NZ 2009 - Nelson Lakes National Park

We flew from Auckland to Nelson on the north coast of the South Island, picked up a car and based ourselves at the Alpine Lodge in St Arnaud for the exploration of Nelson Lakes National Park. On that first day we did the Loop Walk, along the shores of the beautiful Lake Rotoiti, then in shore on a path through a Black Beech forest. The bark turns black when it is ready to peel and gives the appearance that there has been a fire. We heard bell birds whose clear tones do sound just like a bell ringing.
The second day was our big walk day and we drove up to the highest car park at 900m and set off on foot, eventually reaching the top of Mt Roberts at about 1550m! The views looking down on Lake Rotoiti got better and better as we got higher. It was a great feeling to be on top looking down, as it seemed, on the rest of the world. The air was just so gloriously pure. It was privilege to have walked here and 6 hours well spent.
Our final day was spent driving along the picturesque Buller River gorge. We did walk across the 110m swing (suspension) bridge across the river. It was definitely swinging when we were in the middle, a long way above the river. We came back the quick way on a tandem ride on a wire even higher above the river. Great for an adrenalin rush!
There are many wineries in this area and we had a marvellous lunch at the Seigfreid Winery just outside Nelaon. Look out for their Sauvugnon Blanc sold by M&S.

NZ 2009 - The Coromandel Peninsula

We spent 2 nights at Whitianga in Bill's Oceanside Motel and he remembered us from last year! The drive to Whitianga across the base of the peninsula and then up the east coast was wonderful. There are some spectacular mountains and beautiful colours.
We explored Cathedral Cove which we missed last year. We parked at Hahei Beach which is a long sandy beach, crowded by NZ standards but not by British! Then we had a significant walk to the cove itself and we were surprised by the number of people there. The main feature is a big arch, some 40' high with an equal sized pillar a few yards out at sea. There were a number of showers on this day, particularly when we set foot on sand!
We moved on to Colville Bay Motel after re-exploring Coromandel town, still looking a bit like a frontier town. The accomodation was in an idyllic setting, near the sea and amongst the hills. It exuded calmness and peace. The night sky was amazing. It was our base for one of the best days ever - the Coromandel Walkway. The drive to the start at Fletcher Bay was an adventure in itself on the gravel road with many hairpin bends and sheer drops into the sea. The walk was about 7km and involved 2 climbs from sea to about 500'. The views along the coastline were just about the best ever! We arrived at Stony Bay for our packed lunch and a dip in the sea after 3hr 15min. We then had to turn round and do the walk again! At the beach just before Fletcher bay we had the best dip ever. The sea seemed quite warm and it refreshed our tired bodies. A wonderfully satisfying day in perfect weather!

NZ 2009 - The Bay of Islands

With Paihia as the main accommodation centre and Russell as its more sophisticated partner the Bay of Islands has a lot to offer for scenery and all things watery. We spent 3 nights in Paihia, 1 in Russell and 1 on Urupukapuka, our favourite place. To appreciate the island and hence the whole of this area you need to walk up to as many as possible of the vantage points and look down on the magnificent coast line of bays and beaches and boats. We had a cloudless day and hence the best conditions. The sea was clear and inviting and this must be one of the most beautiful places in the world!
Another place to get great views is the flagpole location near Russell. Quite a steep walk up although some people drive! Around 1850 the Brits made 4 attempts to put up the flagpole only for the Maoris to chop it down. Well who would blame them!

NZ 2009 - Auckland

Bob and Cheryl spent 24 hours in Auckland after 36 hours of travel. Our hotel, Elliott St Apartments, allowed us into our room at 9.30 in the morning. Our impression of Auckland varied from an ordinary functional City to a lively and interesting one. The second morning, somewhat refreshed and blessed with blue skies and warm weather we enjoyed the colours of Albert Park, a great view of the Skytower and an excellent breakfast. Then the City took on new light.

NEW ZEALAND 2009

Bob Cheryl and Ian's holiday in NZ, Jan 11 to Feb 24.
Bob and Cheryl started the holiday with Ian joining them in Queenstown.