South Island, West Coast

24/01
Before leaving this morning, we go for another big food shopping, I love it, I always find supermarkets interesting, always funny to see what a country eats…similar to ours…but I love discovering and tasting new cookies, biscuits etc etc…naughty me!!! We then drive to Arthur's Pass National Park, the village is in the middle of the park, it is the highest altitude settlement (around 950 metres) in NZ, we arrive around lunchtime and after a nice picnic on a car park (!!), go for a walk on the bed of a river, the Bealey river, it is a great walk, easy but with beautiful scenery. We observe the river flow and relax under the sun sitting on rocks. We both really love this national park and start to feel more connected with the nature around, good feeling. We feel less tired and happier to be here together. We manage to find a nice conservation free campsite, Klondyke Corner; it is great, a nice large open campsite close to a river. We just chill out, watch the amazing sky, again so many stars and the Milky Way and off to bed early.

25/01
We are going for a long walk so before we head up to the mountain, we go to the alpine village to get some bread for the sandwiches, it is early around 8ish and already full of life, everybody seems to leave so early to go walking, climbing…a nice feel. We see some kea, the local parrots on the car park, they are very funny animals, trying to steal food from humans…We have a laugh observing them. We spend the day ‘tramping’ – the NZ way of describing hiking-walking, the Bealeys Spur Track is hard but beautiful, we see amazing views of the river Waimakariri, the valley where we sleep ad have a great view of many peaks in the Southern Alps (yes called like that too here!). It is quite challenging, sometimes very arduous, there are lots of walking up hills, after a really long climb, we stop for lunch close to the hut, and relax under the shade (sun is way too hot here!). I feel like resting as I am exhausted…but Fab is braver than me and wants to climb till the top!! I settle in a nice spot and watch him ascent and go to the top of the mountain. It was really hard and took some time but he made it and came back with some amazing piccies, as usual. Such a nice walk with diverse landscapes, some peaks, mountains with snow, lots of alpine flowers. The diversity amazes us, and it will be the case every time we go for a walk here, you can find many different landscapes in 5 minutes, lakes, swamps, mountains and even the sea!!! Amazing to have such diverse ecosystems so close!
We go back to our little campsite and spend the eve in the same spot, it is actually quite nice to have a sense of routine!!! The evening is not brilliant as we both feel annoyed with the van company: the fridge is not working and the battery seems to be dead…we are losing some food and the smell is not great in the van, cheese and butter melting in the sun, lovely cheddar smell!!! Fab calls them and they cannot do anything as it is Sunday, we will have to call back Monday a.m.

26/01
We leave early as we want to call the van company to sort out the battery, after few phones calls and a bit of stress, we have to drive to Greymouth, the big town on the West Coast to get it sorted, a tiny detour from our initial plan but manageable. The route is interesting, amazing landscapes and some little gold mining cities, feels very much like we would imagine a Far West region in the states!!! Despite so many little gold towns, it feels very empty. We read about the Gold rush in the 19th century and it is hard to imagine it happening here!! We arrive at Greymouth to sort out the van at a garage, it takes 1 hour, we then stroll and go for some shopping, internet and we are ready to go again, a little picnic then a drive till the end of the afternoon to the Glaciers region. We arrive in Franz Josef around 5ish, but we really want to see the glacier despite being tired so we go for a short walk to see the glacier: spectacular!! Nowhere else at this latitude do glaciers come so close to the ocean. The danger is real as two tourists died here two weeks ago, getting too close to the ice.. We will have to be cautious and stick to the tracks. It is an amazing scenery, the ice is blue at some point, the glacier seems so tranquil but it actually moves every day!! We find another conservation free campsite close to a lake, the lake Mapourika, it is a nice site but infested with sand flies and mosquitoes, we have a hard time all eve, chasing them as we become their dinner!!! Many people told us about sand flies, so far we escaped them, here they are, in numbers, biting and attacking…pure bliss!!!!!! We will both from now on have tons of little red bites on our legs, very VERY itchy….

27/01
We again wake up early and go for a beautiful all day walk-climb, in the rainforest. Yes, weirdly enough, there is a real lush rainforest, very close to the glaciers. It is very dense and humid and at times, it feels like being in a tropical country…weird…we will then find out that ecosystems here are a bit all over the place and coexist where they normally shouldn’t. The walk is steep and hard, with many hours of climbing up, river crossing to reach a nice spot with great views on the glacier as we climb to the top, exhausted! Franz Josef glacier (named after the emperor) is very impressive, it advances 1 metre per day!!! We see the blue ice, the canyons created by the snow and ice, the high peaks. It is truly magical to see an amazing glacier, which descends deep into the rainforest of the Westland National Park. After a difficult descent, where I managed to slip and fall in the mud in front of the only person we meet on the track (!), we go back to our campsite for the night. I wash my hair with a bucket outside, helped by my lovely hubby….the joy of no hot shower and freedom camping!!!! We just chill out for the eve, I read about the Maori legend on the glacier: the Maori name is 'The tears of the Avalanche girl', Hinehukatere loved climbing in the mountains and persuaded her lover Tawe to climb with her, he fells from the peaks to his death, she was broken hearted and her many tears froze to form the glacier!! We both reflect on the incredible landscape, the superb scenery. The West Coast region is really wild and untouched, with serene lakes, birdlife, fern everywhere, lots of streams and rivers, mountains and of course dramatic glacial valleys but I miss the humanity…the nature is impressive but not many human beings here and I miss the human touch, the human arts, the human touch on the landscape….Fab connects more with the mountains, the gigantism and the purity of the peaks touch him a lot.

28/01
We go to see Fox glacier this morning, it is 300 metres deep, we take a little walk close to the river to see the terminal ice face. This one has more stones, feels rockier but has an amazing blue icy colour. After a nice stroll, we drive to visit the Lake Matheson, to see reflections of Mounts Cook and Tasman in the water. It is a nice easy bush track around the lake, we see the Mount Tasman but the Mount Cook, NZ highest peak, hides behind the clouds!!! All around, it is still the rainforest, even on the mountains which have huge canopy of rainforest…again it feels like an untamed wilderness, great natural beauty with a beautiful flora. We both again are puzzled by the fact that the dense rainforest is so close to the alpine vegetation, WEIRD!!! We then go for a picnic on Gillespie beach. Gillespie was a small gold town gold, but quickly became a ghost town less than 2 years after the gold rush….we can sense this, a feel of the isolation but also something of a pioneer era. The beach is a beautiful black sand wild beach with a lagoon, we walk for hours, it looked more like swamps, tropical, it feels like Asia!!! We walk, write our names with stones, Fab attempts to sculpt the dead wood on the beach, we hesitate: shall we stay here tonight or move on?? We both feel restless again and in need of new scenery…. But numbers of campervans invade the small beach campsite, so we decide to drive a bit for 2 hours before sunset to find another spot….We are heading towards Lake Wanaka so we need to stop in between and decide to go to the Mount Aspiring National Park. The night arrives when we find a conservation free campsite, it is already 10 pm and hard to cook here as you are not supposed to make noise after that time, it is buys and everyone is so quiet and goes to bed early…the eve feels short, we both fall asleep quickly but struggles with bed bugs…yes the mattress seems to be inhabited by many insects and the multiples bites on our legs are annoying!! We thought that would happen in India, not here!!!!!

29/01
We wake up early again and decide to leave to reach Wanaka in the morning, we both feel tired and a bit low, it is grey and we need to chill out, Fab dreams of a hot shower as it is cold and humid today. I feel sleepy…The drive is nice, amazing mountains and lakes, Fab is touched, I am sadly finding it a bit monotonous…how bad is that, amazing landscapes yet I find it repetitive now…mountains, lakes, forests….We arrive in Wanaka around 10ish, it is a nice little town on the lake front, yes people!!!! I am glad to see some houses, shops and people, yes!!!!! We both decide that after many days of cold showers and freedom camping, we need a treat so check in a nice commercial campsite with spa and sauna!!!! The morning is lazy, internet, shower, shower, shampoo and that is it!!!! Nice to wash, to wash clothes with powder and not soap, yes we are not 20s anymore and sometimes it is nice to recharge the battery!!!! We go for a walk around town, nice shops, organic food, people, we even go for lunch in a pub…nice treat!!!
We then go back to the campsite and enjoy the spa and sauna…Fab decides to BBQ some lambs in the communal BBQ area, he has a chat with some Swiss guys, I stay in, writing and relaxing before a nice meal.

South Island

22/01
After waking up on the beach, we drive to Kaikoura, a sweet little town with mountain plunging in the sea, it is amazing to have the sea and the mountains together!!! The area is famous for its wildlife: penguins, whales, dolphins, seals etc etc.... On the coastal road, we already see many seals colnies, they are called kekeno here, so close to us on rocky beach, amazing to see seals in their natural habitat!!We look around the town, then have lunch at the view point, watching the black beaches. Fab is still unhappy with the campervan, so we spend lots of time on the phone trying to change it...not working...we got it cheap for a reason: relocation, in fact us driving it to Christchurch is a favour to the company...so we got a deal but we have to stick with it and deal with it!!!! We then decide to go for a long walk, the Peninsula Walkway, three hours walk through cliffs, a lovely peninsula, an amazing coast track, it is truly beautiful and feel serene. We both start to really enjoy the country and its amazing landscape. aftert this walk, we drive around and find a nice spot close to the beach where other vans are parked, this will be our place for the night!!! We have a chat with Collin, our neighbour, again an English man, him and his family left England 6 months ago to relocate here and start afresh, they have been living in the campervan since September and enjoy the freedom of it, while they wait for their house to be built! Daring people starting all over again....inspiring! We chat a bit, he tells us about places we are going to,whee to find free spots for camping at nights, what to see, we talk about England and how they hopoe to become self sufficient here. Nice night despite opur battery running down and our fridge getting warm...horrid smell in the van!!!

23/01
Val wake up really early (7am) and wach the sea while having her breakfast, nice to be so close to the beach. We drive to a better spot to spend few hours there and meet with Collin and its family again!! Fab chats a bit, then we decide to go to a campsite as the fridge is dead and we ned to plug the van to get some power!!! We choose a nice one with swimming pool and hot shower!! The treat!! We find a nice spot on the grass with a table, we wnat to chill out for while so spend the morning there, doing our washing, talking and not doing much...until we got to our whale watching trip!!! As mentioned before, the region is famous for its marine mamals and we really want to see some...the trip is 3 hours ona boat, we sail around the bay, until we see a gigantic sperm whale: so amazing to see it!! It is resting then go again for a plunge...Truly unbelievable!!We then go on to see more seals colonies and some pods of dusky dophins!!! They play around the boat, swim along ...truly magical!!They are known as acrobats of the sea and it is funny to watch them dance and jump in the air! What a unique day!! The whale watchers organisation is very eco friendly and we learn a lot talking to the guide....New Zealand has a law to protect all marine mammals and they ban hunting, it is good to know that most of those animals are starting to recover from the human slaughter and that they start breeding again. An amazing encounter with magical animals, we both feel blessed to have experienced it! Picnic on the beach around 4pm then we go for a walk and decide to enjoy the campsite and its facilities: a swimming pool and some hated little jaccuzi!!! Nice to chill out, we chat to a couple from Dunedin (one of our stops) and then really enjoy the dip!! Nice dinner outside, and off to bed!!

North Island

16/01
We wake up and get a lift in order to pick up the campervan, we are a bit disappointed as it is a gigantic van, yes with shower and toilet but more suited to a family than a couple...well, we will have to get used to it, but Fab is really unhappy about it as it is heavy, not stable and drives very slowly....we then leave Auckland and stop in a massive supermarket to do the big food shopping. Off we go on the motorway for a drive to the north. It's not easy to get used to driving this campervan. Whomever has ever lead a filled up to the top supermarket trolley will know how it feels. Heavy, slow and really hard to manoeuvre around (less the visibility!). We take it slowly and watch the landscape. Val mainly.
We pass Whangarei, and misjudging our way we end up driving for miles on a gravel road to a wild remote conservation campsite on Otamure Beach near Whananaki. It's right on a marvellous bay with black sand. We settle down. The campsite is not too busy but with basic facilities, pit for toilet and this is it!! The big van is useful as we can have a cold shower (not hot in there!!going to be fun for the next three weeks!!!). We have diner, read for a bit. Night comes to unveil one of the most fantastic sky we have ever seen...the milky way is very visible, and there are millions of stars, truly amazing.

17/01
after this resting night, we head up to the Bay of Island, in the north, and drive to Paihia. The bay has many small islands, turquoise water and it is apparently a great spot, it is also an important place for the history of this country th as the first European base and the stat of European colonisation...Pahia is a little town, nothing exceptional, we walk around, then spend half the afternoon on the grassy beach, reading, watching people making sand sculpture and baking as the sun is really hot!!! We then walk to the Treaty grounds and the Treaty House in Waitangi (Vive la reine!) where the maori chiefs and the British Governement signed a treaty in 1840, giving Brititsh sovereignity over the whole country and protection . Officially, it is an agreement between two people to live together in one nation, but isn't it the start of colonialism??? The treaty house is nice, cute, and there are amazing gardens with a maori meeting house. We then drive to a campsite, owned by Maori family. We stat to get up really early so we go to bed around 10!!

18/01
Today is not great, we planned to go swimming with dolphins but we wake up and it is pouring rain, the trip is cancelled and we decide to leave the Bay of Islands, we didn't really appreciate the place or had time to see anything that retained our interest...WE then make the mistake to drve to Ranglan, on the WEst Coast. We are looking for surf and beaches to compensate, Fab wants to surf and this town is supposed to be the perfect surfing town, with amazing breaks and rugged beaches. We sped many hours driving through nice green countryside, it is Very windy when we arrive. Nothing as described in the lonely Planet (from now on, we will followour instincts as it seems the gide keeps telling fibbles..), nice little town with great surfing beaches, we go and watch the surfers, great waves , the place is famous for competition....We ten spend lots of time trying to find a free spot for camping,m of course, there is big business here so all the parks and car parking are forbidding overnight stay so we end up in this horrible tacky campsite with hundreds of caravans lined up one after the other and people looking crap and red necks....Very depressing...Some people probably live here, and have recreated a home with planpots, garden floor slabs and mini dwarfs!!!!! HORROR!!!! We freak out, argue, feel so annoyed with the trip....From now on, we will have to plan better as the itnerary is really long and we are slow...We don't enjoy and drive too much so we decide to do less stops and relax a bit more, as it is very unsettling...

19/01
After a bad night, Fab decides not to surf here and want to escape, we drive to Rotorua and after many houes of driving we arrive in this very famous geothermal town with a strong Maori influence, thee are many amazing natural phenomenon here, and the sulphur gas (the town smells of rotten egg....unique!!). It is a very touristy area in NZ but we must be lucky as it doesn't feel too crowded... The city is surrounded by many lakes and we decide to go to one for lunch...we spend some time at the Blue Lake, have lunch and a break on the lake's beach. It is a bit chilly but sunny...Back in town to book the visit of Te Puia, a geothermal park with a cultural maori show, it seems to be less commercial than other Maori type shows as it is run by the Maori Arts institute. The Maori culture is heavily commercialised here and we will find it difficult to escape that vibe... It is an interesting mix in that place, we walk around a nature park, discover hot springs, geysers (the biggest one Pohutu erupts every hour and up to 30 metres...), mud boiling from the earth, bubbling mud pools but we also have a visit of some Maori workshops, weavers and carvers, we learn about the culture, the way of life and how people try to cultivate some elements of it and blend it with a more contemporary lifestyle. We have the same feeling as in Auckland, it is a very rich and complex culture, with guardians of natural elements, many subtribes, a strong sense of the spiritual and natural world. We then see a maori cultural performance with dance demonstrations and of course the haka, the war dance where the dancers are really scary with eyes bulging and tongues out, they seem to get themselves really ready for a fight. We then have a painful dinner, eating traditional food, but seating with strangers...the dinner dampens the evening as it feels commercial and way too touristy for us, we try to communicate but our neighbours are not our style a all...drinking beers and beers...and stuffing their faces...The evening finishes with a nice touch, a beautiful singing moment in front of the erupting geyser with a hot chocolate, it is touching, to witness the beauty of a human voice in front of such an impressive nature. Then we drive back to our lake, to the remote nature reserve behind, in the Whakarewarewa reserve car park whe we have decided to sleep...It is hard we both want to save money, not stay at horrible campsites, as we hire a campervan to be autonomous but find it difficult to be isolated in the wild...We start discussing the dangers of being here, far from town, alone, anything can happen...blah blah...Luckily for us, a car arrives and a young Brit Michael travelling alone is also spending the night here. we both feel a bit reassured to have another human presence with us and sleep then but an uneasy feeling is still here for both of us, maybe we see ourselves as cooler and funkier than we are in reality...We would love to still feel careless and at ease in those kind of situations but it is not the case, we worry about our safety (there might be no reason)and both feel disappointed about ourselves...Then we decide to see how we feel each night, travelling is also trying to challenge ourselves but it shouldn't be too hard...We want to be adventurous but not so much,is it that bad?? We should relax and camping in very isolated places might not help...we decide to find some alternatives to the wild and horrid campsites for the next weeks, the free Department of Conservation campsites seem a good compromise: they are in remote places with basic facilities, toilets and sometimes water from a stream, for the moment they will amongst our options, as staying in less isolated places, in car parks with other campervans...and from time to time to have a hot shower, go to a nice campsite...


20/01
We wake up and offer Michael some breakfast as he is literally living in his car, he left England a year ago and has been working in OZ before coming to vist NZ, he is going up North, nice to chat a bit and get some tips on where to go. Our day then starts with Hell's Gate, a visit to another thermal park but also a spa!!! The real name is Tikitere, but George Bernard Shaw renamed it after his visit in the early 1900's. Atfer seeing the post apocalyptic aspect of the area we understand why!
The specificity of this spa is the proximity of the pools heat source, being only 1.5 or 2km underground. Others sources are generally around 10km. The temperatures of the pools range between 68C to 145C for the hottest. The different pools have different colours depending on the mineral they contain and the type of sulphurous waters and mud. After the visit we treat ourselves at the spa facilities, a private mud bath and a dip in the sulphurous waters. Colder though: the temperature is only 40C!
We then have a picnic lunch near the Rotorua lake before deciding to hit the road, our itineray is still too full at the moment and we have to drive many hours to reach the South Island...We both feel a bit restless and we need to replan our South Island bit, not that many stops and more time to enjoy and settle for few days in each place....A very long drive follows, to the south of Levin through the desert and mountains range of the Tangariro National Park (Mordor in the famous NZ movie) and plains. We have a laugh driving through 'Gumbootville' the world capital of the gumboot.Nice landscapes but we see very few humans and towns, many regions seem pretty wild and remote, we drive miles and miles without seeing anybody or any houses, feels weird...and isolated.
At 9pm we reach our destination: a lovely conservation campsite on a river stream near to the Tararua Forest Park. We hear what We think might be Tui birds. Their singing sounds like they're saying Ti Tu-i! It's sort of short but sweet, added to the stream gently flowing, the atmosphere is very serene.it is isolated but there are few campers and few tents...in the middle of nowhere!
In a dreamy mood we have a quick diner, and lights off.

21/01
After a healing night (we did not sleep well the night before!!), We wake up and are greeted by a rooster on the van doorstep! We have a morning walk in the park to start the day gently before heading off for a little drive to Wellington.
we walk around city. The time is a bit short, so we do a quick visit of the capital centre. Once again we are not too impressed with the city. There is an undeniable american influence here. The buildings (even the older victorian, they look like small versions of the ones in Mahattan), the look of the shops, the widespread burger shops, the urban furnitures (traffic lights...), the lorries (we see loads of them as we spend loads of time on the road!). It sometimes feels like we haven't left L.A.
Wellington is very similar to Auckland, with the financial district overlooking the industrial harbour. We see wooden houses up the hill, in the distance. They look nice. But time's up for the ferry to Picton.
It is not a very nice ride for Val as the big swell rolls between the two islands. The coastline from offshore is spectacular though. Hopefully a sign for the south island! After arriving in Picton, we drive at night until we reach a DOC campsite on a remote beach, beautiful setting and again an amazing sky. We both feel tired but a bit more positive...

Auckland City

13/01
After a 4 hour flight leaving Rarotonga very early in the morning on Monday, we arrive in Auckland on Tuesday!!! The shortest Monday ever...New Zealand...the customs and passport inspection are very long, you cannot bring food, plants,animals,soiled camping gears to this country...to protect the biodiversity...a bit extreme,it takes forever...even worst than the US!!!
We finally take in a taxi, too lazy and tired to take the bus....we make it to the city lodge accommodation, our backpacker hostel for 4 days. Tiny clean room with an even tinier bathroom but at least it is not a dormitory!! Nice big communal kitchen, a laundry and some nice staff willing to advise...good start...It is warm but not too warm, sunny...
After resting a bit, we decide to go walking around the city centre and discover Auckland. We walk to the Viaduct Harbour, the main commercial street Queen Street, the Sky Tower, we wander around and the first impression is not great. Auckland city is not pretty depite the water and the volcanoes: many big avenues, motorways cutting through the city, it makes us feel like we are in a badly designed small US town.
Lots of shopping, big roads and tons of asian restaurants...this is the amazing fact: the Asian population, mainly Korean, Japanese and Chinese, is huge here. In some areas, all the shops and restaurants are asian. All the signs are written in chinese or korean...feels weird, it is so multicultural. In some places, you could easily forget you are in New Zealand!!
We go for a lunch in one of those Asian food halls, a very specific widly spread concept here: a large shop basement lit with neons lights and hosting many food stalls: Malaysian, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Chinese food...all for a very cheap price. We eat Thai food, then walk a bit more but we are not falling in love with Auckland...not very nice city...
Back close to the water, We observe all the commuters taking ferries to go to the islands suburbs (we will later discover that is where many people live). Getting out in the water is part of life here. We see many boats, it is the city of sails after all and the America's Cup Big Boat is exhibited as a Christmas decoration...funny...
We go to bed early, tired and not sure what to expect here, first impressions aren't fantastic...

14/01
The morning is spent sorting out the van, we have to hire one to visit the country...After studying many companies, Fab calls them. One seems to be perfect...nice cute campervan...Luckily for us...they have nothing!!! For once, being late paid off, they cannot offer us the cheap van as they are all booked up, so as a result, we can get a 'luxury' campervan (ie with toilet and shower) for a very cheap rate....a really good deal!!! Even cheaper than the basic ones!!!
We have to spend another night in Auckland as it is not available before Friday...not a problem as we want to get out of the city and see one of the islands in the gulf.
We feel very excited about it!! A campervan, seems fun...We book it then go for a long walk to the Auckland Museum, it is now very warm and sunny, a real summer!! Again not a very nice walk, in between motorways, gigantic ugly streets, industrial estates, shops, nothing really nice for pedestrians...again very American.

The museum is a surprise, it is surrounded by an amazing park called the Domain, has gigantic gardens, on one of Auckland's volcanoes. We get to see the city and harbour from up and it looks stunning with this sea of islands, little green suburbs.
We spent few hours checking the display of Maori and Pacific islands arts and objects. The Maori culture is facinating but quite complex, such an amazing culture, we see a really long war canoe, we enter the Maori meeting house, we look at amazing carvings with details and sculptures.It is a fascinating culture, with a very strong link to ancestors and the land, even the objects are treated with respect and given names... The legends and mythology are very complicated with many gods, we try to understand their story of creation with Rangi the Earth nother and Papa, the Sky father but it gets more and more complex....We then have to walk all the way back to the centre, it is sunny but we both feel exhausted. We still decide to take another way home and explore another area, including the famous K Road, supposed to be one of the trendy-edgy areas, with vintage shops, designers....we arrive there around 6pm and everything is closed!!
Yes, here everything shuts down after 6pm and very quickly the city feels dead....
Another long walk to the food supermarket as we have to feed ourselves, the walk is horrible again, alongside a motorway, no real architectural sense here...
We then spend most of the evening in the communal kitchen, cooking and chatting to people, it is busy, maybe 15 people cooking and discussing...many nationalities. Funny enough, we meet a French couple living in Blackheath, for the past 20 years!!! South London is never far away!!

15/01
We want to escape the city and experience the islands as it seems to be the best bits here. Our choice is Rangitoto (what a name!!) This island is a volcano! It emerged from the sea around 600 years ago with eruptions forming the island.
Rangitoto is the largest, youngest of about 50 volcanic cones in the Auckland volcanic field. This funny name is derived from the phrase: 'Te Rangi totongia a Tamatekapua - the day the blood of Tamatekapua was shed'. Tamatekapua was the chief of the Arawa canoe tribe and lost a major battle with another tribe and was injured on this island. Nice ferry ride, it is a gorgeous sunny day and feel very warm...the sun is strong in the Southern hemisphere and we feel it.
The island is stunning, amazing lush short vegetations and lava fields....It is also a place of significance for the maori but was unsuitable for settlement as as only layers of basaltic rocks. The lava rock seems an inhospitable environment as no soil but there are lots of plants on the island, including the largest remaining pohutukawa forest - the flame tree (the local tree) in New Zealand. Mangroves which usually grow in the mud of estuaries are found here too, growing directly on lava and many lush bushes....We spend the day walking, first we Walk to the summit, a long climb through lava fields and forests, it is warm and the dark lava retains the heat, making it even warmer...specially when ascending a steep path!!!But we make it to the top and are rewarded by panoramic views of Auckland and the gulf. It is stunning. We then go on to walk to McKenzie Bay, a natural black sand beach, we have a quick picnic, attacked by wasps and worry about reaching the ferry warf on time...no rest today for us....feels a bit rushed.

We reach the end of the walk and start seeing all the baches, the holidays homes that were built in the 1920s and 1930s. The bach sites were leased to pay for the development of the island and a community was created at that time, people would come on holidays here....very wild camping first, then they would build out of wood some hut-cabins, then houses with basic equipments then a bit better, using the rain water and kerosene lamps. We are amazed by them, they are all abandoned and derelict but many have some furniture inside, some old clothes...we peep through the windows, go in the gardens, see glances of lifes...feels a bit like being kids again and going to see an abandoned house, a bit scary and exciting...even if we both know they are empty!! Then, surprisingly, one of them seem to have inhabitants, windows are open, shoes, clothes and bath towels outside.we even see a little girl playing in the yard!!!! We decide to be brave and knock at the door...Angela opens the door and we asked her about the house, do they live here? We thought all the houses were empty and abandoned and no one lived on this island!! She laughs and invites us in...Paul her husband is here to with the twins girls and they offer us a drink, we chat for an hour, the bach house belongs to Angla's grandfather, he built it and was amongst the first people in the bach community...it then passed on to her mother then her, she tells us about the governement wanting the baches to be destroyed, the conservation organisation wanting the island to be without humans (apparently the island is now a nature sanctuary). A significant number of houses were removed when the lease expired, some were burnt to the ground. Finally we learn that following a trial and public outcry, the baches are now listed as historic areas and that the government wants to preserve some of the baches for their historic interest but still willing to get rid of the people. We chat a lot, politics, life in Europe, here, we look around the house, Paul shows us all the inventive bits and the improvements done to the house. They might loose the house, when the lease is up...but at the moment, they still manage to come here on holidays...It has an historic significance we feel, as we learn there are many baches sites scattered around NZ coast...may house will be 80 or 70 years old.
In few hours time, when the ferries are gone, Paul, Angela and their twin girls will be the only people on th island until tomorrow, how exciting!! they are very friendly and it is a shame we have to go and take the boat. Paul tells us where they live and we are invited to come and visit once we will be in the area...which we plan to do. Such a great encounter!!
We leave the island and enjoy the ferry ride under the sun, walk home, shower then we finish the night in a japanese take away, eating stir fry at the counter....

Bed time, tomorrow we pick up the camper and go up to the Bay of Island.

Kia Orana!

05/01
We land into Rarotonga, on the 5th of January, after a long flight, tired but excited!!! It feels weird to arrive at 5am and be welcomed by a ukulele's player in a small airport under the heat! Robin, our kabana's owner is here with flowers necklaces to take us to our new home,it is very hot and humid...short drive, amongst villages and vegetation. We discover our lagoon, Muri Beach and our kabana, a little beach hut in a lush garden, so close to the lagoon and a white sand beach, quiet and amazing view...it honestly feels like paradise! We are both amazed and excited as hell!!!We fight to stay awake and go for a walk, surrounded by an incredible white sand beach and wild landscape of forests and mountains...first lunch on the beach in a nice restaurant, served by a French girl from Paimpol!! Far from Brittany but she fell for a Kiwi and they moved here. Funny to speak French here on this small island. The colour of the sea is incredible, like we have all seen in travel brochure or movie: turquoise, clear,pristine....I discover Ika Mata, a recipe of raw fresh fish (usually tuna) marinated in coconut milk and lemon, with vegetables, I am going to spend the next week eating this fabulous dish...it is my next culinary obsession. Fab also eat some nice raw fish (Muri Tataki), we both agreed that Polynesian flavours are great.
We then go for a walk and experience the torrential rain, the weather changes dramatically in minutes, it is tropical and it is typhoon season. Water keeps falling, how funny to be wet and hot under the rain, very healing,somehow liberating....the nature is strong here, powerful and it feels right. There is amazing natural beauty and tranquility despite the violence of the rain.

We learn a bit about the cooks islands: 15 islands scattered over the pacific ocean, Captain James Cook sighted the islands in the 18th century but the first time a European man put foot on Rarotonga was in 1814,the majority of the population is still maori but here are many NZ living here too. Christianity plays an important part in the local life now, and we will see many churches along the road. Dusk comes quickly and we wander around before heading back to our kabana and sleep like logs despite the heat and many mosquitos.

6/01
First swim in this amazing clear water, we are up early as a bit jetlagged and hot...feels like paradise, we play like children in the warm turquoise water (only time we will see the Ocean that colour!!Rain is coming...and will stay!) Then Helmut, our German neighbour who has been living in a Kabana, here for few months gives us a lift into the small town Avarua (the capital of the Cook Islands). It is a busy township with many shops. We spend the morning organising the bike driving license for Fab (we BUY it ater a short test!!), we then go on touring around town with our little scooter, no helmets of course.... Island way!!! We go to the big supermarket to find food and expecting to find fresh stuff, are very dissappointed to find only very basic stuff, junk food craps and very few fresh stuff...all expensive...pasta, cheddars, frozen stuff...We will survived on brown rice and raw fish this week!!Every thing has to be imported so it is very minimal.
More swimming in the afternoon, ride at night around the area and bed time already. We both reflect on the soothing qualities of the ocean, and are amazed by the unspoilt natural environment of this place. Even the tourists places are small, hidden behing trees and not disturbing the scenery. Somebody will tell us later that it is advisable not to build houses taller than a coconut tree!! I love this place, it is surprising but simple and amazingly beautiful,so natural.

7/01
This is a grey day today, the weather has changed over night and it is colder (still 27 degres!!), we go back to the town, kayak around the lagoon, snorkel a bit, we managed to see some fishes but are a bit disappointed, nothing compared to Ko Phi Phi in Thailand, the reef where we are seems dead...Grey day for both of us, not finding it easy to adjust and relax.
Only highlight was eating Ika Mata on the beach, 9 pm in bed, after watching the lagoon at night. I feel a bit worried, will I managed to enjoy those 6 months, will we manage to adjust to so many changes and be happy together? Funny to be anxious in the middle of a tropical Paradise!I feel sometimes restless and bored and not able to enjoy being here. Fab is tired and still needs to recover, he is still stressed, work might be over but we both feel his long lasting effects on him, more naps and rest needed before being in the being here.

8/01
Rainy day today, we have a lazish morning then go for a ride around the island, amazing back road, leading onto the montain, Rarotonga is a volcanic island and today, the powerful nature is impressive, dark angry grey sky, vibrant colours, lush vegetations, mosquitoes, very dense forests. We fall in love wth the natural environment. We observe people's houses, how they live, we both love being on the scooter, childish feeling of freedom, especially in this tropical moist. Raro is lush and carpeted with plantations and forests, we are amazed by the colours of the plants, We rode the ancient road called Ara Metua, built by an ancestor chief Toi (there are only two roads on the island, one circling the beaches and the ancient one inside),I love the fact that Polynesia has much more to offer than blue lagoon and amazing white sand beaches, it is a real discovery and I realy connect with the place, specially the nature. Lazy afternoon, I do some writing and collages, Fab naps...then we go for a canoe moment with the outrigger, feels fun. we then have a BBQ with our Aussie neighbours, Keith and Nadia from Sydney, nice eve, drinking wine, eating BBQ meat,talking Raro, life, Australia, England, Paris. There are only 4 kabanas so we get to meet everyone here and chat a bit, it feels nice to socialise a bit. Everyone is quiet and frendly, an English family ending a Kiwi trip here, a young English and Irish couple getting married on a nearby Island, our German guy. Life is lived at a gentle pace, we all spend many hours on our deck reading, sleeping or watching the lagoon! Feels secluded. We both spend many moments looking at things or landscapes...There are many big holes in the ground around us and they are all inhabited by gigantic crabs, I spend many hours watching them, they make me laugh, they look like old chinese wise men. They remind me of the crazy martial arts teacher in Kill Bill!!! They move so slowly, look around so suspiciously, afraid of everything!There are also many dogs around, some stray but all seem nice, funny enough I am not that scared of dogs, they seem to be like us, suffer from the heat as much as we do and bath in the ocean too!!!A little white and ginger cat decides to spend many days on our deck, feels nice to have a cat even here. Reminds me of my little Milly at home.


9/01
Bad night, the rain and wind were mad, heat is hard, not much sleeping..at the same time I love the torrential rain, very healing and soothing, feels again right to see the Nature powerful and in charge...the forest needs the rain and it comes with furor. We go for a safari tour, trying to discover the ancient culture and the lush rainforest interior, as we have been told that it was dangerous to go alone, as too slippery...It rains heavily but we are inside a big jeep....we see few sites, sacred maori sites, a waterfall, some amazing mountains views, we see our own lagoon from far up, surrounded by its 4 motus (small islands that close the lagoon from the ocean). All OK but touring in group is not our cup of tea even if we enjoy talking to an Italian couple and tried to communicate with alovely Japanese couple with nearly no English. I am happy to exchange for a bit, touched by our guide who tells us about his life, how he never managed to learn English properly as a child as he was too scared in school and only wanted to speak Maori, until he went to live in NZ. There are only 16000 people in the Cook and 10000 live in Raro but there are many (I heard something like 50000) overseas, mainly in NZ. We talk about the associated goverment, The cooks are freely associated with NZ and every islander has a NZ passport. We learn about the land system, how the land belongs to the family and how it goes to the next generation, foreigners, like in Thailand, cannot own the land but lease it for 60 years. The land is precious here, and one day, it could become complicated if all the overseas cildren come back to reclaim a bit of their own.
Most people are buried on the family land, which explains why we see so many tombs in the gardens, around the house. You look after your ancestors and grandfathers even when they are dead.

We talk about the similarities with other places in Polynesia, how Tahiti is the closest culturally to the Cook. Our guide is warm, so happy to be back in Raro, so proud of his home, we get a sense here that they are a proud people with a rich culture, proud of their land and history, and above all of the natural land. He describes the society here, all seems a bit rosy...we have seen helpline numbers for suicide, saw many shacks and poor houses and it seems to us that it might not be as idyllic as described to us, tourists, but tourism is the first employer here and all has to fit the magic of a Pacific island holiday....Nice moment but the touristy concept of it (BBQ on a beach feeling more like a corporate tacky lunch) is really not for us. Back after lunch in our little retreat, we then go off to snorkel on another beach, called the Fruits of Rarotonga, we see many fishes, the tropical marine life is much more interesting today, nice corals, colourful fishes (some big ones, parrots fishes), the visibiltiy is good but the water is not that warm today , it feels fresh. We meet Nadia and Keith, they came all the way from our beach, on the outrigger, we are impressed as it is a few kilometers to row!!!!

We then go into town for the eve, Friday night is the night in Rarotonga, and we are going to see an Island night, been recommended to us to see local dancers and drummers. We are afraid it is going to be touristy but acutally funny enough, islanders love Island Nights and tourists are a minority in the restaurant, we eat chat, relax after our crazy ride under a torrential rain, mad but such a laugh, we both arrived completely soaked at the place...not classy at all...We then see some dances from Polynesia, I am a bit dissappointed by the dancers, I hoped they would be from Raro as I really want to take some pictures, I find their faces amazing, very beautiful, it really reminds me of a Gauguin painting, but our dancers seem to come form other Pacific islands and they even look south American!!!The show is good, complex choreography, amazing sensual moves very similar to arabic-belly dancing moves, fearless maori warriors but it is short, only half an hour...the place then transformed into a night club, many locals arrive, drinks, dance, funny to be in a bar club here, we go home after a drink as Fab has to ride the scooter in the middle of the night under the rain. We laughed again a lot on the scooter, so fun, despite the mosquitoes!!!

10/01
Saturay and soon we are leaving for NZ, it is going so quickly, I just start to feel at home, start to relax, to appreciate being here, observing the crabs, the rain that rarely stops now...A part of me would love to see this place under the sun and with turquoise waters but I am also happy to experience it with tropical rains, downpours of waters and a more intense nature, it feels less like a fake paradise, more authentic and I am connecting wit this moist hot tropical environment.We get up early to go to the market and experience the hub that is Avarua, the township, many stalls in the market, saturday is the important day, locals are out shopping, tourists are here browsing, buying black pearls, everyone out..., many people, food everywhere, people eating curry, burgers, fish at 9am. Locals sell local craft, pareu (sarongs here), wooden carvings and black pearls. The tropical heat is back, it is going to rain but for now on, it feels suffocating...We browse around, we take many pictures, especially of people, we both find the Polynesian so beautiful, men and women are all very large, no size zero here, far from it! Many adorn their bodies with multiple tattoos, women have flowers in their hairs, there is a real sense of a gentle elegance. I look at them and search for something in those amazing faces. Funny to be so puzzled by physical details. We buy some ika mata for the next few days, some local vegs a bit like spinachs, some paws paws smoothies (papayas) and some naughty papayas jelly cakes...
Home, then we go kayaking and it is hell with the crazy wind, we hit many rocks, fight the wind and give up after an hour...The rain starts, we jump in thre sea for a swim the home for late lunch. Fab is tired and naps, I sit on the beach until the torrential rain rinses me and everything around...I am now sitting on the deck, looking at the rain, i am observed by big crabs, the heavy grey sky is not even scary. I finally managed to sit down and write this blog post. We eat at home, then spend the eve watching the Cook Island TV (only one channel and quite funny.)

11/01
Our last day on the island, feels a bit sad but we want to enjoy it, so we start the day by going swimming, so nice to be in the water, under the rain. The sky is a mix of blue and grey, we spend a bit of time in the water as we are not sure when will be the next time as New Zealand is supposed to be much colder now!
We then go for a last ride along the island, watching people go to church, looking at those amazing views for one last time. We leave tyhe scooter at the rental place, then decide to be adventurous and go kayaking before lunch: it is very shoppy as the wind is strong...a very good excercise!! We kayak to the reef and explore it a bit, watching the corals and stones and noticing the difference between the Ocean and the lagoon. The cruise back to our home is strenuous, we fight against the and the wind is getting stronger...We managed to arrive safely and eat some more raw fish, we then spend the afternoon chilling out on the deck, discussing our plans for NZ and planning our next moves...
Tomorrow morning the flight is at 7.45am and we are leaving the bungalow around 6am....next stop Auckland and the start of our campervan experience!!!

Polynesia has been a great place to start properly and make sense of this adventure but it feels there is so much more to see and experience here. I guess this is going to be a familiar feeling, that we will have to tame, as we leave places we both like and feel safe and content.

Rarotonga

After a sleep deprived long night in the plane, we land on Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands,a Pacific Country!!It is tropical here, and our little bodies are struggling with the moist and heat of the rainy season...total body shock!!!However we are welcomed by an old man singing and playing Ukulele, in the airport, at 5 o'clock in the morning!!

Robin is here to pick us up and takes us to our beach bungalow, set on a carpet of lush vegetation, within the Muri lagoon.The view is amazing, blue sea, clear waters, dazzling tropical colours, friendly dogs (yes...), gigantic crabs, stray cats sleeping on our deck, palm trees, a little wood bungalow.We rest, try to make sense of the surroundings, go for a walk, a swim, watch the lagoon, try to adjust to the heat, get completely soaked wet by the tropical rain (more like a monsoon shower...) and eat some amazing local raw fish and that is it....We hope to be on 'island time' soon, walk a little slower, think a little less, be a little more, relax together and savour each moment... in paradise.

Los Angeles

First post from LA, where after a very long flight and few movies, we managed to get an upgrade in the airport hotel and are staying in a suite with a nice living room, plenty of space and light, close to the plane runways but not much noise....feels nice to have two rooms, a bit like an appartment!! The first of January, first day of the year, first day of the trip, we sleep late then go and hire a car...no other option here as the city is gigantic...Fab decides to go for a beautiful black Ford Mustang, to live a bit of the Californian life but we are not daring enough to go for a red convertible!!!
So starting in style (not going to last for long, but this is LA!!) We then decide to start exploring the city landmarks in Hollywood.....cinema land, is it? We walk the Walk of Fame, see many star names in the pavement, put our hands in theirs in the Grauman's Chinese Theatre pavement, we stop to eat Mexican (the joy of eating burritos even in a noisy soccer bar!!). Well, it is very touristy, crowded with many attractions but somehow it feels more illusion than a real cinema industry. Weirdly enough, the area seems shabby, with run down buildings, many homeless people (a common feature in this city as we will discover soon). Far away from the Californian cliches....We then decide to drive to explore the Westside, passing through Beverly Hills down to the Pacific on the famous Sunset Boulevard at dusk. A long drive, bendy ride lined up with amazing mansions and palm tree lined gigantic streets for the far too wealthy. Impressive difference with Hollywood, we both feel puzzled by the wealth, the excess of it, the many contrasts and areas.Lots of rest seems needed, we both feel overwhelmed and exhausted.
The next day, we decide to go urban as the weather is grey, we find ourselves en route to Little Tokyo and Downtown LA. We see one one great piece of architecture, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, an amazing architecture with lots of curves, but the rest is disapointing, empty and souless, feels like any city in the US or even Europe despite of the scale, not LA. Thankfully our afternoon becomes nicer when we explore West Hollywood, more boHo, many nice shops, galleries, the Farmers Market and the Grove, a friendly arty atmosphere. We start to like it, both for different reasons, the city is growing on us and as Fab says it takes time to ease in here. One impression still prevails: shops and fast food....and gigantism. Seems a bit simplistic but this is how we feel, spending hours in the car doesn't help (but what an amazing noise it makes!!).Having freeways in the city feels weird, like a gigantic ring road, so hard to deal with the traffic.Every eve, we feel glad to go back to the hotel and rest, maybe our physical state reflects how we feel at this stage, excited but exhausted and finding it hard to relax and slow down....SLOW...not yet.

Saturday we go to the beaches and start seeing a different California, we really enjoy the vibrancy, the vibe of Santa Monica and Venice Beach, funny to see many disparate communities gathering in this place. The energy is intense, between the fortune tellers, the stoned, the tourists, the bourgeois bohemian lucky to live on amazing beach houses and the muscle men....what a weird combination, which works for us....it is loud, brash, seedy, fake, messy but somehow real, intense and fun!! Funny to walk on legendary or iconic beaches, but as the weather is hazy, it doesn't feel like this cliche of sunny California. Marvelous sunset though.We both start to relax and appreciate what the city has to offer. Amazing architecture, houses on the beaches, a cliche of a healthy edgy (compatible?) sunny lifestyle...We go back to our little nest.

Our Sunday, last day is our favourite day, the sun is shining, magnificent blue sky, we then drive to the long awaited Mulholland Drive cruise...and the Hollywood sign. A long bendy road offering plenty of opportunities to enjoy the canyons and many more amazing mansions! We spend the morning at the Getty Center, a nice arts museum in an AMAZING building, the architecture is mind blowing and to the size of that Californian demesure: a little tram to get there through the canyon, a white marble entrance, enormous but tranquil zen gardens, breathtaking views, a backdrop of spectacular post mordernist architecture, we both feel inspired and Fab takes many piccies with his new toy!A lunch in the sun, then we drive to the Pacific Ocean to spend our last afternoon on Malibu beach, walking, people and building watching, and yes Val did get the Starbucks door opened by Dennis Quaid! And yes we are being brainwashed buying tall take out lattes from Starbucks!One last drive then it is bye bye California, on our next stop....Polynesia, the Cook Islands...

Funny enough, we both feel a bit unsettled and sad to leave the city....This car crazed city, where distances are huge and massive suburbs sprawl everywhere and never feel the same. Lots of poverty, homeless or stoned people in the streets, tons of fast food shops everywhere, a far cry from the cliche of THE health conscious Californian skinny ladies (didn't see many of those ones...)We loved it as we found it a challenging city,very different in reality from the Hollywood caricature. We'll be back!!
See Album for more pics!