northland on two wheels

we're finally leaving! that's what i was just thinking when the bus suddenly stopped in the middle of nowhere, just 45 minutes after we left auckland. we were going to brynderwyn, north, from where we were to start doing the loop called 'twin experience'. after two minutes or so, the driver realised that he forgot to ....put the fuel in! nobody wanted to believe him but apparently, he'd run the engine so dry it took him another...three hours to start it again! huhuh.
anyway, we finally managed to get where we wanted and even got to cycle a bit that day. so far it has been five days full of pedalling in the wind, sun and rain, meeting all sorts of animals and people on our way, trying to learn a bit of maori, exploring kauri forest... i even managed to throw my bag (with all my id stuff, phone, voice recorder...) into a ditch full of slimy and smelly stuff - had to dive into it which left my shoes ans feet deliciously stinky throughout the day...
yesterday, after a whole day of cycling in the rain we got to a tiny village, where we got the shop opened especially for us, and the guy told us about a cool place nearby. so we went there, got a nice place under the roof, got invinted to a birthday party, got fed, got some drinks and sang some birthday songs in our languages. what amazingly laid-back people they were! and today we got to kaitaia and arranged a trip to cape reinga, the furthest northern point of new zealand. a bit strange feeling to be among so many people again after a few days of floating on the green surface of serene northland...