Stop over required...

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Leaving from Tauranga heading up North to nowhere in particular, we stopped for lunch at the roadside cafe and met possibly the most talkative Kiwi ever, she was lovely, really friendly and the food was good too.  The journey although long was a good one as the scenery was beautiful and there was lots to look at all the way, not just the map.  We needed to stop for the night as it was starting to get dark and we had nothing planned.  Stopped in Whangarei for some food (nice pizza).  As the I-site (tourist information office) was closed cos it was after 5pm, we did manage to peer through the office window and see some rough directions to a local backpackers lodge, off we went to see if they had space for our little tent.  Laura knocked at the door while Anthony parked the car and a strange creepy man answered "hello, and goodbye".  Odd I thought and not very welcoming either considering usually everyone is so friendly, anyway he didn't want us or our tent and we didn't want to stay there either after that sort of greeting (thought he was going to killl me in the night or something).  So we were now a bit off this town and still nowhere to sleep, by chance after much drivign around we stumbled across a really nice holiday park, first encounter of the Top 10 brand of parks (there are lots all over the country).  Stayed there one night as the town felt uncomfortable to us, probably due to the creepy man (first impressions do count), excellent BBQ area and really lovely staff, spotlessly clean (the park, althought the staff were not scruffy either).  So our first night in our new bargain tent package deal with sleeping bags included!!!

Lucky find - Top 10