Van Life Begins!

We have now spent a whole week on the open road exploring what the east coast of the Northland has to offer, as we near the northern tip of New Zealand - Cape Riange.

Our biggest take away from our first week on the road has been just how stunning this country is. It’s difficult to put it into words without sounding like a kiwi travel agent, but in the small patch of New Zealand we’ve travelled through, we’ve seen the most awe inspiring and ever changing landscapes - beaches, forests, cliffs, rivers - you name it. Definitely a country to put on your bucket list, if it’s not already!

Our 2nd week in NZ and our 2nd day in the van started with getting the all important gas bottle filled up so we could cook our own food - a trip to Bunnings was in order! Bunnings, a kiwi hardware store (think B&Q or Wickes, but better), has quickly become one of our favourite haunts and after this first trip we not only had our gas but also numerous other items to improve our van. 

The maintenance continued into Day 3 where we noticed our drinking water system leaking, which turned out to be a missing stopper in one of the water drums. So after another trip to Bunnings, we had our stopper, another bag full of random van improvements and a air of Mrs Armitage about us (niche children’s book reference there). Although our purse strings certainly hoped the teething process had come to an end.

A few days of smooth sailing saw us pass through some beautiful spots, the most notable being Omaha beach, Goat island, Whangarei falls and Whale bay. The van coped well with a mixture of gravel tracks, grassy carparks and heavy rain and wind.

The latter half of the week saw us visit some of the big New Zealand highlights. We walked the southern hemisphere's longest footbridge; visited Russell, which was once the southern hemisphere's busiest port, and spent the day at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds where New Zealand became a country and signed a treaty with Great Britain in 1840. The week has come to a close with a stopover at Doubtless Bay before we head up to Cape Reinga tomorrow. 

Despite our busy schedule, Nathan successfully took apart one of the sliding doors to repair the lock and Josie fixed the gas cooker so we now have two working hobs - who knew we were such DIY masterminds. And of course, our week couldn’t be over without another trip to that favourite shop of ours and a leaky sink provided us with the perfect excuse. On this occasion we were lucky enough to visit New Zealand’s most northerly Bunnings to get our sealant - what a treat! We’ve come to the conclusion that van ownership will be a journey, much like our travels.

PS. you can now have a look at where we’ve travelled on our map section.