This morning was the first morning of real van life duties…
…emptying the toilet!
We stopped at a local dump station to take care of the van. Dumping the toilet waste, the grey water tank (shower and sink water) and filling up with fresh water. Easier than first anticipated but glad it’s done and dusted!
First stop of the day was nugget point lighthouse, wow! What an incredible place. Rugged, harsh coastline but with incredibly beauty. Thankfully it was raining and dull, which really made this landscape feel incredible.
Next stop, further south, jacks blowhole. Lovely trail to this place and what a place it is. A gigantic hole 200M inland which when the tide comes in, you guessed it, creates a huge blowhole! Impressive.
Another windy, tropical but beautiful road and we arrived at Purakauni falls. Our first experience of New Zealand beauty! Literally felt like we were in Hawaii or paradise here, what a beautiful surroundings.
More windy, beautiful New Zealand roads and 100’s of sheep later we arrived at McLean falls. Excited but mostly because the rain had stopped. But rightly so because this place was absolutely incredible. A beautiful rainforest trail with more green than a dulux colour chart, the freshly mowed lawn grass smell and the sound of birds chirping and singing all around us…
…Only to be met at the end of the hike with one of the most incredible waterfalls I have ever seen.
Filled with fresh enthusiasm, excitement and a can of monster we decided to drive further south at 7PM. This turned out to be the best decision of our trip so far…
…WE FOUND PENGUINS! ?
Not any penguins. THE rarest penguin in the world. The fourth largest species, Yellow Eyed Penguins. We were lucky enough to catch a breeding pair heading back in from a day out at sea to feed their young.
Quite possibly the most perfect ending to an awesome wet but adventurous filled day.
New Zealand you’re slowly, slowly stealing my heart. Thank you