The Johnston’s New Zealand Holiday Part III

Thursday 17^th May: Up at 6am, shower, breakfast, load the car, take a few photos and we are on our way. Stopped just past the airport and took some photos of the sunrise and Bluff Hill Lookout in the distance. Followed the coast road (east coast) 14 kms to Bay View and headed inland. From Napier to Taupo it is 147 kms. It’s uphill all the way and not a straight in sight for the next 120 kms. The road through here is quite good. Tarawera is about half way. There are hot springs, but we didn’t stop and have a look. Between Tarawera and Rangitaiki we climbed the Titiokura Saddle at 750 metres above sea level, further on we came to Iwitahi where the road starts to straighten out, and you can do the big wind up if you want.

We passed a State Forest where there are pine plantations as far as the eye can see, thousands of hectares. As you come into Taupo you can see the lake which seems to the eye quite beautiful and sheer volume in size. The weekend after we were in Taupo, the world skiing championship took place. As you enter Taupo there is an old hotel on the hill on your right, it is a massive place. Took some photos down by the lake, then headed into town, had a bit of a drive around, got some food at a bakery and parked down by the Museum and fed the ducks. They would eat out of your hand.

The Museum wasn’t going to be open for another 45 mins, so we decided to carry on. About 8 kms out, we came across the Huka Falls. Didn’t stop there though, but went and had a look at the Craters of the Moon Walk, different! We arrived in the car park and I thought someone was having a scrub fire, but it wasn’t, it was the steam coming out through the ground! Seeing is believing.

The walk took 45 minutes. We must have covered at least a couple of kilometres. Around the track there were boards with information on what plants grow in that terrain considering the heat in the ground, and that you had to stay on the boardwalk. A couple of the workers there were replacing some of the timber on the boardwalk because the heat had softened it and it was no good. One of the men explained they had used different treated timbers and some of it failed, and that they were using a different treated timber and hopefully it would be much better. Another interesting thing was, the runners that supported the boardwalk, were in turn sitting on large rubber blocks. If you come to NZ it is certainly worth taking a look.

Next stop was the Wairakei Thermal Valley which is practically next door. This is where they extract the steam out of the ground and pipe it to the power station some kilometres away. All the pipes are made of stainless steel and are around two metres in diameter. I hate to think how much all that stainless steel pipe must be worth $$$. It’s done in stainless because of the acidic nature of the steam. On our drive in, there was a large pool of boiling water, looked like a large spa, but you wouldn’t last two seconds in it because you would be scalded to death instantly. Another must see item. Wairakei, Atiamuri to Rotorua for lunch. A lot of great countryside to see.

Rotorua is an interesting place along with lots of interesting things to see, most notably the mud pools. We called in to the Information Centre to check out all the things to do and decide what we want to do and see. Simple you would say, but not so. You would need a lot of time and money to really see everything, but if you are on a budget you have to whittle it down. We had some lunch at the Information Centre and then we went for a walk into town. We walked a few kilometres. Bought a DVD twin pack: Sleeping Dogs, Smash Palace, some early films. All of the streets names were in Maori. I even had trouble pronouncing them. Not a bad place.

After our walkabout it was back to the car and off to find the Rotorua Museum at Government Gardens. This is a must see item. It is a Tudor style building and it is HUGE, originally built as a Bath House and commissioned in 1909. We spent a couple of hours there. When you walk in through the doors into reception you are greeted with two magnificent carved staircases, L&R made out of Kauri, as well as upstairs. Words cannot do it justice. We went upstairs and checked it all out. Brilliant. I think today, you would be flat out finding tradesman able to carry out that sort of work. We went to the cinema and watched the introductory film about Rotorua, through the eyes of the Maori people. Near the end when it showed the earthquake that flattened the Pink and White Terraces, the seats started to move sideways and tilt, just like being there. Scary at first, but okay.

The Bath House is going to be put back to it’s original state. There are still some of the old baths there, and some are missing. Downstairs in the basement there are two mud baths. Interesting to say the least. We then went upstairs through the attic to the viewing platform; a brilliant panoramic view of the Government Gardens, Lake Rotorua and Sulphur Bay. Awesome! In the attic was a heating and cooling plant, to keep the building at a controlled temperature, humidifier was what I was thinking of. Back down on the main floor we went and had a look at the Museum, Tarawera Te Maunga Tapu, explained above, Maori Battalion, The story of B Company 28 Maori Battalion. Share the passion, pride and loss of the soldiers of B Company of the legendary 28 Maori Battalion. Great viewing! Treasures of Te Arawa: very good as well.

Left the Museum and headed for the Lake, had a cup of coffee at the Tearoom, took some photos, even got an ex WW2 GMC 6x6 Amphibian, around 1941 / 1942 vintage, taking people on tours, on land and water. Those old things would be getting pretty rare these days. Also on the lake, was the Lakeland Queen, New Zealand’s largest and only genuine stern-wheel paddle vessel, a Grand Old Lady of the Lake. A float plane was parked there too. After our coffees, we went over the hill behind the Hospital to Kuirau Park and had a look at some boiling mud pools. This is something else. Spent a bit of time here walking around. You wouldn’t want to fall into some of the boiling mud pools, you would be cooked in an instant. Most of the pools were fenced off, but some of the smaller ones weren’t. One little pool beside the path, dip your fingers in it for 10 seconds, and then take them out, otherwise they’ll cook. One that was fenced off, stunk something terrible. If it was in your back yard you would be moving, putrid…sulphur smell…something you need to see to appreciate.

It’s about 4pm and we need to be getting along, we still have 100 kms to go to get to Cambridge. The scenery is the usual we have been seeing. Tirau is halfway, and it’s starting to go dusk, about 12 kms up the road we come across Lake Karapiro on our left. It went for about 10 kms. Would be good for fishing, water skiing, or whatever. By now it is getting dark so it is a little hard to see the surrounding area. We eventually arrive in Cambridge around 7pm and got lost driving around in circles. Have to stop and ask for directions. We end up having tea at a Chinese Restaurant. We were the only ones seated, but they were flat out doing takeaways; Thursday, payday.

After our meal we found our way to what we thought was the centre of town and checked out one place to stay, but was too dear, so we drove around the road after looking in the book and found a place to our liking. Then it was back around the road to the Road House / Service Station and bought some bread, milk and some other items to get us by. Back to the motel and settle in for the evening. We have been on the go for 12 hours today, there is too much to see and do in the short time frame.

Friday 18^th: Another day, another 160 kms to travel, Cambridge to Auckland. Usual stuff, shower, breakfast, load up and head into town in the daylight. At least we can see where we are going. Did a bit of driving round and parked in town, took a few photos as usual. The main street has a large island running down the middle covered in grass with trees and flowers, pretty.

One side, the footpath had, like a Hollywood walk of fame, except it was about famous New Zealand Race Horses. Excellent, something different. Walked through an arcade and saw a hairdressing shop, which was advertising some unusual products. There was a Go Cart hanging from the ceiling, motorised skateboard, motorised in-line skates. I think there was a skateboard which you put both feet on, but it had a wheel around the outside of it, also motorised, and there was a couple of other things as well, but I can’t remember now. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any photos to show you. We spent a couple of hours looking around before we set of.

Didn’t go far. We found a large reserve (Lake Te Koutu) and decided it was too good an opportunity to go for a walk and get some necessary exercise. You don’t get much, sitting on your arse in the car. It took about 45 mins to go around it. There were lots of ducks floating around. The Waikato River runs through the middle of Cambridge. It’s back in the car and we make our way to Hamilton.

Coming in to Hamilton we past a car wrecking yard which had a Rolls Royce car on a pole outside advertising its business. Had to take photo; don’t often see Rollers on poles! Stopped at servo to study a map of the place, then carried on till we came across the Hamilton Gardens. This is a must see… we ended up here for over four hours, there is so much to see, it’s awe inspiring.

• Hamilton Gardens At Hamilton Gardens “The Story Of The Gardens” is explored through the five collections of gardens.
• Paradise Garden Collection Gardens representing some of the most significant garden design traditions.
• Productive Garden Collection Garden representing different aspects of the relationship between people and plants.
• Fantasy Garden Collection Garden representing the different forms of garden fantasy.
• Cultivar Garden Collection Gardens featuring plants selected and bred for the garden.
• Landscape Garden Collection Gardens representing different historic interpretations of an idealized landscape.
• Japanese Garden of Contemplation An example of the 14^th – 16^th Century Muromachi Period gardens designed for quiet contemplation and study.
• English Flower Garden An example of the English 19^th Century Arts and Crafts gardens designed as a setting for plant collections and planned seasonal colour compositions.
• Chinese Scholars Garden An interpretation of the 10^th – 12^th Century Sung Dynasty gardens that were designed as natural worlds of imagination and surprise.
• Italian Renaissance Garden Was too far away from sign to tell what was written on it.

There were a few more, but for some reason we lost them on the card, so I am unable to tell you about them. If you can afford to go over to NZ and visit the North Island, do so!

From Hamilton we hit the highway again. Cross the Waikato river at Ngaruawahia, stop at Huntly to buy moccasins, of all things. Saw the Huntly Power Station on the Waikato River. Further up the road we came across a place called Meremere where they have a drag strip, south of Auckland. I took a photo of a road sign which said, Dragway Road, which leads into the place. Appropriate, don’t you think? Papakura is the start of the built up area on your way into Auckland. According to the map, we are 34 kms from the city. It was pretty scary traveling on a road you are not familiar with. You know you are heading to the city and by all accounts don’t turn off anywhere.

It was a three lane traffic jam going into Auckland. If you think the roads are congested here, wait till you are over there. Bloody chaos for the uninitiated. We finally arrived after dark and ended up driving somewhere I didn’t have a clue, and hoping for a good outcome. I remember being on Karangahape Road, and decided to head back into the city, after stopping at a couple of local garages asking for directions and neither of them could tell me. “Bloody hopeless,” I said to Julie, after I got back into the car. Kept going and came across Sky Tower.

Found a park, after negotiating hundreds of pedestrians, rushed across the road and checked out City Central Hotel. We were in luck. A room on the fifth floor, parking in the Hotel car park next door, shit hot. Back to the car, do a U turn, through the lights and park outside the Hotel, unload all the bags and gear we had gathered in our travels, go and park car in hotel car park, rush back to hotel, cart all our stuff upstairs, throw everything on the floor and bed, sigh of relief, make a cuppa and decide what we are going to do. Tipped everything out and had a repack, toss some stuff in the bin, the rest okay. Decided to go to Sky Tower for a look and a meal. It was in the next block, 10 minute walk.

Sky Tower, 328 metres tall, with 360 degree views of the city, three viewing platforms, glass floor and fronted lifts, three restaurants, Sky Jump, Vertigo Climb and a gift shop. The list goes on! I said to Julie about having a meal on the revolving restaurant up top, only to find that it would cost $22 each, plus food and drink. Decided not to, but that we would try one of the other restaurants upstairs. I forgot to mention when you walked in on the ground floor there was a Black Hummer H2 there for somebody to win. It was registered and had a WOF (roadworthy certificate) and ready to drive away. I reckon it was worth around the $160,000 mark. Some lucky couple did win it that night, lucky them!

We went upstairs and had our meal (all you can eat), and afterwards went and had a look inside the Casino and watched all those lucky punters hand over thousands of dollars in the name of Entertainment. The Vietnamese seemed to have pockets full of cash, are avid punters, the list goes on. There was a BMW Coupe in the room to be won. It was certainly an eye opener. After being there for a few hours we eventually went back to our hotel and called it night.

Saturday 19^th: Do the usual, shower, breakfast, cart all the bags downstairs, go and pick up car, drive round to front of hotel and load up. Drive around and park down from the Sky Tower, make sure you feed the meter. We spoke to a couple of parking officers and then watched them check out a new Peugeot Coupe parked in the five minute zone. First thing he does is put his hand on the bonnet, check for heat. Obviously been parked overnight, ring the tow truck, and they come and pick it up, and the rest is history. Anyway, we went for a walk to the Sky Tower to check it out in the daylight, and then walked down Queen Street to Quay Street, which is where the Hobson, Princes and Queens Wharf are. You can catch the ferries to Birkenhead, Bayswater, Stanley Bay, Devonport, Waiheke Island, Half Moon Bay, Rangitoto and Great Barrier Island. People use them to commute to work instead of cars. If we had made enquiries at the information centre we could have gone on a cruise around the harbour for a couple of hours to fill in some time, but we didn’t, so we stuck to shanks pony, and meandered our way back through some back streets. We came across a market that was selling fruit and jams, clothing etc, carry on through, come across an arcade which was very interesting.

There was upstairs and downstairs, very old building with nice architecture. After looking around and talking to a few people, the lady suggested which little shop was worth visiting. It was nice. Also I found a shop called Marbecks. For the size of the shop, I don’t think I have seen so many CDs, DVDs, videos, floor to ceiling, whatever you want, it was there, almost. Back up Queen. They were rebuilding the footpaths both sides of the road. Back to the car. Auckland has the biggest Polynesian population in the southern hemisphere. From the city centre we drive back on the motorway to Mangere Bridge where we stop for lunch and have a look around the place.

Checked out prices for real estate: nothing under $300,000. It’s an older suburb. I thought some of it was a bit rich, but that’s real estate for you; even the rentals were dear, the cheapest was $300 per week.

After lunch we went for a drive, and unbeknown to us, we weren’t far from where we had to drop the rental car off. As we drove past a road, Julie said, “That’s where we have to go to drop the car.” Back to Mangere Bridge to fill in more time. Bloody hard trying to fill in time: how many ducks and seagulls can you count, or watch people lift their boats out of the water. If you live over there, I reckon every third person would have a boat. New Zealand is a boating nation. Dropped the car off and had to pay for a windscreen. It had a few stone chips in it, but when we were in Cambridge, and came back from lunch, the heat cracked it. What do you do?

The rental car company dropped us at the airport and then we had to mill around there for three hours before we flew out. We flew out on Emirates, nice airline, three and half hours to Melbourne, shuttle bus to Europcar depot, picked up car and drove home. For those of you who are interested in going over, do so. You won’t regret it and you will have a wonderful time.

Ron Johnston