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!"