Day 3 - Sun 14 Oct

Winding roads ahead!

After a quick walk up the road in search of travel hair dryers (just to avoid walking around with wet hear and catching a chill) and camera batteries, we caught the shuttle to Britz to pick up our camper van ... a slow but painless process ... definitely no gold service here!

Then a stop to fill the fridge from the local supermarket and warehouse store. These particular stores, being just around the corner from the depot, must make their livings from camper van stockups. There were certainly several in the car park.

From there it was (unfortunately) in to town since I didn't have time to buy a waterproof jacket before we left home. Did the tour of all the appropriate stores (Snowgum, Kathmandu, etc) but found the choice pretty limited in my size and for what I wanted. Eventually had success in Mountain Designs. Then a quick (4 PM) lunch, visits to three Starbucks stores to find the coffee I wanted, then (finally) we were off! And not a moment (5 PM) too soon! Fired up some travellin' tunes on the wireless, gave the donkeys a good whippin', and headed up Motorway 1 as quick as they would drag us ... into the Northlands of New Zealand.

Green hills near Orewa

It didn't take long to get out of the city and into the pretty, rural, hilly countryside for which NZ is famous, passing along often windy roads through Orewa, Waiwera, Puhoi, Pohuehue, Waiwhiu, Waiteitei, Te Hana, Kaiwaka and Pukearoo. Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. At a town called Brynderwyn we turned to the West, heading towards what is known as the Kauri Coast.

We stopped for the night at a town called Matakohe, in a lovely small motor camp, set on a hill between two branches of the Arapaoa River. There was only one other couple staying in the camp, which was perfectly maintained. The facilities were great, and included (as seems to be the rule in NZ) a multi-stove kitchen and lounge / TV room for the use of guests.

Spent our first night in the camper van. Everything seemed to work and we had a peaceful and comfortable night.