Helicopter flight, Kaiahua & Coromendal Forest part 1

21st January: Paihia 

• The 21st (personally my favourite day of the month as that usually had been ‘salary day’) turned out to be one of the best days of our journey (together with Glinks Gully – despite the ‘no salary’).  We booked that Helicopter Cruise from Salt Air. We spent the first hours on a small boat driving along the Bay of Islands. We saw penguins, had Prosecco and beers at one of the 144 islands, we saw Maddocks house and listened to some background stories from our captain Adam. We loved him! ..sorry again for ‘pretending to fall asleep during his background stories about the islands’. Luckily he could laugh about it. He dropped us off at the helicopter platform and here we went: flying!!!! It was so amazing and breath-taking. It was a shame that the flight only took 15 min but it was worth every penny and every minute! Watch a short impression of the flight here.

• After that experience we drove to Whangarei Heads to spend the night at a free camping (nice view and a clean toilet but the heavy storm during night ruined the night. Luckily I did not have to go to the toilet during that night ( I am the master of my bladder ;) …quote by Sheldon Cooper. ;)

22nd January: On the road & Kaiahua

• We paid a visit to Pete en Glenis (great house!) to say thanks again for their hospitality and to Agnes to say good bye. On our way down to Kaiahua we took some foto’s of the public toilets designed by Hundertwasser himself (We honestly had to look him up on Google – do not blame us haha). 

• We spent the night at a free camping at Kaiuau. There was a little pub where we had a few drinks looking for Paddy Fletcher (he still owes Pete a beer) .. we did not found him. Maybe the reason was that his name is actually Patrick Frazer and he usually has his beer at the fishing club.

• Some stupid drunk kids terrorised the camping by banging on everyone’s van during night when we were sleeping. Little bastards! They scared the sh*t (peeeeep) out of Rick … not me btw ;)

23rd January: Coromendal town

• This is where we are right now spending the night at a holiday park. We need to take a shower and do some laundry. 

• Loads of wind down/up here.