It’s our final day in New Zealand. After packing our gear into the car we randomly drive to Bethell’s Beach on Auckland’s west coast. It turns out to be a magnificent choice. The beach is so vast the lifeguard tower looks like a small lego structure. Standing next to it we notice it is actually…
We wander around the CBD for an hour or two. It’s not an ugly city but it’s also not that interesting. There’s the same strings of shops and advertising that exist in almost every city we’ve been to, the same chain restaurants and coffee shops, and tourists carrying Lonely Planet guide books. Perhaps the city…
I wake to a heavy dew on a morning just warm enough to avoid a light frost from forming. I walk outside to look at Heidi and David’s alpacas and goats that live in Heidi and paddocks. While curious, the alpacas only come so close to me. But the goats are fairly well climbing the fence…
Raglan is a popular surfing town on the west coast. It is buzzing with backpackers and is similar to many backpacker towns around the world. Advertisements abound for surfing classes, diving, caving and boat trips just as they do in most beachfront tourist towns and backpackers can be heard phoning ahead to hostels further along their journeys…
Bridal Veil Falls plummet over a cliff face in the mountains near Raglan. The short walk to the top of the falls is easy, as are the 261 steps down the the base of the falls. The 261 steps back to the top are anoyhet story. Thankfully the waterfall is so stunning that it’s no real…
We have arranged to see my aunty in Te Aroha for coffee and to stay with Couch Surfing hosts in Waingaro so head back west across the Waikato. It feels good to be back in the Waikato basin with its rolling hills, green pastures and dairy cattle. This is the area we have liked best…
Thames is a groovy town. At first it looks like a rural service town, providing support to local farmers requiring goods and services. But a shift of eyesight to look at the upper facades of the buildings quickly shows that this is a town with plenty of colour and history. Op shops and eateries make…
Whitianga Whitianga is a seaside town tucked into a deep bay protected by small rocky islands. It’s the perfect place to wander along the waterfront enjoying the serenity. It’s only about 21’C but feels almost summery as we explore the beach. Flaxmill Bay and Shakespeare Cliff Flaxmill Bay is quiet and small. There’s an over…
Sunrise out the window is amazing. It’s perfectly coloured and reflects off the ocean. I stay in bed longer than usual just to watch this marvelous sight. Not that we lie in terribly late. We are on time to join Rachel (our Couch Surfing host) for breakfast and some more conversation. In fact, by the…
We stop in Waihi to see the open cut gold mine. It’s ugly but impressive and worth a look. The north wall has collapsed under a land slip, which emphasised the scale of the project. I wouldn’t say it is picturesque because mining is part of the earth destroying greed that is causing so many…
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