Hitchhiking in New Zealand

Another two days at Yaping House in Auckland. Free WiFi and lots of work. Some old friends are still there. Luckily I realise on Sunday that I don’t have to return my car on Monday. The car hire company could have charged me $100 for the one-hour delay. But they don’t. A lost hubcap is also overlooked, as is the sand from 90 Mile Beach that trickles outside when I open the door.

Early the next morning, I make my way back to Tauranga. I want to try something. Everyone said that hitchhiking would be super easy in New Zealand. Unfortunately, I think this idea is a bit outdated.

Other backpackers said that cars stop before you even lift your thumb. Especially with the news on the radio last week, I don’t think that’s quite true anymore. Every hitchhiker is primarily a potential rapist. But this rule is interpreted somewhat differently in New Zealand. A woman was raped in Dunedin last week. The criminal then hitchhiked on.

Now everyone is a bit scared. Nevertheless, two women stop today. They think I’m trustworthy. Sure, I’ve got my kitebaord visible. So I must know what to do with my life. And if I’m ever threatened, I’ll hit them with my fins :-)

It’s over 200 kilometres from Auckland to Tauranga. It takes me a good 6 hours and 11 nice drivers to cover the distance. Tip: Kiwis never stop at full speed. Fuel saver in times of high prices. Always get off at a petrol station or in a town, never on open country roads. It was the only time I had to wait longer than 30 minutes.

Hitchhiking brings lots of funny stories, valuable tips and really weird Kiwis. One of them had caught the biggest swordfish in New Zealand in the last 40 years. 4.5m and 220kg. I get the whole story, including a distribution campaign in several kindergartens and retirement homes.

The next Kiwi tells the story of her old gold mining town of Waihi. The town sign says: New Zealand’s golden heart. A few years ago it had a small heart attack. Half the town sank into old tunnels in one night.

The last Kiwi hiked pretty much all of New Zealand’s treks. A real goldmine of tips. He takes me right to Kerstin and Susi’s hostel in Tauranga.

We drive eastwards from the Bay of Plenty along the coast. I really enjoy sitting in the back. Not having to constantly concentrate on driving on the wrong side of the road.

We arrive in Opotiki in the early evening. The last “town” before 350 kilometres of solitude in the east. The hostel is fully booked. Good, because the caravans on the neighbouring campsite are large and cheap. There is a large trampoline and tonnes of driftwood lying around on the beach.

We cook and make a big bonfire late into the night. It’s hot enough to barbecue all the sand flies as they approach.