WINTER BLUES? THEY AREN'T AS BLUE AS YOU THINK...
What do you do when the seemingly endless sound of winter rain drops hitting your roof is driving you mad? Worse yet, you jump in the car after work, wipers on full noise and proceed to navigate overflowing street drains, only to wake up the next morning to that all too familiar sound. More rain. The weather forecast shows no mercy and no sign of letting up either. Our winters can be a challenging one, but sometimes getting into the thick of it is just the cure you need.
We don’t now about you guys, but recently we have found ourselves in the exact situation above. We’d been hard at it & the trip drought had gone on too long. Basically, we were in dire need of a taste of adventure. The forecast continued to look grim, but enough was enough. We weren't going to let a bit of moisture stop a much needed change of scene from happening. Sometimes you just have to get out there and give the adventure fire a good stoking.
Especially when instead of loading up our trusty old truck, we were filling the boot of something a little bit different… and different is exciting. Think heated seats, electronic diff lock and about 30 years less age than our usual tractor. Yep, remember that Everest we kitted out with the Ford NZ team for Fieldays? Well it was time to get out there and give it a taste of what we built it for. And plus, with mates feeling the same winter blues, no arm twisting was needed to get a crew together.
With both coasts not offering up much wave wise (a common winter conundrum up here in the north), we made the call to head to the centre of the island and explore some spots that had been lingering in the back of our minds. Spots that had gone unexplored during trips of the past due to a rush to the coast to catch the swell, wind or tide. Well with the rain continuing to pour we now had all the time we need - see, it isn’t all bad.
With our trucks filled to the brim for a few days away from it all, we proceeded to make our way down countless volcanic valleys searching for riverside spots that we could call home for a few nights.
The North Island is often overlooked when your sitting around the table swapping local areas that take your breath away. We can let you know right now, that tucked away the North Island offers up pockets of beauty that will blow your mind at every turn. Compound that with another good thing about endless rain... water, and lots of it. The national parks waterfalls light up and the rivers come alive. Not a bad place to be. Especially when the other option is cowering inside waiting for the sun to shine.
Waking up early, riverside on our last morning, to see the stars out in full force was the icing on the cake. Perfect timing to head up the mountain, dry off, defrost and enjoy the blue.
As you know, when you take the plunge you are often rewarded - which all sounds a bit cliche. But hell, if remembering that is what it takes to get out and experience the country during those unappealing times, then we are all for it. Seriously. Don't wait for summer, there's some misty gold hidden in those rainy winter days, and lucky us! Because we've had a lot of them lately.
