New Zealand and nature work really well together. These exquisite flowers have been tended to and loved, and very appreciated by me! My last couple days in New Zealand were spent in the Taranaki area. We had arrived at our destination at dusk, so the exploring had to wait until morning.
Eager to see what awaited me, I ventured outside early and was not disappointed. The air was still misty, and spider webs were dotted with dew. The delicate flowers and views of the fields and mountain were breathtaking.
Breakfast.
I didn’t know I had been missing this!
Warm porridge with milk, brown sugar, applesauce and Cocoa Krispies!
Mount Taranaki in the background
We hiked up the hillside and just stopped to breathe! You could see for miles even from this smaller hill. The air was clear and fresh and I wish I could climb this hill every day.
I love the slant of this fence. The fence doesn’t need to look pretty, it just needs to keep the cows contained when they wander up the hill. And the sky.
That sky so wide and free!
We spent the morning learning how to ride motor bikes. Learning how to ride had been on my bucket list for a while. What a rush! We stayed in the flat field at the bottom of the hill so we didn’t get too crazy! It was definitely one of the most memorable parts of the trip.
Yup! This is how I felt as we made our way on the ATV to the field where we would try out the motor bikes. I couldn’t wait to get there!
Lake Taupo and Forgotten World Highway, NZ – April 2019
It’s always fun kayaking and having a little cove suddenly appear on the coast in front of you. Even if a little bird told you it was there!
It’s not hard to understand why so many people want to buy a house on a lake. Waking up to the sound of the water gently washing up onto land is wonderful.
We didn’t kayak for long and didn’t go too far, but it was nice to get a taste of it on the clear waters of Lake Taupo.
Flooded road…had to turn back
please excuse the streaky windshield picture!!
After leaving Lake Taupo, we headed toward Taumarunui and the Forgotten World Highway. This highway is unpaved for a portion of it and that’s probably one reason why we passed only a couple other cars here and there. The highway runs through rain forest and curves along cliffs. There was one curve along a cliff side where it looked like the road was crumbling away, but we made it! And we finally had arrived in the land of sheep, cows and wild goats!
We debated stopping along the way to see Mt. Damper Falls, but we didn’t have enough time to walk there and back from the trail head. Even though we didn’t see the falls, I still appreciated going to what is a tourist attraction and finding an unassuming entrance. Maybe it’s not as spectacular as other places, but for some, could be a beautiful escape.
Along the way, we stopped to stretch our legs at Whangamomona, which declared itself a republic in 1989. We didn’t have time to explore the area, and didn’t get our passport stamped, but I did grab a couple pictures along what seems to be the main street. This town has quite an interesting history. I definitely want to return here and explore the area next time! Six days is not enough time to do New Zealand.
I guess I have to work on my self-control. I got halfway through eating my fish and chips before I remembered that I should snap a photo. I still think it looks good, though. A simple, delicious, half-eaten plate of fish and chips. Or as some say, fush and chups. Why? Something to do with the pronunciation compared to an Australian. That sign in the picture was not the advertisement for the restaurant where we ate the fish and chips, but I would definitely have liked to go there to try the nachos!
Lake Taupo is the largest lake in New Zealand. What did I love about Lake Taupo? It’s like we had the lake to ourselves! Again, hardly any people were around, just a few families taking their boats out, and then sun-glittering peace.
Photo by Steven W
Seriously, there was nobody. It was so nice to take a minute and breathe and listen to the God speak and just be in that moment.
That was in Motuoapa, on the south side of Lake Taupo. About an hour later, we headed back up to Taupo, on the north east side of the lake, where we ate the fish and chips that I mentioned, followed by coffee. The Coffee Club in Taupo had good vibes and one of the coolest ideas for table order numbers. I think this particular challenge: “The most M&Ms eaten in a minute while blindfolded using chopsticks” should be on everyone’s list for top icebreakers at work. Who wouldn’t want to see their boss struggle with chopsticks while trying to eat round candy coated chocolates all while not being able to see?? I wonder what other feats were on other table order number cards? Like maybe ‘the most mini marshmallows perfectly roasted while blindfolded’ or ‘the most hula hoops hulaed at one time… while blindfolded’. (I should have gone back and ordered more food to find out.)
After lunch and coffee, we explored a bit of the area around Taupo. First up, Huka Falls. There was some power in these waters! Huka Falls is part of the Waikato River System which supplies water to hydroelectric, geothermal and thermal stations. It is one of the country’s major electricity producing rivers. Under all the white water rapids, the color of the water is an amazing green-blue.
Next up, Wairakei Natural Thermal Valley. We hadn’t planned to stop here, we just saw some signs along the road and decided to check it out. I’m glad we did. We took the self-guided walk around the valley. It was like a secret garden of steam. Here, the earth is steaming and the rocks are singing! Some of the natural formations had been named something fun, like ‘porridge pool’ or ‘dragon’s mouth’.
There were different little paths to follow, the smell of sulphur strong in some places and not in others. And near the end of the walk, the path wound through a cooler area, with more trees and a little stream. As we got about halfway through this lush little forest, all of a sudden the air started to smell sweet. Apparently there were some grape vines along the path. After the heat of the thermal valley, the sweet aroma of the crushed grapes and the shade of the grape leaves created a refreshing sanctuary and memorable end to our walk.
For the record, that board was already broken before I accidentally stepped through it!
We rocked dinner that night! One of my favorite ways to spend an evening is cooking with friends. I will try to explain why I like it so much one of these days. There is some tasty chicken under those carrots and onions. I’m glad that I chose to get the Zeffer Cider Co. cider at the grocery store, even though I had never heard of them. It came in a four-pack of assorted flavors and I liked the design of the label. This Apple Crumble flavor was on point!
I know, it’s not a picture of a ferry boat, it’s a container ship. But I swear to you, I took the picture from the ferry on which I was being ferried. You can almost see sort of a reflection of the window in the upper left corner… Also, you can’t take a ferry to the top of a volcano, at least not this one in Auckland, so this is about our journey starting with a ferry and ending at a volcano.
Actually, let me start before we board the ferry. If you ever visit Auckland area and get an Airbnb, check out Half Moon Bay. That’s the neighborhood where we stayed and the ferry terminal was 5 minutes away from our accommodations. The ferry boat was such a convenient way to travel to downtown Auckland for the day. Since we had no idea what we were doing, I’m glad it was so easy to use. We got on the ferry, sat back and relaxed for a bit, got off, told the cashier where we started our trip, paid, and done. I didn’t have to calculate a route, or pre-order tickets, or wait in line at the ticket machine behind two girls who looked like they couldn’t figure out which buttons to press. None of that! Plus, I got to see this container ship up close, or as close as I’ve ever been. So the beginning of our city hike in Auckland started with a ferry ride.
After trying to get coffee, we walked down Queen Street, picked up a few souvenirs, ate a quick lunch, then passed Symonds Street Cemetery on our way over to the War Memorial Museum. Symonds Street Cemetery is what I might picture when I think of any creepy movie depiction of a cemetery. I don’t know about during the nighttime, but during the day, it looks like a peaceful sanctuary with some neat looking headstones.
Throughout our trip, we also found many of these memorials with the crosses and poppies, leading up to Anzac Day at the end of the month. This one was in front of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, which was the next place on our to see list. We came up to the War Memorial Museum from the side, so we had to cross this huge field and a mini forest or park area. Luckily, they had some very nice portable toilets on the side of the road going toward the parking lot. I don’t remember why I thought they were so nice exactly, but I remember that I was pleasantly surprised. I think it was because of the automatic doors or something… Anyway, we made it and our next decision was whether to pay the fee and go inside.
Remember this is holy ground
Tread not upon it except in reverence
This would have been a great opportunity to learn more about New Zealand history, but we decided not to go inside because of time. Fortunately, they had some impressive water fountain features in front of the building and we could take a 15 minute break before the next part of the hike. I liked the inscription carved on the front of the massive pillared building:
“The whole earth is the sepulchre of famous men
They are commemorated not only by columns and inscriptions in their own country
But in foreign lands also by memorials graven not on stone
But on the hearts of men”
Pericles
Our last excursion for our city hike was a rather quick jaunt up to the top of Mt. Eden. It is the highest point in Auckland and a popular place to take in the panoramic views. From the crater of Mt. Eden back down to our ferry terminal, it took less time than I expected, most likely due to it being downhill. We could have hopped on a city bus, but I probably wouldn’t have had exact change anyway. We stopped at a juice bar on the way, which was the perfect refreshing treat after all of that walking.
Let me geek out one more time over this container ship!
After arriving in New Zealand, we really didn’t have a plan and we probably should have had one. In our planning stages, we never could set anything in stone. Julia (my NZ travel partner!) and I were both a bit indecisive about what to do and when. But for me, and I think for Julia as well, it didn’t matter. We were glad to be there, to be standing on this big island in the South Pacific. If you have ever looked forward to traveling someplace and it had been years before you got there, you will understand that feeling.
On our first day in Auckland area, after getting coffee, we went to the suburb of Devonport, a beautiful little town across the bay from downtown Auckland. Walking along Cheltenham Beach made me wonder where all of the people were?! It was a gorgeous afternoon, during school holidays, the temperature was about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and the water was clear and lacking any fishy smell. How was this beach so empty?!?! Maybe since it was a Tuesday, most people were still at work. If this was back home, I am positive people would cut of work early to enjoy a day like that.
Walking up the hill from the beach, we made our way up to North Head Historical Reserve. Here, we explored a whole series of military tunnels, rooms and disappearing gun emplacements built starting in 1888 for protection from a feared Russian invasion. It was cool and dark inside these tunnels, nice to explore on a hot day but if you visit, walk slowly. Or pull out your cellphone flashlight!
I remember my Grandma would say davenport when referring to the sofa. Davenport sounds a lot like Devonport…this is what I was reminiscing about as we strolled through the town of Devonport. For anyone who isn’t familiar with a davenport, it’s what my Grandma used to call a sofa.
The Devonport library is a wonderful place. No davenports, but plenty of places to rest your derriere and delve into a good book. I don’t know what to call that chair with the purple-ish cushions, but I love the design.
Dinner at the beach? Why not! We picked up some food at the grocery store including Kiwi BBQ flavored potato chips and feijoa and pear soda. (My adventures with feijoa to be continued.)
We were really blessed with beautiful weather during our week long trip. It was sunny and perfect for being outdoors every day. I was also blessed with travel partners who were amazing and made it a fun trip. As I look back now, I think about the places I have yet to visit, the photos I should have captured, and the conversations I wanted to continue.
