step one

Started our wandering lifestyle with a visit to a former roommate in Wanganui. In a nice coincidence, our arrival was the same weekend as a house party among his friends in this town (who we met before).
It wasn't all parties - we did get out and about in this river town. Drove up the road for a walk along the ridge tops looking down on the river. Took the underground elevator up to the tower overlooking the city. Watched the sunset from the beach at the river's mouth. Walked around a local park and aviary.
Wanganui is a city of about 40,000 on the lower west coast of the North Island, next to the mouth of the country's longest river - the Whanganui (the city and town have the same Maori name, but there are different ideas on how the word should be spelled). It's not much of a tourist city, but it has a decent feel and has an above-average population of artist types. Not a bad place to start out, although the weather has been rough. Patches of sunshine interrupted by violent bursts of rain.

Not sure where we'll head next, although north along the West Coast is the short-term plan. The North Island is shaped a bit like a four-pointed star, with the northern point stretched longer than the others. We've lived at the bottom of the south point, in Wellington. Now we're headed to the west point and Mount Taranaki. Eventually we'll head for the tip of the north point, where I hope there will be sunshine, and I know there are beaches. I'm clinging to the last remnants of summer.