Leaving Chile just as the first rains bring the dry season to a close has become a tradition for us. This year we left a few days early and headed to New Zealand!
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| Packing heavy |
It took us the better part of a week staying in low budget air bnbs on the outskirts of Auckland to find the right mix of housing/ transportation. A refreshingly little amount of paperwork along with a trip to the discount camping store gave us the base that we needed for our month and a half trip to New Zealand.
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1997 Toyota Hiace, transportation and housing for this trip and hopefully the next |
Of course renting would have been easier and even cheaper for this first trip but we are making an effort to set ourselves up for the chance to return. We are excited to be into a vehicle solid enough to allow us access the incredible outside opportunities in NZ but still be equally ok to leave in a field behind our friends house in between trips.
It's been a goal to return to NZ since we attended the 2006 MTB world championships in Rotorua so I guess that is a testament to how priorities can get put off and time flies.
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| The highway 1 headed south |
We rolled from Auckland anxious and barely ready to take on the vastness and ripe opportunity that the great outdoors of NZ offer. As we are lacking a fully contained camper, options for camping are more limited with elevated chances of being subjected to the direct vicinity of spirited budget campers who always seem interested to stay up partying way later than us!
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| First light! headed to check the waves |
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| Surreal climb Piha beach NZ |
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| Piha is a magical beach with incredible rocky points and a river mouth. |
First stop out of the city brought us to the surf capitol of the north island, Raglan. Here we chanced into the opportunity to test out my newly purchased second hand 5'8 Merreck.
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| a surf board is high priority in this incredibly surf rich country. |
A legit 6 to 8 foot swell in an unfamiliar land wasn’t the best way to get used to a new board but the rare summer swell that was lighting up Raglan's rocky headlands meant that I was headed straight to the point at first light.
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| Big and burly whale bay |
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| Long live long Left hand point breaks |
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| Sloughing walls lumpy in a stiff cross shore wind and bay closing clean out sets made the day hard to manage |
Raglan was flush with surf culture and busy with the anticipation of the big swell that coincided with the summer holiday. A lot has changed since our last visit and impressively almost all seemed to be for the better.
We caught up with our old friend Mr C the owner of the lodge and Raglan Surf school. Charlie and his partner Erin are expats from the US who have made NZ their home, committed to their new community and have “never looked back”!
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| Me and MR C! |
Mountain biking in New Zealand is a really big deal and it has literally changed the face and economy of the country. There is easy access and tons of information detailing the wealth of great riding - but the real gems are more likely to be a local thing.
New Zealanders are all about the outdoors and proud of their special places. The Kiwi code of usage and respect for the outdoors is exemplary! Popular destination areas have bathrooms and showers and the popular beaches have surf clubs and life guards. This is the type of planning that helps to keep destinations clean and safe as the population of visitors continues to grow!!!
Camping out of a car is a mixed bag. The primary attraction for us is the idea that we can pretty much make a little home for ourselves anywhere we need to be with very little budget. Living outdoors out of a vehicle definitely comes with some extra demands especially if you are on a dedicated mission while tripping over your gear every time you need to fire up the camp stove or pop up the tent.
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| car camping means freedom and also that you could be spending hours on the simplest tasks like charge your computer or finding a hot shower. |
It's something that really helps to extend a trip to epic proportions with a limited budget.
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| Camping means this could be your back yard hike for the day |
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| OR this giant Kauri! |
The reward of more time dedicated to doing your thing is certainly worth living grubby for a while. Living in any vehicle for an extended period really gives you some perspective on the comforts of home but somehow your are never really the same, nothing is as simple.
We are now headed into the races - first the NZ Enduro a 3 day affair on the north tip of the south island. Two weeks later brings the opening round of the Enduro World series that takes place back on the north island in the MTB capitol of NZ, Rotorua. Both events promise to be outstanding and will offer up different versions of the best riding in NZ.
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| Enjoying the trails on foot near Havlock. |
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