Northland — HaffsWay Around The World

It's been 10 days, but so much has happened already that it feels like much more. We have spent the last five days up in the tippy-top part of New Zealand, called Northland. The scenery in general, even in the rain (which can happen basically at any time) consistently takes our breath away. In the quiet moments when it's raining and we really wish he had a dwelling, or when my feet hurt, or when I'm longing for the familiar, I wish I could transport home just for a few hours. But I know as this journey continues, those will be the moments that I learn the most (as cheesy as that sounds). Sometimes, the great, big, BIGNESS of what Will and I decided to devote a year of our lives (and the equivalent of a house down payment) to can be overwhelming. But I remind myself to take it one day at a time and stop to enjoy each moment.
I catch myself thinking, "I may never see this place, this view, this beautiful downpour ever again. It's time to cherish the moment!" Most of the time, it works. The other times, I announce to Will the troublesome feeling. And then he takes that earnest, pragmatic approach of his to help me sort it out, which usually starts with, "It's going to be okay." And he's always right. (Wait, did I just put that in writing?)
We are starting to get the rhythm of the nomad lifestyle down. I have discovered that without the everyday stressors of car payments and a job — I'm actually a morning person! We wake naturally around 6:30am each morning to the sounds of strange birds and a few familiar ones (mallard ducks!). We go about the business of living on the road: making breakfast and coffee on my trusty MSR camp stove, packing up and (often) drying the tents, re-organizing the van for the 100th time, and setting out. We go somewhere new everyday! I have an itinerary loosely sketched out, but because it's still not the busy season, we've been able to adjust and be flexible based on what sounds good at the moment (saving money for a hot shower?) and for the ever-changing weather. Each night we get to nest in a new home, and if we're lucky, meet a few new people from around the world. Both are by far the parts of my day when I feel most recharged.
Everyday we remind each other of the same things. To be mindful of not driving too close to the left side of the road (driving on the other side of the car is weird!). To drink more water (let's be honest, this one is for me). And over and over again we ask, "Do you have the keys?" (Because Big Red, the saucy minx, loves to lock herself at random times. Oh, and also turn on her hazards whenever she damn well pleases).

The goings-on of our last few days:
Throughout the routine, we have had some amazing experiences and adventures. Our first night on the road, we stayed at a middle-of-nowhere campsite in the heart of Waipoua Forest, a forest of the enormous and ancient seeming Kaori trees. That night a dodgy-seeming, tinted-windows car made several slow circles near our beloved Big Red and left, which sparked our theft paranoia and prompted us to stuff all our most treasured belongings in the tent with us.

The Massive Kaori Trees, very protected in NZ.

In the morning, (all worldly belongings intact) we drove up to the very northern point. After our first of the "It's raining a lot, let's have a beer" detours, we found our campsite for the night. It was foggy, but not raining, so we went on a little hike around the area. Will, of course, made it across a river that I was sure was soon to become an ocean with the rising tide, and therefore refused to cross. I announced he could go his way, and I would go mine. I, of course, spent the entirety of my independent-lady solo hike turning around every two minutes to try to spot him as the distance between us grew farther and farther, sure that at any moment he was going to tumble down the coastal rocks that the ocean waves were crashing mercilessly into. In general, if it wasn't already obvious, I am the worrier of the pair. Thanks Mom. :)

The next day saw us making sausages in the Cape Reinga parking lot, and the universe graced us with perfect weather, so we decided to try our hand at a long hike from Cape Reinga (the second most northern point of New Zealand) to the MOST northern point of New Zealand. The entire area was absolutely stunning, and we were thanking the powers that be for clearing the fog and allowing us such amazing views. After getting through the "legitimate path" portion of the hike, we found ourselves picking through a precarious Is-This-The-Way?? path that had all my "Backpacking 101: STAY ON THE TRAIL" alarms going off. With much relief, we made it to the beach, and walked several kilometers only to find that the tide had cut us off from completing our journey. Meanwhile, the weather was looking dicey again. Will started scanning for a way across, and I took one look at him and said, "Not going to happen." We made our way back, and we're thankful that our trip was ultimately cut somewhat short, as our legs started to protest the uphill climbs.

The difference in weather that can happen very suddenly!

The view on our hike. We tried to get to that far point in the distance.

That night we found an amazing free camp site on Doubtless Bay, and the weather could not have been better. Will took an ocean dip as I whipped up shrimp tacos, and we were happy as could be after our long day. The next day we stopped at a cute town, did a wine tasting and spent the night at an ecological center on an island. The hostess was amazingly kind and told us (with much passion) about their elusive kiwi birds on the island and how to catch sight of one. Kiwis are nocturnal, so one must take a stroll with a red flashlight and perked ears to attempt to see one. After about 20 minutes of walking, stopping and listening hard, Will and I managed to catch sight of one of these strange little birds! Much silent celebration was had by us both.

Our FREE beach campsite on Doubtless Bay.

Today we drove to Waitangi and went to the Waitangi Treaty grounds. The Waitangi Treaty is the founding document of New Zealand, and was signed there by both the British delegates from England and over 40 Maori Chiefs. The place still feels steeped in the gravity of important history. Like most colonization of indigenous people and the land they are so intertwined with, the years that followed (and preceded) were not without contention, mistrust, and abuse of power and people. But overall New Zealanders seem to have a sense of pride about their coming-together and the ongoing conversations between people in an effort to become more and more equitable and make amends about past wrongdoings.

Maori performance. They encouraged us to take pictures and share their culture and this place with the world!

Our guide through the grounds we a direct descendent of two of the chiefs who signed the treaty document. She spoke about the pride and thankfulness she feels when she sees how alive and well her cultures is to this day, mostly due to the hard work and dedication of her ancestors as they navigated new influences from Europe. While at the treaty grounds, we were able to take part in a cultural experience and witness Maori cultural dances and ceremonies that locals put on for visitors. It was by far a highlight of this leg of the journey! Tomorrow we will experience more of the Bay of Islands area and then journey on to Whangarei, where we will meet our first WWOOF hosts!