Day 31 - Moving Along

On the road again as a travelling duo, leaving Taupo, our wonderful riverside campsite and new friends behind, to continue on with the adventure of the North Island. We made our way through some extremely small towns, army training zones, down some narrow, winding roads surrounded by hills and pastures, which were filled with sheep of course. Seriously beautiful country to be driving and wandering through. 

Following Highway 1 and onto the Manawatu Scenic Route towards the Ruahine Forest, we found our way to a free campsite called Piri Piri. What we found here was a lovely river, wild blackberries and sandflies. My dear goodness the sandflies. If you have been able to avoid any sort of contact with sandflies count yourself to be a very fortunate human being. I have never experienced a more invasive, persistent and elusive insect. And the bites of these little beasts are the itchiest I have ever experienced. Waking up in the middle of the night scratching kind of itch. Piri Piri is where we met these beasts and I immediately found a great hatred for them. The sandflies were relentless! And dear goodness they love human blood. Dusk arrived and so did more sandflies. So many that we were forced into the car for the rest of the evening, only opening the doors to quickly allow fresh air into the warm and stuffy car. Shockingly enough we spent two nights at this campsite enjoying the silence and the seclusion, only having to coupe ourselves up at night to avoid the beastly creatures that had a life's mission to suck every drop of our blood. 

Continuing the drive down the Manawatu Scenic Route, we found our way to Levin and Hokio beach. The beach, no matter where it is, is a place where my soul can forever be at rest. Listening to the waves crashing, wandering up and down the beach searching for that perfectly imperfect sea shell, letting the salty breeze blow through my hair, sinking my feet into the sun warmed sand. Absolute perfection.