Peace and quiet in Otamatea

I stayed in Otamatea for two weeks in the beginning of October (post a bit late, I know).

Otamatea is an intentional eco-village society, which means people who live there work together to try to create a better environment for them, their children and people in general. It is situated on a peninsula, surrounded by the Otamatea river, near Kaiwaka, in the south of Northland. It is a stunningly beautiful place, with nice and interesting people in it. Not only hippies and New-agers either, creative mix of people.
I stayed with Lynne and Reinhold, who started the community some ten years ago. It took me a while before I felt at home with them, but eventually I loved it there. I worked four hours a day in exchange for good food (which was welcome after my week in northland) and a bed in the outside sauna. I did a number of different tasks, including planting potatoes, weeding, moving cows, collecting cowshit, even beekeeping! By the end of the first week I might go back there sometime, by the end of my travels.

After that, I got back to Auckland, with mixed feelings about leaving. It was good to see Paul, he had two German couchsurfers staying, who were just heading for Northland, so I gave them some tips. Me and Paul talked a lot, it was almost like coming home. After two days I left Auckland again, heading to the south. It was a great feeling to realise, that every meter I drove, I was in the most Southern place I had ever been. Randomly I took turnoffs, stopped by the side of the road to sleep, no idea where I was. Next day drove on, till I came to Mount Maunganui, a little village close to Tauranga. I liked it there and still do. I went to Te Puke a couple of times, they call it Kiwifruit capital of the world. A man said I could get a job in pruning the orchards, they start somewhere this week, depending on the wheater.

In the meantime I hang around "the mount", sleeping in the van and taking free showers in the camping. I walk and run around the mount often, go fishing, read and relax. In the day there are always plenty of people around, but at night it sometimes gets very lonely. Yesterday I met some people who arrived in a pickup truck with leather sofas on the back. They unloaded them on the beach, and I joined in with my sofa. I wish all nights could be like that. One of the guys was a beekeeper, said he needed men to work, so I gave him my number, we'll see.

Funny little facts
- I was walking on the rocks around the mount a few days back, when I was suddenly stunned to see two seals barking at me. I stood there for a second or two, before realising that running was the better option. I ran, jumped off another rock and landed on half a meter of a huuuuuge seal who charged at me. Scary but o so cool. Offcourse I didnt have my camera with me.
- I went fishing, having no idea who the fishing rod works. A man explained it all to me, and now I get it. Didn't catch any fish, and was terrified that one of the blue penguins, who I could see swimming around there, would eat the bate, but luckily they didnt.
- Everywhere I park the van, young people seem to gather around with their cars, just to hang around. It is a strange NZ habbit. Most of the cars are tuned and their engines are loud. A lot of the kids race on the streets as well. They are pretty friendly though. I was drinking with a group of them, when the cops came and made us tip all of the drinks out (they had two cases of burboun and coke). They didnt seem to mind that they left all the bottles on the street though, strange country.
- Met a strange man who went to the pub in an overal. He told me that Japanese girls were hairy, because they eat a lot of fish.
- Mussels are easy to grab around here, and I eat them every two days. Each day is too much.

Allright, Im heading to Te Puke now, hoping that I can start working again soon, because my money is almost gone again (but aint that the way it will always be?).

Mad week in Northland

Left for Auckland and headed straight for adventure! I have described everything in detail in a little book I will to Belgium tomorrow, but for those who can't acces that, I will give some highlights.
- First night in Orewa, met a couple, they took me out to a bar, and paid for my beer all night. Great talks about life, food and New-Zealand. Went to sleep, but too cold, so drove on after a while. Parked the van somewhere at a regional park. Woke up the next morning with the sunrise over an island-filled sea, wonderful.
- Russell, bay of islands, met two French travelers and took them to couchsurfer Douglas' place. We had some (a lot) drinks and went kayakking the next morning with the four of us.
- The next day me and the French travelers drove at Cape Reinga, where we watched the sunset and cooked some dinner together.
- Got stuck when I took my van on 90 mile beach, without 4 WD and on high-tide = recipe for disaster. I wanted to take the next exit a couple of kms further up, but got stuck on the way. The tide was coming in very fast, so I had to act fast. Ran to where I got on the beach, and luckily found someone with a jeep, who I convinced to help me out. This was a close call, easily could have lost the van to the sea there... But, as it always goes, it turned out good!
- Took the ferry from Kohukohu to Opononi, but was complely broke. By the time the guy came to ask for the money I was already parked in, so I payed with my harmonica. In Opononi I had to stop because the tank was almost empty. Met some people there who gave me food and beer. The next morning there was a flea market in town and I sold my old mp3-player and foldable chairs for $30, petrol money. Got a bee teddybear and a back massage for free as wel.
- The last night I spent with a young family I met in Dargaville. Completely mad, completely. Imagine pounding rap music, drunks, big bags of weed, drugs, and Christians raving about the destroying of all atheists, and me caught in the middle of it all.

This was very probably the best week of my life. It was hard due to the lack of money, but I received so much from people. When you need help, you are likely to get it. Or to put it in the words of Coulin: "Don't be shy!"