Australia & New Zealand 2

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Day 6 - Wednesday 19th November

We have an early start this morning, up at 5.00 to get organised and onward to the airport for 6.30. Our taxi driver is quietly courteous and efficient.


Unfortunately, our high regard for Melbourne Airport immigration officers is completely undermined by their departure security officials; curt, lacking communication skills and unhelpful. The first official reprimands David for touching the person screener as he walks through. The next official demands to weigh our hand luggage. He questions David: “Have you a laptop in the case?” “Yes.” “Take it out and carry it to the X-ray machine, otherwise your case will be overweight!” David: “Sorry but I haven’t seen any notices about weight restrictions for hand luggage. I thought it was the airlines that checked these things?” “No.”


We collect our things from the conveyor after passing through the X-ray scanner. Doreen goes to return the laptop to the case and gets the heavy treatment. “Stand over here.” He goes through her case. David tries to pick up his laptop and is told bluntly to stand aside. While the male one checks the case, the female one frisks Doreen. Nothing found. David’ allowed to pick up his laptop and queries: “What was all that about?” “It’s just a random check.” David’s about to go over the lack of decorum in the whole incident when Doreen grabs him and wrenches him away! Then they all start arguing with each other over some issue. Hmm!


We intended getting a bus from Auckland Airport but after the Melbourne experience Doreen isn't having it. Taxi or nothing and to hell with the cost!! The travel information we read before arriving in Auckland is correct, the traffic congestion is chronic, made worse by the many roadworks en route from the airport. It’s just like Edinburgh’s Traffic (mis)Management Scheme.

The Rendezvous Hotel is a terrific place, with friendly and helpful staff. David turned down the first room offered, which was near a lift. The receptionist finds us a fantastic place on the 11th floor, with super downtown views, especially the Skytower. Bathroom facilities are as good as we’ve experienced and look as though they’ve been recently refurbished. We’ve read some critical reports but this hotel suits us fine, especially for the price.

The huge picture window, however, looked dangerous with a low sill height and an opening window. When the curtain is closed, you don’t see any of the potential hazards so we’re glad we don’t have any children with us.

In the early evening we venture out and find this fantastic Chinese takeaway. We knew we were on a good thing when all these young backpackers were scurrying back to digs with their Chinese fare. All cooking is done in an open kitchen so you can view the cooking. The portions are huge. Two buckets full of lovely Prawn Won Ton Soup, Prawn Fried Rice for Doreen and Beef, Green Pepper and Black Bean Sauce for David: fantastic value at £11.20, including chopsticks, spoons and serviettes. Doreen could live off the soup alone.

Day 7 - Thursday 20th

We open the curtains to beautiful morning and dawdle downtown to get a feel of Auckland central but are a little disappointed compared with Melbourne. Lots of new buildings some a little tacky, others under construction and a few in need of a facelift but we can’t find a real heart. For a city with such a large population the centre seems small and disjointed.

We did, however, enjoy an excellent breakfast in a café we drop into. David, pining for a cooked breakfast decides on the ‘small’ fried option. Out comes a large well-presented plate filled with loads of bacon, two tasty free-range fresh eggs, tangy fried tomatoes and two slices of toast, all well cooked and without excess fat. The café latte is exquisite as is Doreen’s hot chocolate and toast. The total comes to £6.77, great!

Entertainment is provided by a family of sparrows popping in and out stealing morsels off the floor, tables and your plate if you don’t chase them. They’re very tame and cheeky little blighters and good fun, until one decides to relieve itself down the back of a chair. The poor manageress is beside herself trying to keep them out but they keep coming!

After a little shopping, we take the ferry across the bay to Devonport, home of the New Zealand Navy. We take a little bus trip around with a well-informed local driver who obviously has a passion for this conservation area. Lots of old timber homes with enriched eaves and balconies, many with corrugated iron roofs.

We also go up two extinct volcanoes offering fabulous views around Auckland, North Head with its old defence batteries and Mt Victoria. We seem to lose two Japanese tourists en route. We hope they get back!

We go back to the hotel for a quick clean up and on to something new. No chance, as both of us fall into a deep sleep, probably still suffering jetlag. Tonight we have more excellent Chinese food, especially the sizzling seafood platter, absolutely gorgeous fresh prawn, squid, various fish, clams and vegetables in a lovely broth.

David tries the room internet connection and is asked what type of plan he wants. He chooses the two-hour option and does a brief check of UK news. Nothing interesting so attempts to start our travel blog to keep family and friends informed of our progress. The anti virus software updates and then the firewall. As he starts to connect with the blog site, a notice comes up saying he’s exceeded his Mb usage, which he isn’t aware of, and it will now cost X amount per Mb to use so he cancels the connection after about ten minutes, a right rip off! He dashes to reception and demands to know why he’s only got 10 minutes use when he booked for 2 hours. No effective answers so the manager will to sort it out tomorrow. We wait with baited breath!

Day 8 - Friday 21st

We struggle to get up this morning after yesterday’s long walks. Outside it is cloudless and we take a long walk to Auckland Museum. Wow! It is a steep haul from the hotel and a maze of roadworks to circumnavigate. It's worth it though. The museum is a huge neo-classical building in lovely parkland with great views across Auckland and the bay area. The museum has superb exhibits of Maori, Polynesian and other Oceanic people’s artefacts. Additionally, there are informative displays of volcanoes, the oceans and New Zealand’s wartime involvement and achievements.

By the time we’d walked all the way downtown to collect our hire car, David’s legs are badly skinned and we’ve no energy left to use it to get to Mt Eden Domain, Cornwall Park and One Tree Hill, shame! Never mind, we’ve got a nice Mitsubishi Lancer to head north tomorrow. We’ll just have to suffer another brilliant Chinese meal to prepare for tomorrow!

The hotel manager cancelled any internet charges and sorted our problems so David made our first travel blog entry so get ready to be bored at home!

Day 9 - Saturday 22nd

It’s a gorgeous cloudless morning. David manages to get the hire car out of the hotel car park without trauma, then on to Highway 1 heading north to Wharangei. Doreen screams at David to get into the outside lane at a split in the motorway but she doesn’t know about the car alongside that'll get bumped into another lane!! There’s quite a lot of traffic and roadworks around but most drivers respect the speed limits, except lorry drivers who regularly overtake the cars. Anyway, within a short while we’re into quiet countryside, winding roads, secluded coves and rural splendour.

We hit some grit and dust roads when we head for a lovely little quiet inlet called Leigh, then Goat Island and Pakiri Beach, a long stretch of clean golden sands and dunes. It reminds us of Embleton Sands in Northumberland but without Dunstanburgh Castle. Then back onto the main road to Mangawai Heads where we stop for a walk and find a lovely local viewpoint.

On to Waipu, founded in 1823 by 120 Scots Highlanders displace by the Clearances. They arrived via Nova Scotia and Australia where they couldn’t settle. Here we sample some brilliant ham sandwiches, coffee and hot chocolate at an open-air café. Again the sparrows cheekily steal scraps off tables but one little blighter manages to take off with a potato chip bigger than itself, amazing. At One Tree Point we watch kite surfers revelling in the wind of the Whangarei Estuary. Staff at the Tourist Information are brilliant. They book us into an old but perfectly habitable motel for £34/night.

Day 10 - Sunday 23rd

David is up a 6.00 this morning to watch Wales v All Blacks. England v the Springboks is not on but we later learn of England’s pathetic demise. We havw a little rain this morning but it stays dry enough to drive up to Mt Parahaki where David walks to the local war memorial and an elevated viewpoint around the town, a very pleasant place surrounded by scenic hills. Then we make a brief trip to Whangarei Falls.

The country from here to the coast is very scenic, with many homes dotting hilltops affording spectacular views. We manage to sample some great inlets and sandy bays as we traverse the coast. There seems to be a youth drink problem around here judging by the mounds of empty beer bottles and regular ‘wheelie’ skid marks on the roads.

We stop at Kawakawa and try the Friedrich Hundertwasser public toilets made out of old bottles, tiles and scrap masonry, the only memorable feature of the town.

We move on to Paihia in the renowned Bay of Islands. From our studio at the Cook’s View Motel we have, potentially, fantastic views over the bay and Waitangi where the historic signing of the Maori Treaty with the British was achieved. Unfortunately, it is tossing down from on high and the normally spectacular views of the Bay are wiped out. Our hosts Norm and Sheila at are mortified at our predicament. Never mind, the whole of New Zealand is afflicted by this weather today and possibly tomorrow so it is catch up on reading time!

Day 11- Monday 24th

What a night, howling gales, torrential rain and disturbed sleep. The view from our balcony is only marginally better than at our arrival yesterday. Drat! We decide to stay another night and possibly longer.

The weather eases slightly so we decide to visit Haruru Falls around the corner, then Kerikeri, site of the country’s second Mission Station of 1821, the oldest timber building in New Zealand and the Stone Store of 1836, probably the oldest stone building. Our guides are dressed in period costumes and provide good comment on the local history.

Unfortunately, just as David starts to video the Stone Store, the camcorder flashes up a blue screen and stops working!! By some incredible stroke of luck, David had backed up all the video yesterday so we only lose the latest bit. The town is rapidly developing vibrant cottage industries, adding to the numerous citrus and fruit orchards and some wineries.

Unfortunately, the weather worsens dramatically and we retreat to our motel for shelter, unable to sample the local plonk!

Day 12 - Tuesday 25th

We had to shut all the windows through the night because of the horrendous weather. We awake to a beautiful clearing day with wisps of low cloud drifting below us, although the condensation on the windows shows how cold it was through the night. David is festering over his defunct Sony HD camcorder and thinks the wet weather has something to do with the problem. We’ve only had it 1.5 years and we wonder how we are going to get another as we’re miles away from any camera shop.

We open doors and windows to remove all condensation and David places the camcorder in the sun, hoping it will help. In walks Sparky, Norm and Sheila’s ginger tom cat. Evidently, he hid under the electric junction box all night because he was too frightened to go home. Now he’s doing the rounds meeting all the residents. He’s so friendly but he attempts to gnaw through David’s laptop and camera cables, hence his name! At least it forces David to tidy up.

A short drive from our motel is the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, a beautiful spot and wonderful experience. This historic place is where modern New Zealand effectively began, with formal agreements between the main Maori Tribes and the British. The spring flowers are out, the air is scented, the native birds are singing, the grounds are manicured and the views are exquisite. What more do you want? Well we want the bloody camcorder to work! Thanks Sony! It’s going to be Canon next time for us. The Treaty House was the Georgian-style home of Edinburgh born James Busby with native Australian timbers pre cut in Sidney and shipped over. He also helped to draft the Treaty.

We move on to Paihia where the all-day parking ticket machine robs us of 5 NZ Dollars. It takes the money but doesn’t dispense the ticket! It does this to three parkers before we find another machine that works! We catch a ferry across to picturesque Russell, previously named Kororakreka, New Zealand’s original capital. It’s a lovely peaceful place with great panoramic views. We settle at a scenic window of a little café that delivers mouth watering fish chowder and beverages.

Onward to the oldest church in NZ, a timber clad building with musket ball holes in the cladding that records earlier more hostile times. We walk for miles, David toiling with the heat and humidity. Never the less we get to Flagstaff Hill offering great views across the bay to Paihia, the Treaty Grounds and further a field. It’s just as well David has factor 50 sunscreen protecting him because he’d be an ember by now.

Tomorrow we’ll hurtle south to Coromandel because we’ve lost so much touring in North Island owing to the storms. But this place is bliss, when you can see it, a bit like Scotland really.

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