Hard to face the reality but this is already our last stop on kiwi land : Auckland, the biggest city and the hub that nearly every tourist goes through. Our main concern is selling the car (the European ones would make fun of her right-sided steering wheel) but sticking to our habits we are wwoofing.

Kathryne and Chris, an active retired couple, possess a gigantic garden full of weeds : a dream come true to any good wwoofer. Nelly, the domestic dog, spends the day spying on us, always looking for affection. On Wednesday, it's grandparents day : a bombing of three (sometimes more) grandchildren hit the house. We got equally struck by the rugby world cup and as loyal supporters, we get up at 4 or 5 (due to jet lag) to watch the semi and final. No regrets, the All Blacks were, are and will be the best.

At Kathryn and Chris'
At Kathryn and Chris'
Nelly
Nelly

Several car shows later (one of them involved an Australian wishing to put two surf boards in the chariot), the chariot finds its new hosts : two young girls from Paris. Their two huge suitcases required some alterations : raising the platform and reallocating a post. Once the job was finished, the chariot drove towards new adventures.

City trip after a 'chariot show' to potential buyers
City trip after a 'chariot show' to potential buyers

Selling the car is time consuming but we manage to spend some time hanging out. At Muriwai, for instance, with its black sand beaches and a noisy smelly busy gannett colony.

Muriwai
Muriwai
Gannett Colony

Tiritiri Matangi is an island in the bay well worth the visit. We sail to this bird sanctuary free of any predators. It gives you a rough idea what NZ was like before men put a foot on it : colourful and noisy. Many birds more or less endangered make a hell of a party but unfortunately some cannot be found on the two main islands anymore.

Tiritiri Matangi. From top left : red saddle back, crown parakeet, White head, wood pigeon, red saddle back, tui drinking flax nectar, the old lighthouse, tui, stitch bird, tui, bell bird and bell bird
Tiritiri Matangi. From top left : red saddle back, crown parakeet, White head, wood pigeon, red saddle back, tui drinking flax nectar, the old lighthouse, tui, stitch bird, tui, bell bird and bell bird

Last road trip with the chariot : Whatipu and Cornwallis
Last road trip with the chariot : Whatipu and Cornwallis

We spend the last two days at Helen (Kath and Chris' daughter) and her husband Joe, Georges (two and a half) and Hugo's (8 months). Experimented wwoofers are welcomed : there is a huge jungle-garden and in three days, we manage to dig out several cubic metres of undesired plants. We also got the opportunity to babysit and Helen would definitely hire us when we come back to NZ. Home, "le plat pays", is in sight now but first let's stop three weeks in Thailand...

Haere Ra Aotearoa...