An interview!

Yes, I have an interview on Friday morning for a job with the Hampshire Widlife Trust. It sounds like quite an exciting job, but the pay is worse than I'm on at the moment, and it is based in Botley. I would not relish the M27 commute every morning! But hey, I'm quite pleased really. Hopefully more interviews to come though.

More time in Auckland and then home

We got the bus and then the ferry from Devonport to take us into the city. Once we'd got our bearings, we set off for the Skytower, marketed as the highest manmade structure in the Southern Hemisphere (quite obviously wrong but hey). After a roundabout route, we located it and headed on up to the observation level. The views were spectacular, of the entire city and the Hauraki Gulf. Really beautiful. Of course there was the obligatory piece of glass to stand on. After watching someone on a controlled plummet from the top (euuggh) we headed up to the highest level for more amazing views. We realised we were running out of time, so we quickly went back down.

The reason for our rush was to catch the ferry from the city to Rangitoto, a 600 year old dormant volcano, which dominated the skyline. Our aim was to reach the summit and get back to catch the last boat back.

It really was like another world. You could see how young it was: the path was basically over old lava flows, which also surrounded you. There wasn't much vegetation apart from Pohutukawa trees (the NZ Xmas tree because it flowers bright red then). The climb was an ordeal, and the party quickly fragmented. However, we all made it in the end, and the reward made it all worth it. Beautiful views of the many islands and the city. We were joined by many cute little silvereye birds, which were exceedingly tame indeed. However, we could not dawdle too long, as there was more to do. We stopped off at the crater on the way back, which was surreal, before heading off for the lava caves. These are formed when the lava cools on the outside, so the walk through pitch blackness consisted of negotiating jagged rocks and an uneven floor. Nevertheless, Mum led the way (!) and it was certainly an adventure!

We then went back down the difficult path to catch the ferry, after completing a short mangrove walk. It was here that we had watched a gannet plunge-dive for fish as we got off the boat, but alas it had moved on when we got back. We then went back to be fed at the Halkyards for a satisfying end to a truly knackering day.

The next day we decided to explore the Waitakere Ranges, which are sub-tropical forested hills a short distance away from the city. However, though the views were amazing, and the forest very pretty, we had already seen quite a lot of forest already! The next destination was the wild west coast beach of Piha. This has beautiful sparkling black sand, and is dominated by Lion Rock - a huge outcrop on the shore. We climbed a lookout for lovely views, but the surf was not great enough for the blowholes to be seen.

Tonight we would not be dining at the Halkyards, but be taken to a restaurant with the Halkyards and the Blacks (Alison's parents). We were told it was a Mongolian BBQ, and didn't quite know what to expect, but it turned out to be absolutely unique and delicious. You basically selected your raw ingredients, including sauce and oil of your choice, which were then fried on a large hot plate. You then added side dishes of rice, salad or noodles. Needless to say we all gorged ourselves, especially as there was so much garlic and seafood! It was also really nice to meet the Blacks again after all these years, not looking a day older, and it was as if we met everyday. A wonderful evening indeed.

Our final day of the mammoth trip finally dawned. We had planned to spend the morning packing, have lunch, and then spend the afternoon with the Blacks. The packing was not too bad, and after Dad had finished his final touch-ups to the Van (including subtle use of mascara and toothpaste) we walked the short way to Blockhouse Bay for lunch. The weather was gorgeous, very mild indeed, but time was pressing on. We went to the Blacks, where Dad and Alexander went to dispense of the wretched van in all its stinking, rotting glory. Meanwhile, us girls were taken for a delightful walk around the local park, where we saw a Monarch butterfly and the non-native (and regarded as pests) Rosellas (colourful bird from Oz). Alison then came back and took Mum on a tour of all her old haunts, including her old Intermediate School which was about to be knocked down, so she was lucky! We rounded off the evening with a lovely light meal at the Blacks, before Alison said goodbye to us at the airport.

We found our flight was delayed by an hour, and the shops had closed in the terminal, so there was not much to do. Once on the flight to Singapore, it became clear that we would not get any sleep, thanks to the constantly-chanting Islamic clerics behind us. Arriving in Singapore, the delay had cost us our showers so we were very annoyed indeed. The flight to the UK was long, and a day flight, so of course no sleep. However, the views of Asia and the Middle-East were amazing.

Arriving back in the UK, we were struck by the dryness of the grass, and the heat was simply unbelievable for us! The journey back home was a struggle to stay awake, but it was the end, finally, of all the planning and amazing experiences of the journey of a lifetime. I want to go back!!!

More photos of NZ

Rangitoto Island, Mangapahoe natural bridge, the lava caves on Rangitoto, Taranaki from Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe, a tree fern, the single-person bridge in the Kauaeranga Valley, Mum and Alison on the beach, Hokianga Harbour, Piha, Father of the Forest kauri tree.

Paihia to Auckland

Picking up where we left off, we journeyed across the top of Northland to the Waipoua Kauri Forest. It was here that we did several short walks to see the enormous kauri trees, which are a type of pine apparently. First up was the God of the Forest, which is the largest kauri and estimated at about 1500 years old. It was just amazing to see a tree completely fill your view! Nothing prepares you for it.

We also saw the second largest kauri (Father of the Forest), festoones with epiphytes and even wider, though not as tall, the Four Sisters (four kauri growing very close together) and the Yakas (7th largest kauri). Once we had seen all those, we drove onto the Trounson Kauri Park, which is much smaller but less touristy. We had a good amble round the trail, though none of the kauri were as old as the ones we had already seen. This park is a mainland island of forest in a sea of agricultural land, with intensive eradication of pests ongoing. This makes it a stronghold for many native birds including kiwi.

Once we had found the nearby campsite, we had a very short time indeed to eat before our nightime guided walk through the park. It was a beautiful starry night, and as soon as we had stepped onto the front lawn at the entrance to the park, our guide from the campsite - who was very knowledgeable - said she had already seen a kiwi! Well, as you can imagine, I was almost exploding with anticipation. We heard a female's hoarse grating cries, but didn't see any kiwis for a while. We all stood in the cold being silent, whilst Dad muttered about the amazing stars - priorities please! Then our first glimpse of a young male foraging on the lawn. They are so strange, looking a bit like rabbits from behind, but with a peculiar scuttling walk. Once the red-filtered (so as to diminish the disturbance) was shone on him, he quickly scarpered, but the quivering of the bushes told us he was close. We kept hearing the cracking of twigs, and then our guide said the kiwi was hiding under the bush! Needless to say, we were all amazed, and had the encounter on film!

Moving on by the trail we had traversed through the day, we were soon introduced to a large eel, which the guide had been feeding for eight years! The streams were all teaming with life, including koura, which are the native crayfish, and whose eyes glow a bright orange when a torch is shone on them. We soon encountered another two kiwi, with one large female just passing right by the boardwalk at extremely close range, seemingly oblivious to our presence. We were also shown the glowworms, which was magical, and kept hearing the screeching calls of male kiwi throughout the walk. Finally, we came across the cave wetas. These are large crickets that can jump up to 3m! They have extremely long antennae and love rotten wood, of which there was plenty about. I was fascinated, but other members of the party kept their distance!

Following the drive back to the campsite, the guide showed us her own colony of glowworms occupying the vegetated banks next to the river - so beautiful, and in greater numbers than in the park, though obviously not to Waitomo standards!

The next day we drove back down the coast to Auckland. On the way we passed by the Hokianga Harbour, which has huge expanses of white sandy beaches, and vegetated sand dunes so high they look like cliffs. We arrived at our friends the Halkyards in time for a delicious lunch and an afternoon of reminiscing. We saw 'their' beautiful beach, our first glimpses of the Sky Tower and Rangitoto Island, which we would visit the next day, and the docks where Mum departed all those years ago.

Thames to Paihia

Our journey then continued through Auckland to Warkworth. Here we had a quick stop off to do the Dome Walkway, which was a walk up the Dome hill through native forest, including our first sighting of the Nikau palm, the world's most southerly growing palm. It was a lovely, if knackering walk, with beautiful views over the valley, and past really interesting ferns and epiphytes. We continued on to Whangarei, where we had a quick peak at the picturesque falls there, before settling down for the night.

The next day we drove the short distance to Paihia, where we would be having a boat trip. After checking it was going ahead (it was) we headed off to the Haruru Falls Mangrove walk, which was supposed to be a boardwalk through, guess what, mangroves. Well, we didn't have time for all of the walk, and the part we did do wasn't through the mangroves. However, the views of the estuary were nice and the trees were quite gnarled and interesting. Via the Waitangi Treaty House car park, for a photo (again to say we'd been there!) we headed back to Paihia. This is the main port of call for exploring the Bay of Islands, with its myriad islands and coves. It was a very balmy day, but we could see the bad weather coming in, so hoped we'd miss it whilst at sea.

The aim of this trip was to explore the Bay, see bottlenose dolphins and hopefully go through the Hole in the Rock, a rock arch out at sea. We soon encountered the dolphins, which were very obliging and allowed those swimming (not us) a good experience, though with a whole boatful of people gawping at you, it wasn't nearly as 'intimate' as our Akaroa experience.

Just as that had finished, and mindful that this time of year was the best to see orca, the skipper said another boat had seen a pod kill a baby dolphin. Off we sped, and sure enough, there were the orcas! I have never felt so amazed to be in the presence of such enormous creatures in such proximity. It was a small pod of females, with a calf visible among them. They stayed with us for ages, and were very curious, swimming right under the boat. Needless to say, we have numerous pictures! With the weather closing in, and waves too big for the Hole in the Rock, we headed back to shore and then back to the campsite.

Before we left the campsite the next day, we walked the extremely short distance to the Haruru Falls, where the river falls over an old lava flow. They were very pretty I guess.
Once the customary 'ooohhhs' and 'aaahhhs' had been done, we continued north west to the great Kauri forests of Waipoua and Trounson.

Waitomo to Thames

Journeying on from Waitomo, we crossed to Rotorua, just to say we'd been there (!) before heading north to a beach near Maketu. It took us a while to find this small beach, which we accessed via a small path across a field, down beside the cliffs. The reason for finding this exact beach was that in 1973 this was where my Mum's brother died, so it was a rather sombre occasion. This mood was disrupted somewhat by the sudden loud honking calls of a fur seal along on the rocks. We had a good look around the rocks, finding humungous examples washed up of the shells of the green-lipped mussel.

We moved on up the coast to the base of the Coromandel Peninsula. This is supposed to be beautiful and unspoilt, clothed in forest and with numerous coves. Unfortunately, the rain descended and the windy coastal roads proved destinctly view-free. We made a quick stop at Whitianga, before moving on to Coromandel township itself. Here we consoled ourselves we a delicious lunch with much seafood!

We headed on back down the coast to Thames, where we took the turn off for the Kauaeranga Valley. We had A Plan. This consisted of locating a suitable Department of Conservation campsite (very basic, but all we needed was water) before heading off for some walks in this remote region. The road was narrow, windy and quite dangerous, with numerous small concrete bridges across streams. We found a campsite, and a cursory glance around found no water. Nevertheless, we decided to go on a quick walk (we only had time for one due to the lack of time and daylight!) before beginning the true search.

We walked through boggy ground, diverted through tricky forest and rocks due to flooding, and found ourselves at a swing bridge. We had encountered these frequently, but this one said: "Maximum load: One person", which made us a bit worried. In the driving rain, with less grip than usual, coupled with being suspended over the Kauaeranga River, which we watched through the holes in the side of the bridge (which weren't supposed to be there btw!), we all eventually arrived on the other side. It was then a short stroll to the Billy Goat Landing, where, through the murk, a large waterfall could be seen in the distance. It must have been huge, but that was the closest we got.

We walked back, and in the increasingly boggy conditions began the - as it would turn out- futile search for water. None was found, and now completely sodden, we headed back down the road to Thames. This was in the dark and the narrow concrete bridges could not be seen in time. They were also frequently situated on sharp corners, with one notable occasion involving Dad doing an extremely sharp turn to avoid falling into the river. One wheel caught the side of the bridge, and we settled back on the road with a jolt, accompanied by many cries out indeed! So the Roses nearly dammed a river - a first.

Arriving back in Thames we finally found the campsite located a short distance away. Tomorrow we would begin the journey to Northland.

Taupo to Waitomo

The next day we carried on up the road to another two thermal areas. The first was WaiOTapu, which has the amazing Lady Knox geyser. The staff member pours a packet of soup flakes into the vent every morning, which breaks down the surface tension of the water, leading to an eruption. It was very spectacular, and slightly comic with it spewing soap bubbles before the main eruption. It erupts to about 10m.

We then explored the main area, with lots of furiously bubbling and extremely stinky mudpools - the worst were called the Devil's Inkpots. There were also some lovely rock formations, caused by despoits of minerals from the waters. The highlight of the area is the Champagne Pool, which is a huge hot pool (boiling in fact) ringed with beautiful hues from minerals and bacteria. Once we had finished, we carried on down the road to an extensive mud pool, which really was huge. Once we had had lunch we moved onto Waimangu Volcanic Valley. This was only formed in 1800-and something, when Mount Tarawera erupted. The eruption completely destroyed the famous pink and white terraces, and created whole new lakes and geysers. There was the world's largest geyser at Waimangu, but it last erupted decades ago. Whilst the formations weren't as spectacular as WaiOtapu, steam could be seen to be issuing from everywhere, including high up on mountain tops, so it was a very atmospheric area to walk through. We decided to do the hiking trail through it, which climbed for stupendous views over the area affected by the eruption. Once we had finished there we headed back down to Taupo to stay the night.

Climbing the slopes near active volcanoes was the highlight of the next day, which we spent in Tongariro National Park. The journey there was quite long, but very scenic via the Desert Road, with beautiful views of the snowy volcanoes of Tongariro, Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe. We had a quick detour from the road to see the Tree Trunk Gorge, where the Mangawhero river is channelled through a narrow fissure far below. We started up the Ohakune Mountain Road to begin our walks. Unfortunately, the journey had taken longer than expected so we only had time for one walk. We chose to do the one to Waitonga falls, which was very strenuous. We climbed above the snow line, through thick forest, before emerging out onto the alpine boggy area with stunning views of Ruapehu. On our way up we could also see Mount Taranaki, which was many kilometres away so must have been huge! We were so lucky with the weather, which remained gloriously fine for ample photographic opportunities. The falls themselves would have been beautiful by UK standards, but they were ok by NZ standards! Once we were back on the road, we continued up to see the Mangawhero Falls, which plummet dramatically over an old lava flow. We continued on our way, reluctant to leave this beautiful park behind. We camped at Taramanui before moving onto Waitomo the next day.

We reached Waitomo in good time to begin our tour of the area. First up was the Waitomo glow worm caves, world famous and used by Saint David Attenborough in Life in the Undergrowth - we trod on hallowed ground!!!!! It was magical, with millions of tiny blue lights just above your head, before emerging out on the river into daylight.

Next we journeyed down the road to Ruakuri Natural tunnel. Here we walked along boardwalks that seemed to defy gravity by their positions stuck onto vertical rock faces. We walked over the Waitomo Stream (more of a river), and through small natural tunnels to our goal, where the river runs through a large tunnel out into the open. The region is known for its karst limestone, so the ground is literally a network of caves and rivers, with amazing rock formations. It cerainly was a brilliant walk, and with lots of glow worms along the way, we decided to come back later when it was dark to try and rival our caves experience.

Further along the road we came to Marokopa Falls, where via a slightly strenuous walk, we came out to an amazing sight. The now larger river plummets over a rock face, and is surrounded by lush rainforest. One of the most different falls we came across.

Going back along the road to Waitomo, where we would camp, we came to PiriPiri Caves, which are free to access via a short walk through native forest. Whilst we had brought a torch and wore our walking boots, the descent to the floor, where you can walk through to a room to see large fossil oysters, proved exceedingly treacherous, so we hastily abandoned that!

Our final port of call along the road was the Mangapahoe Natural Bridge. This was much like the Natural Tunnel in how it was formed, namely an underground river had had part of its roof collapse, only leaving one part to form a bridge. Walking under the bridge through the gorge was very scenic, again with glow worms present though not yet alight. We then set off on a short diversion through fields back to the carpark. These fields contained large limestone boulders with the fossilised oysters making up the bulk of them. These were huge, about the size, if not larger, than a hand!

We journeyed back to Ruakuri, but alas it was not dark enough for the glow worms, so we continued on back to the campsite in Waitomo.

Windy Wellington to Taupo

Well this was one of the rainy days! Wellington is renowned for its wind, and it didn't disappoint. Our first point of call was Otari-Wilton's bush. This is one of the few remnants of untouched native bush in the area, and it was very pretty. Part of it was a manicured botanic garden, with lots of native plants on show in neat flower beds - a bit too tame for us. We headed off on one of the walks around the wilder parts of the reserve. It was a lovely place, though you still didn't get the sense of wildness you got in the forests of the South Island. We finished exploring the area, and then made the decision that the leaking motorhome was getting so bad that we should take it into the depot north of the city. This ate into our time - we only had one day to see the city!

After dropping the motorhome off at the depot to get the leaks fixed - where we got a courtesy car - we headed off into the city where, struggling to find somewhere to park, and secretly thankful we didn't have the motorhome, we found our way to a foodcourt for a quick spot of lunch. The main reason for coming into the city was for a bit of 'tack' shopping (holiday naff trinkets and souvenirs) and a ride on the cable car for good views. We found the cable-car, which was more like a tram being pulled up a hill, so not that impressive. The views from the top would have been lovely, I'm sure, were it not for the rain and the wind! We had a quick wander around the botanic gardens, found the silly human sundial (you are the prong to cast the shadow) before going back down to the car. Our next attempt at doing something in the rain was a visit to the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. This was supposed to be beautiful, as they are restocking the Victorian reservoir with native species you don't get to see - or hear - elsewhere. Alas, we were running out of time and, as you had to pay, it was felt that this did not justify a visit when you wouldn't be able to hear the birds because of the endless rain. After a quick shop we headed back to the campsite.

The next day marked the beginning of the reminiscing by Mum to her old haunts. She originally lived in Napier, so we headed off for there. Most of this town was destroyed by an earthquake in the 1930s, so all the buildings are in the Art deco style - very picturesque. We soon found Mum's old house and had a quick explore of the town, whilst searching for a bottle of saline for my lenses of all things!

We had hoped to do some wine tasting the next day, as the Hawke's Bay region where Napier is situated is well known for this. We did feel that 9am was a bit early for this, so alas we passed the winetasting by. After an entertaining lunch stop in a layby with a marauding hissing duck (de-quacked!), we soon arrived at Taupo.

As we were ahead of time, we decided to do more of the attractions of the area. Taupo, next to Lake Taupo (the eruption crater of the largest volcano in the world, and the largest lake in NZ) is in the heart of the geothermal region. The first thermal area we visited was Orakei Korako Thermal Wonderland, which you get to via a boat trip across a dammed section of the Waikato river. It was certainly like the world of Skaro from Dr Who, with steam everywhere (I think these places are most atmospheric in winter - more steam!) and very smelly indeed! We were particularly amused by the naming of one feature - Diamond Geyser!

Once we had toured all the features, we paid a visit to the aw-inspiring Huka Falls. Though the Waikato only falls by 8m, the sheer volume of water - where this mighty river is squeezed into a narrow fissure - is breathtaking. There is simply nothing like it in the UK! That night we camped at Golden Springs, on our way to some more thermal areas which we would explore tomorrow. The campsite even had its own hot spring, and steam could be seen issuing from the side of the road, and between trees. A magical area indeed!