Blogs from Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand, Oceania

Day 5 Decided to stay all day at Bayview Wairakei Hotel. First strolled around the grounds, and discovered the large pool fed from a natural hot spring. Enjoyed swimming at 35 degrees, like a huge bath... Later there was a rugby debate with guest speakers Sam Warburton and Shaun Edwards, who entertainingly answered our (not too) searching questions and were willing victims for photos and signing anything to hand. With our winning tips success should surely follow... Day 6 Another coach transfer with our driver Len, always full of stories, this time off to Auckland. Checked into the hotel on the Quay, and then off into town. My "research" yielded another bar that brews beer-and some lunch, and then we went up the Sky Tower. Helen is not to keen on heights but was lured ... read more

We stayed at Sally and Ian's place for the weekend. What a nice relaxing time we had with plenty of walking, talking and eating! We saw the land where Sally and Ian's new home is being built - what fantastic views! Then we visit Katikati which is their nearest town - we had coffee here. We visited Bethlehem on Sunday and walked through the markets and more coffee. We walked to the ferry at Omokoroa and watched the fish being caught off the jetty.... read more

Fine day. Head still troublesome. Up early. After breakfast, spent ¾ of an hour in catching a horse to put in the cart. Walked the cart into Tauranga – were over 2 hours doing it. The scenery on the way is wild and grand and in some places, pretty. A good deal of cultivation going on round about. After dinner, sent a telegram to Mrs Courtayne to tell her that I should return on Thursday evening. Lay down nearly all afternoon – slight headache and rheumatism. After tea went to the Mechanics Institute and looked at the papers and some of the …… magazines. Met two men there whom I saw at the Hot Springs. ... read more

Up pretty early. Did the washing up after breakfast. B was harrowing all day – walked up and down with him for some time. Lay down most of the afternoon – head bad, worse in the evening. Irregularity of meal times seems to be one of the causes for my headaches.... read more

Fine day. The luxury of roughing it; to wash out of doors; having to go to the spring for the water first of all. Cutting wood, which consists of tea tree etc., then lighting the fire and cooking the meal and sitting down to it in trousers and Crimean shirts and then washing the things up afterwards. It's not bad fun at first but I think a cook will be appreciated soon. In the morning went for a walk about the place. The house is very prettily situated having a fine view of Tauranga bay being only as the crow flies, about a mile from it. It is very hilly about, there being no flat land to speak of. B's farm is some 400 acres – 200 being under cultivation, some 50 acres being bought under ... read more

Had to get up and light the fire and cook the breakfast and wash up afterwards, each one of us helping and I did part of the cooking. Walked down to the river where we were to meet another man and go for a sail. We had to cross a swamp going by a short cut to get there. It was wet walking and at one place, the water came up to one's waist so B took off his unmentionables and carried us over on his back. We borrowed the boat and went up river, taking a couple of guns with us. It was a sailing boat but there was hardly any wind so we had to use the oars. We went some 3 miles up the river till we came to a creek up which ... read more

Fine warm day. Spent most of my time reading. Did not care to walk out much as the roads being covered with shells, the whiteness of the same is trying to the eyes on a sunny day. *Buckworth turned up about 6 o'clock and I went with him to his place. He and I rode in a cart filled with bags of grass seed and another man, who also came out with us, rode. The distance was some 7 miles and we had to walk the horses all the way. It was too dark to see what the road was like but we wound up and down, round some hills and over a long wooden bridge over the River Wairoa. It was a cold night and we did not get to our journey's end much before ... read more

Fine warm day. Took a short stroll in the morning. Great quantity of small farm houses about, all built of wood. In the afternoon, went on with my letter home. Afterwards went on to one of the piers and witnessed an exciting race between two cutters. Mr Morrison, landlord of the hotel I was staying at Ohinemutu, turned up at dinner time and a man whom I met there came in to tea. Coldish evening. Went to bed early having nothing else to do.... read more

A regular wet day. The steamer for Auckland was to have called at 8 o'clock but there was a thick fog about which delayed it till 3. Spent the morning in playing draughts and three halfpenny loo. The steamer “Warraka” came up to the pier at 3 o'clock. Went down to the pier to see the Dr and Cairns off. The Warraka is not nearly so large or well fitted up a boat as the “Hawea”. The arrangements for getting to the Hot Springs is bad;- the steamer from Auckland arrives every Tuesday and for Auckland every Thursday. The coach to the Springs runs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and returns Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 5 in the evening. Therefore whether going or coming, a day and perhaps more must be spent in Tauranga. Went to ... read more

A regular wet day. The steamer for Auckland was to have called at 8 o'clock but there was a thick fog about which delayed it till 3. Spent the morning in playing draughts and three halfpenny loo. The steamer “Warraka” came up to the pier at 3 o'clock. Went down to the pier to see the Dr and Cairns off. The Warraka is not nearly so large or well fitted up a boat as the “Hawea”. The arrangements for getting to the Hot Springs is bad;- the steamer from Auckland arrives every Tuesday and for Auckland every Thursday. The coach to the Springs runs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and returns Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 5 in the evening. Therefore whether going or coming, a day and perhaps more must be spent in Tauranga. Went to ... read more