Mount Maunganui

On one of our first nights in New Zealand, we met Adam and Jake. They were our two American roommates in the Auckland hostel. They're super laid back, have lots of mechanic-know-how and had many stories to tell. They bought a van just before us and were always cruising ahead, roughly along the same road.

We caught up with them again in Tauranga. They were staying with Michael, a Kiwi/Canadian friend, for a month. They invited us to come stay there as well. It was great to play some games, explore the surroundings, cook and bake in a proper kitchen, and just hang out.

Like our first evening, we drank some beers while playing Yahtzee. After which we went eel-fishing in the dark. We were wading through shin-deep water with sharp spears... not the smartest idea after drinking. Not surprisingly, no success. More surprisingly, no (lasting) injuries.

The next day we went to the Mount Brewing Company, under Mount Maunganui. The guys "picked up" some girls, drank more beers (we made a veggie platter for a balanced diet) while playing Yahtzee, and stargazed on the roof. It's like we landed in a whole different world. To top it off, the girls were incredible singers while playing guitar!

In the morning, we had a coffee near Mount Maunganui, went to the beach and walked around and up the Mount. Great 360° views of the ocean, the city and ships below. We got back to Michael's, baked some garlic bread and banana loaf. Later we made some fresh hummus and a giant brownie. We could get used to this =)

All together, we spent one week at Michael's. Some nights we slept in the van, some nights in their spare bed. It was great to relax with new friends, have some of the luxuries of home, explore the area and work on self-containment for our van!Read more