I've been off air for a long time because Dot and I have been travelling around the North Island of New Zeland. I had a 4 day conference in Auckland, but added another 10 days on the road. We visited Northland for three days before the conference and the east coast for the remainder.
Northland was brilliant. It was the area first settled by Europeans and the Bay of Islands (named by Cook in 1769) was picture post-card. We stayed at Paihia overlooking the bay. Fortunately, the weather was mostly tolerable and we visited the Waitangi treaty grounds, Russell, Kerikeri and other places. look them up on the web. We also took to the water and sailed out Cape Brett to see the hole in the rock in pretty heavy Pacific swell. Apparently Cook set foot on some of the islands in the bay. Another attraction were the remnant Kauri forests. The Kauri is one of the world's longest lived trees and also one of the largest. We saw one specimen that was four times as wide as Rebecca is tall - a monster.
The east coast was just as scenic, if not more so. We started with the mountainous Coromandel Peninsula with its endless sandy bays, forests, waterfalls, harbours, and little villages. Highlights included a trip on a railway up the hills behind Coromandel - constructed by an eccentric potter to mine his raw materials (clay); Cathedral Cove - reached by a beautiful coastal footpath; Hot Water Beach; the old mining town of Waihi and the waterfall near Paeroa. At HWB, nearly boiling water lies close to the beach surface where visitors dig large holes in the sand. The holes fill with very hot water (mixed to taste with cool pacific cean water) and people lie down in the water for a sort of Japanese bath. I found a vacated hole and spent 15-20 minutes luxuriating in hot water. Perhaps 40 or more other groups were doing the same!
Then we went to the Bay of Plenty (named because Cook replenished his fleet there in 1769). Maurice and Iris live at Tauranga (Maurice is mum's cousin) and we spent a day with them. During the stay, I climbed Mount Maunganui in a wild gale and driving rain, but the view from the top was spectacular. From there we overnighted at Whakatane (pr. Fakatane) in the hope of voyaging to White Island the following day. White Island is a permanently active volcano 50 km offshore! Unfortunately, the gales of the previous day had left a huge ocean swell and the trip was cancelled.
So, after looking for some geocaches, we headed off to Gisborne on Poverty Bay through wonderful mountain scenery. Cook landed there too, but angry Maori fended off the landing party - hence the name Poverty Bay. Gisborne was pleasant but not spectacular. We pushed on to Napier and I think Dot wasn't expecting much different to Gisborne. She had a shock. Napier was destroyed by a massive earthquake in c. 1930 and then rebuild largely in .... Art Deco style. In fact, it's the Art Deco capital of the world, with more buildings than anywhere else constructed in that style. And I'm converted to Art Deco. If I were to design a new house, it would be in Art Deco style. Go on-line and key Napier Art Deco into Google. You'll see what I mean. Modern architecture isn't in the same league. We had a lovely time there before returning to Auckland via Taupo.
Taupo is on the boundary between the Australian and Pacific plates and is surrounded by volcanic and associated activity. Rotorua is up the road - with its bubbling mud pools and geysers. Mts Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe are across lake Taupo and the former erupted while we were in NZ. Extend the line to Matata on the coast, where there was a Rchter 4 earthquake the day before we went through it! And extend ti further out to sea and you get to White Island. Taupo even generates its electricity by pumping steam out of the ground and sending it direct to turbines! New Zealand has three other names. The Maori called it Aotearoa, which means a highly descriptive "land of the long white cloud". More colloquially, Australians call NZ the "East Islands" (they call us te "West Islands") and the locals call them the "Shaky Isles".
So, that's our trip. We want to go back and any of you who visit us might like to come along.
AS
Northland was brilliant. It was the area first settled by Europeans and the Bay of Islands (named by Cook in 1769) was picture post-card. We stayed at Paihia overlooking the bay. Fortunately, the weather was mostly tolerable and we visited the Waitangi treaty grounds, Russell, Kerikeri and other places. look them up on the web. We also took to the water and sailed out Cape Brett to see the hole in the rock in pretty heavy Pacific swell. Apparently Cook set foot on some of the islands in the bay. Another attraction were the remnant Kauri forests. The Kauri is one of the world's longest lived trees and also one of the largest. We saw one specimen that was four times as wide as Rebecca is tall - a monster.
The east coast was just as scenic, if not more so. We started with the mountainous Coromandel Peninsula with its endless sandy bays, forests, waterfalls, harbours, and little villages. Highlights included a trip on a railway up the hills behind Coromandel - constructed by an eccentric potter to mine his raw materials (clay); Cathedral Cove - reached by a beautiful coastal footpath; Hot Water Beach; the old mining town of Waihi and the waterfall near Paeroa. At HWB, nearly boiling water lies close to the beach surface where visitors dig large holes in the sand. The holes fill with very hot water (mixed to taste with cool pacific cean water) and people lie down in the water for a sort of Japanese bath. I found a vacated hole and spent 15-20 minutes luxuriating in hot water. Perhaps 40 or more other groups were doing the same!
Then we went to the Bay of Plenty (named because Cook replenished his fleet there in 1769). Maurice and Iris live at Tauranga (Maurice is mum's cousin) and we spent a day with them. During the stay, I climbed Mount Maunganui in a wild gale and driving rain, but the view from the top was spectacular. From there we overnighted at Whakatane (pr. Fakatane) in the hope of voyaging to White Island the following day. White Island is a permanently active volcano 50 km offshore! Unfortunately, the gales of the previous day had left a huge ocean swell and the trip was cancelled.
So, after looking for some geocaches, we headed off to Gisborne on Poverty Bay through wonderful mountain scenery. Cook landed there too, but angry Maori fended off the landing party - hence the name Poverty Bay. Gisborne was pleasant but not spectacular. We pushed on to Napier and I think Dot wasn't expecting much different to Gisborne. She had a shock. Napier was destroyed by a massive earthquake in c. 1930 and then rebuild largely in .... Art Deco style. In fact, it's the Art Deco capital of the world, with more buildings than anywhere else constructed in that style. And I'm converted to Art Deco. If I were to design a new house, it would be in Art Deco style. Go on-line and key Napier Art Deco into Google. You'll see what I mean. Modern architecture isn't in the same league. We had a lovely time there before returning to Auckland via Taupo.
Taupo is on the boundary between the Australian and Pacific plates and is surrounded by volcanic and associated activity. Rotorua is up the road - with its bubbling mud pools and geysers. Mts Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe are across lake Taupo and the former erupted while we were in NZ. Extend the line to Matata on the coast, where there was a Rchter 4 earthquake the day before we went through it! And extend ti further out to sea and you get to White Island. Taupo even generates its electricity by pumping steam out of the ground and sending it direct to turbines! New Zealand has three other names. The Maori called it Aotearoa, which means a highly descriptive "land of the long white cloud". More colloquially, Australians call NZ the "East Islands" (they call us te "West Islands") and the locals call them the "Shaky Isles".
So, that's our trip. We want to go back and any of you who visit us might like to come along.
AS
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