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Published: March 15th 2006
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Kate and the Giant Kiwi
Kate's the one on the left! Greetings all,
Left Taupo on Friday 10th and headed to the Coromandel Peninsula via Rotorua. Elected to skip visiting more thermal pools in favour of the Fat Dog Cafe - an inspired move since it was our best breakfast yet. Stocked up on some huge slabs of cake too just incase Coromandel turned out to be as cakeless as Taupo.
Passed a Kiwi Farm enroute so had a good scout round and made the most of shameless photo opportunity... Can't wait to find the avocado farms...
Our route followed the 'Pacific Coast Highway' which turned out to be a very long and winding trail up and down the hills - with very little coast on view. Landed at our digs in time for a walk along the beach and dinner on the harbour. Perfect. We're pleased to report that good weather and excellent food has found us again and so spent the next two days making the most of it all.
Sunday morning we set off early for our long drive (400km +) to the Bay of Islands. The first few hours were painfully slow as we weaved along more of the coastal highway behind blighters in
Another Gratuitous Balcony Scene
Buffalo Bay at Whitianga, Coromandel campervans (where DO they come from??). We ventured into a Kauri Grove for a break and some obligatory tree hugging. Kate found a partner some 565 years older than her ... (I'll leave you to do the maths)
Discovered a fun game to pass time in the car. Cruise Control. A great invention for free-flowing, big motorways at home, I'm sure. Even more fun when you're stuck in queues of traffic going up very steep hills. It's important to set the counter at the speed you're doing on the flat and then sit back and enjoy the car's reaction when we had to head up them there steep hills! Just like being on the jet ski all over again. Lots-of-fun. Sigh. I think we'll miss this car when we leave. They have some great adverts for it on the TV - think Michael Douglas/Kathleen Turner War of the Roses type battles over the car key. We haven't quite reached this yet but we've never been short of volunteers to drive ...
As our drive ground on towards (and through) Auckland, we suddenly felt in comfortable territory (ie, the M25) as more and more traffic appeared. Made our way
Kate and the Giant Kauri
Can you see a recurring theme?? through Auckland (via Bombay, the Khyber Pass, Epsom and Newmarket - all in the same hour) and eventually arrived in the Bay of Islands.
We are staying in Russell - a quaint, colonial town (nay, village) accessible only by ferry and so mostly peaceful if not a little over. Over-priced and overfull of folk over-the-hill. It seems to be a popular drop-off point with the odd cruise liners so each day there is an influx of even more 'olds' - sorry Lynn ;o) Have made the most of the calm and continuing sun and headed to the beaches to watch the world (and boats) go by. All very pleasant.
Our B&B has views across to Waitangi National Trust Estate - the real heritage point of these parts. Waitangi is where the original treaty was signed between the Maori and the UK back in the 1840s. We spent most of Monday there, visiting the Treaty House, the Maori Meeting House (Te Whare Runaga) and the Waha (a 35m war canoe that needs a mere 76 paddlers to work it).
Waitangi is also the location of a popular golf club. We didn't venture onto the course (except the clubhouse)
Waitangi Treaty House
With Russell in the distance (if you look real close you can just see our B&B) - but can confirm it is very nice! Our excuse is that it was a very windy day and they were also all out of hire clubs. Ach. Instead we took the 10km walk to Haruru Falls through kiwi habitat (Kiwis 0 Golf Balls 1) returning the slightly more rewarding route through icecream shop habitat.
Attended a Culture Show in the Meeting House that evening, which was excellent. It retold the story of the Maori with much singing, dancing and tribal displays. We loved every minute of it though were bemused that while the men get burly tribal dances to do, the women get to fling about lots of furry balls on string. What's that about?! Guess this means that we'll be showing said furry balls dance off rather than the haka, Ade. Sadly none of the photos came out, so apologies ... especially since the young male dancers were extremely good looking ... you'll just have to imagine ... :o)
And that pretty much concludes our time here - we're off to Auckland tomorrow morning for a few days before our long, reluctant journey home. We should pop in briefly to say goodbye to y'all then (what
else is there to do in the airport??)
Ciao
N&K x
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Fred
non-member comment
Very nice likeness tho' you've turned a bit pink! 'Ere Matey! Just watch your language when your referring to us octogenarians, we are the filler for that vacuum that nature abhors. Know what you mean! Lincolnshire is full of caravans being towed, far better than speed cameras for slowing us old 'uns down, not counting the Lincolnshire sports cars(farm tractors). Weather...Rain,sleet and snow. Welcome home.