Kerikeri

This has been my home the past 3 days:

It's right in between the two trees (you can see that better in this one):

There is also a river down below where the chairs look out.  It's a perfect spot, because the trees shade the tent in the afternoon so it's not too hot at the end of the day.  I wish I could say I planned that out, but no, my sense of direction is still bad.  My first full day here I decided to check out a couple of the local wineries so that I could buy a bottle I liked (to waive the tasting fee) and have a bit that night and a bit the next night.  I didn't even come close to finishing the bottle over the two nights, but decided not to take the rest with me.  View from one of the winery drive ways:

And from the other's seating area where I hung out for a little while after I had lunch in their restaurant:

Anyway, I got a bit lost on the way, and ended up at signs toward Waitangi, where I was planning on going the next day, and much further away than the wineries I had in mind.  So I turned around and found the wineries, but the next day it was easier to find my way to Waitangi, as I had already been 1/2 way there!

Waitangi is where the treaty was signed between the Maori leaders and the British to give the Brits control.  It's a nice little place with walkways through a jungle-y forest, and then great views of the Bay of Islands.  I also took a ferry across the bay to Russell, a tiny little town with some nice beachfront cafes.  I'll have to put up pictures of that later though as I can't find them on my computer, and I think it's time to go check on my key!

Uretiti

Things have funny names here, like Uretiti, the beach where I camped last night.  View from the shore:

Since I hadn't bought a sleeping pad yet, and the ground was very uneven and sharp-looking, I slept in the back of my car, which was very pleasant.  btw I think Tomatina, and Tina for short, is winning the name game for the car so far.  Then I drove into Whangarei (pronounced "Fangarei" - Wh = F here), where I had coffee and bought a sleeping pad so I can camp tonight (I also bought a flashlight and headlamp since I couldn't find mine last night), then continued up through green hillsides all the way to Kerikeri, one of the largest towns in Northland but still much smaller than St. Helena.

The hardest part about backwards driving so far is to adjust to so far is that the turn signal and windshield wiper controls are on opposite sides.  A few times I have gone to put on my turn signal and the wipers come on instead.  This was ok on the first day because it was raining, but the next day when it stopped I had to quickly force myself to learn the correct side so it wouldn't be so obvious that I don't know how to drive here...

Off to find a place to camp for the night!

Byzantium

I couldn't think of a good title for what is expected to be a post filled with random things, so I decided on the name of the cafe I'm hanging out in to use their free internet, which is not nearly as common as in the states.

First of all, after a long, stressful day of figuring out how to get access to some cash, here is my new car:

Thanks for the name suggestions, Esther... I'll probably see how she (or he Es, but I think cars are usually considered to be female) drives for a few days and then decide, but ideas are nice.  I had my first experience of driving on the wrong side of the road today, which isn't as hard/weird as I expected... maybe all my work towards left-handedness has something to do with that?

Here is the park across the street from the cafe:

It rained today, which made me question my plan for the next couple days of going up north to the beach, but the guy at the hostel said that since it rained so much today, it is likely to be nice for the next few days, so the plan is still in place!  Hopefully I will get some better pictures up there, there isn't much exciting about another city.  But the hostel had this nice piece on its wall by my room:

And here is Auckland's ferry building:

Just a little bit on food:

On the street by my hostel there are two places that seemed unavoidable - Burgers Wisconsin, which claims to have the best burgers in the world, and a pizza place that claims to have the best pizza in the world!  I would feel like Elf trying to impress that girl (was it Zoe Deschanel?) with coffee if I brought someone to the burger place, but the pizza was pretty enjoyable, I must say.  

By far the most common food in Auckland is sushi.  There have to be 10 sushi place on each block!  I don't know how they all stay in business!  Normally I'm not the hugest sushi fan, but the german couple that sold me their car wanted to get some after the transaction was closed, so I accompanied them, and it was pretty tasty.  I got a variety box, which had some rolls I had never seen before, including one with pineapple and avocado, and one with tuna salad and bell pepper!  Strange.

Auckland

Here is a nice view of Auckland central from Ponsonby, the little suburb I'm staying in:

It's a nice walk from my hostel to downtown, but the way back is uphill, and took much longer than I remembered the way there taking...  You can't tell, but the building to the far left bears the new pwc logo.  I think the skyline somewhat resembles Seattle with its space needle?  Auckland's version is called the Sky Tower.  And as you CAN tell, it was a very nice day outside - shorts, t-shirt, and sunglasses weather!  But I can't wait to get out of the city and experience this on the beach... all I need is some transportation...

Buying a car took longer than I had hoped, but I am now committed to a little red Mitsubishi Legnum station wagon, which comes with a mattress, blanket, sleeping bag, camp stove, emergency break-down kit, utensils, dish soap, and some other things - I can't remember all of them.  I am paying a bit more than I had hoped, but she is in great condition, 4wd, and is all set on registration and wof for the next 6 months, so hopefully I won't break down every, and can re-coup most if not all of that money when I have to let her go at the end of my stay.  She will need a name... I am open to suggestions.  Picture to come when I am officially the owner.

Arrival

I made it to New Zealand!  The flight was long, but very tolerable due to 11 year-old Amy, who introduced herself to me as "an unaccompanied minor," then went on to start numerous conversations about her family (Dad in CA and mom in NZ), pets (goldfish, sheep, and a dog), school, etc.  She also asked if it was ok each time she wanted to read instead of talk, which was cute, and luckily she slept the whole time between dinner and breakfast (yes, they served TWO meals on Air New Zealand!), which allowed me to get some rest as well.

Accomplishments so far:
1.  Set up a bank account (although they closed too late for me to pick up my atm card)
2.  Got a phone (after much deliberation I went with Telecom)
3.  Purchased sunscreen (thanks Esther!)

I've also managed to be asked for directions by 2 people - I guess I must look pretty comfortable here already.  I believe I gave correct directions to the 2nd person.  The first were correct but incomplete - I probably got him half way there - not bad for being in the country less than 10 hours, no?

View from my bedroom window at the hostel, and my bed:

Goal for tomorrow: buy a car!