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Published: August 2nd 2010
Hi all, finally hit New Zealand, added a map to show you how far travelled so far N.B did not stop at all the pin points!
Had to put them on to follow the roads!
Picked up my campervan after my 13 hour flight and waiting two hours until the depot opened! Got it for six weeks while I tour both Islands.
Campervan is a six speed diesel turbo Transit with shower, toilet, 3 ring gas hob, hot water, fridge, toaster, kettle, large double bed or as table and benches plus utensils etc, proper little home from home on wheels!
Headed out of Auckland after stopping for food shopping and buying myself a guitar, need the practice, from "Bungalow Bills" a nice geordie fella! He said when i leave he guaranteed a resale price if i dont sell or take with me.
Stopped at a place near Helensville about 50 km north of Auckland to get some kip. Problem is i missed the hardstand by half a foot and got stuck in the mud! Partly my misjudgement of the long wheel base, tiredness, small hardstand and it had been raining!
Some
guys tried to help me as we tried putting wood under the wheel then some guy pulled me out with his 4 x 4, BUT once out he did not stop and when i braked the back step broke off as no one could see the tow eye! Doh! So i need to get repaired at my cost, good first day! School boy error!
Had dinner with one of the guys I met there, interesting chap! Then headed off next morning to a place called Matakohe, where there was a museum about the Kauri trees that used to cover northern parts of NZ.
They are the second largest trees on the planet, growing to 8 metres in diameter but humans have cut most of them down over the years as the trees are really big and straight and flexible with very few knots, as they sort of prune themselves losing branches.
They can live up to 2000 years and they have found 40,000 to 60,000 year old trees buried several metres down in swamps! The wood is still useable and not rotten due to the swamp preserving them plus the quality of the wood.
The gum of the trees used to be taken from the trees and they also used to dig up the old ones, using the gum for varnish, candles and firelighters.
The natural wood is used for building houses (could get 4 houses out of one tree!) and was especially popular for boats in particular masts as straight and strong. Not many left now and now protected, gum also been replaced by other less flammable alternatives.
Spent couple of hours in the musuem, they had working machinery that was used to clean the gum and cut up the lumber, as well as giant Kauri logs and planks. Loads of old photos plus they had built a whole house in the museum!
Drove on to the Waipoua Kauri Forest after the museum and stayed in a camper park. Had it all to myself! Cooked bangers and mash washed down with chilean cab sauv and watched a movie on the telly with he camp site cat curled up on my lap. Facilities pretty cool at sites, hot showers, kitchen facilities and some with tv's and internet.
Next morning headed north again stopping on
the way at the Forest visitor centre and went for a walk in the woods / bush. Also stopped further along to see the oldest and largest living kauri trees, one had its own car park and all had decked paths for you to walk along, about 30 mins walk, so not to damage the roots (surprisingly for bloody big trees they have weeny roots).
Continued my drive north, via a car ferry at Rawene and stayed at a campsite just short of the northern peninsula right next to the beginning of ninety mile beach. The beach is not actually ninety miles long, it is 64 miles or 103 km, some french bloke measured it a few hundred years ago and got it wrong! Again the campsite was pretty empty, bumped into a few people cooking dinner but that was it.
Booked a Cape Reinga tour which picked me up in the morning. The coach only had about ten people on it and took us to the northern most point, Cape Reinga, stopping at various bays along the way. The coach driver Robin was a right hoot, giving us information as we went and telling jokes!
The cape is where the Mauri believe the dead spirits leave this world, you can just make out a tree clinging to the rocks in one of the pickies which is supposed to be where the spirits depart. It was very windy and cloudy!
After the cape we were taken into the dunes and had a gop at sledging down the dunes, was great fun but tiring climbing the dunes and sand got everywhere!
After this the coach actually drove through rivers and along about 72km of ninety mile beach, stopping occasionally for photo opportuntities. Was a good trip lasting almost all day, by time we got back was around five so decidied to stay another night, only campervan there at all this night!
Left early the next morning (Monday) and it was chucking it down, bit scary to drive in! Had a few spots i was gonna stop at but cos the weather rubbish only stopped at Whangarei falls, think that was cos i fancied a bacon buttie and cup of coffee in the van!
The places i missed are probably much more enjoyable in the summer and am
keen to explore more of central North island with its volcanic stuff plus the South Islands and the mountains.
So ended up driving almost all the way back to Auckland, stopped at a campsite on Orewa beach, literally right by the beach and it is near a town, wahoo people!
So been pretty lonely the last few days and what with my little accident, nice to see the sun shining again (mind you more rain forecast) and going for a walk into town to see people! Looking forward to hooking up with Wendy's husband Joe and to go fishing and hopefully the pub.
Will probably head off through Auckland towards Thames tomorrow (goldmine visit there), unless i like it here and stay another night, then onto Wendy's / Joes. To be honest not that fussed about seeing around Auckland, just another city! But might do!
Been trying to play the guitar but been struggling to tune it with my iphone app, maybe need a better one or dont drink wine before i try! Have learnt a little bit of Come as you are, thats about it!
Larf
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LEE GIBBS
non-member comment
camper van looks great mate and probably a bit more reliable than an old vw. did you manage to speak to emma and when or are you gonna meet up?, she will be able to tune ya guitar, no pics of the axe tho!! peanuts wedding is on saturday so we're all getting fitted for our suits on thursday, hope they bloody fit. brandon should be able to get his suit over his PINK and BLUE casts! will let ya know how it all goes after. keep on truckin and we'll speak soon.