We spent two days in New Zealand’s capital. Went up Mount Victoria for a nice view over the city, had a look at the path where Frodo and his companions hid from the Nazgul (referred to as the “Get off the road”-spot), which was slightly disappointing, since you really don’t recognize it any more and took the weta workshop tour to learn about some of the props they manufactured for Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, Avatar and some other movies. Unfortunately, there were  no pictures allowed during the tour, only in the entrance lobby and store.

We stayed at a free campsite directly at the seaside, Te Kopahou Reserve. Apparently, it’s up for reconsideration whether it’s suitable for Freedom Camping, because it’s overused. And indeed it was quite busy, the parking spot was completely full. Still was a nice place, the roaring of the ocean at night reminded me of Fiji (though it was a lot cooler…). If you stay there, you might want to look for a spot next to a beach access, so you get yourself a little more space at least at one side of your vehicle.

We quickly escaped back north, since a weather warning was predicting strong rains.