Road trip Day 10 - Waiohine Gorge, Tararua Forest Park

The day started with a long, almost 4-5 hrs drive through the Wairarapa farmlands. There was nothing much to see here except miles and miles of farmlands. At least the day was nice, and with lesser traffic on the back roads, we were cruising along, enjoying the scenery and talking about our future plans in Chicago. Along the way to Castle Point, we dropped by the hill with the longest place name in the world for a quick cheesy tourist photo!

We planned to visit the Castle Point Lighthouse before heading to our campsite for the night. We started to realise that so far the places we are visiting on this trip are not the "tourist spots", and mostly without any cell service. Castle Point has an unique structure. It is a reef rock structure that sticks out of the water, forming what seems to be remains of a castle wall! We walked to the lighthouse, and just stood there, in awe of the South Pacific Ocean.

We had Mexian Salsa Ramen with fried eggs and fresh vegetables and onions :). Tomorrow is going to be a long "tough" day as we prepare to do a 6 hr hike in the Gorge.

Road Trip 9 - Te Paerahi Beach, Hawke's Bay

In the morning, we refilled our water containers (Road Trip Tip #1: Always refill water when possible or paying) then headed off to Napier. We parked in a covered parking garage for the dogs and set out to explore the city. We wandered up and down the quiet morning streets pointing out the interesting architecture.

We eventually made our way to the beach parade and walked along, enjoying the ocean and gardens. We stopped in at the I-site and got another magnet to add to our collection, then continued ambling. 

One of the things I wanted to do in Napier was to purchase a bottle of local wine. Neither of us felt like doing a proper vineyard and cellar door tour, but we did want to sample some smaller Hawke's Bay wineries. Therefore, when I spotted the Napier Wine Center, I dragged Sonny across the street and we headed in. We spoke to the very friendly guy inside, and settled on a bottle. As we were checking out, he told us about an event occurring in town that evening - Skulltopia - the premise of which sounded intriguing. Basically a gallery and shop owner had sent 60 ceramic skulls to 60 local artists then told the to do whatever they wished. The gallery was holding an opening that evening, and all skulls would be sold on a first come, first served basis for very reasonable prices. The idea was that it was a sort of art for the people event. We weren't planning to be in Napier that late, so I figured we wouldn't be going. We asked after Cafes with wifi instead and set off to find somewhere for Sonny to work on his visa application.  

On the way to the cafe we planned to visit, I peeked in the window and saw, you guessed it, 60 skulls being set up for that evening. A gentleman spotted us peering through the window and came and opened the door and asked if we would like to take a look around. We consented, and tiptoed around trying to stay out if their way while we marvelled at what different artists had done with their skulls. There was one I really loved in particular, on which the artist had created an incredibly life-like tree with leaves and knarled roots bursting out through the eyes and the top of the skull. I spent a good amount of time staring at it, and it was here the gallery owner came over to talk to us for a bit. He explained the whole concept of the show and mentioned that interest had far exceeded his expectations. He mentioned that he was having a terrible time with people wanting pre-sales to buy certain skulls. He was adamantly refusing to do them however, and he expected a line at 5:30. I told him how cool I thought the whole thing was, and we talked about art and artists for awhile. I then expressed my regret that I couldn't be there for the opening as we had to ramble on and mentioned that I really loved the tree one. He looked at me funny for a second then said, "well, you know that ONE artist did make two due to a miscommunication. Do you want to see the other one?"

And that was how I found myself in Napier buying my birthday present (Sonny was originally planning on having me get it in Chicago). They wrapped it up the best they could and hide it inside a very large fabric tote. We were sent on our way with admonishments to not tell ANYONE! So now I own my very first piece of original art!

We eventually made it to the cafe, and had a nice brunch while Sonny used the wifi. Long story short, the visa application ended up taking several hours, multiple wifi sources, a post shop, and a printers. But after a frustrating afternoon, it was finally finished, and that evening Sonny would be able to schedule his interview. 

I had planned ahead and gotten a permit to freedom camp at Te Paerahi Beach, so we headed out there. It was a really nice spot, with flush toilets and right on a huge deserted beach. We played with the dogs then had a light supper (still full from brunch!) of cheese, sausage, and crackers with our fancy wine. It was a good end to a strange day. 

Road Trip Day 8 - Eskdale Holiday Park, Esk Valley, Napier

I woke early the next morning, with an urge to find the long drop. When I went to open the door however, I was abruptly stopped by the WASPS all over the glass. At some point during the night, the "few" wasps had turned into many and they were chilling out all over the van. After watching them for a bit, I determined they seemed to not be agitated or moving a lot so I carefully slide open the door and slowly exited the van. Once outside the van I could now hear a very loud buzzing and see them flying everywhere. Moving as slowly and smoothly as was possible while fighting adrenaline and my bladder, I scurried to the toilets and back. 

Bursting into the van, I woke Sonny and explained the situation. He was not exactly pleased but we decided on a plan - to pack up as best we could inside the van, then head off to have coffee and breakfast somewhere without stinging insects. This plan was executed flawlessly and about thirty minutes later we were parked beside Lake Tutira drinking coffee and discussing the day ahead. 

We were one week into our grand tour, and after two nights of free accommodation, we decided to "splurge" a bit and stay at a holiday park. A quick search on this fantastic app I found called Campermate and we located three pet-friendly holiday parks in the Napier area. I made a quick table comparing attributes (laundry, wifi, paid vs. free showers, cost, etc) and we settled on a smaller place, located 18 km north of town in the winery filled Esk Valley. It turned out to be a perfect choice.

When we arrived, the very kind host showed me the huge back field they had, and said we could set up camp there, by the river, to allow the dogs the most space to run around. The facilities were basic, but well-maintained and clean, and the laundry and unlimited hot showers were just what we needed. Even better, the owner was a Hiace fan as well, and he praised our little campervan. 

We settled in and quickly began turning ourselves back into respectable people. I started laundry while Sonny cleared our rubbish and recycling. We then took turns taking showers (heavenly!), and I cleaned out the van. The shelf I built when holds our large water container had been slowly cracking as I recycled a found board for the bottom. Therefore, my only agenda for the day was a trip to a hardware store to procure a new piece of wood as well as more fuel cans for our stove and a few other bits and pieces. 

By two o'clock we set off to run errands with clean clothes, bodies, and van. After a bit of a run around which included borrowing a tape measure and digging through the ends and pieces pile, I got what I needed, cut to size, for only a dollar!

We had debated going to the nearby vineyard restaurant for dinner, but discovered it was closed that night. Instead we bought real food and brought it back to the holiday park where we cooked a delectable dinner that didn't come from a single packet. After dinner we worked on the van and Sonny spent time writing an application for a course he plans to attend in August. We read about Napier, and discussed our plans for the next day and the time beyond. We hoped to tour Napier in the morning, as well as complete Sonny's paperwork for his visa application so we could get his interview time sorted as this was the only immovable blockade to our fancy-free vagabond life.  

Road trip Day 7 - Waikare River Mouth, East Coast

Though we had briefly considered lingering another day in our fantastic surroundings, we decided the next morning to press on. So, after coffee and packing up, we continued our quest to get lost in the forest. The drive continued to be beautiful, and we stopped several times to picnic along the way. The dogs were having the time of their lives romping in several streams and chasing sticks.

Eventually we started to climb even higher, and we could feel the temperature drop. The cliff off the side of the road began to get steeper and steeper and we began to see glimpses through the trees of the jewel of Te Urewera, Lake Waikaremoana. This crazy lake is formed in a bowl of mountains, and is over 500 m above sea level. There is a circuit walk around the lake that takes around 4 days and is considered one of New Zealand’s Great Walks. We were not prepared to do such a long walk, so we contented ourselves with pulling over and taking photos at all the picnic areas, including a gorgeous waterfall pouring over the side of a cliff down into the lake. We stopped in at the DOC visitor centre to see if there were any short walks that we could take the dogs on, but were told unfortunately no, so we headed out of the park.

After more twisting and turning we reached our first hint of civilisation - pavement!. A brief stop in Wairoa for groceries and we were off to find our campsite for the night. i was hoping to stay at the Waikare River Mouth, a free DOC site. After a 13 km gravel drive through a station we arrived. The campsite was deserted and small, but lovely. We parked next to the river’s boat ramp and let the dogs out to romp. I noticed there were some hornets buzzing next to the van, but they didn’t appear to be interested in us, so we decided to ignore them. (Why yes, that is foreshadowing) 

Sonny cooked a gourmet (for the road) dinner of curry with beef and broccoli and we ate contentedly. After dinner I proposed we lock the dogs in the van and do the 2 km trek to the ocean and the river mouth. It was a narrow farm path that wound up over the headlands through sheep pastures and eventually opened unto a completely deserted beach. It ended up being the most magical experience. The sun was setting, casting an orange and purple glow onto the bluffs on either side of the river mouth, and the driftwood-strewn beach was empty save for us. Waves crashed into the shore, rippling through jewel tones as the reflected the painted sky above. Mist from the waves cast a hazy feel to everything and the sound of sea birds was a melody to the wave’s beat. It was all so utterly beautiful it made me cry a bit. Sonny let me have my moment as long as he could stand, then urged a return journey as “there was too much sand.” As we ambled back to van, I decided I could rest happy, my soul was that much more full.

Road trip Day 6 - Mangamate Falls Campsite, Te Urewera National Park

“WARNING! 95 km of winding unsealed road ahead”

When we saw that sign standing sentinel by the side of the road, Sonny and I knew we had made the right choice. With Taj Mahal blasting on the stereo, plenty of fuel in our tank, and all we needed right in our cozy van, we headed out to get lost in the North Island’s largest and most remote National Park.

Earlier, the morning had dawned gloriously sunny and temperate, and we excitedly savoured our coffee while watching the mist on the lake burn off as we discussed our next direction. I had wanted to climb Rainbow Mountain, so-called due to the colourful nature of the igneous rock that comprises it. However, when we got to the parking lot, we found it overflowing with cars and people everywhere. Suddenly summiting that peak lost its appeal. I proposed instead that we head out on SH 38, taking the long way toward Hawke’s Bay through the misty forested ranges of Te Urewera National Park. When I warned Sonny that the guidebooks impressed upon the length and remoteness of the road through the park, he expressed some concern until we remembered we had no timetable and we could go   as slow as we liked. In fact, we decided to spend the night at a campsite only about a third of the way in, and do the rest the next morning.

The drive in was beautiful, the narrow road curving around the sides of thickly forested mountains. The virgin forest was peppered with huge ancient trees, and we were able to marvel at the girth of their trunks on one side of the road and the spread of their canopy on the other. the road more of less followed a river, which became a glittering ribbon far below us. Waterfalls of all sizes tumbled  right next to the road then below it on their way down the mountainside. We stopped in a tiny isolated town, once a thriving forestry community, now the last bastion of civilization in the park as Sonny required road snacks. Once fuelled we resumed our sinuous journey. After about an hour, I directed Sonny to a turn off and a the end of an even smaller gravel road we found our campsite. It was shaped like a horseshoe, with a spectacular waterfall situated at the “bend.” We drove past a large family, entrenched in a site with two huge buses, one of which had what appeared to be a giant claw on the back. We took the next site down from them, the last site in the U with only a turnaround past us. 

It ended up being one of the nicest campsites I have stayed at in New Zealand thus far. We had a huge grassy clearing, and were surrounded by dense bush on three sides - to the extent that we could neither see nor hear our neighbours. A shady path at the back connected all the campsites and the toilets and sheltered cooking area near the waterfall. Blackberries and roses were everywhere, and both were bearing fruit. The river hurtled by on the other side of the road in front of us, and the first thing the dogs did was investigate it. Unfortunately, the current was too swift for them to swim in it. I wandered up the path with my $12 to pay DOC for the privilege of camping in this beautiful spot. However, when I got to where the pat stations should be, there was none to be found! A quick conversation with a passing boy on a bike told me that the local Maori had taken over stewardship, and the site was now free!

Sonny and I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the sun, drinking beer and playing with the dogs. As there was a fire pit (a huge rarity in New Zealand!) we also gathered firewood. As the sun began to sink, I showed I’ve still got the pyro abilities by starting a fire using nothing but wood found nearby and two lighter flicks. We ate ramen in the toasty glow of the flames. As the night got late, I let the fire die down and we marvelled at the extensive canopy of stars spread overhead. It will be strange to no longer find the Southern Cross in a few weeks. We fell asleep, smelling of smoke, but utterly relaxed.