#050: Leaving New Zealand

Previously I was just leaving New Plymouth. My night there was the last in a week-long series of single nights in towns between the south of the south island and (almost) the north of the north island.
I chose next to stop at Raglan, a town famous in New Zealand and beyond for its' surf. The hostel there was in a choice location, on top of a hill overlooking the gorgeous bay, and the heavy, heavy rain that had followed me for the preceding 36 hours thankfully drew to a stop as I ascended. Many hostels in New Zealand purport to come 'with a difference' - something to set them apart from the norm. Raglan used this claim justifiably. Dorms here were housed in reclaimed railway carriages, all waste was vetted for recycling and stone ovens were promoted as an alternative to the gas hobs. I spent a couple of nights there, and explored the local bays, spending a chunk of time sat on my behind watching the sun arc across the sky.
I was now into my final week in New Zealand, so headed northeast to the Coromandel Peninsula, home to - reputedly - the best beaches in the country. My stay there didn't disappoint.
On the way, the ipod threw up another (un)happy coincidence as the clear skies of the past three days gave way to an instantaneous downpour, at the same minute as Sudden Weather Change - an Icelandic rock band - rolled around.
I stayed in the town of Whitianga, at my final new hostel of the sabbatical, at what proved to be quite possibly the best hostel of the sabbatical. The dorms were more like a series of small apartments. Mine had a double room and a shared room for three (a single and a bunk) but, for two of my three nights, I was the only person in it. The dorm was completed with an obligatory bathroom, a kitchen/diner/ lounge, and a rather splendid balcony with views over the bay on the other side of the road. Thirteen pounds a night an' all. Very Highly Recommended.
I dedicated my time in Whitianga to the amazing local beaches and to some swimming in the south Pacific, stopping first in Hahei where I walked along the coast to Cathedral Cove, a much-lauded bay half an hour on foot from any public roads. It features a great arched rock tunnel (as big as a hall), and some rather massive rock formations, giving it its' name. The weather - for the two days I was in the area - was unbelievably good, and the skies remained clear overnight, when the vast array of the night sky appeared; the milky way a great band of white, halving the visible universe.
I also spent a day further north, at Otama and Opito bays - accessible only via a dirt track - doing little more than reading, eating and lying down, with a smidgen of dipping my toes. Despite it being a Sunday in Summer, I had about a mile of bay entirely to myself - a most indulgent afternoon to underline a most indulgent five weeks.

Below you can find my photographic attempts from round New Zealand. As ever, I'll stick 'em on The Facebook as well, as I don't fully trust the orientation of photobucket.

So now to the final leg of this year of journeying: Sierra Leone. As I walked away from dropping the car off, the excitement levels ratcheted up a notch. I have a day and a bit in Auckland to complete my preparations for a month living and working with a tribe on a beach in West Africa. I'm not expecting to have much, if anything, in the way of internet whilst I am there, so this might be the last update for a while. However, for those of you who are interested in what I've gotten myself in to, or what community tourism actually is, I'd recommend having a browse of the website here: http://sierraleone.TribeWanted.com/

Right then. I'm off to start a course of anti-malarials before psyching myself up for 48 hours of flying, via Bangkok and Nairobi.

I'll leave you with this exciting little snippet, lifted from the intro pack the guys in Sierra Leone sent me: "We suggest swimming at your own risk in the lagoon, at night it’s home to some crocodiles, but we rarely see them during the day..."