Adventures in New Zealand

January 2018 - April 2024

An open-ended adventure by Theresa Read more

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Traveler Adventures in New Zealand
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- Feb 1, 2018, 2:00am
- ⛅ 22 °C
- Altitude: 11 m
- New Zealand Auckland Point Resolution Mechanics Bay -36.8506, 174.7771336°51’2” S 174°46’38” E
Day 2
New Zealand
February 1, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
So we land in New Zealand, and what's the first thing that happens on our adventure? I get done for 'smuggling' an apple through customs- long story short given it (29th) on airplane from HR put it in a bag and forgot about it. Skip forward to the 1st and 3 days no decent sleep & 01.30am not really thinking straight although a $400 fine soon woke me up.

So strong coffee and loads of tissues (for me) later and Colin had written letter of appeal instead of our plan on trying to nap on airport floor.

Best part of day was seeing christy (with Laura & Franklin) waiting for us at the airport. We went off for an amazing brekky before being taken to our Airbnb where we grabbed a short nap before exploring the area of raumati.

Popped into bev and daves in the evening which surprisingly is just in next road to gillians. We only stayed a short while as could barely keep eyes open, but we met Susan bridesmaid and bestman daves Bro and had bite to eat.Read more
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- Feb 2, 2018, 10:00am
- ⛅ 18 °C
- Altitude: 11 m
- New Zealand Wellington Kapiti Coast District Paraparaumu Beach Paraparaumu Airport -40.91912, 174.9807540°55’9” S 174°58’51” E
Day 3
New Zealand
February 2, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
We chose an ace of an Airbnb hosted by Gillian, who was lovely and we felt at home in no time at all.

Christy picked us up and took us on a quick tour of welly. First stop was Ta Papa museum where we saw an excellent display about Gallipoli, with huge lifelike models made by Weta studios would have loved to spent longer at the museum but we wanted to see a bit of the city before we headed back to get ready for evening meal with the wedding guests.

So great seeing Bro. Zoey and hope again. A lovely Thai meal was followed by few drinks at the boundary tap before a chilly walk home.Read more
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- Feb 3, 2018
- ⛅ 16 °C
- Altitude: 10 m
- New Zealand Wellington Kapiti Coast District Paraparaumu Beach Paraparaumu Airport -40.91833, 174.9803540°55’6” S 174°58’49” E
Day 4
Wedding 1920 style
February 3, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
The reason we decided to come to NZ our friend bevs wedding. After the appalling rain the day before the wedding day was bright and sunny. Held on the beach side decorated by the talented bev herself. Then onto the Boundary Tap for the reception... Where too many drinks were had... Is there such a thing as too many?Read more
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- Feb 4, 2018
- ☀️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 118 m
- New Zealand Wellington Masterton -40.94424, 175.650140°56’39” S 175°39’0” E
Day 5
Niece's pad
February 4, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Off to visit Hope and Mike today. Bit of long journey but nice way to see the area. Went through one if the prettiest towns I've ever seen called Grey Town would been nice to stopped but no time.

Hope has by far the biggest dog I've ever seen, I've ridden horses smaller. And slobber yuk. Lots of it. So glad I took my waterproof gear.

Ended the evening with Colin and I having a Maylasian meal nice but very expensive.Read more
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- Feb 5, 2018, 7:35pm
- ☀️ 16 °C
- Altitude: 811 m
- New Zealand Manawatu-Wanganui Ruapehu District Waiouru Ngamatea Swamp -39.48075, 175.6706839°28’51” S 175°40’14” E
Day 6
Off we go..... Or maybe not?
February 5, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
So we start our journey from welly up to the North. Didn't start well, OH taken wrong out of date driving licence all I could hear was "sorry sir you can't drive on tht" now at tht moment in time I had two choices thump the hell out of him (he had two jobs 1. Passport 2. Drivers licence, no way could I do all the driving) Or cry.i decided cry n swear was best optioned. Once calmed down a thought came to me "can you not use his international drivers license" yes they could, why on earth he didn't think of this n just left it for me to sort out I don't know.

So arrived at daughters to pick her n her friend up to find due to an accident we couldn't get out of welly. Great start.

So off to supermarket stocked up. And waited for road to open. Van is a 7m (bigger than we use to) n slow, very slow. But it had quite bit of room inside, we hoped as yet to unpack.

Made it as far as national army museum wanted to get further but I was hungry, tired and wanted to get the bags unpacked. Nice freedom site. No open toilet but fantastic views n security.

Waiting for tea to be cooked by Laura... Off to get beer out now.Read more
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- Feb 6, 2018, 1:13pm
- ⛅ 3 °C
- Altitude: 23 m
- England Harrow Pinner 51.5833, -0.383351°34’60” N 0°22’60” W
Day 7
Spring day.
February 6, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C
We woke after a brilliant night's sleep to really miserable grey wet cold day... Just ripe for a day of outside activity. Luckily as we headed north the sun shone.

We passed mount doom with rainbow near it and made way to lake taupo where we had brilliant breakfast of different types of beans n egg cooked by our chef Laura.

After that we headed for huka falls, beautiful but very busy so whistle stop then headed for wai o tapu, this was brilliant so beautiful but so deadly. Its amazing to think that is the kind thing that is under the earth.

We eventually met up with our friend Tim, who kept receiving messages of the next meeting place but as he'd not caught up we kept moving on. It was great seeing him again.

So then it was off to luge. Birthday day pressie from daughter to me n Colin. Brilliant fun, until lap 3 christy badly crashed n Colin got caught in crossfire with her cart flying into him. Resulted in bruises for christy, nasty cuts for Colin, cracked screen for Tim as it was in christy bag, however, every cloud and all that meant i came 3rd instead of last.

We were exhausted by evening, thankfully Tim found us a great overnight spot by side rotura LakeRead more
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- Feb 7, 2018, 6:45pm
- ☀️ 21 °C
- Altitude: 11 m
- New Zealand Bay of Plenty Tauranga City Papamoa Beach -37.69646, 176.2859437°41’47” S 176°17’9” E
Day 8
To the beach
February 7, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Breakfast at our overnight carpark camp site was nice would hav been nicer without the sulphur smells but you can't hav everything. Christy n Colin showered in the oilly smelly lake.

Made way to tauranga to the beach.... Along two toll roads which didn't even take us to beach! Do wish companies would update their sat nav.

Eventually got there in pm to brilliant sunshine. Chairs out. Beer and kindle in hand I sat to some relaxed reading and promptly feel asleep. The others gone on beach swimming in the surf.

Very chilled pm, with more beers n cheese n biscuits.Read more
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- Feb 8, 2018, 3:00pm
- ☀️ 23 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- New Zealand Bay of Plenty Tauranga City Mount Maunganui Cutter Channel -37.64307, 176.1718337°38’35” S 176°10’19” E
Day 9
Mountain high.
February 8, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Left the beach late morning to go hiking up mount maunganui... Ok so it wasn't high, but to this unfit old person it bloody was. Note made more exercise when back home.

Nice views from top but it was no lions heads in SA.

Then made our way to matamata for hobbiton tomorrowRead more
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- Feb 9, 2018, 5:51pm
- 🌧 18 °C
- Altitude: 44 m
- New Zealand Waikato Matamata -37.80704, 175.7875437°48’25” S 175°47’15” E
Day 10
Frodo n Co
February 9, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 18 °C
Stayed in a great low cost site tower museum $12 with electric.

Hobbiton was great. Yes very commercial but what a business for the farming family the Alexander's. Unfortunately it poured down, but it didn't spoil the day. The houses are just props really only goin back about metre. Inside scenes were filmed in welly. But it was great recognising areas in the film. Including Sam wise house.

Tour ended in the green dragon where you're given a drink.. We all had the cider which I'm sure tasted better from the hobbit mug.

Actually l lied as the tour ended in the gift shop... This time I bought some things namely my traditional mug tht I purchase on my travels.

Afterwards made a very long hour journey (you would think hire comp would ensure their sat nav are up to date?) towards waitomo for tomorrow cave trip.Read more
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- Feb 10, 2018
- ☀️ 23 °C
- Altitude: 61 m
- New Zealand Waikato Waitomo District Waitomo Caves Kapongaru -38.2595, 175.114238°15’34” S 175°6’51” E
Day 11
The upside down
February 10, 2018 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Stayed in another amazing freedom site called roselands. In the woods at the back there were glowworms, i kept popping out tryin to see when they were coming out, by 21.00 I got Colin to come n see them as there were a few more then. It was very slippery in the woods n of course I fell n got muddy.

Another dreadfully wet day but for once it didn't matter too much as we were going down under.

Off for caving and tubing. It was amazing I've never seen anything like this before. I descended the 7m ladder first so was down there on my own for period. I turned my torch off and could see glowworms shining thr the darkness.

We waded thr runny water. Water we couldn't touch the ground. On inner tubes... Let's just say I'm not a natural on tht part. We swam and we went fast down pinball ally. It was brilliant but my god I was really tired afterwards.Read more
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