NZ North Island 2017
THE NORTH ISLAND
In autumn 2017, Jenni and I decided to go for a one-off, major retirement holiday adventure. Something that we would be very unlikely to repeat. It was this holiday that started Livetheflow so that we could share our journey with family and friends.
In the first of these two posts, we have reproduced the text and images from that blog on our time on the North Island.
1. Count Down to New Zealand: October 12, 2017
There is less than a week to go. We are focused. The jobs list is reducing, but it’s all surreal: surely we won’t be packed up and flying next Wednesday!
We have been blessed to have had several fantastic ‘holidays of a lifetime’. Perhaps the most fabulous was when we took the boys, aged 7 & 9, on a four-week, 5,000-mile camping trip around the States. Starting where Jenni’s brother lived in Seattle, we travelled inland up the Rockies to Yellowstone, down country to Arches National Park, through Monument Valley and across to San Francisco then back up the West Coast, taking in places like Yosemite, Tall Trees Valley and a host of other sites … an experience we will never forget with loads of amazing moments.
But this is six weeks. We have booked the flights, a few nights’ accommodation at either end and a campervan in between for five weeks. The plan is to spend just over two weeks touring the North Island and almost three on the South Island. The first few days are booked, but thereafter we have a rough itinerary, which is mostly not booked. Our D.I.Y. as you go approach is a touch scary. We will livetheflow!
2. Packing and Practising October 13, 2017
The countdown is progressing, working out what to take for a New Zealand spring and trying to get the hang of this blog. It is a steep learning curve when combined with finishing off the first phase of website building. I’m trying to practise getting the camera to talk to the tablet and the tablet to talk to the website: a bit hit and miss at the moment! Easy for Millennials …….but then I remember days when the only university computer filled a large room and was loaded with white paper tape with holes in it!
A few days later, we were off.
Long flights of 12 and 9 hours – but good …. if that word can be applied to sitting in a confined space for all that time. This picture captured the beautiful sunrise effects coming into Singapore: blues, greys and the promise of the new day.
Five tolerable films and a documentary on a “Classic Album” from my all-time favourite singer, Carley Simon! Then we had a whole bus to ourselves to get us to our room in Auckland city centre. Bed at 1.15 am.
3. Half a day ahead: October 19, 2017
The Sky Tower dominated the view from our room. Today in Auckland is about wandering round and sorting our body clocks & some details before picking up the van tomorrow and driving North.
4. Going places – at last October 23, 2017
We picked up the van on Saturday and drove North to the Bay of Islands: an idyllic coastal holiday area. The van is great. We have sorted ourselves out, stocked up on food, etc.
On Sunday, after attending a small fellowship church, we went up river on a 6km walk to the Harbour Falls and then joined a canoe trip back down the river.
It’s not us! Our pictures did not come out but that’s what we did! Great afternoon.
Today, Monday, was thoroughly wet till late afternoon. Our sailing activity was postponed till tomorrow.
This actually worked out very well because we fitted in a visit to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and did the whole history/culture thing: a Maori performance and the museum were interesting. Learning about the original Maori / British Treaty and the ups and downs since, was an important experience for the beginning of our trip. It helped us begin to understand New Zealand.
Tomorrow’s weather promises to be brilliant for the sailing. The value of not booking ahead too rigidly already apparent – Livetheflow!
5. The limitations of words
October 27, 2017
We are really blessed.
After the rainy day which we put to good use, we had a sensational day’s sailing in the Bay of Islands. I have always loved water activities. Dream sailing of this kind in this sort of location has been out of reach, although I used to sail on the Norfolk Broads and we once had a family sailing dinghy. So, this was great.
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The trip included stopping off at an island, exploring and taking in great views of the bay – a sub-tropical paradise.
After our sailing trip, we are left the camp site with its facilities and hook-ups and crossed over to the west coast. The plan was to do several days ‘freedom camping’ and then after exploring the northern peninsular, work our way south.
6. The limitations of words, part 2.
The dream was to find remote beachside locations – we did! A breathtaking place with very few other campers because we were not in the main holiday season.
The dream pitch! Stunning.
The sunrise that morning at Doubtless Bay was very special. This picture was taken less than 100 yards from the van just after six the next morning! Mesmerising reflections on the shallow water and wet sand.
That day we took a Dune Rider excursion to the northern point of NZ. The drive up includes a 70km ‘coach’ drive on Ninety Mile Beach.
Sand and sea as far as the eye could see.
The excursion included a stop-off by the dunes as the coach left the beach.
…. yes, that’s me
Our destination was Cape Reigna where the Pacific meets the Tasman Sea.
To end a long day, we started returning south, going down the west coast. A journey which included a ferry across an estuary.
We stopped at another sensational campsite and enjoyed the pull-out BBQ Grill!
6. A Long Day October 27, 2017
The downside of this type of holiday is the travel. Normally we try to make use of early evenings to move on to the next location, leaving the main part of the day free. Mostly it’s a dream: very little traffic and amazing scenery.
Thursday started in the Waipoua Forest with the giant Kauri trees. They are being attacked by disease in much the same way as ash trees are being affected in the UK. So, a lot of the trails are shut. However, one loop trail was open and it was great to see them in this temperate rain forest.
We then took the plunge to make the long drive south past Auckland down to Rotorua towards the centre of the North Island. Auckland is where most of the population of the North Island live. The area is like a collar separating the Northern lands from the rest .. Can’t go round, can’t go over … just got to go through….. log-jammed roads and motorways: just like the UK …..not a dream holiday activity!
Gas stations away from large towns are few and far between. Jenni was not best pleased by the excitement of seeing whether we would reach the next! We did but I don’t think I will risk that again.
Eventually, we arrived at Rotorura just before dark and enjoyed the other side of Freedom Camping: basically, a car park by the lake.
This area is all about geothermal activity. Tonight, we will be at a campsite with geothermal pools to relax in ….. spend the cash saved by Freedom Camping!
7. Extremophile October 29, 2017
The last 24 hours have added a different dimension to the imagery behind livetheflow – geothermal hot water! Our last campsite was just downstream of the highest volume hot water spring in NZ: 40 – 50 litres a second of water at 90 degrees C. They had a series of pools cooled down to 40 degrees. Even Jenni was there.
It was at the spring that I came across this word that is new to me but I rather like. It set me thinking: fancy being an “extremophile”: able to survive in extreme conditions. Perhaps we spend too much time and energy trying to be “normaphiles” ?
This visit to Wai O Tapu Thermal Wonderland. Geothermal activity added a whole new dimension to water: heat, colour, minerals, boiling mud, formations and more.
7. Extremophile continued
After a walk in the Redwoods at Rotorua, we drove about 50 miles south to Taupo and parked up at another lakeside freedom camp site. Unfortunately, the weather was damp and the views shrouded in mist and cloud.
Today, Sunday, is a bit of a catch-up day. Again we are by Lake Taupo but further South. It is a much brighter but still a largely cloudy day. We have picked up a problem. The crucial key to gas, water and other van functions broke in the lock … inconvenient but not the end of the world. We hope to get it sorted tomorrow when we also hope to do some more walking.
Just before getting to Taupo we saw the amazing Huka Falls. Just imagine a straight trench about 60 ft.deep, 60 ft wide and 200 yards long with 200,000 litres of water going over the end every second. That’s enough to fill five Olympic size swimming pools every minute.It is awesome: it looked it and felt it. The beautiful blue was something else….. livetheflow!
8. Even the swans are All Blacks November 1, 2017
The problem with a broken vehicle key entitled us a to a free campsite further south on Lake Taupo. The swans came looking for breakfast. Happily, next morning, our problem was very quickly solved by one of the Britz ‘providers’ (as they call them): Len Millar’s Motors ten miles down the road in Tanguri: five stars for helpfulness.
We would have loved to done the Tangouria Crossing which is said to be one of the best day hikes in the world but we felt the 19 km was a touch too far …. if you want to visit NZ, do it while you are still young enough to bungy jump, sky dive, etc, etc. Instead we did a shorter walk to the Tarakini Falls. I guess most will have looked too quickly to see the maiden of the falls!
The West coast was forecast to be wet or very wet. So, an adjustment to the plan took us East to the sunshine. One of the advantages of leaving flexibility in the holiday. Nothing was booked to the ferry. So, to keep dry, we changed direction completely. We went East not West and explored a different region. It turned out very well. It pays to Livetheflow!
Just after starting I looked back to Tangouria. This image appealed!
8. East and then South
We took a back road to Napier ….. all bends and hills but incredibly scenic. They call them Dunelands. Hobbit land: almost like driving across a giants’ golf course….. massive prehistoric sand dunes covered in luscious green lawns and sheep!
Our overnight stay was close to a river, suspension bridge and road: the kind where ten vehicles an hour in rush hour is extremely busy!
We stopped in Napier a little but went south for the night going some distance to a remote beach and marine reserve area. A morning walk on these beaches made this worthwhile. We found some great shells before going to Wellington.
9. Windy Welly November 3, 2017
We have now less than 48 hours on the North Island. After several lovely sunny days, today (Friday) is damp / wet with a strong breeze off the sea. Wellington is living up to its reputation.
Most camp sites are well out of town but this one is right in the centre on a car park by the marina. We shall spend the night here rocking in the wind in very close proximity to other vans…. trespass over a line to another parking space and you have to pay twice or be fined. That’s about 9 – 12 inches each side: like sleeping in a dorm for camper vans. The photo does not even show the small van tucked between ours which is the middle one and the larger far van.
It is not free but we are next to Te Papa, the museum of New Zealand. So, after a walk in the morning we went to the museum. It’s modern and outstanding. Loads of things about the country’s very active geology: earthquakes, volcanoes and other history and environment topics.
Appropriately for remembrance, they had a feature on the Anzac participation in Gallipoli – a brilliant exposition of this horrific war folly costing over 130,000 lives for little or no gain. It featured a series of scenes with incredible models two to three times life size. Note the flies on the spam he is eating. I don’t think I have ever seen such an informative and moving war exhibition.
10. Half Way November 6, 2017
We are enjoying a beautiful day. We are in the middle of the Cook Strait: on the ferry to Picton on The South Island. Beautiful views of both islands in the distance. Yesterday, Saturday, was one of those funny days in a five-week trip when you do a lot and not very much all in the same day.
We did the tourist thing in the morning / early afternoon by going up the cable car to overlook Wellington. We walked down through the botanical gardens.
We hung around for the evening fireworks .. very much a local thing. We travelled on buses, tramped the streets and were the only visitors at a local church … so it feels good to have stepped a little out of the tourist box.
GOODBYE NORTH ISLAND !
