Driving North to Agnes Water, Australia

IMG_5730The plan I had in my head was to drive straight north then slow down and explore on our way back south. On the day we picked up the camper, everything took longer then expected. By the time we left the rental office, it was rush hour in Sydney and already getting dark. Although it was already late, we stopped at a supermarket to stock up on a few days worth of food before getting on the highway to our first campsite. We ended up camping at essentially a truck stop a little off the highway. At least it was a very scenic truck stop along side a neat gorge.

We were feeling refreshed in the morning and started the day by organizing the camper for our month long journey. This was much easier then in our last camper van because this one is so much larger with many storage options.

IMG_5208We drove most of the following day and Sara found a nice free spot for us to camp that night. We arrived after dark to another rest area off the road, but this time Continue reading

Rugged Road Trip down the West Coast, New Zealand

IMG_4458Continuing down the west coast from Northland, we wanted to do an off the beaten path road trip. Our plan was to stock up on supplies in Raglan then head south along the rough gravel roads hugging the coast. Along the way, we had quite a few sights in mind that we wanted to visit.

IMG_4543Just south of Raglan, there was a budget campsite that we planned on staying at before leaving town. When we arrived, it was just a field with some toilets in the far corner – not appealing especially for $10 per person. The information center in town tipped us off that further down the road was a car park at the top of a ravine where freedom camping was not illegal yet. Even though it was only a few kilometers down the road, it felt like we were completely isolated. Continue reading

Touring West Northland, New Zealand

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After exploring the east coast of Northland, we headed to the west coast. We first stopped in a town called Opononi on the Hokianga Harbour to use their facilities. Upon parking, we noticed a statue of a young boy with a dolphin. Apparently, the town’s legacy is that in the summer of 1956, a friendly dolphin, Opo, befriended many of the towns people. When Opo died, they buried him in town complete with a tombstone and a local artist created the statue for the towns center.

We continued down the coast to a scenic viewpoint right off the highway. After a quick walk, we had beautiful views of the Tasman Sea, the Hokianga Harbour, sand dunes across the harbor, and the towns of Opononi and Omapere. Just stunning! Continue reading