Page 9 of Pammy Wammy Travel Blog Posts


Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Northland January 19th 2013

Yesterday I reached the most northern place in New Zealand. According to Maori culture the spirits of the sea leave this earth here. They travel down the cliff to the tree then wait for the kelp to part so that they can enter the sea. They travel from here to Three islands where they emerge into the after life. A truly spiritual place, I climbed to the highest point where all you could hear was the wind. The place marks the meeting of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean you can see where the currents meet and apparently when there is a storm the waves can reach up to thirty feet. Today I spent at Maitai Bay, actually hot enough to venture in to the sea for a swim!!! Not as cold as the sea ... read more
Netting of Tasman sea and Pacific Ocean
Long way from home
Tree where the spirits enter the water

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Hokianga January 16th 2013

What a beautiful day, started by meeting some people from Seattle Tracy and Michael there were having a little problem with their mobile phone and I helped them out By getting it charged so that they could text their family. Sometimes you meet someone and you just make a connection immediately. They were both really nice and said I could go and stay with them any time in Seattle. I left Baylys Beach and headed North, I have to say that the last two days have certainly put my driving skills and concentration to the test!! Spent some time in the Kauri Forest visiting the huge kauri trees that grow there, Tane Mahuta is the largest tree with a trunk girth of 13.8metres and 51.5metres high. The name means Tane the life giver and the tree ... read more
Hokianga harbour beautiful
Hokianga at sunset

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Dargaville January 15th 2013

Continuing my journey up the east coast of South Island. Left Helensville this morning , a small town north of Auckland not really anything of great interest there, it was just a convenient place to stay for the night. The road north was almost empty and some really straight stretches very difficult staying within the speed limit, oooops. Saw a car that looked like Knight Rider with a number plate HASHOFF!! Wrong country though!! Who knows. Stopped off at Wellsford and met the cutest puppy with a couple in the car park. They had been abandoned and the couple were taking them for re housing, there were thee little puppies and nine kittens. One of the puppies looked all bewildered so I gave her a big cuddle and she just sat there all cosy. Following on ... read more
The abandoned puppy
Cool des Rez Paproa
Chair made from Kauri wood

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Waitomo January 12th 2013

Visited the caves today has been interesting although you couldn't take any photographs due to the glow worms that live there. There was one beautiful cave there which was called the Cathedral Cave the owners daughter got married in it apparently which I think would have been amazing. The height of the cave was about the same height as the inside of a cathedral and with the stalactites and staglamites giving a very majestic feel. The guide told us that in New Zealnd if your land has caves beneath it then the caves belong to you, the government take a small skim off if they are open to the public. The lady who got married here was a direct descendant of the original Maori owner. It takes about twenty minutes for your eyes to adjust to ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Waitomo January 11th 2013

Had a splendid drive up the west coast today, leaving Ohaero I travelled through Hobbittland, not sure where it was filmed I know it was somewhere in New Zealand but this looked like it. After this hit the surf then on through Atoki Gorge which was beautiful. Can't believe I drove for about an hour and three quarters and neve saw a town of any size until I ached Te Kuiti. Next stop Waitomo Caves.... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Taranaki January 11th 2013

Left Stratford at around 10am to drive to Mt Taranaki it had rained during the night and everything was fresh. It took around half an hour to get there I stopped a few times along the route to take some photos of the dormant volcano that is Mt Taranaki. It's just really beautiful, topped with snow it looks like something from a fairy tale. As the road meandered towards the mountain it got narrower and narrower, panic set in for a few seconds then I saw there was another car in the mirror, whew. The first walk took me to Wilkies pools a series of pools that the water has carved from hundreds of years of erosion. Following that I did a walk to Dawsons Falls where the water cascades about eighty feet to the rocks ... read more
Wilkies pools
Dawsons Falls
View from Mt Taranaki

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Wanganui January 9th 2013

Arrived in Wanganui after a safe drive up the west coast from Elvin, journey took around an hour and a half. Stopped off in a towns calleds Bulls not much there but the inhabitants had a sense of humour, see pics. Spent a little time sorting out some accomodation then decided to go to the movies, went to see The Quartet very funny. Arrived at the ferry where the paddle boat was anchored after a short walk along the river. the funnel started to belch out black smoke then we were underway up the Wanganui river. We meandered along with points of interest along the way. Apparently according to legend two gods loved the same woman one Taranaki left to find peace elsewhere, en route he gauged out a huge trench which became the river and ... read more
Waimarie Paddle steamer Wanganui
Wanganui River
MT Taranaki

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Wanganui January 8th 2013

Hi peopl, back on the road again after the Xmas festivities. Spent Xmas with my cousin Patsi in Christchurch South Island had a great time and am now back on the road again. Flew from Christchurch to Wellington, flight time about thirty five minutes picked up a hire car and drove to Levin where I camped for two nights, yes me in a tent!!!!!! Have continued my journey along the west coast and am now in Wanganui. Have a trip on a paddle boat booked for tomorrow going up the river to see the gorge.... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Mount Sunday December 23rd 2012

This weekend we visited Mount Sunday, after a journey of approx two hours from Rangiora. The road finishes and a rough track continues for approx another half an hour, past Lake Clearwater and Lake Camp. In front of you stand the snow capped mountains. This is the area where Lord of the Rings was filmed. The area has hardly any population but does get visitors from the cruise ships and visitors interested in seeing the location of the filming. It is soooooo peaceful, you can hear the sound of skylarks and running water but nothing else. At night the sky here is like nowhere else I have been, it is like a black velvet cloth with a million diamonds scattered over it, stunning. The lodge where we stayed was home to a rare breed of reindeer, ... read more
Horse drawn cart
Rudolph the rare breed
Mt Sunday

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Christchurch December 21st 2012

Arrived in christchurch South Island yesterday, I was met a the airport by my cousin Patsi and her husband Chris. From here we drove through a devastated city which two years on from the quake still remains like a war zone. There are huge areas which once housed shopping precincts, libraries, offices etc which are now flat desolate and meaningless. Some of the more recent buildings survived one the art gallery with a glass facade did not have one broken pane of glass. A tribute to modern technology and architecture. It's as though the city has lost it's soul, it felels like a ghost town and even people like Patsi and Chris who have lived here for long periods automatically look for landmarks which are no longer there. People were without sanitation and water for a ... read more




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