Advertisement
Published: September 1st 2009
Edit Blog Post
HOBBIT WANDERS: Tane Mahuta
Hay Kids,
It has been a while since I last sent you some tales.
Mum has been here in the UK for the last 5 weeks. We had such a super-fun-busy time.
Ye ol blog has taken a back seat however. So where were we?
Oh yeah....
After Santiago we hoped on a plane bound for the land of the long white cloud: Aotearoa!!
A place where hobbits wander and birds are so relaxed that they no longer fly.
A place where two kids keen for an adventure, speed north of Auckland looking to speak with an elder who was a child when Christ was born.
Fuelled on kumara chips, pineapple lumps and L&P, the open road and endless horizon was theirs for the taking.
Although the hobbit was from this land the hobbit had never ventured to this part of the country: so it was a new exploration for both nomads. One hobbit, and one hobbit in training.
Every corner presented a new visual pleasure, rolling pastures dotted with cabbage trees and littered with cows quickly turned into dense forest: Kauri forest.
Kauri trees live for
over 2000 years, unfortunately when Europeans came to New Zealand they cut 95% of them down for timber, so there are only a few of these majestic giants left. Can you imagine a tree over 2000 years old?!
You all know I am a bit of a tree hugger, but I am serious when I say that meeting Tane Mahuta was much more of a spiritual experience than St Pauls Cathedral could ever hope to be. One has to just sit there and be in the presence of this mighty elder of the forest to know there is something magical going on.
The Waipoua forest park has a perfect camping site for tired hobbits and has a kick arse river, with a swimming hole where you can take a dip then enjoy some wine and cheese, all whilst watching the sun gently recline behind the trees. Now this is the life.
Second port of call is Waitangi: The place where the treaty between Pahkeha (European/white pig) and Maori was signed in 1840. Hudson Bay, in Waitangi, is shaped as if by the scoop of a giant hand and the view over the ocean is entrancing. Most impressive
here is the huge waka (canoe) built in 1940 celebrate the centenary of the treaty. Moka had his first real taste of Maori culture here by attending a Kapa Haka performance. He was also lucky enough to be asked to join in the performance as chief of the white people!!
ON THE ROAD AGAIN, ON THE ROAD AGAIN. (Song sung Jazz styles with a walking bass.)
Heard of Goat Island? If you are from down under you probably know a few of them. Captain Cook and other such sailors used to leave goats on small Islands a little off shore. The goats could not get off these Islands so stayed there breeding until next time the Sailors where ‘in town’. Pretty handy food store!
Goat Island near Pakiri, a couple of hours north of Auckland, was the first Marine reserve in NZ and snorkelling there is comparable to Thailand, (even better than Mango bay at Ko Tao, for those of you have been there). The postcard view of the island and golden sands with a pohutakawa in the fore ground is typical kiwi. And after been away from home so long I am happy to
just lie back and breathe it in. A snorkel set can be hired from some guy’s garage, just past the car park, for a tenner. Score! Oh and speaking of money....
Do you know why NZ money is plastic?
So you can take it snorkelling! (Seriously! Now we just need plastic passports.)
To do this road trip in two nights and three days is a bit of a push. Next time I would like to take a week and get up to Cape Rianga - the most northern point in New Zealand. But damn we had too much fun - HOLIDAYS ROCK!! HOLIDAYS AT HOME ROCK!!!
So are there are any hobbits out there reading this that have not done this loop?
I dare you to put it on your list of things to do.
Well I am off to read my National Geographic and sip some coffee, think about Tane Mahuta and wonder where the hobbits will wander next.
(I have a ‘stinking’ suspicion it may be Rotorua.)
Advertisement
Tot: 0.124s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 10; qc: 58; dbt: 0.0561s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb