Another year, another trip to New Zealand!
Yes, I am aware this is my fifth trip in five years(!), but trust me – once you see how beautiful NZ is, you’d be wishing you were doing the same.
I’m lucky enough that I got to spend ten whole days in the Land of the Long White Cloud as my “Christmas holiday” – that I took at the beginning of December because sadly, I am working Christmas. This trip I’ve spent touring the North Island, travelling from Auckland to Wellington. And I’ve decided that I’m going to write a proper travel diary this time. I hope you enjoy.
Day One:
Flew out of Adelaide at sunrise and into Sydney. Plane arrived on time, but spent half an hour sitting on the Tarmac. This led to a huge rush to transfer from the domestic to international terminal, only to hit the wall that is Customs. There was a line stretching all they way outside just to get into it, however there was a shorter line for the express lane. Seeming boarding for my plane was in fifteen minutes, I shoved my way to the front of the queue to ask if I was allowed to queue in the express lane. Cue some lady shouting at me that she had a plane in fifteen minutes, too. Well, I wasn’t asking to get to the front of the queue, just into this one. Thankfully, the man organising the queue said I could join it, and I spent the next fifteen mins in it, forcing me to run to my gate, which of course, was the other side of the airport. Got there just in time for final call. Sigh. I hate Sydney Airport.
The flight to Auckland was uneventful. Watched Guardians of the Galaxy (best-movie-EVER!) again, followed by some movie with Keira Knightly, Mark Ruffalo and Adam Levine in it, called Begin Again. Was all heart warming and perfectly enjoyable. Sadly, plane flight ended ten minutes before it was finished, so I don’t know how it ends.
Went for a walk after checking in to the airport. Headed back to Albert Park and fed my camera. For such a small park, it is truly beautiful. It’s also right next to Auckland University, where honestly, the most beautiful building in the world is. If you want to see the photos, you can go see my other blog, Arts and Crafts Caitie-Style.
Had dinner at Sal’s Pizza – which is the place to go for pizza in NZ. If you like American-style pizza sold by the slice, them this is the place for you.
Stayed overnight at at The Mercure on Custom Street. My second time staying here. Really central and the rooms are generous. Not as fancy as some of the other hotels I’ve stayed in, but that’s not why I stayed there.
Day Two:
Shopping, shopping, shopping!
My favourite thing about holidays is that it’s a good chance to let loose and spend money on things that aren’t necessarily practical. Let’s face it – holidays by definition are not practical. Spent the morning in Central Auckland, hitting the shops on Queen Street. Got a lot of Christmas shopping done (finally). If you’re a fan of jewellery, you should head to Carats. They have a great range of jewellery, including their Secret Heart range, and modular flower rings. The Civic theatre on Queen Street is the most beautiful theatre I’ve ever seen, and I was lucky enough to see the inside of when I saw Rocky Horror there a few years ago. Sadly, no shows on there at the moment. Maybe there will be next time I’m in Auckland.
Headed off to Parnell for lunch, which I had at a chocolate cafe. Yes, not healthy, but I’m on holidays! I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed in Parnell this time around. I don’t know if I’ve said this, but NZ has a great jewellery culture. Last time I went a few years ago, I picked up a couple beautiful rings from local artists from galleries in Parnell. If you’re in to jewellery, I suggest you look up Gavan Riley. Sadly, a lot of the shops have changed since last time I was there, and I didn’t really find any jewellery that made me go ‘wow’ this time around. And given how mad the roads are and how bad parking is, I’m not sure it was worth the trip. Seriously, the roads in Auckland is like spaghetti. Literally took me an hour to travel the two kilometres back into town from there. Wouldn’t be so bad, except New Zealanders are rubbish at driving. They’re all mad.
I ran out of stuff to do in Parnell pretty quickly, and I spotted this awesome building off in the distance, so I decided to visit it. Turns out it was The Auckland Museum and War Memorial. New Zealand has a habit of having good museums, and I wasn’t disappointed. It is a truly beautiful building, and their exhibits strike the right balance between education, culture and entertainment.
Had dinner at Bento Japanese restaurant (next door to Sal’s) – yet another place I always tend to visit while in Auckland. They have great fast service, and the food is good. Well worth a look if you like that kind of cuisine.
Day Three:
Day tour to the Bay of Islands. First time I’ve ever been, and seeming I only had one day to go, thought I’d make the most of it and get someone else to do the driving. I went with Great Sights, and they were actually really good. The bus trip was a bit tedious, but the driver was very chatty on the way down, and there was a morning/afternoon tea stop off which broke it up a bit. Once we reached Paihia, we split off into groups. I went on the boat tour to the Hole in the Rock. It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. Not only was the scenery beautiful, but we saw dolphins, schooling fish and orcas! I have never seen orcas in the wild before, and it has always been a dream of mine to do so. It was just as amazing as I always thought it would be.
Day Four:
Today was meant to be my grand ascension of Rangitoto Island, a volcanic island off the coast of Auckland. What happened was slightly different.
We caught the ferry over to Rangitoto Island, where my friend promptly fell off the deck and broke her arm. Cue me raiding the local museum for medical supplies to strap her arm, the cliched line of “I’m a doctor” spilling from my lips when the helpful museum lady starts giving me medical advice. I couldn’t convince her to leave, so instead we went on a short walk around the island, before catching the next ferry back and going to hospital.
I have to admit, I was impressed by Auckland City Hospital. Much less hectic than the emergency departments I’ve worked in. We were in and out within 4 hours, and from someone who works in a hospital, I can tell you that was super quick.
Dinner again at Sal’s Pizza. It was close. It was quick. And you don’t need two hands to eat it.
Day Five:
With a very sore and very sorry friend in tow, we finally left Auckland and made our way down to the Waitomo Caves. World famous for their glow worms, I have actually been here before to the glow worm cave and Aranui cave, so this time we decided to do something different and went to the Ruakuri Cave. To be honest, I actually preferred this one. The cave formations are far more impressive, and even though there aren’t as many glow worms, there are some. And they allow you to take photos, which as an amateur photographer, I think is fantastic. Our guide was also very amusing, singing songs and whistling with the cave acoustics giving it a haunting quality. His rendition of Pippin’s song from Return of the King was amazing.
Dinner at Iguana in Hamilton. Good meal of venison. Nothing like a good chunk of red meat, although I had to cut my friend’s pork belly up for her, which was quite amusing.
Overnight at Novotel Hamilton – my go-to accommodation in the central north island. Very modern, nice rooms, and they’ve had the cast and crew of the Hobbit/LOTR stay here before, and as a nerd, I appreciate that.
Day Six:
Woke up in Hamilton and got ready for another day of roadtripping.
Drove across to Te Aroha, a small town nestled at the base of Mount Te Aroha famed for their intact Victorian/Edwardian Domain centred around their hot springs, and for having the only soda geyser in the world. It’s my first time visiting Te Aroha, and I have to say, the town has promise. Not only is it as cute as a button, but it seems like the kind of place you could spend a few days relaxing without a problem (not that I had time for that on this trip!). It’s definitely not as touristy as other towns I’ve visited, but I’ve always liked that small town feel, and Te Aroha had an abundance of that. It’s also close to a number of other attractions, so maybe next time I’ll spend a few days here and get a better feel for the place.
Not too far outside of Te Aroha is Wairere Falls. We had a quick stop off here and walk along the track, although due to time constraints, we didn’t have enough time to reach the waterfall, which I have on good authority is spectacular. The bit of the walk we did do was very pretty though – all New Zealand rainforest, with moss-covered stones lining the path, scented with jasmine and other flowers. Wish I had a bit more time to spend here, and I will definitely be going back.
We then headed through to Matamata, in search of Hobbiton. It seems that every time I go to NZ, I make a pilgrimage to Hobbiton. It’s kind of the Mecca for Tolkien fans. However, it also seems to be a tradition that I get lost along the way. We ended up having to head over to the iSite in Matamata to work out how to get there.
I first went to Hobbiton way back in 2010, before it was the largest tourist attraction in New Zealand. Back then, it had just been finished being secretly remade for The Hobbit movie series, and we all had to sign non-disclosure agreements before we were allowed on set. I ended up driving through Matamata back then, when it was just another sleepy country town. The change in Matamata since Hobbiton became such an attraction is astounding. It is just bustling, with wall-to-wall traffic and innumerate cafes and restaurants lining its main street. It was horribly overwhelming, and made me glad I had not decided to stay there during my road trip.
We finally arrived in Hobbiton, which was surprisingly quiet for such a busy destination. It seems every time I visit (and this is my third time), something has changed. This time it was the road in, which took a very different path to last time. Hobbiton is a beautiful place, and only seems to get more and more beautiful the longer it has to settle in to its surroundings. We also got to have lunch across at the Green Dragon, which thankfully was far less busy than last time I was there. We actually managed to find a table this time to eat our steak and ale pies and drink our ginger beer (given that I was driving, I thought I should give the cider a miss).
After Hobbiton, we drove south towards Taupo. We did decide to stop off at Huka Falls, but sadly, the carpark had been shut early so we couldn’t do the usual short walk to the bridge. There was, however, a separate stop to “Huka Falls Lookout”, which we decided to walk. It was a nice walk down the mountain to the lookout, but I have to admit, wasn’t the best idea given how steep it was, and my friend being in a sling. It was nice seeing the falls from another perspective, though. I was surprised that even though we had cloud cover, it still was that striking blue it was last time.
We finally arrived in Taupo that evening, staying at the Hilton Lake Taupo. This is my second time staying at this hotel, which boasts a swimming pool heated by the thermal springs. The rooms were massive, with an equally massive bathroom. Admittedly, wasn’t the cheapest hotel I stayed in this holidays, but it was fairly nice.
Day Seven:
The Long Day.
We had breakfast at the hotel, filling up on warm, proteinaceous food to maintain us for the journey ahead, before heading out to Tongariro National Park. This is my second time at TNP, and last time I came, I was lucky enough to spend a whole day walking along some of their famous walking paths, taking in the sites of Mount Ngauruhoe (aka Mount Doom) and Mount Ruapehu. Sadly, this time, the weather had set in. Clouds hid the mountains from view, and we were being bathed in a Scottish mist, meaning we were disinclined to walk very far, lest it start raining properly.
We had lunch at Chateau Tongariro, a beautiful building set at the entrance to Whakapapa village. The food was warm and filling, and the staff were very friendly and more than happy to have a chat.
While at lunch, my friend and I discussed what to do with the rest of our day. We were heading to Wellington that evening – which is a long drive, at the best of times – and had to decide if we were going to drive straight down, or take a more interesting route.
Long story short, we decided to adventure.
So we drove on through Tongariro National Park, through Ohakune, past viaducts, rivers and waterfalls. It was amazing the mountains surrounding the park, made up of layers upon layers of ash. We then drove to Wanganui/Whanganui – a town that cannot decide how to spell its own name. We made a stop off at the iSite for afternoon tea, and had a look through the Sarjeant Gallery, that has been temporarily relocated to the main street whilst its historical building is conserved.
We continued our drive through a number of small towns, pulling over at Foxton when we spotted a Dutch windmill. It was an odd site, seeing a Dutch windmill in the middle of nowhere. It was even more perplexing when we found out that it was only erected in the past decade, and as far as I can tell, the town had neither Dutch heritage nor milling heritage. Then again, I guess the name Foxton in a country that doesn’t have any foxes is weird enough. Maybe they should name themselves after another pest they do have, like Stoatton or Weaselton.
We drove along the Kapiti Coast and in to Wellington, stopping off along the way at Paraparaumu Beach, where we stopped for a walk. The beach, with the view of Kapiti Island and black backed gulls walking along its shoreline at sunset, was beautiful. It was just a shame the view was ruined by some hoon doing donuts on the beach.
It was dark by the time we arrived in Wellington, at the Novotel on the Terrace. We had room service for dinner, too tired to go hunting for something else. I think our sleep was well-deserved.
Day Eight:
We spent the day in Wellington, and didn’t it put on a show for us? Windy Welly was out in force, but for some reason felt the need to add Wet to its nickname. We went shopping in the shops around Lambton Quay, the previously waterfront street that is conspicuously inland after an earthquake moved the waterfront and they built on the new land. I have always said that New Zealand has a great jewellery culture, and the galleries around Lambton Quay provide good examples of this. If you’re there, I’d search out Vault, which is a favourite of mine.
For some reason, we decided that we wanted to go to Te Papa, New Zealand’s national museum. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a fantastic museum. It’s just that we decided to walk, just as it changed from a light rain to pelting rain and hail. We did have an umbrella, but the Wellington Winds quickly fixed that. It was so broken by the time we got to Te Papa, we couldn’t even fold it up to shove it in the bin. As for us, we were so soaked, we would have been less wet had you dunked us in the ocean. My friend and I had to go into the bathrooms to dry ourselves off under the hand dryers and dabbing the worst bits off with toilet paper, before going and having a lunch of pie and chips in the cafe, just to warm ourselves up.
Te Papa is a fantastic museum, and if you’re ever in Wellington, I suggest you go. They had a visiting exhibition on Tyrannosaurs while we were there, which we went to. I mean, I had seen it whilst I was in Sydney, but my friend hadn’t seen it, so I didn’t mind going again. Te Papa also has a great museum shop, which features a lot of work (including jewellery) by local artists.
That night we engaged in a bout of nerdiness, heading out to The Roxy for the Red Carpet Tours Premiere Costume Party, celebrating the premiere of The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies. It was a great night out, surrounded by enthusiastic people who shared a common interest. The Roxy put on a fantastic show, with themed decorations, costumes and props from The Hobbit, and projecting images from the movies on the exterior of the building. There were even guests who helped make The Hobbit, including Weta artists, stuntmen, actors who played orcs/uruk hai and Sir Richard Taylor. Sadly, none of the film’s star or Peter Jackson could be there, as they were over in LA for the premiere there, and for Sir Peter Jackson to get his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Either way, a fantastic night out.
Day Nine:
Today we spent the day embracing all things Wellywood, heading across to Mirimar for the day. For some reason, they’ve changed the sign for Wellywood to Wowington, which is a stupid name. Bring back Wellywood, I say!
We headed across to Weta Workshop, where they have the trolls from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in their front yard. We did the usual – look at props, watch the DVD, etc, before heading over to The Roxy for lunch.
The Roxy is a fantastic cinema, decked out in 1930s regalia, mixed up with scifi and pop culture references. The mural on the ceiling on the first floor is phenomenal. I also love how the snacks are themed, with old-style glass bottles and traditional American lollies the fare of choice. The cinema itself is very comfy, with leather seats set in the old theatre. It definitely is worth the trip to go see a movie here.
We went to see The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies. It seemed appropriate, as The Roxy is it’s spiritual home. Now, I don’t want to be too spoilerific, so I’m just going to say I enjoyed the movie. I did find it amusing that Legolas pretty much said f*** you to physics in this film. And Billy Connolly as a mad ginger dwarf riding a pig into battle was a definite highlight.
By the time the movie finished, a night market had opened in the Roxy, and we went and had a look at their wares, before heading home.
Day Ten:
My last full day in NZ – how sad.
To be honest, we weren’t exactly sure how we were going to spend the day, and we spent the morning pouring over the internet and our Lonely Planet guide, trying to find something to do, when we stumbled across Pukaha Mount Bruce Sanctuary, home to the white kiwi.
Well, that was it! We had to go!
So off we drove to the sanctuary, where we spent the day with kiwis (of the brown and white variety), hihis, kakas (lots and lots of kakas), and all manner of bird species. The poor kokako thought we had food, so lovingly came and sat right on the other side of the cage to us and talked at us hopefully. Felt like such a meanie to leave it hanging. Mount Bruce is a great sanctuary, because it combines bushwalks and wild bird spotting with sporadic caged birds, so you don’t end up feeling too disappointed and have the chance to see what you were coming for. The white kiwi was very cute, although very hard to photograph cause it wouldn’t stay still long enough to be in focus, but we did see her dance and have a dust bath. We then had lunch at the sanctuary, overlooking the takahe enclosure. Kakas were our loud neighbours, lingering for the chance to eat our lunch. Yet another bird we disappointed that day.
After lunch we took a slow drive back to Wellington, through the Rimutaka Range. We stopped off in Carterton, before driving on to Greytown and Schoc chocolates. If you’re ever driving through Greytown, I highly suggest you stop here. The chocolates and truffles are fantastic. In particular, I suggest you try the ginger and wasabi truffle. Three letters: OMG.
Day Eleven:
The last day of my holiday.
My flight out wasn’t until the afternoon, so I spent the morning wandering the Wellington Waterfront, stopping by Te Papa before hitting the Underground Markets. The weather was wet and windy again, so we skirted along under the awnings until reaching Honeymeisters, where we stopped for a smoothie. Kind of becoming a Wellington tradition.
Headed out to Wellington International Airport, where we went and saw the Hobbit-related installations, namely Gollum, Gandalf and the eagles, and Smaug. Whilst I had seen Gollum before, it was my first time seeing Smaug and Gandalf and the eagles. I really do hope these installations are permanent. They do make it the coolest airport on the planet.
And that’s it. That’s the end of my holiday. I took my flight from Auckland to Melbourne (which was fifty minutes late, for unexplained reasons. Thanks, Qantas), and then a flight back home. Watched Dawn of the Planet of the Apes on the plane flight over. Couldn’t eat the dinner on my domestic flight, as there was a choice of fish and chips, or beef noodle salad (with fish sauce), and I don’t eat fish. Oh well. Could be worse.
Hope you enjoyed reading about my holiday. If nothing else, this serves as a reminder to me of what an awesome time I had. If you want to see any photos, please head on over to Arts and Crafts Caitie-style.
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