… recalls sorrows and sorrows. It was actually luck in misfortune when I had to notice behind the exit from the hostel (i.e. on the asphalted road then, no more gravel) that my left front tyre is flat. So right. He hadn't done a very good figure the last few days, and actually I wanted to inflate him in the morning at last, but it was too late. Probably better, the trader named him as toasted. and that was him, at both edges completely bare and black. And here I come to the Lucky Coincidence. Only about 200-300m further, on the other side of the hill from where I had stayed, there was a workshop. And it also had open and time, so that my car was given a set of new front tyres.

Now I probably need a new job much faster than planned. Because the rear tyres don't look good anymore and my car needs a new WOF soon. This is a bit similar to the Tüv just stop in New Zealand and not quite as strict and expensive.

After this little shock in the morning we continued along the coast towards the north. There I was finally able to catch some beautiful views of the Bay of Islands, because yesterday was not exactly thrilled. A little more breakfast I then filled up at the place and my drinking bottle (I have a small water canister in the car).

Since there are only two options in this country, either you follow the road or you don't and turn around, I drove on. Sometime in the afternoon I finally landed in Kaitaia. That's almost on the west coast, at the foot of the top corner.

After the first campsite I had chosen for its free price was a flopp, I have now stayed for two nights in a (rather expensive) holiday park in Ahipara. This is still cheaper than in the hostel, and from here I can start tomorrow by bike for a tour if it doesn't pour quite as much as when I arrived here. On the other hand, a good old German Pladderregen is nothing. It just poured like that again, now it's just raining. So time for me to finish this writing for today and run up to the car. Then only the rain jacket gets wet (hopefully) and not everything else.