\\original// Travel & Photography Blog #5 - Nothing like Family, Christmas in August & Admitting Defeat

• Auckland - Raglan - Taranaki - Mangawhai

Finally picked up my sister from Auckland airport, and after spending a night in a hostel, we hit the road the next morning!
No concrete plan ahead, just going south and hope for adventures. first destination - Raglan.
One problem though - weather is really horrible - showers of rain, fog, and zero visibility.
As we arrive in Raglan, it is clear there is nothing we can do today other than finding a warm place to stay.
We see a hostel in front of where we randomly parked, and go in.
And what do You know! Turns out it's the best hostel in the world, and tonight is (alternative) christmas!
We don't really understand, but tag along, and for me as non-christian it was even the first christmas I been to.
Everyone was very nice - each made a dish (we made mushroom shakshuka) and we shared the food, then everyone got a present, and we played games together.
Quite different from your average cheap motel experience, I'd say!

Not too bad for a first day!
Just shows the crazy and incredible things that happen once you start travelling.
Even in a crappy weather, stuck in a foreign town not knowing what to do, things have a way of turning into a pleasent story, Just keep Your wits about it!

The next day was a little better weather, so we took a canoe and sailed along the beautiful bay, surrounded by scenery countryside. It was very wet and harder than I thought it would be...

Afternoon we went to nearby surfers beach to do some photoshooting. It was a beautiful black sand beach, but the sky didn't show a promise to a spectacular sunset.
As we walked across the beach, we came across a small cave under the cliff, with stream of water come dripping down on the black rocks at the entrance.

beautiful isn't it?

Not too far from there, I found my spot for the evening. It was really incredible channel of tidal water, with stunning rocks, and the foam create shapes when the sea rages through.

When I looked at the image afterwards, I was disappointed to see that it was very soft, I guess I didn't pay enough attention for the focusing.
In general, I feel like what's holding me back right now (other than my gear) is that small attention to detail - i'ts as if I find nice location, but not too sure which is good composition, so i try a few, take several shots, and somehow find one that is worthwhile in the end.
It's a healthy learning process, but if I want to take it to the next level, I need to start visualizing the whole process, so that some day I can reach the final goal - Get to a location, find a composition, set my gear, and take one or two perfect images.
Anyway, for now this is quite good result for an amateur like my (current) self.

Next day, Lots of driving down to Taranaki.
It's a big volcano, snowy this time of the year, standing alone like a king over New Plymouth bay. Atleast that's what we were told - Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any of that - the weather was truly terrible, and the mountain itself was surrounded by heavy clouds.
At the Tourist Information we found no hope to do anything meaningful for the rest of the week at least, let alone do some hikes like we planned to.
After spending the night in a reserve next to a beautiful lake, and in the morning, during a 1.5 hours hike around the lake, being caught by the rain again and finishing it soaking wet, we decided to concede defeat - after 3 days in a horrific weather, admittedly 3 nice days, we felt it was enough.
So, we called Ora & Itai and asked to come over back to the farm. And after 7 hours of driving, we did.
When travelling, one must keep his mind flexible, and realize, despite all the plans and dreams, reality sometimes has different plans, just go with the flow, and don't set your mind, paralyzed on one thing.
Ofcourse, fault is on me as well - august isn't the best of times to do such a trip!
But we're here at the farm now, and having wonderful time revisiting all the great locations from my previous blogs!

Many thanks to Ora & Itai for having us! Hopefully the weather will get better, and we can try it again! until then...