Auckland
Got the bus back to Auckland and met up with Grainne at the hostel. It was so great to see her and it's going to be excellent to have someone to travel with for the next month. However, she managed to acquire a 19yr old Brummie guy on the plane, who seems to be slightly unlucky - in four weeks he managed to have his luggage delayed, lose some shoes, had some incident involving his eye and had to go to hospital and broke his wrist. So we were hoping once he checked in he would disappear but then he appeared at our door as he had lost his wallet!! He was really young and naive and had no clue so we had to spend most of the day trying to help him sort it out and then he kept camping out in our room, but eventually we got rid of him!
We spent most of our time in Auckland trying to sort out our mode of transport for the next month - we eventually (after much debating!) decided to get a campervan for a month to use round the north and south islands. Am quite excited but really nervous about driving it!
We went up the Sky Tower, which is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere I think and the views around Auckland were absolutely amazing. It was getting dark as we were up there so the city was lit up aswell which was great.
Bay of Islands - Pahia
We picked up the camper that was to be our home for the next month! It's a bit old but it's nice enough and has got everything a girl could need! The girl showed us around it and explained how to use everything. There's a toilet cassette that you have to manually empty so we are operating a strict 'no shitting in the toilet' policy so it won't be too disgusting to empty! And then we also have to empty all the other waste water and fill up with fresh water every few days, and there's a little has stove in there aswell for cooking, and a little fridge, although it's so cold you can keep stuff out and it doesn't go off!!
Obviously not that many girls hire campervans without a big strong man to do all the driving and everything, and the vans are obviously designed for men as some things are so big and wide apart! We loaded all our stuff into it - it's going to be sooo nice to not have to pack up my backpack every few days! - and headed off up north to the Bay of Islands.
Grainne decided to drive first so I was on navigation duty which wasn't too bad - we only made one wrong turn! Grainne seemed to get quite comfortable driving it so I was sitting in the passenger seat getting more and more nervous about how I was going to get on! So after a couple of hours I decided it was better get it over and done with so hopped in the driver seat and off I went! I was surprised how easy it was to drive, it did feel a lot bigger than a car but as the roads are so wide over here I was not having any width issues that I thought I might have! Had to contend with lots of mountains and sharp bends and in the dark too but it was fine, I was actually quite proud of myself! Had a bit of fun parking in the supermarket car park and then when we got to the campsite and Grainne told me I would have to back it into the spot for the hookup to the electricity I thought she was having a laugh, but I managed it without putting any dents into it so that was good! And then we settled in for the night! Was a wee bit chilly but not too bad with the heater on!
The next day we went on a cruise round all the islands and up to the famous Cape Brett and the hole in the rock. The scenery was stunning, although there was one rock that the skipper pointed out saying it was the 8th wonder of the world as it had tropical snow on it. I wondered what he was talking about but when I looked it was covered in bird's shit which was lovely! The
hole in the rock is exactly what it says on the tin but it is big enough for boats to sail through it which was quite cool! On the way back we spotted a pod of dolphins, there was about 20 or so of them in the water swimming about, it was absolutely amazing to see. We wanted to swim with them but as there were baby ones there we weren't allowed, but still fantastic to watch them in their natural habitat.
We got off the boat at Russell, which I think is one of the oldest towns in NZ, but there wasn't really much there, apart from a really good fish and chip shop! Then we got the boat back to
Pahia as we were missing our little camper! We drove up to Waitangi which was a place where a treaty was signed between the Maoris and the British a few hundred years ago so it was really interesting to watch a video to understand about all the history and then walk around and see the place where it all happened.
We then drove down to Whangerei and spent the night there. On the way down we drove through a town called Kawakawa that is apparently really famous for the Hundertwasser toilets, although I had never heard of them! Anyway, seeing as we were passing through we thought we would see what all the fuss was about, only we couldn't find them anywhere! I refused to ask someone where these toilets were so Grainne asked someone and it appeared that we had driven right past them without noticing them! They were quite cool though - lots of different coloured glass bottles cemented in the walls, so glad we made the effort to see them!
Whangerei
Are having a few problems with the camper - a few things don't work properly and there is loads of condensation running down inside the van, making some of our clothes a bit wet. We phoned to complain and they offered us another one so as we head south we had to swing by Auckland to pick up another one. However, as we tried to leave the campsite the van wouldn't move. At first I thought it was my driving then I realised we were stuck in the mud!! But after two strong men and some strategically placed wood we managed to get on our way!
First we stopped at the Whangerei waterfalls for a little walk which was nice and the Town Basin which was lovely as it was right down by the harbour and loads of boats were docked there. Then I drove down to Auckland. Am so used to the beast now though I was zipping in and out of lanes, and it was quite nice to not always be the slowest person on the roads (everyone speeds here but I haven't quite plucked up the courage to do it yet and am quite happy driving along at 100kmph!)!
We got back to the van hire place and they offered us a few different vans and we decided to take the plunge and have upgraded not only to a nicer van but one that is slightly bigger aswell!!!! It feels even more like a bus than the first one, and feels a lot more sturdy aswell and it took a bit of getting used to but was easy enough! I'll be driving trucks soon!! By the time we left Auckland it was getting dark but between us we managed to make it to Rotorua by about 9pm.
Rotorua
We got a spot in the holiday park right by the lake so had a fantastic view when we woke up in the morning of the sun rising over the lake. We wandered into town, through a park where there were lots of hot pools with steam coming off them. There are loads of little holes everywhere where steam pores out of, even in the middle of the road!
We caught a gondola up to the top of a mountain where there were great views of the lake and surrounding areas. Then we decided to try lunging, which is basically a toboggon thing with brakes, and there were a few different tracks you could go on down to get down the mountain. It was great fun, screaming round corners and down dips and stuff! We tried the scenic course first, but then went back on the internediate and advanced tracks where you could go faster and it was cool!
In the evening we went to a Maori concert. There was a dinner option but we decided just to see the concert, but were the only ones to choose this so felt a bit of a pauper when everyone else went to go to dinner and we went back to our camper! But the concert was fantastic. First we walked down to a river and the men, all dressed in the traditional clothes, paddled downt he river in a canoe, singing and chanting. Then we followed them up to a recreation of a village and we had a traditional welcome, with lots more singing and chanting. Then the chief spoke in English and explained everything. They showed us all the different musical instruments they use and the weapons too. Then they did lots more singing and dancing and the chief translated as we went along. Then we had to do a bit of singing and dancing as well but it was quite funny! The language is quite difficult to pronounce but it didn't really matter! Then everyone else went to dinner and we got takeaway fish and chips and ate them in our little van!
The place where we were staying had a hot mineral pool so after dinner we decided to take our glass of wine and sit in the hot pool! It was sooo nice and warm, like a really hot bath, I didn't want to get out as I knew it was going to be cold outside!!
The next day we went to Wai-O-Tapu which is a huge park area with lots of geysers, hot pools and crater things with steam coming out of them! It was so cold though as we walked around, and the weather wasn't that great so the colours of the lakes probably weren't as good as they could've been, but it was still nice to walk around and we could still see a lot of different coloured pools around, and the champange pool was a fantastic colour - orange on the outside and turquoise in the middle. It did stink of sulphur though which was a bit nasty!
We also went to see some mud pools which were pretty cool to look at with all the mud bubbling away! Taupo On the way to Taupo we stopped at Huka Falls which were very impressive. They weren't that big but they were so powerful as the water gushed down the river, and were a great blue colour aswell. Then after that we went to see the Craters of the Moon, which was yet another area with lots of steam blowing out from under the ground! Then we drove into Taupo and got the most amazing view of snow covered mountains behind the lake.
We found a nice campsite close to town, and then went into town to sort out some activities. I was thinking of doing a skydive but it was so expensive I decided there were other things I'd much rather spend my money on! Instead we booked to do the Tongariro Crossing, which is an 18km walk through the mountains which I thought would be pretty amazing. The weather was going to take a turn for the worse though so the next day was the only time we would be able to do it for the next week, so the decision was made for us!
We were picked up at 6.10am, which is the earliest I've been up in a long time and drove over to Tongariro National Park. The storm coming from the north which was supposed to happen in the evening was going to come earlier than expected so it meant we couldn't do the whole walk, we would only be able to go so far and then come back the same way, which was a little disappointing but for safety reasons it had to be that way. We got fitted with boots and crampons and warm gear and then off we went! We were up there for about 7 hours, but it wasn't as cold as I thought it might be, and the weather was so changeable. We encountered a whiteout at one point and then it kept clearing and you got really good views. We walked for a while on the flat, and then when we got to the Devil's Staircase we had to put on our crampons. I've never worn them before but they were great. I felt like Spiderman as you could walk over anything - snow or ice - and you don't slip at all, it was fantastic!
It was a tough walk but not as bad as I was expecting it to be, and when it was clear the views were amazing, but I am a sucker for a snow covered mountain! We found the side of a crater where there were no rocks and turned it into a bit of a slide that was a bit steep but was fun to slide down! And then on the way down sometimes it was just easier to get on your arse and slide rather than walk! We timed it quite well though as just as we got back to the shelter it started raining and didn't really stop for the next 24 hours which was lovely! It was a great day though, am really glad I went up there. It's always a satisfying feeling to feel so physically exhausted after a hard day's walking!
Taurangi
Taurangi is on the south side of Lake Taupo so we drove round the edge of the lake, although the views weren't that great as the clouds were so low. We got to Taurangi and found that there wasn't really anything here, except the white water rafting which Grainne wanted to do so we decided to stay. Saw a climbing wall which I've always wanted to have a go on so we did! It was a bit harder than I thought it would be but it was great fun!
We went to the only bar in town on a Saturday night and it filled up when the rugby came on so we watched that and it was actually quite good when you get into it! But as soon as it finished the whole bar emptied out in about 2 minutes and that was that so that was our exciting Saturday night!!
Most of the next day, when Grainne went on the river, it decided to rain but I thought I'd put all my wet weather gear on and go for a walk anyway! I did get slightly drenched but it was good to be outside and I did a little loop round the river Tongariro.
We had a bit of a scare in the night as at about 4.30am this really loud siren went off for ages. We had no idea what it was for but I figured we were too far away from volcanoes and it was too cold for one to be erupting, but there was the possibility of an earthquake I guess! Grainne was quite freaked out by it, but I guess the years of living close to Broadmoor and having the weekly siren tests made me a bit blase about it and I figured it couldn't be anything too serious -we were close to the police station so I thought maybe it was a signal for volunteer firefighters or something like that. Anyway, Grainne went off down the road to the police station to ask someone what was going on but there was no one there so in the end we just went back to sleep! In the morning we asked someone what it was all about and apparently it was from the fire station which was also just down the road so nothing for us to worry about then!
Wellington
From Taurangi going south you have to drive on the Desert Road which is supposed to be a stunning drive with lots of fabulous scenery. However, the day we decided to drive it it was torrential rain and low cloud so you could see bugger all which was nice! The road was quite twisty and hilly which tested my driving skills aswell!! Further south though the weather improved and some of the views were pretty fantastic. We stopped at a couple of beaches along the way aswell, which were windy and cold but still nice for a little stroll.
When we got to Wellington we finally managed to drag ourselves out for a night on the town, although nightlife in NZ is quite quiet during the week. We visited a couple of places for a drink but there wasn't really that much going on.
We spent the next day in Wellington - went up the cable car and walked round the bottanical gardens, visited parliament and the government buildings and Old St Paul's church, and walked down by the waterfront. Went for a lovely curry in the evening - tried to find somewhere to listen to some jazz but it seems things only happen in Wellington at the weekend which was a bit annoying! It's a lovely city though, I prefer it to Auckland and has a really nice atmosphere.
The next day before we got the ferry over to the South Island we went to the Te Papa museum which had been recommended to us. It was an excellent museum with lots of different rooms and areas about NZ and the geography and the people etc. It had some cool interactive stuff aswell so it was better than just wandering around reading things, you could spend days in the place! Unfortunately we only had a couple of hours so went on a whistle stop tour, which was good, esp as it is the summer holidays over here so the place was full of kids who generally annoy me as they can't behave!!!!
We got the ferry over to the south island, and were told that the last hour was suberb scenery as you come in through the Marlborough Sounds (ie lots of islands!) into Picton. However, in our case the ferry left nearly an hour late so it was dark by the time we got to this bit and it was pissing with rain so we couldn't see a damn thing!!! This seems to be the story of our life at the moment but nevermind, there's always tomorrow and plenty of other stunning places to see!
Got the bus back to Auckland and met up with Grainne at the hostel. It was so great to see her and it's going to be excellent to have someone to travel with for the next month. However, she managed to acquire a 19yr old Brummie guy on the plane, who seems to be slightly unlucky - in four weeks he managed to have his luggage delayed, lose some shoes, had some incident involving his eye and had to go to hospital and broke his wrist. So we were hoping once he checked in he would disappear but then he appeared at our door as he had lost his wallet!! He was really young and naive and had no clue so we had to spend most of the day trying to help him sort it out and then he kept camping out in our room, but eventually we got rid of him!
We spent most of our time in Auckland trying to sort out our mode of transport for the next month - we eventually (after much debating!) decided to get a campervan for a month to use round the north and south islands. Am quite excited but really nervous about driving it!
We went up the Sky Tower, which is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere I think and the views around Auckland were absolutely amazing. It was getting dark as we were up there so the city was lit up aswell which was great.
Bay of Islands - Pahia
We picked up the camper that was to be our home for the next month! It's a bit old but it's nice enough and has got everything a girl could need! The girl showed us around it and explained how to use everything. There's a toilet cassette that you have to manually empty so we are operating a strict 'no shitting in the toilet' policy so it won't be too disgusting to empty! And then we also have to empty all the other waste water and fill up with fresh water every few days, and there's a little has stove in there aswell for cooking, and a little fridge, although it's so cold you can keep stuff out and it doesn't go off!!
Obviously not that many girls hire campervans without a big strong man to do all the driving and everything, and the vans are obviously designed for men as some things are so big and wide apart! We loaded all our stuff into it - it's going to be sooo nice to not have to pack up my backpack every few days! - and headed off up north to the Bay of Islands.
Grainne decided to drive first so I was on navigation duty which wasn't too bad - we only made one wrong turn! Grainne seemed to get quite comfortable driving it so I was sitting in the passenger seat getting more and more nervous about how I was going to get on! So after a couple of hours I decided it was better get it over and done with so hopped in the driver seat and off I went! I was surprised how easy it was to drive, it did feel a lot bigger than a car but as the roads are so wide over here I was not having any width issues that I thought I might have! Had to contend with lots of mountains and sharp bends and in the dark too but it was fine, I was actually quite proud of myself! Had a bit of fun parking in the supermarket car park and then when we got to the campsite and Grainne told me I would have to back it into the spot for the hookup to the electricity I thought she was having a laugh, but I managed it without putting any dents into it so that was good! And then we settled in for the night! Was a wee bit chilly but not too bad with the heater on!
The next day we went on a cruise round all the islands and up to the famous Cape Brett and the hole in the rock. The scenery was stunning, although there was one rock that the skipper pointed out saying it was the 8th wonder of the world as it had tropical snow on it. I wondered what he was talking about but when I looked it was covered in bird's shit which was lovely! The
hole in the rock is exactly what it says on the tin but it is big enough for boats to sail through it which was quite cool! On the way back we spotted a pod of dolphins, there was about 20 or so of them in the water swimming about, it was absolutely amazing to see. We wanted to swim with them but as there were baby ones there we weren't allowed, but still fantastic to watch them in their natural habitat.We got off the boat at Russell, which I think is one of the oldest towns in NZ, but there wasn't really much there, apart from a really good fish and chip shop! Then we got the boat back to
Pahia as we were missing our little camper! We drove up to Waitangi which was a place where a treaty was signed between the Maoris and the British a few hundred years ago so it was really interesting to watch a video to understand about all the history and then walk around and see the place where it all happened.We then drove down to Whangerei and spent the night there. On the way down we drove through a town called Kawakawa that is apparently really famous for the Hundertwasser toilets, although I had never heard of them! Anyway, seeing as we were passing through we thought we would see what all the fuss was about, only we couldn't find them anywhere! I refused to ask someone where these toilets were so Grainne asked someone and it appeared that we had driven right past them without noticing them! They were quite cool though - lots of different coloured glass bottles cemented in the walls, so glad we made the effort to see them!
Whangerei
Are having a few problems with the camper - a few things don't work properly and there is loads of condensation running down inside the van, making some of our clothes a bit wet. We phoned to complain and they offered us another one so as we head south we had to swing by Auckland to pick up another one. However, as we tried to leave the campsite the van wouldn't move. At first I thought it was my driving then I realised we were stuck in the mud!! But after two strong men and some strategically placed wood we managed to get on our way!
First we stopped at the Whangerei waterfalls for a little walk which was nice and the Town Basin which was lovely as it was right down by the harbour and loads of boats were docked there. Then I drove down to Auckland. Am so used to the beast now though I was zipping in and out of lanes, and it was quite nice to not always be the slowest person on the roads (everyone speeds here but I haven't quite plucked up the courage to do it yet and am quite happy driving along at 100kmph!)!
We got back to the van hire place and they offered us a few different vans and we decided to take the plunge and have upgraded not only to a nicer van but one that is slightly bigger aswell!!!! It feels even more like a bus than the first one, and feels a lot more sturdy aswell and it took a bit of getting used to but was easy enough! I'll be driving trucks soon!! By the time we left Auckland it was getting dark but between us we managed to make it to Rotorua by about 9pm.
Rotorua
We got a spot in the holiday park right by the lake so had a fantastic view when we woke up in the morning of the sun rising over the lake. We wandered into town, through a park where there were lots of hot pools with steam coming off them. There are loads of little holes everywhere where steam pores out of, even in the middle of the road!
We caught a gondola up to the top of a mountain where there were great views of the lake and surrounding areas. Then we decided to try lunging, which is basically a toboggon thing with brakes, and there were a few different tracks you could go on down to get down the mountain. It was great fun, screaming round corners and down dips and stuff! We tried the scenic course first, but then went back on the internediate and advanced tracks where you could go faster and it was cool!
In the evening we went to a Maori concert. There was a dinner option but we decided just to see the concert, but were the only ones to choose this so felt a bit of a pauper when everyone else went to go to dinner and we went back to our camper! But the concert was fantastic. First we walked down to a river and the men, all dressed in the traditional clothes, paddled downt he river in a canoe, singing and chanting. Then we followed them up to a recreation of a village and we had a traditional welcome, with lots more singing and chanting. Then the chief spoke in English and explained everything. They showed us all the different musical instruments they use and the weapons too. Then they did lots more singing and dancing and the chief translated as we went along. Then we had to do a bit of singing and dancing as well but it was quite funny! The language is quite difficult to pronounce but it didn't really matter! Then everyone else went to dinner and we got takeaway fish and chips and ate them in our little van!
The place where we were staying had a hot mineral pool so after dinner we decided to take our glass of wine and sit in the hot pool! It was sooo nice and warm, like a really hot bath, I didn't want to get out as I knew it was going to be cold outside!!
The next day we went to Wai-O-Tapu which is a huge park area with lots of geysers, hot pools and crater things with steam coming out of them! It was so cold though as we walked around, and the weather wasn't that great so the colours of the lakes probably weren't as good as they could've been, but it was still nice to walk around and we could still see a lot of different coloured pools around, and the champange pool was a fantastic colour - orange on the outside and turquoise in the middle. It did stink of sulphur though which was a bit nasty!
We also went to see some mud pools which were pretty cool to look at with all the mud bubbling away! Taupo On the way to Taupo we stopped at Huka Falls which were very impressive. They weren't that big but they were so powerful as the water gushed down the river, and were a great blue colour aswell. Then after that we went to see the Craters of the Moon, which was yet another area with lots of steam blowing out from under the ground! Then we drove into Taupo and got the most amazing view of snow covered mountains behind the lake.
We found a nice campsite close to town, and then went into town to sort out some activities. I was thinking of doing a skydive but it was so expensive I decided there were other things I'd much rather spend my money on! Instead we booked to do the Tongariro Crossing, which is an 18km walk through the mountains which I thought would be pretty amazing. The weather was going to take a turn for the worse though so the next day was the only time we would be able to do it for the next week, so the decision was made for us!
We were picked up at 6.10am, which is the earliest I've been up in a long time and drove over to Tongariro National Park. The storm coming from the north which was supposed to happen in the evening was going to come earlier than expected so it meant we couldn't do the whole walk, we would only be able to go so far and then come back the same way, which was a little disappointing but for safety reasons it had to be that way. We got fitted with boots and crampons and warm gear and then off we went! We were up there for about 7 hours, but it wasn't as cold as I thought it might be, and the weather was so changeable. We encountered a whiteout at one point and then it kept clearing and you got really good views. We walked for a while on the flat, and then when we got to the Devil's Staircase we had to put on our crampons. I've never worn them before but they were great. I felt like Spiderman as you could walk over anything - snow or ice - and you don't slip at all, it was fantastic!
It was a tough walk but not as bad as I was expecting it to be, and when it was clear the views were amazing, but I am a sucker for a snow covered mountain! We found the side of a crater where there were no rocks and turned it into a bit of a slide that was a bit steep but was fun to slide down! And then on the way down sometimes it was just easier to get on your arse and slide rather than walk! We timed it quite well though as just as we got back to the shelter it started raining and didn't really stop for the next 24 hours which was lovely! It was a great day though, am really glad I went up there. It's always a satisfying feeling to feel so physically exhausted after a hard day's walking!
Taurangi
Taurangi is on the south side of Lake Taupo so we drove round the edge of the lake, although the views weren't that great as the clouds were so low. We got to Taurangi and found that there wasn't really anything here, except the white water rafting which Grainne wanted to do so we decided to stay. Saw a climbing wall which I've always wanted to have a go on so we did! It was a bit harder than I thought it would be but it was great fun!
We went to the only bar in town on a Saturday night and it filled up when the rugby came on so we watched that and it was actually quite good when you get into it! But as soon as it finished the whole bar emptied out in about 2 minutes and that was that so that was our exciting Saturday night!!
Most of the next day, when Grainne went on the river, it decided to rain but I thought I'd put all my wet weather gear on and go for a walk anyway! I did get slightly drenched but it was good to be outside and I did a little loop round the river Tongariro.
We had a bit of a scare in the night as at about 4.30am this really loud siren went off for ages. We had no idea what it was for but I figured we were too far away from volcanoes and it was too cold for one to be erupting, but there was the possibility of an earthquake I guess! Grainne was quite freaked out by it, but I guess the years of living close to Broadmoor and having the weekly siren tests made me a bit blase about it and I figured it couldn't be anything too serious -we were close to the police station so I thought maybe it was a signal for volunteer firefighters or something like that. Anyway, Grainne went off down the road to the police station to ask someone what was going on but there was no one there so in the end we just went back to sleep! In the morning we asked someone what it was all about and apparently it was from the fire station which was also just down the road so nothing for us to worry about then!
Wellington
From Taurangi going south you have to drive on the Desert Road which is supposed to be a stunning drive with lots of fabulous scenery. However, the day we decided to drive it it was torrential rain and low cloud so you could see bugger all which was nice! The road was quite twisty and hilly which tested my driving skills aswell!! Further south though the weather improved and some of the views were pretty fantastic. We stopped at a couple of beaches along the way aswell, which were windy and cold but still nice for a little stroll.
When we got to Wellington we finally managed to drag ourselves out for a night on the town, although nightlife in NZ is quite quiet during the week. We visited a couple of places for a drink but there wasn't really that much going on.
We spent the next day in Wellington - went up the cable car and walked round the bottanical gardens, visited parliament and the government buildings and Old St Paul's church, and walked down by the waterfront. Went for a lovely curry in the evening - tried to find somewhere to listen to some jazz but it seems things only happen in Wellington at the weekend which was a bit annoying! It's a lovely city though, I prefer it to Auckland and has a really nice atmosphere.
The next day before we got the ferry over to the South Island we went to the Te Papa museum which had been recommended to us. It was an excellent museum with lots of different rooms and areas about NZ and the geography and the people etc. It had some cool interactive stuff aswell so it was better than just wandering around reading things, you could spend days in the place! Unfortunately we only had a couple of hours so went on a whistle stop tour, which was good, esp as it is the summer holidays over here so the place was full of kids who generally annoy me as they can't behave!!!!
We got the ferry over to the south island, and were told that the last hour was suberb scenery as you come in through the Marlborough Sounds (ie lots of islands!) into Picton. However, in our case the ferry left nearly an hour late so it was dark by the time we got to this bit and it was pissing with rain so we couldn't see a damn thing!!! This seems to be the story of our life at the moment but nevermind, there's always tomorrow and plenty of other stunning places to see!
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