As we sit in our budget hostel in Auckland, sapping the free wifi and sheltering from the rain, we have a little time to reminisce about about our very own kiwi experience (this became a bit of a running joke between us as the other main way of seeing the islands is on a kind of 'party bus' aimed a younger crowd called Kiwi Experience that we decided wasn't really our scene, but which we kept running into with their garish green buses anyway). We've massively enjoyed having the freedom to spend our days exactly as we wanted to, stopping when we saw a sign we liked the look of, having the time to take our time at the places we enjoyed, rather than being rushed onwards by a group leader and being able to freedom camp in some beautiful nature reserves along the way. The only slight problem with self driving is having to take full responsibility for all aspects of your travel. Particularly unpleasant tasks include removing your own waste water - definitely not fun to see last nights washing up and three days of toothpaste and cold coffee coming back out of the van, getting flustered when the sat nav doesn't realise the road layout has changed and being taken in all sorts of crazy directions, angering locals at the same time and trying to do some good old fashioned map reading whilst attempting (and sometimes failing!) avoid prohibited roads. However this was nothing more than couple of small stresses in what has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. I think the NZ road trip is something we definitely want to do again in the future, as there is always more to see and do in such a beautiful country. Below is a little map of all the places we visited on the approximately 4000km we drove across New Zealand. For now though, our thoughts are being turned to the next stage of our adventure - 4 months backpacking through South East Asia! For this we are hitting some of the 20 somethings backpacker favourites, including Bali, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam (plus others!) The change of pace is likely to be a bit shocking, but we're ready for a bit of backpackers party after being sensible designated drivers for such a long time!
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It has been raining for 4 days straight. And not like, light drizzle or the occasional shower, like being set upon with a pressure washer. We are wet, cold and if we're being completely honest, a little miserable. Road tripping is fantastic when the sun is shining and you can spend whole evenings lazing in the heat of the afternoon with a few beers, watching the world go by... But when you are stuck in your tin can, unable to even walk to the shops or toilets without getting soaked, the dream looks a lot more distant. I guess this is why motor home holidays have such a bed rep in the UK! Even the beauty of the Coromandel Peninsula can't shine through the miserable grey, and we've been forced to take shelter in motor camps in a variety of locations. Everything is wet and won't dry, there's mud and grass all over the floor and every type of insect, from the 5 house flies currently buzzing around my head to the beetle that decided to drop from the ceiling of the van and land on my shoulder this morning, all try to make their home inside the only thing for a hundred miles that isn't wet. One thing is for sure however, we are still eternally grateful for our camper upgrade as we watch the other poor souls in converted cars huddled over their portable stoves in raincoats, trying to cook dinner under the open boots of their cars. Tragic.
This post follows an early and very cold morning. We got up at 5:30am, drove the 45 minutes to Hot Water Beach in the dark (complete with rain and wind) and pulled up to the deserted car park. After debating whether stripping into swim gear on a beach being buffeted by huge waves on a very cold and grey day was actually a good idea, a couple of other tourists arrived and we decided we couldn’t back out now. Armed with a small spade, we got out of the comfort of the van and went in search of the famous hot water which gives the beach its name. Here, hot water bubbles out of the sand two hours either side of low tide, and if you’re quick and strong, you can actually dig yourself a small hot pool spa to sit in. We hadn’t however counted on the weather, which made digging for our lives rather unpleasant (as we were being hit by tiny needles of sand from every direction every time the wind blew). However, after meeting up with two American tourists (the only other brave souls on the beach) we joined forces and dug… a small puddle of hot (and I mean HOT) water. In some places it was too hot to stand in, but as the occasional wave rolled in and smashed into us, the cold sea water tempered the boiling pool and in the end we were afforded some time sitting in the warm waters. We both enjoyed the whole experience a lot, and weather meant we had the beach pretty much to ourselves which is always nice, even if we did have to endure some freezing rain and could only spend limited time on our hard won hole. In the end, we rewarded our early start and hard work with a full cooked breakfast and hot coffee to warm up. When travelling in New Zealand, it is impossible not to see the influence of the country's Maori population. From place names to bilingual signs and schools, the Maori language is evident, and many of the places we have visited have provided information on the uses of the diverse landscape by these early Polynesian settlers, and their legends and stories which for centuries were used transmit their unique tribal culture.
On today’s edition of ‘Impulsively Purchased Adrenaline Activities’, we have jet boating, and orbing. The former involved a shooting at about 80kmph down the Aratiatia rapids on the Waikato River (the longest river in New Zealand), through its narrowest sections, weaving between rocky outcrops and perilously sharp tree stumps, while the latter involved being rolled down a steep hill in an inflatable ball filled with water (we went in together so there was also a little bit of avoiding Joe’s flailing limbs). We booked and did our jet boating in Taupo (where incidentally they filmed the famous barrel scene from the second Hobbit film) before heading to Rotorua to orb. We also went on a Maori cultural experience evening (but this deserves it’s own post, so watch this space!).
We arrived in beautiful Taupo after following the lakeside road up from the South. After wandering around the town centre and stopping for a bite to eat, we headed to nearby river which had a naturally heated spring flowing into it. We sat in our swimsuits under the hot water as it cascaded down, and as it was natural, it didn’t cost us a penny to relax in! Afterwards we ended up on a popular freedom camping site right on the edge of the lake to cook dinner. In terms of finding information on campsites, we’ve been using our provided sat nav from the rental company that comes complete with Camper Mate. The app allows you to search for paid camping grounds, freedom camping areas (where you can stay for free usually as long as you have a certified self contained camper), local activities and services (like dump stations to clear waste and laundrettes for washing etc.). We’ve been using the app, the reviews helpfully left by other users, to find good spots to spend the night and to decide which activities and areas are worth stopping for on the road. Whilst a popular camping ground, our spot in Taupo was no where near full, with plenty of space for many campers as the light started to fade. Much to our surprise (and Alice’s horror), the occupants of a converted car decided to park about 5 feet away from the side of our camper (despite the ample space all around) and once there, decided to cook their dinner literally right outside the door we use to get into and out of our van! We could hear the occupants talking so clearly they sounded like they were sharing our camper with us, and every time they tried to cook, they kept walking into our door. Divine retribution occurred after roughly 4 hours seething (typical Brits sitting inside complaining but not actually daring to ask them to move over), when a patrol warden pulled up and started talking to them. It turns out these inconsiderate people had completely ignored the very clearly labelled signs which stated the area was for self contained vehicles only, and they were rightly booted off at 10pm! We don’t know if they received the $200 NZ fine they should have but it was karma enough for trapping us in our van for a few hours. The next day, the terrible wind had somewhat died down, and we were free to carry on our way across the North Island. Any fantasy fan worth their salt knows that New Zealand starred as much of the backdrop for Peter Jackson’s epic screen adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings series. It seemed only right that one of our first stops was to the patch of beech forest that housed the set of Rivendell, the home of… some of the elves from the books (I’m not going to pretend to have read them or to have even managed to stay awake through the films). The area includes a replica archway of that which starred on screen, providing ample photo opportunities, but be warned, if you visit expecting the site to look film ready, you will be disappointed. A lot of imagination is required, though helpfully there are information boards which show famous scenes and how they were filmed. Since our last dump update, we’ve moved again, this time taking the journey from the South Island to the North Island for the last two weeks of our time in New Zealand. Before heading on to the ferry, we stopped at Kaikora, a coastal town famous for it’s near resident sperm whales and many dolphins, seals and sea birds, which can be viewed from boat cruises or in more up close encounters mainly involving kayaking and snorkelling. The coastal road leading up to and away from the town is closed from 8:30pm to 7:30am, as teams of workers battle to restore and repair damage to the road and rail lines caused by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake which struck in November 2016. Our plans to whale watch were thwarted by a thick blanket of fog which blew in from the sea and completely obscured everything in its path, including the dramatic coastline itself! The weather had already led to the cancellation of all departing boats that day by the time we arrived, so instead we ordered a portion of chips from a local cafe, browsed some of the gift shops and parked up by the coast for a night of freedom camping.
Biting little devils that get fat sucking on your blood like tiny vampires. Avoid if possible, but easier said than done on the South Island.
After a crazy amount of driving ourselves around, when we got to Te Anau we made the decision to take a guided tour of what is sometimes affectionately called the 'eighth natural wonder of the world' - Milford Sound. We had heard some crazy stories about the dangers of the road into Milford and given the weather forecast (very rainy) and the fact we had driven so much, we decided to let someone else take charge so we could sit back, relax and fully appreciate the amazing landscape of Fiordland National park (apparently the second largest national park in the world). We paid $99 NZ (about £50ish) for small bus which took us the 3.5 hours down to Milford, including commentary from our guide Mark. The road was amazing (and steep in many places) and more than once we were glad we hadn't attempted the drive ourselves.
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Hi! We're Alice and Joseph, currently on a year long RTW trip :) Archives
September 2018
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