33. Traveling by Sleeper Van (Part 9), Before I Reach Egmont

My next goal that motivated me was Mount Egmont. I don't know why this mountain has this name; I got the inspiration from reading a map book. This mountain occupies the western side of the North Island, so I decided to drive along the coast. Before leaving Taupo, I charged my phone and power bank fully at the town library and filled up my gallon with drinking water from a public tap labeled "Drinking Water," as usual. After buying food, snacks, and fruits, it was time to set off again.

          Even though I knew where I wanted to go next, the destination was not something I rush to. For this kind of travel, there's no reason to hurry. I just drove slowly and stopped here and there where I found something interesting or maybe just a beautiful view. Sometimes I stopped to get out and walked around, maybe in a community forest, a historical site, a church, etc.

          But then, the place where I actually stopped to camp wasn't at Mount Egmont, but at a cliffside beach near the sea. This place might not be a popular tourist spot because I hardly saw anyone. It felt like a beach adjacent to a local community. I noticed wide tire marks in the area where I parked, and I guessed someone had been drifting their car around here. However, with the open atmosphere and the feeling that it was safe, I didn't feel anxious at all.

          After looking down at the rocky layers toward the sea waves and the beach below, I tried to assess if there was a way for me to climb down. I just wanted to explore. It seemed possible and not too scary, so I slowly descended step by step, from one rock to another, until I finally set foot on the sandy ground below.

          From the beach level at the spot where I was standing, this place could be an interesting tourist attraction if promoted well. Along the rocky cliff that I just climbed down from, there are several natural crevices that resemble caves. Some crevices are wide enough to be called small caves. Even though the outside light is bright, I could not see the innermost part of the crevice. So, I slowly tried to walk inside. I heard heavy breathing sounds coming from within. I immediately knew that there was some animal inside. I didn't want to disturb anyone if it was their resting time. But I guessed it might be sea lions because seeing sea lions and small penguins resting on the natural rocks while driving along the coast is quite common. I walked around and climbed on various rocks until I was satisfied, then climbed back up to the car.

          That night, around nine o'clock, I was in a half-asleep, half-awake state when a sound startled me awake. It was a noise similar to that of an animal, like a cat or something I couldn't identify, because the surroundings were very dark. Beside the sound, I also felt a jolt from the front wheel of the car. But out of fear, what scared me more than the sound was the thought of waking up startled by it and being unable to go back to sleep, which is terrifying for me (waking up and not being able to sleep again because the drowsiness is gone). So, I pretended not to care about what was happening and reassured myself that I had locked all the car doors well, so there was nothing to worry about. Eventually, I fell asleep.

Waking up in the early morning is a truly special atmosphere. Even though the sun hasn't risen yet and there are no roosters crowing like back home, the changing colors of the sky can make you feel that it's morning. Once the soft sunlight starts to illuminate things enough to take notice, I got out of the car and walked around to investigate any unusual because of the sounds from last night. But I found nothing out of the ordinary. I felt grateful to myself for deciding to stay in bed last night instead of getting up to explore, because once my body wakes up, it can be hard to fall back asleep again.

  That morning was another day among many where I sat watching the sunrise. I sat on the wooden railing at the cliff's edge, with a warm cup of coffee in hand and the weather just right. At the same time, I watched the seabirds soar, the waves crashing against the shore, and the grass swaying gently. This was the moment I had been waiting for. Going on trips like this is amazing because the view while sipping my morning coffee keeps changing. After soaking in the nature and the vastness before me for a while and taking care of my personal business, it was time to continue my journey.