BANG !

Report 18 February
By Steef

On the way from Manipuri to Kaiwera we come across beautiful place names .Monawai, Papatotara, Tuatapere, Orepuki and Waimatuku. In Tuatapere we drink coffee in a museum cafe. Here we eat the tastiest lemmon pie ever served by a charming elderly lady. Dirk and I go back to the school bench again. There are a few old strollers in front of the entrance and the museum collection contains a lot of vintage kitchen items.

camping in Manipuri

camping owner and Dirk

Koda

on the way to Kaiwera

cafe museum

inside the cafe

back to school

lemmon pie

 After some shopping we drive further into the hills. There is a strong wind, the forerunner of Cyclone Gita. Everywhere in the landscape there are gigantic windbreaks that are shaved with a special machine. If we drink coffee, we hear a hard blow. Under the Ford is a grease pot that, through the pressure of a heavy spring, the lid has been pressed loose. Later, with Robyn and Graeam, the Ford can be put in a shed and Dirk will come up with a solution.

macrocarpa windshield

windshield

cycloon Gita on the way

bang

Gamstone beach is coming into view. Wave surfers cut through the waves of the long surf here.
The trees cling firmly to the bottom with determined stubbornness, their naked stems and branches twisted grotesquely by the ever-moving sea breeze.

surfer

trees

trees 2

trees 3

At the end of the afternoon we find the house of Robyn and Graeam Young in Kaiwera. A contact that came about through Paris / the Netherlands. They have a B & B that is occupied by two Americans, Matt and Pete. That’s why we sleep in the tent and roof tent.
After dinner, there will be an evening filled with laughter and music. It is a shame our roads will separate tomorrow.
Tip: itchy insects bites? rub with banana peel.

arrival in Kaiwera

which way

Pete

Dirk

Graeme and Matt

Trudy and Robyn

banana

sandflys