New Zealand Orewa Beach to Wellington

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Hi all, added a map again so you can see the progress around the islands. Blog a bit later than usual, struggled with some of the internet connections at the campsite, am finishing this on Emmas mum Alison's laptop!


After writing last blog stayed near Orewa beach, just north of Auckland for one night before heading south east towards Thames.
I have been staying in the "proper" campsites as they only about ten pounds a night and means can plug in and have 240v to charge stuff and play music and the heater! Plus they have nice hot showers, laundry facilities, TV room, internet and kitchen to cook in.


Orewa campsite was near the town so walked in and had a few pints of Guiness in an Irish bar then bought some fish and chips to take back to the van.


Next morning it was raining again and set off through Auckland and towards Thames. Forgot to mention in last blog, the scenery when driving is similar to the rolling countryside of England, then it can get hilly, mountainous and then foresty! Obviously driving on the left makes it seem like home too and the rain!lol


There were motorway lanes in and around Auckland but the rest of the roads seem to be good quality A roads with regular overtaking places, unless you are winding up or down scary mountain roads! Some days you dont see many other cars on the road at all.


NZ only has a population of just above four million people, 75% living in the North Islands and around 30% of the population in Auckland. So as the islands are only slightly bigger then UK but a tenth of the population the roads are quiet. Alledgedly 2.4 million tourists visit each year.


Anyway arrived in Thames, very small place, went to visit a Gold mine but when i arrived it was closed for the winter! Was going to go around the Coramandel Peninsular but again as the weather reduced visibility decided not to. Sat in the van for a bit and had another look at Greggerfers blogs from when he was in NZ earlier this year. Apparrantly it was raining a lot when he was here in the summer, but read thru and picked out some of the places he visited. Mind you Greg managed to stay in Thames for 3 weeks, dont know how you did it matey!


Had a look through my lonely panet and found another Gold Mine experience a few miles up the road in Waihi, which was also on the way to Papamoa beach where Joe and Wendy lived.


When I arrived i had missed the tours for that day so i had a look around the museum/information section and booked a tour for the following morning and stayed in Waihi beach campsite.


It was still raining in the morning and when i arrived for the tour i was the only one with my tour guide Murray. The gold mine was a working mine, well two mines, one an open mine and one underground.


The mine had opened in the early nineteen hundreds but closed then reopened. From all the rocks they recover from the mines they reckon they only get 3 to 5 grammes of gold for every ton of rock! The gold does not come out in nuggets, the rock is crushed to a powder, chemically treated, washed and collected on carbon before final chemical wash to produce gold, then cast into bullion.


There was a 2.6km conveyor belt transporting the rock to the crushers from the mine!
They even had an old cornish style wheel house which due to open mine expansion had to be moved 200m!


Murray drove me around the mine showing me the buildings etc and explaining the history and the gold process. Unfortunately safety standards higher here than South America and could not go into the mine! Near the end of the tour they were due to let off some dynamite at the open mine, but it got delayed to the afternoon and i had to be moving on.


Arrived at Joes later that afternoon at Papamoa beach, set up and slept in the van on the drive after a nice roast dinner from Joe. Next morning the weather had cleared up a little so we head off to Joes boat. He has a 40 foot boat built at his works few years ago and he is also ex merchant navy, so felt safe! lol


We headed out to one of Joes favourite spots and fished using the long line technique. Bit lazy really as you bait up fifty hooks then drop a bouy and weight then attach the fifty traces, as you let out the line with the boat drifitng along, then another weight and bouy. Mark the positions and then have a coffee munch some sandwhiches then after an hour pull it all back in, with fishies attached!


We hauled in six red snappers a nd a couple of Gurnards. Took the boat back to the mooring and had fish for tea, after watching coronation street aargh! Gurnard tastes just like cod.


Following morning set off earlyish towards Roturua, well known for its thermal activity and volcanoes. Stopped at a place called Hells Gate, where you could walk around steaming bubbling pools of mud, hot lakes, even a hot waterfall! George Bernard Shaw had visited before and nsmed some of the pools, including Hells Gate itself.


Also had a go at Mauri wood carving for a bit, before moving on and visiting a buried village musuem. The buried village was from one of the recent large eruptions in 1886 of Mount Tarewera where the village was buried by volcanic mud and ash.


The museum also had a nice little trek passing a 30m waterfall and great views of the forest valley and lakes. Both of these attractions were quite expensive at 30 bucks a pop each and only lasting about hour and half each, but had to be done.


Then head off for Taupo, stocking up on food and wine en route. Arrived at campsite only to bump into the two girls i met in Cape Reinga, Collette from Bournemouth and Sarah from Broadstairs! We compared notes of our travels so far and agreed to head down to Hastings together, well to meet there, and do a wine tour together.


Following morning set off and did a volcanic centre near Taupo first, was very educational with some great videos of local eruptions and an earthquake simulator!


NZ sits right on the edge of the tectonic plates, running up through the islands and is part of the volcanic ring known as the pacific ring. The Taupo region is home to some of the most active volcanoes, with some of them erupting quite regularly. The amazing thing is the Taupo lake is actually an old crater, a super volcano.


After Taupo headed towards Hastings stopping at Napier to visit the National Aquarium, which Greg had said was not that good, he was right but still went all the same. Watched the diver feed the sharks and fish in the oceanarium, a glass tunnel you could walk through and see the fish and sharks swimming over head. They also had a giant squid (dead one), also turtle, seahorses and other stuff. There was a crocodile but she died a week before me visiting!


Finally headed to Hastings campsite where i met up with the girls, walking into town to a strange pub to watch the All Blacks game against Australia. Drove up to Te Mata peak before, pretty scary road up considering 7m was the limit for vehicle length and my van is 5.6m.


In the morning we were picked up in a mini van, dropped off at the first winery with a map, our bikes, safety gear and a bottle of water. Luckily the sun had come out today so perfect for the ride. Basically each winery gave you a taster of roughly eight different wines discussing how nice they were and having a bit of a giggle!


Then riding between each winery on the bikes, which was only about 10 k in all. We stopped for cheese and crackers in the sunshine after about four wineries, getting a bit tiddly! The day finished around four when we were picked up and taken back to the campsite, stopping at the supermarket on the way because we had decided on roast beef for dinner (well Sarah had fish).


Next morning we agreed we would also meet in Wellington which was a long 300km drive. We met at the Lower Hutt campsite and decided to hang around with them the next day and catch the interislander ferry together the day after.


I spent the day walking laong the beach with Collette seeing the sea lions on the beach in the morning, while Sarah went on a Hobbit tour! In the afternoon visited the free entry Ta Papa museum and also walked up to Mount Victoria, which we were too late to see sunset and had to walk back down via the long road as was dark.


Next day we would be heading off on the 3 hour ferry ride to Picton on the South Island.


Larf

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