Last road trip And that was 5 days to enjoy our last moments in New Zealand and especially to finish our road trip.
It is time to establish a small stock of the situation:
- 0 possums crushed (by us) but spreading 508 seen on the asphalt
- 0 glimpse or even between kiwi-
overview - a very good French lost to Wellington Toto
- 5 or 6 colleagues from work who will be missed
- a van exploded (or almost, anyway very tired)
- about 29 000km traveled
- 4 times evicted by the police (van inappropriate parking for the night )
- 1 arrest by police from Mr. Thomas on the day of our departure (120km / h INSTEAD of 100km / h)
- of images of wild penguins leave the water filled head
- dolphins, seals, sea lions, pukekos, wekas, tui, pauas a king fish ....
- fishing parties intense but not at all successful
- incredible flora with flax, puhutukawas, cabbage trees, Nikau palm ...
- not French enough (friends, family) in our van to a stretch of road with us
- photos draws arrigot
- emails from all of you who made us laugh and very happy, thank you very much we have completed, read and responded
- even stronger desires to travel and enjoy
- the tour of New Zealand, mission accomplished and sad to finish it !
Let us return to our sheep (we did not count those, too many are like cows, too much is too .....),
it is party 5 days with a rental car to explore the last part not seen, that is to say Eastlands.
For the occasion, Thomas was put in black and white and he's doing pretty good boy.
This is our first hostel in Tolaga Bay, an old inn dating from 1932. We spent the evening playing billiards and darts surrounded locals.
This village and the eastern part of New Zealand were once more populous because trade was by sea and warehouses are located on the coast. Now that everything is done by land, the Maori and Kiwis have deserted and settled in cities. But those remaining have more stories to tell ....
This wharf, used for maritime commerce, is the world's longest, 660mètres, when one travels, it's like the party to cross the sea
Sometimes it was very civic and have cleared the roads, wouhaou!
The other dock area, super super long
names are exclusively Maori villages around East Cape.
St Mary's Church
before ...
... after my fall from a horse!
This waka, warship, could accommodate up to 200 people.
What we really enjoyed among New Zealanders is their freedom. They do not have many rules, tips approved, restrictions and shot live "lightly" and back late but at least they do not have to worry about what will happen to them if they decide they do things they like.
And anyway, they do not have much support in France so they must fend for themselves to live by and all means are good.
The last sighting of that seal!
Seasons and miles, we have seen sheep. First they have discovered so big and hairy. Then, after the coup rikiki mower (only once a year enough they told us at the warehouse of wool) and now supported by the lambs.
Hmmm, gonna be full of lamb chops to export to Europe this!
In the area of Eastland, there ?????????? EAST CAPE course!
is the highest point east of New Zealand and when the sun rises first. You have to climb over 700 steps to reach the lighthouse and once on top you can not guess not what we found? Cow dung, it therefore means they also go up the stairs to see the sunrise, they are romantic cows in New Zealand, right?
His name is TE WAHA O REREKOHU, the same as that of an ancient Maori chief, it is the largest pohutukawa in the world and is over 600 years.
Some branches have rested on the ground and have even re-rooted.
is the tree with beautiful red flowers which serves as their Christmas tree, it will have to revise the blog of Christmas if you do not quite follow.
The Eastland is a succession of bays all more ugly as each other.
Small Maori who never stopped running on the roadside, laughing all the time.
Ah yes, that's what is called a "pilot flying", suddenly I had the right to drive after this series of minor mishaps. Someone told me I had a "Granny Schumacher," I think the girl is like!
By cons, what we will not show, is certainly the sidewalk a little too high on which Thomas was perched on the front bumper of the car. Fortunately I had a marker black, you could repaint the bodywork and a little seen or known. Euhhh is that I can also declare automotive designer now, eh?
Oh he is, the paradise lost. A tiny bay but belonging to a certain happiness in Maori.
We had gone to fish on his boat but unfortunately he was unavailable. In short, we arrive at night so pitch black but you hear the sound of the waves so close to home, we are told that morning we should have a nice surprise.
And what a surprise! Almost waterfront in the morning, a house built on a shoestring, wood found in the sand, nets fishing, big boat .... strings A waterfall with hammocks suspended above, terraces around the house, each with different views over the sea
and a morning of fishing ............................................. ..... and I had my first fish, a snapper but too small, I let him live. Anyway, we finally realized that the false bait, they do not eat fish in New Zealand, they are not stupid and vastly prefer squid.
On our journey, we finally have appreciated the Maori culture and tried to understand some legends. In any case, there has been full of Marae, where they "worship gathering, sharing, living together and sculptures that they have made are witnessing a culture that is lost. Indeed, except in this part of New Zealand, Maori culture is hardly existing, poorly understood and often frowned upon. Many thousands of racism against them.
Each tribe had its chief, its emblem and even his own haka ( the famous song and dance). The scuptures, tattoos, engravings on weapons, ships ... distinguished them.
Our third night was held in a pub / Irish backpacker scene "we do little more retro kitsch" so we took the pose.
And here ends the Eastland. Here we are again on the roads and we know that we take now for the last time towards the Auckland airport.
Passage Mount Manghanui and his rise at the same time.
Back to a place that surely some will recognize, the site of Miranda and its hot springs.
BYE BYE country kiwi, the first step of our adventure.
A yellow smile, excitement for the new destination to come but a little sorry to leave this country so fast.
It goes back in time. While it was already night in Auckland, the plane catches up The sun goes to bed in Australia at that time.
Emirates thanks for this good meal (and sincere) and this very good French Pinot Gris. Come on, we have a bit chauvinistic on the edges.
The other dock area, super super long 
names are exclusively Maori villages around East Cape. 
St Mary's Church 
before ... 
... after my fall from a horse! 
This waka, warship, could accommodate up to 200 people. 
The last sighting of that seal! 
Small Maori who never stopped running on the roadside, laughing all the time. 
and a morning of fishing ............................................. ..... and I had my first fish, a snapper but too small, I let him live. Anyway, we finally realized that the false bait, they do not eat fish in New Zealand, they are not stupid and vastly prefer squid. 
Passage Mount Manghanui and his rise at the same time. 
Back to a place that surely some will recognize, the site of Miranda and its hot springs. 
A yellow smile, excitement for the new destination to come but a little sorry to leave this country so fast. 
Emirates thanks for this good meal (and sincere) and this very good French Pinot Gris. Come on, we have a bit chauvinistic on the edges. 
