Corona Journey No. 45 — Long Road North Part 1

Fantasy trips aren't enough

Throughout the year, travel plans were flying around, group chats were buzzing, and fantasy trips were constantly forming in our heads.
When you're stuck in one place with nowhere to go, your legs get itchy and your engine starts racing for adventure.
This, combined with an endless winter, meant that by the time the weather finally started to warm up, we had a ton of ideas and a bunch of friends who were itching to get out and explore New Zealand.

The annual trip to the South Island was cancelled.

After Christmas festivities, we point our trucks south and drive as far as humanly possible in search of deserted waves and spectacular views - it's become an annual tradition.
While the allure of the South Island is always strong, this year I had other plans.
There are still many places I have yet to explore on the North Island where I was born and raised, so this year I decided to skip the strait and explore the interior of the North Island.

Off the beaten path

Let's be honest, even though most of us have lived in the North Island our whole lives, we've never really ventured off the beaten path.
When I write this down, it seems criminal to me, and I understand this situation better than anyone.
So this year, I decided not to travel to my sister island, the South Island.
But we still drove the truck south until we found some empty waves. Good traditions endure for a reason.

◾️ Island hopping with an unusual partner duo

For our first leg of the journey south, some friends joined us midway, hoping to enjoy a little more time on the road before things got too much for us. Our travel companions were two contrasting vehicles: our trusty Land Rover and our friend Scott's fuel-guzzling Chevy van. A Feldon Shelter rooftop tent was fitted on the top of the Land Rover, allowing the two of us (and a few others) to sleep overnight.

◾️My long-time companion, the van

The van had been Scott's companion for many years, having been acquired as a home for a year in the Arizona desert during his university years, and after two years of travelling around the US, the decision was made to send it back to New Zealand.

◾️An exquisite balance created by two mismatched cars

In fact, they couldn't have been more different road trip companions, but together, this seemingly mismatched duo got us all around the island. Scott's van was American, a fuel-guzzler, and our truck was slower. So, by keeping our overall pace low and the van slow to conserve fuel, it turned out to be a winning combination.

◾️Summer blessings found on the eastern cape

After a particularly impressive (and actually quite large) swell led us to the east side of the island, we spent our first week enjoying the much-anticipated start of summer. The East Cape has its own unique microclimate in the summer, and this time it did not disappoint. Anyone who has traveled in New Zealand knows how rare it is to have long stretches of sunshine, but each morning we were greeted with clear skies and promising waves. As our companions began to head north to return to their daily lives, our leisurely two-car trip planned to continue south.

◾️If there are no waves, head to the mountains

With a long drive ahead of us and a forecast of declining coastal swell, we sat around the stove and discussed our options. Scott is an avid hiker, and we were already halfway south on the island, so the mountains to the west beckoned. Honestly, I'm well aware that my motivation for road trips is fueled by the waves and coastal life, so heading inland wasn't even on my radar. But the ocean around us was calm, and the mountains were increasingly appealing. So, we headed for the mountains.