UK£1 = NZ$2.4 approx. (at time of travel).
The flight from Sydney took 2 hours and 20 mins and we passed over clear views of the snow-capped Southern Alps. The weather in Christchurch was dull and wet and we felt like we were back home in England. We took a bus into the square in the centre of town and booked into a hostel called "Backpackers in the Square". Quite a nice place at NZ$30 per night (about 12 quid). We slept/relaxed and recovered from the previous weeks madness in the afternoon and ventured out for a wander and some fantastic fish ‘n’ chips in the evening. Christchurch is quiet and pleasant. Apparently it’s the most English city outside of England, and it’s easy to see why.
Spent the day around town, sightseeing and doing chores. Had a nice walk along the river and watched the locals pushing punts down it – very Oxford/Cambridge! We stocked up on necessary supplies, I bought some new boots and a side-pocket for my rucksack (to enable it to shut!), and we booked onwards travel in a couple of days. We take the Trans-Alpine train over to Greymouth on the West Coast and then pick-up the "Magic Bus" from there. This allows us to tour the island and get off where/when we want. Ate some more delicious food at a little Mexican Café and squandered a few dollars on some pints in Baileys bar below the hostel. I like Christchurch. Not a great deal to do tourist wise, but a really nice feel to the place. A bit like Nottingham I suppose. The weather has been OK, with warm days and cool nights.
More sightseeing and wandering around town, followed by relaxation and a few beers in the evening, and some more take-away fish ‘n’ chips! Speights beer seems to be the best.
The train journey across the Southern Alps was good, but due to some bad weather, with low cloud and rain, the views weren’t as good as they could have been. Plenty of snow "up top"
We arrived in Greymouth at 1:45 p.m. And took a van to a hostel. My pack was soaking (again) after somehow getting exposed in the luggage compartment of the train. Fortunately the contents aren’t too damp. After a slight debate with the hostel owner, we got our room for £30 as agreed on the phone. The hostel was very nice and clean, and was called "Living Streams Haven". It’s just outside of town, right on the sea. The weather was quite wild, standard I was told for the "Wild West Coast", but it was forecast to improve as the week went on.
We phoned ahead to book accommodation at our next stop, and found that phonecalls in NZ are pretty expensive, costing over $3 to make two short calls. Apart from that, accommodation, food, etc, is good value.
We cooked our own food in the hostel and stayed in chatting to other travellers as the storm broke out.
The Magic Bus picked us up at 8:15 a.m. and travelled down to a small place called Hokitiki. A very small town with lots of pubs. We wandered around the town and looked at a gemstone factory before moving on. We stopped briefly at a small pub on the coast called Mahu….. (Something or other) and then again at Ross, which is a gold mining town. We even panned for gold and found a small amount along with some jade. A big setup for the passing tourists, but a bit of a laugh. The rain stopped briefly before continuing as we drove on. We stopped at Franz Josef village and paid $32 for a nice double room at the Caravan Park. Much better value than the hostels, and a chance to get away from foreign backpackers for a while. With it being Easter weekend everything was booked solid, so we were lucky to get a room.
We cooked pie and mash in the camp kitchen and then hit the sack after a long day.
It was still raining in the morning, but had brightened up a bit so we got some brief views of the mountains and the spectacular glacier, which lifted our spirits. The village is pleasant and the trees are Autumn colours, which is really beautiful. We managed to get our room for two more nights (due to a cancellation), and spent the morning washing clothes, then had a min sports competition –pool, table tennis and darts. I won all but the darts as usual. Dibs is so jammy at finishing on those doubles!
We had an early lunch and then walked the mile or so into town. We decided to book a helicopter flight up to the glacier in the morning and a glacier walk in the afternoon, hoping the weather would clear up a bit.
Woke up early to see the sun shining brightly. Whoo hoooo!! After breakfast we raced down to the village and got straight onto a helicopter flight at 8:10 a.m. It was brilliant. We both enjoyed our first helicopter flight, which took us up the Franz Josef glacier to the peaks of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. We touched down right at the top of the glaciers – on the "Neve" for about 10 mins and had a look around, took some pictures. The snow was deep and it was chilly at over 7000 ft, but the weather conditions were perfect. We flew back down the Fox Glacier. All in all about 40 minutes, which was $250, but well worth it. The pilot was a bit grumpy, but other than that I couldn’t fault the whole experience.
Immediately after we landed we crossed the road and went straight out on the half day guided glacier walk. Again, we were please we managed to do this as it was very informative and interesting. It was quite a walk to the face of the glacier, where we put on hob-nailed boots and spent an hour walking on the glacier itself, investigating the ice structures, crevasses, etc.
It’s amazing how close the glacier is to the village, and to the sea. In fact it is apparently the most accessible glacier in the world, and one of only a few which is still advancing. It’s 11 km long – solid ice sliding down the mountain at about 1M a day, running straight into the rainforest next to the seas. How diverse can you get! When we were at the top in the morning we could actually see the waves lapping up on the beach.
The glacier guides were great and providing you took your time, walking around in the hobnailed boots was easy. We hacked away a few ice steps and used ladders and ropes at times
At the end of an action packed day we were pretty exhausted, but it was worth packing it in on a single day to make the most of the great conditions. We dived into DA café on return to the village (we were ravenous) and ate like kings.
Took the Magic Bus to Wanaka. It was another beautiful sunny day and out first stop was at Lake Matheson, where we did a one-hour walk around the lake. It lived up to it’s reputation as being one of the most beautiful spots in New Zealand, and we got a picture postcard scene of the mountains and glaciers reflecting on the perfectly still lake – a superb photo opportunity.
At lunchtime we stopped at Ship Creek beach, which was also very nice and pretty much deserted. We saw dolphins jumping in the waves and enjoyed the beach/mountain scenery until the sandflies got too much. The little bastards really do bite.
We stopped at Makarora in the afternoon, another beautiful spot in a stunning valley, and waited around for a while for some of the passengers to do some jet boating. This looked like a great thing to do – skimming around on the rivers at high speed – but it was pretty expensive.
As we left Makarora, the bus stopped after half a mile as some prick hadn’t shut the luggage compartment on the side of the bus, and a backpack had been thrown out onto the road. Guess who’s backpack it was…. Mine! The bag survived OK although my sleeping mat took the brunt of it. I wasn’t too impressed, but not too much damage done.
We arrived at Wanaka at around 5:00 p.m. and checked into "Matterhorn South Backpackers" – NZ$33 for a double. The room was very nice and the place is really comfortable with good facilities, we even had a roaring log fire to welcome us. We cooked a quick meal in the evening and then phoned home from a phone box. VERY expensive – around NZ$75 for two 15/20 minute chats!
A relaxing start to the day. Dibs booked some horse riding in the mountains at 2:00 in the afternoon.
Overcast and damp all day – so a good opportunity to do nothing other than chat with the other guests and take it easy!
Really enjoyed an evening relaxing at the hostel, despite an ongoing dispute between two semi-resident blokes. One of these works at the hostel – and is best described as "Very nice, but a little weird". The other guy "I’m a lawyer and speak five languages" was a wanker. After lots of swearing and threatening behaviour it fizzled out. Hopefully the weird bloke – Richard – won’t return with a machine gun to wipe us all out!
We hired bikes from the hostel and had a really enjoyable ride around the lake.
Wanaka is another beautiful (how many times have I used this word!) spot – set in the mountains. A Ski centre during the winter months – it’s a small-ish village with plenty of outdoor things going on all year round. Really nice.
We continued our ride along the river Clutha and did a bit of fishing – no luck – but we saw plenty of big fish. As we cycled back in the afternoon we got caught in a huge rainstorm and both got absolutely soaked through. We arrived back at the hostel looking like drowned rats. As soon as we got back it stopped raining!
Sat in the Hostel in the evening and chatted with the other guests until late and drunk a rigger (2L) of ale from the local off-licence. Just take an empty 2L bottle to the shop and they fill it up!
Raining like cats and dogs again this morning, so we aborted plans to do more fishing. Had a walk around the village and changed money, visited the GPO, etc.
In the afternoon it cleared up, so I hired a bike again and revisited the river. Had a great sunny afternoon fishing and walking, although didn’t catch anything. A Danish lad from the hostel caught a couple of nice brown trout – but he did catch them "poaching" in a fly-fishing only area. Cheat!
Later on we walked to the pub with a couple staying at the hostel and chatted until late.
Relaxed in the morning then caught the Magic Bus onto Queenstown. Another beautiful place, but a lot more commercial and bigger than sleepy Wanaka. Similar setting- lake, mountains, fresh air…
Lots of tourists about.
We booked into a small hostel on the edge of town. Nothing special, in fact I can’t even remember the name!
A very busy day. We booked transport and a canoe trip to do the Rees-Dart track, but found out that the track was impossible to pass at the moment due to snow and general bad weather! We rearranged things and booked to do the easier (but doable) Greenstone-Caples track. We booked transport to the town at the end of the road – Glenorchy and boat transport across the lake to the start of the walk.
Dibs bought some new walking boots and we got some supplies – two sleeping bag liners, a waterproof cover for my rucksack, and a load of food and provisions for the walk. We leave for Glenorchy at 7:30 tomorrow, and will start to "tramp" (as they call trekking/hiking in New Zealand) on the 14th. The walk will be four to five days.
We also booked accommodation for our return to Queenstown next weekend (as it is hard to come by) and a Magic Bus trip to Dunedin the following Monday. While we were on a roll, we booked places on the ferry across the Cook Strait for the 28th as they were NZ$30 rather than NZ$44!
This place is very busy, full of tourists, and lots of Asian stuff going on as far as shops and food places are concerned.
Arrived in the morning and spent a bit of time fishing on n outlet. Caught my first NZ trout (albeit a tiddler!) The sandflies were viscous and any exposed skin was bitten. I looked like a mummy!
Chatted to some Kiwis who were also walking and checked into a cabin at the holiday park. Very nice. Glenorchy is a very small, quiet place… and like most places – it’s beautiful!
Raining again, all last night and all day today. Lots of wind to add to the fun. Stocked up on a few more supplies and relaxed for the rest of the day.
15th April 1996 Mid Greenstone Hut
The boat journey over Lake Wakitipu was quite fast and fun. We got to the start of the trail just after 10:00 a.m. and set off. The walk was relatively easy but there was a lot of mud, floods and plenty of "lost" tracks to make it feel harder. The first three-quarters of the walk were enjoyable but the last leg was very wet and we spent a lot of it up to our knees in bog. It took us just under six hours to get to Mid Greenstone Hut. The hut was good and we shared with two Australians and two New Zealanders on a hunting trip – hunting deer. We dried our stuff out the best we could and ate/sat by the fire.
The hut system in NZ is great for walkers. Saves the bother of having to lug a tent around, and it’s cheap – only a few dollars per night. Some of them have rangers who are resident; others are quiet and rely on the walkers to maintain them. A great way to do a long walk.
Walked about five and a half hours today. Some of the route was very boggy, and it was pretty low cloud. McKellar hut was a welcome sight and we soon got a good fire going to dry us out. It was a pretty quiet evening in the hut, although a few walkers turned up later on.
17th April 1996 Mid Caples Hut
Six and a half hours walking to get to Mid Caples Hut. Not bad, considering the group we talked to last night took eight and a half hours to do the same route in reverse. It was a steep climb over the McKellar saddle today, but not too bad – certainly not as bad as some people had said. The saddle – at around 1000M was clear with great weather, and superb views around the mountains. Clear skies at last! This was a good reward for the boggy slog up in the morning, which was pretty grim going at times.
Going down the Caples side of the valley was pretty good going, compared to previous days, but it was still wet and soft everywhere. The hut was OK – we were first there – but the floor was left soaking wet by the previous guests. Very inconsiderate. Had a bit of trouble getting the fire going, but we soon got things warmed up. A handful of other walkers arrived, including a nice NZ couple and an annoying American girl – who was intent on dodging rangers to avoid the few quid she had to pay for lodging in these huts. Very sad. The night was beautiful and clear with a sky full of stars. Whilst chopping wood I saw a Possum. Greta big red eyes and teeth – made me jump! We also saw some large deer.
Made it back. A great final days walking along the Caples valley. The sun came out and it wasn’t too boggy. It was a frosty start, but soon warmed up. The valley was very quiet and scenic. By the time we got to the jetty to catch a boat back we were pretty tired, as we had to make a fast pace to get back in time for the boat. It took us four and a half hours, including a stop at another hut (lower Caples) to chat to a nice Geordie Warden. I grassed the American girl up for dodging payment – and hoped she caught her!
We jetted back to Glenorchy with "Bluto" (or at least he looked like him!), on his fast boat, and booked back into the same cabin for a couple of night. Both of us had a few blisters and I had sore shoulders and neck from carrying the pack – but we enjoyed the experience very much.
Sat in the Holiday Park kitchen for the afternoon with some strong coffee, coconut cookies and TV. Tired but happy!
Relaxed on camp all day. Watched a bit of TV, had a good walk and did some writing. Sat and chatted with an American lad in the evening.
Got the bus back to Queenstown at 11:30 a.m. and checked into a different hostel – The Black Sheep. Quite modern but a bit rowdy. The usual booze crowd that frequents these places! Had a wander around in the afternoon and then enjoyed a couple of beers at the "Pig and Whistle" pub and some fish ‘n’ chips. Booked onto a Milford Sounds trip for tomorrow and had an early night.
We caught the "BBQ Bus" early in the day, to take us to Milford Sound. The trip cost NZ$105 each, and included a BBQ lunch! Seemed like the best value option for a smaller bus. The driver turned up on time and was very friendly and informative. His lunch BBQ was pretty good too!
The journey to Milford took quite a while along the roads, considering it was close to the end of the Greenstone track which we had walked a few days ago. We stopped off at quite a few places along the way, including Te Anau, and the start of the Homer tunnel at 940 meters. We saw our first Kea (a native bird which is a pit like a big parrot), which was very tame and went around chewing anything it could – including any bits of rubber on the parked cars! The Kea has a bit of a reputation in New Zealand, especially for landing on Sheep and chewing on them!
The tunnel itself was natural and quite rough going, about 1.2 km long. When we reached Milford just after our superb lunch, the skies had cleared up and we couldn’t have asked for better weather.
We boarded the red Boat "Scarlet Lady" and toured around the sounds for just under two hours. All I can say is that it is an awesome place. We saw dolphins and seals in the calm, clear water. The scenery is breathtaking, and the bonus of having a clear day made it much more enjoyable. Mitre Peak – the huge chunk of rock that soars out of the sound, was spectacular. As we toured around we saw lots of waterfalls and amazing rock formations… all in a huge scale.
There were only ten people on the bus so the drive back was not such a long drag. I think we covered around 600 km in total, getting back to Queenstown in the early evening. We both really enjoyed the trip but will be glad to get out of Queenstown tomorrow. It’s a bit of a rip-off.
We ate Mexican again in the evening and had a pleasant stroll around the town and waterfront.
I went to a shop in the evening to buy some bananas. They were $2.25 per kilo, but the lad entered $2.45. I told him, he just scowled, called his boss, scowled some more, mumbled, made the change and charged me the correct price, and didn’t apologise once. Not what I call service with a smile!
A very pleasant journey on the Magic Bus across rolling hills to Dunedin. We stopped at the occasional place, including a nice town called Lawrence for lunch. We tried the local pies, which were rank and made us feel sick!
Dunedin is a very pleasant and very hilly city, with a large student population. We booked into the "Elm Lodge", which is very pleasant and friendly. It’s a real cosy atmosphere but at the top of a very steep street, so we were knackered by the time we’d got there. Our room was in the "cottage", which is out the back, and cost us NZ$28 per night.
We spent the afternoon ambling around town, did some grocery shopping and then sat and watched a few videos in the lounge in the evening. Lots of interesting people to chat to.
Did the sights of Dunedin, except the Cadburys factory, which was fully booked! Had a great meal in the evening, which we cooked in the kitchen at the hostel. Steak, Kumara (sweet potato) and mushrooms, and a nice bottle of wine.
Took the Magic Bus back to Christchurch. Our driver, Steve, was the best yet. The journey was pretty long, and was passed some stunning coastal scenery, and took a few stops along the way. The weather was beautiful. We checked into the "Backpackers Inn the Square" again and took an en-suite room for NZ$30. We booked accommodation for Kiakora (where we are going tomorrow). Took advantage of some cheap beer vouchers in the evening.
Arrived just before midday after a leisurely drive up the coast, and checked into "K’s" backpackers. It’s very small and cosy. Kaikoura is a very pleasant spot with a nice town, mountains and coastline. We booked onto a Whale watching trip tomorrow, which is NZ$90 each on a boat. We walked along a peninsular path all afternoon and got to see some seals close up. Also stopped at a small beach which was littered with rock formations, which people had made. We added ours before moving on.
Spent the evening chatting with the other guests and watched TV after cooking up a tasty pasta meal.
The Whale watching trip was OK. It was good to get into the bay and we did see two whales close up, but it wasn’t a very good day as far as quantity was concerned. That’s nature for you! The boat was pretty full and my main disappointment was that that was too many. Only sixteen people could get onto the open top deck, and as soon as the guide mentioned this, it was mayhem. Lots of noisy ignorant Europeans, pushing and shoving their way up there. As usual, their manners and respect went out of the window. We ended up downstairs, which was still OK. One bloke (German I suspect) almost started crying when he couldn’t’ get up top. We were standing at the front but didn’t react very quickly when the crew wanted people to go up!
My only other grip was time. We only got about an hour and a half, which wasn’t enough. I can’t really complain – seeing two giant Sperm Whales that close was just amazing. We also saw lots of Albatross, which were massive.
Seeing that we only saw two whales (a quiet day), the boat people gave us $20 of our $90 back as a refund! Quite an unexpected bonus
We returned to "K’s" and did some washing, resting and eating. Cooked up some sausages in the evening.
Went to the butchers and got a sheep’s heart (bait), and went fishing on the beach, where I caught two nice fish. The first was a snapper like fish and the other a Red Cod. Both a nice size. After a chat with a bloke originally from Manchester (also fishing), we decided to keep the Red Cod and eat it for lunch – he said it would be good eating. It turned out to be pretty horrible!
The weather was sunny again
Took the bus to Picton, which was OK, stopping at a few places and then wandering the town and surroundings until we caught the 6:40 p.m. ferry. We got good seats and the three and a quarter hour journey was smooth and enjoyable. We checked into the Downtown Backpackers, which is OK. Definitely not the Ritz, but central and reasonably clean.
The bed at the Downtown backpackers was definitely the most comfortable bed we’ve had in a long time and we had a mega sleep, struggling to get up in the morning.
We popped into the US embassy to get a visa, but it turned out to be one huge hassle. Just getting into the place, past the guard, was hard. He checked so many details before allowing us into this very secure compound. Lots’ of "Yes Sir" and "Yes Ma’am". We eventually got in, only to find out that 1) Yes- we did need a visa to stay in North America for more than three months, 2) We need to get it in Auckland, and 3) it takes 10 days! So, during the morning and most of the afternoon we rushed around getting passport photos, cheques, registered postage, letters written, etc, etc. At about 15:00 we had sent everything off and were around NZ$100 worse off!
The rest of the day was spent wandering around centre of Wellington, which is a nice city, with quite a big-city feel to it. We finished the day off with some beers and pool in the Hostel bar (very dingy but cheap), a couple of games of their ageing "Karate Champ" arcade game, and a quick scran in the café. Got back to the very comfortable bed early, in anticipation of another monster sleep!
The bed didn’t let us down, and we slept long and late again. We took the cable car up to the top of Wellington to take in the views of the city and straits. Very impressive. It’s actually more like a cog-train than a cable car. We also went to the National Archive, which was OK (to se the treaty of Wanganui), collected some photos – about five films, which were really good.
Took advantage of "cheap day" at the cinema in the afternoon and watched "Casino". A good film. Ate and returned to "the bed"!
A long day on the Magic Bus. Our driver, Lofty, was a great character with an amusing wave as we passed other buses. We stopped lots, sometimes for a bit too much, and didn’t arrive at Lake Taupo until 6:00 p.m. We stopped at Napier amongst other places.
We decided to stay at the "Motor Camp" for a few days. It’s OK but basic. Ate fish ‘n’ chips and had an early night after a walk around town and the waterfront. Lake Taupo is big and looks very beautiful. The town is OK – built on the tourist trade.
A very relaxing day. Did a bit of supply shopping and had a long walk before spending the afternoon reading and relaxing. Put the TV on in the evening and watched some American chat shows, which were very amusing. One show, about teenage tearaways was pretty shocking.
Took the bus to Turangi (NZ$14 each) and checked into the Bellbird Lodge. Turangi is a beautiful little village – on the Tongarriro River. With it being autumn, the colouring of the leaves on the trees was amazing – a site which we hadn’t seen for a while (since leaving England in fact). The town is very peaceful – located on the edge of Lake Taupo – and even claims to be "Trout fishing capital of the world"! The Bellbird Lodge is very nice and comes highly recommended.
In the afternoon I teamed up with an Indonesian looking guy called Raymond, who works at the lodge. It cost me NZ$80 for afternoons fishing, inclusive of license, all gear, boat, guide and tuition! We took the boat to a "rip" near the mount of the Taupo-Turangi River and did plenty of fly-fishing. The wind caused a few problems, but it was great experience. Due to the fact we couldn’t get a good grip with the anchor (and kept bumping into another fishing boat), we moved on and cruised down the river. More wet-fly fishing and some Harling (trolling with a fly) on the lake. Alas – nothing was caught, but it was a great afternoon out, and the fly casting tips and technique Raymond helped me with were excellent. Raymond suggested we go out again the next day with a bigger boat and a fish finder.
The day was quite cold on the lake, so it was good to get back to the cosy lounge at the BellBird. In the evening we cooked up a Beef Balti and rice, which was delicious, then sat around the fire with other guests.
Turangi is so relaxing and so beautiful. One of the best places I think we’ve ever stayed.
Another fishing day. Raymond took myself and Ruth – and Irish girl – out of the bigger boat. It seems as if I’m destined to have no luck fishing in New Zealand, as I failed to land anything (although I had a good take). Ruth, on the other hand, caught two trout on her first ever fishing trip. Beginners luck I suppose! I was hoping we’d do more fly fishing, but ended up trolling/Harling around the Lake. I was a bit pissed off as I got a shitty trolling rod, and Ruth got the proper Harling rod. I wanted to do some fly fishing later on, but Raymond was in a rush to get back after three hours. I think I’ll stick to my own when fishing in the future. I suppose I did learn plenty from the two trips.
The other thing that pissed me off is that Ruth didn’t pay, so I ended up paying for the lot!
Today we walked the Tongarirro crossing. Dubbed as "The best one-day walk in the world", I can pretty much agree, compared with what I’ve done so far.
We too a minibus from the hostel up to the start of the track at 7:30 a.m. and started our walk at about 8:15 a.m. The walk was pretty challenging – very steep in parts – but extremely rewarding. We had a near-perfect day – clear and crisp. The track skirts around volcanoes and lava flows and we saw Emerald Lakes, steaming vets and lots of fantastic views. It was all very moon-like for most of the walk – completely different to anything I’ve experienced before. There were quite a few people on the walk, but it was generally easy to enjoy the track in peace and quiet.
All in all, a fantastic but long taxing walk. We got back to the pick-up point at 4:30 p.m. after a brief nap in a hut! Total walking time was about 6 hours and 45 mins.
We definitely felt a sense of achievement at the end of the walk, and we celebrated with a feed of fish and chips back at the Bellbird Lodge. Every evening the Lady who runs the place provided us with a tray of cakes – freshly baked. What a nice touch!
We really enjoyed our stay at Turangi, despite my slight disappointment with the fishing episode. We met some good people and could have easily stayed for longer.
Got up and did a nice walk along the Tongarirro river, which is very beautiful. I even saw a fly fisherman landing a big trout.
Took the 1:20 p.m. bus back to Taupo and made our way back to the Motor Camp. We didn’t have to pay $40 we owed to the Bellbird Lodge, which made up for my extra payment for the fishing trip.
Another beautiful clear day, with some amazing views around the lake. It was really cold in the evening (by local standards). Dibs had a "half" leg wax and then we went to "Georgie Pie" – a sort of McDonalds with Pies instead of Burgers! An excellent idea, and the food was pretty good – around NZ$10 for loads of food. I think Georgie Pie would be a success in the UK – maybe I should open a franchise! (Mmm – a business idea involving pies)
Arrived in Roturua and checked into a hostel called "The Funky Green Voyager". Very nice though. We explored the town and then visited the "Polynesian Spa". $10 each to enter for a dip in a variety of mineral baths – all at different temperatures. Some were very hot, but it was all very invigorating and relaxing. Stunk a bit though, and our swimming costumes were absolutely minging!
Rotorua is famous for its thermal activity. Bubbling mud baths and steaming vents surround the whole town, and it stinks like rotten eggs. In general, it’s a pleasant place to spend some time.
Afterwards we ate at a great little Mexican café – which filled us up for the day.
Took the Pink Bus to the "Wai-o-tapu" thermal wonderland for NZ$25 each. The whole place if a "theme park" of thermal things. Lady Knox geyser was pretty impressive, as were the bubbling mud pools. The only problem is that all the sulphur is giving us headaches! The guy who runs the hostel – Gerrard – was a bit mad, but in general the atmosphere was fun.
Our journey to Auckland was with Lofty – so it took ages as expected! The bloke is good, but so slow. We stopped at Mt Manganui, Kiwi World, Tauranga and Thames – all pretty non-exciting. Napier was quite nice and we had a good walk around.
We ended up at Auckland bus station at around 6:00 p.m. We waited on the corner of Commerce and Quay Street, as arranged with Taku, but no one turned up. Dibs decided to call after about an hour and found out Taku was at home. There had obviously been some confusion along the line and she had been waiting on the corner of Commerce and Fort streets! This is what happens when you leave organisation to women! She had eventually decided to go home and wait for us – presuming the bus was delayed.
So, eventually we got collected. Taku hadn’t changed much at all and it was good to see her. We met her husband Simon and son Harrison and stayed at their place in Rothesy Bay – a nice suburb on the North Shore of Auckland. The area is really nice and their home quite luxurious. We ate and chatted until late. Our passports were luckily at their house – returned from the US Embassy complete with visas!
Auckland is a really nice city – very much like a small Sydney. We spent the day doing shores around town, and then spent the afternoon with Taku having a bit of a tour. We visited Mission Bay for lunch and Victoria Park markets later on. In the evening we had a takeaway. Loads of food! Another late night chatting and drinking.
Woke up full of cold. Why does that happen in the cities? I decided to take a "day off" and stayed in to write letters and make the most of satellite TV! Taku and Dibs went off for lunch and Simon went to play rugby – so I had some time on my own.
Felt much better today. We visited the "Rugby Hall of Fame" in the city – a rugby lovers dream. Full of history and memorabilia – well laid out and it even had an activity room with electronic machines. These included kicking, passing and tackling challenges amongst other things. It was great fun and we spent hours there. I even managed to get the high score of the day on the tackle challenge!
For lunch we popped to a nice café / bar called Cheers and then visited Taku and Simons respective parents. (It was Mothers day).
In the evening we had a traditional Kiwi Sunday feast of Roast lamb and Pavlova – lovely.
Finished all of our town "stuff" and then cooked up a Lasagne for dinner in the evening. It was nice to cook some proper food again, and I’m sure Simon and Taku appreciated it.
Today we posted off a box of presents and spent the day relaxing.
In the evening we got invited along to a wine tasting with Taku and Simon. He came and collected us at 6:00 p.m. but had a flat tyre on his 4WD. It took us about half an hour to change it, so we arrived a little bit late. The tasting, in a wine warehouse, was really good, and we tested lots of good quality wine. There were only 20 people present. We all got stuck in and ate some fine cheese too. It was all quite "posh" I suppose – in a NZ sort of way!
We bought some Port for Simon and Taku and gave them two bottles which we won in a draw, so after buying a couple of cases themselves, they were loaded up with booze!
After the tasting (we were quite tipsy), we went to a Japanese restaurant for "Tepanyaki". Basically, you sit around a BBQ built into the table and the meat, fish, veg is cooked in front of you. The food was very good and the whole dining experience was enjoyable.
Simon ordered lots of Japanese beer and hot Saki – and we all ended up getting quite drunk.
We all felt a bit fragile in the morning – our last in New Zealand. We said goodbye to Taku in the morning and then Simon dropped us off in town, which we wandered around for while before getting to the airport at around 1:00 for our flight to Fiji.
