Off to Kiwi Land

March 2025

A 15-day adventure by Travel with the Wicks Read more

List of countries

Australia
Canada
New Zealand

Categories

Bus, Culture, Group travel, Hiking, Photography, Sightseeing, Tours, Train, Vacation, Wildlife

31.0kkilometers traveled

Means of transport

Flight-kilometers
Walking-kilometers
Hiking-kilometers
Bicycle-kilometers
Motorbike-kilometers
Tuk Tuk-kilometers
Car-kilometers
Train-kilometers
Bus-kilometers
Camper-kilometers
Caravan-kilometers
4x4-kilometers
Swimming-kilometers
Paddling/Rowing-kilometers
Motorboat-kilometers
Sailing-kilometers
Houseboat-kilometers
Ferry-kilometers
Cruise ship-kilometers
Horse-kilometers
Skiing-kilometers
Hitchhiking-kilometers
Cable car-kilometers
Helicopter-kilometers
Barefoot-kilometers

Newest first

Footprints
Photos

Traveler Off to Kiwi Land
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- Friday, February 28, 2025 at 9:58 PM
- ☁️ 21 °C
- Altitude: 68 m
- New Zealand University of Auckland -36.849272, 174.76339736°50’57” S 174°45’48” E
Goodbye Austrailia hello New Zealand
February 28 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Up first thing this morning, left hotel with boxed brekkie in hand at 630am. Checked in, cruised through security and departure check-in; time for coffee and shopping duty free!
Set up comfortably in our usual spot in last row by the washrooms😀. We are flying with Qantas to Auckland on a B787. It is a pleasant flight that includes a meal. Dianne and I are both a little concerned about New Zealand customs, as in my experience, I have never gotten through without being scrutinized as well as X-rayed on arrival. We don’t have any food besides liquorice, but we do have vitamins. We get through customs via the express lane so I guess it was just me that looked suspicious in the past.
Our hotel is a casino in the centre of Auckland. We find it noisy as music can be heard in our room til around 2am.Read more
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- Day 1
- Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 8:50 AM
- ☁️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 14 m
- New Zealand Shoal Bay -36.797453, 174.76467836°47’51” S 174°45’53” E
Auckland
March 1 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Kiwis are generally proud of their home. Aucklanders have a reputation around the north and south isles of being so. Others refer to them as JAFAs meaning just another (friendly) Aucklander. There are 1.5 million Aucklanders in a country of just over 5 million. As you can see, it is a nice placeRead more
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- Day 1
- Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 12:44 PM
- ☁️ 25 °C
- Altitude: 76 m
- New Zealand Mount Hobson -36.860554, 174.77778636°51’38” S 174°46’40” E
Auckland Museum
March 1 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
As museums go, this one is alright. Good insight to the indigenous history as well as the European history. The big dinosaur bird thing is a Moa. Extinct now but was here when the Polynesians first arrived.Read more
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- Day 2
- Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 7:57 AM
- ⛅ 14 °C
- Altitude: 76 m
- New Zealand Kapongaru -38.260962, 175.10339538°15’39” S 175°6’12” E
Waitomo Caves
March 2 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
There are a series of caves to visit here. Our tour got tickets for the Glow Worm cave. Of course no photos were allowed in the cave as it might disturb the glow worms. The picture you see is of a postcard that they conveniently sell in the gift shop.Read more
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- Day 2
- Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 2:59 PM
- ☁️ 24 °C
- Altitude: 294 m
- New Zealand Rotorua -38.132601, 176.25097438°7’57” S 176°15’4” E
Te puia Thermal Reserve
March 2 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
This place is smokin’ hot. Not the air but the ground. Neither Dianne or I have ever seen a geyser before so this is a nice addition to our travels. The rocks around us are literally hot to touch.

The mud pools are too hot to soak in!Read more
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- Day 2
- Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 5:04 PM
- ☁️ 24 °C
- Altitude: 308 m
- New Zealand Pohutu geyser -38.164112, 176.25051938°9’51” S 176°15’2” E
Te Puia Cultural dance and art school
March 2 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Te Puia is the home to the Māori Arts and Crafts Institute. The tour guides, artisans and performers are from the indigenous community and I understand that the family as our guide Mr. T, referred to himself as, has been here for about 400 years. They took over the place from another Iwi or tribe as we know it. The dance is a Haku and it comes with the introduction of being a welcome dance. The welcome part is stressed a lot on the verbal introduction. You might have misinterpreted the dance as threatening as you can see from some of the pictures.

In their dance culturally the men stick theirs tongue out while the women bulge their eyes. Only the men get facial tattoos and the women get tattoos on their chin. Both represent status and you require permission from elders!Read more
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- Day 3
- Monday, March 3, 2025 at 8:49 AM
- ☁️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 361 m
- New Zealand Huka Falls -38.6497, 176.08944738°38’59” S 176°5’22” E
Rotorua to Wellington
March 3 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
A few pictures from the road trip.
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- Day 4
- Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 9:29 AM
- ☁️ 18 °C
- Altitude: 9 m
- New Zealand Thorndon -41.277378, 174.77743741°16’39” S 174°46’39” E
Wellington City Tour
March 4 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Wellington is the capitol of New Zealand and the parliament buildings were the first stop on todays tour. Next was the Lady Norwood Rose Garden where we took the opportunity to walk for a short time on the Waipiro bush walk.Read more
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- Day 4
- Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 10:20 AM
- ☁️ 19 °C
- Altitude: 176 m
- New Zealand Mount Victoria -41.296105, 174.7942841°17’46” S 174°47’39” E
Mt Victoria Summit
March 4 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Nice 360 degree view of Wellington from up here. The runway is 6800 feet.
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- Day 4
- Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 11:42 AM
- ☁️ 18 °C
- Altitude: 95 m
- New Zealand Seddon -41.675793, 174.07319641°40’33” S 174°4’24” E
Wellington Museum
March 4 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
We had an excellent guide at the Wellington Museum. He married a Canadian girl from Vancouver island and his mother in law told him to be extra friendly with Canucks. He was. The museum seemed to be equally dedicated to the indigenous history as well as European influence. One wing of the museum is dedicated to the action of New Zealand soldiers in Gallipoli.Read more
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