Rotorua
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Rotorua |
This portion of our trip follows a more or less meandering "figure 8"
south from Auckland along the east coast to Napier then across to the west coast to
Wanganui, down the west coast to Wellington, then north by way of central
Taupo and Rotorua, and west coast Waitomo area back to Auckland.
Coromandel Penninsula
The Motorway from Auckland south is broad and boring, then you turn east onto
the flat straights to Thames. It then narrows and twists more and more into
the steep hills of Coromandel Penninsula. The Coromandel is the quiet and
laid back opposite of everything Auckland. Thames is "the" town to stock up
and refuel, but not your vacation destination. Coromandel Town, home for many
urban escapees, is a quiet harbourside village with the most recent escapees
in modern suburbs across the harbour from the old town. For a few days before
we arrived, the area had massive downpours which washed out the main access
road and flooded several homes at Thames with mud. The runoff turned much of
the southern bay muddy brick red.
The road winds from one small outlook, beach and cove to another. Starting
near Coromandel Town, the shoreline and road is overhung with massive
pohutakawa trees which are covered with red blossoms in December. The
woman/owner/host at the whimsical Lions Den hostel where we stayed serves
an economical great home-made seafood feast. Lions Den is noted for its
super friendly host/owner, its seafood feasts and its giant hammock tied
high above the stream that borders the property.
Colville is a tiny one-shop stop about 20 of the longest, curviest kilometers
of sealed road in the world from Coromandel Town. It also has a very pretty
little roadside beachfront park. Most of the village really is only the one
shop. The unsealed track/road that goes on further to Port Jackson is reputed
to be rougher and narrower, eventually recommended for all wheel drive
vehicles - after twisting and turning awhile, we turned back to Coromandel.
Waiau waterworks is whimsical collection of moving sculptures and "stuff"
powered by water pressure. Relatively low cost, it is good value as a place
to stop for a picnic and have a stroll. The largest thing uses hats, boots,
chamberpots, cooking pots, teapots and anything else that will hold water
to power a big waterwheel. Fun for adults and children alike.
Waiau Waterworks, 309 Road |
309 Road
The 309 Road is justifiably famous for being hilly, slow and rough.
But it is also a good scenic alternative to highway travel between Coromandel
and Whitianga.
Whitianga
Spectacular; great beaches, good food, cheap ice cream, lots of accommodation.
Definitely an area that we will return to. A modern upscale, clean town
located on beautiful Buffalo Beach, Whitianga is home of the Mercury Bay
Yacht Club. MBYC was made famous by its 1988 challenge with Sir Michael
Faye's 133 foot "big boat" against the giant USA catamaran and again by
its 1992 challenge using the first of the modern 75ft. AC class boats.
When it is open, the Mercury Bay Yacht Club welcomes visiting boaters. The
"big boat" is on permanent display at Viaduct Basin in Auckland
(see photo in Auckland section). Sir Michael is no longer resident in New
Zealand.
We stayed beachfront on Buffalo Beach at the "On the Beach Hostel",
one of our top picks of New Zealand hostels.
There is small passenger ferry across from Whitianga to Ferry Landing
village and a 2.5 km walk on to Shakespeare Lookout. Or you can drive
about 35 km around past some world class beaches to the same spot. If
you drive, you will go past Hot Water, Hahei, Cooks, and Flaxmill Beaches,
each well worth a visit.
Lonely Bay from Shakespeare Lookout with Cooks Beach in background |
Shakespeare Lookout provides views over the nearby small cove of Lonely Bay
(sort walk, clothing optional/free beach) and popular Cooks Beach. Cathedral
Cove is a 5 km (1 hour each way) walk through the natural arch off the eastern
end of Cooks Beach at low tide. Hahei is a big, popular beach with a shorter
3-4 km (40 min each way) walk back over the hill at its western end to the
same Cathedral Cove. It is much smaller with fewer facilities for visitors
than Whitianga.
Nearby is tiny Flaxmill Bay; exquisite, with a small calm beach and large
wave-sculpted sandstone overhangs that are best explored at low tide.
Another low tide experience is Hot Water Beach with its highly over-rated
opportunity to dig yourself a shallow pit which will flood with HOT water
(60 and 64C) and allow you to site in your own ankle deep puddle surrounded
by bus loads of others doing the same gritty thing at each low tide. (There is
another, less crowded option to to the same thing on the west coast at Kawhia.)
Flaxmill Bay |
Opoutere is nearly deserted by comparison, perhaps because the forest
reserve which borders the beach prevents settlement and clearings. There
are a few baches ("cottages" to non-kiwis) one small hostel and a campground
in the settlement, but you should come self-contained. It was about a 10
minute walk through the pines to the wide beach. We wondered about the big
surf, but folks were swimming (we also noticed that it was clothing optional).
The wetlands by Opoutere had a lot of shellfish and birdlife and are noted
as one of the nesting sites for some of the world's few remaining New Zealand
dotterel (a small sand piper-like bird).
Whangamata is a busy resort surfing town. During summer, accommodation was
at a premium. A good spot for big wavs and big crowds.
Waihi Beach
Waihi Beach and Island View flow from one resort summer home sprawl into
another along yet another big surf sweep of sand. Our notes state that the
Waihi beach was littered with "napkin rings". This is the name we gave to
the big snail shells which have been worn down to a ring-like remnant by
being repeatedly dragged across the sand by waves. The hostel we found at
Waihi Beach was cluttered, run-down and filthy with a "for sale" sign in the
front yard. We finally splurged on an upscale motel unit, instead.
Mt Maunganui/Tauranga
Tauranga and the resort area of Mount Maunganui ("The Mount") make a mid-sized
port city with about 20 km of great beaches and greater crowds. It is the service
and shipping center for a large agricultural area. Upscale, cafe society and lots
of modern accommodation for all tastes. There were numerous coin-operated gas
barbecues permanently installed along the beach. It is frequently compared to the
Bay of Islands as a holidy spot. Whereas nearly all the holidayers in the Bay of
Islands were tourists, nearly all the holidayers that we met in the Mount area were
kiwis. Coromandel Penninsula has probably an equal number of both. The Mount is
modern, the 1960's are alive and well in Coromandel.
The long steep walk to the 230 meter Mt. Maunganui summit is supposed to provide
super views up and down the Bay of Plenty beaches. But one of us was recovering
from a sick bug, so no long walk.
Whakatane and especially, Ohope are modern, pretty and upscale. Opotiki is
really basic, older, and seedier. Unfortunately, we drove through Whakatane
and stayed in Opotiki. We now know better for next time.
White Island is an active volcano with a white plume visibly puffing away
on the horizon about 50 km offshore in the Bay of Plenty. It is easily visible
for about 100 km as you drive from Whakatane to Te Kopua on the East Cape.
East Cape
Rural, traditional East Cape is the 330 km of secondary highway 36 from
Opotiki to Gisborne through a lot of small towns with limited facilities
and a lot of history. DO NOT go to East Cape if you are in a hurry. It is
comfortable two-day drive with an opportunity to explore into the small side
settlements and bays or a hair-raising one-day test. Only have one day? then
travel via highway 2; only 147 km. to Gisborne on a wider main highway.
Travelling from Opotiki to Gisborne via East Cape, the road hugs the coast
for the first 115 km as far as Whangaparaoa (near rugged Cape Runaway), then
mostly travels through the hills, with side roads out to the bays and beaches.
Opotiki
Between Ohipe and Opotiki is Ohiwa Harbour famous for its shellfish. The wide
beach is one of the few known nesting sites for the relatively rare New Zealand
dotterel (only about 1450 left world wide) and big flocks of other lagoon birds.
We were there at the end of nesting season, and, as we walked away from the car
park, we immediately saw a few dotterels, they are not shy at all, and walkers are
restricted in access during nesting season. This is a great spot for bird watchers.
The local DOC office has free instructional leaflets regarding the Ohiwa birdlife
and East Cape activities.
We stayed at Central Oasis Backpackers in Opotiki. In a converted old house, our room was
clean and quiet. The bathroom was huge. Other common areas were jammed,
fairly cluttered and tawdry compared to other BP's we stayed at. However, they had space and others
did not. Much of the clutter may have been due to the group staying at the time.
Te Araroa
Te Araroa means "long pathway". We were told by one of the residents that it was
called that because early Maori migrants thought it looked like their homeland in
Tahiti. Seen from the beach, the steep hilly coastline to the east does look Tahitian.
Te Araroa is also where oil is distilled from the local manuka bushes to be used for
a number of skin disorders. Manuka is a New Zealand subspecies of the more familiar
Australian Ti Tree. It is recognized in alternative medicine for its antiseptic and
healing properties.
Te Araroa is halfway between Opotiki and Gisborne and the turnoff to the East
Cape lighthouse, the easternmost point of New Zealand.
Brian's horse treks |
Tokomaru Bay |
Tokomaru Bay
A village on a nice, beach, Tokomaru Bay is a pretty spot with minimal
tourist facilities. Except for the ruins of the old freezing plant and
abbatoir and ruined wharf at the north end of the bay, most of its older
buildings were destroyed by a cyclone in 1988. We stayed at Brian's Place,
a relatively small new, clean and comfortable cabin and tenting area in the
hills near town. Brian is a friendly, gentle guy who also has horses. His
combination bush ride, beach romp horse trek is good value.
Waipiro Bay is a secluded, pretty inlet about 5 km of unsealed gravel ('metal')
road off the main highway near Kopuaroa or Te Puia Springs. Another such
side trip leads you to little Anaura Bay and its quiet campground midway between
Tokomaru Bay and Tolaga Bay.
Anaura Bay, East Cape |
Tolaga Bay is one of the larger towns of the East Cape. It has a fairly large old hotel, the Tolaga Bay Inn and a knitting mill for top-of-the-line wool sweaters. Tolaga Bay's spot of fame is the decrepit 660 meter-long Tolaga Bay wharf, the longest concrete jetty in the southern hemisphere. Okay to walk on for fishing or a picnic, but rapidly deteriorating. Caution required especially with children because there are no guard rails.
Gisborne
Gisborne is a medium size city adjacent to some of New Zealands most fertile
farmland. Large orchards and vineyards surround Gisborne. Historically important
to Europeans because Gisborne was Captain Cook's first New Zealand landing in 1769.
The promentory, Young Nick's Head was the first land sighted by Nick, a young boy
crewmember. A Canadian totem pole identifies the Gisborne visitors' centre.
Captain Cook with Young Nick's Head in background
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Morere
We stopped for the night at a farm hostel next to the Morere hot springs. We were
greeted by a friendly pet pig. Quiet, pick your own room, pick your own oranges, a
spacious old farmhouse with a fireplace in the living room. Slowly being renovated.
Dense brush and birdsongs. The guest book noted that one visitor thought that "your
dog is a real pig".
Mahia Penninsula is accessed by a turnoff about 8 km south of Morere. The small
highway runs beside miles of dark sand beaches, deserted except during the
mid-summer crush. Mahia Beach is a small village with accommodation and a
couple of shops.
Napier
Napier is a Sister City to Victoria, British Columbia. The largest earthquake in
New Zealand recorded history centered on Napier February 3, 1931. Along with some
600 aftershocks, it raised the sea floor, created 300 square kilometres of new
land and devastated the city. The city decided to rebuild the town core on an art
deco theme which remains one of the world's largest collection of art deco style
buildings today. The National Tobacco Building is justifiably famous. Information
for guided and self-guided walking tours is available from the visitors' centre.
The waterfront beach is known for its treacherous surf and the waterfront park is
currently being revitalized. Walking Napier's waterfront park is definitely on our
"must do" list.
Napier Art Deco |
The Hawkes Bay area around Napier is New Zealand's premiere wine growing region. It
hosts a popular February Harvest festival and the Mission Vineyard Concert
which usually features world famous vocalists.
Napier is home to super fish and chips, only $1.70 per fish or chips order,
but buy your ketchup/tomato sauce elsewhere if you are on a budget. Napier's
fish and chips were excelled only by the ones on Waiheke Island.
Cape Kidnappers
Immediately south of Napier is another "must do" attraction in spring or summer. Cape
Kidnappers gannet colony is the world's largest mainland gannet colony.
Some 4-5 000 pairs of gannets lay their eggs from July to October and then tend the
chicks until they start to fly sometime between December and March. Their first flight
is 3000 km to Australia where they spend
two years maturing before returning to stay at Cape Kidnappers to mate and breed
each year for the rest of their lives.
Cape Kidnappers gannet colony |
Apparently, these large, sleek, colorful birds have no fear of humans and may be
approached to within a metre or so. Access is prohibitted during the breeding season
July to September. The rest of the year, access is either along the beach from Clifton
or across private Summerland Station (ranch) by bus. We think that along the beach by foot, quad
vehicle, or "traditional" tractor-drawn trailors during medium to low tide
at the base of the hundred metre cliffs is great except for folks with disabilities.
We avoided the 8 km (each way) walk and took the Gannet Beach Adventure tractor trip.
I think that the Gannet Beach trip is where old farm
tractors go to die. Highly recommended. The trip takes a good half day, take something
to drink and wear clothes and shoes that you do not mind getting wet and sandy.
You will likely get splashed and be hopping on and off the trailers every time
that they get stuck in the surf and soft gravel. Then there is a steep uphill
20 minute walk to view the big gannet colonies. The overland trip avoids the hike.
You can drive right to the 400 metre top of Te Mata peak, to the south of Napier,
near Hastings and Havelock North. It provides good views and walking tracks over
the surrounding area. The road is very steep, narrow and winding, not recommended
unless you have a mechanically reliable car and good brakes.
Driving south from Napier towards Wellington, side roads will lead you past
pubs at a number of crossroads, and, if you get far enough from anywhere, may
lead you to the world's longest place name (yes, even longer than that other
famous unpronouncable place in Wales). There is nothing here, just a sign to
mark the place.
"Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu", located near Mangaorapa
between Hastings and Dannevirke, the name
means "The brow of the hill where Tamatae,
the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains,
known as the Land Eater, played his flute for his lover."
Taumatawhakatangi ... et al |
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is a sports and university town. We did found most of Palmerston
North to be quite dowdy and run down. However, we did find Victoria Esplanade
to be an attractive park along the Manawatu River lagoon in the south part of
town which is a sharp contrast to much of the area. Perhaps we only saw the
dreary part of town, The "Rough Guide to New Zealand" notes that "...things are
noticeably duller when the students are on vacation (Dec - March)..." Rugby
fans might enjoy the New Zealand Rugby Museum located in Palmerston North.
Being a campus town, budget accommodation was at a premium. Although the Anne
Keith Hostel that we stayed at was large, it was probably the most decrepit
accommodation and least interested hosts that we encountered while in New Zealand.
The hostel is in contrast to the lovely nearby Anne Keith bed and breakfast lodge.
Wanganui / Whanganui
Wanganui is the name of the town, Whanganui the name of the river. Cruising up/down
the river has been a major tourist attraction since the turn of the century (some
12 000 tourists used it in 1905 alone), navigable by steamer for 60 miles or so from
Wanganui upstream to Pipiriki then for another 50 miles by canoe and kayak from
Taumarunui to Pipiriki. Very popular for kayak and canoe trips one to five days
long. The restored steamer, "Waimarie" was the first steamship on the ships registry
for New Zealand. It makes daily trips from Wanganui. There is an interesting
riverbank museum in Wanganui that explains its restoration.
Steam vessel, Waimarie |
This was one of the earliest settled areas in New Zealand. It was explored upriver
by Kupe about AD 800 and Maori genealogy traces settlement beginning in 1100 with
major settlement by 1350. The Wanganui Regional Museum is an unsung little gem.
Definitely one of New Zealand's best museums, we recommend it to anyone because of
its Maori treasures and natural history collections.
Best viewpoint in the area is from the Durie Hill lookout, across the river from
the main part of town. It has a view tower atop Durie Hill. You can either walk
up the steep path or take an elevator to the top of the hill (for a small fee) and
then walk the rest of the way up the endless staircase of the lookout (for free).
You may also drive to the base of the tower.
We stayed in a new en suite annex to the lovely old balconied riverside house,
Tamara Backpackers.
Bulls
A village with a sense of humour located between Palmerston North and Wanganui.
It is notabull for its variations on the "Bulls" theme: constabulls police station,
edibulls restaurant, refillabulls petrol station, and more.
The west coast south from the Foxton area nearly to Wellington is mostly wide
surf-swept beaches with few interruptions.
Foxton
Foxton was a pleasant diversion. Foxton marks the start of a commuter and beach
home/cottage/bach and retirees strip that continues for about 80 km the rest of the way to Wellington.
Already home to a number of museums of local history and flax milling, Foxton is
now building New Zealand's first traditional windmill. The base of the windmill
was nearly complete in early 2002, and fund raising to complete the machinery and
sails is well underway. No, Foxton does not have any history of windmills in the
area, but the enthusiastic volunteer that opened the site and guided us around
opined that, if you build it, people will be interested and come to Foxton to see it.
Foxton Windmill |
He also encouraged us to stop off at a local beach fete and watch the "big dig".
It consists of a marked area in the centre of a huge beach within which is buried a
number of tokens which can be redeeemed for prizes. At a start signal a million (maybe
200?) youngsters frantically dig all over the place searching for the tokens and
busily throw sand from their hole into everyone else's hole (and hair, etc). A fun
local event. A live band kept played right alongside a massive sound truck which
blasted forth an unrelated radio station program.
Paraparaumu
We arrived in Paraparaumu just in time to watch the local yacht club use
trailers to bring yachts ashore through high surf and long foreshore shallows
onto the wide sand. The yacht race had started in light winds to go around Kapiti
Island and, by the time the boats were approaching the finish line, winds had
increased to 35 or 40 knots (60-70 km per hour)! It was a wonder that no-one was
squashed in the landing melee. We stayed at Barnacles, a pioneer inn, decrepit
although our room was lovely, completely furnished in 1920's period with a view
across the beach. It was the first permanent accommodation in this now-popular
beach community.
Nearby are the Nyco Chocolate Factory (with tours) and the Southward Car Museum,
probably New Zealand's largest collection and display of antique cars; recommended
to auto buffs.
Paekakeriki
Another beach-front small town, commuting to Wellington, Paekakeriki, appeared
to have a number of fringe interests - jugglers fest, buskers fest, a good old
book store (Pukapuka Books - Maori pronounciation of 'book' is 'puk',
therefore, 'many books').
Paekakeriki |
We left the main highway at Paekakeriki and drove over the ridge of coast hills, coming
back onto the highway at Plimmerton, a narrow winding side road with good views of the
coastline (see photo) and then upscale Wellington commuter homes-in-the-country.
Plimmerton, practically a suburb of Wellington, with frequent and reasonable
commuter train service. And, with a ticket to any main event in Wellington,
you obtain a reduced day rate for the train. We stayed at Moana Lodge, definitely
one of the best hostels and super host/owners in New Zealand ( clean, quiet,
large rooms, big windows overlooking the water, lots of bathroom and shower
space, large dining room and even a dish-washer in the kitchen)! We used it
as our base whenever in or passing through the Wellington area and day-tripped
into town.
Wellington
Located on Cook Strait, New Zealand's Capital and second largest city,
Wellington, is probably the windiest spot in the country. We went there
especially to see the International Sevens Rugby competition and cheer
on the Canadian team - we were even shown on the stadium giant screen waving
our large Canadian flag amongst the 110 000 kiwi rugby lunatics. The
International Sevens tournament in early February is one of the world's
top rugby meets, and kiwi fans are rabid. Sixteen teams compete in a round-robin
format that last over nine hours on each of two days. One end (the "Red" zone)
of the stadium seating is reserved for the serious party animals who get prizes
for the best costumes and wildest antics. The rest are just your average
lunatics. Each day had its own streaker. The stands are scene of a wild
two-day party. We were told that this is a regular feature at most big games
and that large parts of the country become inoperable during major rugby games.
Valence, All Blacks Sevens team |
New Zealand / Australia competition is fierce in all sports. New Zealand rugby is
top-ranked in the world, Australia second, Fiji third and Canada eighth. Canada
played well; one of the only teams to score against Fiji, they scored an early
try ('goal'). However, the massive Fijians reacted quickly to the early surprise
and looked like they were literally swatting flies as they overwhelmed Canada for
the rest of the game. Canadian players were very popular with the fans, being
pulled up from the field and passed into the stands to sign autographs. We saw
one t-shirt that said "I support two teams - the All Blacks, and anyone that
plays against Australia."
The new Wellington stadium is grand. Easy access from trains and buses,
excellent crowd movement, decent hot food and beer at reasonable rates and
NO EXTRA CHARGE FOR KETCHUP! This was outstanding compared to the strangely
high extra charges for ketchup that we encountered at all small cafes.
The Te Papa museum is the large new national museum in Wellington. If visiting,
you should plan on a half-day to tour the museum thoroughly. One of the
highlights of our Wellington stay was to take the tram up the hill in central
Wellington and walk back down through the impressive botanical gardens.
Wellington harbour is a major port and ferry terminus for crossings to the South
Island. While we were there the highest waves in 30 years prevented ferries from
departing. Usual holiday travel crowds combined with the Sevens tournament
made Wellington accommodation and ferry travel impossible. Hundreds of people were
sleeping in the terminals at each end. Our advance reservations were invaluable.
From Wellington, we ferried to the South Island, toured it and returned to
Wellington to continue our trip returning northwards through central Taupo
and Rotorua to Auckland.
Click here to transfer to ferry journey
information or
click here to transfer to
South Island Trip Diary.
Golden Shears annual sheep clip |
Castlepoint |
Castlepoint
Going east of Masterton through hilly sheep country until you hit the
Pacific brings you to Castlepoint, a small beach-side village on one of the
few bays of the southeast coast. It has very little in the way of visitor facilities,
one small shop, and no transient accommodation except for holiday homes/baches. It
has a pretty lighthouse and bay, one of the few safe beaches for children within miles
and a launch site for boats.
Taupo/Rotorua
The Taupo-Rotorua area is the North Island's major non-coastal tourist area,
famous for its thermal active areas. Taupo is oriented towards fishing and local
activities, Rotorua serving as a base for local (Huka Falls, Taupo Hot Springs and
Craters of the Moon thermal area) and surrounding attractions (Tongariro National
Park, Orakei Korako)
Taupo
Taupo Lake is New Zealand's largest lake, formed by a massive volcanic eruption
in the year 186. The eruption was many times the force of famous Krakatoa and
recorded by the Chinese and Romans. It is famous for its fine trout fishing. Local
attractions include the short walk to Huka falls, the De Brett Taupo Hot Springs
resort and the natural undeveloped hot springs on the Waikato River. The De Brett
is a historic old resort with a number of developed spas. Nearby, the hotter parts
of the natural, undeveloped springs where they mix with the Waikato River were only
slightly less than painfully hot. The unmixed, hottest, parts are unbearable.
It is a short drive to the Craters of the Moon thermal area and Wairakei
Geothermal power station. Both are recommended. The Geothermal power station
reminds one of a James Bond movies set with steam slitching out of lots of pipes;
the Craters of the Moon has no geysers, but lots of steam coming out of the grounds
and an interesting walkway.
Orakei Korako |
A good number of the guests staying at our hostel recommended the "Tongariro
crossing" walk which is done as a day-excursion from Taupo. Every one that did
the walk in one day looked like they had a good time, but a very strenous
workout. Definitely not for the weak, the timid or the lame.
Orakei Korako
Orakeikorako was spelled differently every time we saw it on a map or
sign. Located 30 km north of Taupo, 40 km south of Rotorua, it is a pretty
little lakeside resort with boat access across the lake to a colourful hot
mineral terraces and a small geyser. There is no charge to visit the terraces.
However, the lake which was formed by a dam on the Waikato River now prevents
access to the terraces except by boat for which there is a minimal charge. The
resort has a small cafe and shop. The site is a bit off the tourist route, but
on good paved roads and quite a pleasant stop.
Rotorua
Rotorua is justifiably one of New Zealand's most famous tourist attractions. It
has big ticket professional productions and low key local colour both.
Kuirau Park is a municipal park adjacent to the Kiwi Paka Youth Hostel. An
ethereal area, especially at sunset, with many active hot pools and steam vents.
St. Faith's church window, Ohinemutu |
Ohinemutu is a Maori village in western Rotorua. St. Faith's Anglican Church
has an interior covered and inlaid with intricate Maori carvings. The window
overlooking Lake Rotorua behind the pulpit is etched with a figure of Christ, complete
with facial mutu (tatooes) dressed in a traditional Maori cloak.
A morning ticket to the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institure
(NZ Maori A&C Inst website) includes
a noon Maori concert with the price of admission to the grounds which feature
teaching Maori crafts and carving and tours of steam vents, bubbling muds and
Prince of Wales Feathers geyser.
Prince of Wales geyser |
This is a super display of traditional crafts and all types of thermal
activity. Well worth the money, we highly recommend that you plan to arrive early,
take the tram tour, then walk back to the most interesting area, and attend the noon
performance at the Marae. Good value.
Rotorua has a magnificent old spa resort which has been converted to a
museum and a touching tribute to Maori servicemen overseas. Adjacent to the museum is
a lovely colonial park, lawn bowls green and croquette lawns. The top of a Canadian
totem pole was temporarily covered with clear plastic to prevent weathering while
some restoration work was being done - made it look like it was wearing a space helmut.
|
Rotorua spa museum |
We saw a "gypsy faire" at Rotorua, craft market and hippie-style arts and fortune
telling, by travelling caravan folk. These massive converted living quarters buses
and trucks are encountered wheezing their way along New Zealand's roads and many
still live a 'no fixed address' lifestyle.
We spent a morning watching extreme white water sledding on the Kaituna River just
north of Rotorua at Okere Falls and then the afternoon drinking beer and watching
the horse races at Rotorua.
Waitomo Caves
Waitomo is caves, glow worms and blackwater rafting. It is hyped to the maximum.
We thoroughly enjoyed our introduction to blackwater rafting and would place it on
our 'must do' list of things to do again.
Dressed for blackwater rafting |
On the advice of our friendly backpacker host at Otorohanga, we skipped the glow worm grotto with all its tourist buses and rah-rah at Waitomo and instead drove past it west about 50 km to Marokopa. En route we stopped at the Natural Bridge, rock arch, with its wheelchair accessible walkway to the gorge and grotto. Further on, we took the short walk into Marokopa Falls, one of New Zealand's prettiest waterfalls, and further still had a picnic supper on Marokopa's black black sand beach. Marokopa is a small village with a few baches and a campground and little or no facilities for visitors. After sunset, we drove back as far as the Natural Arch and walked in again, to view free glow worms in abundance and at close range.
Marokopa Falls |
Otorohanga
Otorohanga has few attractions for the tourist except a kiwi-house (for the native
bird-type kiwis). However, we stayed there overnight at a clean modern quiet backpackers
with a friendly, helpful owner/host. This hostel is especially popular with musicians
because of the owner's recording studio. A good base for the area.
Kawhia, at the end of higway 31, north of Otorohanga, is a small village next to the Te
Puia hot springs that rise through the sands of Ocean Beach. Similar, but not as crowded as Hot Water
Beach, you take your own spade, dig at low tide, and get sandy. New Year's Day is reportedly
crowded with many visitors for the annual whaleboat races, a regatta begun in 1910.
From Otorohanga, we returned to Auckland.