We had been meaning to visit New Zealand with our friends Philip and Nariko for quite a while and this time we made it! We spent almost 2 weeks driving around the North Island. We arrived at Auckland airport at almost midnight and were met by Phil and Nariko. Overnighted at the airport hotel and next morning we headed north towards Paihia in our RAV4 that Phil had arranged. We stopped by the Kauri Museum and learned about the "Gum Digging in the 19th century".
In Paihia we stayed 2 nights in a, very well equipped, 2 bedroom apartment almost on the beach. We strolled the beaches had dinner over the sea and visited the Waitangi National Reserve to learn and experience a little of the Maori history and culture.
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| The Shire |
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| The Blue Door |
Next stop was Matamata for Hobbiton movie set tour, which, having been a Lord of the Rings fan since a teenager, was a unique experience. Continuing on to our next destination at Tauranga we stopped by the Warkworth Honey Centre for lunch and to stock up on some Manuka honey to take home.
In Tauranga we stayed in Devonport and had lunch at Mills Reef Winery. It was a good choice and we enjoyed an excellent lunch on the lawn with live music.
Our next stop was Gisbourne and we opted for the coastal route on highway 35. It was a long drive but well worth it for the chance to take in the coastal scenery.
Arriving pretty late in Gisbourne, after checking into the Pacific Harbour Inn, it was a short walk to town and the nearest pub for dinner. We had already discovered that many pubs served really good food, not to mention great beer. We wanted to join a wine tour but it was a little late in the season and most vineyards were closed for their annual maintenance. After several enquiries we arranged a tour to 2 vineyards, Bushmere and Milton. We met very friendly people and sampled some excellent wines, and of course, we could not resist buying a few bottles!
The manager at the Inn knowing that we were heading for Taupo warned us it would be cold, so we were prepared. As it turned out it was not that cold at all, and we managed a late afternoon cruise on a yacht, with wine, what else! Lake Taupo, at 616 sq km, is slightly bigger than the main island of Singapore. So a good size lake.
From Taupo we drove west to New Plymouth where we stayed 2 nights and met Philip's mother and his brother and family. We had a great time and experienced some real Kiwi hospitality.
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| Mt. Taranaki |
We spent a couple days in the nature areas around New Plymouth soaking up the countryside before parting company with our friends and flying to Auckland.
We stayed 2 nights in Auckland and spent one whole day on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf. Waiheke is home to many artists and there are plenty of adventure activities, small wineries and small bays and coves to explore, a very laid back idyllic spot
The weather was kind and we had almost no rain the entire stay.
Although not birding we could not fail to see birds, most of which were new to us. A truly spectacular couple of weeks.
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