The anger and frustration is slowly ebbing away. For the most part, this is due to all the nice people we know and the new ones we encounter along the way. Like Luca and Eugenia, an Italian couple we met twice yesterday for great little encounters.

Or like Ruth and Damien, two more Kiwi bikers, we met on the road and who took no time to offer help and a bed to us as basically strangers. Or Linda and Denis who took our gear with them to Auckland for us. Or all the other people who have offered and are lending help and support. Yes the money hurts, but people like you are what this trip is about for a large part for us.

Other than a lot of talking and processing, planing on scheming via intercom, we mostly cruised along Northland roads, edging slowly south.

First stop today was Baylys Beach, were Rocinante finally dipped her front wheel into salt water. High tide and Flo’s unwillingness to risk damaging the bike so close before shipping kept this stop to a few rounds around Nina for action shots.

We changed coasts again for a little bit more exploration of Whangarei. By coincidence, we ran into the model train ride-out day at the Kiwi North historic village. Wohoo, scaled down steam engines! We kept it brief as well to head into town in time for the mid-day lunch rush at Mokaba, with a view of the marina.

After another loop to the west coast, we ended the day in the east again. Half asleep in wintery hibernation, the hosts at the Sandspit Holiday park gave us an amazing little cabin right at the water’s edge. The day ended on the porch watching the water and the coming tide with some nice cheese, veges and a small Puhoi desert 🙂

The Holiday Park is made up like a little pioneer village with many old objects on display in the windows of the old shops. This is something to roam around and rummage through so many pictures were taken. This is probably the loveliest little Holiday Park we stayed in so far. They even have a cat but it’s running away from Nina, much to her dismay.