Hello I'm Kim from Finland and I've been following your blog for two years he said, standing there smiling in the morning sun.The Flying Tortoise was back at Ahipara for some kite fishing and hopefully a few flounder.
I first saw you on Lloyd Kahn's blog and then I found yours.
Imagine me sitting at my desk in Finland, 25,000 kilometres away, it's winter and I look out the window and see a carpark.
I look at your blog and I see sunshine, sea and beautiful landscapes.
Wow it was inspiring, and so here I am.
When I came to New Zealand I had this crazy idea that we might meet and when I saw your bus sitting here I nearly drove off the road.
I'm so glad you didn't and that we did said I, equally amazed at someone arriving and telling me they've been following the blog for two years and in part inspired by it, here they are.
Kim's an industrial designer in Helsinki, has been travelling with his girlfriend from Finland, through Siberia, Russia, Japan, Bali, Malaysia and Thailand and now New Zealand.
Soon it's back to Finland for Kim to replenish his travelling fund, build a campervan and then one day he and his girlfriend will return to Aotearoa, the Land Of The Long White Cloud.
Perhaps they'll stay...
