2explore.net We are Niels and Amy van Dongen and this is our journey. Our home site is http://www.2explore.net. On February 16, 2007 we will leave behind the comforts of our home in Seattle to travel through the South Pacific. On this site you can follow along with us, read about our experiences and view some of the photos we have taken en route. Our insatiable urge to explore, sparked the idea for this adventure. In October of 2005, we had a taste of the South Pacific on a 3-week trip to the Cook Islands and have ever since wanted to go back to immerse ourselves in the South Pacific way of life and record our experiences. With many ecosystems at risk from pollution, global warming and climate change, this is now especially critical. We aim to capture the true character of the idyllic South Pacific through photographs and words in a way that makes any observer of our work feel a connection to this special place and in turn, join us in making simple choices in everyday life that can have positive, lasting effects on the world around us. For a year we will be living as modern nomads – traveling only with what we can carry in our packs, living amongst the locals on the islands we visit, spending time sharing stories and experiences and taking in the captivating underwater world on the occasional dive. We hope to help others along the way and keep a vivid record of this adventure to share with you, and keep at the forefront of our memory. Follow along with us and learn about far away places of natural beauty and rich cultures. Experience with us the big world we call home.

For the last two weeks we have been exploring the far North of New Zealand, our most Southern destination on this journey. It has been a while since we have last found ourselves at latitudes this far from the equator, where the weather is obviously much more seasonal. The austral spring is in full swing with the fruit trees blossoming, little lambs prancing around and hyper-active birds chattering away.

After equipping ourselves with a cheapo rental car (a seasoned Nissan Sunny), a tent and another few essential camping items, we started raking up kilometers driving north. Last time we were in New Zealand we excluded the Northland with the exception of dropping in for a day of diving at the Poor Knights Islands. We figured we would do it justice this time and take our time around the far North. The region has turned out to be very much worth our time and has taken us a bit by surprise – perhaps we should have read up a bit more before setting out, but then again, how boringly predictable would that make it?

First stop after hectic Auckland was the historic, quaint town of Russell in the Bay of Islands. In the summer the place is a Mecca for New Zealand and foreign tourists alike, but we found it pleasantly quiet and charming. Staying at the local holiday park, we decided to put the new tent through its paces right away – it held up a lot better against the brutal cold nights than we did…
We did enjoy deserted trails along the craggy Eastern coastline, scenic drives on narrow winding roads and a late afternoon of shell seeking on expansive and inappropriately named Bland Bay. A borrowed blanket meant we did not have to thaw out our limbs in the morning which does indeed make for an overall much more pleasant start to one’s day.

After taking a few days out of life on the road to do some WWOOFing, we set out for Cape Reinga, the very tip of the North Island which is home to some remarkable stretches of coastline hosting giant sand dunes, vast beaches and sheer cliffs. We were richly rewarded for the many miles on gravel roads. The desolate beauty of the windswept, golden sand dunes at Te Paki stream and the gorgeous scenery on a hike at Cape Maria Van Diemen were absolutely worth it – and we were fortunate to experience it all under a clear blue sky!

We spent a few days near the Cape before making our way south again. Next on the ad-hoc agenda was one of the few remaining strongholds of the mighty Kauri tree. Up until two hundred years ago, native Kauri forest covered most of northern New Zealand, but extensive logging by European settlers decimated their numbers. The most impressive trees can live as long as 2000 years and grow a trunk with a sizeable girth that hardly tapers off up to the crown, which gives them a massive appearance and dwarfs everything in their vicinity. To see the forest, we were forced to join the ranks of the ‘been-there-done-that’ tourists, but found that the place still held its charm and that with a bit of willingness it was easy enough to get away from the endless stream of campervans and their occupants following a most predictable route and schedule. We spent two nights in a humble cabin at the Department of Conservation’s campsite to truly appreciate the peace and quiet of the forest.

We’re happy to have landed in New Zealand again, happy to have had such a great time up North but already miss the laid-back state of mind under a warm South Pacific sky, at once remembering vividly why we chose to explore the South Pacific islands…