealand trip. But in Palmerston North, lightning struck nearby in the middle of the night. The bang that followed made us jump mightily...

- Camping offers many beautiful things. Tell us a dark side! -
(Note: We are only traveling with one car, not a classic camper!)
Once you're in bed, you don't want to get up again. As if going to brush our teeth wasn't hard enough, we have to put on our shoes again, step outside and walk to the shared bathroom.
Before we head off to cook, we'll discuss what's needed. But occasionally the sieve, the oil or the washing-up liquid is forgotten. The resulting walk back to the car is annoying (especially when it's raining).

- Looking back, you experienced and took a lot with you this month. What was your personal July highlight? -
After catching a freezing cold night at Lake Waikaremoana, the sun came out during the day and we were able to go on nice hikes. The highlight was the view from the stone plateau over the lake and the surrounding national park.
After we didn't get a stamp in our passport when we entered the country, our wish was finally granted in Whangamomona. Even if it does not replace the New Zealand one, the stamp from Whangamomona is a very special one for us. :)

- And last but not least: your favorite pictures from the month of July! -

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As always, we hope you enjoyed the little recap. More details about the individual answers can of course be found in the previous posts.

Now there are not many regions left for us to discover. We are excited to see what else awaits us in the further course of the journey and will continue to keep you up to date. :)