Hot Water Beach

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Left Auckland for Hot Water beach. 

There is some hot spring under the sand, so at low tide, you go to the beach, wiggle your feet to find a spring and dig a hole to create your own pool :)

And after that we went to Cathedral Cove.

Bay of Islands

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Cruise day around the Bay of Island!!!

I went on the Cream trip, which pass by all of the Islands. They call it that way because it used to be the boat that would go once a day around the islands to collect the cream, and deliver coal and supplies.

Today, it’s still deliver mail and a few other things, but only twice a week.

Russel

Paihia

Black Rocks, They're formed by lava that comes to the surface

Penguins :)

Hole in the Rock, and if you can see it, the silhouete of a lady. There is a legend that says when the first Mauri came, they left a lady on the rock to keep watch of the latecomers, and she is facing Hawaii.

Pohutukawa tree, or Christmas tree, because they bloom around Christmas

I present to you my new house

And the boat to go with it ;)

Cap Reinga

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So today was a day trip from Paihia to Cap Reinga, wich is the northernmost point of New Zealand.

We started by stopping to take a look at the Kauri trees. Because they grow strait and with a large diameter, the Maori used them to build boat. When the English arrived, they saw the potential in those trees and started to lamber them to make all kind of things and send them back to England. Because they grow very slowly and the English overused them, they almost disappeared. 

Then Cap Reinga, with the light house and the crossing point of the Tasman see and the Pacific. It's the top north of New Zealand.

You can see too a tapu (sacred) Pohutukawa tree growing on a cliff, from which Maori people believe their spirit passes trough the other world 

Because it’s a Maori territory, you shouldn’t have drinks or food here by respect of their believed.

After that, we headed to the giant sand dunes for sand boarding!! A little scary when you are on top of the dune and you have to go down head first, but at the end a lot of fun. 

Next point of interest, the 90miles beach. Which is actually not 90 miles long, but something like 56miles... There is a fews stories about the name, but no one is really sure where it come from.

I have to say, being on a bus that is driving on the beach is quite an experience!! 

To finish the day, we stopped at a wood shop, where they're working with the Kauri tree.

And fish and chips for diner.

It was a long day, but a really good one :)

Auckland

Like promised, here are the pictures :)
So let's put them first so you don't have to read my silly stuff...

I have to say, I've never been happier to see a bed than when I arrived in Auckland. I was feeling sick, tired, hungry, and not feeling like being there :(
But after some food and a good night of sleep, it got better :)

So, Auckland is a nice city. I spend my Sunday walking around, exploring the city, but at the end it feel like there is not so much to see there. I really enjoyed the sky tower though, got a nice view of the city from up there!!

Leaving Monday for Paihia, starting my tour of the Islands.

There is going to be more pictures coming up, but you'll need to wait until I find a good wifi, wich is not so easy around here....

Getting there...

Comme prévu, je suis donc partie le 1er janvier en début d'après-midi.

Première escale à Dubaï. Après 15min de retard pour partir de Genève, me voilà en route. Le vol se passe bien. C'est en arrivant à Dubaï que les choses se corsent un peu. On nous fait descendre de l'avion sur le tarmac et prendre le bus. Rien de bien sorcié me direz vous. Le hic c'est qu'il nous à fallu 30minutes pour arriver au terminal et avec le retard qu'on avait déjà, ça commençait à faire serré, surtout que je devais repasser la sécurité et que l'aéroport fourmillait de monde...
Mais pas de problème, même pas besoin de sortir mon ordi de mon sac et un simple portique à passer, bien différent des US.

Pour la suite, c'est 14h de vol non stop, le plus long que j'ai jamais fait. Au final, c'était pas si terrible, j'ai dormi la majeure partie de temps. Mais quand même contente d'arrivé à destination.

Et c'est là que ça devient moins marrant, 10h d'attente pour mon vol entre Sydney et Auckland :(. Passer la nuit à l'aéroport, pas dormi du tout, j'en ai juste marre et j'ai juste envie d'arriver à ma destination final.

Enfin j'atterris à Auckland, et là, faut passer la douane et tout leurs contrôles. 1heure plus tard je suis enfin dehors à l'arrêt de bus, 45 min de plus et me voilà à l'auberge de jeunesse, finalement :)

 En résumé, arriver jusque ici et loin d'être fun, mais contente d'être là.

Let's the adventure begin!!!

My itinerary

A lot of you were asking me what my plan was, if I already know what my route is going to be, what I wanted to go see/visit, so I decided to show you what my plan is...

Happy New Year!!!

It's happening!!!

This is it, appartement empty and everything in storage, backpack ready, time to go!!!

I know everyone is impatient to hear about my adventure down under, but you'll have to wait a little bit more for that since I'm stopping in Switzerland first.

I'm spending Christmas with my family for the first time in four years, exciting :)
I was hoping for a white Christmas, but the snow decided to make itself desire.

Wich you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!