Apart from napping, I spent first day in Whangerei with three new friends I met in the backpackers: Katie, Matt, and Johnny. We played boardgames, discussed school, and they taught me how to feed birds by throwing seeds at them.
My new friends were 10, 8, and 6 - the grandkids of the owners who came to visit for the weekend from Auckland. My willingness to jump around the sitting area playing Hulabaloo made me a fast favourite, so when evening came I was invited along to a dark walk through the forest to see glow worms. Noell, the owner/grandma, was a great guide for us. She pointed out a bunch of things to look at, including the Weta bug that lives in the caves. Apparently these things can jump up to five metres. It was only a baby, but still disgusting.
My new friends weren't quite as adventurous as I was though, and got a bit unnerved in the dark so we had to head back early. This was okay with me since I was still running low on sleep after Big Day Out, and was ready to curl up in bed for a solid 10 hours (or forever).
When we got back, I headed into the kitchen where a group of Swiss travellers were finishing dinner. They made too much, and asked if
I wanted a plate. Free pasta and schnitzel? Yes please! When I finished, they still had leftovers, but not enough to feed all four of them the next day so they insisted I take the food for tomorrow.
Free night walk to see glowworms and two free dinners. I love travelling.
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