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Published: December 24th 2007
Elaine n pauls xmas treats
We've been stock piling, this is our xmas treat (Heard Nick and Sinead were lording it in the Westin in Bejing!!!!! .... flashpackers! www.mytb.org/nickandsinead )Hallo all,
Thought we'd squeeze in a blog before Santy comes, as we've been moving round a fair bit, and gets hard to recount it all, when we are travelling fast!
So we headed off from Pahia in the northlands about a fortnight ago, in the oul' mazda with our first two hitchhikers, two english guys, Ross and Sam who were heading down to Auckland, and who we had been limbo'ing with in the local pub the night before (ask no questions and we'll tell yee no lies). The car coped well, and they gave us some dosh toward petrol so that was sweet. Actually backtracking a bit, our last night in Pahia, Paul spotted a guy in the pub who had been in our minibus from the airport in Hanoi in Vietnam, who we'd also ran into the second day in Hanoi. Had a beer and a catch up with him in the pub, all bemused by the evidence that again the world is a small place. For the record, Colin was his name, cos god knows where we may run into him again!
Anyway, dropped our hitchers off in Auckland, filled the petrol tank up again,
Post surf relaxing
Raglans Backpackers hostel, note hammocks and surfboards in backround ... :D ooooh ya ... Raglan famous for Manu beach and the film "an endless summer" and back on the road to Raglan. (6hrs from Raglan to Pahia with a 20min fuel and chocolate stop).
So arrived down in Raglan for 3 nights, and a little bit of surfing. They have a cool surfing beach there, supposedly the worlds longest left hand break. Thankfully for us amateurs they just had baby waves the days we were out, but it was great to get back on the boards. They had a surfcar in the hostel that they just gave the residents the keys to, and Paul was the designated surfcar driver for both days we went out! The hostel, Raglan backpackers was nice too, and had hammocks in the garden so that was nice. A lot of long stay people living and working there tho, so sometimes that makes it feel like ur in someones house, but they were all nice enough so it was ok. Raglan is a nice little town, and they had a christmas concert on while we were there. It was a family affair, and weird for us, with minimal christmas tunes apart from a rendition of 'its christmas in the summertime' by the kids choir, and then some seemingly (to us)
Weeeeeee
Elaine reliving her youth in Raglan inappropriate songs like 'old macdonald had a farm', but spose they are all starting their summer holidays. Met a couple of kiwis who suggested that they dont really 'do' christmas, and that the young kids dont necessarily believe in Santa either... Certainly not like home. I'm sitting here wearing shorts writing this, so even that is weird!
Anyway, barely took any photos in Raglan, cos didnt want to bring camera to beach while we were going to be out surfing, so u'll have to take our word for it that we REALLY did our best surfing yet out there :p
Anyway, didn't delay in Raglan. Got back into our trusty steed (go mazda go) and off to Rotorua.... Rotorua is kind of ON volcanic land, so its all stinky with sulphur (smells like rotten eggs) and has steam coming up all over the place out of the ground. On the way in, we went 'Luging' which is like toboganning and soo much fun! See photos for example and us on the 'gondala' - fancy name for cable car! We had a walk through Kairau park, a park with lots of sulphur, steam and boiling mud. Its sooo weird,
Christmas in the summertime!
On way to Christmas in the Park in Raglan there's steam coming up out of drains on the street, and we were both there wondering, is THAT normal? We were very cultural and did our own walking tour of Rotorua, and went down to the Maori village on the lake (which is also steaming and bubbling in parts). The second day there we went Zorbing, i.e. got into a giant inflatable ball, and got hurtled down the hill. (see photos for examples - lots of fun). Stayed in a place called the Spa lodge... wouldnt recommend it though, some maori guy there (maybe owner) grunting and grumbling at the tv all evening with volume blaring, whilst intermittantly combing his long hair... eugh! So we had no choice but to go out any drink cos we were scared of him! Went down to Blarneys pub (with nice hostel with no room at inn) with great irish music, and a bargain feed. Shepards pie and a pint for NZ$10 - about five euro, and HUGE and DELICIOUS. Taste of home 😊
Twas a busy 2 nights, and 2 days in Rotorua, but we blitzed it and moved on. With Paul at the wheel, I planned lots of fun for the
Elaine Kuirau Park
Rotoura's local park, free so we liked it very much :D lots of bubbling mud pools n hot pools. Rotorua feels like it's sitting on a time bomb drive down to the National Park. (We had finally decided New Plymouth for christmas, and to go to the National Park, and do the Tongariro Crossing on the way down). Our first stop was Wai-o-tapu thermal area. Lots of geysers, and steaming rocks and bubbling mud to be seen. Took us about one and half hours to walk around the park, which we thought might prep us a bit for the crossing the next day (unlikely it turned out). Then onwards down to Taupo, where we stopped at Huka Falls for a peek at the waterfall, and then into the Volcanic activity centre for some education about volcanos and earthquakes. It was a little more interesting as there had been an earthquake off Gisborne coast the day before, felt all over the islands but not by Paul and Elaine who were supping beers in Blarneys Pub? Anyway they had a little box thing you could sit in that was pretty much for kids but we had to try, that simulated an earthquake so we got the jist of it! Also they had a documentary about the area and about the peaks around the tongariro crossing so it was good to
get some background knowledge. We also stopped in Taupo (looked quite nice, and also a 'steamy' volcanic area) to have a peak at the Taupo Bungy, where people jump off a platform, 47m down over the Waikato river. Definitley a place to do it, if thats what you were into. Paul might give it a second thought, but i'm a definite no-no, so dont be expecting any bungee videos any time soon!
Then onwards, down to National Park village by evening. Rented some boots, booked our transport, bought some socks, packed our lunches and Santa hats, and took it easy for the evening.
Up and at it at 9am, to be dropped off. The tongariro crossing is a 17.5km hike across the mountains in the national park for the best views of Mount Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu (one of them is Mount Doom from the lord of the rings movie). We had to climb up the mountains, but not the peaks themselves, which was good because they are all still active volcanos and some of them are steaming, and cough out smoke from time to time. Anyway, up the mountains we went, and typical, with the rental boots,
I got two blisters about 15 minutes into the walk on my two heels 😞 With a 6-8hr walk ahead, depending on fitness, and length of rest stops. Had some hikers wool, and some plasters, so ploughed on with a couple of 'fixing' stops along the way. Anyway, it was tough going, the views were spectacular, and though painful it was rewarding. We did it in six hours, of which we were proud!!!!
Had a lovely hot spa, back in the Plateau Lodge in the National park village and a big feed down the pub, and slept like babies that evening! We've been stiff as boards ever since, and its flip flops for me until blisters go down 😞
The car sputtered a bit the next morning, but it WAS cold, and once she got motoring she was humming. A good thing, since our planned route to the coast took in a portion of the 'lost forgotten highway'. Steep inclines, long portions of unsealed roads and signs for 'wash-out' not 'watch-out' to warn you of portions of washed away road ahead! Luckily the petrol lasted, and the steed took it in her stride, and we got to New
More steamy pools
stinky sulphur --- is it coming from the man or the mound? plymouth yesterday (the 23rd) by mid-afternoon to settle in for the christmas.
The hostel seems ok, and they are putting on a breakfast christmas morning so that should be nice. There seems to be predominantly israeli people staying there, and they dont celebrate christmas (i think), so dont know how christmas day is going to go down. We decided we are just going to cook ourselves a big feed, stuff ourselves with chocolate, and the Stacey specialty of 'Dads' cookies', and drink copious amounts of beer and wine (to make a change from the last 4.5 months of abstinence of course). We may even try and commandeer the remote control and watch some films too. They have a festival of lights in the park, so might take in an evening stroll there too. We were thinking of another hike but given our level of stiffness, i think it's going to be a while. Its not going to be the same as at home, and we'll miss everyone, but we'll do our damndest to have a nice day and fill our bellies like proper irish elves! I believe I'm missing Brians biggest light display ever in lucan, with airplane landing
lights right up to the front door! Pauls gonna miss be filled with goodies in his Grannies christmas morning, and catching up with all the clan. Believe Sarah Nolan is doing our blog justice and still reading our ramblings, even tho its christmas and all our page hits have gone down from the rest of yee skivers, so thanks Sarah, 😊 hope you're having a great christmas.
So thats all. We hope you are all having a lovely christmas, and we'll be ringing the Mammys and Daddys and siblings on the day to disturb your festivities. It will be our stephens day by the time you are all eating your christmas dinner so that will make it a bit easier, as we'll be in the throngs of indigestion and hangovers when you are all just getting started!
Miss you all! Happy Christmas to everyone! Have a great day!
Elaine and Paul
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Mary and Mark
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Happy Christmas!
Happy Christmas to ye both! After reading the blog we are getting very excited about getting to New Zealand in the new year!!