Bucking the trend

So despite the advice of every single person we have spoken to (as well at the guide book), we decided that we would head to the east coast of NZ. The consensus seemed to be that the east coast was not very nice, dirty, poor, not part of most tours, and potentially even a little unsavory. We decided it sounded like the perfect place! Heading east we passed through places like Tauranga, Whakatane, and Opotiki (please don’t ask me to pronounce!). The Maori are the native people here, and their presence is reflected in the majority of the town names, although we saw nothing but European looking folks in most of these places. The majority of NZ that we have seen of NZ, until we hit the east coast, has been 100% set up for tourists. Imagine a beach town in summer anywhere in the USA, that is what the majority of towns we’ve seen look like. Little shops, hotels, cafes, art dealers, and real estate agents, but very little beyond the tourist offerings. I think that is the other reason we wanted to head east, to simply get out of the range of the tourist. I know, I know, we’re white American tourists, but I’m surrounded by Americans normally, I want a change when I go on vacation! Anyway, our gamble paid off wonderfully as we ended camping on a beach that was free, deserted, and simply stunning. It was one for the nicest places I’ve ever stayed. And there is nothing like the sound of crashing waves to ensure a great nights sleep. We also got a small taste of Maori life today. From our very limited time spend in a few non-tourist towns where we were the only European looking people, I would guess that the Maori have not shared in the wealth that the rest of NZ has enjoyed.

The down side with our visit to the east coast is that it’s a bit of a hike from the other place we want to go- the glow worms! So this afternoon we did a bit of driving and have ended up at Lake Taupo, which is in central part of the north island. We are definitely back in the land of the tourist, but it’s amazing scenery, so it might be worth it. Tomorrow will be a hike around a volcano, and then the next it will be the worms!

The connection is very slow today, so no pictures until next time!