Rotorua to Wellington - a Joe's eye view

Joe here, taking over Beth's blog for this part of the journey, from Rotorua down to the bottom of the north island in Wellington.

Eerie mist

We left Rotorua and headed towards Gisborne via Whakatane. The journey there was breathtaking.

We passed the iconic Lake Rotorua, and the various other smaller lakes along the way. As the day was beginning to heat up, there was mist creeping across the top of the water on the lakes and streams. We went through an awesome mountain range, where the clouds cling to the tops despite it still being sunny. As the shadows move with the rising sun, the icy dew begins to melt into a misty vapour.

Beautiful turquoise river below misty hilltops

Plenty of low cloud!

It was several hours before we reached Whakatane (genuinely pronounced fuck-a-tony), skirting the coast and looking out to the beautiful pacific ocean. We eventually ended up at a camp ground - where I accidentally churned up all the waterlogged grass. The owner was not impressed!

We left the next morning for Gisborne. On the way through the ever-gorgeous landscape we saw a farmer fertilising his crops with a helicopter. That's certainly a new one to us, and we wondered just how much land he must have to have to use a helicopter!

We finally got to Gisbourne. A short drive from the town is the Rere Rockslide - famous waterfalls where the rock is so smoothly eroded that it is otherwise known as a natural waterslide, and it is a popular spot for people to take a body board and go crashing down them! This sounded like a lot of fun, however after discussing over breakfast in town we decided it was too cold for that, and we should head further south.

We travelled some more distance until we got to a farmhouse lodge near a town called Hastings. The lodge was extremely old (by New Zealand standards) but was big in character. But the biggest character was the caretaker, who remarkably resembled the Prospector from Toy Story 2, and had the sense of humour to put anyone at ease. There were also 12 dogs running around these grounds, which Beth enjoyed immensely.

In the morning we left early and travelled towards Wellington. We saw snowy mountains for the first time in the distance, as well as plenty of goats, sheep, cows and even falcons soaring above our car.

Our first view of snowy mountains - a change from the north's rolling green hills!

We eventually came upon a town called Dannevirke - originally settled by Scandinavians, where the most awesome chocolate cheesecake was to be found in a cafe called Yummy Mummys.

Onwards once more through various villages and scenery, we arrived at Porirua where we visited a police museum. It was all about police and criminal history in New Zealand, and you could also try on some of the uniforms!

Who do you think wears it better - Beth or Joe?

We also went bowling... but don't talk to Beth about who won...

The following day we finally arrived in Wellington and set our sights upon the Great War Museum with it's exhibition from Sir Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings & Hobbit fans) which was both extremely informative and moving. There was an insane amount of detail that had gone into the making of the sets and models, as well as the information about battles and individual soldiers. It was a great exhibition and I hope it continues to show other people the horrors and futility of war.

Afterwards, we had originally planned to go back to Porirua for lunch when suddenly Gimli's clutch blew leaving us stranded at the side of a busy motorway! There was smoke everywhere and the whole car stank! Luckily for us a very helpful stranger was just on his way back from work and towed us to a garage. After a few painstaking hours (and a lot of money spent) Gimli was back on the road - though still smelling like death.

Oh Gimli...

This time we stayed at a hostel in the city to recharge ourselves for the more challenging part of our journey - the south island!

Next stop: Hobbiton and Rotorua

After spending the night drinking overpriced Jagerbombs (fun fact: In New Zealand, it's cheaper to buy 2 dominoes pizzas than 1 Jagerbomb) in an Irish bar and camping out in their carpark, our next stop was Hobbiton.

Hobbit holes by the lake

Matamata: here sits a perfectly picturesque farm that took the eye of Peter Jackson 16 years ago for filming the home of Bilbo and Frodo in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. This was quite possibly the place Joe and I were most excited about seeing, and it was just as magical as we expected. It was so amazing to see and learn about every tiny detail that went into making these particular scenes for the movies. Walking in the same tracks as some of our favourite characters, and having a ginger beer and beef stew in The Green Dragon.

Bilbo's house at Bag End

The Shire

Next along was Rotorua - the only place you can fart and blame it on the earth, as the whole city and surrounds is sitting on a volcano, and there is a strong smell of sulphur - like rotten eggs. In recent years it has become a tourist hotspot, with people flocking every year to experience the natural hot pools, mud pools and geysers.

Lake Rotorua

 It is also the birthplace of zorbing, so of course, we gave it a go. We went on one straight and one zigzag track down a hill in a massive inflatable ball with water inside it. The second time, Joe and I went in a ball together, and crashing into each other just made it even more fun!

The greeting of the Maori chiefs

In the evening we headed to Tamaki Maori village, where we learnt about the Maori tribes, their customs, history, even the games they used to play - and had a go ourselves. The whole evening was amazingly set out, and really makes you feel like you were there experiencing a real Maori village. The men learnt the traditional "Haka" battle dance, and the women learnt Poi. The evening ended with some performances, songs and dances, followed by a meal cooked traditional using the Maori method of hot stones in large holes underground. The food was to die for and there was plenty of it!

For our final day in Rotorua, we were supposed to be going white water rafting, but after being driven out into the starting point in the forest, the staff decided the river was too high following rain last week. It was definitely disappointing but I'd rather not die. Instead, we had a free lunch and were taken to a local hot stream. Sitting in our swimwear in the middle of winter in a stream that reaches temperatures of 40 degrees definitely felt a little more than strange. It was so hot that you could see the steam coming off the surface of the water. If it wasn't for the constant eggy smell it would be natural bliss!

Next time you'll find out all about our drive from Rotorua to Wellington, our last stop on the north island. The amazing views we saw, and how Gimli burst into smoke on the motorway! Until then...

New Zealand Roadtrip Day 1: Detour North

Friday 21st July was our first day of one month off from work to travel the whole of New Zealand. We packed up our stuff, left Sails Away Backpackers and got some breakfast in town.

The plan was to head south, first stop Hobbiton - but before that, we needed to get our van registered as "self contained". This would enable us to be able to stay at certain campsites that are cheap or free but only for self contained vehicles (have a sink and toilet). We rang up the dude and found out he couldn't actually do it for us so we got an appointment for Tuesday. Not ideal, but we decided instead of going south we would travel the very northern tip of the country and then go to our Tuesday appointment on the way back down.

So northward bound we were, feeling free and without direction, we zigzagged across the country from Warkworth, to Dargaville, to Whangarei, where we went to the cinema to see Dunkirk (great film!) before spending our first night sleeping in the van at a free campsite by Lake Waro. The weather wasn't great, but it was surprisingly warm and comfortable in the van. We enjoyed watching lightening storms in the distance, and then settled down to Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers before bed.

Joe and I loved how Whangerei was a city with a waterfall right in the middle of it.

These ducks obviously loved it too

Heading north gave us a good practice go in the van before embracing the bitter cold of the south.

The next morning I craved cheese and crusty bread for breakfast (after watching Gimli eat it in the film), so we stopped in Kawakawa on the way north to get some. This tiny town only had a small convenience store amongst it's other shops. To our disturbing surprise, our breakfast dreams were ruined upon opening the brie to find it mouldy and a week out of date! Top tip: do not eat the brown brie. We took it back and exchanged it and all was right with the world again!

The weather hadn't cleared up since we left Warkworth, and it was unfortunate that it wasn't really great conditions to get to see the beautiful beaches this region has. We will however head back up here in the summer as it's not too far from where we live. We continued north for a short while before U-turning as we decided "screw the plumber!" we can get self contained along the way if needed, so we headed back down south and I definitely got a bit more excited. Next stop, Hobbiton!

Sneak preview of whats coming in my next post...

I've been quiet. What's going on?

It's been a long time since I last wrote a post, and I'm so sorry for neglecting you all. I've actually been incredibly busy starting a life in a new country. And that (hopefully!) is no exaggeration.

Since my last post, I have been offered a permanent position as assistant manager at The Camera Shop where I work. And though there may only be 4 staff members there, this technically puts me in a higher position than my dad (many of you know as the infamous manager of Park Cameras in the UK), an achievement that I'm pretty proud of anyway.

It's official. I have a business card

This role has been keeping me very busy, and is a LOT to take on, especially after only working for the company for 2 months.

Joe also recently landed himself in a good job, and we're considering the prospects of extending our visas for the foreseeable future, and quite possibly, forever.

But enough adulting, before all that can happen, we need to go on an adventure.

Keeping us busy on our days off from work is Gimli, who not only has taken us to some of the local scenic areas, but has been undergoing a complete makeover. Meaning, we removed everything from the back of the car including seats, shelves and bed frame, and completely re-assembled a structure in order to make our van self contained. It now includes a travel toilet, sink, water tank, and foldaway bed/seating area.

Freedom camping in New Zealand is legal, but there are many campsites that have amenities only available to those in a vehicle that is marked with a valid self contained sticker. The vehicle must be approved by an official self-containment dude to gain this classification. We will hopefully be getting our self contained sticker this weekend.

So, why such a rush to get the van fixed up? This friday will be the start of our month long adventure travelling the whole country before going back to work. There's a lot of cool places to fit in to this visit, and I can't wait for what we're going to encounter! We're not quite sure where we're going yet, but our top 3 must-sees are:
1. Hobbiton movie set
2. Franz Josef Glacier
3. Rotorua geysers and natural spas
...and a lot of awesome scenery and breathtaking views on the way!

Piha, Auckland
The cold will still never stop me going to the beach

Currently in New Zealand it is winter time, and unlike Australia, the kiwi winter is actually cold. Where we live in the north is a very mild climate, mostly sunny and slightly warmer than the UK, but the south where we are headed is bitterly cold and snowy. I love the snow, but I'm a little worried about how well we'll survive living in a van in these conditions, as it's not something we've ever done, so any advice would be welcome!

So that's where we're up to now. I will definitely write more posts about where we go on our trip. For now I just have to get through one more day at work! If anyone has any advice for us on where to go during our trip, please leave a comment - we want to see as much of the country as possible!

Walkies at Goat Island

Waipu - the Scotland of New Zealand

Earlier this week, Joe and I took a short drive to the small town of Waipu for some culture, coffee, and caves! Waipu has all of these things, and is a New Zealand town that prides itself on its Scottish heritage.

The 55 minute drive to Waipu was made slightly longer as we were forced to stop in awe of the ever changing landscape. Rolling green hills, sea, and mountains could all be seen in one view, and it was so spectacular that we had to stop at the side of the road and snap a picture.

View from the highway

In the 1850s, five shiploads of scottish clans from the highlands arrived in Waipu, led by Rev Norman McLeod - and keeping up with scottish tradition, the town now hosts the annual highlands games every New Years Day.

As hungry travellers, we stopped for lunch at "Logan Maclean", a cafe on the main street serving sandwiches, pastries, and of course a full scottish breakfast aptly named "The Full Kilt". Unfortunately missing black pudding, but was an enjoyable meal nonetheless.

Opposite the cafe is the Waipu Museum; documenting the history of the town and the story of its Scottish migrants. 

The caves first sanction

So, thats pretty much the whole town if we're not including the small supermarket and dairy. But much of this towns adventure and intrigue lies just outside, in the Waipu caves. These were our main reason for the trip, as they came as a recommendation from a colleague as a free and lesser known alternative to the widely popular (but expensive to visit) Waitomo caves south of Auckland.

Crawl under here to continue? Yes/No

The Waipu caves consist of three main sanctions, glowworms being present in their thousands mostly in the third. This is something neither Joe or I have experienced before - not caves, nor glowworms - so it was completely thrilling to see. Walking in the caves is completely unguided, unlike some other caves in the country, and these three main sanctions are relatively easy to navigate on your own (with the help of a torch and some good footwear) though it does become pitch black and you WILL need to walk in water at least at ankle depth. Stalagmites and stalagtites fill the caves interiors, and they also harbour many fossils and ancient reptile remains. Past the 3 main sanctions, much MUCH more of the cave can be explored by crawling under a very low ceiling, emerging into chest-high water, with space opening up on the other side. Having my camera with me at the time, I wasn't prepared to go so far in such deep water, but we will definitely be going back there to venture on further at a later date (and with better torches).

The caves first sanction

Around the caves are very pleasant walking tracks through woods and fields, with giant boulders, hills and ditches to make you feel like you're right on set in a Lord of the Rings film. After visiting the caves, we checked out the Piroa Falls on our way back to Warkworth. There was such pleasant sunshine on this day, that really made the falls look even more spectacular after last week's rain. From the carpark, its a short walk down to the bottom of the falls, where we were greeted by a family enjoying a swim in the pools beneath. The water must have been a little cold, as it is now autumn, but they looked like they were having fun sliding down the rocks in their rubber rings.

Piroa Falls

Gimli (the new van) brought us back to warkworth, wet and muddy from exploring the Waipu caves, but pleased to have explored such a wonderful region.

The Matakana Coast Wine Country - Why this region is a MUST see

For almost 2 months we've been living in a small town called Warkworth, which is located about a 40 minute drive north of Auckland. Before we arrived, I'd never heard of this town, but now I'm going to tell you why it is SO worth visiting.

Warkworth wharf on the river

We don't tired of a swim in the pool after work every day!

We originally found the place through a job ad online - cleaner/receptionist wanted to work part time in return for a weekly wage and a room in a beautiful motel, The Warkworth Lodge. The lodge has pool, spa, and charming living areas. Their company, Matakana Tours offers wine tasting and tours of the local vineyards, as well as limousine hire for parties, events and people with too much money who need a ride from Auckland terminal 1 to terminal 2 (actual request!). This job was a great opportunity, and to earn a bit more money on top of that, Joe and I both went into town to find an additional job. Having worked previously at Park Cameras in the UK, I thought I'd try my luck and walked into the town's small camera shop, asked for a job, and was told to start tomorrow. I've been working on their website (check it out here to see how sexy I've made it), as well as serving customers and printing on the mini lab. Now we're more than a month on, and I don't want to leave!

Bethany and I showing off canvases (image stolen from their website)

The stretch of coastline that homes the towns surrounding Warkworth is the Matakana Coast Wine Country; named so after Matakana, it's central town, and the numerous vineyards in the area. If wine is your thing, this is definitely the place to go. As well as wine, the region has a number or micro breweries producing exquisite beers, ales and ciders. Tahi Bar is a local pub in Warkworth serving only locally brewed drinks. They also have jolly staff and a great atmosphere!

Having a beer in the Rusty Pelican, Matakana

 Now, I haven't been everywhere (as much as I'd like to), but I'm pretty sure this town is the friendliest place in the world. The welcoming attitude and hospitality of every person I've met has been overwhelming. The community feel is unlike any I've experienced anywhere else.

Feijoas given to me by a customer

I've seen it in almost every instance - shop owners going out of their way for customers; locals welcoming visitors and foreigners as their own; a customer at work gave me a bag of feijoas* that she had grown herself because she knew I'd never seen them before. Joe and I even ended up booking a horse riding tour in the carpark of the supermarket after seeing the company vehicle. The guy was extremely friendly, and even picked us up from our accommodation and dropped us back after at no charge, giving us the scenic route to allow us to see the absolutely monstrous Kauri tree outside the Warkworth museum (800+ years old, standing at about 40m high!)

Here's Joe standing next to a massive Kauri tree... can you see him?

The horse riding tour was outstanding! It was a birthday present to Joe from his aunty back in England, who loves horses. The company, Horse Riding Warkworth, were fun, professional and accommodating. Neither of us had ridden horses before, but that wasn't a problem - we were trotting in no time. The hour tour took us through some beautiful countryside, up hills and through woods, and for a second I really thought I was a character in the hobbit (not just because I'm small).

Joe and I on horseback

The best view

As well as awesome people, this region has so much to offer! Knowing that Joe and I work 7 days a week and don't yet have a car, my boss at The Camera Shop offered to take us on a drive one saturday evening. And in that one evening I got to see pretty much the whole region, tasted the fine delicacies (fush and chups) and drank at numerous watering holes (too many that night, if I'm honest!). He gave me a polaroid camera and unlimited film to document our adventure.

Polaroid Snaptouch and pictures of the evening

The drive started with a bottle of feijoa wine in the backseat of the car (I felt like a proper celebrity being chauffered around), and we visited nearby areas of Leigh, Omaha, Snells Beach and Goat Island marine park.

Omaha Beach

Goat Island

Goat Island

The quaint town of Matakana is not to be missed either, with plentiful shops, bars, restaurants, a cinema, and apparently - killer eels (I saw a sign for them, but never actually found the eels. Much disappointment). The cinema, where Joe and I went to see Kong, has 2 large screens. We had one to ourselves on this occassion and it was quite possibly the fanciest cinema I've ever seen, with a large chandelier on the ceiling!

Snapped a sneaky picture before the film started!

So, it's been a relaxing few weeks soaking up the chilled out atmosphere of this region, and we're learning to appreciate just how beautiful the landscape is and how awesome the people are in this country. For the last few days we've been looking at getting a car or van, so lots more adventuring to come and I'll keep you updated!

* Feijoas - a fruit native to south America and widely grown in New Zealand. They have a gooey and slightly gritty consistency, but a sweet, delicious taste.

How to speak Kiwi

Following on from "British to Australian dictionary" - a blog post I did around this time last year, I've now been living in New Zealand for a month and a half, and have definitely noticed some differences between British English, Aussie English, and Kiwi English, and the accent! My list doesn't include Maori, which is a completely different language that is still widely used in New Zealand - as I haven't got round to learning it yet.

Choice - Good/Nice one
Eh - (Ay) Used at the end of pretty much every sentence
Sweet as - Cool
Chur - Thanks
She'll be right - It'll be OK
Heaps - Loads
Wop-wops - Middle of nowhere
All Blacks - The only sports team that matters, the NZ rugby team
Jandals - Flip flops
Togs - Swimming costume
Chilly bin - Cooler box
Hokey-pokey - A popular and tasty ice cream flavour
Electric jug - Kettle
Kumara - Sweet potato
Tramping - Hiking
Dairy - Convenience store
Skull - To down a drink
Bogan - Chav/White trash
Pom - British person
Op shop - Charity shop
Smoko - Work break
Capsicum - Pepper
Manchester - Bed linen
Fush and Chups - Fish and Chips
Seven - Seevin
Yeah - Year

If, like I was before I got here, you are naive and not used to Aussie or Kiwi, you may think the accents and dialogue are pretty much the same. I've come to learn this is definitely not the case. Mostly with the differences in words, New Zealanders more often take the British form, and Aussies just make something up completely. Examples:

Duvet (in NZ) - Doona (in Aus)
Aubergine (in NZ) - Eggplant (in Aus)

Like the last few on my list, the New Zealand accent is very defined, and usually easier to make out different words than in Australia, where they tend to mumble all their words into one "sound". Having said that, it's not always easy to understand what that word is. Forming the accent is all in the harsh vowel sounds. Just imagine pretty much every vowel is an "i" or "ee"

Ten minutes = teen meenuts
Jindals = jandals

That's my quick guide on how to speak Kiwi. It's actually a beautiful accent to match their beautiful country!