http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , New Zealand en-us Wed, 22 May 2013 22:07:22 +0000 Wed, 22 May 2013 22:07:22 +0000 Hi All just a blog test run as I hope to create another blog for our 2 or 3 months in Australia starting in 3 weeks starting in Perth and travelling sort of diagonally then horizontally across the middle http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Kerikeri/blog-786898.html Like Mount Fujiyama and the River Avon New Zealands Mount Maunganui has a tautological name it literally means Mount Big Mountain. Officially its supposed to be called Mauao but no one can say that so everyone just calls it The Mount.Its not much of a mountain really more a big hill. Its quite pretty sitting there at the end of the peninsula overlooking Tauranga harbour on one http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Plenty/Mount-Maunganui/blog-786728.html We flew into Auckland picked up our hire car at the airport and drove the 138 kms to the Puka Park Resort at Pauanui on the Coromandel Peninsular which proved to be a very windy road for the last 25 kms or so. Not long out from the airport and it was dark the only good thing about that was being a clear night we could see so many of the 39everlasting stars39. Arriving at our destination http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/blog-786242.html Tuesday 23rd April Day Twenty a day trip to Hobbiton. This is a day we arranged for ourselves especially so that we could visit The Shire and see where the Hobbits lived. We had to book online at least 3 days in advance even though tours leave daily every half hour in winter. If we hadnt lost our way in Cambridge we wouldnt have missed the 1000 trip but got the one later and had http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Matamata/blog-786035.html DunedinDunedin or 39Edinburgh of the South39 is an easy going city port on the edge of the Otago peninsula. The city is centred around 39The Octagon39 a thriving area with many inviting cafs bars and restaurants. Not that either of us are experts in Scottish culture but we didn39t really see the apparent striking resemblance to Edinburgh. Venturing into 39The Scottish Souven http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Mount-Cook-National-Park/blog-786032.html Monday 22nd April Day Nineteen Rotorua to Waitomo 163km 98 miles.On Highway 30 we head back southwest across country to Waitomo to visit the intriguing wet and dry caves where we see glowworms for the first time. Theyre fascinating to see in the darkness of the caves little pinpricks of light that attract all kinds of flying insects from the pools or river beneath our feet. Our guide b http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Waitomo-Caves/blog-786027.html Hamilton Tongariro National Park Waitomo Caves AucklandMy final week in New Zealand was spent craming in activities I wanted to do but hadn39t yet got around to. One of these was the Tongariro Crossing a day walk in the Tongariro National Park which several fellow travellers had described as spectacular. As it was tricky to reach the national park in one day from Tauranga I decided to tra http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/blog-785782.html Sunday 21st April Day Eighteen in RotoruaSeeing 18 sheep on a stage behaving so well is an amusing experience and touching them afterwards is a strange sensory experience especially as their wool is either so thick so tangly or so oily with the lanolin. But watching the sheep dogs run over their backs and lying down on them was even more strange. This was at the Agrodome after an other earl http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-785774.html WanakaWanaka was our favourite place in New Zealand so far with the town nestled on the edge of the stunning lake Wanaka hedged in by the Aspiring Mountains on all sides. It reminded us of Lake Taupo but with a larger and more interesting town centre full of thriving coffee shops and bars overlooking the lake.You always get a better first impression when the sun is shining... and you also have a http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Queenstown/blog-785738.html The West CoastAfter a long drive from Abel Tasman we arrived in Westport where we had originally planned to spend the day. We realised very quickly that there was actually very little to see or do there....its never a good sign when the girl in the information office has to think for a minute before halfheartedly suggesting a half hour walk. Seeing as it was a bit of a miserable day we decided http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Fox-Glacier/blog-785694.html One of the most notable differences between England and New Zealand is the housing.I grew up in a small terraced house in the North of England. The lounge was less than half the size of our lounge now here in New Zealand and we had a tiny bathroom that had been partitioned off from the upstairs front room there were still the remnants of an outdoor toilet which we used as a shed.We had lit http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Franklin/Waiuku/blog-785676.html Goodbye NewZealand.The time has come to say goodbye to this extraordinarily beautiful island. It had to end some time. I had the most wonderful 10 days here. Being an English speaking country made it all that more easier and enjoyable as you could talk to locals and understand the commentaries much better. I was very skeptical about going on a tour with Haka Tours as it was targeting a younger gro http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Christchurch/blog-785560.html Trans Alpine Railway and Kaikoura.We left Franz Joseph by 0900 hours after collecting the video of the Kayak session. Our aim was to get to Greymouth by 1300 hrs. On the way we stopped at a few view points to see some waterfalls a bridge where you could get a magnificent view of the snow capped moutains and again at a sea side supposed to be a surfers paradise only a couple of people surfing. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Kaikoura/blog-785559.html Saturday 20th April Day 17 Lake Taupo to Rotorua 81km 49 miles. Rotorua is famous for its massive surface area of boiling springs and volcanic gases impressive mineral pools with a range of natural colours mud pools and steaming fumaroles and of course the smell of sulphur. About 90 of the tourist industry is centred in this area an area of volcanic activity dating back thousand http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/blog-785558.html I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family...thank you to Ben Joseph Patrick and Jennifer I love my goodies and the phone calls too.We also had a lovely morning tea......lots of hugs and talking with a few photos taken by an expert http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Whangarei/blog-785544.html A Sheepskin Factory and cruising along the Thermal Explorer HighwayFriday 19 April Day 16 Napier to Lake Taupo 141km 85 miles. The classic sheepskin tanning factory is one of the few left in the country. Hides from sheep goats alpacas llamas and maybe the brushtailed possum are sorted cleaned and prepared to be turned into clothing slippers and beautiful sheepskin rugs. It is so hard t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/blog-785491.html It is time for me to get myself sorted in preparation for another adventure into the northern hemisphere. In 5 weeks I39m off to England for 9 days then France for 14 days up to Norway for 26 days and then I finish up back in Turkey and the Creek Islands on the yacht with Martin and others for 31 days. When I get back daylight saving will be just around the corner and it will be summer aga http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Wellington/blog-785436.html In 1931 Napier at the southern end of Hawkes Bay was hit by a devastating earthquake and then fire and the centre of the town totally destroyed. But plans were submitted immediately for the rebuilding and only two years later the town was totally rebuilt in the Art Deco fashion of the 1930s and a parade took place in 1933 celebrating the rebirth. The townspeople didnt realize how spe http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Napier/blog-785099.html Wednesday 17th April Day Fourteen Upper Hutt to Napier 297km 179 miles.Paua is the Maori name for abalone in New Zealand and although California seems to have the largest shells these ones have the most remarkable colours. After the contents have been emptied when freshly caught and maybe ground into patties or fritters the shells are sent here to Carterton.We tour the tiny privately own http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/blog-785088.html Tuesday 16th April Day Thirteen now in the North Island and a trip to the magnificent Te Papa Museum in Wellington capital of NZ and onto Upper Hutt a short distance but we get lost in Wellington during the rush hour and arrive after dark. I am somewhat appeased to hear that several other couples also misread directions and got lost too.The Bluebridge Interisland Ferry left at 1030 on its http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Wellington/blog-785082.html