Kia Ora - Aotearoa

November - Dezember 2023

Ein 31-Tage Abenteuer von Janette and John Weiterlesen

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31Tage
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Janette and John Kia Ora - Aotearoa
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- 12.12.2023
- 🌬 19 °C
- Höhe über NN: 63 m
- Neuseeland Auckland Mechanics Bay Auckland Port -36.845577, 174.76556436°50’44” S 174°45’56” E
Tag 28
Kia Ora - see you next time eh?
12. Dezember 2023 in Neuseeland ⋅ 🌬 19 °C
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Janette and John Kia Ora - Aotearoa
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- 11.12.2023, 08:21
- ⛅ 16 °C
- Höhe über NN: 19 m
- Neuseeland Auckland Point Chevalier Point Chevalier Beach -36.862034, 174.70184336°51’43” S 174°42’7” E
Tag 27
One extra day.
11. Dezember 2023 in Neuseeland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
One full day remaining in Auckland on our own. Decided to buy a day ticket for the hop on - hop off bus.

We decided our first stop should be the zoo. As we approached the zoo bus stop, the commentary on the bus explained that from there it was possible to walk through a park to the next bus stop. We decided that's what we would do.

After a walk around the zoo and a coffee, we headed out to the park next door and navigated our way to the next stop.

Next was to be lunch at Verde Cafe in the suburb of Parnell, a village with trendy boutiques, galleries and cafes.

Back on the bus, we completed the loop and alighted one stop past our boarding point, the Art Gallery. From here, it was just a short walk back to our hotel.

For dinner, we walked around the corner to a cobbled laneway that once housed stables, and had a wine and a pizza.

Tomorrow at 7am we will be met and taken to the airport for the trip home…Weiterlesen
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Janette and John Kia Ora - Aotearoa
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- 10.12.2023, 11:00
- ☁️ 19 °C
- Höhe über NN: 15 m
- Neuseeland Northland Whangarei Morningside Tarewa -35.731991, 174.30952535°43’55” S 174°18’34” E
Tag 26
Final tour day
10. Dezember 2023 in Neuseeland ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
It's all over bar the shouting as 'they' say. Today we needed to drive from Paihia, Bay of Islands to Auckland to arrive at the Crowne Plaza about midday.

A short detour at the start took us to Waitangi, where the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed and then we headed south.

On the way we stopped at Whangarei Basin for a comfort stop. We had a coffee and a pit stop. Tim told us that over the last few years this area has become quite trendy.

On arrival back at the Crowne Plaza, those flying home today stayed on the coach. Those of us staying longer gathered our bags for the last time and headed in to check in again - in our case for two more nights.

After lunch in the food court, we headed for the Sky Tower - it cost a lot of money for Janette to be terrified when really all it took was a ride in the hotel elevator.

Found a little Indian restaurant just around the corner for dinner.Weiterlesen
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Janette and John Kia Ora - Aotearoa
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- 09.12.2023, 13:14
- ☁️ 21 °C
- Höhe über NN: 10 m
- Neuseeland Northland Far-North-Distrikt Russell Tahapuke Bay -35.263916, 174.12176535°15’50” S 174°7’18” E
Tag 25
Russell
9. Dezember 2023 in Neuseeland ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
After our cruise around the Bay of Islands we could elect to go back to the hotel or take a stopover at Russell on another island and make our own way back by ferry later in the day. I decided to take the stopover whilst John needed to rest up a bit. Trish and Paul also took the stopover at Russell - a lovely little historic seaside village.

A walk along the foreshore known as “The Strand” revealed beautiful old homes and commercial buildings as well as small museums and places of historical interest. Along the roadside were a couple of huge old Morton Bay Fig trees. The street was also lined with New Zealand Christmas trees all out in bloom - beautiful.

Russell holds an important place in New Zealand’s history, being the country’s first seaport, its first European settlement, and New Zealand’s first capital was in nearby Okiato.

New Zealand’s first licensed hotel is located on the foreshore and is still called ‘The Duke of Marlborough’. It is a beautiful old weatherboard building with antique dining furniture.

They had a busy lunch trade whilst we were there and were setting up for a wedding.

Paul, Trish and I had a snack in a waterside cafe before catching the ferry back to base at Paihia.Weiterlesen
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Janette and John Kia Ora - Aotearoa
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- 09.12.2023, 09:56
- ☀️ 17 °C
- Höhe über NN: Meereshöhe
- Neuseeland Auckland Mahenotapuku (Bird Rock)-35.15699, 174.3110235°9’25” S 174°18’40” E
Tag 25
Hole in the Rock cruise.
9. Dezember 2023 in Neuseeland ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
The morning today was taken up with a Cruise on the Bay of Islands to the Hole in the Rock.

There are 144 islands in the bay. To qualify as an island it has to be above the waterline and have some vegetation, otherwise it is a rock.

We had lovely weather, calm seas and sunshine. The Hole in the Rock was our furthest point and it looked spectacular. To my surprise we actually went through it and further around this rock, we went into a cave.

As we headed back, we were let ashore on Urupukapuka Island for an hour. This island has a cafe right on a beach so we had coffee and a sandwich.

Back on board, we headed back to Russell where it was possible to disembark and later get a ferry back to Paihia.

We hadn’t really gone far when it was noticed that some bottlenose dolphins were approaching. It was such a good photo op that most of us had taken enough photos and we just watched them.

Time pressures meant we had to leave them and head back.

Tonight was our farewell dinner as tomorrow we end the tour in Aukland.Weiterlesen
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Janette and John Kia Ora - Aotearoa
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- 08.12.2023, 13:19
- ☀️ 22 °C
- Höhe über NN: 48 m
- Neuseeland Auckland Warkworth Mahurangi River -36.396984, 174.66053836°23’49” S 174°39’38” E
Tag 24
North from Auckland.
8. Dezember 2023 in Neuseeland ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
First on the agenda, a bus tour around Auckland. There is a memorial to New Zealand's first Labour Prime Minister, Michael Joseph Savage, at Bastion Point, overlooking Waitemata Harbour.

Savage was born in Tatong, Victoria, Australia.

Next, the Domain, a coffee and a look at the hothouses.

On the way to lunch, we visited the Parry Kauri Park with its two massive old Kauri trees. The 'Simpson Kauri' is 600 years old and the 'McKinney Kauri' is 800 years old.

We lunched in Warkworth and then headed for Whangarei Falls.

Back on board for the last time today to drive to Paihia at the Bay of Islands.Weiterlesen
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Janette and John Kia Ora - Aotearoa
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- 07.12.2023, 13:57
- ⛅ 20 °C
- Höhe über NN: 37 m
- Neuseeland Auckland Newton Freemans Bay -36.845673, 174.76426736°50’44” S 174°45’51” E
Tag 23
Weta Workshop Experience
7. Dezember 2023 in Neuseeland ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
The Weta workshop is a fantastic example of the moviemakers creativity. It guides you through examples of horror films, “Fauna", sci-fi “Origin” and fantasy “Age of the Ever Clan”.

We experienced the making of props, suits of armour and weapons, animatronic action and a dose of the brilliant film footage that they produce.

And wonderfully convenient, opposite our hotel and up the escalatorWeiterlesen
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Janette and John Kia Ora - Aotearoa
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- 07.12.2023, 13:44
- ⛅ 19 °C
- Höhe über NN: 19 m
- Neuseeland Auckland Northcote Point Stoke Point -36.82655, 174.74981736°49’36” S 174°44’59” E
Tag 23
Auckland.
7. Dezember 2023 in Neuseeland ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Travelled from Rotorua to Auckland arriving about midday. Checked into the Crowne Plaza, had a quick snack in the foodcourt and got back on the bus to go down to the quay. We had elected to have a cruise in a sailing ship on Auckland Harbour.

On return we walked through the Maritime Museum, also quayside.

We walked back to the hotel along Queen St.

Dinner tonight was in the hotel.Weiterlesen
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Janette and John Kia Ora - Aotearoa
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- 06.12.2023, 10:19
- ☁️ 17 °C
- Höhe über NN: 149 m
- Neuseeland Auckland Mangapapa Stream -37.857269, 175.68086237°51’26” S 175°40’51” E
Tag 22
Hobbiton
6. Dezember 2023 in Neuseeland ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
The Hobbiton Movie Set is a significant location used for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and The Hobbit film trilogy, serving as a stand-in for the town of Hobbiton in the Shire in both trilogies. It is situated on a family-run farm about 8 kilometres west of Hinuera and 10 kilometres southwest of Matamata, in Waikato, New Zealand, and is now a Tolkien tourism destination, offering a guided tour of the set.

Hobbiton is part of the movie set for The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. The experience includes a nice drive in the countryside, a guided tour of the movie set and the village and a sumptuous buffet lunch with a local beer 🍺.

Luckily we were there shortly after the new "Hobbit holes" were opened. The experience now includes a tour of "houses" A masterpiece of set design and construction.Weiterlesen
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Janette and John Kia Ora - Aotearoa
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- 06.12.2023, 06:07
- ☁️ 11 °C
- Höhe über NN: 275 m
- Neuseeland Bay of Plenty Rotorua District Ohinemutu Rocky Point -38.138551, 176.25689638°8’19” S 176°15’25” E
Tag 22
Rotorua.
6. Dezember 2023 in Neuseeland ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
Unfortunately John had to visit a doctor to get some treatment for an ear infection this morning. Paul opted for a “Hobbit” experience and so Trish and I headed off on the Thermal Tour of the boiling mud pools, colourful hot springs, followed by a visit to a geyser.
The mud pools were very hot and it was amazing to see the mud bubbling up from the earth. Really convenient cooking facility for early Maori.
The hot springs were colourful due to the different minerals in the various springs. The yellow / lime green colour was produced by sulphur. Some pools had multiple colours.
We had walked down a significant way when we were told there was a bus waiting to take us back to the top as we had to go to see the geyser eruption. Phew - we were quite pleased not to have to undertake the mountain climb back.
Off to the geyser which erupted on cue thanks to a very entertaining Maori chap who added soap powder to create a chemical reaction which sped up the process.
We saw a mural done of a view before the 1917 “Frying Pan Flat Explosion”. Prior to this event there was a hotel on the site and guests would walk down a path to view the Waimangu Geyser. You can now look at a very different view. Hotel, footpaths and vegetation were all destroyed by this explosion.
Mother nature is truly awe inspiring.Weiterlesen
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