The mighty BOP

So after our crazy time in Gizzy we were keen for a bit of normality. Drove through the gorge to Whakatane - a real nice drive if you are heading that way. It had one of the prettiest rivers I saw in the North Island. Green and nice. We had read that Ohope was a good place to be so headed there for a looksy. Em became CONVINCED that the surf was going to pick up marginally so we could actually catch some damn waves. Therefore we both suited up (I was reluctant at first) and then proceeded to have a great swim with our boards. Yep you guessed it... once again NO SURF!! still it was a rad swimming beach and worth it because em was freaking out when the cockle shells kept hitting her and shrieking like a little girl. haha! :)

Ohope Beach

now when you live in a van for a few months you tend to become a bit lax about your sense of privacy when doing things like changing. so it came that after our swim i was getting changed and realised my bra needed tightening so was standing there, in the carpark, in my bra and a towel while em was tightening it. didn't seem wierd to me at all. and really, not indecent either. but then a truckload of workmen drove past and were staring like nobodys business and 5mins later when they drove back again we realised that perhaps we were a bit of a spectacle. whoops! haha! oh well - prob made their day :)
cruised into whakatane for a spot of food and somehow ended up at a pub where we ordered some $5 fish and chip meals. it took FOREVER for them to come out! we were sitting outside in the sun thinking 'what the fuck?' so eventually i went in to ask what the dealio was. she asked if we had changed tables. no. and some other pointless questions and then said it would be out soon. we waited for another 10-15mins and were on the brink of leaving when ta-da! our meals arrived. except we got upgraded :) the dumbass waitress (i tell you its hard to get good service!) had given our $5 meals to someone else so we were getting their $15 fish of the day meals! YUSS!!! was worth the wait methinks :)
feeling nice and full we left whakatane and drove up the coast to matata where there was a $4 park up/camping spot with some very permanent looking campervans. it was just over the sand dunes to the beach and was wicked. had a cool shower thing too and a pump for water. good find