The North Island

We started off with a scouting trip to the Costco in Auckland to get an idea of what provisions we might be able to obtain for our upcoming season in Fiji. What a cultural experience. We passed the trolley (cart) return took the travelator (like an airport people mover that had a slight vertical slope) two floors down to the entrance where we learned no carts were available. The cart handlers were on their 30 minute break and if we didn’t want to wait, we had to find our own. Back up the travelator to nab a cart. The store was incredibly crowded and we were definitely in the minority as the bulk of the customers were of Asian or East Indian origin. It seemed that half the customers had children sleeping on their shoulders or in their carts. The Asian food section covered two aisles and I can’t wait to return for a sample.

We spent the night in Huntly at a private paid facility which gave us a chance to tame the chaos in HAMENZ, take a warm shower, and get ready for a month on the road.

We continued the next day and drove through lovely winding roads, discovering that Fall in New Zealand is a bit of an extension of Road Construction Season. We drove past some remarkable structures, which we later discovered were part of the Gibbs Farm (https://www.gibbsfarm.org.nz/), where well-known artists have created some huge pieces of art. The documentary on their website is fascinating and we hope to be lucky enough to view the farm in the future.

Orakei-Korako

The central part of the North Island is spotted with active geothermal sites, including energy producing plants and hot springs, many of which are commercialized resorts and pools. On the shores of Lake Ohakuri is Orakei-Karako, the “Yellowstone of New Zealand,” and is an active geyser field. Walking amongst the bubbling geysers and mud pools, we once again experienced our human insignificance.

A brief stop at Lake Taupo, another “return-to” was the end of our touring for the day. We spent the night on a peaceful spot on the river “freedom” camping.

Wellington

Our destination for the next day was Wellington, the departure point for the ferry to the South Island. The remarkable diversity of landscape took us through volcanoes, fields, and mountain-side road construction. We arrived mid-afternoon in Wellington in time to secure our overnight “freedom” parking spot along with a mixture of unhoused folks and people taking the next day’s ferry. We walked a few miles into Wellington’s downtown to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day.

Ferry to Picton & South Island

We are accustomed to ferry commutes across Puget Sound in Washington State, and the passage across the Cook Strait compares a bit to the passage to Victoria, although the currents and weather can be significantly stronger, plus commercial traffic is more significant. Had the ferry been cancelled, as frequently occurs, we would have moved to the back of the line. We could arrive between 10 AM to noon for our 1 PM sailing, and uncharacteristically, we arrived at 10 AM. Commercial traffic boarded first, then big campers and trailers, then minivans and cars, which allowed for the maneuvering and backing of rigs. We enjoyed a delightful meal and company for the crossing. The approach to Pectin was similar to entering some of our beloved Puget Sound waters, and we may just have to return on SV Tieton.

What’s Next

On the ferry crossing, we made a reservation at the Department of Conservation Campground in Momorangi, with HOT showers and a kitchen! Such a soft landing. We were settling into our camping spot, when much to our surprise, we saw Iain and Fiona from SV Ruffian, who we met in Tonga! Having recently sold Ruffian, Iain and Fiona were on a six-ish month van tour. We were delighted to spend to “buddy-camp” for a few days with them!