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New Zealand - North Island
Having said my goodbyes to the Intrepid group, I make arrangements to leave my enormous and heavy (30kgs) suitcase at the Hotel So, which I will return to after extending my NZ adventures to the North Island travelling alone ‘Back Packer’ style.
I take only a number of clean t-shirts and underwear in my day pack and head off to Christchurch airport to take just an hours flight at 11.30am to Wellington…NZ’s Capital. The main attraction of Wellington for me was to enjoy its performing arts culture and having booked myself into the YHA I soon start to explore the city and its theatres. In just two days I manage to fit in two plays and a musical, as well as spending a morning at Tu papa - NZ’s National museum.
The first play I saw was an early evening performance of a NZ play called Handy Man…a story about a married couple on the verge of divorce, who head for the coast to empty out their holiday home, only to find their toilet flooded and in need of the help of psycho plumber Dom…this is when their troubles really begin. This is
a psychological thriller about isolation, love and a leaky toilet. With a brilliant performance by the actor playing Dom the plumber.
Being a Saturday night I then followed this with a two handed musical called ‘The Last Five Years’ an American play performed and Directed admirable by two New Zealand performers. Reminding me very much of ‘They’re Playing Our Song’ which I myself performing at the Play House Theatre back in 2003, the production was supported by a six piece orchestra joining them on stage, making an enjoyable end to my first day, with both productions taken place at The Bats Theatre.
The next day after making my own breakfast at the hostel, I headed to Te Papa and spent a good four hours looking around the many exhibits. Highlights included the scientific display on the forming of New Zealand and its Volcanic position in the world sat on top the fault linking the Pacific and Australasian Platelets; Its Maori cultural displays and some clever 3D and cinematic offerings.
During the late afternoon I then headed to the Circa Theatre 2 adjacent to the Museum situated on the waterfront, to watch an English Play performed by two
NZ TV actors and a young Actor from the UK called ‘Bone‘. Set during the early 2000’s the characters tell their tormented story’s surrounding issues such as the widowed farmers wife during the foot & mouth tragedy; the young Londoner about to head off to fight in the Gulf and the rantings of at deluded Marketing Exec. Having seen the production back in Christchurch also, this for me was the best play I had enjoyed in NZ and for that matter for a long time. Superbly acted and produced by a top notch production team.
The next day I walked to the Railway Station on the other side of town to catch a Coach taking me on a three hour trip to Napier, to stay at the Criterion Art Deco Hostel. On arrival I signed up for an afternoon tour of this intriguing town whose tragic past, being completely demolished after an earthquake in 1931 where 162 people died and has now become quite a tourist attraction in that the whole town was re-built in the 1930’s Art Deco style and remains today the world’s most prolific example of Art Deco buildings in one area.
After a relaxing
morning in the coffee house offering me free internet, I head off the following day to catch another coach to a place called Taupo which has NZ’s largest lake, being created by one of the world’s largest volcano explosions recorded in China over 5000 years ago. Not having time to complete the gruelling Alpine Crossing, I only spend 20 hours in this small town before heading to Rotorua for a two night/three day stay.
Booking into the Lake House Hotel over looking Rotorua’s Lake and a living Maori Village. I then head for the town to plan my next few days in order to make the most of a town famed for its Geothermal activity and Maori history.
The first night I attend an evenings entertainment with the Mitai tribal family who cook a Hangi traditional meal undergound for dinner, guide their guests through a forest spring walk where we encounter the arrival of Maori warriors in a canoe and later a nature glow-worm walk. The highlight however is a show put on in an outdoor village setting where the Maori men perform the Hakka , as well as learning some of their songs and dances for audience
participation ourselves.
The following day I take an early morning shuttle to Wai-O-Tapu (meaning Sacred Water) billed as a Thermal Wonderland. Amongst the highlights of this intriguing moon like landscapes…is the Lady Geezer, bubbling Mud Pools, coloured craters and pools ranging from blues to greens; reds to bright yellow. Once you get over the stench of the sulphur you soon get to enjoy the sights and sounds of this amazing and unique place.
The finale’ to Rotorua was a couple of hours spent in its museum where I found out a little more of the towns Maori past and of its Thermal bath cures and history. One of the more poinent moments was an exhibition of the Maoris’ contribution to the world war two where just over 3,000 young Maori men took the very long journey around the world to fight in Europe, with over half being injured and with just over 600 never to return.
On Friday 23 May I take a return flight from Rotorua back to Christchurch to stay in my favourite Hotel - Hotel So in order to relax before my next adventure in Australia.
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