Not just sitting in the library and working on job applications - we wanted to keep on exploring. And so we did: our cute tour guide Bianca always found a way to link necessary with the nice and exciting in our daily lives.

On Saturday, Sunday and Monday, we spent half the day in the library, which gave us a roof over our heads, electricity, internet and a toilet. What more does a backpacker need?

The search for jobs and job applications takes more time than you think. We spend the evenings in Snells Beach with great views of the Hauraki Gulf, one of the local recreational areas of the people from Auckland.

New Zealands real giants

On the Monday afternoon then finally a bit of variety: we drive to the Warkworth Museum to visit the adjacent Parry Kauri Park. Old giants is actually the best description for these fantastic, phenomenal creatures. Straight grown, 15m up to the first junction and about 800 years old - simply impressive. The route through the Kauri Park again shows the standards of the Auckland Council, with signposts, information boards and a free brochure. This brings us very close to the native trees of the forest. The world-known Silver fern (also called Ponga) is growing here. Due to the advanced hour of the day, we decide to spend the night in Snells Beach again and we surely will find a cosy place this night.

North by Northeast

On Tuesday: same library different day, but stop no, there is also a library in Snells Beach. It is definitely good to change the work place from time to time. Afterwards, we were determined to tackle the north, especially in view of the fact that potential jobs are more likely to be expected in the south and we should therefore finish the north once we are here.

After the obligatory e-mail check, a small lunch break on a resting place. Firstly we called it a profane place but it finally turns out to lead to a historical site for lime mining and fire-fighting. Everywhere lurks here the stuff for good stories and there is always something to discover.

Now, however, we really need to go to Goat Island Marine Reserve, a maritime conservation area with the best snorkel possibilities. If one has snorkel gear ... The hire place has shut done already fort he day and so snorkeling wasn’t possible for us. So we had no choice but to observe the big fishes only from the rocks, and to move on to the next adventure. We head towards Waipu Cave, but it is still amazingly faraway and so wes top at a DOC campsite in Uretiti. It is important to note that the DOC - Department of Conservation is an official institution dedicated to preserving nature and protecting New Zealand fauna and flora. The DOC campsites are therefore adapted to the most basic needs of a campsite without much frills. They are available in various categories depending on their location and condition. This campsite in Uretiti is classified as "scenic" because it stands out with its location directly on the sea. Otherwise, the comfort is rather clear, but if you really need a shower, you even take refreshing cold water into account.

Glow worms and a quite long walk

The next morning, freshly strengthened through a good breakfast, we head to the Waipu Cave. The serpentine gravel road to the caves was already an adventure by itself. Our faithful friend Marty had a good time to get us safely to the destination. The lonely planet points out that it is appropriate to take your torch with you and good boots. Thanks to our outdoor store of trust in Erfurt we are of course (a bit typical German) well equipped and ready for our cave exploration. We really did not expected the cave to had neither a given path nor lighting at all. The flashlights are therefore not only a mere increase of entertainment value, but actually the only light that is available in the cave. It is all the more impressive, however, when you simply switch it off and take a look at the "sky". You get the impression to look directly into the night sky because the fireflies shine like small green stars.

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