Hicks Bay and Te Araroa

We headed further east directly after our volcano tour. It was important for us to see as much as possible, so our path led us to Hicks Bay. Along the way to Hicks Bay, we stopped at many places and took pictures. Unfortunately, there isn't much to say about this drive. Just take a look at the pictures :) Once we arrived at Hicks Bay, we went shopping and looked for our campsite. Since the peak season is over, we no longer have to make advance bookings and can simply drive to the campsites. Our plan for the next day was to wake up as early as possible to experience the first rays of sunlight in the world on that day. So, we went to bed early and got up early the next morning. The evening before, we met a couple who told us to drive very carefully because sometimes cows and goats from the surrounding farmers sleep on the road to East Cape as there are no fences there. As we drove along the road, it was true that cows and horses were sleeping or eating right next to the road. It was amazing how the animals stared at us but didn't really care about us. When we arrived at our destination, we had to climb over 800 steps up to the lighthouse. I almost threw up my tea, and my body thought I was stupid. Doing nothing for the previous weeks and then suddenly running up stairs in the morning. Finally, we were almost late :D But we made it to the sunrise just in time! It was simply incredible :) It was beautiful, and I was proud of us for getting up so early and seeing the first rays of sunlight in the world. When we drove back, we realized that we were lucky with the weather. It started raining after about 30 minutes of driving. So, we did everything right. Then we headed to Gisborne. On our way, we wanted to have lunch at a bay. Unfortunately, there was no place to take a break there. So, we just stopped at a roadside parking area, with a mountain and a great view.