Hire car New Zealand
Finally the New Zealand road trip was about to begin! Having left home on the Sunday, flying Monday out of Heathrow we arrived on the Wednesday in Auckland. We flew on a Boeing 777 and 778 on the way here with Etidad and then New Zealand Airways from Sydney to Auckland.
Absolute Serenity Waterfront near Graham’s Beach. Accommodation here is great and we can look out over the water from bed as well as from the lounge. Absolute bliss after the car hire saga.
The night previously we had stayed at the Best Western Airport hotel as we were only collecting the car the next day. Car price was great but getting it turned into a nightmare. They had changed the collection place which we found out about, but they had not updated the pick up details. Hence it took 2 hours to get to the car – only to discover they had left us a miniscule car and not what was ordered. After a ‘discussion’ they brought us a Ford Ecosport instead of the requested Corolla. At least now we could get our suitcases in the boot although there was no tonneau cover to hide them when parking.
Sunset: sitting outside enjoying the warmth, drinking beer. As soon as we arrived we went to Grahams Beach to get fish and chips. Next to it was a liquor shop with a walk in freezer to chose your beer.
We moved on after one night to near Matamata. On the way we stopped at a couple of places. At Huntley we got some lunch in a mom and pop Chinese owned cafe. Really great pies. Then went on the walk by the lake – Lake Hakanoa walkway.
Wild agapanthus were everywhere in New Zealand.
Then just before our night stop we went to the view point above the valley (Lower Kaimai, Takaurunga). The picture on the left shows an amazing leaf bud of the native Kiwi tree ferns. Very impressive plants, particularly when grouped together amongst other trees.
Kaimai Sunset – is the picture our accommodation? We had a very nice room overlooking the garden and to top it off they had a hot tub. Interestingly it was set flush with the decking which made it difficult to get out. No stepping over and down to the floor … you had to stand up from ground level.
Kaimai Sunset hot tub. Had our spa at sunset time – it was a lovely, bubbly tub and very relaxing. Note: the cover had to be manually lifted up and to the side – very heavy!
So, to the real reason we were staying near Matamata last night: Hobbiton Movie Set!
A 2-hour guided walk which was every bit as good as we hoped. Needless to say we have lots of photos and short video clips to put together when home again. The video and pictures can be see on another page.
Only one thing for it when at Hobberton: visit the Green Dragon for a jug of hazy beer. We found out later in NZ that ‘hazy’ is a type of beer (read cloudy) and available in many brands.
That night we went to The Abseil Inn at Waitimo Caves Village – an interesting place. First the entrance drive was very steep and whilst this should not be a problem our Ford Ecosport automatic, we nearly did not make it. First lesson was to put it in sports mode (manual gear selection) and hit the drive at speed in a low gear. No problem then! Just cross your fingers as you can’t see if anyone is coming down round the blind bend …
We stayed 2 nights at the Abseil Inn. Interesting host of the B&B as she reminds me of Sue Perkins the comedian with all her actions and non stop talking. Pleasant room and great bathroom with a bath for two and candles.
We seem to be arriving quite shattered at each stop over. Having got our body clocks immediately into the right time to wake up, our limbs don’t seem to agree. The picture on the above left shows the walkway down to the Ruarki cave (the cave of the 2 dogs according to Maori legend). Each circle of lights is part of the circular walkway down.
The caves are very impressive and you can look down at the people riding down river in tubes at one spot. This was what we were going to do originally but as Alan has been ill and not fully recovered we cancelled it 🙁 As it was, this took 2 hours of walking.
Afterwards we did a second cave trip which was part walking and part in a boat drifting silently in the dark cave under the glow worms twinkling like a thousand stars. Very special.
We met a fun couple from Austria. Unfortunately Alex had an accident and has to rest her leg up. This has stopped their walking holiday and they are trying to rearrange all their plans. Her husband is a chef and but how good we don’t know as he was very thin!
Colleen’s breakfast at the Abseil Inn – French toast with fruit. She loved not just the food but also the pottery used for meal times.
After two nights we moved on to Taupo. On the way we went via a Thermal attraction called Orakei Korako. A magnificent silica terrace and many other geothermal features. Absolutely fascinating – but hard work as the walkways were a series of steps both up and down … and, for safety you must never stand anywhere but on the walkway!
We then travelled down to Lake Taupo (Toe – paw) and stayed at Ika Nui on the waterfront. That night we went to a Vietnamese restaurant with traditional food and sensible prices. At first we were told there was no rice but said not a problem if we would wait 1/2 hour. Dinner was well worth the wait.
The next morning we went on our electric sailing yacht cruise. They had removed the engine and fitted an electric motor using lead acid batteries. NOT lithium – which we have always been suspicious of with high costs. They had just changed the batteries after 8 years – just to be on the safe side.
Lake Taupo – the biggest body of water in Australasia. It’s creation was one of the most spectacularly violent natural events in history. The gigantic Oruanui Eruption, 27,000 years ago shot volcanic debris into the air covering the North Island in a thick layer of volcanic ash. The created caldera is now Lake Taupo.
Sails up – main and mizzen but the electric motor in use all the time as very little wind. Taken to see old Maori carvings on a rock face – but some had recently been created by artists under Maori supervision.
On our way to Rotarua we stopped at the Huka Falls. We went to the the dam further down river and watched the water being released at noon. Watching it turn from a small stream into a thundering torrent was very impressive
Just before this photo there was NO water! The dam had released extra water which is does every 2 hours at least.
We spent the next two nights at Wai Ora Lakeside Spa Resort in Rotarua. Just outside the gate there was a sandy beach and a lovely view.
No photos are allowed in the Kiwi Hatchery to protect the chicks eyes. Only 5% of these flightless birds survive in the wild when hatched due to imported predators eg stoats from the UK, possum, rats – even hedgehogs. They wait till the kiwis are a certain weight before releasing them into the wild: over 65% survive.
There were however stuffed Kiwis you could photo! Hmmm ….
Our favourite was the last section: there was a dark enclosure where Kiwis could move about in their ‘natural habitat’. Once the tour had moved on with the noisy kids, we waited quietly until the kiwis came out into our own private viewing session. Very emotional watching these endangered birds.
Hells Gate Geothermal Park was interesting to see – very different from Orakei Korako. It was a shame however that Bernard Shaw who had visited here named a lot of the thermal activities. Why not the Maoris?
This is the highest mud erruption in the world and it is supposed to be 3m high but looks less at the moment!
And there is more!
Bubbling mud and fumaroles amongst geysers etc
Mitai Mauri show. We went to a brilliant 3 hour show to be entertained by very enthusiastic Mauris . It started off in a room laid out ready for our dinner later and a talk. When everyone had arrived, we were taken down to the ‘garden’ where their sacred spring bubbled away beautifully.
We heard rhythmic drumming and a Maori war canoe appeared with war songs being sung and co-ordinated oar showmanship. Banging the oars created brilliant rhythms.
Afterwards we went to the show with fabulous singing and dancing. Of course there was a haka as well.
The hangi (dinner cooked in thermal holes in the ground) was amazing.
What an evening 🙂
Redwoods Altitude Tree Walk.
First off is the walk up the swinging staircase to 25m. Luckily we had a great set of guides to, quite literally, show us the ropes! One in front and 2 behind – and there were only 5 of us to guide.
So if you want to finish yourself off on a trip, when getting older and with not so good knees, this is the experience for you. 20 different rope bridges, 3 zip lines and oh, don’t forget, jumping off at the end! Not a bungee but a sort of short free fall and then on a friction crane … before falling flat on your backside in the pile of bark!
Our last but one night was a lovely B & B at Waihi Beach. It was meant to have lovely views of the ocean, but we have never seen so much rain in our lives – visibility was non-existent! All we could see was the garden. We risked getting drenched to nip out for some fish and chips (we were hungry and had nothing to eat!)
The next morning we headed back to Auckland to drop the car off at the airport … this was where we discovered that it was a cyclone that was causing the rain.
The airport was closed due to flooding! We managed to drop the hire car off at a hotel, but our SuperShuttle to the Ponsonby Manor Guest house never arrived, so we took a taxi. Luckily the hotel was in a row of shops and restaurants so we had a lovely dinner at the Mekong Baby just opposite.
A lovely hotel and the owner was very helpful.