New Zealand - North Island
Trip Start
Dec 26, 2008
1
4
13
Trip End
Jul 17, 2009
Auckland,
North Island,
New Zealand
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
We stopped off at the supermarket and feeling a little disorientated having not slept much on the plane, we were lured to the junk section. Armed with crisps and candy we set off on our journey up the 1 North (Eastern Coast).
The lady at the space station had recommended that we stay at Waiwera (only 30 mins from Auckland) so we stopped off to check it out. We had a walk along the beach but not yet ready to give in to tiredness we pressed on via Snells Beach and then on to Mangawhai Heads. It was around 5pm and as the beach and surrounding area were beautiful we decided that this would be our nesting ground.
After a walk along the beach and a much-needed shower (to get the flight slime off) we began preparing our sleeping quarters. The demonstration at the space station that morning had clearly not sunk in as we had a few attempts at transforming the vehicle before we cracked it.
The spaceship is cleverly designed however very compact and although we are now used to it, that first night felt a little like we were laid to rest in a coffin. Thus said, we slid back the huge rear sunroof cover and were dazzled by a million bright stars and a few forks of lightening for effect.
Having had a surprisingly good nights sleep we awoke to a beautiful sunny morning. Back home I do my best to lead a healthy lifestyle and having done little exercise in the last 3 weeks, the fine food and beverages we had been consuming over the holidays were playing on my conscience. With no gym membership available we had to find an alternative, so we began our uphill jog much to Sophie's bemusement.
With the temperature soaring we didn't last long so we grabbed a quick shower and after some advice from fellow campers we were back on the road. Heading further North we stopped at Waipu Cove; after a stroll along the beach we shared a tin of budget baked beans for lunch. Whangarei was the next big town and we had been advised to buy petrol there because it would be cheaper. We also stocked up on some proper food.
We headed for Paihia in the Bay of Islands. The winding roads lined with lilac and white flowers led us through forests and mountains. It reminded us very much of the Lake District.
New Zealand in general is serviced with many public toilets, however this particular stretch of the journey was not. I had been suffering intermittent stomach cramps for the last 2 hours and in desperation I yelled at Sophie to stop the car - this roadside toilet stop was a hard-hitting reality check of touring in a campervan ... darn baked beans!!!
We arrived in Paihia in the late afternoon and wandered along the beach front chatting to fellow campers. We discovered that many of them were planning to freedom camp there that night, so we decided that this would be a safe place to rest with the added bonus of being free. We were covered in Factor 30 and needed to get the gunk off so donned our swimsuits (bearing our white flesh) and hit the cold shower on the beach. It was time for tea so we unveiled our mini stove which flips outside the camper and prepared the meal of wholewheat pasta, 5 bean mix and passata which has been our main meal every day in line with my budget attempt at healthy eating ... unfortunately no meat on the menu!!!
We brushed our teeth in the public loo and bedded down for the night.
The next morning we headed to another bigger town called Kaitaia for some beach towels and more provisions. Our goal was to reach the Northern tip of New Zealand (Cape Reinga) the following morning, so we set off to find a midway place to stay. We briefly stopped at Houhora Heads which was very beautiful but with budget in mind we thought we would try further up for a cheaper option. We traveled on through the greenery for some time and there seemed to be nowhere to stop until we came across a signpost for Rarawa Beach 4km; we decided to investigate.
No more than 10m in the road turned to gravel and the camper began to shake. Sophie's face was of sheer horror as the steering wheel shook aggressively in her hands. I knew EROS could handle it so I reassured Soph that the noise of the camper bumping around sounded worse than it was. The longest and slowest 4km ever we made it to the beach and my goodness was it worth it. It was clear that not many venture this far up as this fantastic, unspoilt wonder was practically deserted. Vast stretch of white sand with clear blue crashing waves, surrounded by thick forest and sand dunes (our photos don't do it justice). We considered freedom camping there but as it was so remote we opted for the 'BASIC' campground nearby.
It was late afternoon so we decided our white skin could handle the sun at this hour so took the forest trail back down to the beach.
Note to Boys: It is hot and sunny here and there is a constant wind and some big surf - you would both love it!!
We strolled the length of the beach and back and realised how lucky we are to be here. This is what memories are made of.
Back in the campground we had our staple meal and struggled to hoist our solar shower up on to a suitable branch. A nice German guy came to our aid. Although the water was nice and hot (having been sat in the sun for 3 hours) the pressure was very weak and we found it difficult to remove the caked on sand and sun cream - exfoliating puff to the rescue, we scrubbed ourselves clean.
As we were preparing our bed 3 seemingly rich young American guys rolled up next to us with their Jeep, boat and all the hi-tech camp gear you could imagine; we salivated as they drank beers and ate steak.
Throughout the night we could hear the calls of various animals which reminded us how remote this location was.
The next morning we woke at 6am to a cold and wet start (the weather can be very changeable ... you can get 4 seasons in 1 day). Wanting to miss the crowds we stayed in our pyjamas and headed off to the Northern tip. We were the only car on the road and the only people we saw on the way were some suspect looking Maori kids on motorbikes parked at the local store in Te Kao; needless to say we passed quickly.
The final 20km ascent to Cape Reinga was again a gravel track but Soph had grown in confidence by now and tackled it with ease. We pulled into the car park; it was very cold and quiet and the only sound was of a fly buzzing around. We made our way up the path to the lighthouse where the Pacific Ocean collides with the Tasman Sea. According to Maori legend it is the departing place of spirits on their journey to the homeland, Hawaiki. Starving, we had our Weetabix at the top of New Zealand.
Back in the camper we headed South with stops on the West coast including Ahipara, Northland Forest Park and at Kohukohu we caught the ferry to Rawene, with views of Hokianga Harbour.
We traveled on to Opononi and we were overwhelmed by the breathtaking scenery. As we were driving along the beach front a kamikaze bird flew into our windscreen, creating a chip and an inconvenience for us as we would need to get it fixed.
We found a campground right on the beach and performed our usual nightly routine before heading to the pub for a pint (being Saturday night). Got chatting to a 70 year old Maori tour guide who gave us some good advice and told us some great stories about 'Poms' (English) he had encountered.
It rained all through the night and even the next morning there were heavy downpours. We had planned to catch some rays on the beach (as we are in the van a lot we are still white) but this was foiled by the looming black clouds ... another driving day ahead.
Traveled South through the Waipoua Forest where there are giant Kauri trees. Quick stops in Dargaville and Wellsford, we arrived in Helensville to go to the Parakai thermal springs. To our disappointment it looked much like a water park full of kids and teamed with the fact that the only radio station transmitting was 'Helensville Home for the Elderly' we moved along swiftly.
Headed South on the 1 through Auckland and arrived in Hamilton (a big city) around 7pm. I was keen to save money and freedom camp but Soph was unsure about safety so we found a campground, which turned out to be productive as we did our laundry ... yey clean clothes!!!
As we were eating our tea in the kitchen a strange guy who looked like Psycho Bob (off The Simpsons) came and sat next to us. We avoided eye contact and much to our dismay his tent was pitched in the plot next door. I teased Soph that he was going to murder us in our sleep. I'm sure he was harmless ... just unfortunate looking!!!
It was a wet start in Hamilton the next morning, nonetheless we visited the Hamilton Gardens as we'd discovered earlier it was free. Lovely; would have been nice if the sun had come out.
Blasted on to Rotorua; at Kuirau Park we saw bubbling mud pools and thermal springs. The sulphur in the water smells like rotten eggs. It was a bit of a tourist trap so we headed South via Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland where we saw a huge exploding mud pool but the $40 entry fee put us off seeing the rest. We also saw part of Waimangu Volcanic Valley and Huka Falls. We reached Taupo and again it was pouring with rain. We had to pay 40 cents to have a wee ... GRRRR!!!
We drove along the edge of Lake Taupo and as the clouds cleared it resembled parts of Pacific Coast Highway. In Turangi, we had planned to walk up Mt. Ruapenu but it was still pouring down so we decided to make our way back to the West coast.
The next big town was Taumarunui; it was late in the afternoon and we could have stopped there but the Dad in us took along 'The Forgotten World Highway'. And the story begins ...
Shortly into the 150km journey we realised there was no turning back. We ascended into the volcanic sculptured mountains with steam bursting from vents in the rocks. It was as if we were entering a prehistoric land. The roads were rugged and winding with a sheer drop down the mountain on one side. The uphill climb took us beyond the clouds and the mist created and eerie feel. Cows, sheep and horses were perched on these steep hills like we have never seen before; this gave us a little comfort knowing that we were not the only life up there.
Rarely a car squeezed passed in the opposite direction and we wondered if they were running from something. We continued on ...
We descended back down through the mountains and as we entered what appeared to be a rain forest, the heavens opened and the road narrowed to one lane. The only sign we had seen for miles warned that we were about to enter a 16km gorge. The narrow road turned to gravel, the rain intensified and the darkness drew in. Cliff walls surrounded us and overhanging trees blocked out the daylight. The feeling was of fear and excitement at once and we wondered what was round each corner.
We broke through the darkness for just a moment to be confronted by an opening. What laid ahead resembled a coal mining tunnel ... very dark, very narrow, very long. We hesitated for a moment but our curiosity led us on. It seemed to go on forever and as we emerged back into daylight a waterfall ran down the rock onto the road and a rainbow appeared over the volcanic hills ahead. We stopped for a moment to take in the view and I reminded Soph that this was a sign of hope ... we would make it to the end safely.
We turned a corner and a big black cat crossed our path ... we looked at each other as if to say "is our luck running out?" Round the next corner there was an eagle in the road and as we approached it took off grasping it's prey in it's claws; we felt privileged to be experiencing this adventure.
Little penguin-like birds circled above us and mountain goats ran along the roadside. I only wish I could have caught these peak experiences on camera but they will remain in our memory forever.
The sun was setting and we finally arrived in Stratford, which looked like the town off Edward Scissorhands. We found a campsite just before dark and chatted to a nice couple from the Netherlands who gave us advice about the South Island.
Yesterday we headed down the West coast via Hawera, Wanganui, Foxton, Waikanae Beach and had a stroll on Raumati Beach on the way down to Wellington.
Just outside we stopped at Whitby and then found a campsite in the Porirua district. Both feeling a bit jaded, we watched Coach Carter on DVD in our spaceship - a nifty little piece of kit.
Today we are in Wellington. We have had a wander around the city and for the first time in days the sun is blazing ... the sun is very different here ... although it's only mid 20's the humidity makes it much hotter ... evident in the fact that Soph is sitting here looking a little pink and it takes a lot for her to burn usually. Wellington is not a huge place but it has the hustle and bustle of any city. Sitting here overlooking the marina while we write this blog there are many joggers and skateboarders whizzing by.
Off back out now to explore a bit more before it gets dark and then we have an early ferry over to Picton in the South Island tomorrow ... another 6am start.
We will blog again before we leave the South Island on 4th February.
Much love x x x
Comments
What an adventure!
North Island looks so beautiful in between the rain! I got a bit anxious when reading about your adventure up the steaming, volcanic mountains and entering that narrow, long tunnel, but you were met with a rainbow! - and to see an eagle - wow! What next? Take care and eat plenty of fruit and veg.
Love you,
Mum