• Lizzy and Ashleigh

New Zealand

🇳🇿 New Zealand Okumaya devam et
  • Seal Colony & Wings Over Whales Kaikoura

    4 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Started the day with a costal drive to the Seal Colony. As we arrived in the car park we could see a seal on the broadwalk right next to the car park. He was sleeping there. We walked over some rocks and saw a family of seals. We saw some little seal pups they were very cute. Managed to get some good pictures on my Nikon camera. The waves were crashing up over the rocks and you could look out to sea and see the snowy mountains.

    After this we went to Kaikoura look out point. We could see more of the sea and mountain's. It was slightly overcast but the clouds were high.

    In the afternoon Ashleigh and I did a whale watching flight with the company Wings Over Whales. We first checked in and we had a safety talk and the pilot told us about the Whales in the waters of Kaikoura. The most common whale that we may see is the Sperm Whale.  He told us they are about 18 metres in length. They can dive down 2,000 metres deep. They usually go down for about 45 minutes and then come up for some air. They eat about 1 ton of squid and fish per day! The sperm whale is the third largest whale in the world.

    He told us sometimes you might be unlucky and not see any Whales. I didn't get my hopes up just incase. We got on a very small plane. We had headphones to put on and both got a window seat. We were both very excited. We had a beautiful view over the sea and mountains. After about 10 minutes we spotted a large sperm whale. I couldn't believe how big he was. It was amazing to see. The pilot swooped down so we could get a better view. We saw 2 more sperm whales after that coming up to get some air. It truly was an unforgettable experience!

    Late afternoon we drove to Blenheim. We arrived at the backpackers/holiday park. They wanted us to pay $10 per night for bedding and $1 per 5 minutes for a shower we couldn't believe it! And this was on top of the price we already paid for the room. It didn't say any of this when we booked it. We complained, left and got a refund.

    We managed to find a backpackers in town called Biddy Kates backpackers. Unfortunately there wasn't any availability for the 4 of us in one room only 3 in one room. So Ashleigh is staying in another room.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Aviation Museum & Wine Tour Blenheim

    5 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    This morning we went to Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. The museum had Sir Peter Jackson’s personal collection of WW1 aircraft and artefacts. Some scenes we saw of the aircraft recreated an incident that actually happened in the war. The detail was incredible.
    There was personal items belonging to national flying heroes such as the USA’s Eddie Rickenbacker, France’s René Fonck and Germany’s Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen and the infamous Hermann Goering.

    In the afternoon we did a wine tasting tour. It was just the four of us on the tour. We first went to Rock Ferry a small organic vineyard. We tried 5 different wines here. The first was a 2014 Riesling. Ashleigh enjoyed it but I didn't like the acidity aftertaste. We next had a 2019 sauvignon blanc. I enjoyed it, it was fruity, fresh and crisp. I also liked the 2016 pinot noir. I don't normally drink read but this was light and fruity. Unfortunately they don't sell there wine in shops only online.

    The next vineyard we went to was the famous Cloudy Bay. Their Sauvignon blanc was one of the best I've had. We tried a few other wines but this one stood out to me.

    The last vineyard we went to was Whitehaven. Whitehaven is a family owned business. We enjoyed our wine tasting here. Our favourite was their desert wine. It had lots of flavours and not too sweet.

    The wine tour also included going to Makana chocolate factory. You could smell the sweet chocolate as soon as you walked through the door. We could see them making the chocolate through the window. We tried butter chocolate crunch Macadamia and it was delicious. I had to buy some even though it was slightly expensive!
    Okumaya devam et

  • Drive to Picton

    6 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    This morning we checked out of the hostel just before 10. We had to drop the hire car off by 12 in Picton. We stopped of at Villa Maria vineyard on the way. Unfortunately it was closed for tasting but It waa nice to see the vineyards there.

    We then drove half an hour to Picton Ferry Port to drop of silver lining. It was sad to say goodbye to the car after travelling in her for 4 and a half weeks.

    Next we had a walk by picton Harbour. It's been sunny today and a little warm. I was in a t shirt and jeans for some of the day. Doesn't feel like winter here. We checked in to Tombstone backpackers where we stayed at the start of the trip because we loved it here. The couple that run it are lovely. The beds are comfortable and it's very clean and we get homemade scones for breakfast.

    We were sat in our room and a goat ran past. We were laughing because the owner was chasing after it and putting it back in its pen. It escaped a couple more times. He was very playful and kept jumping up at Ashleigh and wagging his tail. A bit like a dog really! In the evening we ended the day relaxing in the hot tub looking over at the hills of Picton and the bright full moon. Unfortunately a bit cloudy to see the stars.

    We didn't get to do the dolphin watching boat tour when we arrived in Picton so we've booked that for tomorrow afternoon.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Motuara Island & Dolphin watching tour

    7 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ 🌙 8 °C

    This morning we had a slow start. Had homemade scones for breakfast in the hostel. They were delicious. Ashleigh and I went for a walk around picton Town and looked in some shops in the morning.

    In the afternoon I went on a boat tour with the girls. Ashleigh didn't want to come as it was a little expensive. We started the tour at Picton Harbour with the company Eko Tours. It was a beautiful sunny day. We had lovely views of the sounds coming out of picton harbour. We sailed out for only about 10 minutes and then saw little blue penguins popping their heads up near the front of the boat. There were a few of them there swimming. The blue penguin is the smallest type of penguin just over 25cm tall and only found in New Zealand and Australia. I felt lucky to see these beautiful penguins, especially in their natural habitat.

    We also saw many birds. We saw some fluttering shearwater. They look like they were walking across the sea and make a fluttering sound. We also saw the rare King shag only about 800 of these birds and only found in New Zealand.

    We were also lucky enough to see a few Dusky Dolphins swimming underneath the boat and near are feet while we were sat on the edge. We saw them jumping out of the water. They loved swimming near us and being around us. I managed to spot them riding the waves at the front of the interislander ferry. It was a great sight to see. Dusky dolphins have virtually no beak, and their dorsal fin is not hooked and rather blunt. Dusky Dolphins are only in South America, New Zealand and off south western Africa.

    We also saw a few new zealand fur seals relaxing in the sun on the rocks. I'll attach a picture in tomorrow's blog as I can't attach more than 6 pictures a day and there were too many to choose from.

    We stopped at Motuara Island a bird sanctuary for a walk. We spotted the NZ wood pigeon and Black Robin here. We walked to a viewing point and had amazing views of the malbourough sounds and we could just about see the North Island. Late afternoon we cruised back in the sunset with a glass of wine. It was stunning!
    Okumaya devam et

  • Rough ferry crossing to Wellington

    8 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    This morning we packed our stuff. Just about managed to get everything in after accumulating a few more things during the south island trip. Spent the morning sorting out my photos and transferring them on to a memory stick from my phone.

    We walked over to the terminal building at 1pm to check in our bags. We got on to the ferry about 2pm after an hour the sea got really rough. We were in the cinema room and it was going up and down for 2 hours. It felt like i was on a roller coaster. I was beginning to feel very sea sick and normally I don't get sea sick. The captain did warn us it's going to be very rough. I went outside to get some fresh air and it was so windy and I was nearly falling over. I had to hold on to the rails. My glasses were falling off. I had to put them in my pocket. I came back in and just laid down. Luckily I wasn't sick but Kyra went to the bathroom and everyone was being sick in the sinks and toilets and near the front of the boat most people had sick bags. You couldn't even walk straight in the boat. It really was a rough ride, and we all couldn't wait to get back on land.

    The last half an hour was a bit smoother as we got closer to Wellington. I was glad to get off the ferry. We got an uber to our hostel Treck global and checked in to our 4 bed dorm. Everything seems clean and beds are comfortable. Having an early night today. Tired after the travelling.

    (See attached rough sea picture and some more pictures from the boat trip the day before)
    Okumaya devam et

  • Hike up Mount Victoria & Meal out

    9 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    This morning we walked over to the Beehive parliament unfortunately we had to book a tour to be able to look around. We booked one for tomorrow morning.
    Next we walked through the city and then hiked up to Mount Victoria Lookout. It was a little cloudy but we had 360 degree views of Wellington City, the harbour and the ocean to the South. We couldn't stay up there for long because it was very windy. Legend has it that Wellington harbour, originally a land-locked lake, was home to two large and very active taniwha (sea monsters). One taniwha forged a passage to the open sea creating the entrance to the harbour. The second, named Whataitai, tried a different route, became stranded and died. It is believed that Tangi-te keo (Mt Victoria) was named after the soul of Whataitai.

    In the evening we all went out for our last meal together. Conny, Ashleigh and I will be travelling on but Kyra will be staying in Wellington to find work. We went out for steak at Southern Cross . It came out on a hot stone so we had to cook it ourselves. Unfortunately the chips were cold by the time the steak cooked. Kyra complained and we got some more chips. They were hot this time and a we also got a drink on the house. We then went to a pub for a drink and watched a live band.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Parliament tour & Drive to New Plymouth

    10 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    We got up early and walked to the Beehive Parliament. We had a 30 minute guided tour inside. Unfortunately we couldn't take any photos inside. We got to walk in to the debating Chamber, banquet Hall and the press room. It was quite interesting. The chamber looked smaller than I thought it was going to be but still impressive. The Chair is the focus of the Chamber. The Speaker chairs meetings of the House of Representatives from this seat which was given to New Zealand by the British Parliament. There is a British coat-of-arms on the wall above the Chair that symbolises New Zealand's relationship with Great Britain. The chair was covered in Sheep's wool, very New Zealand!

    We got back about 12pm and went to apex to hire a car for our North Island road trip. We asked for a small hatchback the cheapest option. In the end they gave us a white Nissan Tilda, medium sized car. Its an old car with wooden interior and beige seats. We've named the car Roy. Can't complain though for only $126 between the 3 of us for 10 days!

    It took us a long 5 and a half hours to drive to New Plymouth. We got stuck in a bit of traffic along the way. When we were near New Plymouth I could already see Mount Taranaki. I couldn't believe how big it was. It was strange to see it on its own with no other mountains surrounding it. We checked in to our hostel Ariki backpackers this evening. Seems okay so far. Comfortable bed and reasonably clean bathrooms. We cooked spag bol this evening. Having an early night tonight ready for a hike to Mount Taranaki tomorow.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Hike to Mount Taranaki & Paritutu Rock

    11 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    This morning we went over to the i site to ask about hiking to Mount Taranaki. They recommended a 16km hike to the Pouakai Tarns pools where you can get a beautiful view of the Mountain and perfect reflection on the lake. They showed us the live camera up by the mountain and it looked pretty clear. It was sunny outside.

    We drove about half an hour to the carpark where we start the walk. Unfortunately it started to rain a little bit when we started the walk. But we were hoping if may clear up by the time we reached the top. We walked on Broadwalk up lots of steps in the forest. We were walking up steps for about 2 hours. It was beginning to get very muddy, wet and icy. It was never ending these steps. We decided to stop at Pouakai Hut to have our lunch and warm up a bit by the fire. We were all very wet. Next we walked to the Pouakai Tarns. More steps. It was getting very wet and muddy. After about 15 minutes we made it to the Mirror reflection lake. We were all disappointed we couldn't see a thing. Not even Mount Taranaki at all. It was completely covered in cloud and it was still raining. We decided to head back straight away. It was a slow wet climb back down. Legs were aching and we were all very wet. It took us about 5 hours in total.

    After this Conny and Ashleigh wanted to climb Paritutu rock as the weather was sunny and it supposed to be raining tomorrow on our last day here. I agreed but struggled a bit as there more steps to climb. Shortly after, the climb got more demanding and I needed both hands free to get myself up the side of ​Paritutu Rock. I had to scramble up the steep rock. There is a chain along side I could hold on to at times. When we made it up to the top the sun was setting and we had lovely views over New Plymouth City, Mount Taranaki in the distance but still mainly covered in cloud, back beach and the severn Sugar loaf islands. It was a great view from the top. Definitely worth the climb. It was only 15 minutes to the top of the rock but steep.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Exploring New Plymouth & Drive to Raglan

    12 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Unfortunately we woke up to another grey rainy day but we didn't let it ruin our plans. We first drove to Te Rewa Rewa Bridge. We were hoping the clouds will clear so we get a beautiful view of Mount Taranaki. Unfortunately we couldn't see it again but it was an interesting bridge to walk across. It looked like a breaking wave or a whale skeleton.

    Next we went to Pukerua Park. It had a beautiful waterfall, large lakes, fountains and bright red bridges. We walked through beautiful gardens.

    After this we went to Puke Ariki Museum. We learnt about the history of Taranaki life and the nature here in Taranaki. We then had lunch and drove to Raglan. It was a stunning costal drive there. We arrived in the evening and checked in to Raglan Backpackers. We have our own 3 bed dorm. It seems very relaxed here by the harbour with hammocks outside our room, jacuzzi and small sauna. It's also got a lounge with a fireplace. It's a very relaxed vibe here.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Bridal Viel Falls & Ngarunui Beach

    13 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    First day in Raglan and unfortunately it was raining. We thought if would be a perfect day to visit Bridal Viel Falls. We drove about 20 minutes to the start of the waterfall trail. It was a short walk. The first viewing platform was from the top. I couldn't believe how big the waterfall was. It really was impressive. We then walked down to the middle viewing platform (see first picture) and then down to the bottom viewing platform. The falls drop 55m from top to bottom. The water is cloudy due to run-off from farmland upstream of the waterfall. The pool at the bottom is 5 metres deep.

    After the walk Ashleigh and I had lunch in the hostel and then walked in to Raglan Town. We went to a small museum. There was a surfing exhibition. They had a collection of old surfboards. The museum also showed the history of Raglan.

    After this we drove to Ngaeunui beach. We saw quite a few surfers catching the waves. We walked along the black sand while the sun was setting. It was still a little grey but you could just about see the sun. We are hoping the weather improves tomorrow so we can go surfing.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Morning Yoga & Night time Canyoning

    14 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    This morning we woke early up to another grey, cold and wet day. We decided we would rather go surfing when the weather is nice. Conny and I had a yoga class booked for the morning. We walked over to the space yoga studio only a couple of minutes away. The class was only $10 for anyone staying at the hostel. I really enjoyed the class and I felt very relaxed afterwards. It was also good to stretch my aching muscles after all the walking we've done.

    We drove to Manu Bay and Whale Bay in the afternoon. We saw lots of surfers at both beaches. Luckily it had stopped raining but was still grey.

    In the evening we did night time Canyoning with Raglan Rock company. We got picked up at the hostel at 4pm. They drove us to get changed first in to a thick winter wetsuit with knee and elbow pads and also a wetsuit jacket on top. They gave us wetsuit socks and wellies to wear. We had to wear a helmet with a head torch. They drove us to near Karioi Canyon. They first showed us how we clip on and off the rope and some tips for abseiling.

    We first walked down to a river. We had to get in the river and walk through a narrow river with overgrown plants. You had to be careful as the rocks were slippery. We then had to crawl through a wet narrow tunnel. There was 2 so we all had to race another person. Unfortunately I wasn't as quick as one of the guys in the group, but it was still good fun! We walked through lots of rivers and over large rocks. We then came across the first waterfall. It was dark by then so we had to put on our head torches. I was feeling quite nervous to go off the edge of this waterfall in compete darkness. Ashleigh wasn't nervous at all just excited. They helped me attach myself to the rope. I slowly went down. Unfortunately I did fall over after getting over the first bit on the slippery rock . I thought I couldn't get back up again but I managed too. I abseiled my way down getting wet from the waterfall as I went down.

    After this we walked down slippery rocks and up and down small waterfalls. There was lots of walking involved and you had to watch where you put your feet. We then approached another waterfall to abseil down. I clipped myself on and abseiled down. I was a little more confident this time coming down. A bit scared but I did enjoy this one. I'm glad I did it as it was completely out of my comfort zone. I can now say I abseiled down a waterfall in the dark! What an experience.

    After more walking we came across a large waterfall and we turned our head torches off and you could see glowworms everywhere. It truly was magical!! You could even see the waterfall in the dark. There were other spots we could see them by the river but next to the waterfall was my favourite spot. We then had the option to climb a steep waterfall. The water was very powerful and our guide said if you don't normally go rock-climbing you may struggle to reach the top. I decided to opt out of this one. Ashleigh did it and he said it was very hard but he enjoyed it. I walked along a muddy cliff edge along a rope to the top of the waterfall to watch them climb up. After this we walked further along the river and over rocks and small waterfalls. My legs were beginning to feel tired. After we got out the river we had a short walk back to the car park. They dropped us off back at the hostel. I was glad to have a nice hot shower when we got back about 8.30pm. We had an early night after a busy day.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Long drive to Paihia in the heavy rain

    15 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    This morning we checked out the hostel at 10.30. We drove to pac n save in Auckland on the way to stock up on food. It rained all day. We stopped at Snell Beach cafe for lunch on the way. In was raining quite heavily on the last part of the drive and it was dark so it was hard to see the road. One road was closed because it was washed out. We finally arrived in Paihia at 6pm.

    We are staying with our friends Lisan and Quinten in Haka Lodge. The hostel is closed but they are staying there to look after the property. We are lucky we don't have to pay anything to stay. Its a lovely small hostel and has a homely feel. Didn't take any photos today because we were on the road all day and there wasn't anything exciting to see.
    Okumaya devam et

  • First day in Paihia☀️

    16 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    Today we had a chilled day. We walked along the beach at Paihia and arross the rocks. It was nice and warm! We were able to wear just a t shirt and jeans. We went out for a drink overlooking the Bay Of Islands. I had a vanilla milkshake and Ashleigh had a coffee. We relaxed in the evening.Okumaya devam et

  • Floods & Thunderstorms. What a night!

    17 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    It was raining most of the day today. So didn't do a lot during the day. We went to orange frog cafe. I had a quinoa, roasted veg and feta salad for lunch.

    In the evening around 6pm we offered to drop our friends off in Kerikeri as they had a work meal at the cruising club. It was hammering it down. There was a tree down on the road and the water was coming up to the bonnet. We had no idea there would be floods. I was thinking is this really a good idea... Going through these floods. The next roads weren't too bad so we drove on 40 minutes to Kerikeri to drop our friends off.

    We started to make our way back to Paihia. The road was closed both directions to Paihia so we waited an hour in the car park near the road in the hope it will open. We then went back to pick up our friends. The road was still closed and it was still hammering it down and thunder and lightning. We could hardly see the road. Some cars were washed away and some turned on their side.

    We rang some hotels but couldn't get through or they were all fully booked. It was now 11pm and we didn't have anything to eat. Only dominoes was open in Kerikeri so we had a pizza there. We then drove to the Kiwi farm that Quinten and Lisan worked at as they said we could stay there for the night..unfortunately when we arrived it was only a sofa we could sleep on but it was outside. So we slept in the car last night. It was a rough night. Didn't get much sleep. However we felt lucky we were safe and didn't get washed away.

    What a night!
    Okumaya devam et

  • Ferry over to Russell

    19 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We had a relaxing morning in because it was raining. In the afternoon we got a ferry over to Russell from Paihia. We had a walk by the sea and looked in an art gallery. We then had pizza at Hones Garden. It was delicious!Okumaya devam et

  • Day trip to Cape Reinga

    20 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    This morning we got up bright and early to drive to Cape Reinga 213km from Paihia. It took us about 3 hours to get there. We had a beautiful costal drive there and the sun started to come out.

    When we arrived at the car park we walked down to Cape Reinga Lighthouse. The sea was turquoise in some places. We had a beautiful view of the Tasman Sea meeting the Pacific Ocean in a spectacular swirl of currents.

    Next we drove down the road Tapotupotu Bay for lunch. (In the 4th and 5th picture) It was a stunning beach.

    Next we drove to 90 mile beach. A wide sand beach. Popular for driving on. The sand dunes there were so white. Unfortunately we couldn't drive on it with our car. Shame we didn't have silver lining!

    On the way back we stopped at Mangonui fish and chip shop. We sat in the restaurant overlooking the sunset in the harbour. What a great way to end the day!
    Okumaya devam et

  • Drive to Auckland

    21 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    This morning we left Haka Lodge around 10am. We had to drop the car in Auckland by 2pm. We checked in to YHA hostel to drop our bags off first. We had lunch back at the hostel and also checked out escape a Campervan rental company. They are doing a cheap deal at the moment so we might rent a campervan out for a week and drive down to the Corromandel.

    We had a coffee in Viaduct Basin harbour in the evening. Didn't take any picture's because we've been here before at the start of our trip.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Art Gallery, Bubble Waffles & Cinema

    22 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    This morning we went to Auckland Art Gallery. It was free entry. In the afternoon we went to HKS bubble waffle. I had a bubble waffle with vanilla icecream, brownie and salted caramel sauce. It was very yummy. Ashleigh had a a double chocolate bubble waffle. The waffles were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

    In the evening we went to see a trip to Greece a drama/ commedy with Steve Coogan and Rob Bruton. It was very funny. Definitely recommend it.

    We also said goodbye to our friend Conny who is catching a flight back home this evening to Germany. It was sad to say goodbye after being with Conny since January when we arrived in Taupo.
    Okumaya devam et

  • St Heliers Beach & Mission Bay

    23 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    This afternoon we catched a bus to St Heliers Beach. Unfortunately it was raining when we got there so we went for a coffee by the sea. Luckily it stopped so we went for a walk to mission Bay and then a long the sea front towards Auckland. It was nice to get out the city for a bit. We caught a bus back and relaxed in in the evening.Okumaya devam et

  • Ferry over to Half Moon Bay

    25 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Today we took a Ferry over to Half Moon Bay from Auckland ferry terminal. It took about 40 minutes to get there. It was raining when we got on the ferry but the sun did come out a bit when we arrived. Half moon bay had a lovely harbour there. We wanted to get fish and chips but unfortunately there wasn't anywhere to get some there. We enjoyed a steak pie and chips instead in a cafe.

    We then walked to Half moon bay beach. We walked along the Broadwalk by the harbour and sea and then we walked by the beach. The sun was beginning to set so we had a beautiful view at the beach and when we got on the ferry. It was nice to see Auckland at night coming in to the viaduct in the evening.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Coffee by the harbour & Meal out

    25 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    Today was more of a low key day. We went for a stroll down to the harbour and had a coffee outside. The sun came out at times which was nice. We also had a wonder around the shops and we've done some road trip planning.

    In the evening we met Ashleigh's friend Mike for a catch up. We went out for a burger and beer at Gourmet burger and brew kitchen.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Rugby. Blues vs Chiefs at Eden Park

    26 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    This morning we met Leanne for a catch up at remedy coffee in the centre of Auckland. In the afternoon we got a bus to Eden Park. We went to a pub first for some drinks. The pub was heaving before the game.

    We then walked on over to Eden Park Stadium. We got a drink before the game. It was a great atmosphere right from the start and it was pretty busy. The final score was 21-17 to the Blues. Unfortunately Chiefs lost. It was such a close game though and the chiefs had a great chance of winning. We still really enjoyed the game.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Day 1 of Corromandel Road Trip!

    27 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    We went to the Escape rental garage at 11:00am to pick up our Campervan. We were both very excited because we've never stayed in a Campervan together before. The campervans have all different designs on them. The one they gave us had birds on it and flowers. Parrots on one side and a kingfisher on the other. I love it! We didn't leave until 12:30 because it took about an hour for the lady to go through all the information, show us the campervan and sign the documents. We first stopped at Pac N Save for a food shop and also went to Warehouse for some candles for the van.

    After lunch we drove down to the Corromandel. Unfortunately we didn't get there until gone 5. The sun was setting. I looked online about a freedom camping spot at a car park but unfortunately the car park was closed. We couldn't find anyway to camp so rang up a holiday park nearby called Sunrise. Luckily they had a space for our campervan. It was $18 each. A bit pricey but we had no choice. At least we had a kitchen to cook in which was nice.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Sunrise @ Cathedral Cove/Hot Water Beach

    28 Temmuz 2020, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    This morning we got up at 6am got changed and drove in the dark to Cathedral Cove Carpark to do the 40 minute walk there for sunrise. We first saw a sign by the start of the track saying danger track closed. We went down another track that was open but led straight on to the closed track. We decided to take the risk and carry on. The track was absolutely fine all the way. Not sure why it was closed. It only took us 20 minutes as we walked quickly.

    The sun was beginning to come up when we arrived at Cathedral Cove. It was beautiful! When it first started coming up it was behind some clouds but they sky was stunning. As it rose up a bit more past the clouds we could see the sun better reflecting on the sea. The beach also had a small waterfall. We spent a while taking in the breathtaking view( see the first 2 photos)

    After this we drove back to the campsite . We had breakfast and asked the campsite if we could borrow 2 spades for Hot Water Beach as it said it was free on their website. When we arrived at Hot Water Beach we walked across a river going in to the sea and started digging unfortunately it was not hot. We walked over some rocks but couldn't see where we were supposed to dig. We asked them in the shop and they said it was high tide and you can only do it at low tide which was later around 5pm. We decided it will be worth it to come back.

    Next we went to Hahei Beach. It was a long stretch beach with pink sand. We were so lucky with the weather too as it was sunny. Ashleigh found a rope swing attached to a tree (see video) we had lunch in our campervan overlooking this beach.

    We went back to Hot Water Beach for 5pm. It was low tide luckily and it was obvious where we needed to dig to make ourselves our own hot pool as other people had already started digging there. Some of the sand we walked across was boiling hot it hurt your feet! We both started digging and straight away you could see the steam and feel the hot water. It was hard work but didn't take too long to do. We relaxed in our own hot pool while the sun came down. What a great experience! I didn't want to leave. We decided we couldn't stay too late as we needed to hand back the spades to the campsite.

    In the evening we drove to Corromandel Town. I found a Carpark on campermate app to freedom camp. There were 3 designated spaces for campervans. Luckily there were 2 free spaces. It took us about an hour and 20 mins to get there.
    Okumaya devam et