Monstrous Media!

As of today I’ve been in New Zealand for one month but only since very recently have I felt the true spirit of travel. Having attained my new van and traveling partner, Gerty, last week in Auckland I am now as free as a bird and able to take every day as it comes. There is something truly liberating about waking up and having no idea where you’re going that day or where you’ll sleep that night. I’ve been moving north from Auckland these last few days. I’ve so far come across the 90 Mile Beach (a huge stretch of beach which travelers are encouraged to drive the length of to get between two towns), Tane Mahuta and the giant Kaori Forest, Cape Reinga (the place where spirits go before they descend into the underworld), and a good amount of wildlife.

Tane Mahuta – The Ruby Suns

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For those of you too lazy to read or scroll down here’s a quickie highlights video I whipped up.

The driving shots are from 90 Mile Beach, the dolphins are from Henderson’s Bay, a huge beach I personally discovered, the eagle rays are from a glass bottom boat tour I took around Goat Island, the shots of me walking were just showing off some weird sand behavior, the waves are the Tasman Sean and Pacific Ocean colliding, and the snail I found in the grass last night near my campsite.

This massive trunk is Te Matua Ngahere or Father of the Forest. It’s fuckin huge. It’s actually not the largest in the world though; it falls second to Tane Mahuta just down the road.

Good ol’ Gert stoppin for a breather in the middle of 90 Mile Beach.

These two shots were taken from Cape Reinga. At nearly the farthest point north one can go, standing atop these hills the convergence of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean can actually be watched. Gnarly whirlpools and clashing surf is the proof. There is an awesome Maori legend that tells of how this point is the gateway to the underworld. You all should read it.

Pretty view of a stream flowing into the ocean at 2 meters from my campsite at Cape Reinga. Brackish.

An extremely photogenic snail I found while lying in grass at night outside my van at the same campsite.

A dead shark.

I’m trying to keep these posts mostly visual and not so wordy but if anyone has any desire for me to elaborate please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments.

Much Love,

Andrew