Where to begin…?
Well probably just the way it started. Getting on my first IntercityBus was a bless! What a civilized way of travelling is taking the bus in New Zealand! No squeezing in luggage, no pushing to get on the bus! Oh no, everything has got it´s time and order. There´s reserved seats for children travelling on their own, as well as families or the eldery. If your name is on the list, no need to show your ticket. It was a great start of a very pleasant journey up north.
My first stop was Whangerei. Another Couchsurfing place. This time at Cathy´s. She offered to pick me up at the busstop an right from the moment I got into her car I was hooked. What a lady!
She´s definitely one of a kind. A true woman to my heart. We went shopping and afterwards to her place where we were welcomed by her two dogs. A great garden and a lovely house. It was non-stop talking about almost everything… even though I was still very tired! She made me feel at home and gave me lots of ideas for my next days.
Kindness comes in all shades, but through the community of Couchsurfing I am receiving so much already… and my journey has only just begun.
In Whangerei I walked a lot. All the way from Onerahi to the centre over the Boswell track and Hatea loop. At some point an older man came from a side track and therefore continued walking behind me. After a couple of minutes he offered to pass me. I didn´t get it at first… but then I made the click! I smiled and told him, that it was just fine. He could go whereever he felt like! It made me feel sad, that nowadays a good man feels the urge to offer passing me, only to make me feel safe. I thanked him for his thoughtful offer before we both went different ways.
The Hundertwasser Art Gallery of Whangerei was absolutely worth its money! Perfect set-up, lots of activities for children and an interactive wall,… where I gave my bit of creativity. A nice guard even came by to express her gratitude for my little contribution of Art.
After a couple of day in Whangerei it was time to head up further North. This time the bus took me to Paihia, known for it´s beach and the Bay of Islands. A complete different atmosphere here. I had booked myself into a hostal to be surrounded by other travellers this time.
At first sight a lovely place. Giving it a closer look… it felt like checking in back in time when I was a student myself. I have seen students´ homes worse than this… but I have seen better too!
My 6-beds dorm was filled with 19-year old german girls. Politly adressing to me with “Madam” … oh God… I am officially old!… they were suprisingly quiet after 10 pm as per the rules. Slaloming through slippers, trying not to touch used de-make-up pads on the floor I managed to get into my lower bunk bed… ducking in just in time not to be hit by some peachy pink panties and a black lace bra! The bathroom area was clean, but in the kitchen you would be better of washing your cup before use. The vibe was good though. A gathering of mainly very young girls and some older folks like myself.
What hit me most was the way of socializing. A big TV-Screen, where people connecting their PRIME account to watch a movie. A lot of phone gazing and conversations not about the best hikes in the area, but where to get your lips done! Apparently Queenstown is good value for botox!
After settling in I started discovering the area the next following days. A lovely walk to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the coastal walk from Paihia to Opua as well es the Oromahoe Traverse. The diversity of nature stroke me. So beautiful and different around every corner.
Being surrounded by those immense trees I felt immediately at home. It took me some days to get grounded…but now I am “home” again. Just me, mountains, trees, and a gentle stream. Happiness can be that simple!
To socialize a bit more I choose to do 2 more nights of Couchsurfing again. I love the exchange with locals… see the way they live and get a deeper insight of their culture. Again I was blessed with a wonderful host. We went out for dinner to a new place of a friend. The next day, he drove me all the way to Kerikeri to see the local market, passing by several fruit farms, such as kiwi, banana, oranges, etc. Afterwards he dropped me off at the Rainbow waterfall track, so I could do a little walk to the Wharepuke falls where he picked me up again. The afternoon was reserved for a ferry trip to the famous town Russell. To be honest I was positively surprised by this town. The Flagstaff Hill and Long Beach walks were nice, at the oldest pub there was a wedding going on and the oldest Church with its impressive graveyard had my interest. For sure a worthy visit!
