Day four of the official Road Trip.

Had the best New Years we could have ever imagined. Also managed to off-load one of the four children. Steph is staying on Paihia with her BFF and her amazing family. Steve and I are very fond of them and approve whole-heartedly of their parenting. They use humour, laughter, and lots of Love and respect. It is the humour thing that got and keeps us on board for sure though.  She’s having a great time and my friend Ginell and I are a little jealous even, as she gets to see dolphins and hang out with some genuinely fabulous people while we drive for hours and hours every day for the next couple of weeks.

I won’t complain though! It has been a hugely successful (and exhausting) journey so far, and the footage we are gathering is going to splice into the most perfect clip imaginable. And I adore the people we are traveling with.

Cape Reinga was awe-inspiring.

I was lucky enough to talk briefly to local Iwi there. The man that ran the last camp before Cape Reinga was receptive and lovely, although quite busy so we never did manage to get him away from his desk for a test drive. Maori have an undeniably strong connection with the land, and nature. I’ve always also seen a sense of family and community that is admirable, and all of these things gave a synergy with the cleaner, fairer and more independent New Zealand we’d like to see. I’d like to work more closely with connections we have, and meet more thought and community leaders in the Pacific and Maori communities.

This trip has definitely ignited a desire to get more people involved in this movement, and to get more people thinking seriously about the issues.

I am no activist. I know that due to the fact I’ve met quite a few social and environmental activists in my travels with this trip and generally. I am a loud, caring, open and enthusiastic wife, mother and member of this planet. All of this work started simply with my own selfish desire to assuage my middle-class guilt. Now it is so much more. I’ve made friends and seen changes in people’s perceptions and behaviours that I believe will be long lasting and do a world of good.

I miss my best friend and business partner Rebekah every single moment on this trip. Not only because she is a million times better at organizing and logistics than I am, but because doing this stuff is more fun when I have her to share it with.

Luckily, the people we are working, traveling with, and meeting along the way are amazing, funny, engaging, interesting and diverse.

I am having a brilliant time, but already looking forward to a period of hibernation for a couple of weeks when we return.

Missing all the people we have been neglecting lately, particularly sneep and P who we wanted to see and missed completely over the holiday period.

Thanks everyone for your support.

We’ll be checking in regularly, and remember to like our facebook page for information on how we are tracking and where we are going to park up for public viewings next.

Tomorrow we are hoping to be allowed on Eat Street in Rotorua, and if that fails, we will be heading to the lake front.