◮ Hitch Hiking Northland ◭

It took me four hitches to get from Uretiti to Paihia: a resident of the neighborhood, a farmer who owned a thousand bulls, a retired dirt excavator and a Mauri father who greatly appreciated that Canada had recently legalized weed and who started singing “Because I Got High” on route. I ended up staying at Mousetrap Hostel for $26 on a last minute booking. Explored around and despite it's small town charm, I still craved to be further out in the wild, away from flocking tourists. While in Paihia, I went on a 40 minute walk that brought me to an underwhelming lookout point and other than that just hung around the waterfront. In my room at the hostel, I met a Dutch girl who was heading north the next day so I joined her. She was also vegan so we had a nice lunch in Whangaroa as we drove along Highway 10. We separated at Awanui where there’s only one road heading north. My first driver was an 86 year old kiwi man who had lived in the area his entire life. He told me about growing up, living through the war and his family. He was very interesting except I don’t think he could hear when I spoke since he went on for a solid 40 minutes without pause. The next driver was a bit sketchy. She had a skin condition with rashes all over her face, and she laughed like a witch. And finally, a Swiss traveler who was living in her jam-packed car offered me a ride so I squished into the front seat, taking me to the start of my hike (See Cape Reinga).

Hitch hiking in New Zealand has been a lot easier than expected. The max I’ve had to wait was 45 minutes and with no rush to get anywhere, it’s been a great way to travel and meet some locals/fellow travelers. Some tips for hitch hiking: I’m always standing, wearing my backpack to make it look like I’m ready to go as soon as they pull over. No baseball hat but I do wear sunglasses because they make me look sick. I also give my cheesiest smile at every car that passes by. But most important is the spot where you stand. The best spots are always one where they can easily pull over, where they’re not going very fast and where they can see you from a good distance ahead. I also never have a sign since some drivers can be discouraged if they’re not going that way at all. I don’t mind if they only take me half way there or a quarter way, so long as I’m moving and not stuck on the side of the road. Once a car pulls over, I always ask where they’re going first, while visually evaluating the driver. If sketchy say that you’re not going that way (have a backup destination in mind just in case). If all is good, enjoy the ride!