An interesting month from shearing alpaca's to working 9 to 5. Travelling in and out of Whakatane to work on a caravan in the plumbers workshop. Just too normal. Amazing how quickly the stress builds up and you slip back into bad habits. How does working 9 to 5 do that to you? Sure makes you appreciate the weekends though.
House sitting finished, 'Clean up Matata' done and time to hit the road properly again. Yeah. I shouldn't sound so positive as there are some benefits of house sitting.
Number 1, it's a great opportunity to do some maintenance on the vehicle, underseal done, inverter fitted to power/charge tools and oh yes the all important shelf/slot made for his lordships whisky bottle. But secondly and most importantly it's a good time to reflect on why we chose to live on the road in a little black box. It sure makes me appreciate our simple, minimal, nomadic life.
House sitting in Thornton. A good opportunity to give the truck a spring clean and for Mark to do a little bit of maintenance while I dig out my whitebaiting net and head to the river for the start of the whitebaiting season.
Back in the Whakatane area again. It doesn't feel that long since we were here last but actually its been nearly 6 months. Where does the time go?
Eventually we made it down to Cape Palliser to see the North Island's, most southern lighthouse. A few little detours via a few of our favourite spots, the odd job here and there and back to Napier for the sunny weather.
Lovely winters days walk on the Putangirua Pinnacles track.
I'm not sure how we did it because we couldn't find it on the map, but we managed to combine the lookout track with the walk up, or should I say the walk up and down the streambed. The gravel below your feet makes it a pretty slippy walk so you definitely need to be wearing sturdy shoes. Worth it though for the spectacular views from both perspectives.
There is a DOC camp at the reserve too but unfortunately at this time of year it was just a bit too shaded in the valley for our solar. Excellent freedom camping spot just round the corner at Ngawihi though on the way to Cape Palliser.
We managed to make it to the Lakes around Rotorua before the cold, wet, winter weather set in. We even managed to a hook a trout. Well the boys did. I just like to paddle. I think I might of had my last dip for the season though. Winter is definitely here.
