New Zealand Day 20

Easy trip down to Auckland today -  only about 150km so we took the scenic route down the coast and again checked out some of their lovely beaches.

Surprise of the day was a great little place called Matakana which is in the middle of nowhere really but has lots of great little cafes and gift shops - and importantly a chocolate factory and shop. Bought a bar of their beautiful 100% cocoa chocolate (sounds terrible but is terrific in small doses!)

Down the freeway system, over the harbour bridge again and out to the airport where we dropped off the car (undamaged) and they drove us back to the jetpack airport motel. Bad news is we get a 3.30am wakeup call to catch the 4.00am shuttle to the airport to catch the 6.25 flight home

Some final observations on our 3 weeks in NZ-

* EVERYONE is so friendly - waitresses, cafe staff, hotel and B&B staff are all on for a chat.
* All roads are twisty. Scenic Route is New Zealand speak for even more twisty.
* petrol prices are ridiculous. 2.50 is normal. Cheapest we found was 2.09 and saw 2.55 A couple of times - gov't has put a 15cent tax on Auckland prices apparently.
* Speaking of governments, PM Jacinta Ardhern is not nearly as popular as our press would have you believe. Most common comment was that she was good for smiling and having babies but not much else. Big news here has been the collapse in business confidence.
* they have the biggest oysters we've ever seen.
* lots and lots of wide bikeways our local and state governments just don't get it.
* you can't pronounce the names of most towns and cities.
* there are lots of old cars but also a ridiculous number of Porsches.
* Aerum lillies grow everywhere - even in rocks!
* very few farm dams - they use all interconnected tanks.
*hardly any restaurants use tablecloths.
*They don't have no through roads in NZ - the signs just say no exit. Saves in signage I suppose but looks a bit funny when you see - Cemetery Road (no exit)

So there you have it - beautiful country with the friendliest people you'll probably ever meet and some quite quirky ways. They definitely talk funny and sometimes even need subtitles - one B&B hostess asked me if we needed any loft. Didn't get it it at first then realised she was asking if we needed milk (low fat)

New Zealand Day 19

Ready to take it easy for last regular day in NZ. Shared breakfast at the B&B with a German couple - Stephan and Christina who had flown out got pick up their yacht which was being repaired here after the de-humidifier had broken down. Not a bad lifestyle - Stephan runs a car component manufacturing business in Germany but spends most of the year sailing in the Pacific and Australia. Just pops back to check the business occasionally!

Two things we had not seen on our trip so far were Kauri Pines and Kiwis. Headed out this morning after that long breakfast to a treetops walk through a Kauri stand. They really are a spectacular tree - huge girth plus height. Lovely hike through the forest as well.

After morning tea in town at which two ladies shared just about their whole life stories with us we went up to the Kiwi House and local museum. Had to enter a darkened room and wait very patiently but eventually the kiwis came out of their nest and wandered about sometimes right in front of us - quite a bit bigger than I had imagined.

Interesting local museum to finish off the afternoon. Home to pack the ports and sort out all the bits and pieces before heading out to dinner at a local English pub. Off to Auckland in the morning for a very early flight Tuesday morning. Ouch.

New Zealand Day 18

What a difference a day makes!

Everything went to plan today - early breakfast (huge) and we were off to meet the cruiseboat in Paihia. No roadworks, little traffic, good trip and we arrived with minutes to spare! Lovely crowd on the boat - people from GB, Holland, Canada and everyone had a great time.

It was a beautiful sunny day and very little swell even outside the islands as we headed north . Called in to lots of little bays including one where Cook had a bit of an altercation with the ,local Maori and is now known as Cooks Cove. Got up to the famous hole in the rock - just too much swell to go through but we did back into an amazing sea cave nearby.

Stopped in at a lovely little bay for lunch and were given time to go for a hike up to the knoll for a beautiful view across the islands. The boat called in to Russell on the way back to port so we took the option of getting off there and spending about an hour browsing the great little shops and cafes there before using a complimentary ticket to catch the regular ferry back to Paihia. Good drive home and back by 5.

Off to a nice restaurant in the town basin tonight. One full tourist day left!

New Zealand Day 17

Some days just don't work out as planned. Booked on the Bay of Islands boat tour and just needed to be up at Piahia by 9.45 and so had early breakfast and set off. First had deviation as we thought we had missed the turn but soon put that right but then just out of  Whangerie traffic came to a grinding halt. Major roadworks and peak hour morning traffic backed up for kms!

Eventually got through but clearly we were not going to make the boat on time so rang and rebooked for tomorrow so we were not under too much pressure.

Still went up to Paihia and had a good look around then went to the info centre to check out walks. She recommended a walk to the Waitangi Treaty grounds and on through the wetlands and coming back via the road. Good. Had some lunch and set out on what turned out to be a 12 km walk!

Wasn't too impressed with the treaty grounds as they wanted to charge a hefty entry fee which didn't please the locals either. The walk through the wetlands was fairly easy and varied between areas of mangroves to beautiful treefern forests. Ended at a beautiful waterfall and then began the return trip by road which was pretty long and exhausting up some pretty big hills and involved over 5km of walking.

Finally got back to town about 5.30 so went to an Italian restaurant and devoured pasta and lasagne for an early dinner. Thankfully an uneventful trip home so we have another try for the cruise tomorrow! Weather forecast is thankfully v.good!

New Zealand Day 16

Mixed weather forecast for today so we headed down to the Town Basin as it is called - a newly developed area beside the river with restaurants and retail etc and marina. Some great ideas that could be applied to Maryborough along the river where the old wharves used to be with pictures and stories and cycle-walking track. Beautiful. Went to the info centre and bought tickets for a cruise of Bay of Islands tomorrow.

Took off to do the hike at Whangarei Falls which were quite beautiful and track took us alongside the river. Thought we would continue to the treetops walk in the Kauri forest but the predicted rain set in so we went back to the cafe area in town and enjoyed coffee and cake beside a beautiful fire instead! Tough.

Checked out the best fish and chips in town so that is the plan for tonight's dinner along with a bottle of red we acquired from the Te Awa winery way back on our bikeride.

New Zealand Day 15

Not much to report today - just a drive from Waihi to Whangarei but we kept to the old coastal road instead of the new northern tollway.
Dropped into some great little beaches along the way after driving through the middle of Auckland and over their harbour bridge which is not all that impressive really.
Actually a very pleasant drive all the way and got here to a very nice B&B (Pentland House) about 3.Went dowjtown to check out tge town and it is quite impressive - beautiful mall area with high quality shops. Plenty of restaurants to keep us happy over the next few nights.

New Zealand Day 14

Last day in the Coromandel. Headed into town to have a look at the old mining operations in Waihi which were quite fascinating. Central to the town is a huge old Cornish pumphouse which in fact was moved to its present site back in 2006 because the underground mi ing operations were putting it at risk. Incredible piece of engineering - they excavated to under the foundations and then slid the whole building on runners for about 300 metres! The open cut mine still employs 400 people but mostly underground pits drive off the open cut and under parts of town.

We then drove to Waihi Beach where you do a walk North along the beach and then a track takes you over some very high rocky outcrops eventually getting to Orokawa Bay.
While the weather was quite bright and sunny for us, there had been a significant storm overnight and the previous week had been wet so the track was wet, slippery and sticky clay made it an interesting and challenging walk.
We eventually got to the Bay which was worth all the effort. Elizabeth had cut her finger on a piece of grass as she grabbed to stop slipping and when we got to the Bay there were a couple of Dept. Environment workers cutting the grass so they very happily gave her a bandaid from their kit.
Same walk back - met an English hiker who called it bog-hopping which was pretty accurate.
Back home by late afternoon  but really enjoyed the walk actually.
Went to the Stirling Hotel for dinner - both had a Guiness hotpot for dinner (beautiful) and accompanied that with a Guiness as well. Wonderful.

New Zealand Day 13

Thankfully feeling much better this morning. Still taking food very carefully though.

After breakfast of toast and honey (someone else enjoyed muesli, porridge, eggs etc) we headed north to Karangahake Gorge which is only a few km from where we are staying. As well as being a pretty spectacular gorge in its own right, it is the site of an old gold mine and battery-processing area where there were massive workings.
With the occasional shower requiring the addition of the wet weather gear we set off on the hike trails which took us through the windows area where the mineshafts broke through the rock high up in the gorge and after morning tea we took the tunnel route to an old 1000m railway tunnel which is now part of a cycling rail trail - a thought for the future?
Vegemite sandwiches for lunch while others had nice toasted chicken sandwiches but at least I was feeling so much better.
Headed for Waihi Beach where we climbed the Trig trail which took us to the highest point where we could see the whole coastline. Spectacular, but had to climb 237 steps to get there (and come down 237 again!).
After cleanup, headed down the road a bit to Waikiki pub for dinner - pork pasta for me and Greek lamb for Elizabeth- beautiful. Sat next to a girl who had just returned from living in Harvey Bay and working in Maryborough!

New Zealand Day 12

No post really today. Sick as a dog. Dry toast and sleep order of the day. Hope it is worth it!

New Zealand - Day 11

First day exploring the Coromandel Peninsular - fine beautiful morning and a MAGNIFICENT spread for breakfast awaited us. Not so good for me as the tummy wog was still making its presence felt but at least i was able to pick a few bits.
We planned to head north and reach the Cathedral Cove and hot water beach. There is no such thing as a straight road in NZ - constant curves, many with recommended speeds of 25 or 35kph are the order of the day so every trip is pretty demanding and quite slow.
We got to hot water beach about 11.30 and took a walk along what is a very nice beach. If you dig into the sand (shovels for hire everywhere) you will find hot water fills the hole. Sometimes scalding apparently.
About half an hour further on to Hahei where we followed the signs to the parking area for Cathedral Cove. Easy. Then found it was a huge walk through town and up numerous hills before the walk to the cove even started. Normally that would not worry us too much but after 5 days of not such a well-behaved stomach I found it was just not going to happen. Back into town to regroup and rethink.  Found there was another car park at the top of all that climbing but it was limited in spaces. The car park we had ended up in was the overflow Carpark and normally a shuttle bus would take you up to the start of the Cove walk but of course - the shuttle isn't working today! We drove up to the top Carpark 4 times during the afternoon but there was never a space vacant so sadly we never got to see the famous cathedral Cove.
We did, however, manage to call into Pananui on the way home which had a very good walk around a spectacular headland so that was good.
Had a fish (Elizabeth had STEAK!) Dinner at the Waihi Beach pub before getting back home about 8.
Good day apart from not seeing Cathedral Cove!

New Zealand - Day 10

The NZ road report said that the road we were to travel on North today was closed due to landslides but the road back the other way was also closed! Pauline, our lovely hostess at the Nga Puriri B&B did some ringing around the police stations and hotels and came back with the report that by the time we got to the closure points they should be fairly clear but we may have to wait a while.

So after another of Pauline beautiful breakfasts we set out from Hicks Bay headed for the Bay of Plenty. True to prediction, we came to our first stoppage just past Te Kaha. Chatted to the stop go man for quite a while (hey bro) until a big enough space was available. Huge landslides all along the highway some of which we going to require a lot of work to clear. Had two more similar stops until we got to Opotiki. Spectacular scenery all along this highway so we were so pleased to be be able to manage it.

From Opotiki on the road ran mostly along the  coast of the Bay -beautiful beaches all the way. Stopped at Whatatane for lunch and then ended up on a toll road ($2) which took us into Tauranga - a city we've never heard of but it had a massive amount t of traffic  and took ages to get through. We eventually made it to our home for the next 5 nights - Birds eye B&B - which sits on a hill overlooking Waihi which is a sizable gold mining town at the base of the Coromandel Peninsular where we will be exploring the available walks at over the next five days.

New Zealand - Day 9

Easy blog today - atrocious weather and stomach bug equals day indoors resting apart from brief excursion to the local little Manuka honey and other products cafe for morning tea.

Feeling better so hopefully tomorrow the morning will be bright and sunny.

New Zealand- Day 8

Very different day today in every way. I will download some photos to give you some idea of the day and I'll complete the blog tomorrow as we have a full rest day. Got here to Hicks Bay safe and sound though!

Forecast wasn't looking good but we set off from Napier early as the guide said it would be a 5-6 hour drive to Hicks Bay. It started raining about an hour into the trip. As anticipated, it was a very winding road through the mountains but there were spectacular views as we skirted the coastline and then headed inland across the rivers.

Stopped off in Gisborne - larger than we thought - for lunch and then on through to Tolaga Bay where we decided to take a walk out to the end of a huge jetty a bit like Urangan Pier. Got about half way but the wind and rain got a bit much so back to the car.

Very slow, winding trip but again beautiful scenery and eventually got to our Hicks Bay B&B about 5.00 - about 7 hours driving! Very nice B&B but no dinner so headed down to the local motel for a nice steak.

Unfortunately my stomach seems to have acquired a nasy bug so while we had planned to take things easy today we are being kept indoors by my stomach and some torrential rain and strong wind. Not a cycling day!

New Zealand- Day 7

Last ride day. Ormlie Lodge did not serve breakfast until 8.30 so we were able to sleep in until 7.30 which was nice. Strange breakfast though with no cereal or fruit or toast - just coffee and eggs fried or poached. Interesting. Hostess Anne-charlotte (French) was lovely though and nothing was too ,such trouble.

Off in the sunny but cool weather again and headed into some very picturesque countryside where again there were lots of Apple's and kiwifruit  being grown. Huge windbreak hedges lined the roads and the bikeway returned to running on the top of the levee banks.

Stopped at the beautiful Mission winery which is centred on an old Catholic training centre for priests - beautiful old building and it has been done up into a very upmarket restaurant and cellar door.

Jenny's  instructions let us down for the first time after that as here was some confusion over cemeteries and we could not find the intended path. Luckily we found some general sighnposting to get us back into Napier but apparently missed seeing a sheep farm - decided we've seen enough sheep anyway.

Back into Napier by 3 and had to do a bit of shopping and banking and finally dropped the bikes back with Jenny by 4. Fabulous ride which had covered over 260km with some fairly challenging climbs in parts so we've both done very well.

New Zealand- day 6

Another beautiful winters day - clear skies and no wind and max about 15. As good as it gets.

Left Hastings motel at about 9 and after retracing the route back past the golf club and aero club we headed East into wineterritory. Lots of vineyards with cellar doors - but mostly not open until we reached Te Awa  which had tastings open at 10. Good wine grown in the Gimblett Gravels area and after a bit of testing we selected a bottle of pinot noir to have sometime along the way.

We travelled on a levee bank along the Tutaekuri River across to the coast running beside huge apple and pear orchards where they were taking the opportunity to spray the trees while the wind was so calm.

We reached the outskirts of Taradale and visited the Silky Oaks chocolate factory - needless to say managed to buy some for future sustinence

Easy ride today - very flat, no headwind. Just beautiful sunny sky. Reached our accommodation which would appear to be the best yet - beautiful old double story timber mansion called Ormlie Lodge. QUITE luxurious with heated bathroom floor and beautiful furniture. Great last night of the ride. We finish the ride back in Napier tomorrow and then stay another night there  before driving up the coast to Hicks Bay where we stay and relax for a couple of days.