Today we are on the road again, leaving the Art Deco town of Napier behind us. We are travelling north around the East Cape of New Zealand.

We drove north out of Napier on SH2 uncertain about where we were going to stay.

We stopped at Wairoa iSite to get some local inside information.

We were shown where some freedom camping sites were just before Mahia Beach. Also told where the local pipi beach was on the way out to Mahia point. (Space labs rocket launch site.)

After visiting Mahia beach we decided to try going to the point. Unsure if we should continue we followed a couple of cars into the rocket cafe carpark. (We had been playing leapfrog with these vehicles for about the last 30 mins.)

On discovering the cafe closed. I said to them that we were following them as we thought they must known where they were going. But they didn’t they were tourists just like us.

We decided to go back towars Mahia Beach and discovered an excellent freedom camping spot right by the pipi beach.

Before dinner we went for a walk and found a few pipis that we ate as a dessert. They were so sweet and juicy. We then settled down to read our books, when there was a knock, knock from outside. Where on the tourist we met earlier invited us to their camp to have a few pipis with them.

He was Dave from Sydney along with a Canadian and Pedro from Brazil. After 2 large pots of freshly caught and cooked pipis we were all full although for them the pipis were only an entree.

Watch our vlog at Nomadlifekiwi on youtube to see what happens.

Below is a map of our route at little back and forward to start off with to resupply before hitting the road.