Auckland northward

Mornings at Ambury Campground are lovely. Dew glistens all over the lush grass. The morning sun illuminates the sheep. The swamp birds shreik like babies are being stepped on. Just a few minutes short walk to the beach, visible from the gate next to our camping spot. Nate walked me down this morning to surprise me with a caved in lava tube. The tide was out, and huge black lava rocks were visible on the hillside, where they would typically be underwater.

We had brunch at Circus Circus in Auckland. We were excited about pretty much every thing on the menu. I finally had pan fried chicken livers in gravy. Unusual but tastey. Nate got my second choice, wild mushrooms in gravy. The dishes looked surprisingly similar. We each got a flat white coffee, and I got a raw fruit and spirulina juice to boot.

On the subject of fruit, we stopped in a charming fresh produce shop during the afternoon. I bought one of everything grown in new zeland, especially if I didn't know what it was. A green and a red fruit I had never heard of. Two kinds of kiwis, one with fuzz and one without. A fat carrot that doesn't taper.

After our brunch we went to the top of Mt Eden volcano. There are 50 volcanoes around Auckland. This one made a huge gassy crater. It reminded me of walking around the rim of Vesuvius in Naples - only lushly green everywhere. One of the reasons why we chose to focus on the northern island is due to all the volcanic activity. Nate loves the geology aspect, and I love to sit in hot water.

We then drove north to the Bay of Islands. It's winter here, so getting dark by 6p. I hear the beach outside our camper van, and exepect a stunning view when we awake.Read more