Maureen's Travel Blog

A really good night’s sleep, I hardly heard the fun from the bar which was open until quite late. I had had a great barbecued steak and sausage with jacket potato , coleslaw and salad the night before. And although three young lads (they looked about 18) had introduced me to the Jaegerbomb, I didn’t linger…. they had lined up 2 each for themselves as well as 2 glasses of wine a piece – determined to get wasted obviously.

Wishing them a fun night, I left them to it and had an early night…. ready for a 6.30 start in the morning.

I had booked on to a full day out on the northernmost tip of New Zealand, Cape Paihai. It was a lovely warm and sunny morning and about 20 or so of us boarded Barry’s bus, Awesome Tours!

It was indeed awesome. First we journeyed up to Mangonui which is Maori for Big Shark. Then on to Taipa (first touch in Maori). All the time Barry was giving us a running commentary of the history of the places we passed through. Today on 28 October in 1833 the British and the Maoris signed a treaty in agreement over ownership of the land in this area. So today was Independence Day in Northlands. We passed through Awanui and then on to the peninsula of the Far North.

What are these yellow flowers Leigh?

Barry gave a description of the Kauri trees and walked through the Puketi Kauri Rain Forest where we saw these amazing tall straight trees with few branches. These trees are used for furniture making and we would seem some examples later.
We passed through the village of Kaitaia, followed by the glistening Paengarenga Harbour.

We stopped at the most beautiful remote bay to have our packed lunch and, although we only had half an hour stop here, I just couldn’t wait to get into the sea. The water was comparatively warm and I splashed about in the surf for ten minutes or so before changing and enjoying my chicken salad roll and ginger beer. I couldn’t understand why no one else joined me in the water. These youngsters are so thin-skinned.

Finally we arrived at the most northern part of New Zealand Cape Reinga. This is the departing place of the Maori spirits where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet. A very sacred place. We all looked out at the awesome panoramic views across the ocean lost in our own personal thoughts.

The excitement of the day was to begin and our next destination was Te Paki Quick Sand Stream where there were sand dunes the size of mountains and we were to bodyboard down them head first! I wasn’t entirely sure about the prospect of this. However by the time I struggled to the top (and this is no easy feat up a very steep incline on dry sand. I was ready for the action. Wow what a thrill to be speeding down that dune at 50mph or so to the cheers of everyone at the bottom.

We returned down the peninsular by way of the Ninety Mile Beach. The most beautiful beach I have ever seen with huge breakers that went on for ever. The bus just drove in the shallow waves for miles – amazing!

When we finally came off the beach, our evening meal was ordered ahead so it would be ready when we arrived back at Manganui. These were the best fish and chips I have eaten in a long while.

I am told the fish was Blue Nose and that it had been swimming in the sea minding its own business that very day. I also bought a bottle of Tui beer to wash it down.
A full, eventful, informative and fun day!

Well that has got to have been about the worse night’s sleep (or lack of) that I can remember! I will not be recommending the XBase Backpackers in Auckland. Perhaps I was just unlucky but there were 6 of us in the dorm, 2 to start with when I went to bed. We had to have the window open because it was so warm and we could have been in the centre of New York City for the traffic noise outside. But on top of that there were people yelling and screaming. And that is not all, others who were sharing the dorm seemed to be coming and going all night long, switching the lights on and off and banging the door.

I eventually had to get up at 6 to hop on the bus only to find a bloke in the bunk below me so I had to clamber down without waking him. Then to my horror I saw he’d put all of his belongings, including wallet and phone, in front of my locker which was under his bunk. While groping around in the dark as quietly as I could, he turned over and opened his eyes. I whispered an apology for waking him and tried to explain. ‘That’s cool’ he murmered, and turned over.

Anyway, eventually I managed to escape this hell hole and saw Daniel’s familiar smiling face in the lobby. (I’d met him on the bus the day before). Together we boarded the Kiwi bus for Paihai, in the Bay of Islands. Now, I’m going to leave out detail of the journey up to Paihai as I don’t have much time to write but needless to say the scenery was awesome.

As I write this posting, all is different here and I find myself chatting with my dorm mates all evening…. but more of that in the next blog!

When we arrived in Paihai, Daniel and I had booked ourselves on to a boat trip which was due to leave half an hour after our arrival so we had changed into our swimmers en route. This trip involved swimming with dolphins which of course was number one of my list of to dos.

It was a beautiful hot day so I put on some sunblock liberally and before long I found myself in paradise (again) speeding across the bay in search of dolphins.

It wasn’t long before we caught sight of a pair of fins appearing and disappearing below the surface. Then more, a whole school of them surrounded the boat, some swimming underneath. We prepared ourselves to slip into the water. I was so excited that I was the first one in and snorkelling fast towards them. We were told to make noises and be funny to interact with them.

It was just wonderful to be in the water with them although they were a little shy or perhaps not particularly interested. We did this a few times and then went on a trip around all the many islands in the bay where there were gannet colonies and interesting rock formations.
Just the perfect introduction to the Bay of Islands and it was only going to get better. I eventually checked in at Pipi Patch Backpackers. I asked for a quiet room, not too near the bar, as I hadn’t slept for a couple of nights. I didn’t really want to have a private room as this would not really be part of the experience. I was offered an all-female dorm and it was a self-contained chalet with its own en suite and kitchen and two separate bedrooms with 4 in each (two sets of bunks). I met the girls in the other bunk in my room, two German girls travelling together. They were so friendly and welcoming and we chatted and chatted about anything and everything….. hence no time for blog (well not much anyway). After a shaky beginning to the Kiwi expedition, I have a strong feeling this is all going to be good from now on……

Will have to add pics later guys cos the internet here is rubbish and they won’t upload.

I didn’t sleep much last night, probably a little nervous about the idea of roughing it alone with a bunch of kids after six weeks of utter luxury, being totally looked after and not having to think! Dan and Sally kindly deposited me at The Urban Retreat where I was due to hop on the bus at 8.55am.

Along it came at the allotted time and Flea, the driver cheerfully welcomed me aboard. The bus was actually a very comfortable coach with aircon and dvd/cd. I chose to sit at the front mainly so that I could see well and take photos when necessary but also so that I could chat to the driver and find out more about this mad expedition I had joined.
The bus pass I’d purchased way back in July was a special offer which would take me round North and South Island. However, it usually starts at Auckland or Christchurch. As I was getting on in Taupo just one stop before Auckland, it meant that it was nearing the end and there would be a new batch of people leaving Auckland in the morning that I would probably get to know really well. Although a young German got on with me in Taupo and sat opposite so I was able to have a chat with him. He had also been staying with friends in Taupo and had done the big walk over the volcano.

The drive to up to smelly Rotoroa (sulpher – I’d been there the week before) was fairly uneventful apart from some initial banter from the driver about the World Cup and then some useful information about where we were going. She then put on a very amusing dvd called Outrageous Fortunes – a popular series in NZ, which I couldn’t see very well because the light from the huge windows was so bright but it was loud enough to hear dialogue regularly punctuated with the F word…. and quite a few other words besides as well as heavy breathing in bedroom scenes ….. it was still only 9 in the morning! – welcome to the world of the 18 plusses Mo!

No actually the kids on the bus were great, if a little hung-over from a fun night before.

We stopped at Hobbitan near Matamata for a spot of lunch. Apparently a farmer was asked if he would allow the film Lord of the Rings to be filmed on his land. He first turned this down but when he realised what it meant financially, he agreed. Unfortunately most of the set was taken down which is a shame because it could have produced a good income from tourists. All that remains is a statue of Gollum in the centre of town.

Most of the journey to Auckland was pretty uneventful, we were all tired and looking forward to a good night’s sleep.

We checked into The Base Backpackers accommodation at around 4pm. I had a wander round the city as it was warm and sunny, a good 6 degrees warmer than Taupo. I watched a mad couple being flung into the sky on a bungee and sat for a while in Albert Park.

St Patrick’s Cathedral was dwarfed against the skyscrapers but I took the opportunity of looking in before heading back with my snack and sorting out internet access.

The blogs could be minimalist from now on as I’m not sure when I’ll get on line…. watch this space!

A quiet day today. Leigh and Dan completing assignments and me preparing for my Kiwi Experience.

It was a beautiful sunny day wouldn’t you know it, and I spent some time relaxing in the garden and reading. Leigh’s Rhodies are really beginning to open out now it’s getting warmer and it’s so lovely to hear the birds singing, reminiscent of springtime at home.

We popped into town to get one or two things and then returned for a bite to eat. Leigh cooked some asparagus, that she bought at the Farmers’ Market in Hawke’s Bay the day before, with cheese sauce.

In the early evening I took Sally down to the Lake for a swim and then returned to see Leigh off. She was returning to school in Ohukene where she teaches.

Goodbye Leigh…. And Lake Taupo… hope to see you again in a week or so……

Wall to wall sunshine this morning as I drew back the patio door and walked out onto the decking from my bedroom. I sat for a while enjoying the early warmth from the sun.

Today we are leaving Napier but no hurry. First a walk along the promenade, a busy place with lots going on and people on holiday.

The Art Deco flavour came into its own on this bright sunny day and the colours were enhanced against the azure sky.

Even a little old sports car of the period went sailing by at just the right moment!

The black pebbled beach dropped away steeply into the clear blue sea, hence not an ideal place to swim (sadly). But it was just stunning looking across to where we had climbed high up to the Te Mata Peak the day before.

We heard strains of ‘Scarborough Fair’ coming from a gypsy fairground and eventually glimpsed a band playing inside the circle of colourful gypsy vehicles.

A little further on was the National Aquarium of New Zealand and we took the opportunity of checking out the history of fossils and creatures from the sea to the present day. There were some excellent displays of live corel and sea anemones as well as impressive spacious tank tunnels giving the effect of sharks and Stingrays swimming all around you, which indeed they were!

I thought the Piranha fish looked fairly docile but wasn’t going to put them to the test! When a school of piranha are in a feeding frenzy the water appears to boil and turn red with blood. They attack with such ferocity that they strip an animal of its flesh within a matter of minutes, even taking bites out of eachother.

But my favourite has to be the giant turtle and I recalled swimming with a turtle on the Corel Reef at Lady Musgrave Island only a few weeks before.

….and here at last was Nemo!

….a few more images on the way back to the car….

Finally before we could drag ourselves away from sunny Napier, we drove up to Bluff Lookout, high above the Bay with panoramic views of the Harbour and Port where an ocean-going cruiser was birthed. We could also see the airport which was built on the land formed by the earthquake of 1931, once a lagoon. We could also see the extent of the timber waiting to be shipped out (probably for paper-making). Tons and tons of pine tree trunks in neat piles.

We had a bite to eat in the sunshine down by the harbour before finally leaving Hawkes Bay.

One more example of an Art Deco style building on the way out of the harbour. This used to be the well known Rothmans building but now remains as a monument to the era – The National Tobacco Company.

What a difference some sunshine makes for our journey home in contrast to our arrival in the rain! The scenery had come to life and there was Evening Primrose growing on the verges of the road which I hadn’t noticed before. I have only ever seen this in capsule form in a bottle at home! What a pretty wild flower… I really want to paint this!

We finally left the fields of vines, fruit and olive trees behind. Goodbye Hawke’s Bay and thank you for the welcome, an awesome weekend!

Well I drew back the curtain to see the sun rising over the ocean – what a great sight.

That wonderful view across the city and down to the sea was still there but this time Napier was bathed in bright sunlight and what a difference it makes!

After breakfast we head out to a high spot. Te Mata Peak is at the western boundary of the wine-producing Heretaunga Plains and stands nearly 400 metres above sea level. The steep road up was scarey enough rounding tight hairpin bends with shear drops but the panoramic views were awesome up there and you felt you were on top of the world.

‘By croiky’ some crazy people were jumping off the top and appeared to be just hanging there on the thermals before slowly paragliding down to the tiniest of dots in a field at the bottom of the valley.

There were some unusual blue flowers (well unusual to me) growing on the banks at the roadside on the way up to the peak called Echium. They looked like giant grape hyacinths!

The Toitois are really getting quite fluffy now and look lovely everywhere.

On the way back to Napier we passed through Hastings and Havelock North. Here we stopped to look around Aqua Fever, a tropical fish shop that Dan remembered from a previous visit. There were plenty of pretty tropical fish here as well as the more vibrant coloured marine fish. Dan is a very keen fisherman as well as keeper of tropical fish.

We also wandered around a Farmer’s Market, being in the heart of fruit-growing country, as well as wine and fruits from the sea! Here we bought some lovely big apples and some Almond cakes to keep us going until our wine-tasting tour in the afternoon. Also ice creams – Feijeo, lime and chocolate… yum.

Returning through town, I took a few pics of some of the Art Deco style buildings although the weather had become somewhat overcast by this time. Will take some more tomorrow.

Just before 1pm the minibus picked us up for our afternoon of wine tasting. We visited four or five vineyards… couldn’t quite remember in the end but I was determined to find a New Zealand Red that I would enjoy as much as Aussie Red and I tried quite a few…. well we needed to make comparisons….

Actually I failed to find a Red that was as smooth and full-bodied as Australian Reds but then the New Zealand wine growers admitted this themselves. You have to just accept that it is different because of the cooler climate.

I also wanted my love of Chardonnay to be restored as I had been put off by one or two overly oaky ones in the Uk. No problem here, New Zealand are expert Chardonnay growers and after tasting six or seven…. or so, Church Road became a favourite.

Leigh bought a few bottles of Chardonnay to take back with us.

Using the magic card became so easy…………..

Our wine-tasting day was rounded off with a ‘platter’. We were now in party mood and ready to go back and enjoy the Rugby Final!

Go the All Blacks… and no messing!

Another perfect end to a great day…. although it was a nail-biter finish to the match!!

Well done Kiwis!
…. and well done Leigh!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

A big surprise awaits me today!!!

Very grey morning as we drive into the hills. “You want a photo here?” Leigh said encouragingly, stopping at the top of a hill in the pouring rain. “There’s a lovely waterfall!” Do I really need water? Ok….. here is the waterfall… trying to imagine it in the beautiful sunshine; Waipunga Falls is actually pretty impressive! (Wai is Maori for water.)

The Gorse makes up for it, although Leigh wouldn’t agree!

Beautiful scenery I’m thinking as we enter thick cloud, we’ll get some good shots on the way back!

After about an abour and a half driving through what should have been extremely scenic countryside, we eventually emerged from hillfog into the Hawkes Bay region and acres of vineyards appeared on either side of the road. It brightened a little as we approached Napier on the coast. Here are piles and piles of logs waiting to go on the container ship in Napier.

On Tuesday 3 February 1931 Napier, in common with most of the Hawke’s Bay district, suffered a disastrous earthquake 2.5 minutes in length. The earthquake rocked the town almost totally levelling all buildings in the inner city, killing 162 people (a total of 258 in the Hawke’s Bay area), and raising some areas of land by as much as 8 feet. Some 4,000 hectares of sea-bed became dry land and today this sites not only the airport, but also residential and industrial property developments. The extensive rebuilding that took place in the 1930’s is the reason for the Art Deco flavour in the City. (Photos of this tomorrow)

Cineraria trying to brighten up Napier …. we stopped for a coffee and a snack before arriving at our accommodation.

And WOW what a place! A luxury house high up on the hill with plate glass on two sides overlooking the city and the Pacific Ocean (you will see the ocean in the morning!). This made up for everything… who needs the weather!!

Safely installed in our beautiful penthouse, we commenced the yardarm then ordered a Thai dinner. This consisted of Famous Chick, Naughty Pig and Sexy Little Duck and a bottle of Pinot.

We will wake up to blue skies and sunshine in the morning 🙂

Today we visit Leigh’s parents about an hour and a half’s journey towards Auckland. It is Leigh’s Dad’s 87th birthday tomorrow and we are unable to be with him then because we shall be away in Napier.

More beautiful countryside to view all around on the way.

We stopped at the Dam at Mangakino where I photographed an old steamboat.

Although this was still rich farming country, the terrain became increasingly rugged and there were areas of huge rocky outcrops and some of these were actively used for rock climbing.

I was delighted to meet Leigh’s parents, a sprightly couple living in a small retirement development with beautiful panoramic views. Leigh’s dad had been rushed to hospital a few weeks earlier with a suspected stroke and a seizure but he was now safely home and had made a remarkable recovery. Although his short-term memory is a bit shaky, he has retained his wonderful sense of humour.

We spent a few hours chatting and looking around the gardens which I must say were beautifully cared for.

Then we returned by a different route so that Leigh could show me some more of the varied New Zealand countryside.

Benneydale really pulled out all the stops for the World Cup by creating representative players for every country taking part in the Rugby. These were bigger than life size and suspended high up at intervals right through the little town. Here are a few…

While on the subject of iconic statues, I saw quite a few more today. Otorohanga has the Kiwi but currently dressed appropriately for the World Cup! A large apple in front of a cafe in Waitomo, An enormous concrete sheep shearer in the sheep farming town of Te Kuiti, this has to be my favourite so far; oh and of course the huge fish at Taupo Lake.

At last I saw a serious number of sheep; up until today it had been mainly dairy farming with many Jersey and Fresian cows.

Finally the familiar Lake Taupo was in sight. It looked beautiful in the evening light.

But as we got closer we could see that it was very rough and waves were crashing on the beaches.

Home for yardarm and snapperfish with parsley sauce 🙂

Today I found myself aboard the Barbary, a beautiful yacht, and we were about to set sail out on the huge Lake Taupo – WOW!!! Leigh, Dan, Hunter (Leigh’s granddaughter who was staying with us for a few days) and I stepped aboard and settled ourselves on the roof of the cabin.

It was fairly choppy with a reasonable wind but bright and sunny and a good bit warmer than the day before as we moved out of the harbour. The skipper warned us that the wind could change on the Lake very quickly and we needed to be prepared for the boom to move to the other side of the boat at a moment’s notice.

Initially we skirted the edge of the lake in the relative shelter of Taupo Bay and could view smaller bays such as Acacia, an exclusive area where we could see beautiful properties with perfect views over the lake, some of which are worth eight million!

Jerusalem Bay, a much less popuated area, is owned and governed by the Maoris.

We then moved out into the open Lake which was like being on an ocean.

It spanned as far as the eye could see and there were snow-capped mountains in the distance. This scene was all in various shades of blues in true New Zealand style.

At this point the wind filled the sails and the boat leaned heavily to one side as it sped through the water. Yeehah what a thrill! I’d only ever sailed a small dinghy, first with my brother when we were teenagers and then I crewed a friend’s Enterprise dinghy about 20 years ago, but this was something else!

As we neared a rocky cove, we came out of the wind and bobbed about on the waves a bit as we drew close to the cliff. Here we could see Moari carvings which are over 10 metres high and are only accessible by boat. The spiritual and cultural beauty of these magnificent carvings towers above the deep waters of the Great Lake. In the late 1970s master carver Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell came to his mother’s land at Lake Taupō. On a boat trip around the Western Bays he saw the cliffs at Mine Bay and decided to use them as a canvas for his work. Matahi decided to carve a likeness of Ngatoroirangi, a visionary Maori navigator who guided the Tuwharetoa and Te Arawa tribes to the Taupō area over a thousand years ago. In recognition of the multi-cultural nature of New Zealand, Matahi also carved two smaller figures of Celtic design, which depict the south wind and a mermaid.

Then back out on to the open lake for our return trip. It was so good to be sailing again and feel the wind in your hair and the speed of the boat controlled by the elements!

In the afternoon Leigh, Hunter and I visited a Mosaic Gallery and Workshop with a small cafe, which was situated in the Acacia area we had seen from the sailing boat in the morning.

We had a spot of lunch, I had Corn Stacks with cream cheese, mango and rocket – yum, and then we walked around looking at the beautiful mosaic displays and object d’art…. interesting, colourful and some very amusing, like this armchair made totally from mosaic pieces.

On the way back we stopped by some of the little bays we’d seen from the boat. One of them was pariicularly peaceful and beautiful. We lingered watching a family of black swans as they circled around the jetty where we sat.

Parents at bow and stern with seven cygnets between. There was also a pair of Teals with their bright eyes checking us out.

After a sunny day the evening was warm and we sat out on the decking in the garden. Most houses here, just like Australia, have an area of decking under an extended roof all along at least one side of the house.

The flowers and blossom around the garden are really looking lovely now and this Rhododendron which is just coming out smells heavenly.

Hunter played with Sally the labrador on the lawn and we sat and watched the sun go down over the lake, which you could just glimpse through the trees below, sipping our Pino Gris.

A cold, wet and generally miserable day is forecast so we plan accordingly.

We would do a bit of shopping; get stocked up with more food and beverage, and get a few iconic New Zealand dvds to watch.

As my camera had become unreliable the day before, I researched some more in town and ended up buying the most recent model of the Lumix I had become very attached to. One shop had a special deal on it which finally made my decision for me.

Not many pics taken today for obvious reasons but I did rather like this drain cover decoration in town!

Back home mid afternoon we made ourselves cosy in front of the big HD flat panel which had been Dan’s birthday present from Leigh back in July. A plateful of crusty ham salad rolls and Leigh lit the wood burner. Yes, just like in the UK, spring can be very unpredictable in NZ.

The first movie was The Whale Rider, a delightful story based on the novel by Witi Ihimaera. A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize, directed by Niki Caro and Starring Keisha Castle-Hughes. Keisha won a well-deserved Oscar for her part in this film.

The second is “Boy” directed by Taika Waititi. For Boy, the most important things in life are Michael Jackson, an older girl and his absent father. He wants all these things, but being just 10 years old and stuck in rural New Zealand, he has none. Boy’s coming of age is a heartbreaking loss of innocence; a sobering story of yearning and dreaming with a sense of sunny hope.

This evening Leigh made a delicious roast lamb dinner. This is the country where most of our lamb comes from when not in season at home in England, and now I understand why. Mmm this tasted so good!