Today was pretty much a day of travelling. We left Kaikoura at 9.30 and then had a quick stop along the peninsula to have a look at the seal colony that lives there and then, bar a quick toilet stop, we drove to Picton.
We had to wait around for an hour before we could board the ferry and then had a 3 hour crossing to Wellington in the North Island. The plus side of being at the terminal so early was that we were some of the first on to the ferry and as we got seats right at the front by the massive window. Spent the whole journey reading and looking out of the window. When we got to the port we had to wait for ages for the boat in there already to leave and once we'd docked the gangway wouldn't link up properly with the ferry so we had to wait (again) until all the cars had been unloaded and then leave through the cr area. We then had to re board a kiwi experience bus for the short drive to the hostel. We didn't arrive at the hostel until 6.30; 9 hours after we'd originally set off!
We went out for a few drinks in the evening. Had a lot of evening recently that have involved staying in and reading or watching tv so it was good to get out for a change.
Day 165: Wellington
I got up in the morning and took the bus to the Weta Caves. This is an area that was set up by Weta Studios, the people behind the special effects and props for Lord of the Rings, Narnia, District 9 and many more films.
The tour started with a half an hour long video showing how the company was founded, how their involvement with Peter Jackson was started and the sorts of things they do.
Next we were taken around a room to look and how the props are designed and made. Apparently there are just warehouses and warehouses full of props, designs and lots of things that were never even used. It was a really cool tour. So interesting! I knew a lot of work went into all this stuff behind the scenes in movies but when you see a design for a gun labelled as '#654' you realise just how much work!
I got the bus back into the city and went for a walk along Oriental Parade around to the end of the bay. I think I must have been there at the Same time as the entire of Wellington was going for a run hour over their lunch break. It seemed like the entire of Wellington was out in force running around the bay by the waterfront and all of then in the opposite direction to where I was walking!
I had lunch and then climbed up to the top of the lookout at Mount Vic. It was an absolutely stunning 360degree view of the city and the weather was perfect. Wellington wasn't windy for a change. I found a nice spot in the sunshine on the grass to lie and sunbath whilst listening to everyone on the lookout pointing out all the interesting places to their friends. So many people of the people there were British Expats and where showing their UK friends who'd come to visit the sights of the city.
I stayed up there for about 2&1/2 hours until the breeze picked up a bit. I got back to the hostel and showered and then went to the Summer market with the Danish girl in my room. I think we were both expecting a big market from what we'd read about it and were pretty disappointed that it was only about 5 stalls and then 5 food stalls. We had a really nice Chinese noodles and watched the rock and roll dance lesson that was going on and then listened to the rock and roll band that came on afterwards. There was a guy in his 70s or 80s who had some amazing moves!
We then walked to the San Fran Bath House on the trendy Cuba Street to watch Heat 3 of the Wellington Raw Comedy search. Luckily most of the acts where really good! There was one poor guy who just seemed so awkward to be doing it on stage and kept having to look at his hand to where he'd written the jokes he was using. And there was a women who I'm sure was really funny (everyone else in the bar was laughing) but they were all NZ political jokes so completely lost on us!
Day 166: Taupo
Had a long drive today. We were doing in one go what we did in two journeys on the way South. We stopped in Bulls again to get coffee and we pulled over to take some photos of the volcanoes and to stretch our legs but other than that we pretty much drove straight from Wellington through to Taupo.
We got to Taupo and I went back to my favourite spot... The free hot springs! One of the girls off the bus hadn't been before and I was more than happy to show her the way and soak my muscles for an hour and then dry off in the sunshine for another two hours!
When we got back in the evening I had the chilli that the hostel was making as it was really cheap, I didn't have to cook and it turned out to be really tasty! We spent the evening playing card games and then Jumbling Towers (New Zealand seems to have renamed Jenga!) for over an hour. We were getting pretty good and had some elaborate constructions that I'm not too sure how they didn't fall over.
And then I heard an unforgettable laugh! It was Steph, one of the girls I'd meet on the trip from Bangkok to Singapore and there she was cooking dinner in the same hostel as me. I didn't even know she was in New Zealand, let alone the same town and let alone the same hostel! We spent the next 4 hours catching up which was absolutely lovely.
Day 167: Auckland
We left Taupo and headed north back towards Auckland. We stopped in Roturua just to pick a few people up and then stopped at some mud pools to stretch our legs and have a look at the bubbling mud. The volcanic activity today must have been big today as it was really spewing out mud high into the air. We stopped here on the way down (all those weeks ago) and then there were only a few little bubbles.
Our next stop was at Matamata for lunch. It's a pretty unremarkable town except that it's the closest town to the field Peter Jackson used to build Hobbiton and it milks that connection for all it's worth! The information centre is Bag End, all the shops have middle earth names and there's a welcome to Hobbiton sign, rather than Matamata!
The Information centre
Hobbiton!
After checking in I wandered up to Albert Park with the Irish people I went out in Wellington with and enjoyed the sunshine. We walked back to the hostel, had dinner and then went to Eden Park to watch the Auckland Blues play the Dunedin Highlanders. The first half was really good but the second half was much slower as it was stop start stop start the whole time.
Day 168: Paihia, Bay of Islands
We had a super early pickup this morning. I could still see all the stars whilst I was waiting at the bus stop, it was that early! For a lot of people, Paihia is thee first destination so the bus stop was a lot more chatty than usual!
We drove pretty much straight up north to Paihia after leaving Auckland arriving at Paihia in time for lunch. After eating lunch, we walked down to the wharf and sat on a sun lounger whilst we waited for our boat check in. By the wharf area there was a free piano people could play and so we sat listening to this old guy play who had brought his own sheet music with him!
I then took a boat trip out into the Bay to see the other islands, the hole in the rock and hopefully some dolphins. I'd just booked a boat and when we got to te wharf it turned out that that was the boat trip I'd been on with my parents 4 years ago but it had been too choppy to go through the hole. Luckily the weather was amazing and the sea was so calm. Pretty much as soon as we got out we saw a pod of dolphins jumping and playing in the waves. They were so inquisitive coming right up to the boat. It was so cool having a mum and her calf right at our feet. It was such a shame to leave them when they moved into a shallower area that the boat couldn't go into.
We then carried on our journey through to the hole on the rock. As it was so calm we were able to go through it. Maori used to go through it before battles and if you were dripped on then you'd have good luck.
The hole in the rock - our boat fitted through that gap!
After coming out the other side we were sailed to one of the islands and we were dropped off and allowed to wander around. It was a very small island so we jut walked up to the top of the hill to get a good overview of the islands.
On the way back we got off the boat in Russell, a quaint little town that takes about a minute to walk the length of. Russell is now known as romantic Russell but originally it was known as the hell hole of the pacific. It was a whaling station that had a bad reputation and missionaries were sent out to try and sort it but they were shocked when then got there so decided to settle across the bay. They asked a local Mario 'Pai (good) here?' and the word here got corrupted giving Paihia it's name.
Spent the evening hanging out at Pipi Patch bar attached to the hostel with my new friends.
Day 169: Cape Reianga trip
I was up so early this morning that I could see the stars whilst I was eating my breakfast. Why do buses have to be here so early! We then had the craziest bus pick up schedule. It drove to 10m next door and then to the hotel next door to that to pick people up. Why they didn't just pick one hostel and get us to all meet there I don't know. They length of the road would have taken me a minute to walk, it would not have been a pain to meet at one.
Our first stop was at Manginangina walkway, a board walk through the ancient Kauri trees built for the Queen when she visited. The Queen only decided to walk 15 or so steps along the walk before going home so missed out on all the massive trees.
We then drove up to Cape Reinga. This is where the Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman sea and in Maori legend is the place spirit go before the pass into the after life. It wa pretty call walking out the the lighthouse and seeing the waves crashing in from two completely different angles.
We sat on a lovely beach for lunch and I went for a post lunch paddle. I'm not sure how I'm going to cope in September when Monday lunchtimes will be spent in the canteen for lunch rather than on a beach!
We then took off, driving down a stream in our off road coach to Te Paki sanddunes where we got the sand boards out of the boot and sand boarded down the dunes. It was so much fun, especially as at the bottom you skimmed across the surface of the stream. I was about to go up for a forth go when one of the boys came down and stacked it at the end and ended up completely soaked. Decided at that point to quit whilst I was ahead, well dry! We then drove along 90 mile beach which is slightly misnamed as it's more like 90kms but what do units matter anyway!
We stopped at a wood carving place whilst all the sand was washed off the outside of the bus and the inside was hoovered. There was an inside staircase there carved from a giant kauri tree trunk that's over 6000 years old and was pulled from a swamp. It was stunning.
We then stopped at Manganui for a fish and chips dinner which is meant to be the best fish and chips in the world. The chips were okay but the fish was pretty spectacular. I think sitting somewhere where you can see the sea and where the fish was caught is pretty special.
Once we got back I went to the beach (because I obviously hadn't had enough sunshine today) but there was a bit if a sea breeze and it was getting dark so I came back, had a shower and then spent my evening, the last one as part of the kiwi bus, at the Pipi patch bar!
Day 170: Paihia and back to Golf Harbour
My body is so used to the early starts now that even when I have a lie in I can't enjoy it! Rather than just lying there I decided to get up and go and watch the sunrise. Unfortunately there was a little bit of sea mist over the bay. I went back to the hostel and had breakfast, checked out and then walked into town and foud a coffee shop which was open so early and that had tables outside in the sunshine and enjoyed sitting there being slowly warmed.
I then walked up the the Waitangi tReaty grounds, where the first New Zealand 'treaty' outlining the relationship between the Maori and the British. This is a poor description so Wikipedia it. I took a guided tour around the ground from a direct descendant of two of the chiefs that signed the originally treaty which was pretty cool. I saw the worlds largest waka (canoe) built for the 100th anniversary of the signing on the 6th February 1940. It's absolutely massive and took over 2 years to be built. I then watched a cultural performance which was pretty cool and their singing was so beautiful.
After watching a video on how the treaty came to be I slowly meandered my way along the beach back to the hostel for lunch. We were then picked up for my last Kiwi Experience bus back to Auckland. We stopped at Whangarei falls (my last Kiwi Ex walk) to have a look at the stunning waterfall and as we pulled into Auckland and saw the skyline coming into view I couldn't believe my Kiwi Experience was coming to an end. As I saw Uncle M who came to pick me up it felt like no time at all had passed since I'd left rather than over 5 weeks of travelling around this beautiful country. But it was nice to come back to see the kids again.
Day 171: Relaxed day
I had a completely relaxed morning. It was so lovely just doing nothing. I probably should have been productive and transferred my photos to my hard drive or started on my dive course work but I didn't. I just sat on a sun lounger and snoozed!
Keeping me company whilst I relaxed
When Helen came home we took the kids and the dogs on a walk along the beach and then to the kids swimming lesson.
When we came home I cooked spaghetti bolangase for dinner for the adults whilst they put the kids to bed and then we sat and watched some TV before bed.
Day 172: Thursday
I took the kids to kindy and until I needed to pick them up I did the productive stuff I should have done yesterday like my online scuba diving work and put all my photos (over 2000 of them) onto my hard drive.
I picked the kids up and it was raining! What is this rain thing! Luckily about an hour after we got in it stopped raining and so I was able to take the kids to the beach for the afternoon and build massive sandcastles and jump in the waves.
The kids are now into Dora the explorer, a development from when I left, and so know I now the songs. I think they'll be in my head all evening!
Helen and I took the dogs for a walk along the beach, had some dinner, watched some tv and then bed!
Day 173:
Again I did some more scuba work whilst the kids were at kindy until I picked them up at midday. It was such a lovely day and so took the kids down to the beach for more wave jumping/getting Rebecca completely soaked and for more massive sandcastle and stick garden building. When we got too hot at the beach we moved into the shade of the swing park. I perfected my technique at alternating swings so I could push them both, Chloe then tried to push me on the swings and then we made imaginary dinner out of the bark before tidying up all the branches in the park into a neat pile.
In the evening we picked Uncle M up from the ferry (or fairy as the kids say) and then for dinner we went to the Japanese restaurant for dinner. Unfortunately laughing and family time apparently "ruined someone's dining experience". They same lady who walked in, wanted the ingredients for every single dish in detail, complained multiple times about the service and huffed off at the end of her meal. I felt so sorry for the poor waitress. She came up to us to apologising (the family are regulars) and felt so bad. I felt so bad for her and the stress she was out under!
Day 174: Neighbourhood party
In the morning we skyped the family at home which was lovely before heading into town to do the weekly food shopping.
We got back and headed across the road to an 80th birthday party for one of the neighbours. It was such a lovely afternoon. We arrived around 1 and had a catered roast lunch and we stayed until 7.30! It was so nice chatting the the girls from the street. They all made me feel so welcome and part of the community. The kids we so happy just running around the garden and by the time we came home it was bedtime for the kids and lie on the sofa because we'd eaten so much nice food for everyone else.
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