April 27th to 29th, Northland (Auckland to Ahipara)

I'd read a million times that the weather here is unpredictable but I'm inclined to disagree as I have already come up with a little trick to figure it out in advance. Simply take whatever you have planned for the day and imagine the ideal weather, now take that image and toss it into the trash. That won't be the weather for the day. This may sound like a complaint against New Zealand however it is rather the opposite as I've come to find that changing your plans accordingly often results in unexpected delights. We had planned to spend day three on Waiheke Island and rent scooters because, let’s be honest, who doesn't want to scoot around on a tropical island with no real destination all day? We decided to move this plan up to day two to capitalize on the decent amount of sunshine we were getting and expedite the beginning of our road trip but the off-and-on rain decided to intensify just as we were boarding the ferry from Auckland, quashing our plans. As a last minute plan B we chose to rent a car instead which happened to lead to two positives; firstly, I got in some much needed practice driving on the left and secondly, we were able to go much further than the scooters were allowed which amounted in access to some spectacular, secluded bays. I've decided that over the next 6 weeks I'm going to make a list of 10 places which I could see myself returning to for work after Kelsey goes home, eventually narrowing it down to a single winner. Waiheke Island is the first on the list; it is only 30 minutes by ferry from the Auckland CBD, it is a full degree or two hotter on average than the city, and it still falls under the city's jurisdiction meaning that it has all the public services and amenities (trash pickup, post, etc) that distinguish it from some of the other inhabited islands. It could be called a suburb of Auckland, one that has managed to retain its do-it-yourself aesthetic, complete with non-linear streets that service tiered houses built to maximize sea views. Far enough away for one to feel solitude but close enough to the city to avoid isolation. Keeping with the wacky weather motif, our first day with the rental car saw a downpour of rain which seemed a tad cruel considering I was already nervous about getting through the major city motorways alive. Auckland's seemingly inept traffic patterns were a blessing in disguise as their extended red lights gave me ample time to remind myself the proper protocol for turning into the left lane. We stocked up on groceries at a local supermarket, plugged in the i-trip and set off north aiming to be in Paihia for the late afternoon. About 5 minutes out of Auckland the highway cuts down to only one lane and it remains that way for as far north as you can go. The speed limit remains 100 kph and this made for a few nail-biters as I was unaccustomed to judging the distance between the left side of our vehicle and the ditch. We decided to stop at as many points of interest on the map as possible which had a success rate of about 50%. One detour led to a refinery tour which we decided was a bit too dry for our tastes while another led to the Hundertwasser Public toilets, an Austrian artist's brainchild which sees unique design choices go towards building a room in which many people relieve themselves daily. Paihia turned out to be about as tourist-y as can be with advertisements for overpriced cruises everywhere you turn. The surrounding bay was undeniably pretty but the boutique shops mixed with the pouring rain have me deciding not to add it to the top 10 list. We were only there for the one night, the highlights of which include biking along the beach in the pouring rain and watching what appeared to be the town's entire police force hop the fence at the neighboring hostel to apprehend someone who had probably  just forgotten to pay and was a victim of the cops off season boredom. This morning we drove inland to the west eventually crossing from the Pacific Ocean to a small town called Ahipara on the Tasman Sea. We took what we were told would be an 8km detour to see the 8th largest kauri tree in New Zealand which turned into an hour long grind up an unpaved mountain road. At one point I thought that we'd reach the top only to find a sign that read ''gotchya you stupid tourists'', but it turned out to be worth it, even if Kelsey nearly got us into three accidents. Speaking of which, I hope the rental car company doesn't inspect the bottom of our car because It's more than likely riddled with dents and scrapes. Our second night post-Auckland added another place to my top 10. Ahipara, how I love thee. No shops or anything in sight, just 1800s villas that dot the beachfront and the surrounding hills. Our hostel had dogs, cats, hammocks, a herb garden, and an acoustic guitar to play, just to name a few of the cooler aspects. We were told by the proprietor that most people who stayed one night decided to stay a second, and we were inclined to agree. However flooding on the road to the northernmost point in New Zealand (Cape Reinga) has forced us to ask for a refund for our second night and we now sit, scanning our maps for adventure along the west coast of Northland, back towards Auckland and beyond.