Ooops

Have added 3 updates on the last few weeks but somehow added them as pages not posts, I hope you can find them! Titles: Catch up time, LALA Land and San Diego

Sorry am on Fiji time!

Its been a while since I updated the blog, mainly due to drinking far too much with Laura Rookard in Auckland and then being plunged into Fiji time!

Waiheke Island was lovely and I had a much nicer stay iN Auckland, mainly due to staying in Ponsonby rather than the city.

Arriving in Fiji was a bit of a culture shock, internet access is extremely limited as is electricty, hot water and most other things I have taken for granted.

Having said that it’s idyllic! (Apart from Nadi which is like a war zone!) The people are lovely and theres very little to do excpet relax in the beach or in a hammock, swim and snorkel in the beautiful warm, crystal clear sea and relax some more.

Having said that I have managed to go on a shark feeding trip, make some jewellary, meet lots of locals, attend a Kava welcoming ceremony, go on a sunset cruise, drinks lots of beer and the occasional cocktail. Oh its a tough life!!!

Tauranga, for longer than expected:(

It was only a 5 minute journey from Mount Maunganui to Tauranga, a larger more industrial town thanthe Mount but still pleasantly located on a busy harbour and made more interesting by the Farmers Markets and the Craft fair that were open today.

I had a pleasant day in the town finished off by some excellant fish and chips!

The following morning the ‘Magic’ bus was due to pick me up at 0835, by 0850 I was somewhat concerned, mainly because Daylight Saving had ended overnight, I confirmed I had the right time at reception and called Magic. Sure enough the driver had forgot to pick-up in Tauranga! They booked me on an intercity bus to Auckland which would arrive at 6pm, 5 hours later than planned which ruined my plans to get the ferry to Waiheke Island. Despite my rant they were not willing to offer any other help. I ended up staying in Auckland overnight which gave me plenty of time to write my 4 page letter of complaint!

I delivered this first thing the next morning and sure enough I was refunded for my accomodation and transport costs. I have since received an email from the Operations Manager offering a full apology!

I did manage to get the ferry to Waiheke Island the following day!

 

Mount Maunganui

The journey north to Mount Maunganui took most of the day, stopping for lunch in Rotorua just in case I’d forgotten the smell!

We were greeted at the brand new hostel with afternoon tea which made a pleasant change. It was mentioned that there would be a pub quiz at the Irish Bar in town so a few of us decided we give it a go! So at 2000, with a pint of Steinlager (very nice!) the quiz began with name the author, we managed 2/10! The quiz continued and we made a feeble attempt resulting in our team coming last!!! (Sorry Mark!)

I had another 2 days at the Mount, a gorgeous seaside resort. The first day saw crowds of American tourists swarm the town as a cruise ship was docked in the harbour. I managed to find a quiet spot on the beach and even purchased some art supplies and attempted some sketching and painting for the first time in a few years!

I spent the evening at the Mt Maunganui Hot Pools which were pools of heated sea water, very relaxing.

My last day involved yet more relaxing/painting as well as a walk to the top of the Mount for great views. I finished off the day by seeing Definately Maybe at the cinema, a cheesy chick flick!

I Love The Mount (No I didn’t buy the t-shirt!)

Napier

It was a brief overnight visit to Napier, known mainly for it’s Art Deco buildings. I found a much nicer attraction in ‘Ocean Spa’. I walked down to the spa at about 1800 to find hot pools, sauna, steam room, ice pools and more out in the open. (Much like Aquasprings but outside for those who know it). I spent a very pleasant evening here with the ocean on one side of the glass panels and the sun setting behind the pine trees on the other side. Obviously the evening had to be finished off with a nice cold beer!

Wet and Windy Wellington

That pretty much sums it up! Wellington is known as the Windy City and it lived up to its reputation. I spent my 2 days there bumbling around the city and visiting the huge museum. The main excitement revolved around the fire alarms going off in the huge Wellington City YHA, this resulted in everyone being evacuated at nearly midnight and the fire crews determining that someone had been smoking in their room!

I did make it to the top of Mount Victoria for views over the city but having to hold on to the railings for fear off being blown away didn’t make it a very relaxing afternoon!!!

Taupo

We left Rotorua to head to Taupo, but first we stopped to see yet more mud pools and then to see the Lady Knox Geyser erupt. Sure enough it erupted at 1015 as promised, although it was with a little help from some soap. Apparently adding soap causes a chemical reaction which in turn creates a build of of pressure causing it to erupt. Good to see even if it was a little theatrical.

I arrived in Taupo and booked my transport to the Tongariro Crossing, New Zealand’s best one-day hike, for tomorrow.

It was an early start, 0615, and began with a 90 minute bus ride to the start of the Tongariro Crossing. With 18km ahead of me I set off. The first hour and a half was fairly easy, however the Devils Staircase was as bad as it sounds! An hour of continuous climbing left me in no mood to attempt the detour to the summit of Mt. Ngauruhoe! I crossed the south crater and with the cloud cover coming down and the sparse environment it was a eerie place. I reached Red Crater Ridge which was the start of another steep climb, and a fairly dangerous area due to the sheer drops either side and the strong winds. I reached the top of the ridge at about 11am and slowly started the descent down the other side, this was almost more difficult than going up due to the loose volcanic material on the ground making it quite slippery. I reached Emerald Lake and found a sheltered spot for lunch. It was another few hours to go passing Blue Lake and Ketetahi Hut before the volcanic areas gave way to rainforest and finally brought me out to the end of the crossing. A tiring very worthwhile day.

Back in Taupo I met Rachel and Sally in my dorm who mentioned beer and I was almost dragging them to the pub!

My final day was spent relaxing and resting my aching legs! Sally had been to do the hike today so on her return we went for more drinks and even saw some live music in one of the local pubs. A fun evening.

Rotorua

So I left Auckland, again, to head south to Rotorua. First a stop in Waitomo, famous for its caves and glowworms. I had a walk through the caves followed by a short boat ride in the dark to see the glowworms which made them look like stars in the night sky.

I arrived in Rotorua and checked in to the YHA to be told there were no beds left even though I had booked. Just as I was about to blow my top, the receptionist smiled sweetly and said, “of course we’ll give you a private room for 3 nights at no extra cost”, thus blowing the wind out of my sails and forcing me to back down, smile sweetly and thank her for all her help!!!

Once settled in my room I walked into town which was very quiet due to the Easter weekend with most stores and even restaurants closed. The following day was Easter Monday and with the news that the town would be closed again tomorrow I booked transport to Whakatane and a day trip to White Island. Oh and yes Rotorua does indeed stink! The geothermic activity releasing sulphuric gas which smells of rotting eggs, nice!

So the following day I was picked up at 0700 and driven to Whakatane, 90 minutes away. I’m sure there was some nice scenary but I fell asleep! I arrived in Whakatane and boarded Peejays motor cruiser berthed in the harbour. It was a 2 hour boat trip to White Island, New Zealands most active volcano! On route we were given our safety equipment, a hard hat and gas mask! Apparently the sulphur can get quite intense.

The boat anchored in a bay south of the island and transferred us by RIB to the shore. Here we were split into groups of about 8 and assigned 2 guides to give us a tour of the island. It was an amazing experience and standing on the edge of the main crater was a little unnerving!

Once we had seen the island we headed back to Whakatane, shortly before arriving we saw a shark! It was about 5 minutes after this that we were told that due to the tidal conditions, the boat couldn’t get over the sand bank and we would have to be transferred by RIB. In my mind sharks and inflatable boats do not mix!! However, we arrived safely back in the harbour where I met my transport back to Rotorua.

My final day in Rotorua began with a walk around town, now that the shops were open. I then took the bus out to the Agrodome and Zorb centre. I decided to go Zorbing and had remembered to pack my swimming costume and towel as you have to get wet! So I paid my money and sat at the bottom of the hill where a bus would arrive to collect me. Whilst waiting I watched some other willing volunteers hurl themselves down a hill in an inflatable ball and wondered what all the fuss was about. Actually if the bus hadn’t pulled up at that second I probably would have got my money back and given it a miss. Nevertheless within a few minutes I was at the top of the hill being told to dive into the inflatable ball and the pool of water (thankfully warm water) that was swishing around inside. I opted for the zig-zag route and was told that when they tapped the side I was to walk forward and start the ball rolling. I did as instructed and withing seconds was rolling around on my backside! The zig-zag route made you tumble down the side of the hill bouncing and swishing around inside! I was in hysterics the whole way down. I had no idea which way up I was, where I was or how much water I had swallowed!!! It was such fun and I was in fits of giggles whilst trying to change into dry clothes prior to buying up half the souvenir shop!!!

With a few hours to spare I headed over to the Agrodome and watched the sheep show, more fun than it sounds!

Back in town I got ready for the evening’s entertainment. I was going to see the Tamaki Maori concert. This started with the Maori greeting ceremony, a walk around the village learning about the Maori traditions, a concert and then a Hangi meal; very similar to a roast dinner but cooked for hours underground in traditional Maori fashion. A fine way to finish the day.

Enforced relaxation!

It was a short drive from Paihia to Hokianga on the west coast. I hadn’t realised that accommodation was going to be an issue due to the Easter weekend so was left with only one option, Oponoko Lodge. The bus dropped me, along with 2 other English girls, at the bottom of Mountain Road. Our driver told us the owner of the lodge would be down to pick us up soon. Sure enough a lady drove down in her car to pick us up. It was only a few minutes up the hill to what was actually a chalet type building in the back of their field! Only after I had dumped my bags and walked out onto the terrace could I appreciate the beauty of its setting. It was in the middle of nowhere, we had cows munching on the grass outside our window, home baked bread and home-grown fruit and veg and very friendly hosts. Off the beaten track and not filled with the usual coach loads of backpackers, I’d recommend it to everyone, although maybe if you stayed longer than a couple of nights you may go stir-crazy!

So I had nothing to do except relax in the garden reading my book without any guilty feelings that I should be doing something, as there was nothing to do!

But, I did have nocturnal activities planned, no not that!

I had booked the Footprints of Waipoua, http://www.footprintswaipoua.com/, I’ve put the link in mainly because I still can’t find a way to describe the evening. Lonely Planet included it in their Code Green-Experiences of a Lifetime. It was an amazing night, one that has to be experienced to be believed.

The next day I was sad to be leaving Oponoko Lodge so soon, it was a fairly long drive back to Auckland where I met Emma (from the South Island) and caught up over a glass of wine or 2. Thankfully I only had to be in Auckland for the one night before heading down to Rotorua.

Absolute Bliss

Not only was I grateful to be escaping Auckland but I was greeted in Paihia, Bay of Islands with glorious sunshine and views across the Bay with numerous boats sailing around the islands and a very clean, friendly hostel. Not only was it clean and friendly but also quiet giving me a 4 bed dorm all to myself!

I spent the first afternoon investigating the various activities on off, my first full day on the Northland was already filled with a day trip to Cape Reinga, the northern most tip of New Zealand. I then booked a ‘Day in the Bay’ which involved a boat trip around the islands visiting the ‘Hole in the Rock’ and viewing some of the dolphins that occupied the area. I then booked a days sailing, making sure I avoided the big catamarans that took tourists in their droves, I booked to go on Gungha (meaning strong in India apparently) with Skipper, Mike. With so much planned and with a forecast of good weather all week, I decided to chill out on day 4 before travelling to the west coast of the Northland.

My day trip to Cape Reinga started early with a fairly long drive stopping for refreshments before arriving at the southern end of Ninety Mile Beach. Our off-road bus drove us along the beach, an experience not dissimilar to Fraser Island, stopping briefly for us to get photos and take in the rugged coastline. When we exited the beach we stopped at the giant sand-dunes for Sand Boarding! After a strenuous walk up the sand dune we got to surf back down on a body board, great fun and if it hadn’t been such hard work to get to the top I’d have had more than 2 goes!!

We then headed further north to Cape Reinga and the lighthouse with time to walk out and see where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet. We finished the afternoon with an hour to chill out on the beach in a scluded cove nearby.

My ‘Day in the Bay’ was another enjoyable day, we had several Pods of dolphins swimming with us all morning which was spectacular and I got some good photos. I must admit the ‘Hole in the Rock’ is a tourist rip-off, a fact to be confirmed by Skipper Mike! But it did mean we got to see Cape Brett and the lighthouse with great views back across Pahia. We got an hour to relax in Cook Bay before we were going to try to swim with the dolphins, unfortunately the dolphins must get used to the afternoon frenzy of waterborne tourists and did a disappearing act! Nevertheless it was a pleasant cruise back.

When I got back to my room I had company, in the shape of Mandy from Chelmsford!!!! Lots of chat about home over a couple of glasses of wine made for a nice evening!

My decision to avoid the tourist boats paid off. I was greet by Mike (Later to be named Mad-Mike!) and my fellow crew-mates, all 3 of them! So a 45ft sailing boat was more than adequate to take the 5 of us off for the day. Mike’s first question was “Do you sail?” So I confessed and 2 minutes later I was sailing the boat away from the Wharf and around the Bay of Islands!!! It was a lovely day, lots of entertainment from Mike and more stunning scenery around the Bay of Islands.

My ‘chill-out’ day wasn’t quite as relaxing as I planned! I started with a walk to the Treaty Ground for an injection of history and culture and then decided to walk to the Haruru. Luckily I had packed a lunch as the walk turned out to be a 12km round trip! It was very pleasant though and I only saw 2 other people on the entire trip. I had my lunch on the edge of the falls before heading back to town to browse the shops and make the most of my last evening in Paihia.