NZ Odyssey Part 1 - North Island

Tuesday 11th September

Arrive in Auckland and take the “super shuttle” into town. Turns out it’s not so super as it takes so long to do the short journey into the centre that we arrive at the Spaceship Office after closing. Lie blatantly about arranging a late pick-up & soon are on our way in Mir – our home for the next month. Realise our map is nowhere near detailed enough but still make it to Avondale caravan park – feels like we’re in someone’s backyard – we probably are! Have dinner at Middle East Café – great falafels etc. Turns out DVD player in Mir is not working so watch an episode of South Park on iPod – very amusing – voulez vous couche avec moi?

Wednesday 12th September

Head into Auckland for a first look around. First impressions are more favourable than I expected. Take ferry over to Devonport and have fish & chips in a little park before heading up Mount Victoria – great views over the harbour. Realise it’s impossible to tell new house from old as the architecture has not changed in 70 years. Head back on ferry & go to the cinema at the bottom of the Sky Tower to watch Nicole Kidman’s latest movie – The Invasion – fairly good, as usual Lucy spends the entire movie jumping at the slightest bit of suspense!

Thursday 13th September

Arrive at the Museum of Auckland for an early start. Get ripped off on the parking, but get over that as we view the great collection of Maori artefacts. The selection on volcanoes is of particular interest too. Pop back to Mir for lunch to find we’ve left our food back at the caravan park; so go to Mount Eden for a walk instead. Leave Auckland for 1st time, heading north towards Bay of Islands. Decide on our 1st night of “roughing it” and after much driving about on deserted country lanes we pull up on a secluded & “remote” beach area at Sandy Bay. Go to sleep to the sound of waves 0 just what I’d imagined this journey could be.

Friday 14th September

Wake up to find we are not so secluded and in fact are parked in front of someone’s house – fortunately they are not home! Watch the sun rise over the ocean and then set off on a long day of driving with a glorious sky at our back. Russell – NZ’s 1st capital – is our first stop of the day. A sleepy little town & it’s hard to imagine this ever been the capital city of anything! After a brief walk along the Bay it’s back in Mir & soon we’re on our way to Hokianga Harbour via the Paiha car ferry (great views on the water). Pass through the small towns of Opononi & Omapere stopping briefly to visit the museum & watch the superbly old-school 50’s documentary on “Opo – the gay dolphin” (this from a time when gay had a different use!). Have a lovely lunch at a quaint craft centre & then onto Waipoua Kauri Forest. Kauris are grand old trees – some up to 2,000 years old – and a photo really does not do justice to the scale & majesty of them. It’s no wonder that the early settlers cut them down to make ships & homes, just a relief that they left some standing. Tane Mahuta (God of the Forest), Te Matua Ngahere (Father of the Forest) & the Four Sisters are the most impressive specimens. Abandon plans to stay in the forest campsite and, after an aborted attempt to stay in Helensville, head back towards Auckland. Almost have an accident on the way as we realise the windscreen does not work and are unable to wipe away a deluge of water & mud. Go to sleep with the sound of the harbour in our ears as we spend the night at Takapona Beach Holiday Park. About to give up hope of ever watching the end of a movie on the DVD player as despite driving for 500km the reserve battery gives out in minutes.

Saturday 15th September

Wake up at 6am with every intention of going to the Maori Market at Okara. Turn off the alarm & don’t wake until 7.30am! Abandon market plans and head for our main mission of the day – a trip to Ranitoto Island. Realise that we don’t have any food or water for the trip (the island has no amenities) and so dash to Subway where we are confronted with the slowest sandwich maker in history. Make it to the ferry with a minute to spare & Lucy spends much of the journey waiting for a coffee that never comes – I enjoy the views & hope she’s not puking! Spend the next 5-6 hours walking & exploring this amazing volcanic island – only 600 years old. Awesome views from the summit and some interesting lava caves to explore. The walk blows out a few of the cobwebs – much needed. A quick spritz of deodorant back at Mir (I can see how backpackers have a smelly reputation!) and then out for dinner. We arrive at the Occidental – a Belgian bar – and are immediately taken by the wooden seats, décor & the great range of beers. I have a Kreik (fruit beer) followed by a Kwak (this comes in a hour glass shaped glass – intended for use by stagecoach riders so they could drink & control the horses at the same time – drink driving is nothing new!) Order 2 pots of mussels that are excellent, particularly enjoy Lucy’s steamed in a broth of Kreik & cinnamon. Struggle to finish the mussels as they arrive with the biggest bowl of fries known to man. Roll up Queen St. to K’Road where we slip into a bar for a quick drink and then onto the “Wine Cellar” – a small music venue recommended in our in-flight magazine. Sip a few glasses of cider; meet a guy from Sydney called Hamish (a member of the “Teddy Sexuals”). Slip into the backroom to watch an excellent performance from “Date with Doom”. Not sure whether the bloke with the hobbyhorse makes the performance better or not, but it’s certainly surreal! Realise it’s time to go when vodka shots arrive. Leave Hamish looking the worse for wear & head to bed.

Sunday 16th September

Problems continue to mount with Mir – now it’s no break lights, a faulty iPod cable & a dodgy wiper. It’s time to trade in – and after some very unhelpful advice from the “helpline” we head back to the Spaceship office. It’s time to say goodbye to Mir & hello to Pod Racer – a slightly newer model but with 213,000km on the clock it’s done near 80,000km more than Mir. Joy of joys the iPod lead works so no more rock radio & we even have the bonus of the cooker not rattling! Meet with Lucy’s friend – Bryan – for lunch at his hostel in Mount Eden. Turns out we’ve been lucky with the rain. After lunch we’re back on our travels - heading for the Coromandel Peninsula. Pass through the small town of Thames & the number of campervans on the twisty roads reminds me that we will be on a more worn route from now on. The scenery is amazing with rocky beaches, views across the bay to various islands, clouds creating pictures in the sky and the tree lined hills providing a great backdrop. Enjoy an amazing sunset over the Bay – pinks & oranges flood the sky – as we spend the night at Shelley Beach (just north of Coromandel Town). Put the rear awning up – creating a lot of extra space – and settle down to watch the Bourne Ultimatum on DVD – after realising we’d left out DVD’s in Mir, along with Lucy’s torch. Give up wrestling with the skips in our pirate movie and are quickly asleep beneath the stars.

Monday 17th September

Bit of a sleep-in & the breakfast by the beach – we’re joined by a cheeky bullfinch who takes a shine to my oats! A short drive into Coromandel Town & a stroll around. The art gallery is showing an exhibition from local artists – some great pieces with wonderful colours & it’s very tempting to buy something. Back into Podracer for the short drive to Hahei with more amazing scenery along the way. Stop for lunch at Mercury Bay – Cook stopped here to view the passing of Mercury – and arrive at the campsite around 2pm. The view from our pitch is simple amazing – 30 secs from the beach, volcanic islands & ocean form our view for the evening. Laze in the sun for a while before borrowing a spade & heading to nearby Hot Water Beach. This does exactly what it says on the tin & I’m amazed at just how hot the water is – some of it too hot to touch. Join a family in a pool they’ve dug in the sand (the hot water comes up through the sand when digging) and it turns out they are staying in the next spot to us at the site. Two lovely kids and the boy asks if we’ve met the Queen!! Remind me of Owen & Matilda (Lucy’s nephew & niece) as the little boy twitters away and the girl can’t get a word in! Their Mum & Dad appear to have the opposite relationship & I’m slightly scared by her facial hair! A 2nd family joins us – Mark, Karen & Michaela – from Auckland – they are friendly too & invite us over for a bottle of wine (they too are staying at the same site - but with a villa). Feel like I’m cooking in the water so we head back for a shower & dinner in the van – enjoy the pleasing view. Feel guilty about not taking anything with us but head over to the Ryan’s & share a bottle of Merlot. Spend a couple of hours chatting – the Maoris, the McCann’s & terrorism in London are particular topics. Go to sleep beneath the stars & with the sound of the ocean ringing in our ears – could get used to this!

Tuesday 18th September

Woken at 5.40am by birds singing – sounds like an alarm is going off! Watch the sunrise over the ocean and then it’s out for a 90min walk to Cathedral Cove (reminds me of Durdle Door in Dorset). Impressive views but not too impressed with the number of steps! We’re the first visitors of the day and relish the solitude for a while before heading back. Fry-up at Podracer, again enjoying the views and explaining HP Sauce to the little boy next door. Pack up our stuff, say goodbye to the view and then it’s on to Roturua via the coastal road through Taurarga - The uneventful journey seems to take forever to get us the 165km to Rotorua. The Rough Guide is not exaggerating when it says you’ll smell the place before you see it! The sulphur from the thermal pools can be smelt 15km away. Check into the Thermal Holiday Park & head to the thermal pools for a dip. Pleasantly surprised by the effect and spend a couple of hours turning into prunes and chatting to a Kiwi named Jim. Tells us to invest everything in the Kiwi housing market (a sure sign the top is in?), goes on to talk about his son’s European tour & his interest in horses (the trotting kind). Before you know it he has Lucy singing along to a classic Kiwi song – “Hangi tonight”. Jim kindly drops the song words off for our future reference – am sure we’ll be singing it the next time we have people over. Do 1st washing of trip and sit down to a pasta meal and our first taste of NZ TV – it’s NCIS so nothing new there! Joined at dinner by an English couple (Wendy & Mike) that have moved to Australia (near Ballina) after leaving the RAF. Seem a pleasant couple and have to admit to enjoying meeting the people on the trip almost as much as viewing the sites. Think we might end up staying in Rotorua for longer then we initially thought – seems so much to do & I think our senses have already become immune to the sulphur smell!

Wednesday 19th September

Dodgy sausages & burnt eggs for breakfast (they soon go in the bin) before spending much of the day at the Government Gardens & Museum of Rotorua. The Museum is housed inside a grand “Bath House” that the Kiwis once hoped would be the “great spa of the southern hemisphere”. They hadn’t factored on the distance putting people off, or the hydrogen sulphide in the thermals corroding the pipes & turning the walls black. The Museum is home to a collection of items detailing the workings of the spa (not sure I fancy the electric shock treatments), some more general historical items & a moving exhibition about the entirely Maori B company that fought in N. Africa & Italy during WWII. Somewhat bizarrely there was also a collection of clogs! Spot of lunch (nice club sandwich & a lovely piece of hummingbird cake washed down with a vanilla shake) then a walk around the lakefront to a small Maori settlement – Ohinemut. Of particular interest are the Tamatekaua Meeting house with it’s ornate frontage & the St. Faith’s Anglican church – complete with Maori carvings & a window positioned so that Christ appears to be walking on the lake. Back to the site for soup & sandwiches, a dip in the thermal pools before bed, and a brief listen to our new CD (Dennis Marsh – Out of New Zealand – featuring Hangi Tonight). Have an interesting conversation with a guy from Brisbane – he’s an ‘industrial chaplain’ and had a fascinating story to tell. He was brought up at missionary school, joined a biker gang & renounced god, but after surviving a serious accident without a scratch he found Him again. He now offers spiritual guidance to others & supports numerous efforts to help the unfortunate in India. Also met a family of 7 from Melbourne who are staying together in a campervan – they must get on! At dinner we are joined by the owner’s cat – Panda (black with white socks & face) – who takes a shine to me – spends 15 mins on my lap, burrowing into my arm before I put her down for bed.

Thursday 20th September

Woken at 7.30 am by Jim knocking at the window – Lucy almost jumps out of her skin! Open Podracer’s door to find Panda sat waiting for us….. not quite as enjoyable as waking to Spot sat on my head! Time for Zorbing – throwing ourselves down a hill in a large inflatable ball filled with water. Try to stand up & run but fail miserably and as we come to a rest we pop out of the bottom of the ball – like a scene from an alien birthing movie! We dry ourselves off; swap our DVDs at the spacestation & then head to the other side of Rotorua for a visit to a Maori settlement – Whakarewarewa – where we bump into a few people from the campsite. Our guide appears to be the Maori Robert DeNiro (even has the tear drop on the cheek) and proves entertaining in our 45 min tour – followed by a cultural performance (song & dance including the Haka) & a sample of Hangi (traditional food cooked in the ground). The village is still lived in and the thermal springs are used for coking, bathing & even heating the homes – although I guess it must get pretty hot during the summer as even the floor feels hot to the touch. Particularly fascinated by the symbolism of the meeting house or Wharenui – the head is at the front on the roof, then the arches are the arms, the columns the legs, windows are eyes and you enter through the mouth. The spine goes along the centre of the roof, the ribs decorate the ceiling & then the heart is the central pillar. When family come to visit, this is where they stay and up to 200 people can be housed. The final part of the tour is the impressive Pohutu Geyser & then we are left to explore the rest of the village – mud pools & volcanic lake. Most amusing part of the day had to be Lucy’s attempt to make a Maori face – stick out tongue & protrude eyes – she managed to go ‘bong-eyed’!
Next we’re off to Taupo, stopping at the Honey Hive on the way to sample to delicious honey & mead and to learn all about bees. Also make a brief stop at Hulea Falls – used to run a hydroelectric plant that generates 26% of NZ’s supply. An old lady asks me where my spaceship is…..Park up for the night at Reid’s Farm (bequeathed to travellers by a farmer) in a lovely spot by the Waikato River. All alone apart from a large blue van converted to look like a house! About to cook dinner (a tin of rice pud!) when a couple of strange looking blokes pull up in a battered Cortina estate. Lucy is soon talking to Andre (from Hamburg – who has been here for over 25 yrs and used to be a bushman extraordinaire & now an artist) and Peter (who looks a bit like Millsy and he breaks in farms as well as shearing sheep bums). Andre soon has his 1st bottle of home brew out & is offering it around; before you know it we’re all sat around his burning sweater swigging beer. Famous last words – “Don’t worry I’ve done this before” – are muttered just before Andre throws some diesel on the fire – he soon has a flaming can of diesel in his hand! Attempts to throw the can into the nearby river, fails, and instead we see the bush go up in flames. Unsurprisingly, the family in the nearby campervan are soon moving on. It starts to get a bit chilly as darkness descends & soon Andre is mentioning a ‘dead’ tree he has had his eye on. Before you know it, Peter is up the tree with a machete & we’re pulling on a rope tied around the trunk. Eventually, we resort to a saw but pretty soon we’re sat around an excellent campfire. Have an interesting time, talking, swigging home-brew and wondering at the beauty of fire. Peter has some great tales to tell & Andre keeps asking if he’s attractive before handing out the booze. Only downer of the night was the arrival of Grant – one of Peter’s friends – who had discovered ‘The Secret’ on the Oprah Show. He spends an hour confusing the hell out of Andre by asking if people could be beamed up a la Star Trek. Sad to say that his goal in life – his visualisation for the Secret – is a housebus….. Think big! Thankfully he goes before Andre produces the machete! Our early night turns into a 2am finish & whilst it’s sad to say goodbye to our new friends, I’ve caught a chill & need the warmth of the sleeping bag & Lucy’s embrace. Where are the thermal baths when you need them!?!?

Friday 21st September

After the late night around the campfire we wake up to the sound of a little green bird in full vocal flow. The blue ‘housebus’ has gone but a Frenchman in a Wicked Van comes to keep us company for a while. Drive back to Hulea Falls & follow a walking track back into the town of Taupo. Pass our site of the previous night & end up at the Spa Park giving a majestic view down the Waikato River. Almost tempted by the bungy (much cheaper than on the South Island) and have a bit to eat before purchasing a new day pack (having realised the one attached to my rucksack is pretty useless). Having failed to be impressed by Lake Taupo we have a brief look in the small museum – the major exhibit been a garden that won a prize at the Chelsea Flower Show & a collection of Airfix models! Head back to the Spaceship & on to the ‘Craters of the Moon’ the landscape really is of an otherworldly nature as gas vents through the rocks & mud bubbles in the crates. Next, we’re on our way to National Park & are transfixed by our 2nd viewing of Lake Taupo – the sun is setting & the colours, silhouettes & shadows are awe-inspiring. Stop for petrol at just about the friendliest petrol station ever & then it’s on to Discovery Lodge, just outside of Whakapapa. Notice the difference in air temperature immediately and get the thermals & sleeping bags ready. Have an early night…. It’s cold!

Saturday 22nd September

It’s still cold when we awake but the sun is shining and soon we feel the need to get out of the sleeping bag & multiple layers of clothes we slept in. Today we’re doing the Tongariro Crossing – NZ’s most popular one-day tramp. The previous day we had brushed off the Taupo Visitor’s Centre recommendation of taking an ice pick & crampons, and on arriving at the start of the guided tramp we felt justified in that. The sun was just breaking through & the low-lying clouds were shifting…in fact it looked like a glorious day ahead. Setting off on the walk with our guide – Grant – we were informed that we’d be going uphill for 4 hrs – ascending 700m in the process – then downhill for 4 hrs – descending 1100m. Despite the whining accent of a honeymooning Boston couple we had a good group, the scenery was fantastic and we were soon making our way up towards the Lords Of Rings location for Mount Doom. All was good for the first 2-3 hrs and then the weather started to close in. Soon, we were walking through snow, with more coming down, along with an icy wind and clouds that offered little visibility. This made for horrendous walking conditions and also meant that the view of the magnificent lakes, crates & volcanoes was all but gone. Most disturbing incident came as we were about to rest at the ‘Hot Rocks’ as the annoying American girl managed to disappear beneath the snow – saved only by her backpack & ice-pick! She was lucky to escape serious injury – there one minute & gone the next. Battling on through the snow we started to descend – sliding rapidly downhill on our bottoms for a good 200ft – and by this stage we’d discovered that our waterproof pants were not all that waterproof. Having ice in our boots & pants did not a happy Lucy make. However, once below the cloud cover we soon started to warm up & dry out (a bit) and could finally start to appreciate the splendid views. The downhill section was hard on the knees but before you knew it we were back at the car park waiting to be picked up – wet & sore but feeling a sense of achievement in getting through the experience. From there it's in the van & on to a local café for hot chips and a quick beer to quench the thirst. The crossing was a great experience, I only wish the weather had been kinder so that we could marvel at the views and not be so wet. As it is, I think we’ll have to buy some postcards (or try to come back to do the crossing at a kinder time of year). What a relief to get back to the site, have a hot shower & a warm drink – amazing how such simple things can give such a great pleasure. Grant – our guide – recommends a pub called “The Old Hotel” for dinner & so we head to National Park where we are pleasantly surprised to find we are just in time to order food (it’s 8.29pm). Order the old favourites – burger & chips – and settle down in front of the log fire with a bottle of Monteith’s Golden (Lucy has Winter Ale – tastes like treacle!). Entertainment is provided by the locals dancing around the jukebox – in particular an old bloke in a shell-top reminds me of Frank from Shameless, whilst an hold Maori woman with no teeth dances with her daughter. The whole place reminds me of a scene from Shameless – bar staff much friendlier though! After the days exertions the beer soon hits me and I’m asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. Have a weird dream about taking my CBT using a golf club to manoeuvre around traffic cones!

Sunday 23rd September

Up early and head south towards Taihape via National Park (which isn’t quite so lively today) and a quick stop in Whakapappa Village that really doesn’t have much to offer apart from the Chateau (hotel) & impressive tourist info site. More clouds today & weather up high sounds awful so it appears it’s just as well we did the crossing yesterday as would have been no chance today. Scenic drive down to the River Valley Lodge on the Rangitikei River – impressive valleys and we’re immediately taken by the whole set-up. Park-up facing the river & waterfall then back up the steep slope for a round of pitch & putt. Find my time spent at the driving range is useless, but we have a great time knocking the ball about in the sun. Fox terrier comes to pay us a visit before darting off into the bush & we pass two cherry blossom trees teeming with bees. After golf we have a beer (jugs of Speight’s & Mac’s Gold) & lovely roast beef dinner whilst looking at various images of rafts capsizing. As the evening gets going the log-fire is lit in the centre of the room & drinking games are started – the nail game & ‘riding the bus’ are chief culprits. Meet a lovely Finnish couple over dinner & discuss the adventure ahead. Back to Podracer around 9.30 and sleep to the sound of rain pelting down.

Monday 24th September

Rare treat for breakfast – baked beans with sausages on toast! Meet at 8.30am for our rafting trip – force myself into damp booties & wetsuit and then into the mini-bus for a 20-minute ride to the start of the river-run. The road isn’t as bad as Skipper’s Canyon, but don’t think Lucy was too fond of the twists & turns. Our guide is a cool Kiwi guy called Tommy who lives very near the lodge (works in farming much of the year – shearing sheep’s bottoms) and our crew is made up of a Finn (from the previous night – his wife is ill), 2 Texans (who are the only others in a campervan) & a guy from Utah. Rapids are much better than previous rafting experiences – the Rangitikei is said to have the most grade 5 rapids in one section in NZ. Some of the drops are spectacular & apart from a few deliberate attempts at swimming I’m amazed we all manage to stay in the raft. Towards the end of the trip we all get out, climb a large rock and jump into the water – the jump is much bigger than I initially thought & really gets the heart going. Our 3 hrs of fun is over all too quickly & we’re back at the Lodge for lunch (lovely ham & pumpkin quiche) and a viewing of our photos & footage. The sun breaks through the clouds & so we decide to spend another night – intending to play boules, enjoy the spa and catch up with some reading….maybe even practice the nail game. Unfortunately, the sun doesn’t last & we spend the evening sheltered inside, reading, enjoying the view from the spa tub, eating a pasta dinner & snoozing with the resident cat on my lap (the other cat sleeps on top of the PC monitor!). The Kiwi Experience bus crowd are a lot less lively than the drinking game crowd of the previous day & so an early night beckons.

Tuesday 25th September

A cooked breakfast in the lodge and then we’re on the road again to Wellington – the nation’s capital and a place we have heard rave reviews about from a number of friends. Unfortunately, the reputation for bad weather is also well deserved and we are met by a cold southerly wind blowing up from Antarctica. Decide to spend a couple of nights in the YHA to combat the weather and take a break from the van. We spend the afternoon in Te Papa – the Museum of New Zealand –, which is housed in a fantastic, modern complex. Plenty for the young & old to do but best of all is it’s free! More info on volcanoes – I’ll be an expert by the time we leave – and Maori, but I find the ‘Passport’ exhibition most interesting (it’s about the early settlers). Walk around town, heading up the much vaunted but slightly disappointing Cuba St. Have a great noodle dinner and then having missed the movie at Wellington’s oldest cinema – The Paramount – we head to the revamped Embassy (all art deco elegance replete with huge mirrors & chandeliers). Watch ‘Perfume’ – an intriguing little movie about an orphaned child, who is brought into the world in awful circumstances, is mistreated as a youth but develops an outstanding sense of smell. The tale then follows his twisted journey to create the perfect scent – helped on his way by a manic Dustin Hoffman cameo. It’s gruesome in parts, without ever showing ‘extreme’ violence, and the scene of execution is amusing without meaning to be…. Think the Cockney accents in 18th Century Paris spoil it somewhat! After that it’s bed & our 1st night indoors for a fortnight.

Wednesday 26th September

Up at 7am for an ‘internet catch-up’ session, but even in an hour I only get the bare minimum done – no chance of even starting my travel blog so I guess that will now have to wait until we get back to Oz. After that, it’s on with the thermals and into another bitterly cold Wellington day. 1st stop is the cool looking Espressoholic for breakfast – which is lovely – and then onto the cable car that takes us up a steep incline to the Botanical Gardens. Fantastic views greet us at the end of our brief (3:30 min) journey, but the rain soon spoils our fun & so we duck inside the cable car museum for a brief respite. Once the rain lets up we amble through the gardens, passing the duck pond, tulip garden (full bloom) & rose garden (out of season) on our way into the city. I’m sure the walk would have been beautiful if not for the weather, but as it was it was still nice to have a walk around together. Bit of a confusing time map reading before we pass the old parliament building (looks like stone but it’s actually wood) and make it to the Parliament Buildings just in time for the tour. Afterwards, stop for a glass of Mac’s White (wheat beer) in the nearby ‘Backbencher Pub’ – has walls adorned with cartoons & spitting image style latex puppets of kiwi politicians & sports stars. Abandon plans to visit the wildlife sanctuary – time & weather – and instead pop along to the Museum of Wellington City & Sea. Of particular interest is the moving display about the Wahine ferry disaster which took 51 lives in April 1968, and an impressive hydrographical display that relays a couple of stories of Maori legend. However, nothing can compete with the revelation of where the term ‘jandal’ come from. Turns out a kiwi visiting the 1956 Tokyo Olympics was taken by the footwear sported by the Japanese team, came back to NZ and created hiss own…. So it’s a combination of Japan & sandal.