Kia ora everyone! I am told this means hello in Maori language, so let's use it while I am here. Time flies so fast, another day is over in New Zealand. Today I had a different kind of exercise, I used the early hours of the morning to climb a mountain to a lookout over the bay. I was shameless taking selfies, because there was nobody else around when I was up there. Somewhere halfway the way back, other people went up to the same lookout. Ha, I was first! :-)

I loved it to be on the ferries last year in Sydney so i was happy to find out there were ferries here too in the Bay of Islands. I took the ferry to Russell, as I was told that it was a nice place to see. I strolled around for a bit and got myself a map. There's one beach called Long Beach, and according to the skipper, or shipper, or however you call a man steering a boat, it was a nice place to check out, because the wind came from the other direction.

The English must have left more here in New Zealand then just streetnames, language and their driving on the left, because I hardly was at the beach, or a heavy shower came over. It's like the English weather during Wimbledon sometimes with the showers. There was shelter, in the form of a little place where they sold crépes. So I had lunch there, a crépe with confiture and a coffee. Soon as the rain was gone, I left again too. I had my pictures already, and figured out that I still had time to go to the point of this island, to Tapeka point. Train those legs, because I am not used to walking on mountains and it was very steep at times. But I made it, and oh it was so much worth the climb. I honestly felt like the whole world was under me, like I was on top of everything. Amazing!

Unfortunately my bus back to Auckland left at 4, so I had to make my way back. On the ferry back to Paihia I escaped a second big shower, ha, so I haven't gotten wet today. The night before I had booked a hostel, so at least I have a place to sleep for tonight. Aroudn 8pm I was at my place for tonight, so now it's time to make up my mind. Will I go one more day to the tenis tomorrow, or do i take the 8 am bus to Rotorua? I don't know yet, it depends of the schedule of the Auckland tournament, and if I can find a bus to bring me to Taupo tomorrow evening. Ecxiting to be so flexible. :-)

It's time to get the pictures on, stay tuned for more. ;)