On the Road!!

We left Auckland on 3rd Feb, in convoy with a Welsh couple (Mat & Rachel) who had been on our flight from Chile and also on the hunt for a cheap van! We headed North, our first night at a place called Goat Island. We parked up at campsite near the beach (managed to avoid the warden, so all for free!), and enjoyed a couple of bottles of cheap bubbly by moonlight to celebrate the start of our adventures!! The following morning we drove off early to enjoy breakfast at the beach and then hired snorkels. Its a marine reserve (no fishing) and as a result there are tonnes of fishes and even saw a sting ray...but the water isn't a touch on the temperature of the carribean so only lasted 30mins! After lunch we continued up the coast looking for more cheap/free camping...found the perfect spot next to a lake, has free toilet facilities, but still very secluded! Made a campfire and enjoyed wine and the company of a local Kiwi farmer! Our journeys continued north the next day, visiting Waipo Caves (again free, just take your own torch and go explore...tonnes of very cool glow worms!), Whangarei Waterfalls and beautiful Cliff Top walk at Wang...something! Another free night this time parked up at beach in secluded cove, more free toilet facilities....these Kiwi's make this camping malarky very easy!! Unfortunately the weather turned that night and for the next 2 days we put up with near constant torrential rain...they had 1 months worth of rain in just 3 days! We stayed put in a proper campsite just outside Bay of Islands with TV, pool table and hot showers...drinking beers and praying for sunshine! Eventually, today (8th Feb) the sun has reappeared and we have cruise around the bay booked for this arvo! Just to let you all know as we plan on doing a lot of wild camping this blog ain't going to be updated anywhere near as regularly!!





Breakfast at Goat Island...having left campsite early to avoid paying!!!













Our first illegal campfire!