It Gets Warmer As You Go North

Spring has definitely sprung in the north. The farther we got the more flowers were in bloom and the weather was warmer. We were able to get outside to do a huge variety of activities.

Breathe in the sulphur-rich air of Rotorua and you’ve already got a taste of NZ’s most dynamic thermal area with spurting geysers, steaming hot springs, and exploding mud pools. The Maori revered this unique topography, naming one of the most spectacular areas Waiotapu (wai=water and tapu=sacred). We explored several of the attractions in this area.

Lady Knox Geyser spouts off daily (with a little help from an organic soap) at 10:15 am. We were there later in the afternoon so she was just puffing a bit.

The mud pools were quite fragrant. It was a lot of fun to predict where the next big bubble would burst. The challenge came in factoring in the digital camera delay to get a good shot.

With the help of excellent directions in the Lonely Planet guide book, we were able to find Kerosene Creek, one of the few places left where the public can bathe in natural thermal pools for free. We were the only people at the pool so our au natural dip was quite relaxing. The combination of the warm water and the pounding falls on a sandy bottom made for a pleasant, albeit smelly, spa experience.

Just a little bit north and downstream from Taupo Bungy, NZ’s longest river, the Waikato is slammed into a narrow chasm and then makes a spectacular 10 metre drop into a surging pool. It was easy to see why the Maori named the torrent Hukanui (Great Body of Spray).

Back down at the edge of Lake Taupo, we stopped to take in the very cloudy view of the peaks of Tongariro National Park across the lake. There were some young kids throwing rocks into the water and then being very surprised as the rocks floated back to shore. Remember the density of pumice and that this is a volcanic area.

Driving south along the edge of Lake Taupo and then Tongariro National Park on the Desert Road reminded me of the Saddle Road on the Big Island (Hawaii). We were rewarded with a gorgeous view of Mt Ruapehu as the clouds suddenly parted and then swiftly disappeared. Sadly, we did not have time to ski the active volcano (the ski area is on the north side of the mountain and not visible in the photo). From June to September 1996 it spurted volcanic rock and cloaked the area in clouds of ash and steam writing off the 1996 ski season.

As a reminder of were we are on the Pacific Ring of Fire, there was a strong earthquake in Napier the night before we arrived there. Napier was levelled in 1931 by a 7.9 quake. The city quickly rebuilt itself in the Art Deco style.

There are over 300 mapped caves in the Waitomo District. The name Waitomo is fitting (wai=water and tomo=hole) as the countryside is dotted with shafts dropping into the underground cave systems and streams. The limestone caves with their accompanying formations make up the area’s premier tourist attraction. We signed on with the Legendary Black Water Rafting Co for their Black Labyrinth Tour. After donning wet suits and helmets with lamps, we climbed, walked, crawled, squeezed, swam, tubed, and jumped off waterfalls on our 2 hour underground trip through the cave stream. The hot shower and hot lunch provided at the end were much appreciated. The most amazing part of the trip was the Glow Worms. At numerous points in the cave, we turned off our headlamps and were surrounded by a Milky Way of little lights, once our eyes grew accustomed to the dark. Glow worms are the larvae of the fungus gnat, which looks like a large mosquito without mouth parts. The larva glow worms have luminescent organs that produce a soft greenish light. Living in a hammock suspended from an overhang, they weave sticky threads that trail down and catch unwary insects attracted by their lights. When an insect flies towards the light, it gets stuck in the threads and becomes paralyzed – the glow worm reels in the thread and eats the insect. The larval stage lasts for 6 to 9 months, depending on how much food the glow worm gets. When the glow worm has grown to about the size of a match stick, it goes into a pupa stage, much like a cocoon. The adult fungus gnat emerges about 2 weeks later. The adult insect does not live very long because it does not have a mouth. It emerges, mates, lays eggs, and dies, all within about 2 to 3 days. The sticky eggs, laid in groups of 40 to 50 hatch in about three weeks to become larval glow worms. The glow worms that shine the brightest are the hungriest.

Unfortunately the only photo we got was of a butterfly in the garden above the cave. Underground areas are not conducive to photography and glow worms definitely do not like cameras.

The night before our cave foray we stayed on a nearby farm above the small town of Te Kuiti. How small was it? –well there were barefoot kids in the grocery store. The combination of small town and clearing skies resulted in a gorgeous sunset and then fabulous star gazing.

After the sun set we watched Venus set, got a great view of the Milky Way, and spotted the Southern Cross. Really, it is up there.

Doug also had to take the requisite Matson shot of a moth the next morning.

The farthest north we got on the west coast was Hokianga Harbour. North Island has numerous bays, inlets, and harbours which almost bisect the island. Hokianga is unspoiled and beautiful.

The dunes on the north side were spectacular.

The Tasman Sea here is pretty rough. This view is north along the coast.

This area is incredibly rural with little development. Here is a typical roadside pastoral scene with sheep and calla lilies. Spring was definitely in full bloom here. The NZ sheep population has dropped in the last few decades from about 60 to 40 million but there are still a lot of sheep here.

From Hokianga, we wound our way south along the Kauri Coast to marvel at the magnificent kauri forests. The Kauri Coast is named for the kauri timber and gum industry that flourished here in the 19th century, generating much of NZ’s wealth at the time. Waipoua Kauri Forest was proclaimed a sanctuary in 1952 and is the largest remnant of the once-extensive kauri forest that blanketed northern NZ. It was slow going for 18 km on the winding mountain road through the lush forest of ferns and native trees but worth every minute of it for views of the magnificent giants. We walked in to see Te Matua Nghere (The Father of the Forest). With a trunk of over 5 metres in diameter it is believed to be the widest kauri in NZ and could be the oldest in NZ at about 2000 years old.

We also stopped to visit Tane Mahuta (named for the Maori god of the forests), the largest kauri tree in NZ and estimated to be between 1200 and 2000 years old. At 51 metres, it is taller that Te Matua Nghere but not as wide. That little orange dot is me.

Whether it is on land, in the air, or in the water, the sights of NZ continue to astound me. Around every bend in the road there is something even more spectacular to encounter. I am running out of superlatives.

Bay of Islands

Diving NZ was on our must do list. The Bay of Islands lived up to its famed reputation for its stunning coastal scenery. The bay is punctuated by dozens of coves with 150 or so islands. In 1985 the Greenpeace Flagship Rainbow Warrior was bombed in Auckland Harbour by French saboteurs while enroute to Tahiti to protest French nuclear testing. The skeletal remains of the ship were taken just north of the Bay to the Cavalli Islands and re-sunk as an artificial reef that can be explored by divers. We tried to call Paihia Dive to arrange to dive the wreck but got no answer as it was already late afternoon. We decided just to show up in Paihia early the next morning. The sign on the shop door said it was open 10-2:00. We went and got breakfast and then found somebody at the shop at 9:30 who said there were no trips scheduled as their boat was out of the water (it being the slow winter season) so diving Rainbow Warrior was not possible. He suggested we try the Island Shuttle and Dive shop on the pier. It too was closed but Ruth in the ferry office next door said she could call the owner, Dusty for us. Doug got on the phone with him and next thing you knew we had a trip scheduled for 10:30. We left our suitcases in the ferry office and Doug parked the car down the beach at the free spots. I went to the ATM to get cash and to the bathroom in the park to put my contacts in. Dusty showed up with a boat captain and opened the dive stall. We changed into wet suits (5mil complete with hoods) behind the counter while Dusty looked the other way and the captain loaded the equipment on the Christmas Goose, and off we went. We motored along the south edge of the bay with fabulous views to Deep Water Cove and the wreck of the Canterbury. The HMNZS Canterbury was scuttled in Nov 2007 so is NZ newest artificial reef. We found out later that Dusty spent 20 years in the NZ Navy as a Diving Instructor and Diving Medical Technician and served on the Canterbury. The wreck was very friendly with several very comfortable swim throughs. Kelp, sponges, and corals are starting to grow on the ship. Visibility was pretty good but the water was very cold. The dive computer malfunctioned so we had to shorten the dive but we did not care. Thank goodness Doug knows how to use the manual tables. It was really lovely to have Dusty’s personal tour with just Doug and me. We anchored in the next small cove out of the wind for our surface interval and lunch. The meal they provided was fabulous with hot soup, hot tea, sandwich, chips, and candy. I couldn’t eat it all. Dive two was along the shore of a small island at the mouth of Deep Water Cove. Dusty wanted to check out the winter storm damage in the area. An underwater gravel slide had knocked out part of the area and a kelp field had been flattened. We went up into a sea cave and finished the dive by feeding urchins to the fish. The fish were very greedy nipping at my fingers. I was glad I had my gloves on. Rain squalls had moved in while we were underwater so the ride back was a bit rougher. Dusty got a call on the way back so we detoured to pick up two guys who had been planting kauri trees and doing landscaping work on one of the islands. It was a little incongruous to have a lawn mower on board the boat. Dusty said the boat had looked even funnier the day before with the 140 kauri trees onboard.

On the boat ride we saw a blue penguin and a fur seal in the water as well as identified a new tern for our bird list.

We stayed in Paihia at sea level to decrease the possibility of decompression sickness as driving across passes at altitude can be dangerous after diving.

3, 2, 1, Bungeee

As navigator I began to get a little suspicious when Doug did not ask for directions once we got to Taupo. He was here in Feb 2007 with Sarah Freeman visiting the Te Toki house (note the Cultural Blog). I checked the map and soon realized that our first stop this time would be Taupo Bungy, a cantilevered platform 47 metres over the Waikato River. While here with Sarah he did not jump (but she did) because he wanted to wait and do it with me. I was not yet convinced that this was something I had to do to make my life complete. It was a beautiful day and the setting over a bend in the river was stunning.

After much soul searching and self-convincing (I paced around the top of the area for about 15 minutes – luckily it was not very crowded). I decided literally to take the plunge despite my not being particularly comfortable with heights. Doug very judiciously kept his distance to let me make up my own mind. Once committed, I told Doug I would go first. We plunked down our money (well, ran the plastic through the machine), emptied our pockets, stood on the scale, had our weight (in kg) written on our hand, and then I walked out onto the platform with the two operators.

They checked my weight again and asked how far down I wanted to go. They have touch water option that I was not interested in. As I sat there,

they explained all the safety procedures and how to jump, well actually fall, off the platform. Once my ankles were strapped in, I stood, shuffled to the edge, smiled for the camera, and the operator said “3, 2, 1, Bungeee.” I did not move. I told her to try the countdown again. The second “3, 2, 1, Bungeee” worked.

I did a perfect swan dive off the platform

and kept my eyes open watching the water rush up at me. It was a fantastic feeling to trust the huge rubber band around my ankles – really quite a rush. After bouncing several times I was lowered into the boat and motored over to the base of the trail.

I was so full of adrenalin that I charged back up the trail. Doug was relieved to see my wide grin at the top of the trail. He would live for now. And next it was his turn. No backing out now!

He had no qualms so he took off on the first “3,2,1 Bungeee.”

He had chosen the touch water option and frustratingly got to within centimetres of the surface. My vantage point from the top was not as good as his so I didn’t see him bounce. But I did get to see his video at the shop. If you ever bungy jump, be sure to tuck your shirt in.

If you ever want to observe someone facing their fears, ask to see my video. I can now say “been there, done that, and even have the t-shirt to prove it.” Why live on the edge if you can jump off?

North Island Trek

We wanted to have the flexibility to explore North Island at our own frantic pace so we booked space on the Interislander ferry for us and our car. To give you an idea of our pace we stayed in Plimmerton (on the west coast just north of Wellington), Napier, Rotorua, Te Kuiti, Whangarei, Paihia, Taupo, and then Plimmerton again. Kaitiki was the name of our ferry.
The ferry route takes you from Picton, among the islands of the Marlborough Sounds on the north end of South Island, then across the Cook Strait, and into Wellington Harbour on the south end of North Island.

It was fun driving up into the ferry.

We then went upstairs and staked out seats at the bow of the boat in one of the lounges.

The crossing takes about 3 hours and is pretty boring. There are observation decks, restaurants, bars, lounges, a cinema, and children’s play area. On the way up it was misty and foggy so we had just a slight view of islands rising out of the mist. The seas were moderate but the ferry is so big that we couldn’t really feel any of the swells. I read, bird watched, did Sudoku, and people watched.



Entering Wellington Harbour

A few hopeful breaks in the clouds over Wellington upon arrival.







The views were better on the way back with clearer weather.


NZ highways are generally two lane with pretty frequent passing lanes (depending on the terrain). The most fun sections are the one lane bridges. There are a lot of them. Here is a short one. The black arrow tells us that we have to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic.

So we are waiting

for the white pickup truck to cross.

There is a small pull out in the middle if you get stuck with oncoming traffic.

As you can see from the itinerary above we did not stop in Auckland. Doug has been there and says that it is just another big (make that very big by NZ standards) city of 1.2 million residents.

Here is my view of Auckland

We did spend a little time in Wellington - one morning at Te Papa, the national museum and one afternoon exploring Mt Victoria Park.

Wellington Harbour

Miramar Peninsula

Downtown Wellington

I wish we had had more time to explore Wellington.

Tramping The Queen Charlotte Track

The University of Canterbury has a two week mid-semester break. We took advantage of the extra time off to explore north. According to the weather report it looked like we had a couple of nice days before wet weather was due to set in again so we started Thursday afternoon after Doug lectured and drove 4 hours to Picton in the heart of the Marlborough Sounds on the north end of South Island. Once we had left the Canterbury plain the terrain became rolling hills with lots of vineyards and wineries (but we were on a tight time schedule so could not partake). We caught sight of North Island 21 km across Cook Strait just before sunset. We stayed at the Sequoia Lodge Backpackers in Picton. Picton was very quiet at this time of year.

Friday morning we left the car, suitcase, and daypacks at the backpackers and walked down to the wharf with our packs to arrange water taxi transportation out to the trailhead of the Queen Charlotte Track. The only way to get to the start of the track at Ship Cove is by a one hour boat ride. As we checked in we found out that they could ferry our backpacks from campsite to campsite so Doug sprinted back to the backpackers to get a daypack and we quickly repacked for day use. The change in schedule meant that we had to decide then and there where we would be staying each night. The campgrounds are spaced such that we opted to divide the 71 km track into 26.5 km on day 1, 24.5 km on day 2 and 20 km on day 3. There were 8 of us on the Endeavour Express taxi boat leaving Picton at 9:30.
A kiwi couple was tramping the track from lodge to lodge. Two girls were hiking just one day to the first lodge and leaving the track by boat taxi. A couple of young Israeli guys just out of the army were hiking the full track staying at the same campgrounds we were. After a wonderful boat ride out through Queen Charlotte Sound, we arrived in Ship Cove at 10:30. Captain Cook anchored here 5 times between 1770 and 1777 (once in the Endeavour and 4 times in the Resolution). Here is the memorial.
Here we are fresh off the boat and ready to go.With a 10:30 start time and 26.5 km to tramp before dark at 6:00 we knew we had to get going so we didn’t linger too long in Ship Cove. Once the taxi left we know we had to make it to Camp Bay to get our backpacks. It was a lonely feeling to see the taxi motor off. We were committed and in for a long day.
There were a few spits of rain but the weather was basically pretty nice. I was overdressed and ended up shedding my fleece coat.
After a steep climb through thick forest we were rewarded with spectacular views out over the outer Queen Charlotte Sound and then Resolution Bay. The tree ferns were amazing. How’s this for a fiddlehead?
We had bit of sit down at the saddle between bays and were instantly approached by a begging weka, a very inquisitive, flightless bird.
The next view is of Endeavour Inlet and our camp site for the night is directly across the water but a long tramp around the inlet. We ate lunch at the water’s edge along the inlet.

Along the inlet we crossed a stream on a swinging suspension bridge.
The sense of isolation continued throughout the day despite passing cabins and lodges as we did not see any other people all day and arrived at Camp Bay at 5:00 with very sore feet. We retrieved our packs from where the boat taxi had dropped them on the pier.
While setting up camp the weka continued to be very inquisitive to the point of obnoxiousness by pecking at the tent and backpacks. The setting was wonderful with lush native bush and a steam within earshot.

The Israeli guys made it to camp after dark. They were impressed that we had out-hiked them. It rained lightly during the night but we were prepared. We had left the rain covers on the backpacks and laid them on the picnic table for the night.

Day 2 (Sat) on the trail dawned cloudy but not raining. We were up and out of camp by 8:30. With an earlier start on the track and less distance to cover for the day we slowed the pace down just a bit. After a short climb we were back up on the ridge and could look down to either side to The Queen Charlotte Sound or Kenepuru Sound.

We could also see back to Picton where it had all begun.

Interesting rock layers were visible along the trail side.

We ate lunch at a Department of Conservation campground cook shelter overlooking Bay of Many Coves. Once again the weka was very bold even coming into the shelter to snatch up crumbs. They were also very territorial. One attacked another and we witnessed a cock fight. The rest of the day the trail changed character constantly from open track to deep beech forest to lush ferns to manuka to gorse or to towering pines. At times I felt like I walking through a NE autumn kicking fallen leaves.

After a long 24.5 km on sore feet we arrived at Torea Saddle about 4:00 and walked down the road to the Portage Resort Hotel on the Kenepuru Sound. We had to wait for our packs to be delivered (they had arrived by boat taxi on the Queen Charlotte Sound side of the saddle). This saddle was used by the Maori to haul their wakas (canoes) from one sound to the other thus saving themselves a long sea journey. We camped at Cowshed Bay just down the road from the hotel. This time the Israelis arrived before dark so we had dinner with them. We had couscous with smoked chicken and they opened cans of corn and tuna and ate them with the folded can lids. Steady light rain overnight intensified in the morning so we opted to go back to Picton on the water taxi with our packs. We packed up and walked down the road to the hotel and bought a delicious hot breakfast with a gorgeous waterside view of Kenepuru Sound. We were the only people at the hotel until the Israelis arrived and also decided to opt out of the last day of tramping. The staff was wonderful about letting us hang out in the hotel lobby. One of the domestic staff was Maori with a traditional moku tattooed on her chin. We thought we would have to wait until 4:00 but the word came at 11:00 that the taxi was coming. We headed over Torea Saddle in a hotel bus to the Queen Charlotte side and then back to Picton on the boat. The Queen Charlotte Track is made up of two older tracks. We tramped the entire Kenepuru Track and missed out on the Anakiwa Track. We wouldn’t have seen much in the rain and did not want to go slip sliding away.
We went back to Sequoia Lodge to dry out. Luckily there was a large covered porch in front of our room so we were able to dry things out even though it was pouring.
We bumped up our Interislander ferry Picton to Wellington reservation from Wed to Mon to give ourselves a bit more time on North Island. We spent the evening catching up on Olympic coverage.