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New Zealand 2017
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New Zealand 2017

Looking for 42 tarafından 15 günlük bir macera Okumaya devam et
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    8 Nisan 2017
  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Blue Spring

    9 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    The Te Waihou Walkway and Blue Spring is about 4t minutes drive from Morrinsville. The short walk is immediately beautiful! There’s dairy cattle grazing in a paddock and a few hundred metres further we see the blue waters of the creek that leads to Blue Spring for the first time. The waters are impossibly clear. It looks shallow but is actually deep. The green plants look like tall trees that sway in the currents below the water. It’s mesmerising. At a constant 11’C it would make an incredible place to cool down in summer (though swimming is prohibited at the actual Blue Spring).Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Wairere Falls

    9 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Former Cyclone Debbie dumped so much water at Wairere Falls hat the falls are visible from miles away. My cousin tells us about a track to view the falls. It’s 45 minutes each way and has some steep sections. Sounds perfect so we turn off the road to take a short hike. The walk is pretty. The creek is flowing quickly and full of water. Each bridge across the raging torrents brings stunning views. Small rainbows form in a whisper of water slipping down a wall in long thin fingers.Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Hamilton Botanical Gardens

    10 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    The botanical gardens at Hamilton are simply stunning. There are multiple rooms, each with its own theme. No room is an afterthought, with each being an exceptional example of the style it represents. There’s a Japanese garden of reflection, a Chinese garden of scholars, a colourful Indian garden complete with slightly off-white buildings, a structural Italian Renaissance garden, a controlled jungle tropical garden, vegetable gardens, a traditional Maori vegetable and kumera garden, and a rose garden that must smell amazing in spring. Entry is still free though a donation is appreciated for the upkeep and further development of the property.Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Karangahake Gorge

    10 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We drive over to Waihi to walk in the Karangahake Gorge. I appreciate my cousin for her tour guiding and for driving us to so many places. Karangahake Gorge is 100km (62 miles) from Hamilton so it’s quite a long way. But it is worth the effort. The Gorge used to be part of a gold mining operation and evidence still abounds, such as a rotting rusty machinery, a railway line and swing bridge (which have been rebuilt of course). It’s difficult to imagine that this shrub filled place of beauty was once alive with the sights and sounds of sluices, draft horses hauling trolleys and men digging tunnels. Dust must have flown through the air and rock falls must have been common. We spend our time walking along the paths and through the dark tunnels taking in the natural scenery.Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Morrinsville to Oaonui

    11 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    The landscape of our drive is everything the New Zealand tourism board promises in their advertisements of this country. We start in the flat Waikato basin, passing dairy sheds, and black and white cows. It’s quite a contrast to our scruffy dry grasslands with brown beef castle at home. Almost imperceptibly we leave the Waikato basin behind at Awakino. We’re now on the rugged west coast with it’s sense of isolation.

    We stop in Mokau. The town is tiny but has a museum (the lady there calls it a treasure trove). The museum houses a vast array of historic stories both Maori and European. My favourite display is definitely the pianola, which still works. I’ve never seen  one in action before.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    New Plymouth

    12 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    New Plymouth is the largest town in this part of the Taranaki. It’s little more than a village but the distinction between city, town and village is broad here in New Zealand with its tiny national population. But an artistic village it

    There is an art gallery dedicated to Len Lys. He created the wind wand on the waterfront. It’s all modern art and I find it dull. Lots of empty space and random objects that someone has called art. I’m not sure that I agree that coloured rods scattered around the gallery is art. Each to their own. And the exterior of the building is worth visiting with it’s wave of mirror wall.

    Puke Ariki is nearby so I hop over there next while Paul walks. It’s drizzling so there’s no point staying outdoors. Puke Ariki is a large museum that covers local and natural history. We borrow a wheelchair so Paul can push me around and rest my hip. We learn about the natural history of Mt Taranaki, which developed and collapsed many times over thousands of years. The display of Maori history is respectful. I think about the stories we have heard from white people over the years about the relationships between Maori and European New Zealanders. There is much myth in the stories that Maori were not dispossessed, for the display we read at Puke Ariki clearly shows a tale of dispossession. Downstairs is a brilliant display about bugs. It’s aimed at children but we have fun there. We play a game about attracting bees to the garden and dress up in insect costumes.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Oaonui

    12 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Our Couch Surfing hosts live on a farm in the middle of nowhere. It’s quiet and Mt Taranaki watches over the area witih authority. Even half hidden in the clouds the mountain is a strong energy. We chat over a roast lamb dinner. I enjoy hearing the stories of our hosts who are true locals to the area. That’s why we Couch Surf, to meet new people.

    We visit Cape Egmont Lighthouse. The museum is only open during the weekend and today is Wednesday. But the drive along the coast road is eerie enough to keep us interested. Eerie because the beach is strewn with massive boulders that can only have come from a violent volcanic eruption. In the wind and drizzle it feels like this could happen again any time, even though the last eruption was in the 1750s. A dilapidated house just adds to the mystery.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Oaonui to Wanganui

    13 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    New Zealand is far more rural and isolated than I had anticipated. Red tin sheds and old houses dot the landscape.

    Stratford appears as if from nowhere. There are no distance signs in New Zealand to announce the approach of towns. An art gallery is the main attraction for the town. It’s a groovy place with some gorgeous pieces. We buy two pottery monks.

    Eltham is a short drive away. The art gallery is closed when we arrive so we walk through a nearby garden.  There’s a wall of toys accompanied by a faerie chapel and castle. It’s adorable. The toy wall and garden was created after a local found a toy on her garden and placed it on a wall in the garden. The toy garden grew as more people placed toys there. Today, the founder’s ashes are housed in the faerie chapel. The art gallery is open after our walk. It’s a lovely collection and we buy some prints.

    Our next stop is Hawera where there is another gallery and also an art school. The art world is in safe hands. We buy some paintings and the artist happens to be onsite. She signs the works.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Whanganui

    14 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We head up to the Whanganui River Road. We’ve heard it’s beautiful and the river is the town’s biggest draw card. The tip was true and the Whanganui River Road is a classic drive. Mind you, we don’t get far before a landslide blocks our path. More experienced locals or people driving 4WDs would get through. But I don’t want to be that tourist who took the wrong risk. So we turn around.

    This isn’t a bad thing though because Whanganui has so much to offer. The Bason Gardens were created as a labour of love by a local many years ago. It’s now a large botanical garden where families are taking picnics. We sit a while in a picturesque gazebo before exploring the conservatory and house garden. This is a place to take your kids to run, play and instill a love of plants.

    We follow the road down to the windswept black sand coast with it’s ever present tsunami warning signs. There’s no surfers today for the sea is brown with run off from the flooded rivers. However, there are two local men on quad bikes collecting drift wood.

    We drive back to Whanganui along country roads. We have no need to rush. We take a short walk along the beach at Castlecliff where the Whanganui River meets the sea. Green grasses blown in the increasingly strong winds. A long brown line extends across the sea about 400m  (1/4 mile) from the river mouth. Waves crash oddly where the force of the muddy river water meets the blue storm churned sea.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Raukawa Falls

    15 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Raukawa Falls are visible from the road. There’s a large apple tree next to the lookout but, unfortunately, we are unable to reach the remaining apples, which are meters off the ground. So we settle for enjoying the view.

    We are passed on our way north by about 60 Minis driving southward. The tiny low-slung cars hurtle around the twisting corners as though on tracks. Most are old classics with gaudy paint jobs that make the cars look even more fun. I suspect every Mini in New Zealand drives past us today.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Raetihi

    15 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Tiny Raetihi seems to be a sleepy town. The few shops in the main street seem to sell used goods, though there is an expensive art gallery that we browse. I get that artists take a lot of time to create their works, but I can’t see the value in paying $200 for a small photo mounted on canvas. AndI can’t help but wonder whether the artists or gallery actually ever make any money when they charge what Paul and I refer to as “artist prices”. We stop at the local church to take our own photos, rather than paying for someone else’s interpretation. It’s such a unique church for this part of the world and well located for photography. Even the views through the windows are pretty.Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Tongariro Mountain

    15 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    By the time we reach Mt Ruhapehu and Tongariro it’s late in the afternoon. Clouds block any views and drizzle is falling. There’s nothing to see so we leave Ruhapehu for another Kiwi adventure and drive to the start of the Tongariro Crossing hiking trail. Surprisingly, there are many tourists who have hiked in the bleak conditions and who are now waiting for bus transfers back to their hostels. I can’t understand hiking here in near white out conditions but each to their own. We’ll be back one day to see the volcanoes.Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Kinloch

    16 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    The views from the kitchen window of the batch we've rented are lovely. Paul and I discuss the stupidity of large houses when all a couple really need is this sort of space with a bed, lounge, bathroom and kitchen. Even this open plan building with its pretty views should be enough.

    To round out the day we enjoy the comfort of the Kinloch bach as afternoon turns to evening. I start a puzzle and we don’t put in the final piece until midnight has come and gone. It’s been a perfrct day.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Taupo

    16 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    We drive into Taupo, passing a giant bicycle that commemorates the annual Taupo cycling challenge. The lake is 160km in circumference and about 7,000 cyclists participate in the challenge to ride either 1/4 (40km), 1/2 (80km), 1 (160km), 2 (320km) or 4 (680km) laps of the lake, or to challenge themselves to one of the many MTB rides held at the same festival. It inspires me to plan some more long rides when I return home.

    We stop in town for cake and tea at Cafe 99. It’s a cute cafe.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Okere Falls

    17 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    As we drive to Tauranga we see a sign to Okere Falls. With all the rain we’ve experienced that sounds like a promising prospect.  And it is. The walk to the falls is relatively short. This used to be a place Europeans came to in the early days of tourism. And we still come. It is possible to book a rafting trip here or to watch the rafts descend the falls. But none appears to be departing for our viewing pleasure today. Possibly due to the high water levels after Cyclones Debbie and Cook. We explore the paths and walk down to a cave right near the base of one of the falls. Maori people used to hide in this cave to escape battles, particularly women, children and elderly who were not fighting. It’s loud in the cave as water rushes under the rock. Further down the path we come to a pool where water is churning a rope swing hangs from a tree. I wonder whether this is for rescue purposes or whether locals swim here. Surely the former I still more likely.Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Tauranga

    17 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Before long we are in Tauranga parking near a beach on a beautiful sunny day. It’s only about 21’C (70F) but feels like summer. It’s amazing how quickly the body adjusts to new surrounds. While we don’t swim we do take a short walk along a rocky outcrop to take in the views and watch the surfers riding waves. It feels good to be at a white sand beach again after the black sand ones we’ve been to. Somehow it feels more “normal” and safe. That’s silly because volcanic sand itself doesn’t make a beach more or less dangerous than any other. But still, black sand beaches feel somehow more dangerous. Probably due to the colour of the water and a perception of what could be lurking below the surface.Okumaya devam et

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  • Looking for 42New Zealand 2017Looking for 42

    Waihi

    18 Nisan 2017, Yeni Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We stop in Waihi to see the open cut gold mine. It’s ugly but worth a look. Unfortunately, we have an unpleasant incident with a museum. There is a small museum in town and another large one near the iSite. We chose the small museum and, after paying our $5 (each) entry fee are told it is being renovated and that many exhibits are missing. We should have asked for our money back at that point because only one exhibit is worthwhile  (a faux mining tunnel). We didn’t go to the big museum near the iSite because we didn’t see it until we were leaving town but it looked more modern from the outside..Okumaya devam et

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