Aotearoa in Tarawera

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Auckland - Rotorua - Napier - Wellington xing - Westport - Franz Josef Glacier - Kaikoura - Xing back to north island - Wanganui - Waitomo Gloworms - Otorohanga - Hobbiton - Tauranga - Auckland.

The end of Oz saw the beginning of ‘The Land of the Long White Cloud’ And we picked up our 2nd campervan of the month from Auckland making straight for Rotorua and the hot springs. Having only 2 weeks in New Zealand, we knew we were going to have to make neat work of where we went and what we saw. To quote some charming Texan guy we met on the boat over the Cook straight, “Sometimes you just have to take a picture, tick it off your list and go!”

Now I’m not bad at reading maps when it’s just me, sometimes it doesn’t matter when you get your self lost, it can be fun. But for the time we were in NZ I was charged with navigation while my Mom attempted her third attempt at driving an automatic. Taking the wrong route might mean you have a 6 hour drive back to where you need to be, or a night in a coffee shop car park, so it helps to get it right. Turns out though, I’m not that bad..

We spent the first 2 nights in Rotorua checking out the epicentre of the Thermal Highway, visiting a couple of Geysers and becoming accustomed to their unpleasant eggy sulphurous smell. We also took some time out to bathe in the Polynesian Spa Where outdoor pools of varying temperatures are used to treat an array of ailments overlooking a landscape of natural thermal activity. So so incredible, the heat in some of the pools exceeded 40 degrees, but the effects were amazing. We felt very pampered!

Next we made our way for Napier and its wine valleys via a quick stop off at Lake Taupo . We went to New Zealand for the culture and history, honest! Signing up for the NZ Odyssey tour on our first full day in Napier, we embarked upon a wine tasting treat, taking you to 4 vineyards around the Hawks Bay region, including the oldest - The Mission Estate, established by monks in 1851 During the day we tried within the region of 30 different wines. And now have a better appreciation of all things grape like. Yar!

As well as Napier being home to some of NZ’s best vinyards, it’s also where you’ll find the world famous ‘Possomworld’ - Never heard of it? Well you are missing out! If there’s anywhere I wish I documented more, it’s this place! An innocent looking shop from the outside, on the calm streets of Napier town. But when you step inside, you are greeted with a sort of animal lovers worse nightmare. Where the Possums come in all flavours; skinned, stuffed, pickled, framed, dissected.. It’s well known that in Australia and New Zealand, these little critters are a pain in the arse, they chew crops, breed like buggary, and generally have a reputation for destruction. Possomworld seems to be testament to their unpopularity I’ll be honest, I left fairly pronto, because I wasn’t sure what to make of it all. Quite a freakishly scary place indeed! And so from Napier we wended our way south to Wellington, to make the crossing over to the South Island. Much raving have I heard about how unbelievably beautiful the South Island is in comparison to the North. And I wasn’t disappointed!

A lot of the filming took place on this half of New Zealand for the LOTR Trilogy, and it’s not hard to see why. Not long after you stumble from the ferry doors do you come across rolling mountain ranges and breathtaking vistas of glacier carved riverbeds. It left me speechless, and my Mum literally screaming at every bend!

Our first port of call was Westport on the West coast. A recommendation from our Texan friend who suggested we make the Franz Josef Glacier a must see, and a delightful 7 hour drive alongside the Buller River, a fantastic introduction to the South Island, and things only got better from there on in. After a night of recuperation in sleepy Westport, we headed off for an early start to the mighty Franz Josef Glacier.

The route down the winding coastal road took about 3 hours, and after seeing tropical palms and native forest next to one another, the sight of snowy topped mountain peaking through glacial valley made it only more surreal and amazing. Sitting there looming over land left in its wake, it is truly an astonishing site. Never do I want to lose that feeling you have when you see something so extraordinary. It makes you appreciate what an incredible force nature is. Walking up-to the tip of the icy relic only made me wish we had more time to follow the masses climbing its deadly ascent. After stopping for hot chocolate and a flat white, we hopped back in Tarawera and made our way back North, to sleep by Lake Mahinapua before heading across the Lewis Pass to Kaikoura.



Arriving in Kaikoura felt strangely familiar. A small Township on the East coast, Kaikoura is home to some of the best Whale and Dolphin experiences. We initially were going to spend only one night here. A further attempt to cram in as much of NZ as we could, but as soon as we found locally sourced fish and chips, lamb and Tui on the menu, it quickly became clear this place was a keeper. I loved it here! Kaikoura appears to be a well kept secret, avoiding the overcrowding you get on a lot of main highways, this modest town is brilliantly only maybe a few streets, but it’s perfectly proportioned. We took a day trip over the choppy Kaikoura canyon, the depth of the Auckland observation tower 4 or 5 times over. It’s a feeding bowl for a multitude of sea life, from Sperm Whales to Giant Squid. It took a while, but eventually, one of the Sperm Whales surfaced, not far from where our boat was they aren’t too big, maybe only 17 meters long 😉 and very impressive. When he dove back down, he seemed like a seasoned performer. Gracefully dipping under as his tale flicked in the air, it made for some pretty cool viewing.

Tearing ourselves away from Kaikoura we headed back to the Cook Strait, crossing back over to the North Island, spending a night in Wanganui. At first, it looked a bit touch and go. Arriving anywhere after a bumpy ferry crossing, a 6 hour drive and a hungry growl is never a good idea. However, after eventually finding a pub, a pint and some sustenance, we found some random campsite around the back of a very dubious looking bar on the outskirts. This actually turned out to be one of the best places we stayed. Some pretty interesting characters, but for 10 bucks a night and a hot shower, who cares. Bruce was a legend! Breakfast in pretty Wanganui, and then to the Waitomo caves to look at Gloworms. Over the next couple of days we headed back to Auckland. But not before blagging a free trip around a Kiwi sanctuary by agreeing to feature in some ominous promotional leaflet. So if you happen to be in the Otorohanga area, and come a brochure for the Otorohanga Kiwitown Holiday Park, you might see me and my Mom looking slightly bemused by an empty cup of tea engaging in fake conversation! Great!

Before handing the van back in Auckland, we managed to squeeze in one more effort at the Hobbiton movie set. When we got there, it looked as though they were preparing for The Hobbit too, however New Line Cinema are a bit secret service about filming arrangements, so the rest is a mystery. ‘Citin!

After one more day in Auckland, it was time to board a plane to idyllic Fiji. New Zealand vastly exceeded my expectations, and I really fell head over heels for it. I will enjoy the memories and look forward to coming back someday to create some more.

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