Kyle and I have created this blog not only to keep everyone informed on what we'll be up to, but also as a reminder of our trip that we will be able to look at for years to come. We hope you enjoy our posts and find our travels as enjoyable as we do.
After celebrating the New Year in style with my friends from NJ, I flew to LA to meet up with Kyle who had been there since the day before. From LA we had a 10 hour flight to Nadi, Fiji, where we had a three hour layover until the final three hour flight to Auckland, NZ. Arriving in Auckland was a great feeling, as both of us were pretty tired from all the flights.
Until we meet up with the group from Calvin on Saturday, we decided to rent a car and do some exploring on our own. We've rented a baby pink Toyota Vitz, which I'm pretty sure has no more than 80hp. Driving on the opposite side of the road has been a learning experience to say the least, but it's been pretty fun. Our first stop was Piha, a small town located on the west coast of the north island. All the locals know each other real well, and I love the easy going vibe that this place has. Besides getting settled in to our hostel, which btw, is one of the sweetest places I've ever stayed, we didn't do much else the first day besides stock up on some groceries and explore the beach and Piha's "lion rock" - a huge rock located on the shore that literally looks exactly like a lion.
We started off today by looking for a surfboard rental for Kyle. I caught some type of cold on the flights here, so I didn't think today would be a good day for me to tackle the 10' waves. While Kyle surfed, I did some exploring of my own around the beach, and checked out a spot where huge waves crash against the rocks. The landscape out here is beautiful, and reminds me of how much I dislike how flat Michigan is.
After a break for a ramen noodle lunch, we went on a hike up one of the huge rocks on the coast. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me to capture the sweet view. We then got some tanning in and went for a dip in the ocean.
After dinner, Kyle did some more surfing while I did some reading on the beach. I'm enjoying having absolutely nothing to do and being able to read other things besides textbooks.
We ended the night by hanging out at our hostel and playing monopoly. So far this trip has been extremely laid back and relaxing, something that I think I've needed for a long time, and I'm loving every minute of it. We both wish that all of friends and family could be here to enjoy this awesome place.
Tomorrow we're headed up north to the bay of islands, where we'll be staying for at least a night or two. Stay tuned for an update on our journey north!
The backyard of our hostel
Water crashing on rocks
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