This post features of Auckland and Wellington taken in October 2018 and the extract from the Oyster World Tour post relating to my visit in 2009
Auckland
The Sky Tower:
Churches:
Heritage Auckland:
Harbourside:
Museums and Galleries:
Walkabout:
Waiheke Island:
Wellington
Harbourside:
Heritage Wellington:
Walkabout:
Churches:
Land of the long white cloud: March 2009
Greetings from Auckland – this is the start of day 3 in New Zealand. You should have seen the place yesterday – anybody would think that St. Patrick was the Patron Saint, Saviour, landlord and Governor General of New Zealand all rolled into one…
Still, any excuse for a Guinness…
I missed my friends Lauchlan & Abi in Auckland – they left at 01.10 on the 15th and I arrived at 03.30 on the 16th. Planning is as important as timing…
That was a big shame as it would have been lovely to see them & learn a bit about Auckland from a Jafa…
Anyway, after the big excitement of the 17th – i.e. St Patrick’s Day – came the 18th, St Hangover’s Day, whereupon I duly left a slightly subdued Auckland behind in my Toyota Sprinter as I – er, sprinted – across the harbour bridge following Highway 1 northbound…
I sprinted out of Auckland on the motorway. It transpires that NZ has about 8 miles of motorway going north from Auckland and about 15 miles going south from Auckland and that would appear to be it – so much like East Anglia, driving anywhere takes a while. Just to add to the fun, NZ has dubbed itself “road-works capital of the world” – well, many hurrahs for that. It seems that there are two reasons for this: one being a government-funded initiative to create work and the second is that with so much seismic activity the roads are in constant need of repair anyway. All the more reason why not to hire a Toyota Sprinter…
You’ve probably never heard of this model – it’s a variation on the Toyota Corolla saloon of 1998/99 – although quite why the automotive world needs a Corolla variation is something of a mystery. It lacks grip, power, a decent gearbox & decent brakes – but apart from that…
To be fair – having done over two thousand kilometres in 4 days it has loosened up but goodness me it’s hard work – especially on the hilly-bits (of which there are lots) with hair-pin and swooping hair-pin bends (of which there also lots)…
My fault, I know – I rented the cheap option instead of getting the Ford Focus (moron!) – I’ll see if it can be changed in Wellington before heading south…
The Kiwis are spirited drivers, so even though the police here are hot on speeding – like their Australian counterparts – Kiwis will hack along merrily. I could make you cringe by telling you I’ve been overtaken by a Daihatsu Charade and any number of Honda Odysseys – and that’s bizarre – why are there so many Honda Odysseys here?
I’ve seen several ERF’s and lots of Fodens – so for any of you for whom Sandbach means more than just a service station on the M6 – spare a thought & shed a tear for the passing of England’s once-great engineering heritage (albeit latterly with Cummins engines rather than faithful Gardners)…
Anyway, the point is: in a ute race between an Aussie & a Kiwi – back the Kiwi…
I headed north to Cape Reinga – having passed Mairangi Bay (thought I’d get the container ships out of the way on day one) – the drive north is lovely – through rolling pastures, gorges, forests and hills. From Kaitaia you run parallel with 90-mile beach to Cape Reinga – which is lovely and how Land’s End in Cornwall should be…
I stayed in Kaitaia & drove down to Tauranga, via the Coromandel Peninsula, the next day – lots more scenery & ocean views. If you’re down that way & fancy a good Chinese then go to the East Ocean Chinese Restaurant in Tauranga – extremely good food, freshly cooked and really yummy…
From Tauranga I went to Gisborne via WalkieTalkie (Whakatane); Te Kaha & Ruatoria – yet more scenery and ocean views. Now most of you will know Gisborne from Sir Guy of Gisbourne and the adventures (all true) of Robin Hood. It seems a bit sad that – having been chased out of Nottingham – Sir Guy ended up here – but maybe it’s a fitting end – anyway, that’s folklore for you…
I stayed in Gisborne – but daftly chose a motel some way out of town. The motel was, however, quite close to the Wild Food Café & World Café that serves Gisborne Gold – a fine local beer and incredibly friendly service…
Moving swiftly on – but sadly not in quite the right direction – I went out on Highway 2. The good bit was that I drove through a 58km gorge following the Waioeka River – just stunning and enjoyable even in the Toyota Tepid – but it did mean ending up in WalkieTalkie again – not quite the end of the world as Wakatane is a lovely place – and I quickly picked up the road works to Rotorua…
From Rotorua I headed out to Taupo and picked up a Dutch hitch hiker (hitsch huyjker, shurely?) – she seemed to have more bags with her than seemed either plaushible or, indeed, shenshible (thatsh enough Dutsch) and surprisingly for a Dutch person not overly chatty. Still, she had been in NZ for several weeks & had been down to the South Island. She is now just killing time until her Chinese visa arrives. She didn’t find the joke about only 75% of the Dutch population being allowed in the Netherlands at any one time remotely funny – and, if this were possible, even less so once I’d explained it (twice – she didn’t understand the first time) – you lose some – you lose some more – anyway, I dropped her & her mountain of luggage safely in Taupo town centre…
I’m here for 2 nights – it’s a great place with lots of good bars & restaurants and the motel I’m staying at is pretty swish, too (Lake Taupo Motor Inn). I’ve booked my balloon flight in Hawke’s Bay for the 24th – so I’ll stay in Hastings for 3 nights in case they can’t actually fly on the 24th.
After that I’ll head down to Masterton to see if Emma’s mother is up to receiving a visitor – then Wellington and then to the south island.
One thing you can’t fail to notice as you drive through the forests here is the number of ferns – NZ has around 164 types of fern – many endemic – and some grow up to 8 metres in height – they are lovely – well, if you like ferns they are. Given that hacking down trees (logging) appears to be a national sport – as in many countries it’s a sensitive subject – it makes you wonder how long some of these species of fern will survive…
Well – the drive from Taupo to Hastings via Highway 1 and then Highway 54 was really quite splendid – such a beautiful country – from Alpine meadows to gorges to mountains to forests to high country covered in gorse & heather to lush valleys and pastures – it’s almost like someone from a design agency has put this country together. It’s just as well New Zealand is tucked away in the furthest corner of the earth – all the other countries must be seething with jealousy at how lovely it is…
Anyway – I’m now in Hastings awaiting instructions re-the balloon flight that patently will not take place tomorrow – i.e. the 24th – and not the 26th now, either – but hey, Plan B…
Hastings is not the sort of place you’d normally stay for 3 nights – or at least not voluntarily – it is quite sweet, however. The town was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 – it also caused massive damage to Napier and over 250 people were killed. Both towns were rebuilt in an art deco style – and fortunately both town centres have been largely preserved. They even have art deco street lights…
Hastings has also lined the town centre streets with hanging baskets and flower pots – it’s just a shame that the pots & baskets only have either white flowers in them or pink flowers in them. A riot of white flowers doesn’t quite work…
There’s a railway line running through the town – and indeed through the central fountain. Bizarre. There are no passenger trains now – just freight.
Tomorrow I’m driving down to Masterton to have dinner with Emma’s mother & step-father – which I’m looking forward to….
Kia Ora! – which, as Lauchlan has reminded me, is a Maori greeting meaning “be well” or “be healthy”…
Some Kiwi-isms:
Scroggin – a mix of fruit, nuts & grains (& sometimes chocolate) – it’s meant to be a healthy, nutritious snack you take with you when you go hiking (or a “tramp” as the Kiwis say)
Didymo – you see signs for this all over the place – Didymo is an algae that is thriving in New Zealand waterways & is regarded as a pest as it clogs up river beds, lakes and waterways
1080 – is a pesticide used for the eradication of possums. In NZ they regard possums as a pest & believe that they spread bovine TB in the same way that the UK authorities believe badgers spread bovine TB…
manchester – lower-case “m” – is bed linen
Well – I’m now in Methven – which is near Christchurch – and here to go ballooning – or at least I was but mother nature decided to give the blue skies & sunshine a rest today – much like she did in Hastings on the 24th – Long White Cloud, indeed…
After a lovely meal in Masterton with Emma’s mother & stepfather (Joan & James), I left the next day to drive down to Wellington – having been told that the drive was spectacular.
Well, when you sit out on the deck of Joan & James’ house you get fabulous views of the Tararua Range of mountains (peaking at 1571m) – in winter the peaks are dusted with snow – so a lovely backdrop and left me wondering how the drive to Wellington could improve on that.
Highway 2 runs through the Tararua National Park and the southern end of the Tararua Range – and it is indeed spectacular as you wind up through the hills & gawp down into the ravines…
I went up the cable car in Wellington – the cable cars are obviously Swiss – and a neat way to get to the city from the botanical gardens (and vice-versa, clearly). I stayed in a hotel opposite the park – handy for the city & the inter-island ferry terminal. Nearby I discovered a fantastic little Japanese restaurant called Leafee on Tinakori Road – across the road from the smart Speight’s Ale House…
The ferry crossing was nice – very calm & very beautiful as you come into Queen Charlotte Sound, South Island – the crossing takes 3 hours & “tin” minutes – but the ferry is well equipped with bar, cafe & lots of outside viewing space – so there’s enough to keep you occupied (Buquebus please take note) – plus, of course, the scenery as you come into Picton is – er – “awesome” as Kiwis are somewhat over-fond of saying…
From Picton I drove to Westport – which wasn’t Plan A – a quiet place on a Saturday afternoon & mostly closed – gets lively from about 7, though, as the pubs fill up & everyone comes out to watch the rugby games on big screens that they probably watched earlier in the afternoon on smaller screens…
Anyway, after Westport I drove down to Greymouth in order to pick up highway 73 which crosses the island via Arthur’s Pass – a quite spectacular journey, really beautiful, and ended up in Methven as I’d booked a balloon flight for the morning of the 30th…
Now, despite the on-set of autumn in New Zealand, the weather since I’ve been here has been fabulous – so the beautiful scenery is enhanced by the good weather making it even lovelier – with two exceptions. The 24th & today (30th) have both dawned grey, wet & miserable – so Aoraki Balloons couldn’t fly this morning – fingers crossed for tomorrow, eh?
Kia Ora from Oamaru!
This is the furthest south I’ll be able to make it as I’m now going back to Methven to see if I can go ballooning tomorrow morning…
Mother Nature is being capricious – but I guess that’s her prerogative – and after 2 grey, wet days it has once again dawned bright & sunny…
One of the balloon pilots with Aoraki Balloons is from Preston, would you believe? Aoraki is the Maori name for what we call Mt Cook.
Oamaru is a fascinating town with some astonishingly fine buildings – it might not qualify for UNESCO World Heritage Site status but it is certainly a town for New Zealand to be proud of. A lot of this is due to a Dunedin architect called Robert Lawson and two Oameru architects – Forrester & Lemon. The city’s heyday was from around 1880 until around 1930. A visit to the Criterion Hotel is certainly a must as it has a fine selection of beers – including a couple from Emerson’s of Dunedin – which were good.
If you read the blog http://fushnchups.co.nz – you’d get the impression that all Kiwi beers are awful. Certainly the mainstream ones are all uniformly dull – such as Tui; Waikato and Speight’s Special. They are like John Smith’s or Boddington’s keg beers – bland & boring. But there are some beers worth searching out – such as Emerson’s; Mac’s make the excellent Hop Rocker & Brewjolais (hmm); the Gisborne Gold is worth a mention as a clean, malty lager and even Speight’s Summit is good. Monteith’s beers – despite their claims – I found dull.
Anyway, I mention that as a distraction – of course – as you really wanted to know about the blue-eyed Penguins. Well – they were all at sea, so I didn’t see any. I saw lots of Cormorants but that’s not very exciting. Near Oameru there’s also a colony of yellow-eyed Penguins as well – allegedly…
Talking of cars – which we weren’t – there are a couple of oddities on sale here you might like to Google: Toyota Raum; Toyota ist; Toyota Levin; Toyota Caldina; Mitsubishi Emeraude and the Nissan Presea. I haven’t made any of those up, by the way – but quite why any of them made it into production is a mystery. I went to the car & tractor museum in Geraldine – which was actually very interesting – although they didn’t have a Leyland P76, sadly. The people at the desk were very jolly & welcoming – wanting to know where I came from, etc. On hearing that I was English they said – “Oh – the English always say that New Zealand is like England was 40 years ago. What do you think?”
No it isn’t.
I’ve heard this several times and is just the most bollocky-bollocks ever. Who on earth could compare 1970’s England with New Zealand – and why?
The towns & cities are like those in Australia or the USA. The scenery could be compared to various different countries as it is so varied.
In rural New Zealand it is indeed very green, relaxed & friendly. But it still has more in common with Australia or the USA. Anyone who has travelled in rural USA will tell you how friendly the people are – that they don’t bother locking their cars or houses, etc.
Any idea of a similarly idyllic England is either myopic or hopelessly romantic. Blame it on the cucumber sandwiches…
Now – will the weather improve such that I can go up in a balloon? The lovely Jackie at Aoraki Balloons assures me it will be…
Thursday April 2nd did indeed dawn bright & beautiful – just as Jackie had predicted. Up early before sunrise we set off for a suitable take-off point about 16km from Methven – in the direction of the hills. The pilot – Graham Church – is indeed from Preston with a grand Lancashire accent to match! Terrific! Graham has been in NZ since November flying for Aoraki – he goes back to the UK at the end of April to fly balloons in Lancashire for the season (season? – is he sure there will be a “season”??)
In addition to Graham there were 11 passengers: 2 Israeli girls; an English couple on honeymoon, 6 assorted Kiwis & me…
On arriving at the take-off field we had to help get the balloon ready – unpacked; unfurled and inflated (takes lots of puff). Eventually we were ready & climbed aboard. It was a stunning morning – very clear & still; bright blue sky & bright sunshine creeping over the horizon. Rural New Zealand is a very beautiful and tranquil place. The field was at about 1300 feet above sea-level and we rose initially to about 2800 feet to draw roughly level with Mount Somers. We could see Mount Hutt and Mount Cook very clearly, too. We then drifted down to gawp at the fields & rivers; cattle & crops – the ocean in the distance – before coming down to a perfect landing…
Methven is not the kind of place you’d normally spend 3 nights – but it does have a few things to recommend it. Aoraki Balloons – www.nzballooning.com – and the lovely Jackie (obviously) – it being the main ballooning centre for the South Island; its proximity to Mount Hutt makes it a popular skiing base in winter and I can thoroughly recommend Brinkley Resort – www.brinkleyresort.co.nz. The Blue Pub – it is painted blue – www.thebluepub.co.nz – is a great place for beer and food and Cafe 131 does the best breakfasts in New Zealand – plus great service from the lovely ladies there.
Now you might think that a wild and outlandish claim and one that could not reasonably be substantiated. But I tell you – Cafe 131 does bacon you can eat. OK? Need I say more?
There are two things that New Zealand cannot do to save its life: baked beans – uniformly disgusting things obviously created by someone with a hatred for them & supported by a conspiracy that prevents Heinz from selling their beans here and, secondly, bacon. They have for some bizarre reason invented a cut called “the loin” – which is between 70% to 80% fat depending on where you go. What is wrong with back bacon, you Kiwis? Give tourists back bacon – it isn’t much to ask…
Whilst driving through the country you’ll see lots of majestic Australasian Harriers – a swooping and a hovering – beautiful to watch & help you forget the generally poor bacon available here…
I used www.aatravel.co.nz throughout to book motels – all good value although some were further from town than I’d have liked – that was my fault, clearly – but all I stayed at were very good.
I spent my last weekend in Wellington – have to say I love this city. It has a nice buzz to it – it also has a fresh-old wind that blows in off the harbour and keeps things lively. It has the great Te Papa museum; the Mac’s Brewery bar – with good beer, good food & a great outside area overlooking the harbour and it has several good book shops. I should just mention Unity Books in Wellington; Scorpio Books in Christchurch and Muir Books in Gisborne – as they stand out like beacons in an otherwise impoverished land.
I’ve just finished Tana French’s The Likeness & am just starting The Woods by the same lady (the wrong order by the way – but still)…
So – after a night in Blenheim; two nights in Wellington & a night in Hamilton – I am now at Auckland airport ready to fly to Melbourne. I handed back the Toyota Sprinter (it’ll be glad of the rest) and while I would recommend Apex Cars to anyone as they have a useful deal that includes a return trip on the Interislander ferry – a) select a decent model and b) the map they give you to find the return place at the airport is hopelessly misleading. It is actually quite easy to find – just don’t try & follow their map!
Haere Ra!
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