Slept beautifully for the first night of campervan life. Easy to do when there is power and you have a fan blowing a cool breeze over you all night. Happy to say the bed is comfortable – not 5 Star hotel comfortable or even my bed at home comfortable, but amazingly comfortable for camping. I do miss my hammock though. That was like my own little cacoon every night.
NZ is a beautiful country. The north Island is lots of green hills, big gorgeous trees in tropical forests, blooming flowers everywhere, and the weather is in the mid 70’s. Just glorious. The sun here is fierce though, like when you are at altitude in Colorado. I can’t keep enough sunscreen on me and wear my sun shirt or rash guard everyday! Plus a hat and sunscreen and I’m still getting tanned, but luckily I haven’t burned yet.
Decided to tour the town of Whangarei this morning. First stop was the Town Basin or as Americans would call it the Town Square. It is a beautiful area of shops, restaurants, art galleries, and museums built around the harbor; incredibly fun and picturesque area to explore.
After a delicious breakfast a tour of the Clock museum was next on the agenda. It was a very interesting little museum based on an original collection of over 400 clock by Whangarei citizen whose hobby was collecting and restoring clocks. Now the museum has over 1000 clocks in its collection and tells the history of clocks and how they were invented and used over the centuries. For a nerd like me it was fascinating, but it would probably be interesting to normal people too. I came out of there convinced I could build a clock. It might be my next craft retreat project.


A slow stroll along the harbor looking at souvenir shops and art galleries was next. A scoop of Hokey Pokey (honey) flavored ice cream and back to serenity for the drive to the evening’s non-powered campsite.



