Across the top of the Island

When I looked at booking a coach tour so we could drive along 90 Mile Beach – a long standing dream of mine – most of the tours I researched left from the Bay of Islands.  It just didn’t make sense to me – get up at some ungodly hour to catch a bus in Paihia and then roll back home after 7 in the evening.  And the cost was prohibitive. So I looked a bit further and found a local tour company that leaves from Kaitaia, just south of the peninsula.  It meant a 120km drive to Kaitaia, but we decided to do it slowly and enjoy the day.

Thank goodness I did – our drive across the top of the Island was amazing.  A stop in Kerikeri brought back memories of our visit there 15 years ago – my Mom enjoyed it so much.  And then from there on it, it was views all the way!  We drove along the scenic routes all the way – and what scenery.  We would drive through windswept plateaus that reminded me of the West Coast of the Cape, with the scraggly fynbos, and then suddenly, down a gorge clad with indigenous forest and then up onto a cliff with views of the sea - and what sea!  The colours were amazing, especially when the sun shone.  The high cliffs above blue, blue bays and different coloured sands were as beautiful as anything I saw on the Mediterranean coastline. 

We drove around a number of bays - one was Tauranga Bay, which was special for us and the huge Doubtless Bay gave us amazing views of different beaches.  Then we drove around the Karikari peninsula - every beach just seemed more amazing.

I'm going to let the pictures do the rest of the talking - Pete took a millions pics today, I think.

The Bay of Islands

The rest of New Zealand basked in unaccustomed sunshine today, but Northland, where we are travelling, had quite a lot of high cloud, which gave way to sunshine on and off all day.

We set off early to catch the second ferry of the day over to Russell – a peninsula across the way from Paihia.  We travelled with people going to work over the water – at least two of the ladies worked at the bank, and we saw others in the Village during the day.

Russell was one of the first – if not the first – white settlements in New Zealand.  It was known as the “hell-hole” – home to whalers and traders – and their hangers on!  It also boasts the first Anglican church in NZ – Christchurch.  It’s a small white wooden building, with charming windows bordered with stained glass, and kneelers embroidered by local ladies over a long period of time.

When we were there 15 years ago, I seem to remember much more grass and sheep grazing right near the water.  This time there was a tourist centre, with many restaurants and shops selling curios and tourist trips and activities.  There are a lot of motels and accommodation places and a lot of cars – which I don’t remember from last time.  It will be interesting to compare the old pictures with the one Pete took today.

Despite the development, we had a wonderful morning.  We walked on a couple of tracks – up to the Flagstaff – site of the British flagpole that was cut down 4 times by the Maori chief of the time – and a couple of small, steep walking paths which took us up to magnificent views of the water – sometimes, we could almost see water all the way around. 

Walking along the beach, we met a local man who was pulling his boat down to the water.  He commented on Pete’s camera and then gave him some really helpful hints.  He mentioned that he had a picture displayed at one of the local galleries, and we discovered later that he is a well known photographer – so sharing his expertise was really brilliant for us.

The shops are very self-conscious – I said to Pete it was like Clarens by the sea.  And lots of the over-groomed people walking around with their over groomed pets would have been just as much at home in our Free State town as they were in New Zealand.

It was disappointing that the water wasn’t as vibrant as it would have been on a sunny day, but the cool was welcome, and when the sun did shine, it made the contrast even greater.  Walking through the forest, we were struck by the sound of what we think were cicadas – not the usual screech of Christmas Singers (as we always called them at home) but a sharp, crackling noise.  At first we thought it was rain, and then likened the sound to the noise popping candy makes.  Pete found a cicada on a tree – we’re not sure if it was one of the normal ones or one of the popping ones, but it was different from the ones at home.

In the afternoon we looked at a few things around Pahia, and then had tea and a fish and chip supper on the beach, surrounded by greedy seagulls and a quiet sparrow, who calmly picked up all the crumbs the voracious ones left.

Off to Kaitaia via Kerikeri in the morning – what wonderful names they are. 

Earthquake!

We heard yesterday that Christchurch had been shaken with another strong aftershock, following the December shocks that frightened so many. Nic tells me that the earthquakes have surprised scientists – Christchurch is not actually on the tectonic plate join that lies under much of New Zealand.  The boundary goes through parts of the East Coast of the North Island, through Wellington and then down along the Southern Alps.  The unpredictability of nature is so obvious in this situation.

Napier was destroyed by an earthquake and devastating fire just under 80 years ago.  It does lie on the join of the plates, and there would inevitably be an earthquake sometime.  But while we were there last week, we saw a video on the earthquake and the rebuilding of the city, and there were some things that really stuck with me.

The first is that it happened on the first day of the first school term in 1931 – the 3^rd of February. As I saw the visuals of the collapsed buildings and the fires, I thought how it must have been for the children – especially those newies starting school for the first time.  What terror there must have been in the classrooms – children screaming and crying for their mothers, teachers trying to cope with their own fear as well, and then, for those who survived, trying to find their families.  And the feelings of the mothers … it doesn’t bear thinking about. Nowadays, people know about PTSD and people are treated for it, but I wonder how many children were left with indelible scars – especially those who were orphaned.  Perhaps I can research what happened to them sometime.

The second thing that struck me was how difficult communication was.  Telephone lines went down with the quake, and road and rail links were destroyed.  We heard that the only means of communication was the radio on the ships near the harbour.  Thank God for the Navy – warships were sent from Devonport on the West Coast to bring relief and help them to rebuild.  Nowadays, we have so many forms of communication – but I know of friends who still couldn’t reach their loved ones in Christchurch when the networks were jammed.  But at least global news led to huge humanitarian outreach and prayers for the people of Christchurch – and other natural disasters.

The rebuilding of the city was also an eye-opener to me.  The city is known as the Art Deco Capital of the world – and this is because all the building happened at once and in one specific style.  These were depression years, and building was not really happening in the rest of the world, but if Napier was to survive and not become a ghost town, it needed rebuilding – and it happened very quickly.  As a harbour, I suppose they needed to have a town there, and although many people left, never to return, others stayed and new ones came.  The cheerful colours of the Art Deco buildings, the extravagant decorations, the voluptuous shapes, must have been like holding two fingers up at fate – Napier would survive and grow!

But the thing that really amazed me was how Napier escaped the hideous architectural destruction of the 70s and 80s – the harsh, utilitarian lines, the factory like facades.  The Art Deco society was only started in the late 80s, and it is amazing how few buildings have been destroyed.  New building seems to take place behind the facades, which are preserved, and the embellishments are still there.  Perhaps the East Coast of New Zealand is so far from the “real” world that it was 20 years behind the rebuilding of city centres as we saw it in South Africa, but they have done a wonderful job.  Owners of buildings must find it frustrating, having to keep embellishments painted in contrasting colours, and the pressed metal ceilings of pavement verandahs in good nick, but obviously it is part of the by-laws.  More strength to Napier City Council.

I wonder how the centre of Christchurch will be rebuilt.  It is unlikely to be as charming as Napier.

Up North 1

Auckland to Pahia

The first leg of our Northland trip was up the East Coast of the Northern part of the North Island.  The GPS got us out of Auckland past the Sky Tower and via the Harbour Bridge (always a thrill for me) and got us on to State Highway 1.  We had a long way to drive today, but we chose to take the smaller, windy, more interesting roads. 

First stop was Orewa – a delightful seaside town not too far from Auckland.  As we stopped next to the beach, we saw a group of older (than us) people walking along the beach, walking sticks, hats and all – obviously a Seniors’ walking club.  Not to be outdone, we took a brisk stroll along the firm, almost muddy beach – a lovely walk which helped clear some of the cobwebs from the previous night’s overindulgence in wine and conversation.  A cup of coffee from the Wild Bean Café, beloved by our friend Richard, and I felt rejuvenated!

We will need to come back this way and plan to spend a night somewhere around here, so decided to have a look at Warkworth and Snell’s Beach.  Warkworth is fairly charming, but the extra distance to Snell’s Beach was worth it – a stunning bay, sparkling in the intermittent sunlight, with a small, hard beach.  It felt a little like the Mediterranean beaches near St Tropez.

We took the scenic route from Warkworth to Wellsford, driving through steep gorges forested with what always seems to me such alien vegetation – austere conifers and luscious tree ferns, farmland that reminded us of the Midlands, except that you could also see the sea, and everywhere, amazing panoramic views of the sea and the islands – Goats Island and Hen and Chickens Islands.

Wellsford is better not tarried in – except that its cleaner, it reminds me of Bergville – the armpit of the Drakensberg.  Once again we took the scenic route, and the first part was pretty ordinary, until we came back to the sea at Langs Beach and Waipu – beautiful stretches of coast.  A brief stop in pedestrian Whangerei, and then on to Pahia, right in the Bay of Islands. 

Pahia is very much a tourist town – very little besides motels, restaurants and tourist shops.  We struggled to find a supermarket to buy some milk.  But the walk along the beachfront and the beach, listening to the small waves breaking loudly on the hard beach, walking on the cool wet sand and soaking up the tourist vibe, was awesome.  As the sun sets, it’s a peaceful evening and a great start to our trip.

The other side of the Mountain

On our first day in New Plymouth, we could have been excused for thinking that those who said there was a mountain right behind the town were lying.  The sun was shining, but thick cloud on the land side of the town covered any trace of Mount Taranaki.  When we saw the snow covered tip of the mountain peeking out, I was so excited – I just wanted Pete to take pictures.  Sadly, the snow looked just like more white cloud and the bits of mountain looked like grey cloud in our photos.

The 4 days we spent in New Plymouth all followed the same weather pattern – rain – often heavy – in the early morning, followed by a gradually clearing day.  But on the New Plymouth side, always cloud over the mountain.

But when we drove around Mount Taranaki to the inland side, the picture was completely different.  Mount Taranaki is a perfect, cone shaped volcanic peak – just like Mt Fuji and Mt Kilimanjaro.  It stands over on the coast, in line with the other central volcanoes – Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngarahoe, and Maori legend tells that Taranaki angered the other mountains, and was banished to the coast.

On “the other side of the mountain” the Egmont National Park  (pakehas – white settlers – called it Mt Egmont) allows access to the upper parts of the mountain.  We wanted to see the goblin forests – trees festooned with trailing lichen, the Dawson’s Falls and the Wilkies Pools.  We put on our walking shoes and set off.  The Goblin Forest was easily seen – as we strode along the well marked and maintained DOC (Department of Conservation) path, the lichens almost brushed our faces.  “This is a piece of cake,” I thought.  There were even tyre tracks from a quad bike.  My blistered feet would stand up to this.  And then, around the corner, the path stopped.  There in front of us was a river – boulder strewn – and on the other side, the orange flags to show where the path continued.  My first instinct was to say – “I am going back down the path.”  But against my better judgement, I stumbled across the rocks, supported by both Pete and Richard, carefully keeping my feet dry.  I needn’t have bothered!

Two DOC workers, busy making a straight path to the pools, told us nonchalantly that crossing the river was the worst part of the trail – it was easy after that.  They then loaded their equipment onto their quad bike and went back down the path.  They must have laughed all the way back to the camp!  The walk to the pools wasn’t bad – a bit slippery in places, but fairly level.  And the view of the mountain was incredible – the snowfields sparkling in the sun, clear water gushing down from the peak, huge rocks which had been thrown or washed down thousands of years before, lying tumbled in the river bed.

But the rest of the trail was NOT easy.  A narrow path, following the river, crossing it over and over – sometimes on bridges but often on rocks   and once over and under a small waterfall – provided lots of challenges.  With my fear of falling and never being able to be carried out, and with Vanessa’s deep fear of falling, Pete and Richard were in great demand as holders, buffers, rocks and stays.  And they were amazing!   Even when I turned round, forgetting I had a backpack on my back, and almost brushed Pete down the ravine.  As we realised we were safely on the campground, a group hug expressed our relief.

 Did I enjoy it?  At the time, probably not.  It was beautiful, rugged, and the scenery was breathtaking, but the amount of adrenaline I produced was staggering.  But am I glad I did it?  Definitely!

Driving back round the mountain, through hobbit sized hills, I was awed by the power of this amazing landscape.  New Zealand is so beautiful – exploring it is an adventure.

On the East Coast

We set off tomorrow for a trip up to the North of the North Island - called - hardly surprising - Northland and I've realised that I haven't written anything about the two other trips we've taken - a trip to the West Coast and the Taranaki region with special friends, Richard and Vanessa and a couple of days to the East Coast - Hawkes Bay - with our special kids, Nic and Ray. So before I get sidetracked with new sights, I need to record some of the other two trips.

Our Hawkes Bay trip was planned last year, so we had very little choice with the weather - and it didn't play the game. We set off for Lake Taupo early on Saturday morning in grey weather which meant our potential view of the volcanoes was shrouded in mist. Taupo is a quaint town with lovely shopping streets - like so many of the shops in New Zealand towns - but we didn't see too much because the rain started - and poured and poured! Luckily, we had stopped at Huka Falls in the morning and been awed again by the force of the water as it pours through the narrow gorge - it's hard to know what to look at, listen to, feel - I am amazed at the incredible power of nature.

The next day we travelled early in the morning through gorges to Hastings where there is a famous Sunday Farmers' market. Ray drove like a hero through torrential rain, gusting wind and windy roads for us to get there mid morning. It was worth the drive - a super market with wonderful fresh produce - including seasonal fruits - plums, cherries, apricots, nectarines - delicious. We drove the 20 or so kilometers to Napier, where it was pouring with rain - and very little to do in that sort of weather apart from the Aquarium - which we declined! Once you've been to Ushaka ..... Napier was destroyed by a devastating earthquake and fire in 1931, and was rebuilt over the next few years in an Art Deco style. A dry place to be that morning was the Art Deco shop where we saw a movie on the earthquake and rebuilding, and then, after a bit of shopping in the main street, we were able to get into our Hotel. The rain lifted a bit in the afternoon and we had a long walk along the coast walkway past the port. You are reminded how yopung the soils in new Zealand are when you see the slips - and why some people build houses right on the edge of cliffs, I don't know. We saw two houses, where the whole of the garden has slipped down the cliff. Skies cleared a little that night and Pete got an amazing picture of moonrise over the Christmas lights of Napier.

The next day was brighter and we spent the morning driving - to Kidnappers Point - which we couldn't reach by road. The only way was a long walk on a pebbly beach, dodging the tides, or an expensive tractor ride - so we didn't get all the way. A drive through Havelock North took us to Te Mata peak, and as the weather cleared, we saw wonderful views, right around Hawkes Bay and inland. A stiff walk but worth doing - and at least it was all on the level.

Two more adventures - time to walk around the Art Deco buildings in the sunshine, and a sunset drive North along the coast, where we saw a cruise ship leaving the harbour, hooters booming, just as the sun went down.

A drive back through patchy weather ended a great East Coast getaway.

If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes ......

Someone said to me that in New Zealand, you get 4 seasons in one day. And another said, "If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes and it will change."

That has certainly been the case in the 6 weeks we've been here. It is summer, and summer is meant to be a lower rain season - most of the rain falls in winter. But this summer is the wettest in about 15 years.

We arrived to a few days of big winds - blowing all the remaining blossoms off the cherry trees and blowing down branches. And since then, we've seen more rain than we have seen sunshine. There have been some stunning sunny days - like Christmas Eve which was cool but bright. And then there have been days that started out pouring and morphed into sun, and others which started off sunny and morphed into rain. And then there are the days where we have moved the washing in and out all day - under the shelter on the deck, out into the sun, back under the shelter.

We've had nights that were cold enough to sleep with a duvet and others when we have thrown off the sheets because it is sticky. Last weekend, we had torrential rain on out trip from Taupo to Napier. Ray drove though heavy rain with gusting winds on windy roads - I was so glad it wasn't me driving. Even with a rain jacket, I was soaked in the short dash between the car and the Info site. But the next morning, the clouds cleared, it ended up being bright and sunny and we had a wonderful evening watching the sunset.

We have realised that you can't wait for the weather to clear to do the things we want to do - we might do nothing! So we do the things we've planned and hope for a showery instead of a rainy day. Thank goodness for a good rain jacket - the one I bought last time we were in New Zealand - to go on the boat in Milford Sound. We don't bother with umbrellas - because there is so often wind with the rain.

The best thing about the New Zealand weather is reading on facebook how hot it was in Maritzburg. I saw Jess's car thermomenter yesterday - 47 degrees! It hasn't got much more than 25 here, although it is quite humid at times. But nothing like Maritzburg's humidity!

When the sky is blue, it is beautiful - a paler blue than the African sky, which is usually a much deeper blue - because there is more water vapour in the sky in this narrow, water surrounded island. But even in the rain, it is good to be here.