March 28th 2025 – Pukehina Beach, New Zealand

After having travelled north for weeks and reached the end of the road, it was time to start moving south again. We followed the west coast to the Bay of Islands. It turned out to be one of the rare disappointments we have experienced in New Zealand. Paihia, where most boat tour operators operate from, had very little to offer. The town was touristy and run down. We couldn’t even find a good place to have lunch – and that is usually unheard of in NZ. We found no reason to hang around and continued to Whangarei instead, where we had booked a room for the night.

We arrived in town early and needed to kill some time before we could check in at our homestay. Coffee and cake at a cafe downtown was the answer. We noticed something odd about Whangarei. The place seemed to be crawling with mentally challenged people. None of them bothered us, but we witnessed a lot of very peculiar behavior – not only downtown, but also later when we went for a run in the suburb Raumanga.

Our hostess fed us well in the morning before sending us off. The calories came in handy when we later climbed Mount Manaia. The drive along the coast to reach the trailhead of the Summit Lookout Track offered some very nice scenery. The walking track was only 2 kilometers long but steep with a lot of stairs. More than 1.100 steps put Katrine’s legs to the test and left both of us soaked in sweat. It was a well made track and the panoramic views from the lookout was next level.

It was time for us to have a closer look at Auckland – the biggest city by far in New Zealand.
Chris and Louise had a house in town where we could stay. It was a charming old house surrounded by a very lush garden. We had the house all to ourselves during our stay, but it’s often occupied and had everything we needed for a comfortable stay.
First night in town we visited Everybody Eats – a small chain of restaurants. Only the chef that transforms donated food into 3-course meals, and the manager gets paid, the rest of the staff is volunteers. This is how they describe themselves:

“We reckon everyone should gather around a hearty meal, and we don’t think cost should ever get in the way of that! That’s why all our meals operate on a pay-what-you-can basis. If you can chip in $20-$30 for your meal, you’re getting a bargain and helping to pay-it-forward so someone going through a tough time right now can eat for free with dignity. It’s all about community and sharing what we have to create a healthier and happier New Zealand for everyone.”

It was a very nice place with a good atmosphere. When we arrived a waiter showed us to a table and started serving the 3 course meal. The food was delicious and at no time did anyone mention money or payment. When you are done eating you can just get up and leave. You can pay/donate at the counter or use a QR code, but it is up to you if and how much you pay.

The next day we drove to the north end of town as a result of an invite we had received a few days earlier at the parking lot by Tane Mahuta. We had admired a jetski on a trailer when the owners Paige and Andy came over. That ended up with us getting an invite to come for a ride on the water when we reached Auckland.
Paige greeted us when we pulled up in the driveway of their rather impressive abode. Andy was at work so she would be our guide for the day.
She asked me to pilot the jetski as we made our way to Motutapu Island 15 kilometers from Browns Bay where we launched the jetski. The weather was perfect with clear blue sky and hardly any wind. Katrine and I went for a walk on the island and a swim in the ocean while Paige kept an eye on the vessel. We also visited Rakino Island before returning to the mainland. Back at the house we enjoyed coffee and cake at one of the balconies with a view to the water.
Paige was a wonderful hostess. We were thankful for her giving us this experience. It had been a brilliant day and yet another case of serendipity on this journey.

Then it was time to spend a Saturday playing tourists in the big city.
Before we came, a lot of Kiwis had warned us that Auckland was a crowded, busy and not very pleasant place. We loved what we saw – and there was plenty to look at. Cornwall Park was packed with families enjoying the weather and each other’s company. Westhaven Marina offered a forest of masts with the city center as a backdrop. Downtown itself took hours to explore.
What really made the city stand out was its citizens. It must be the most interesting place for people watching I’ve ever visited. I have never seen greater diversity in one place before.

John, a fellow advrider inmate and his wife Jane invited us over and offered to host us on our last night in town. Katrine and I had already seen the places in Auckland they wanted to show us, so we just stayed at their house all day. It was very cozy and we had plenty to talk about. They were considering a trip to Latin America and used the opportunity to pick our brains.

Katrine turned 50 the day we left Auckland and we had big plans for the day. Jane was into Fantasy books, while John preferred workshop manuals – that didn’t stop him from sending us off with a (according to him) LoTR quote: Winter Is Coming 😄

A couple of weeks earlier we had booked a tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set. It was the place in NZ Katrine had looked most forward to seeing. It was extremely touristy and crowded, but Katrine’s enthusiasm alone made it worth visiting. The place was very well made and as we meandered our way through The Shire it was difficult not to be impressed.

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

After a cup of cider and a muffin at The Green Dragon it was time to return to the real world.
Rosie, another advrider inmate, had invited us to stay at her place by Lake Rotoiti, after our visit to Hobbiton. We arrived in time to help prepare dinner. We had heard about Rosie from other Kiwi’s that had hosted us. It was a pleasure to finally meet her.

Coromandel was calling so it was time to head north again for a spell. As we were traveling the backroads along the stunningly beautiful Kaimai Mountain Range, Katrine suddenly spotted a big waterfall. It turned out to be Wairere Falls, the highest waterfall on the north island. A hike to the waterfall lookout built a good appetite for a late lunch in the charming town of Te Aroha just up the road.
At Karangahake Gorge it was time to stretch our legs again. The gorge, a former gold mining area, was packed with walkways and old tunnels. It was a very interesting place to explore. Our head torches came to good use.

We had booked an Airbnb in Waihi. The place was so nice that we decided it should be our Coromandel basecamp and extended our stay. We rarely book more than one night in advance on Airbnb, as we often get a hefty discount on additional nights if we extend once we arrive and pay in cash.

Our host, who had been riding Harleys for more than 40 years and currently owned a very nice 2017 Softail Breakout, was kind enough to lend us a shovel as we headed out to do a loop of the Coromandel Peninsula.

Classic American cars were flooding the roads during our time at Coromandel. We learned that it was because of Beach Hop – an annual 5 day rock and roll festival that draws huge crowds from all over the country.

A scenic ride on gorgeous winding roads took us to Hot Water Beach – the reason we had brought a shovel. On a stretch of the beach hot springs come out below the sand and you can dig your own hot tub during low tide. When we got there I decided to leave the shovel in the car. It turned out to be a good decision. It was carnage on the beach.
Some people had been digging for hours to sit in a puddle of lukewarm water at the bottom of a 2 meters deep hole and were protecting their spot like prospectors during a gold rush. It was hilarious.
We got invited to dip our toes in some of the hot tubs. It was an interesting experience.

Further up the east coast we went for a walk to have a look at Cathedral Cove Beach. The trail to the beach was relatively deserted. Most people seemed to opt for the easier option and had taken a boat from Hahei to the picturesque beach.

The loop we did around Coromandel covered almost 300 kilometers. With smooth road surfaces and endless corners it would have been the perfect ride on two wheels.
We got back to Waihi in time for me to go for a run before dinner. I followed our host’s suggestion and did the Pit Rim Walkway around the 150 years old and still operational Martha Gold Mine at the center of town. We saw a map that showed how most of Waihi and the surrounding area are undermined by an ever growing network of tunnels.

Before leaving the area we did the Wentworth Falls Walk. It was yet another good hike to a beautiful waterfall – two things New Zealand has in abundance. Then it was time to resume our southward journey.
We followed the east coast to Tauranga where we visited first a gym to get jacked and then a supermarket to stocked up on supplies. Rex’ son Thomas had a house on Pukehina Beach that we could use for a couple of days – and the house is literally on the beach. If I was so inclined I could throw a beer into the South Pacific from the deck (but why the hell would I want to do that?).

The location is great and the house really nice, but what we like the most is the opportunity to have a couple of days rest to prepare further for our return to Denmark next month.
I have managed, with the help of a friend, to find and buy the first of the two cars we need when we get back.
We are getting closer to finding a new permanent home. Hopefully that will be sorted soon!
Katrine has an interview Monday at 1.45am local time for a job that she really wants.
– and aside from the things mentioned above, there are numerous other small things that need sorting out.
We are getting increasingly excited about our homecoming.