Nelson - the centre of EnZed

I checked out of Tombstone this morning after a dreadful nights sleep. It wasn't the bed's fault - that was very comfy, but the drunken German bloke above me that snored like a train all night. I got out of bed in need of a sleep.

The rain had stopped revealing the damage it left in its wake. The hostel had almost be ruined due to a massive landslide that had caused the hill it was built on to disintegrate! Luckily it was just the chicken shed that suffered any damage. My planned route to Nelson, Along the scenic Queen Charlotte Drive was closed due to fallen trees and landslips so I took the main road via Blenheim and Havelock. The storm had left quite a mark on the beautiful Sounds area. Many landslip that had blocked the road had been shifted early on but acres of countryside were underwater. I saw a herd of cattle caught stranded on a newly created island in the middle of a huge field. After leaving the Marlborough Sounds district I entered the Nelson area. Nelson is a very popular area to live with Kiwi's and has received massive increases in house prices due to this. I pulled into town around midday and booked myself into 'The Bug' hostel on the south side of town. This hostel had a good reputation from the people I had met so I was keen to stay here even through it is about a 20min walk out of town. It must have really popular reviews in the Taiwanese guide books as about 70% of the other travelers here are from Taiwan! I was in need of a walk due to being hostel-bound all of yesterday so I embarked on a walk to the 'Centre of New Zealand'! This point supposedly lies on the top of a hill to the East of the city centre. I tramped by way to this point via the city's sights and took in the views as I touched the trig point that marks this spot. I returned to the hostel about 16.30 for a brew then went to the supermarket to get ingredients for the stir-fry I decided to make for tea.

Having failed to do the QC track, I have my sights on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. This is probably the easiest of the multi-day 'Great Walks' but should be a good one. That is if the weather clears up! We shall have to wait and see. I did look at getting some walking boots as my shoes are like sieves in the wet, but I cannot justify the $400 they command over here seeing as I have good boots back home. I shall just have to put up with wet socks!

Pinned down by the storm in Picton!

Yesterday's sailing from Wellington to Picton was a very smooth crossing. I got to the dock by sunrise and witnesses the sun climb slowly over the natural harbour. Only about half the crossing is out in the exposed Cook Strait where the waves can reach about 9m in strong weather. Before long we were inching our way along the sinuous Queen Charlotte sound (fjord). The Marlborough Sounds NP is a stunning place and I made plans to bike the entire length of the Queen Charlotte Track (2 days, 71km - one of the 'Great Walks'). Pretty much as soon as I layed eyes on the South Island it became cloaked in a think low cloud which added to the drama of the views. Some passengers sayed they saw dolphines riding the bow waves of other vessels, i however did not spot this. We docked in Picton around midday and I drove about 400m to my hostel - Tombstone Backpackers. This hostel is perched on a hill overlooking picturesque Picton and opposite the town's graveyard, hence the name. I was checking in just as a large group of English school girls were checking out - they were on a 1 month school trip to the South Island!! Now that beats our Iceland trip by some way! The accomodation is very nice with made up beds in a purpose built block with DOUBLE GLAZING!! Nice and cosy. I spent the afternoon wandering around town and enquiring about mountain bike rental for the track.

During the night the storm hit. Torrential rain.

I woke up late and missed the free breakfast laid on my Lynne at the hostel. Bugger. Its still throwing it down! I havent done much today due to the weather - its really bad - a state of civil emergency has been called in town due to the flash floods. The volenteer fire service has been hoplessly pumping premises out all day. Its now 17.15 and the rain shows no sign of stopping, the winds picked up too. I've decided to call off the bike trip. Its a shame, but I dont thing the track will be ridable for a few days at least. Ill sit tight with a cup of tea and watch a DVD on the TV here with the other guests!

Ill try and get some photos up on the posts that have none asap. hang on!

Last day up North

So I've spent my last day on the North Island. Took a stroll around Wellington and took the Cable Car to the top of a hill and walked around the botanical gardens. Spent the whole of the afternoon trying to burn my full memory cards to a DVD in an internet cafe which I managed to do in the end. Turns out my little Asus eeePc isnt up to the tast of backing up my photos - one of the prime reasons i bought it. Oh well. Picton tomorrow!!

Wellington - the end of the North Island!

I have done a lot of driving since my last post. I have traveled almost the entire length of the North Island in a few long days.

We left the Tree House on a stormy morning and traveled over the Hokianga Estuary for the last time. We had been warned to get to the wharf early as there had been a number of Maori funerals lately, for which a few hundred people turn up for each meaning a huge backlog on the ferry. The water was unusually choppy but we docked in Rawene with no trouble. The southern bank of the estuary is slightly busier than the north with the 'resort' settlements of Opononi and Omapere perched above awesome beaches with hastily eroding back walls attacked by the surf refracted by the narrow estuary mouth. We decided to stay one night in Omapere at a backpackers owned by an English lady and her son who had moved out here in 2002. It had a great views over the water and towards the mountainous sand dunes that lie on the northern bank of the Hokianga. We had wanted to go sand boarding on them but the weather was not on our side! From here we took a short drive into the Waipoura forest (via a small beach on which I had got caught out by a massive wave and had suffered wet feet) to view Tane Mahuta - 'god of the forest'. This was the largest (by volume) Kauri tree in NZ, the Kauri being the second largest species of tree in the world and only found here. The track that led from the layby to the tree cut its way through some very dense sub-tropical rainforest, I wonder how the Maoris found this tree in such dense woodland. I cannot recall the exact dimensions of the tree, but it had a girth in the region of 13.5m and a truck height of 60m or so. It was estimated to be over 2000 years old. That night i sank into the softest mattress in the world and as such had a pretty naff sleep but woke up early ready for the drive back to Auckland. The drive went well and we passed some spectacular scenery as always. Here, I said my fair wells to R+R and agreed a date to rendezvous in Queenstown a month later. I checked back into Uenuku Lodge where I had originally stayed and managed to get my hands on a guide book (I had accidentally left mine in Napier) and a map that had all its pages to replace my previous freebie. It was good to see that the same people I had met there a few weeks earlier were still there, waiting for someone to buy their car/trying to find a job, etc.


I woke up to fine weather which boosted me out of my sleeping bag and back onto the road. I was heading for New Plymouth on the West coast of the North Island sandwiched between Mt. Taranaki and the sea. I was a long drive of about 6hrs but it was sweetened by the superb views the break in the weather had afforded me, South of Hamilton I passed by Waitomo caves - an attraction I had visited last time I was here set in small rolling hills that reminded me of an intense version of Dorset. Further south west I entered cattle stud territory and not a sheep in sight. The road crossed mountains and passed through gorges to rival Cheddar before hugging the coast all the way into town. It was rush hour in New Plymouth and was getting dark as I checked into Shoestring Backpackers. The very average hostel was freezing now the sun had gone down but at least there was a wood burner in the lounge. I dumped my bag and put my milk in the fridge before going for a twilight wander around town. The waterfront wad adorned with a promenade of which a giant kinetic sculpture called the Wind Wand, was the centrepiece. I like kinetic sculptures normally but this was just a bit boring. A tall pole with a slight bend in it ad a red light on top that moved in the wind. hmmm. After an overpriced coffee I went back to the hostel underwhelmed and did some washing. Sitting watching TV sitting in full waterproofs (everything else was getting cleaned) I tried to get talking to a fat middle-aged Canadian who was staying there. He had a serious lack of a sense of humour which led to a very short conversation. I went to bed early with plans to get up early, have a quick look around town again and then move on South to Wanganui to try and escape the worst of the 'weather bomb' that was due to hit the North.


By 10am I had left the town and headed south on SH3 skirting around the inland face (East) of Mt. Taranaki, instead of taking the 'Surf Highway' around the coast due to concerns of the impending doom the media were telling us of on every radio station. I had visions of massive waves crashing onto the road so decided to play it safe. Mt Taranaki has been likened to Mt Fuji in Japan. It is a classic snow capped cone volcano that looks the same from every angle. This morning the summit was cloaked in a velvety dark cloud but still looked awesome. I got to Wanganui before lunch and set about to find a bed for the night. To my surprise every cheap bed in the town had been booked due to a netball tournament! Not wanting to spend anymore than I needed to on a bed I phoned up a hostel in one of Wellington's suburbs and booked a bed. Wanganui was quite a quaint town by NZ standards on the banks of NZ longest river the Whanganui. I took a trip up the Durie elevator - an marvelous Victorian contraption. Durie Hill is a steep hill on the opposite side of the river from the town. With the foresight that the hill would be used for accommodation, they bored and 200m tunnel into the hill and installed a lift up the centre of it that pops out on the top! now the residents of the hill use it every day as a means of getting to school and work. After a Cornish pastie in an Irish pub I hit the road again just as the rain had started to fall.

Moana Lodge in Plimmerton just north of the capital is an extremely comfortable hostel that I would recommend to anyone of any age. I got some fresh fish and chips and relaxed in a comfy sofa. Today I braved the weather and headed into Wellington and took myself to Te Papa - the National Museum of NZ. It was really good and took up the whole day. I'm now relaxing in front of the fire with a tea and a muffin! I've booked my ferry to Picton for Tuesday 29th which leaves me with one full day to explore the rest of this compact city.

Northland

Its been a while since i blogged so i have a fair bit of catching up to do!!

Following Rangitoto, it was Katja's last day in NZ. She was flying off to Fiji! lucky! After a final sort out she caught the airbus from the Britomart station bound for the airport. It had been great to travel with her for these few days.

I met up with friends from home - Rob and Rach - on the summit of Mt. Eden. Another extinct volcano in Auckland. I had caught the bus from the Britomart and they had walked from Parnell. It was nice to see them again. We caught up over a coffee (pumpkin soup in my case) in a cafe in Mt. Eden shops. It was starting to get dark so we decided to head back to Parnell. The hour long walk took us past the prison and I thought how terrible it would be to be locked up in a country this beautiful. That even we went for a beer in one of Parnell's overpriced bars and discussed out forthcoming trip 'up north'.

I woke up early the following morning and went out for breakfast of eggs on toast. I met up with R+R inside Auckland's cathedral and had a look around. It was a modern building but still had a majestic feel. We took a short walk to the Auckland museum and made our way through the crowds of school kids as we looked at 'ancient' Maori artifacts and experienced and simulation of another volcano eruption in Auckland. I then showed them the Ponsonby district and had a disappointing cake. That evening we had been invited by Shelley to go out for a meal with some of her work mates. Their intern, Eric, was leaving and had suggested we all go to a Vietnamese place. We met in Mac's Bar in Newmarket and had a meal before heading to the restaurant. The lack of a vege option foiled R+R but they ended up ok. I had chicken noddles - it reminded me of my trip to the country and was actually very authentic! I spent the night on Shelley's sofa again, only she had moved house since last time so it was in a different place!


We left Auckland later than planned and headed north on SH1 bound for the Bay of Islands. The drive was pleasent and we stopped for lunch at the Dome Lookout cafe. I cannot remember the exact location of this place but it was south of Whangerai. In the town itself we visited Brauhaus Fings - a micro brewery and purchased a flagon of 'Old Ale' beer to enjoy later. On the way out of town we visited the falls before arriving in Kerikeri and rocking up at an organic citrus farm's hostel. We were greeted warmly by Claus the Swedish owner who had emmigrated here 14 years ago via Florida. It was a lovely hostel with a small 4 bed dorm i shared with another German, Petra, who worked in the town. R+R got a good price on a double room. We cooked dinner and settled around the fire with the flagon.


The next day was 'Christmas'. Claus' partner, Moira, a Scot, did not like the winter without a Christmas so had organized a party for friends. We had just landed in the middle of this but were warmly invited! The only condition was to buy a $5 'secret santa' gift for under the tree and a few nibbles to have with the mulled wine. We spent the morning exploring the coast and climbed St. Paul's head in the north of the Bay of Island which afforded us excellent views. It was very slippery on the assent but worth it. We also checked out the memorial to the Greenpeace ship - The Rainbow Warrior, which was bombed by the French Government killing a photographer in 1985 in Auckland harbor. The wreck was moved up here to be used a dive site. Back in the hostel we had a great party with about 25 locals of all ages. A lovely meal had been cooked with contributions given by all families attending, and we all ate well. A disco followed until the early hours. A fun night!


After checking out of the Kerikeri farm hostel and thanking Claus for his hospitality and free mandarins we decided to try and make it to Cape Reinga - The most northerly tip of SH1. After a very long drive we decided to turn around realizing we would not make it to out next hostel before very late. We made it to Kohukohu on the north bank of the Hokianga inlet before nightfall and checked in to the infamous Tree House hostel. R+R had opted to camp despite the waterlogged ground where as headed straight for the dorm! This is a lovely home-built place in sub-tropical woodlands which is owned to real hippy's from Sydney!


We decided to do some work in exchange for a bed so spent the following morning clearing and area of ground of lilies and ferns and planting a few Paw Paw trees. We also shifted and stacked a pile of fire wood. This was enough to earn us a bed for the night so in the afternoon we explored the tiny settlement of Kohukohu. A chilled out evening lounging on bean bags and reading old copies of National Geographic in the cosy hostel was a good end to the day.

That brings me to today. We tried to get more work, but it was apparently far too wet for us to work outside!! A large tree had fallen down in the grounds the previous night that Pauline had wanted us to clear but she wouldn't let us try due to the rain. We decided to go for a walk in our full waterproofs around the nature trail that lies in the hostels grounds which was like walking though a rainforest! We caught the ferry as foot passengers over the Hokianga to Rawene - a slightly livelier place but still tiny. We had lunch in a pretentious cafe and took a walk on a boardwalk through the Mangroves. We move on tomorrow to Opononi, another small place on the south banks of the Hokianga. We have to leave here because ants have eaten all my food!

Full Circle! - (updated 20/07/08)

Its been a while since I updated this blog and a fair bit has happened! I stayed in taupo for another night and did my first washing of the trip. The hostel had facilities so that made life easier. However, one of the Dryers had broken meaning a huge backlog of wet laundry from other travellers. I had to wait until the following moring to dry my smalls leaving me with only my swimming shorts and a t-shirt to survive the night! I met Katja and we cooked an elaborate meal of pasta together. I also came across two housemates of my old school friend Oli Filler!!

The following day I checked out of the hostel and headed South-East on SH 5 to Napier. The drive was amazing with stunning hills and snow-capped peaks adorning the horizon. This town in central in Hawke's Bay and NZ's wine country. It suffered the worst natural disaster in EnZed's inhabited histroy in 1930 when a massive earthquake flattened the city. The rebuilding of the city was done in the fashion of the era - Art Deco. Most building and monuments around the centre of town are in this style. It is said to rival Miami as 'Art Deco Capital of the World'! I stayed in a cool hostel called Stable Lodge which had a super comfy bed! I spent the afternoon walking round town and checked out the National Aquarium of New Zealand. The hostel had laid on a Pizza evening where they made the bases and we could do the toppings. It was great.


I left Napier early and headed back to Taupo to pick up Katja. I had offered to give he a lift to Auckland as she was flying out on Wednesday and I kinda needed to be up that way soon so it made sence to share a lift. The drive was about 6hrs in total but fueled by Tim Tams, muffins and L&P (local soft drink) supplied by Katja we made it just fine. We checked into City Garden Lodge in Parnell - a very posh part of town. It is the Auckland Fil Festival at the moment so we decided to go watch a film in town. After a mad dash across the city we just made it to the SkyCity Theatre and watch an awsome film - The King of Kong.

Today we took a ferry to Rangitoto Island... I shall continue soon, but my time on the computer has run out!!

.. picking up where i left off! We caught the 12.15 ferry from pier 2a just in time and floated to Rangitoto via Devonport in about 20mins. I think the ferry pilot was a novice as he took a fair while docking the boat at the wharf, including a few big shunts of the timber jetty! The last ferry to leave the island would do so at 15.30 so we didnt have much time to hang around. There were a few bach's (NZ cottages) dotted around the wharf which seemed strange as this is Auckland's newest volcano at just 600 years old. A mangrove ecosystem as just about started to develop close to the shore and there was a fair few trees covring the dark volcanic rock. The walk to the summit took around 45mins going at a fair pace – luckery we dodged the showers and made it to the crater rim dry. The lookout over the city was great and I could see the Coromandel Peninsula on the horizon. After a few photos on the top we headed back down but took a detour to look at the lava caves. Katja had cunningly packed her torch so we decided to go down one. The first one ran out pretty quickly so we decided to try our luck on another one. This one went much deeper and once in total darkness i noticed a glimmer of light coming from further inside the cave. It turned out that there was another exit so we squeezed out into dazzling daylight! We made it to the ferry in good time. There were a few people getting off the ferry with large rucksacks – i think they were going to the camping on the volcano. Back in Ponsonby we decided to go out for a meal. Japanese was the choice and we both tucked into a big bowl on Teriyaki Chicken and noodles. Tasty!

Its Raining.

Still in Taupo. Its raining. LOTS!

Taupo... again!

Right. So im now in Taupo for the second time in my life.

I left the Coromandel after staying a night in Hahei Beach on the west coast of the peninsula for a night. The drive from Coromandel Town to there was a nice one. The road is super twisty and made its way steeply up over the mountains with a superb viewpoint both East and West at the pass summit. I was unsure where I wanted to end up so I was driving without purpose, stopped where I like to check the area out and see if I could stay there for a day or two. In the end I made the decision to stay as close to the places I wanted to visit – that place was the retirement settlement of Hahei. I stayed in an elderly couple’s spare room which was odd as the sign outside said it was a backpackers! There was another sleeping there which made it better. A German guy who was bussing it around. The same evening I arrived, my hosts advised me that it was low tide on Hot Water Beach where I could be able dig my own hot spa in the sands. I grabbed a spade and headed on over right away. Turns out I was about 2 hrs early so had to hang around to wait till the tide had retreated. I got talking to an Irish bloke, Dan, who had been sleeping in his campervan for the last 11 months trying to get a cd recorded – which he had done successfully only a few days earlier. He told me to check it out at www.myspace.com/14folk which I shall do as soon as I get to the internet. We decide to wade into the surf and wriggle our feet into the hot sand below. It was a weird sensation having burning souls and freezing calves. It turned out that due to sand erosion the tide didn’t go out nearly as much as it used to so only about 5m of the hot spot was exposed with about 30 people wanting to get in on the action – it was standing room only. The water beneath the sand was between 60-64 degrees Celsius. HOT! Dan had managed to wriggle his way in and grab a bath!

Next morning I took a walk to Cathedral Cove – a magnificent limestone arch. It was a sunny morning and a walk was just what I needed. It was only a 2hr round trip but well worth it. The drive south took be through kiwi fruit country and I spotted a giant model of a kiwi in Te Puke. I debated stopping in Rotorua but decided to carry on to Taupo as I prefer it as a town as a base for the area. I remembered a hostel I stayed in last time so checked in to that. Problem was all the rooms were being decorated to I was in a shed out back with the most uncomfortable bed in the world. Still, it was a bed. I checked out the next morning a set off exploring thee geothermal areas around town. Craters of the Moon was the first stop. An area full of bubbling mud pools and escaping steam – I love this kind of stuff! Even if the sulphur dioxide stinks! I then re-visited Huka Falls and went on further up stream to a dam and witnessed one of the twice daily sluice openings to fuel the hydro station further down the Waikato. On retuning to town I checked into Rainbow Lodge another hostel which is much busier. The dorm im sleeping in is inhabited by a group of snoring girls from Taiwan so not much sleep last night! The rooms are heated though which is good when it's -4 outside!

This morning it is raining. Oh well. So Danny, Andrew and I decided to take the plunge(!) and do the Taupo bungy. We got a discounted rate to jump before 11am. It was ACE! Over too quick though! I love falling in freefall! The cantilever ledge hangs 47m above the Waikato River in an awesome setting. I was the first to jump of the 3 of us. 3-2-1-BUNGY! And a perfect swan dive off the ledge! Andrew (from the US) decided he wanted to get wet so with some clever maths the crew manage to dunk him up to his waist in the river as the bungy was at full extent. Danny (UK) and I chickened out and opted to stay dry!

Coromandel

I moved to the Coromandel Peninsula yesterday after I checked out of the Auckland hostel. The drive from the city took about 4 hrs driving at a fairly leisurly pace. It's nice to be back in the countryside again and reminds me of what i loved about NZ so much. It's amazing how quickly the roads become very rural out of Auckland.

As you have probably guessed I have a car now. I managed to blag a free taxi ride from the city to the airport where the rental company was based. I also got a free upgrade to a lower milage car – which was nice! Its a white Nissan Sunny automatic with a/c, leccy windows/mirrors etc. Not bad for such a cheap rate! They even threw in 14 days free lift pass for Coronet Peak nr Queenstown/Wanaka and a free ride on the Cook Straight ferry!

Im staying in a small backpackers called The Lions Den based in Coromandel Town. Its a nice little town with a few cafes and essential stores and a great chippy (tried and tested). I arrived about 2pm yesterday after a breathtaking drive along State Highway 25 (more like an Alpine pass than a highway!) It did take a bit longer than I had anticipated due to stopping every 5 mins to take photos! The sun was out in force which made a change from the rain I had come accustomed to in Auckland. Im sharing the hostel with a German couple – Ruth and Stephan, an Irish guy, Patrick who works in Auckland for Hewlett Packard and Doug, a carpenter from Vancouver. In the evening we all huddeled around the log burner as the temperature dropped.

I got up early this morning to get on the 10.15am train on the Driving Creek Railway. A supurb feat of personal engineering and passion. A potter, Brian Brickell, had created a home-made railway system that made its way impossiably up the steep hillside to an amazing look-out point – the Eye-Full Tower (get it?!?). It was also a mission in conservation as he took out all the non-native trees and re-planted the area with 19,000 native varieties. Currently he is trying to re-introduce the Kiwi bird in to the area by setting up a breeding programme.

I have just returned from a little drive further up the coast to Colville – a tiny settelment home to a buddhist monastry, a quaint general stores and a cafe where I ate an awesome BLT sandwich for lunch. I would have gone further north but the road turned to gravel and my hire agreement forbode me to contine. I think i shall stay here for a few more nights. The weather is set to improve and there are a few more things i should like to see in the area. Hopefully this cold spell shall pass as it is fairly chilly for north North Island!

Devonport

Woke up early again today so managed to get a shower before the hot water ran out – that's a skill every backpacker has to learn fast! The truckers of NZ are holding a go-slow protest on Auckland's roads so i called the hire company to put off picking my car up today. After a leisurely breakfast and a political discussion with an American, I set off for Devonport – a suburb on Auckland's north shore. The $9 dollar ferry only lasted 12 mins but it gave the suberb its very own unique feel. This is the home to NZ's tiny naval fleet and has 2 extint volcanoes, Mt Victoria and North ... . I took a walk up Mt. Victoria (83m) which afforded me superb views of Auckland and it even had an old 'hidden' gun placement and an operational radar tower. I back in the hostel now and having a chilled out afternoon.

Arrival

So I made it! Im here in Auckland!

The flights were fine, long, but fine. We left LHR about ½ an hour later than were were due which started to get me worried that I was going to miss my connection in Singapore. There was only 1hr allotted between my first flight landing and my second departing. Luckily the steady 70km/h tail wind helped us to land bang on time at Changi airport. I had checked-in on-line and had managed to choose my seats for the flights which meant I was able to sit by the window on the upper deck of the new Airbus A380 - pretty cool. Sitting next to me was a young doctor from Singapore who had been attending a lecture in Manchester. He was friendly and we had a good chat about Singapore's climate!

After making a mad dash for it through the immensely long Terminal 3 at Changi I made it to gate A21 and boarded the flight bound for Auckland. It was 8.30am and already 27 degrees and 99% humidity. The sun had risen in a cloudless sky. The flight was troubled with turbulence but i managed to get a bit of sleep despite to fierce air con.

We landed 40mins early but this was offset by the time spent queuing at immigration as there was only 1 member of staff checking passports. I was met by Rob's sister, Shelley who had very kindly agreed to pick my up and accommodate me that night. It was really nice to not have to worry about finding somewhere to stay and her sofa was so comfy after being cramped in economy for 24hrs.

This morning Shelley even took me to a backpackers which was great, even if she did lock her car keys in the house! So im staying in Uenuku Lodge in Ponsonby. I got a top bunk in a cosy 4 bed dorm with decent 'room-mates' a Japanese guy who has spent the last 2 years in Australia and now has a 1 year visa for here. Also a French girl who has also got a working visa. Once settled I went for a mission of a walk around the city to try and reset my body clock. I got a local sim card for my mobile and managed to get a good deal on a hire car - $13 a day, which i about £5.20. I pick it up tomorrow. I did a bit of food shopping in a New World and managed to avoid an (inevitable) torrential downpour!