It was nice to take some time and not rush off. Hanging out, went downtown with Ben an exsurfer from Sheffield, he's been kicking around off and on for years, tells great stories about these amazing camps he's been to here and in Auz. A beach near the coral reef, world class windsurfers, fishing , fishing. Oh and in Canada too, building a cabin south of Jasper, flyfishing and pulling in masses of trout. I couldn't begin to repeat his descriptions or the slang he uses. Bollocks! He took a board keel on the front of his skull, a "hard core fin chop" had a stroke while they was savin him and walks with a limp on the left. Truly a character.
The info sites are great for helping out travelers, I booked a kayak trip for tomorrow out to the Sugarloaf Islands in the morning before the "gnarly" surf comes up. Ben , he rebooked his flight for an earlier date... running out of money... We did a little shopping then had the ubiquitous meat pie for lunch. I headed off to Pukeiti Gardens about 20 k towards Mt. Taranaki. Looking at the map Taranaki is the central focus of just about everything here, even the surfers pay homage. At the info site there are dioramas and multi-media presentations describing the history and geology of the area and the mountain itself. An evening event here at the hostel is the slicing up a cake in the shape of Mt. Egmont (guess who called it that!) One slice per. If you climb it a flag of your country is placed into the icing...
The road to Pukeiti is like most of the roads, narrow and windy, lots of sharp turns and one lane bridges. Along the way I spied a black volks bug festooned in sequins (something shiny? "brilliant") suspended on tubular metal legs. I so wanted to take a picture! But no where to pull over, so on and on. I figured to snap one on the return.
The garden is quite beautiful, this is not the season for the best show, but there were flowers. I walked along the "river" to catch some shade, it was smokin hot. The ferns are quite impressive, some with a texture like leather, the photos don't come close. I was the only visitor wandering around the 20+ acre grounds. Huge Rhodos, fancy Hydrangeas, and some identification of the native species which I found quite helpful.
After wandering for an hour and a half I headed back. The volks was gone! The legs lying loose on the lawn. Bummer dude.
Ben and I made dinner together "mighty fine tucker it was too" as more backpackers arrived, some for the dorms, some staying in the motel section, mostly folks from New Zealand. Some from Germany and I didn't catch where else.
The mossies are out, time to close down.
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Driving the Forgotten Highway was great, lots of sheep! And vistas that fell away for miles with hills like the mountains I used to draw as a child, rounded but steep. The sheep are everywhere (this is New Zealand right?) dotted on the hillsides, packed together against fences, standing still when it is raining really hard. I find it hard to capture the grandness of it all in one photo. I take pieces of the landscape and stitch it together like a crazy quilt, a cliff face here, a river gorge, hills and valleys. At one point a couple of the campers from last night were stopped beside the road, someone had draped close to a dozen boar hides on the fence, a hoof on the fence post.
I am a sucker for waterfalls and turned down an 18 km road to visit Uruha Falls, definitely lacking in signage, I trusted my instincts to find it and did. There were a couple from LA looking for the Heritage Poles from a previous Maori settlement but they lost interest when we could not determine which track to follow. I took one that seemed likely and had a little adventure, on my return I found the actual trail which we had both walked right past.
This road has heritage all over it , almost every junction has a sign indicating something way down there if you care to go check it out. The signs though are so old they have lichen growing on them, at home it takes 10 years or so, here maybe 3, but this road has been here a long time. One could spend three months exploring this area alone, folowing the signs and tracks that seem to completely cover the place, oh in between sheep stations.
Not much roadkill today, I am keeping a bit of a tally, so far mostly possums, hedgehogs and a variety of birds, I have feathers from many of them. The goat was a surprise, it is wild to see them clustered on the hillsides with the sheep, obvious in their black and brown hides.
The library in Staford has kindly accommodated my blogging today, time to move on toward the coast and New Plymouth.
I am a sucker for waterfalls and turned down an 18 km road to visit Uruha Falls, definitely lacking in signage, I trusted my instincts to find it and did. There were a couple from LA looking for the Heritage Poles from a previous Maori settlement but they lost interest when we could not determine which track to follow. I took one that seemed likely and had a little adventure, on my return I found the actual trail which we had both walked right past.
This road has heritage all over it , almost every junction has a sign indicating something way down there if you care to go check it out. The signs though are so old they have lichen growing on them, at home it takes 10 years or so, here maybe 3, but this road has been here a long time. One could spend three months exploring this area alone, folowing the signs and tracks that seem to completely cover the place, oh in between sheep stations.
Not much roadkill today, I am keeping a bit of a tally, so far mostly possums, hedgehogs and a variety of birds, I have feathers from many of them. The goat was a surprise, it is wild to see them clustered on the hillsides with the sheep, obvious in their black and brown hides.
The library in Staford has kindly accommodated my blogging today, time to move on toward the coast and New Plymouth.
Saturday, 23 January 2010
Ongaruru Bay Sunrise to Bay View (Hawkes Bay)
Red sky in the morning, travellers take warning? In half an hour most of the cloud overhead had burned off, although on the horizon were piles of cumulonimbus threatening... A trip back to town to the toilet(!) and a couple of pictures, the old boarded up banks seem to carry a feeling of despair or abandonment.The sun shines softly across the hillsides. They look like corduroy as if some ancient civilization had terraced the entire place. I wondered if it was slippage with so many animals wandering across for generations. The light was perfect for highlighting the contour. And sheep, sheep everywhere. The sun rose higher, the day got warmer and the next beach, Waihua, had me swimming and sunning. Lots of freedom campers, the children were in the surf attempting to surf on their little boogie boards, dad watching while dogs frolicked all around. Around another headland and the beaches of Gisborne, endless surf and surfers, fishermen and lots of families camped at the side of the road like strip villages.
Gisborne itself is a fairly decent sized place, a river runs through it (hmm) and being Sunday not much was open. I got on the net, their computer, $5 an hour at the Infocentre. Out front a "Canadian" totem pole (no credit to the carver) presented to the community by the Canadian Gov't a few years ago. This internet thing is a bit of a challenge. On the one hand it is a great way to stay in touch keep you all informed and provide me with a decent record of my journey. On the other, it becomes a compulsive effort to keep up, in affect an interruption (sometimes) to the flow of the day. I get a bit wired by it .
Pulled off the road to harvest some peaches, yum, ripe and juicy. Took a short road to the mouth of the river and regarded Young Nick's Head or Te Kuri across Poverty Bay ( Cook had quite an ethnocentric viewpoint) Continuing on past Mohaka the road goes inland into Whareata State forest where logging the Pines is very much in progress. The straight rows of the recently planted look cute across the hillsides. At Nuhaka I turned left and drove out onto the Mahia Penninsula. Out to Mahia beach, a dramatic backdrop of immense cliffs and a sweeping white sand beach make this a destination worth visiting. The sand on the beach is a mixture separated by gravity and seems to be particles of clay and pumice. It looks like ground down kitty litter. It is cool to walk on while the sand is smokin hot! I couldn't resist jumping in and body surfing in those relentless waves. Surfers sitting out on their boards , waiting for the perfect one... heading back I noticed and recorded how the road seems to have a tenuous existence here, the land is eroding dramatically.
The next leg of the journey took me through some steep and challenging river gorges, the road literally carved into the cliff with hairpins and deep descents, much like Alison Pass in Manning Park. This road is narrower and the pines are green. These words do not begin to describe what it was like hurtling down (and up) this narrow road, transports, tourists and locals impatiently waiting to pass me and each other, with very few opportunities. At one point I came around a corner and there above me at the top of a hill, headstones! A cemetery seemingly in the middle of nowhere. On the map part of this road is called Devils Elbow, I can relate! I felt squeezed, hot in the sun and somewhat frustrated. After an hour or so of that I needed a break.
The Tangoio Falls Scenic Reserve takes one up a steep incline on an obvious labour of love trail to a couple of sweet waterfalls through native bush. I got good and muddy, but it was great to be in the shade listening to the birds, cicadas (?) and the rushing streams.
Westshore Napier: Internet at this campground $10 for 24hrs! Been at it awhile. Time to do some traveling.
Gisborne itself is a fairly decent sized place, a river runs through it (hmm) and being Sunday not much was open. I got on the net, their computer, $5 an hour at the Infocentre. Out front a "Canadian" totem pole (no credit to the carver) presented to the community by the Canadian Gov't a few years ago. This internet thing is a bit of a challenge. On the one hand it is a great way to stay in touch keep you all informed and provide me with a decent record of my journey. On the other, it becomes a compulsive effort to keep up, in affect an interruption (sometimes) to the flow of the day. I get a bit wired by it .
Pulled off the road to harvest some peaches, yum, ripe and juicy. Took a short road to the mouth of the river and regarded Young Nick's Head or Te Kuri across Poverty Bay ( Cook had quite an ethnocentric viewpoint) Continuing on past Mohaka the road goes inland into Whareata State forest where logging the Pines is very much in progress. The straight rows of the recently planted look cute across the hillsides. At Nuhaka I turned left and drove out onto the Mahia Penninsula. Out to Mahia beach, a dramatic backdrop of immense cliffs and a sweeping white sand beach make this a destination worth visiting. The sand on the beach is a mixture separated by gravity and seems to be particles of clay and pumice. It looks like ground down kitty litter. It is cool to walk on while the sand is smokin hot! I couldn't resist jumping in and body surfing in those relentless waves. Surfers sitting out on their boards , waiting for the perfect one... heading back I noticed and recorded how the road seems to have a tenuous existence here, the land is eroding dramatically.
The next leg of the journey took me through some steep and challenging river gorges, the road literally carved into the cliff with hairpins and deep descents, much like Alison Pass in Manning Park. This road is narrower and the pines are green. These words do not begin to describe what it was like hurtling down (and up) this narrow road, transports, tourists and locals impatiently waiting to pass me and each other, with very few opportunities. At one point I came around a corner and there above me at the top of a hill, headstones! A cemetery seemingly in the middle of nowhere. On the map part of this road is called Devils Elbow, I can relate! I felt squeezed, hot in the sun and somewhat frustrated. After an hour or so of that I needed a break.
The Tangoio Falls Scenic Reserve takes one up a steep incline on an obvious labour of love trail to a couple of sweet waterfalls through native bush. I got good and muddy, but it was great to be in the shade listening to the birds, cicadas (?) and the rushing streams.
Westshore Napier: Internet at this campground $10 for 24hrs! Been at it awhile. Time to do some traveling.
Whakatane, Opotiki, the Cape to Tokomura Bay
Whakatane is quite a town, extraordinary physical features, the river mouth has a large rock with a sculpture on it and some wicked waves. Downtown a huge sacred rock outcrop, the Pohaturoa, covered in Puhutukawahs and various other native vegetation commemorates a Maori chief and was the site of baptisms and other rites. I drove up Seaview Rd, steep and narrow, stopped at a lookout and took pictures in the rain. Oh did I say it was raining? Yikes! Thunder and lightening, huge drops and waves of torrential downpouring, all day. I have pictures to prove it. The place has charm for sure and is a big tourist destination, I watched 3 large cruisers returning from White Island (New Zealand's most active volcano), likely all full of sightseers.
Amazing how a day can go by without accomplishing much... Continuing east I stopped at Ohope and Kutarere. I met a fellow from Cedar a couple years ago Greg I think, and he told me about his farm, Macadamia nut orchard, avocados and citrus, it (among others) inspired me to make this journey. I went looking and I think I found it.
Still raining and overcast so my pictures are grey. Saw another Harrier, I have seen many of these hawklike birds soaring around the country and at the side of the road standing over some bit of fresh carrion. Quite impressive. When I stopped it took off of course. Massive rollers on the beaches, a tropical storm may be affecting them and is the likely cause of all this unseasonal rain. The surfers are happy. I spent the night at Opotiki then in the morning I head east towards the "first place the sun shines" East Cape, the most easterly light house in NZ.
First though, I attempted to do the library, not open till 10... "On the road again" heading east I stopped at so many lookouts, vistas and amazing beaches snapping picture after picture. As per a request (I do occasionally take requests) I had my photo taken at a lookout, by one of 4 women doing the Cape drive. They said "see you later", but seems unlikely since I seem to stop about every 10 minutes to capture yet another stunning view.
A mite peckish this morning, the sun helped lift my mood and I finished off a chocolate bar. Each new corner another fabulous vista. I saw a place I think I could live at, such a comfortable feeling, great beach, nicely arable land and the mountains in the background (mind you it all seems to look like this!) I stopped at small bay where a fellow was setting up his 3 kids to go fish, practice in the stream for the challenge of casting into the surf when they are bigger. Neat little coves and Backpacker signs everywhere. It means (I think) a place where backpackers might want to stay. As I got closer and closer to the cape the grandeur of the occasion never diminished. In fact with the road as narrow as it was it became quite an adventure crawling the 20 km around the cliffside into the valley behind and below the light house. Fields of GMO maize to feed their livestock, all the same colour, height and I assume variety. But what a view from up there! Blue sky, clouds and the vast ocean stretching all the way to North and South America, the South Island and Australia. Not visible of course, just endless waves, breakers crashing onto East Island and up and down both coastlines. Another picture from a fellow tourist, this one from Austria.
Onward, no camping at the light house or environs so no catching the first sun rays of the day before anyone else.
Around the corner I go heading more southerly towards Tikitiki and Whakawhitira where two pigs sauntered across the road. Luckily I had warning and caught them walking past the van up a track to home I suppose.
I took a secondary road to Wapiro Bay, then at Tokomaru Bay drove right to the end of the road, Waima, where an Ice plant used to be. The town has never been the same. A huge long pier for loading and lots of very old brick buildings and not much else except a huge cliff with "slips" or landslide/cave ins. None of the accomodation appealed to me so I set up above the beach at a Freedom Campsite, permit required (I had none) chatted with a fellow walking down the beach , read, ate, had a beer and went to sleep to the roar of the surf.
Amazing how a day can go by without accomplishing much... Continuing east I stopped at Ohope and Kutarere. I met a fellow from Cedar a couple years ago Greg I think, and he told me about his farm, Macadamia nut orchard, avocados and citrus, it (among others) inspired me to make this journey. I went looking and I think I found it.
Still raining and overcast so my pictures are grey. Saw another Harrier, I have seen many of these hawklike birds soaring around the country and at the side of the road standing over some bit of fresh carrion. Quite impressive. When I stopped it took off of course. Massive rollers on the beaches, a tropical storm may be affecting them and is the likely cause of all this unseasonal rain. The surfers are happy. I spent the night at Opotiki then in the morning I head east towards the "first place the sun shines" East Cape, the most easterly light house in NZ.
First though, I attempted to do the library, not open till 10... "On the road again" heading east I stopped at so many lookouts, vistas and amazing beaches snapping picture after picture. As per a request (I do occasionally take requests) I had my photo taken at a lookout, by one of 4 women doing the Cape drive. They said "see you later", but seems unlikely since I seem to stop about every 10 minutes to capture yet another stunning view.
A mite peckish this morning, the sun helped lift my mood and I finished off a chocolate bar. Each new corner another fabulous vista. I saw a place I think I could live at, such a comfortable feeling, great beach, nicely arable land and the mountains in the background (mind you it all seems to look like this!) I stopped at small bay where a fellow was setting up his 3 kids to go fish, practice in the stream for the challenge of casting into the surf when they are bigger. Neat little coves and Backpacker signs everywhere. It means (I think) a place where backpackers might want to stay. As I got closer and closer to the cape the grandeur of the occasion never diminished. In fact with the road as narrow as it was it became quite an adventure crawling the 20 km around the cliffside into the valley behind and below the light house. Fields of GMO maize to feed their livestock, all the same colour, height and I assume variety. But what a view from up there! Blue sky, clouds and the vast ocean stretching all the way to North and South America, the South Island and Australia. Not visible of course, just endless waves, breakers crashing onto East Island and up and down both coastlines. Another picture from a fellow tourist, this one from Austria.
Onward, no camping at the light house or environs so no catching the first sun rays of the day before anyone else.
Around the corner I go heading more southerly towards Tikitiki and Whakawhitira where two pigs sauntered across the road. Luckily I had warning and caught them walking past the van up a track to home I suppose.
I took a secondary road to Wapiro Bay, then at Tokomaru Bay drove right to the end of the road, Waima, where an Ice plant used to be. The town has never been the same. A huge long pier for loading and lots of very old brick buildings and not much else except a huge cliff with "slips" or landslide/cave ins. None of the accomodation appealed to me so I set up above the beach at a Freedom Campsite, permit required (I had none) chatted with a fellow walking down the beach , read, ate, had a beer and went to sleep to the roar of the surf.
Friday, 22 January 2010
Mt. Maurangi south to Whakatane
Wow! raining again and with major vigour. Am I glad to be inside the info centre at Whakatane! Some false starts in the internet experience, the library in Rotorua wanted $2. Ok , I can handle that, BUT unfriendly to Macs. Unable to get in. Next door at the info centre selling 30 min cards for $3 I managed to squeeze in 2 hours, what with loading pictures and writing the blog off and online. I finally bought a cooler, known here as a chiller. What a difference! Ice lasts for a days now, instead of daily replacement. Yes, really, a no brainer.
I attempted to visit the Wingspan Birds of Prey Centre http://www.wingspan.co.nz/ arriving at closing... Proceeded on around the lake to the north and drove on through rain to Tauranga and Mt. Mauganui. Awesome beaches woah! Surf heaven I am sure. Lots of surf schools and many, many individuals waiting in the waves. I watched awhile, they seem to spend more time waiting then riding. Mind you at 8 am I was impressed to see so many already out there.
Back to yesterday, I found a campground, a "motorcourt", almost to Papamoa and walked out into the dunes across the road. Onto the beach the wind was howling, no one seemed to bothered, although there weren't many on the beach. Sitting in the lee of the dunes was fairly pleasant speaking with my Elke, catching up.
Awoke to, you guessed it, torrential rain again. It did quit and I went for a walk out onto Moturiki Island looking for the Blow hole....
Cruised around town, visiting second hand shops looking for a frypan and the library. $4 an hour on their computers... time to move on.
Driving south? East really, stopped to photograph some sandstone cliffs and the big surf. Bought fresh blueberries, but having trouble getting my daily grapefruit, and when I do they are orange inside. Ah the sun is out, the streets are wet and I'm ready to walk around Whakatane.
I attempted to visit the Wingspan Birds of Prey Centre http://www.wingspan.co.nz/ arriving at closing... Proceeded on around the lake to the north and drove on through rain to Tauranga and Mt. Mauganui. Awesome beaches woah! Surf heaven I am sure. Lots of surf schools and many, many individuals waiting in the waves. I watched awhile, they seem to spend more time waiting then riding. Mind you at 8 am I was impressed to see so many already out there.
Back to yesterday, I found a campground, a "motorcourt", almost to Papamoa and walked out into the dunes across the road. Onto the beach the wind was howling, no one seemed to bothered, although there weren't many on the beach. Sitting in the lee of the dunes was fairly pleasant speaking with my Elke, catching up.
Awoke to, you guessed it, torrential rain again. It did quit and I went for a walk out onto Moturiki Island looking for the Blow hole....
Cruised around town, visiting second hand shops looking for a frypan and the library. $4 an hour on their computers... time to move on.
Driving south? East really, stopped to photograph some sandstone cliffs and the big surf. Bought fresh blueberries, but having trouble getting my daily grapefruit, and when I do they are orange inside. Ah the sun is out, the streets are wet and I'm ready to walk around Whakatane.
Rotorua
Rotorua, Hotsprings and steaming vents all around. The Te Paui was the "event/place" that sounded the most fulfilling. I arrived with a few minutes to spare so wandered briefly, taking a few pictures. I loved the boulder of nephryte/jade out front and the invitation to take some of the water and pour it over the rock, rubbing it in as a reminder/blessings of the earthly connection.I should have taken notes. It was surrounded by 12 poles with carvings representing the 12 gods/heavens of Maori belief. A brief history of Maori arrival on Aotearoa "land of the long white cloud" and mention of Captain Cook and his perspective(from a Maori perspective) This place is set up a a school/training for Maori in the arts,crafts and history of Maori settlement. Out beyond the geyser (rhymes with miser not geezer) the Maori had fortification a 'Pa' the terrain is well suited for it. Apparently on occasion the captives (headless) were thrown into the boiling mud pools to discourage misbehavior or similar actions. Nearby are some pools where food is still cooked in the traditional way inside woven baskets and immersed till done. We were shown the woodcarving area and a weaving studio where I saw a short demo on preparing the native flax using an exacto knife and a mussel shell. How's that for mixed media. The gift shop had stuff, books I had seen numerous other places much cheaper... oh well, think I will save my money. Then the major event began, with a traditional greeting outside the Marea: horn blowing and singing, lots of posturing and the handshake nose rub. Off go the shoes and in we went to receive the blessings of the tribe in splendour and ceremony. A lot more elaborate than the previous experince up at Waitangi. Afterwards a huge meal ; eel, mussels , oysters, chicken,pork potato, sweet potato and pumpkin cooked in steaming pits. Oh salad and dessert too. The woman next to me had about 4 helpings of oysters, I began to wonder .... I kept my thoughts to myself. Unfortunately it wasn't quite dark so the geyser wasn't all that spectacular in the lights. I walked around taking pictures of the sulphur deposits, the glowing red rocks and the steam rising over everything.
I managed to find a campground and bonus, they had hotpools so had a good soak before I lay my weary (full tummied ) body down for a good nights sleep. What is it with the rain? Folowing me around or what? Again a major downpour awakens me in the night, right I left my bathing suit hanging on the mirror to "dry". Time to do laundry.
I managed to find a campground and bonus, they had hotpools so had a good soak before I lay my weary (full tummied ) body down for a good nights sleep. What is it with the rain? Folowing me around or what? Again a major downpour awakens me in the night, right I left my bathing suit hanging on the mirror to "dry". Time to do laundry.
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Bridal Veil Falls to Hamilton and south to Rotorua
I chose not to spend the night at Solscape, a lovely spot high up on the cliff overlooking Ngaruni Beach. It has composting toilets and solar showers and plenty of surfers mostly under 30, places like that make me feel old, really old. Besides the light was fantastic for taking pictures so I headed up to the falls. Great walk to the cliff top then stairs down below and of course back up again. I kept stopping as the light got more and more mellow. Of course when that happens, eventually it gets dark! Driving into an unknown city with little chance of camp grounds that I could find, I parked on a dead end street, beside a park, drank a beer and fell asleep. My back unfortunately is still waking me up. Plus the ever present assumption that someone might come along to shift me gave me a rather interrupted sleep.
The lady having a smoke outside said g'morning in response to mine and I left. Parked beside the Hamilton Rowing Club and watched the early morning teams prep and push off down river. A rather pleasant place to prepare myself for the day.
Where did I go? The library! after purchasing a pair of Chacos for NZ$49. They have been bought out by Merril so all the old stock is reduced to clear. Hamilton has charm and I felt compelled to move on.
I've been thinking... (this is news?) realizing how much I have been driven by my judgments of how I should be doing this trip. My journey at the moment involves a lot of movement. I want to cover as much territory as possible and I want to see it. My experience of NZ has been determined a lot by the geography and I want to get a sense of the people. Each time I spend more than 2 hours in one spot I get some of that. I will be spending 20 days with the Permaculture course and 15 other folks, staying with contacts in Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland and maybe other places. What am I trying to say? I dunno! People are different here, lots of tourists and retailers is who I mostly bump into so the real NZ is always going to be just out of reach I suppose. I accept that.
Stopping in Tirau where corrugated iron is king. The Info centre is a giant dog, next door the giant sheep sells.. can you guess? Marino clothing and plenty of sheep souvenirs, among all the other souvenirs. I picked up some shorts, this is the default uniform of NZ men, I seldom see men wearing long pants.
Onward past a rock monolith with the usual religious message spray painted on the side I didn't see, how nice! Into Rotorua, open the door to go outside and the smell is overpowering. I stopped at the Thermal Park and wandered around looking at boiling mud plopping skyward and oily surfaced water looking rather unattractive steaming away. Some young "folks" chucked a bottle into it to see what might transpire..., it sank.
The lady having a smoke outside said g'morning in response to mine and I left. Parked beside the Hamilton Rowing Club and watched the early morning teams prep and push off down river. A rather pleasant place to prepare myself for the day.
Where did I go? The library! after purchasing a pair of Chacos for NZ$49. They have been bought out by Merril so all the old stock is reduced to clear. Hamilton has charm and I felt compelled to move on.
I've been thinking... (this is news?) realizing how much I have been driven by my judgments of how I should be doing this trip. My journey at the moment involves a lot of movement. I want to cover as much territory as possible and I want to see it. My experience of NZ has been determined a lot by the geography and I want to get a sense of the people. Each time I spend more than 2 hours in one spot I get some of that. I will be spending 20 days with the Permaculture course and 15 other folks, staying with contacts in Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland and maybe other places. What am I trying to say? I dunno! People are different here, lots of tourists and retailers is who I mostly bump into so the real NZ is always going to be just out of reach I suppose. I accept that.
Stopping in Tirau where corrugated iron is king. The Info centre is a giant dog, next door the giant sheep sells.. can you guess? Marino clothing and plenty of sheep souvenirs, among all the other souvenirs. I picked up some shorts, this is the default uniform of NZ men, I seldom see men wearing long pants.
Onward past a rock monolith with the usual religious message spray painted on the side I didn't see, how nice! Into Rotorua, open the door to go outside and the smell is overpowering. I stopped at the Thermal Park and wandered around looking at boiling mud plopping skyward and oily surfaced water looking rather unattractive steaming away. Some young "folks" chucked a bottle into it to see what might transpire..., it sank.
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