Highway to Heaven
ADVENTURE
Today, facing the Whangarei Falls, I realised that you can learn a lot about people by observing their behaviour in the presence of such natural wonders.
There are the busy ones, who arrive, take a photo, and leave. The relaxed ones, who take the time to sit and observe the landscape, maybe even meditate. There are also the sensitive ones, who are moved and amazed. And then the less sensitive ones, who are mostly there just to get some fresh air.
With just that, you can identify several types of profiles.
Where am I going with this reflection? Nowhere. Really. I just thought about it while watching the water fall a few hours ago, and as I'm writing this article now, I wanted to share it with you.
You're welcome; it was my pleasure.
Speaking of waterfalls, the journey from New Plymouth to Whangarei was full of them. In fact, I’ve never seen so many in such a short time since being in New Zealand.
New Plymouth was peaceful. We simply spent just over two weeks in a big house with Molly. Dani did a lot of reading, and I did yoga and studied SEO.
We also went on an expedition to see Mount Taranaki—not to climb it, but to admire it from a neighbouring mountain.
According to legend, Taranaki is the little brother of the other volcanoes we saw during our last alpine crossing. Initially, he lived peacefully alongside them in the centre of the island. But the thing is, his big brother, Tongariro, wasn’t the generous type. One fine day, he saw the “little” Taranaki flirting with the hill he himself coveted. Mad with jealousy, Tongariro threw such a tantrum that the ground shook violently, propelling Taranaki to the coast, and isolating him in the process.
I like to think that the beautiful view he now has of the Tasman Sea softens his sense of loneliness.
The waters that reflect this incomparably symmetrical mountain are said to provide mystical visions to the initiated and are therefore sacred to the Maori people.
All this made the three-hour step-climbing hike both challenging and deeply magical.
That was the highlight of our stay. We then hit the road for a week-long trip while waiting for our next house-sitting job.
The first stop was probably the most enchanting, reminding me of As Catedrais, a magical beach I had explored in northern Spain.
It was the Three Sisters and the Elephant (that’s the name of the beach, due to the shapes of the rocks), and it’s only accessible at low tide.
The black sand is actually sprinkled with blue sparkles that only the naked eye can see, and countless caves and cavities have been carved into the rock over time. You can even see distinct lines on the walls, probably indicating different tide levels.
So, we walked for a while to truly feel alone in the world and explored the various mystical corners of this poetic place. I felt like crying and screaming and jumping all over the place. In fact, I probably did a bit of each before recharging against the cool walls.
Then, Dani (finally!) witnessed his first sunset over the sea, and we slept there.
The following days were a series of cascades, literally.
My favourite was the Omaru Falls, which are only visible after a half-hour walk through the forest, from a rather distant viewpoint.
Why did I like having to stay at a distance?
Because, devoid of human presence, this pristine paradise was the very image of an enchanted valley where undines, dryads, and other nymphs would reside in peace (which was probably the case).
We also stopped at a Buddhist monastery to meditate for a while and, as we were leaving, I briefly considered the idea of going on a silent retreat. It’s something I would have never thought possible not long ago, but now the idea appeals to me more.
After a few days and long hours on the road, we finally reached Northland, the northernmost (and therefore warmest) region of the country.
My first impression: there are free, hot showers almost everywhere. And that, when you’re travelling in a van, is life.
So it already promised to be my favourite part of the trip. We didn’t have much time and wanted to see as much as possible before heading to our house-sitting place—which is a bit isolated—and before winter arrived.
So, we headed all the way up to Cape Reinga, where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean.
Another magical place, full of stories, and that instils a sense of freedom. Not far from there, Dani pretended to be a desert explorer on the New Zealand cousin of the Dune of Pilat (I admit I was too lazy to join him, having already suffered climbing the French version on New Year’s Day).
We also visited a 90-mile beach—which we, of course, didn’t walk in its entirety—before discovering Coca-Cola Lake.
Honestly, this lake was the unexpected little surprise of the trip. Because, really, it looks like it’s filled with Coke (without the bubbles, though)! You can swim in it without any problem; the algae and minerals responsible for its colour are actually good for the skin, and the experience is quite amusing.
And then, one day while chatting with Juliette, she told me that she might end up alone on her birthday because everyone was working.
I had a little instinct telling me, “It’s so rare that you’re in the same country, go surprise her, it’ll be a nice adventure.”
So, I left Marley in Dani’s care for a few days and hitchhiked across the North Island to join her.
I was a bit anxious before leaving, as it had been years since I hitchhiked, but I wanted to, and I felt it was a good idea.
Also, if I went driving, it would have cost a fortune, and by bus, it would have taken 12 hours instead of 5.
The first sign that I had made the right decision was when the first person who picked me up spontaneously mentioned Vipassana centres, those places around the world where free ten-day silent meditation retreats are held. At no point had I mentioned considering such an experience; the seed had continued to germinate in my mind after visiting the monastery, but I didn’t plan to revisit the idea until travelling to Asia and seeing if an opportunity arose. This person just thought it might interest me.
Then the last person who picked me up and with whom I reached Taupo also talked about it, telling me, “I confirm, it’s your sign, you have to do it. I’ve done it twice, and it transformed me.”
That evening, after surprising my dear Juju, I also chatted with a Canadian who was travelling by boat, and we talked about departures for Polynesia, where I was seriously considering going.
What I didn’t know was that my near future was being played out that day.
I spent two days in Taupo hiking in the mountains and relaxing in the hot springs with my friend before returning to Whangarei.
Then we discovered more paradisiacal coves and beaches with ever more beautiful water, including the one where I woke up on my birthday.
After a little sunrise ritual facing the ocean and an inevitable swim to consecrate the start of my last year in my twenties, we set off for another idyllic cove, followed by a visit to the Hundertwasser Museum, in Whangarei.
I had never heard of it, but it’s a very interesting place, reminiscent of Gaudi’s style, which is ubiquitous in Barcelona.
And this perfect day concluded—along with this road trip—in our new dream house, in Whangarei Heads.
It’s now been a month and a half that we’ve been waking up every morning to a sea topped with a multicoloured sky, and that I spend my days creating in front of this view—when I’m not walking Marley on the nearby paradise beach.
Even though it’s autumn here, the crystal-clear Moana-like water (Moana actually means ocean in Maori, therefore the Disney character) is much warmer than any we’ve swum in so far.
Marley is a senior poodle who’s a bit deaf and blind, doesn’t smell the best, but doesn't leave my side and radiates joy and gentleness constantly (well, except when he cries behind the door because I lock myself in to do yoga peacefully).
I can tell you that living in such a setting helps to stay centred in the present moment and manifest gentleness and abundance.
Oh, and I shaved my head, to return to the Universe the energies of a past that brought me here but no longer serves me, and to make space for everything that awaits me.
I also started hand poke tattooing, and I really like it. Probably a path to explore in the future.
When I got back, I checked the Vipassana centres, and it turned out that the next retreat with available spots started on July 31st. As our next house-sitting job ends on July 30th, I decided to take it as another little sign and register.
Then, following my conversations with the Canadian, I had to accept that getting to Polynesia by boat would be complicated due to storm season. So, I looked at plane tickets, and it’s official: on August 19th, I’m flying to Tahiti!
It’s great because I’m excited, but at the same time, my current reality is really cool, and everything awaiting me until then promises to be just as interesting.
My only conclusion is that when I let myself go, follow my instincts, and simply trust the Universe to put what is right for me on my path, everything flows.
By the way, Juliette came to visit us last weekend, just before returning to France, and we had further proof: things are meant to be easy. When it doesn’t work and we keep forcing it, nothing productive comes out of it. But when we simply allow ourselves to be guided by life and do what fills us with joy—without overthinking—everything becomes fluid, and moments of pure happiness can happen. Like the one we shared on my Moana beach, with Marley running around.
So, thank you, life.
❂ And thank you for reading ❂
