Post 12 - South, north
It’s been a long time since the last post and again there’s something to write. Well, let’s write.
So the last time I wrote I was in Nelson after a trek.
From there I decided to travel to the Golden Bay area, a place with many beautiful beaches and small towns. The first night was at some campsite on the way and on the second day after taking a dip in a blue, frozen spring I arrived at a small town called Tekka, a town whose streets are full of barefoot hippies and cafes that close at 3 pm.
In the morning after some organizing I set out on the Abel Tasman trek happy and content. After a few hours of passing by stunning beaches that give a feeling of Thailand and a few sea lions I arrived at the beach where I planned to sleep.
The blue, freezing spring
Find the sea lions—prize for whoever spots them!
My beach for the next few days
I knew that on the second day I would have to get up early to do part of the trail at low tide. The alarm clock woke me up too, but the rain tapping on the tent and the warm embrace of the sleeping bag lulled me back to sleep. When the rain stopped and I left the tent, it was a little late to do the part of the trail at low tide, and I decided to stay another night on the same beach and from there retrace my steps to the car. I didn’t do much that day, but I was in this state of inactivity with the sea looking at me and me at it at all times, which was wonderful. I used the time to chat with passersby, play the flute, and even play a little rugby (one of the Frenchmen who was on the trail found a rugby ball and taught me and a few other hikers how to play, and in the end he left me the ball!)
After the trek (Zola by the sea, I would call it) I drove back to the hippie town for another night. I made myself a sumptuous dinner of tortillas with guacamole and vegan “meat” and devoured it.
My relationship with food on a trip is sometimes complicated. I find myself overeating in many situations, especially in “survival” situations when the supermarket is not within reach. I eat until I can’t take it anymore. At first it’s fun, but after a few extra bites it feels less pleasant in my stomach. I’ve known this for a long time, but it’s still hard for me to say enough when I’m full.
That evening I had about two burritos too many and after that, combined with a beer at the local pub, my stomach said: “Shit, in a moment I’ll spill everything on the floor. You’re welcome, you take another bite.”
“Okay, okay” I replied (I mean, I didn’t really say it but I really wanted to).
The next day was nice and calm, I took advantage of the local library as I did in many other places to get some wifi and electricity. After some electricity I went to add another source of water to my supply, this time it was the most impressive spring I’ve ever seen, 10 cubic meters of water erupting from the ground every second!
I returned to Nelson and stayed with the lovely Liz and Phil. We watched a nice movie and had tea. They told me that they had volunteered for about three months at Kishurit and that they had even participated in my village march 20 years ago!
In the morning, I arrived very excited for a tour of a local peanut butter factory. I think it is fitting that a person whose body is 70% water and 30% peanuts should see what it is made of.
The tour was very nice, we saw the various preparation processes and I even ground some fresh peanut butter with my own feet. I left the factory with supplies in my hands for the next few weeks.
I decided to take advantage of the two days I had left in Kaikoura, a nice town on the east coast that is supposed to be a good place to surf. The trip was long and a bit tiring, one of the longest trips I have had in New Zealand so far.
In the evening I met Robin, a nice German guy with whom I spent the last few days on the South Island. In the morning we went surfing and it wasn’t bad. I popped into the library to advertise the car on Facebook, had a small lunch, ice cream and set off to find a spot to surf and spend the night there. After passing a few surfing spots for brave people, we arrived at a campsite in the middle of nowhere, on the sea. We went for a short surfing session and then dinner, some guitar and went to sleep.
I was excited about the fact that this was the last night on the South Island, the end of an era.
The South Island was amazing in its beauty. Breathtaking nature.
I had unforgettable experiences here and met dear people.
I was ready to move on to the next stage, the North Island.
Moving to the North Island prepares me for the end of my time in New Zealand. In the end, everything ends, whether it’s an hour-long trek or a three-month journey - eventually I will reach the end point. The thought of the end of my stay in New Zealand brought me joy mixed with sadness. On the one hand, I was happy about what I had experienced here, what I had seen, who I had met, and excited about the rest of the journey. On the other hand, I was a little sad to end such a beautiful part of the journey, with a car that had been my home for three months.
I arrived in Picton, the last town on the South Island. I sat on the grass overlooking the harbor and watched the ferries coming and going.
It was time to board the ferry. It felt like a scene from a movie, a long line of cars and trucks swallowed by a monstrous block of metal. After parking, I went up to the passenger level. To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised.
I was expecting crowded plastic chairs, and to my delight, I discovered several floors of comfortable sofas and armchairs that were more reminiscent of a lobby than a hotel in Eilat. When the ferry arrived in Wellington on the North Island, I woke up to the sound of the announcer instructing us to get off the train, which also felt like something out of a movie. I got in the car, got out of the block of metal, and drove into the city. I was driving through the streets of the capital surrounded by real buildings, the ones with more than two floors. It was the first time in two months that I had seen real buildings.
After half a night of sleep, I woke up to a dark morning in Wellington. I cycled into the city center with rain patter on my coat. The first stop was the Te Papa museum. The museum featured a variety of exhibitions on geology, animals, history and art. The section on earthquakes and volcanoes was the most fascinating for me. I took advantage of my stay in the city to drink real coffee, eat a vegan burger, watch a dragon boat race and listen to Scottish music at a local festival - a great day!
In the evening, I started my way north. I drove about an hour to the campsite where I slept and met a new French friend, Duane. We had a fun evening and in the morning we went our separate ways.
I continued to hike and arrived at the foot of the Taranaki volcano. A large cloud covered the mountain that evening and it was impossible to see it. The next day I climbed one of its peaks and the view to it and the sea was most spectacular.
The next destination was a camp of Christians who love Israel near the Tongariro volcano. I got in the car and drove for three and a half hours on a road where time stood still. One of the most beautiful trips I have had in the country. I passed by villages that were God-forsaken and hills that resembled the hills from Teletubbies. At the end of the day I arrived at the camp where I met a couple of Israeli women and the hosts who were very nice. The accommodation at the camp was really fun, but on the other hand, I felt a bit like I was in a military atmosphere from time to time, which didn’t suit me and took away from the experience there a bit for my taste.
On the first day there, we did one of the most popular routes in the world, the Tongariro Crossing. The route is truly beautiful and justifies its popularity. Mount Dome stood there in nothing less than perfect weather, while in the background we could also see the Taranaki volcano, which I climbed the day before. It was the first time I had experienced a route here that was under such a heavy load of hikers, it wasn’t terrible but it was definitely noticeable. The steam coming out of the ground, turquoise lakes, and panoramic views provided the goods and it was a successful and beautiful trip.
I found my calling
Mount Taranaki
Tongariro with Taranaki in the background
Purim arrived and with it our modest celebrations. Our host Simon organized some costumes and a bonfire. After dinner we drank coffee and ate marshmallows by the bonfire and the stream, probably the most different Purim I’ve had so far.
I didn’t know where I was going from here except that I knew I wanted to head north towards Auckland, passing by some nice places along the way. In the morning I started driving towards Taupo. When I reached the campsite I was thinking of sleeping at, I didn’t feel like staying there. I jumped to see some raging waterfalls and continued on my way, deciding to drive to some beach town to maybe do a farewell session with my surfboard.
After a few hours of driving I finally arrived at the place where I spent the night, I went surfing in tiny waves, the session wasn’t amazing but after so many hours in the car I felt the need for that refreshment of the water.
I met a Kiwi guy and an Italian girl and we spent the nice evening over a cup of hot chocolate.
I’m currently in the same town, tomorrow I’ll continue towards Auckland for the sale of the car. I can smell the end of this chapter and the beginning of the next one. I hope the sale of the car will be as smooth as possible.
I passed the North Island at a much faster pace than the South Island. I feel like it was a good decision, as I saw the points that interested me, although I’m sure if I had more time in the country I would have taken my time more leisurely.
Lots of long trips. I came to the conclusion that sometimes traveling is the best way to concentrate on my thoughts, whether to the sounds of music or the sounds of the engine and the wind. I also found a few podcasts that interested me and they added a lot of interest to the journey.
It’s been a while since I last wrote, but this time I felt that there wasn’t too much crazy experience so it wasn’t difficult to put everything I went through into writing.
That’s it for now, I hope to update with happy news about the car soon.
Bye (-: