4/13 Getting outta town

Took the bus out of Auckland towards Whangarei. The goal is to get up north to Kohukohu, so Angela from Waiora can pick me up. The bus arrived late to pick us up from Auckland so we didn't pull into Whangarei until about 9om. Too late to hitch anywere, and everything is still closed due to Easter. I was starving so I found the one place open...Subway. I asked the girl behind the counter where I could find a hostel for the night. The suggested a backpackers on the main strip so I followed her directions, but didnt find shit. I ventured back to subway to use the restroom and ask for better directions. It turns out the one they had in mind had been long closed down.

I was way tired by this point, so I went back to the park I had passed several times earlier to try to find a tree to sleep under. I laid in some bushes and had flashes of the NZ spiders i saw on google before I left the states. Not to mention the crown of mesquitos I was now wearing. I aborted operation die in a park and walked down the hill where I could see a few people standing around after they had taken down some sort of concert stage from a festival that appeared to have ended hours earlier. I asked directions to a backpackers and one of the fellas started giving me directions and the other guy said, "I'll take you." I followed him to his SUV and as he was loading my pack into the back I went to get into the passengers side. NO WAIT! that is the drivers side.

We drove to where he thought the backpackers was. I asked about the festival, he replied it was a festival for Jesus where a bunch of churches from different denominations get together and rejoice. By this time we had reached the hostel and knocked on the door. Some dude answered and told us it was no longer a hostel (maybe you should take down all the signs buddy!) He mentioned there was one up the hill about 8km, so Craig agreed to take me. He asked my name and claimed it was his middle name. He asked if I had gone to church and i told him about my mission trips so he wuldnt get too preachy. He dropped me off at the campsite and asked if he could pray for me. I told him he could and he put his hand on my shoulder and asked God to be with me on my journey and to keep me safe and help me to learn as much about life as possible, etc. Hey, I'll take all the positive energy I can get while im here. :)

I tried to find the campground hosts but the office was closed. I was dead tired so I just pitch my sleeping back in an empty space. I tried falling asleep, but the constant buzz of mosquitos and the over heating from an over efficient sleeping bag would let me. I went inside to the little community space (tv, games, brochures) and waited for the people who were in there to leave so i could crash on the couch. I felt strange staying there under the raydar, so i woke up at 630am and packed my stuff so I could hitch back downtown to try to find a bus up north. On my way out, I woman named Jill asked about my journey and insisted I take some fruit and coffee for the road from her family's stash. This isnt an exageration when I say that everyone I have encountered here has been genuinly nice. It leaves you feeling so positive. I guess when you live in a place like this there isnt much to be bitter about.

I headed down the road and checked out Whangerei Falls on the way. It was pretty sweet. It's about the size of Silver Creek Falls. I kept walking and everyone I passed on the way greeted me with a "good mornin'." Just as I was reading the mile marker that told me downtown was 5km, a van pulled up driven by a large dude in his 30s with a beard and a ponytail and asked If i needed a hitch downtown. I followed my intincts and he drove me downtown to the bus station where I booked my trip to Paihi.