Juno + Piano

Waitomo General Store

The roadtrip back to Auckland meant I had to stop for a while in a few towns. Those of which I've always had a connection with. I didn't have time to explore anymore. I just wanted to chill.

Okay, talk about chillin' though, I started driving that day @ 10:30 am. Found myself checkin' in at 7 pm. So much 'bout chillin'. agh!

I decided to stop for the night at Waitomo. Only because I wanted to go back to the Waitomo General Store. What was special there? The cafe piano. Open to public. Open to anyone who can play or sing.

My legs were tired from the long drive. I was hitting 110kph in my desire to get there before sunset. Juno Backpackers was along Waitomo Road, which was conveniently located beside the main road and just a 2 km from the Store.

Due to budget constraints I chose to stay at a mixed dorm. Lucky for me, it was just only the 2 of us for the night. Enne Lampe was a young boy most probably 18 or 19, from the Netherlands hitchhiking around New Zealand. He sounded more German to me though. Lanky and with glasses, he was a little bit quiet but definitely harmless. There was a certain atmosphere in that backpackers that I really liked. Nobody was loud, everybody did their own thing quietly, and most of all no domineering party goers.

The following day I gave Enne a lift and dropped him off the nearest gas station... at Te Kuiti. That was the most adviseable location for a hitchhiker.

I went back to Juno's, packed my bags, checked out and found my way back to the Waitomo General Store.

There I played a lot of tunes until it was time to get back on the road.