The first stop and a perfect place to get used to our Campervan was Piha. Situated at the west coast, the little village is just a short drive away from Auckland and a go-to spot when it comes to surfing and dramatic scenery (‚The Piano’ was filmed here).

Lions Rock – a gigantic, well, yeah, rock shaped like a lion – divides the long black sanded Piha Beach into two sections.

The local Surf Shop served excellent coffee and minced & cheese pastries. Amélie got her first ‚Jandals‘ ever (Japanese Sandals as the Kiwis say…aka Flip–Flops), Peter got new boardshorts.

And one of us was brave enough to go for the first swim in the ocean… 🙂