Published: May 25th 2006March 18th 2005
The Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi
This is a stained glass window in the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute at Rotorua. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 between Great Britain and the Maori chiefs, supposedly one of the 'best deals' ever between an empire and the indigenous people of one of its colonies. Today the Maori people are still trying to claim land under this treaty and a Tribunal has been set up to officiate.
We headed straight for the campervan rental office in the airport with a view to hiring a van for a week or so. Unfortunately all the vans were already hired out "but there is one", the attendant said "but we don´t normally hire it out!" This appealed to Denise´s maternal instincts so we said we would take it! We couldn't pick it up until the next day so we booked ourselves in to a Best Western Hotel nearby. Just before the sun set I (Gerry) went for a swim in the little outdoor swimming pool, but it was beginning to get cold and some rather excitable kids had just bellyflopped in beside me so I decided that rather then murdering them and having the problem of disposing of their bodies when their were 40 chalets with large patio windows facing the pool, I would quietly retire for the night.
They don't make em like they used to!
None of the hire companies had any campervans left, except this one. They said "we don't usually hire it out but you can have it if you want it", this definetly appealed to Denise's maternal instincts and Gerry's frugal bias (it was cheap!).
In the morning down at the hire company offices we were sheepishly shown the poor beastie, which turned out to be small, very small, but it had a certain endearing quality. The next 10 days we drove round the North Island of New Zealand. We started in Rotorua, a geothermal-shooting geysers-mudbath wonderland!
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We are a young couple (well, in our 40's) from London. Gerry is a Team Manager in Social Services, working with children in care. Denise is deputy manager of a Children's Centre. From 1st October 2004 we started travelling around the world for a year, first stop India, then SE Asia and on into Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Back to London after a stop in Los Angeles and then off to Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Guatemala and up to Cuba. In November 2005 Gerry went to Uganda in East Africa for 6 months to work with some old friends who run a project called... full info
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The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year...more info
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Geysers at Rotorua
This place is full of geysers, boiling mudpools and geothermal activity. Our campsite had natural hot mineral spa pools!
Steam from Pohutu Geyser merges with the clouds.
Pohutu Geyser erupts up to 30m (98ft)
Gerry at the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute
Is that gut going down?
Lake Waikaremoana, North Island
We stayed at this beautiful campsite by the lake. That was after a horrendous (but scenic) drive over the mountains on a rough gravel road from Rotorua to Napier. Last thing the hire company said was "Don't go on any unsealed roads...."
A Black Swan on Lake Waikaremoana
Black swans seem to be quite common in New Zealand
Waterfall
Somewhere between Lake Waikaremoana and Napier.
Mystical forest
To get to the waterfall we had to walk through an eery wood. The white background is a limestone cliff which looked like mist, when the kids in swimsuits came round the corner I nearly jumped out of my skin!
Lake Waikaremoana
Looking like a painting
National Tobacco Company Building, Napier, North Island
We visited Napier, the Art Deco City during their Art Deco Annual Weekend. This is a great place full of Art Deco buildings after it was rebuilt following an earthquake in 1931.
Skytower, Auckland
The tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere at 328m.
Wedding at Albert Park, Auckland
Near the Old Merchants Houses. Ably assisted by my helper, Denise!
Napier
During the Art Deco weekend
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From Blog: Around New Zealand in a Campervan Nobody Wanted