A Photo Look at New Zealand's North Island

Okay, I took close to 500 photos in New Zealand and while they all aren't here there are more than other posts.  You have been warned.  

I arrived in Auckland in the evening of Sunday April 5 so my first real sight of the city was the following morning from the coach on the way to Paihia.

After a couple of hours on the bus we arrived at Paihia which is on the east side of the North Island above Auckland.  Paihia is in the Bay of Islands.

View from the beach in Paihia.

As soon as I arrived I checked into my hostel and then boarded a boat for a cruise around the islands.  Almost right away we spotted dolphins swimming in the water.

The main feature of the boat ride was to head out to the "Hole in the Rock" island.  The water was far too rough for us to drive through the hole but it was nice to look at all the same.

Once we left the "Hole in the Rock"  also known as Motukokako Island we stopped at Urupukapuka Island where I walked around.  The island was very hilly but it lead to some great shots.  You'll notice the sheep.  In case you didn't know there are sheep EVERYWHERE in New Zealand.

The following day I took a tour to Cape Reinga via the 90 mile beach.  Our first stop was in a Puketi Forest.  You'll notice how wide the trees grow although they don't grow super tall.

Once we left the forest we headed down onto 90 Mile Beach.  90 Mile Beach is an actual road even though it's all just sand like a regular beach.

90 Mile Beach

We stopped near the end of the beach and drove up stream towards some sand dunes for sandboarding.  

Can you see the people at the top?  We had to climb up but then we got to sand board down!  It was a ton of fun even though my toes had seen better days.

After sand boarding we headed back onto the bus and stopped at Taputaputa Bay for a swim stop for those that wanted it.

We then headed to Cape Reinga and its lighthouse.  The Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet at Cape Reinga and the area was breath taking.

View taken at Cape Reinga

Cape Reinga light house.

The Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea meeting - notice there are waves in two directions?

From Cape Reinga we headed back to Paihia with a stop for super fresh fish and chips in Mangonui, a fishing villiage.

The next day I explored Russell which is just a short boat ride away from Paihia.

The view from Russell.

Later that afternoon I headed back to Auckland.  I again arrived in the night and so other than walking around town there wasn't a ton to do.  The following morning I walked my way to the Auckland Museum where I took in a Maori show and saw a lot of Maori art.

Maori men from the cultural show I watched.

The Auckland Museum from the outside.

Once I left the Museum I made my way back into the city and boarded a boat to Devonport a small suburb of Auckland.  The rain wasn't on its best behaviour (it kept pouring on me) but I was able to walk around, and climb one of two mounts in Devonport.

View of Auckland from the "Mount" I climbed in Devonport.

The next morning I boarded my not much bigger than a pencil jet and flew to Tauranga. 

The pencil sized plane I flew in from Auckland to Tauranga. 

Yes, every seat is a window and an isle seat.

Tauranga is located on the Bay of Plenty which is on the east side of the North Island, below Auckland.  It is called the Bay of Plenty because 1. it's a bay and 2. they can grow PLENTY of fruit there.  The photo below is taken from the airplane.  You'll notice dark lines.  They are lines of super tall trees which are there to protect the growing kiwi fruit from the wind.

 

Donna and Guy were waiting for me at the airport and they brought me back to their place.

We then picked up some of her friends in Papamoa (sp?) and headed to Kiwi 360 to learn about Kiwi farming.

Kiwi Fruit!

Donna and I in with the kiwi fruit

That evening we went to Mount Maunganui for a climb up the mountain at sunset.

Moon rise in Mount Maunganui

View taken from Mount Maunganui

Sunset from Mount Maunganui

Don't feel too badly for Donna and Guy. 

 This is the view from their kitchen and living room window.

TThe next morning we headed to Kinloch, a small community just outside of Taupo.  On our way we stopped at Orakei Korako one of many geothermal parks in region.  It was really amazing to see all that the ground around me was doing.  Remember there are many volcanoes in New Zealand and it's in a very high earthquake zone.

A geyser at Orakei Kurako geothermal park.

Boiling mud!

Hidden Valley, where Orakei Korako is located.

After an hour or so at Orakei Korako we finally made it to Kinloch.

My welcome to Kinloch by Guy's mom and dad.

Once settled Guy drove Donna and I into Taupo with stops at Huka Falls, and a view point. Donna said it was impressive that I could see all three mountains (Ruappehu, Tongariro, and Ngauruhoe) in the background.  She also mentioned that Ngauruhoe (the cone shaped one) is Mordor from the Lord of the Rings. Thanks Donna ;-)  After the view point we walked around Taupo and spent time in the Taupo Hot Springs.

Huka Falls

View point in Taupo with Taupo Lake in the background.

Taupo Hot Springs

(We actually had our own private pool and didn't use this bigger pool.)

The next morning, Donna, Guy, Doug (Guy's dad), and I did a 14 km hike up and over a ridge on the lake.  

View from the hike.

Guys parents then took me out on their boat so that I could see some Maori carvings, and try my luck fishing.  

  

The Kinloch boat marina.

The following morning we headed back to Tauranga via a few stops. The main stop was in Waitomo where I was able to go into the glow worm caves.  Unfortunately I could only take photos as we were exciting the caves at the end of the tour. 

Me and Donna with the large sheep shearer in Te Kuiti. 

Waitomo Caves

The Shearing Shed in Waitomo - they shear these rabbits for wool.

I don't remember this town but they had  animals like this sheep

 and the pukeko (sp?) bird  below.

As we made our way back to Turanga we where super lucky to pass a look out point just as the sun was setting.

The next morning Donna and I as well as her friends from Papamoa headed to Rotarua to catch a sheep show and to learn about Kiwi birds.  Rotarua also has a ton of geothermal parks but since we had already visited Orakei Korako we had to give them a pass in Rotarua.  However in Rotarua you can't help but notice them as the town smells like sulpher. 

The sheep in the sheep show.

Me and the baby sheep!  

While I did see real kiwi birds they are nocturnal animals and we weren't allowed to take photos of them so you get this instead.

"Downtown" Turanga

On Friday morning I boarded a bus and headed to Napier.  The bus ride took over five hours with stops in Taupo and Rotarua.  It was a nice way to see more of the country side.  The bus driver even stopped at a Waipunga Falls, before finally arriving in Napier, on the Bay of Hawkes.

Waipunga Falls

Napier is the art deco capital of New Zealand (and maybe the world??).  Although I didn't have much time there I was impressed by all the different building I saw.  I was too late to do a walking tour but I was able to sit in on an informational video about its history.  The Bay of Hawkes is one place I wish I had more time though as it's also in prime wine country.  Can you imagine me in a wine region and NOT visiting a winery?

The next morning (I told you I didn't have enough time in Napier) I was on a plane to Wellington.  Wellington is near the bottom of the North Island.  It's a very hilly place - a bit like San Francisco. While in Wellington I walked around and shopped (and SPENT finally buying a wool garment that I had been looking for since I arrived in NZ), visited the parliament building and  the museum, and I took the cable car up one of the hills.

Some of Wellington from the water.

The "Bee Hive" building of parliament.

Te Papa Museum in the background.

Over all I'm really glad I went to New Zealand.  It's a great country with some amazing people.  I even prefer their accents to the Aussie ones I'm hearing in Melbourne.  New Zealanders are a bit quirky too and you just never know what you're going to get or what you're going to see.  And it's so green and lush and reminded me a lot of BC.  I know I missed an entire Island but I am trying to see if there is any way I can get back there before I head back to Canada.

Anyhow it's time I get back to my dad because he's HERE IN MELBOURNE with me!!  How lucky am I.

(I'll try to get to fixing the typos later, but I just wanted to get this up for you guys).