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Published: March 13th 2009
Paihia
Sarah just reading her book on the beach.Day 36 - Auckland - Paihia
Today we were up nice and early to get the coach up to Paihia. We arrived up there at about 12.30 and had a little explore and did some food shopping. We actually did nothing at all exciting and had a little read in the afternoon sun on the beach. We went for a BBQ at the hostel next door and had a few drinks and drinking games with all the people we had met on the bus that morning.
Day 37 - Paihia
In the morning we went on a 4 hour ferry cruise of the Islands in the "Bay of Islands". After cruising around the beautiful inhabited islands we reached The Hole in Rock - which is basically a huge hole in a limestone rock off the coast of one of the peninsulas. The ferry driver did the age old joke of telling us that the boat could not fit through the hole and then followed this by of course then trying to fit through and surprise surprise if fit perfectly. It was pretty cool going through the hole and once we reached the other side we saw huge schools
Paihia - The Hole in the Rock
Us in front of the Hole in the Rock. of fish at the surface of the water. We then headed to one of the islands called Urupukapuka for an hour stop. This was nearly enough and I could have spent all day there but we made the most of the time and walked up to the viewpoint to catch the amazing views of the other islands that surrounded it. We had a little argument with a stroppy American woman who insisted that we were sitting in HER seat when we got back onto the boat even though the seat was completely empty. Apparently when you get off the boat you still keep the same seat when you get back on but everyone else did not seem to work to this rule! Luckily Rob managed to control his anger and did not speak out and we just kept sitting there.
On the way back we were lucky enough to see 2 pods of 20 bottle nose dolphins and the 2nd pod stuck round to play in the waves that the boat was making which was amazing. We were particularly happy as we had chosen the island stop cruise rather than the dolphin-watching cruise and had ended up seeing more dolphins
Paihia - Urupukapuka
Sarah and me at the top of Urupukapuka Island (what a great name). that the other boat. We hopped off at Russell, the town opposite Paihia in the bay, as we had to sample a drink at New Zealand's oldest pub. The town itself was not particularity exciting but it was nice to have a drink looking out to sea. After catching the quick ferry ride back to Paihia, we went back to out hostel for a chill-out for an hour. Once we had found the motivation we started the walk up to the view-point in Paihia. It was a fairly steep but short walk up through the forest to the view point but the views (as always) were worth the effort.
We had a fairly uneventful evening which just involved cooking a curry and then watching a DVD in the lounge with others in our hostel.
Day 38 - Paihia - Auckland
Today we got up quite early as we had wanted to do the coastal walk over to the next town of Opua. We made our sandwiches and headed off. It was a nice little walk - nothing spectacular (well in New Zealand terms anyway). We got to Opua 4 miles later and all it had was loads of
Paihia
Bottlenose Dolphin just doing his thing. tiny little boats in the harbour, a really small car ferry and a fish and chip shop. But we had our picnic so we couldn't get involved in that - much to my displeasure. We walked all the way back to Paihia and got showered and ready to leave back to Auckland.
We arrived back in the big smoke at around 6.30 and had arranged to meet Anna and Phil (aka Mr Big Noodle) a little later but bumped into them in reception of the hostel anyway. We had to see them that night as it is the only chance to see them in NZ as they will be following us for the rest of our route just a little slower. We got our room and quickly hit the bar and then went onto a bar/club up the road. We didn't take our passports and they wouldn't let us in so we had to walk all the way home and back again which was a bit annoying! It was a really fun (little) place and was the most people I had seen in one place since the rugby a couple of weeks ago. We left via the dairy to get
Auckland
Sarah, Anna and Phil reunited once again. some sausage rolls and said our farewells once again. It was really nice to see them again although it was a little too fleeting.
Day 39 - Auckland - Whitianga (Mercury Bay)
We were starting our trip back down the North Island today and we had a long day on the coach so did not really achieve much today. Our first brief stop was the top of Mount Eden. If we had had enough time in Auckland we would have walked up it because it is so much more satisfying when you feel you have earned the view rather than getting a coach up there but I am pleased we did get to see the view.
After a few more hours on the coach we stopped at a place called Thames for some lunch. Rob tried his first NZ pie and was very disappointed. He only gave it a 4 out of 10 compared to the 9 out of 10 that the Chicken Balti Pastie from Marylebone station gets! We then then had a long drive through very windy roads to the car park from which you can walk down to Cathedral Cove. Cathedral Cove beach was worth
Cathedral Cove
Us on the beach at Cathedral Cove. the visit, the limestone rocks around the beach make it a perfect little cove and I would say that it even competes with Thailand beaches. It was just such a shame that we could not have spent all day there. We only had a 2 and a half hour stop and by the time you have walked there it left only an hour on the beach. Rob was brave enough to go in the freezing sea but I admit to not going in - I do not think I will hear the end of it though! (He also saw a fish that was “this big”)
Once we left Cathedral Cove it was a short drive to out final destination for the day which was Whitianga (Mercury Bay). Once we arrived the weather had turned for the worse so it did not look as pretty as I am sure it does in the sun and as we only had the evening there we did not have time to explore. After dinner Rob went off to challenge some Swedish boys to a game of 5 a side football in a nearby field (it was 5-5 before the lights went out, much to
Karangahake Gorge
Sarah next to part of the gorge. their disappointment) while I just chatted to some people in the hostel.
Day 40 - Whitianga - Rotorua
Today we were up at 7.30 and on the bus to Karangahake Gorge for a short walk through some old mine tunnels and to see the ruins of various gold processing buildings. On the way we stopped by the road side where I took the picture of the Alderman Islands. It was a really nice place and we only had a hour there which was a real shame as apparently the long walk is really spectacular (so if you go; do that one). The old mining tunnels didn't have any lighting so we had to get the torches out to see where we were going which was cool.
We then went on to the small town of Matamata which was where the set for Hobbiton was and the town has lots of Lord Of The Rings related things scattered around (like the sign and Smeedle statue I had my picture in front of). Apparently the town was chosen not because of its aesthetics but because the people are slightly strange and short so they could save money on hiring extras
Rotorua
Sarah and I in our super fast luges. - but I'm not sure how true that is!
At around lunchtime we arrived back in Rotorua where we had visited before. We went straight to the luge which is apparently the best one in the country. There was about 7 of us from the bus who went together so we were racing each other down and it was a really fun way to spend a few hours and really good value. It was also really well organised with 3 different tracks and a chairlift to take you back to the top again.
After the luge we went to our hostel and now we are here writing this. I think tonight will be a big night and tomorrow we are off to Waitomo for the famous Black Water Rafting.
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Rachel
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Urupukapuka!
So funny was just on the phone to James and reading your blog...and saw the pic of Urupukapuka and burst out laughing. James and I did a day trip there. The only day of James's whole trip where it rained was our day at Urupukapuka and we couldn't get the ferry back for 4 hours so we were just stuck there in the rain. Was actually one of the funniest days. Shame you couldn't have stayed longer in Cathedral Cove...that was James favourite place in NZ. Enjoy the caves...I'm so jealous you are doing the black water rafting I wanted to do! Next time I go! xxxxxxx