This post was inspired by roads. Roads we take. Roads we choose. Roads we travel through. Alone or with someone. With or without a destination. By foot, by car. By heart. And of course, inspired by the beautiful, mystical, magical landscape of the West Coast of the South Island, New Zealand... 

Mystical. By name.
Intrigued. Right from the first time I heard of its fame.

The Riwaka Resurgence. Or in Maori, Te Puna o Riuwaka. 

​Somewhere beneath the Takaka Hill, in the breathtaking surrounding of the Northwestern top of the South Island lies a beautiful gem of nature secretly hidden in the depth of a little forest. Embraced by an unbelievably green, mossy wonderland. 

Where the river begins, a place for healing. ​A mysteriously traveling water suddenly emerging from the vast network of caves. Out of nowhere. Making its way through the rocks. Surfacing and reviving. Fresh and cold. Spilling life. Chrystal clear green and blue layers twinkling in and out of the shade. 
 
Riwaka Resurgence - one of the many truly amazing places where one can experience the wonders of this unique land and understand a bit of the strong Maori spiritual heritage of New Zealand. Nature and culture hand in hand. This is one of the reasons why I love it so much here. Let me take you there. :)

The greenest greens, the bluest blues.
Rivers meet the sea. Farmland till your eyes can see.  
Waves hit the rocks, surfers hit the waves.
Tides come, tides go. 
​Boats set sail. Shells line up. Stars shine bright. 
And the sun paints the sky with the colours of the rainbow.

Whangarei. Your fresh air makes our skin glow. :)

This is basically it when I want to sum up the last few days spent in Whangarei. Found the perfect spot to relax and soak up with energy and the breathtaking surroundings. Just the regular stuff. Watch some surfers, pick shells, go fishing and eat fresh fish, enjoy the smells of the farm and the belly warming feeling of the electric fence while checking out some cows... ;)

The Mount. Located somewhere in paradise, at the very end of the road leading through a narrow peninsula. In the heart of the Bay of Plenty. Majestically dominating the land. Captivating, iconic, round. One of its kind.
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Once you make it to the top,  what you see will definitely blow your mind. Spectacular. Incomparable. Pristine.

I'm not kidding, seriously, this is the view from the top. Been there, climbed it, saw it. Magical.
​Join me for one of New Zealand's most popular summit walks? Let's go! :)

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved spending time on the beach. Walking barefoot in the sand, toes splashing in the water. Sun caressing my face. Wind playing with my hair. The salty smell of the ocean in my nose. The chirping of the seagulls. Listening to the little stones, sea shells dancing in the water. Riding with the waves. And then washed ashore. Taking a sunbath...

You step into the woods. The trees ask you to dance. You are in a completely different world. You smell the fresh air, the leaves, the earth. Your lungs fill up with Oxygen. 

You step out of the car. The engine goes to rest, and your ears begin to tune on to a different rhythm. The   sway of the branches right above your head. The mysterious wood knocking of the birds. The gentle cracking sounds under your toes. You walk on the soft ground, on a pillow-like cover of fallen leaves. A little dim light finds its way through the green layers.  

I love long weekends. The first long weekend that came up since our arrival was Labour Day weekend. New Zealand celebrates it on the 4th Monday of October. It is very similar to the May 1 celebrations in Europe. It marks the beginning of the official BBQ season. Gardening stores fill up their spring flower stocks and go on huge sales with a myriad of colours in blossom. They also start heating the pools, slowly paving the way for summer days. :) ​A perfect time to enjoy the outdoors and escape into pure nature.

Labour Day couldn't have happened in a better moment. This year. For us. This long weekend was a special one. We celebrated. A first birthday. Parenthood. Ourselves. :)

So we picked a special place to visit. We went to discover the most Northern part of the North Island, the Far North, the tip of New Zealand, aka the Northland region. Where the road ends. Where the seas meet.

I have to admit that I am an absolute beach lover. There is nothing compared to this feeling of joy I feel when I walk on a beach. Watching the rippling waves wash the shore. Their white edges curl and smoothen by the time they reach the shallow bays. Watch the horizon where the clear blue sky meets the wild water - often in mist. Find the reflection of the puffy clouds under me. Hunt for treasures and maze at the shape and colour of each shell. Pick them up, read their story. 

We love hiking! We love nature! Happily, we have friends who love hiking and nature, too. :) They took us to our 1st real walk since we are "back" to New Zealand, a really great 10km, the Te Henga Walkway just north-west of Auckland. It is incredible that within less than an hour’s drive, you can literally escape the buzz of a big city and find yourself in the middle of some of the wildest beaches of the West Coast, with some jaw-dropping vistas over the cliffs and plenty of green bush around you. Oh how much I missed this feeling! New Zealand, I love you, have I told you? :)