Farewell to New Zealand

Cape Palliser

Returning to the North Island, and with  few weeks until we leave New Zealand we looked to visit some of the places we had missed on our way south in the winter. We first headed to Cape Palliser on the southern tip of North Island, a beautiful spot with views across to the snow covered mountains of South Island. Here we were treated to the regular generosity of local New Zealanders.

Profusion of Spring Flowers

First the local from the adjacent camper came over and chatted and in conversation asked whether we had tried Paua - a sea mollusc which is a delicacy of the local Maori. On hearing that we hadn't he slipped into the cold water of the Cook Strait and 20 minutes later presented us with a paua he had just prised off the rocks, having found a couple for himself as well. Having been given guidance on how to cook it we enjoyed it in a soup for lunch - similar chewiness to Calamari with a buttery smoothness. As paua are known as abalone elsewhere the shells are most attractive, with the ones from Cook Strait the most colourful. A little while later some locals we passing and came over to offer us fresh grapefruit they had picked from their garden, and then added some freshly caught fish as they had too many. A generosity we have been treated with again and again.

Pinnacles valley

Nearby is the Pinnacles valley. Here water has eroded the soft rock leaving fantastic pinnacles on wither side of the valley where harder rock has protected the soft underlying rock from erosion. Standing below the pinnacles as the shadows lengthened you could hear the continuous "rain" of small stones being released from the sheer sides of the pinnacles caused by the temperature changes and the wind.

The unique white kiwi

North from Cape Palliser we stopped at the Mount Bruce Kiwi breeding station, one of the several around the country where they take eggs from wild kiwi just before they are due to hatch, then rear them through to being young adults and large enough to see off most predators before releasing them into the wild. Kiwi are unusual in so many ways; the eggs are huge occupying some 30% of the female's body. Once laid the male incubates the egg until it hatches when the chick is left completely on its own to fend for itself with no parental support at all. On site they have a kiwi enclosure where the young birds are raised, but as they are nocturnal they have also created an indoor glass area where they artificially reverse the day so visitors can see them during visiting hours. Uniquely they have a white, but not albino, kiwi.

Tongariro Crossing

With a week booked in an apartment near Lake Taupo we took relaxed in fairly unsettled weather and waited for a window of good weather so Ed could walk the Tongariro Crossing. This 19km walk crosses an area of volcanic activity (passing Mount Doom) through some extraordinary volcanic landscapes. The recent unsettled weather meant there was still a reasonable amount of snow on the tops, but the path was relatively clear. The path climbs through cold lava fields, the most recent from the 1970's, and crosses the base of a large volcanic crater before climbing a more recent ash cone with spectacular red crater. A short descent passes two beautiful green and blue crater lakes before climbing the other rim of the large crater followed by a long descent with stunning views over Lake Taupo. A beautiful walk.

Descent towards Lake Taupo

Oraki Korako geyser field

Our final visit in this area of volcanic activity was to the Oraki Korako geyser fields. The path leads through a valley where geysers and hot mineral springs are prevalent, resulting in large areas of the most colourful algae covered silica deposits. Bubbling pools, randomly erupting geysers and steam vents dot the barren base of the valley making for an otherworldly experience.

Art Deco in Napier

A British couple we met live in Napier, in the heart of the wine area of Bay of Plenty, and explained its history and how it was rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in 1931 which destroyed most of its buildings. The centre of the town are all Art Deco buildings constructed in 1932  and 1933, and led us to drive this section of the east coast giving us the opportunity to feed the stingray near Gisborne. At low tide each day stingray come into the shallow water and by donning waders it is possible to wade out with a guide to feed them.

Cooks Cove

North of Gisborne is Cooks Cove where he landed for 6 days to replenish food and water and there is a beautiful walk over the hills to this secreted and sheltered place.

Having missed Tikitiki church on our way south we continued north to the Eastern Cape calling at the church en route. This was built in 1921as a memorial to the local mainly Maori soldiers killed during WW1. Although the outside of the building is relatively standard the inside is decorated in traditional Maori style with beautiful paua inlaid carved pews, and woven Maori coverings on the walls - very beautiful.

Tikitiki Church

Waders at Miranda

Flightless and rare Takahae

During the last few days on the road we checked back into the waterbird reserve at Miranda and were rewarded with thousands of waders on the mud flats - quite a spectacle, and visited a peninsula north of Auckland where a predator proof fence across the neck of the peninsula has allowed endemic NZ birds to repopulate and we were fortunate to see wild rare flightless Takahe and the elusive saddleback - both very special.

Field of Remberance in Auckland

Before our final farewell we spent a couple of days in Auckland while the van was being prepared for shipping and visited the very moving field of rememberance at the Centoaph - 18,000 white crosses planted in the grass below the monument, with special areas for families which had lost 2, 3 and in nine cases 4 sons in the war; quite extraordinary.

Auckland Skytower

Auckland Sky Tower

A final celebration of dinner in the revolving Sky Tower completed a memorable 4 months in new Zealand.

To North Island

Lewis Pass Reflecting Lake

In improving weather we made our way back across the northern end of South Island, finding some beautiful locations to camp, and meeting some interesting people en route. After two days sheltering in a small chalet while it rained for 48 hours we headed towards the Lewis Pass, one of the more northerly passes across the main spine of mountains which runs the length of South Island. This area is a mining area with old coal and gold mines. Some early arrivals at a campsite at the end of a 15km dirt road turned out to be current day gold prospectors.


Lake Tennyson Campsite

Lake Tennyson

Despite the area being a National Park the public are allowed to pan for gold in the streams as long as they only use hand tools. Three men arrived and we chatted for a while before they set off up stream to their preferred site. One seemed to live full time at the site, and the other two come up most weekends and sometimes mid week to try their luck. By all accounts they claim to find a reasonable amount - real characters. After visiting a nearby ghost gold mining town we stayed in Reefton, the first town in New Zealand to have mains electricity.
Whilst the Lewis Pass is not as high or spectacular as Arthurs Pass it provided a beautiful view of the snow covered mountains in the reflecting lake. the town of Hanmer is famed for its hot springs, but until we arrived did not realise there were miles of accessible dirt roads leading off into the mountains behind.

Recent snowfall had coated the mountains but we drove up in beautiful sunshine and spent the following three days climbing some of the easier peaks including Mount Isabelle, and camping by the most beautiful and remote Lake Tennyson. Such a peaceful and awe inspiring location.



View from Mount Isabelle

Kaikora - where the mountians meet the sea

Raised coast at Kaikora

Kaikora on the eastern coast is a haven for wildlife as it sits on a small bay between snow covered mountains and the sea and an ocean trench runs very close to the coast here. In 2016 they suffered a large earthquake which cut off the town by road for a month due to huge landslides along the coast, and also raised the shoreline by around 5m over a 110 km length. Quite awesome.

Wandering Albatross

Dusky Dolphin

Having missed the albatross on Otago peninsula we took a boat trip out to the ocean trench and had fabulous views of some of the larger ocean going sea birds including the magnificent wandering albatross with a wing span of over 3 metres. The boat captain even spotted a pod of dusky dolpin and made a detour for us to get closer. The dolphin were leaping high out of the water in what is apparently a mating ritual, but quite spectacular.
From Kaikora we made our way north to the Marlborough Sounds where we relaxed for a few days enjoying the remote and inaccessible deeply indented coastline. This relatively small area is so indented it contains around 20% of the whole coastline of New Zealand.

Marlborough Sounds

North coast beach

With only a few weeks till we leave we sadly left South Island and crossed back to the North Island on a  beautiful calm afternoon, enjoying the long cruise from Picton through the tree covered sounds.

 

Leaving South Island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Furthest South

Christchurch Temporary Cathedral

Rebuilding is evident everywhere in Christchurch following the devastating earthquakes a few years ago. Many old building fronts are supported by scaffolding and some interesting new buildings have been constructed, not least the Temporary Cathedral. Damage to the old cathedral made it impossible to use and while deciding to do with the old building a startling new cathedral was constructed using lightweight aluminium reinforced cardboard tubes with multi layered polycarbonate covering. It is very sobering talking to people who lived there and the anxiety they experience about further earthquakes. One couple described how they had to have their house reconstructed twice.

Mount Sunday - Edoras in Lord of the Rings

South of Christchurch we headed back to the mountains stopping at the beautiful remote Mount Sunday, the location of Edoras in Lord of the Rings.

Mount Cook

Following the mountains further south we spent a fantastic clear day walking some of the tracks round Mount Cook - the highest peak in New Zealand. Flowing from the ice field round Mount Cook is the Tasman Glacier, which is retreating at around 6m per day - nearly 2kms per year, so the end of the glacier has retreated almost out of sight of the viewing location. 
A week in an apartment in Wanaka gave us  break from the van and we enjoyed the extra space and comfort.

Fogbow at campsite above Milford Sound

Leaving Wanaka we headed to Milford Sound, camping at the top of the valley before dropping down to the sound where we were treated to a perfect calm day with beautiful reflections. Inquisitive Kea started exploring our van at one of the car parks. These mountain parrots are renowned for their ability to pull off wiper blades and window seals, so after being entertained by them we made sure to move elsewhere before parking for a walk into the mountains where we were accompanied by the sound of avalanches as the temperature rose.

Milford Sound

Roaring Forties at Slope Point

After visiting Slope Point - the most southerly point of NZ South Island and experiencing the roaring 40's we took the ferry to Stewart Island. With a 4m cross swell running it was an exciting crossing.
Stewart Island to the south of South Island contains a small and quiet community focussed on fishing and tourism. Ulva Island, located in an inlet of Stewart Island is one of the few rodent and mammal free islands around, enabling local birdlife to prosper. In beautiful weather we were lucky to see both Kaka and the elusive saddleback, and on a walk round the village around midnight even a kiwi. This is the furthest south we have been so far.

Oban on Stewart Island

Back on the South Island we have made our way round the south east coast, which is relatively unvisited, but hosts a number of breeding colonies of the rare yellow eyed penguins as well as seals and sea lion, and some beautiful coastal scenery with cliffs, caves and sea arches.

Fossilised wood

Dunedin is one of the nicest cities of New Zealand  having a lot of older buildings round the harbour and being surrounded by beautiful hilly countryside and coast.

Sea Arch at Tunnel Beach

Several days on the nearby Otago peninsula allowed us to appreciate the peace and beauty of this corner of New Zealand, but sadly it is the wrong time of year to see Royal Albatross at the nearby colony.

Tunnel Beach

The last week has been spent crossing back through the mountains to the west coast where we have been fortunate to see several rare Fjordland penguins. With the weather set to deteriorate we headed to the Fox and Franz Joseph Glaciers which flow down from the west of the Mount Cook icefield. The same story as on the east of the mountains, the glaciers are retreating, though not at such a rate.
A fantastic few weeks with such a variety, mountains, beautiful coasts and interesting and rare wildlife. 
   

Waitaki Boulders

 

Fur Seal

 

Inquisitive kaka

Inquisitive Kea



Saddlebird

 





Mollymawk Albatross

 

 

Yellow eyed Penguin

Yellow eyed penguin

Sea Lion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North to South NZ

Coromandel Peninsula

Our first stop south of Auckland took us to the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula, the northern end of a range of mountains which sticks out into the sea off the east coast. A single road winds along the coast to the northern tip where we found a fantastic coastal camp site and a beautiful walk along the cliff tops. To reach the eastern side we had to return along the coastal road and take a small gravel road through the mountains.

Cathedral Cave

Cathedral Cove

Dropping down on the east side we stopped at hot beach - two hot springs emerge at the edge of the beach and flow down to the sea, and lots of people were digging their own hot tub in the sand, OK when you are under the water, but a very chill wind off the sea for exposed parts of the body. A few kms down the coast is Cathedral Cove, where a large arch has been formed by the sea and when the tide is low you can walk through the arch to the next beach - near sunset is was quite beautiful. After a glorious weekend Monday dawned drizzly so we drove to Waihi - a current gold mining town with a long history where the hundreds of kms of tunnels cut in the late 1800's and early 1900's have now been excavated as a huge open pit, with much newer tunnels dug under the town - all to extract a very small percentage of gold. The small local museum had some excellent displays of the history and the lady managing the museum provided lots of information about the current issues as the mine want to extend the pit even further. Just down the valley is another gold mining area where lots of the legacy of the mines can be seen, including a walk along the old railway, through tunnels beside the river gorge.

Rail tunnel to gold mine

House sit

Boiling mud Pools

We had another 4 days house sitting in a fabulous location about 20kms inland, but elevated so we could see the sea, and had the pleasure of looking after their dog and two ponies. It was a great relaxing time enjoying the sun, views and space. As we retuned to the van and headed to

Maori Church in Rotorua

Rotorua the weather turned wet again for a couple of days, but we enjoyed seeing the steaming lakes and bubbling mud pools, and were fascinated by talking to the warden at a Maori church about the issues facing Maori's today. A tour round another Maori village gave insights into how the locals used the thermal springs and water in their everyday life, including for cooking.
With the weather in the centre and west looking poor we headed to the dramatic east cape of New Zealand, a mere 150kms from 180 degree line of longitude and a place accessed along a long gravel road with little habitation, it felt like the edge of the world. The rocky shoreline is home to beautiful paua shells, and we enjoyed a couple of hours scouring the shoreline collecting some samples.

Tongariro and Mount Doom

Afetr a few days we headed back to central N Island and the volcanic region around Lake Taupo where the weather cleared to sparkling sunny days (and cold nights) and again lots of thermal vents, and stunning snow capped volcanoes including Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings. We managed several kms along the Tongariro crossing path before we reached the snow line, but as we only had trainers decided not to progress further, hopefully Ed will walk it on our way back north in November.

East Cape - just 80 miles from 180 degrees longitude

Male NZ Fur Seal

We completed the tour of the north island by driving down the west coast with a couple of lovely campsites on the coast where we watched the locals fishing for white bait, before arriving at Wellington. The sunny weather had continued and we walked to Devils Gate to see the seal haul out - male seals rest up there to prepare for the mating season due to start in September. Wellington is a working port and is built entirely focussed on the harbour with the ferries to South Island departing from the centre of town.
We had a fantastic crossing - one of the most scenic ferry journeys we have taken winding out through the wooded hillsides of Wellington harbour, crossing the rather choppy Cook Straight, then a long trip us the flooded valleys of Marlborough Sound to the tiny port of Picton.
Heading west on South Island we visited the Abel Tasman National park and out to farewell spit and Cape farewell on the north west.

West coast beach near Cape Farewell

South of cape farewell the mountains of Kharangi National Park prevent any direct road access so we had to first head east then loop round south. Various roads head into Kharangi National Park and we climbed a steep road to the bottom of the Mount Arthur track where we met our first Weka, a ground bird about the size of a chicken, but very inquisitive, having a go at anything left outside. A lovely walk up through beech forests brought us to a rock spur above the treeline where we had fantastic views of snow capped mountains all round.

Flightless weka

The north west coast of south island has long been mined for coal, and we visited Denniston where coal was lowered from the 600m high plateau down an inclined plane, right up until they stopped mining here in the 1960's. Lots of the old equipment is still lying round with excellent explanatory boards describing the processes.
At the northern end of the road another access the Kharangi National Park took us to the Oparara basin, a syncline of the limestone lying directly on top of granite where the water had eroded a couple of spectacular arches, well more like tunnels, but 20 to 30 metres in diameter.

Peaceful morning at Lake Kaniere

With the weather fantastically clear and settled we then made our way south along the west coast stopping at various interesting rock formations before following the main road to Arthurs Pass. Here we spent a couple of days walking some of the network of tracks and enjoying spectacular mountain views, especially from the lovely camp spot we discovered, where we were surrounded by snow capped peaks.
Dragging ourselves away we have eventually reached Christchurch.
    

Camping near Arthurs Pass