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 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.
We arrived in New Zealand a little after midnight. The next morning, our first stop was Sugar at Chelsea Bay which is a cafe at the sugar factory. I just wanted a strong cup of coffee. We had had a few long layovers getting from Chicago to Auckland. I think starting any adventure with coffee is a great idea. I ordered a long black, which turned out to be something like an Americano. It tasted wonderful, but I’m not sure why I was offered a side of water with it….ordering coffee in New Zealand is confusing! I couldn’t resist trying a bit of their bakery. We all decided to order something sweet with our coffees. The french toast was definitely the winning art piece at our table. Then there is the rhubarb cake and the passion fruit tart.
I decided to get the passion fruit tart because of the actual passion fruit that was plopped on top. I have tried drinks or sweets with passion fruit flavor before, but it had always been a mix of passion fruit and something else. I had never eaten an actual passion fruit before. My friend taught me to eat it by scooping out the seedy goo in the center. Native to South America, the passion fruit is the common name for the fruit of the passion flower (Passiflora edulis). And what an interesting name. I highly recommend researching the etymology of passion fruit. I also highly recommend buying a fresh passion fruit to really taste the wonderful flavor it gives.
