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A Hidden Paradise in Whiritoa, New Zealand
On Google Maps, Whiritoa looks like a beach town at the very bottom of the Coromandel Peninsula on the east coast. As I drove in through 16 kilometers of windy S-curves and 180-degree switchbacks, and then entered the town, I realized that I had been wrong. This was no town. Rather, it was a collection of a few hundred houses clustered around the beach. A single cafe provided snacks and a few staples (bread, butter, milk), but anything beyond would require the twenty minute trek into town. I wondered where the hell I had just based myself for the next month. The answer:
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The Lone Mussel: My Moana Moment
I'm wandering along the beach in Whiritoa. There's no particular hurry and I feel the sand shift beneath my feet. The soft sound of the waves, sussurating in a steady rhythm, creeping up the sand and retreating with gentle movement...and leaving something behind... Disney-princess style.
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Ducking Ropes and Slippery Slopes in Piha
I've heard it said that the west coast of New Zealand on the North and South Islands alike is the "wild west." The waves are bigger, the coasts are rockier, the people are fewer. Piha, about a 45 minute drive from Auckland through the Waitakere Ranges, proved much of this to be true. The black sand beach's most prominent feature is Lion Rock, which rises out of a sea of sand and a sea of waves to tower above the beach and the town. The waves beyond crashed and smashed and thundered, tossing and frothing like a herd of wildebeests.
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The Jurassic World of New Zealand’s North
I stomp along a muddy track. Bright green moss clings to trees, ferns stretch feathery boughs wide. The air is heavy, humid. The absence of other hikers makes me feel like an explorer. Thankfully, New Zealand has no large predators, so when the canopy above erupts in chaos, I know it's only a fleeing bird rather than a pterodactyl swooping down to snatch me up. The landscape would say otherwise, however.
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NZ Working Holiday Visa: Buying a Car in New Zealand
I knew I wanted to buy a car the moment I decided to go through with my New Zealand working holiday visa adventure. I like to get off the beaten path and I dislike having to rely on buses, trains, shuttles, and tours. I read blog posts and guides about buying a New Zealand car and they definitely helped ease some of my fears. However, my experience was different from most of what I'd read, so I wanted to add it to the knowledge base for anyone else who may be in my same position and is searching for as much information as he/she can find.
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1 Year of New Zealand Selfies: July & August
Today, July 29, marks the start of my second month in New Zealand, so I'm posting the first few weeks of my 1 year of New Zealand selfies. When you're traveling alone, sometimes the ubiquitous selfie is all you have. More photos will be uploaded to this page every few weeks.
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Over the Edge: Reflections on Selfies, Hand Prints, and Solo Travel
About a year ago, an article popped up on my Instagram feed about the discovery of a new cave with early history cave paintings, one of which was a handprint. This is not unusual. Handprints are a common form of cave painting. What stuck with me was that the consulted archeologist, when asked about the single handprint, shrugged and said the hand-print maker was perhaps only trying to say, “I was here.” Because I'm traveling on my own, the only way I get to say “I was here” is to have a photo of me in that spot.
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Getting My Feet Wet in Whangarei
Whangārei is located about two hours north of Auckland in the Northland region of the North Island. This (as I consider it) is the true start of my backpacking experience. Auckland was simply "traveling." However, in Whangārei, I feel like a real person, rather than Traveler Maddie. I finally am beginning to feel like New Zealand Maddie.
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WWOOF: The Seaweed Queen of Great Barrier Island
Great Barrier Island was formed from ancient volcanoes, like most of New Zealand, and it rises dramatically from a wave-rumpled sea. With mountains swelling from the blue water and native forests draped like a blanket over every visible surface, it looks wild. Untouched. I can imagine Polynesians paddling up to it, and the same wild and untamed view greeting them as greets me today.
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Crash Course: All the History I Need to Know about New Zealand
The Auckland Volcano Field, which holds Auckland city at its center, is home to 53 ancient volcanos. Many have eroded or been built on. But, from high above, I could spot several green hills, the bones of old volcanoes, rising above rooftops. Only 600 years ago, Auckland's youngest volcano, Rangitoto, rose from the sea when an underwater volcano erupted with violent fury. Today, Rangitoto Island is only a 20 minute ferry ride from downtown.
