Rotorua Part I: Geothermal Wonderland

With all of the holiday havoc behind us, we packed it up and headed north again, back to Rotorua, only this time we'd have the time to do it properly.  Rotorua is the North Island's biggest and oldest tourist hub.  Going all the way back to the 1880's, tourists from across the world have been drawn to Rotorua for its many geothermal wonders.  Along with the likes of Yellowstone National Park and Iceland, it is one of the most active and rambunctious  geothermal regions on earth.  Blessed with a plethora of hot springs, pure water springs, vibrant colored pools and over 10 lakes, you might just call it paradise if it wasn't for the overwhelming smell of sulphur that occupies the city like a spectre (but hey, even Mother Earth passes gas every once in a while! I just call it Roto-Poo-Uh).  On top of the amazing natural attractions, those crafty kiwis have added a touch of what New Zealand is most known for - adrenaline filled heart stopping adventures, and for the icing on the top, Rotorua is the center for tourist based Maori cultural attractions.

On the route to Rotorua from Taupo, our first stops in the Rotorua region were arguable two of the best geothermal parks that the region has on offer.  The first and most famous was Wai-o-Tapu.  We arrived a little late to watch the geyser erupt, but the hour loop track around the park was good enough that we didn't feel we had missed much.  The park is full of bubbling mud pools, steaming ponds and lakes of whatever color neon you can imagine, all with some catchy name to go along with it.  The only drawback seeing such amazing sights was that you had to wade through the crowd of others eager to witness the same spectacles.  It was surely an amazing visual spectacle, and that being so, I'll shut up and just show you some photos!

The Champagne Pools

Mud Pit!

The second park explored is the newest of all geothermal areas in the region, created when Mt Tarawera exploded in the 1880's, completely changing the lay of the land in the area.  It turned out to be, much to my surprise, a much cooler and more scenic walk than that in Wai-o-Tapu! The walk is a one way walk through the newly formed river valley that is covered in native forest.  Along the way you're treated to a variety of different landscapes, as well as another array of strange, alien like lakes.  As we walked the rain began to fall, and combined with the steam rising from the lakes and the river it created an amazing sense of primeval atmosphere.  It was such that it seemed like any moment we'd run into a pack of dinosaurs and meet a gruesome demise.  With a landscape like that the imagination could just run wild, and it was clear to me then why Peter Jackson should have chosen New Zealand as the location to film a series like Lord of the Rings.

Frying Pan Lake

To finish the evening off strong, we drove into Rotorua for the final event of the evening - the Hangi.  A Hangi is essentially the Maori version of the Hawaiian Luau, a cultural performance combined with a feast of food cooked for many hours underground.  The evening began with round of drinks after we found our table (thanks to one generous Megan Fry), and once everyone was settled the host gave a brief introduction of what was in store for us, all the while demonstrating a surprising knowledge of foreign language greetings.  No language was too obscure! Croatian? Sure.  Hungarian? Why not?.  Impressive.  

After that we were all whisked away to see the food as it was coming up from the ground before taking a short walk along the grounds to a pure water spring feeding the river on the property.  I've never seen one of these before, and boy was it ever impressive.  The clearest water I've ever seen - until a leaf fell from a tree onto the surface of the water I'd thought that the surface was several feet lower than it turned out to be due to the blue colored sands on the bottom of the pool.  After that marvel we watched as actors paddled a traditional style Maori war canoe on the river before the cultural performance began.  The whole experience was a bit cheesy, but still the most insightful look into historic Maori living I've had so far on this whole trip.  Oh yeah, and the food provided a welcome respite from the camping meals we'd been easting in the previous month.  

A Merry Christmas in the Sun

Christmas Eve was a blustering, grey and rainy day, and the forecast was for Christmas to be even worse.  With some disappointment, we took refuge in the movie theater, keen to see The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug.  Now I don't know what the other movie theaters in Wellington are like, but this theater was posh as.  From the street the theater is humble and unassuming, but once we walk through the doors it opens into a grand entryway with marble staircases leading to the first floor and houses two classy ultra-modern bars (yes, you can drink beer while you watch your movie in NZ).  It's no wonder (or perhaps coincidence) that the theater hosts the world premiers of the LOTR and Hobbit films.  Even the bathrooms were overflowing with class (which is the only thing you ever want overflowing in bathrooms)! I enjoyed the movie, despite its length.  

All class

This bar looks like it good be in a 007 film!

Once the movie finally ended, we went to the grocery store to grab the ingredients for our meals the following day, since even the large cities in New Zealand shut down for Christmas.  After my suggestion of peanut butter and jelly for Christmas dinner was contemptuously vetoed (frugal to the end!), we decided we were going to make an attempt at Jumbalaya.  Once back at the hostel we stashed the food and went back out to meet up with one of Kayleigh's friends from work, Sarah, who had recently moved to Wellington.  We met with her at about 8pm at an Irish bar on Cuba Street and she had brought her entire hostel with her.  That started the beginning of a what was to be a long and unexpected night on the town.  

We ended up meeting up with Elien and Jonas who were staying at the same hostel we were, (the Belgian couple mentioned in previous posts) and heading to a Tequileria on the nightlife street of Courtenay.  We exchanged round after round and before you know it, it was midnight at the bar was shutting down since it was now Christmas Day.  Luckily on the walk back to our hostel we passed a place called Afrika with music blaring from inside it's glass walls.  After briefly dancing in front of the glass door , they decided to let us in, provided we just danced and didn't buy anymore alcohol.  Of course, Jonas went straight to the bar and ordered two more rounds.  Unfortunately, we were all quite drunk so nobody thought to take any photos.  It was a fantastic Christmas Eve.

On Christmas everything faded into view.  Our eyes bleary, our minds dreary, but the weather outside was anything but.  Brilliant sunshine filled the city.  Kayleigh was convinced it was a Christmas miracle.  As you can imagine, we had a bit of a slow start to the morning, but after sharing some coffee and seafood omelets with Elien and Jonas we were ready to get out to the beach.  Together we all walked down to Oriental Bay, Wellington's city beach.  In terms of beaches it isn't particularly impressive, but the water is blue and warm enough on a sunny day.  We relaxed and chatted and snacked for a few hours.  At one point Jonas and I decided to try and swim to a barge just offshore.  It looked close enough, but I may have overestimated my swimming abilities or power of the choppy waters.  After my feet could no longer touch the ground, I made it about a half of the distance between there and the dingy when I started to lose steam.  I turned back and my head was bobbing under the water with each wave by the time I made it back to where I could stand.  Scared me well enough.  Jonas ended up making it, but when he swam back he told us the dingy had been his lifeboat, and the other two guys he shared the spot with were considering calling for help to get back after having almost drowned getting there.  And here I thought I was just a wimp.

A natural Christmas tree! Complete with a star!

Whoa there Sasquatch, must have been a crazy night for you to end up out there!

Kayleigh, Megan, Elien, and Jonas

We retired to the hostel to relax.  The Jumbalaya turned out amazing and was a wonderful end to a wonderful Christmas day.  

*Some of you may remember that Kayleigh and I had originally planned on living in Wellington instead of Auckland, and after exploring the city and its surround I've convinced that we made the right choice in Auckland.  While the social scene is much better in Wellington, and it is no doubt a much more beautiful city, it's just damned cold and it is difficult to find a place to park a camper van.  Not to mention all the amazing beaches and the Waitakeres in Auckland. 

Oh, and sorry for unsynchronized gap between the blogs but they take some time to write and upload, I'm doing what I can.  

Wellington

Ah, Wellington, New Zealand's answer to San Francisco.  From the bohemian vibe to the mixed Victorian and Modern style houses to the cable car, it seems Wellington sprouted from the same seed as its older and more famous cousin.  The similarities don't end there however, as even the landscape surrounding the city had me confused as to whether or not we had accidentally driven across the Pacific.  After we were clear of the mountains of Tongariro National Park, the landscape became softer and more undulating.  After crossing through a large, flat rural valley, views of soft grassy hills covered in shrubbery came into view.  A little further and we had reached the northern extent of the Wellington metro area, with the house covered hills turning into rugged rocky headlands as they reached into the sea.  The trees, Monterey Pines imported from California and planted for decoration and lumber supply, dominated the green belt of the city.  All this covered in a thin veil of fog rolling in off of a rough and tumble sea.

Toto, I don't think we're in New Zealand anymore

Wellington is located near the southern tip of the North Island on a large harbor and is the jumping off point to the South Island.  It is the political capital of New Zealand, but is also known as the cultural and nightlife capital due to the cities bohemian vibe and compact walkability. Squeezed in between the tall forested hills and the blue harbor, it's hardly an ugly city either.  Wellington is just shy of owning a monopoly on New Zealand's music scene, with the vast majority of NZ bands and artists hailing from it's bustling nightclubs and bars.  It is also the home to the NZ movie industry, with big name directors such as Peter Jackson utilizing the cities studios for the production of LOTR the The Hobbit.  If this is all sounding too good to be true, let me drop a reality bomb on you - Wellington is also nicknamed "Windy Welly" due to the intense gusts squeezing through the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands.  Besides the wind, there is also often cold and rainy weather, even in the summer.  I've heard many say that spending time in Wellington on a good day makes you want to pick up and move there, then the following day makes you want to leave.

 When we arrived in the city it just wasn't one of those good days.  The first day wasn't too exciting, as we had arrived a bit too early to pick up Megan, who had a horrendous flight delay from SF and wasn't due to arrive in the city until late afternoon.  After fumbling a lot in the small but horribly marked Wellington airport, we finally had her and we all went out to dinner and a drink before going to bed.  The following day was shaping up to be another bad weather day, but it burned off midday to become a beautiful and calm summers day.  The blue water in the harbor shone, and the city sparkled.  As we walked through the city center, it became remarkably clear just how small the city itself is, clearing the center in about 15 minutes.  Along the way we explored Cuba Street, which is a walkway between city blocks chalked full of great cafes, bars and replete with street performers and plenty of dreadlocks.  Before heading to the waterfront to walk back the way we came we passed through the gardens of governmental buildings.  Funny you could walk right up to the front doors with no security or hassling. 

San Francisco or Wellington? Would you be able to tell? 

The Excutive Wing of the Parliamentary Buildings aka "The Beehive"

Along the waterfront we wandered through the underground market so that Megan could do some souvenir shopping.  They happened to have a wine booth down there selling Ports from a small boutique winery outside the city, and Kayleigh and I bought a bottle.  After that we went to the

renowned Te Papa museum at the end of the waterfront and explored the exhibits for a few hours.  The last activity before sunset was to make a short hike to the top of Mt Victoria, which provides an excellent 360 degree view of the city and the harbor.

The Alien, ahem, Squid of Te Papa.

Wellington from Mt Victoria

After Kayleigh and I bought our bottle of wine we got it into our heads to go wine tasting, and low and behold there is a wine region just over the hills about an hour northeast of Wellington (yet another similarity to San Francisco).  So the next day we busied ourselves doing just that.  We tasted wines from three different wineries before we had to stop and have a platter to make sure we could drive back across the mountains to town.  The weather was again great, making an unusual two day spree of great Wellington weather.  Things were looking promising for a Southern Hemisphere sunny and warm Christmas at the beach.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing

With only two more days to go before we were due to be in Wellington to pick up Megan, we hit our final stop before the long stretch south.  Tongariro National Park is only an hour and a half from Taupo, and on a good day you can see the mountains towering over the southern shores of the lake.  It's claim to fame is its being a filming location for one of the most iconic landscapes in Lord of the Rings - Mount Doom.  Named Mt Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom is such a better name), it is the perfect volcanic cone reaching into the heavens, and the summit is often shrouded in a veil of clouds.  It is also the home of what is touted as "the best day walk in all of New Zealand" - The Tongariro Alpine Crossing.  This is what we came for.  

As Velma huffed and puffed up and up to the edge of the National Park, the air temperature dropped drastically.  For the first time since our road trip began, we were in the high mountains, and it was damned cold.  Time to dig through those boxes for some winter clothes.  We had planned on doing The Crossing the following morning, but when the day broke the weather wasn't looking ideal for the trek.  The mountains have notoriously fickle weather, and a beautiful bright and clear morning can turn into a gusty rainstorm with no visibility at a moment's notice.  This morning was overcast and cold, and learning that there was a possibility of hail and gusting winds at the summit in the late afternoon, I decided it would better to wait until the following day, when the weather was predicted to be nothing but sun.  That turned out to be a fantastic decision.

The next day we woke up to glorious sun and cloudless skies.  At 8am we shuttled to the trail head along with hundreds of other tourists to begin the 7 hour, 19.4 kilometer tramp up to and across the ridge of Mt Tongariro before descending down the other side of the mountain.  The hike started out fairly easy, with a board walked path leading through a narrowing volcanic valley towards Soda Springs just before the first steep ascent of the hike.  We reached Soda Springs in just over an hour and took the opportunity to use the bathroom since there weren't any until the last leg of the trail, and the terrain offers no shelter in case of emergencies.  Then the climb began.  

The first steep section of the track climbed a staircase until we reached the Southern Crater area of the mountain.  We had some lunch and enjoyed the views.  The weather was so good you could even see the ever elusive Mount Taranaki and its snow capped peak poking out all the way from the west coast of the North Island!  After the brief rest we crossed the Southern Crater area, which provided excellent views to the summit of Mt Doom.  We began the second and final steep ascent of the trail, and this one was a bit rougher.  There was no staircase, only a loose field of volcanic rock that shifted beneath your every step.  We trudged on, finally reaching the top.

The view west from our lunch stop - That's Mt Taranaki off in the distance

It looks like Mars!

We had arrived at the Red Crater, and this was the halfway point of the hike. From here we were treated to a view of the North Island of New Zealand that almost stretched from coast to coast.  Directly below was the Red Crater of Mt Tongariro, with steaming vents burping eggy smells that filled the air.  Across from valley below, the Blue Lake sparkled in the distance, and you could see the town of Taupo on the northern side of the giant lake.  On the far side of the ridge, shimmering in the sun like an alien jewel in the crown of the mountain, were the famous Emerald Lakes.  Words can't really describe the awesome color that danced from the surface of the water, and no pictures I took were able to do it justice (and Kayleigh can attest, I took many trying get it). It was simply surreal.  From the top of the ridge we laughed at the struggling hikers all around as they slipped and slid down the steep rocky surface as we skied right on by using our walking poles for balance.  They may not be stylish, but damn it they come in handy.

Looking down into the Red Crater. (Umm, does that volcanic vent look like a…err…nevermind)

The Blue Lake from the highest point in the hike

The Emerald Lakes - this photo just doesn't compare to seeing them

As chance would have it, as we were descending the far side of the ridge, we happened to run into a Belgian couple that we had shared a campsite with in both Rotorua and Coromandel.  We exchanged phone numbers in order to meet up in Wellington in a few days and continued along our way.  We lunched at the shores of one of the Emerald Lakes and watched people interact with the lake and their environment.  Some kids threw rocks into the lake, some people took off their boots and put their feet in the water.  After our rest we started the latter half of the hike, across the final valley floor before a small climb back to the ridge of the Blue Lake.  We crested the ridge and before us lie the long snaking pathway descending to the bottom.

The Blue Lake up close

One of the Emerald Lakes up close

By this point I had to pee like a racehorse and we were trying to speed to the bathroom a little over a mile from the Blue Lake.  I made it to the restrooms just in time and we took a quick break before making the final push.  It was interesting to watch the landscape change as we crossed from the Alpine region into the Sub Alpine region and again back below the tree line.  By the time we reached the tree line both Kayleigh and I were hurting, and we were hoping beyond hope that this corner would be the last…Blast! Nothing but more trail.  Dogs barking. Shoulders sore from the backpack, arms from the walking sticks. Ankles, knees and hips worked to the point of fatigue.  When we finally emerged from the forest into the car lot we let out a sigh of relief and accomplishment before collapsing onto the ground in the shade of the trees.

Follow the yellow brick road…forever!

After ascending about 2400 feet and descending about 4000 feet over the course of 7 hours and 19.4 kilometers (roughly 12 miles), it is the longest trail either of us has ever completed in terms of both distance and time, as well as the largest ascent and descent.  That said…both Kayleigh and I agree - Pinnacles was harder.  

Taupo

Before we begin, I know I mentioned at the end of the last blog that we were headed to Rotorua, but seeing as how we didn't really experience much of what makes Rotorua special just yet, I decided to save the blog for after we return there with Megan to give it its fair shake.  So let's continue…

Taupo is one of New Zealand's premier domestic holiday destinations.  Located at the geographic center of the North Island, at an altitude of 2000 feet, it is the largest freshwater lake in the Australia/New Zealand region.  You'd never know it from the surface, but the lake is actually a crater lake sitting on top of one of the Earth's few super-volcanos.  Ironically, it is this foreboding character that makes Taupo such an attractive holiday destination.  It is blessed with numerous natural hot springs and geothermal activity, along with some beautiful rivers and man made wonders.  The town itself is much bigger than one would expect given the population of the city (about 30,000 give or take).  We were told by a local that the population swells by about 3 times during the peak season.   

One of the first things we checked out was the main attraction on the international tourist agenda - Huka Falls.  This man made falls along the Waikato River is impressive due to the sheer volume of water swelling through the small floodway.  Staring at it gives you a real sense of the overwhelming power of it.  Another special feature of Huka Falls is the milky blue color of the water. It's as if it the water has some source of power all its own generating an alien like inner glow.

The second big man made attraction is called Aratiatia Rapids.  After damming up a river, the kiwi engineers created a rocky chute just downstream from the dam.  A few times a day, the dam is opened up and a torrent of water quickly floods the upper stream and turns the rock chute into wild churning rapids of doom.  Very cool to watch the river transform from a babbling brook to a raging beast.

By far the coolest thing we did in the area, however, was getting out onto the lake in a kayak.  At this time of the year the lake is quite warm and, of course, completely translucent like all water in NZ seems to be.  Kayleigh may have found a new love for the sport, as the kayak we rented was fantastic and we were skiing across the water like those little bugs. 

Our guide told us as we went along about the Maori legends regarding the discovery of the lake, it's origins, and origins of the surrounding landscape as well.  The wind picked up about halfway and we had to fight the waves, but it all culminated when we reached our destination at the Maori rock carvings some 4km from where we began.

Created in the 1980's by a pair of Maori carvers, what makes them special is the medium.  Maoris are master carvers when it comes to working with wood, but stone is a whole different story.  She explained that in Maori culture, the final test for young apprentices to become master carvers is to create a masterpiece.  So these two set out to do just that, and once they found a suitable spot on the shores of Lake Taupo, they flew in a Scottish stone carver in order to get the Celtic expertise on just how to go about making their masterpiece in stone.  Four years later and voila! A beautiful masterpiece carved into the sheer cliff face to be enjoyed by all for generations and generations.

The Bay of Plenty

After the Pinnacles we headed to the bustling port town of Tauranga for a bit of R&R.  With a population of around 115,000, it's just big enough to offer a lively atmosphere, while also small enough to maintain its beachy feel.  In fact, it's quite similar to some of the smaller beach communities in California, and it reminded me quite a bit of a sort of working class Santa Barbara, complete with the hordes of retro bicycles and skateboard riding youth.  It had a surprisingly developed waterfront for New Zealand, with loads of sweet eateries and cafes to explore.  Just across the harbor from Tauranga, Mt Mangonui rises sharply at the end of a small peninsula sheltering the harbor from the sea.  This little strip of land is known lovingly as The Mount, and it's where the holiday magic happens.  

The Mount is where we stayed for two nights at a holiday park right across the road from a white sand beach. that stretches from the Mount itself, all the way to the East Cape of New Zealand, becoming "different" beaches along the way as it stretches from one town into the next.  After a lovely birthday meal cooked by the one and only Kay Fry, we walked along the beach for a few kilos until we reached Mt Mangonui and the town centre at the end of the line.  As we explored the town, I began to wonder if our NZ experience would have been more amazing if we had based ourselves in this little town.  It had never even occurred to me to try and work anyplace other than one of the main cities.  Maybe in Oz… After a good night's sleep we (ok, maybe it was more like I, much to K Fry's chagrin) decided to climb Mt Mangonui for the sweeping views of the city and surrounds from the summit.  It was yet another tough slog, but well worth it.  

On our way to the Bay of Plenty's biggest tourist hotspot, Rotorua, we made a quick pitstop at what turned out to be my favorite waterfall in NZ thus far: Rainbow Falls.  A short hike from the car park brings you down to this little piece of Eden for a spectacular view of the falls and a few places to leap into the deep pools below for the brave.  Despite the sun not yet reaching into the valley, I couldn't help myself.  I had to jump in! Yes, even with the brief time spent in only a few locations, the Bay of Plenty just might be my favorite region of New Zealand so far.

The Pinnacles

The first chapter of our road trip has come to an end, but there is so much more to explore! Luckily for you all, I'm in a sharing mood, so I will now indulge your curiosity without even making you beg!  As we left the Northlands and entered the Auckland region, I was struck with a very unexpected feeling.  I felt as though I'd just been on vacation, and now I was coming home.  Not home to the Bay, but home to Auckland!  I had missed Auckland in my time away!  The familiar sights, the familiar streets, the familiar places all called to my heart as though I was a child who had been found.  Yes, it was good to be back, even if only for a day.

We will picking up Kayleigh's sister, Megan at the airport in Wellington on Dec 21st and she will be traveling with us through Christmas and New Years, so the plan from here is to slowly make our way south towards Wellington, stopping off at various places along the way to have some fun.  First stop - the Coromandel Peninsula for the second big tramp of our trip.  The Kauaeranga Kauri Trail - AKA the hike to the Pinnacles.  This trail is infamous for it's unforgiving stairway featured in the Led Zepplin hit Stairway to Heaven (I kid, I kid, but if you've seen this stairway you'd understand).  The trail rises some 600m to the towering spires at the summit of the Coromandel Mountains known as the Pinnacles.  Anyone whom I've ever spoken of this trail does so in a sort of handshy way, so I've been looking forward to this hike with a bit of apprehension.  

We started around 9:30am along the 3 hour Webb Creek Trail to the Pinnacles Hut.  And guess what?! Neither Kayleigh or I found it to be as bad as its reputation made it out to be.  Long staircase, yes, but completely manageable.  With the help of our handy walking sticks we made it up to the DOC maintained Pinnacles Hut in 30 minutes less than prescribed!  Hooray for us!  We were feeling so good after arriving at the hut that we briefly considered doing the hike as a day hike, rather than staying in the hut for the night as we had originally planned.  So after a short rest in the hut, we continued the remaining 30 minutes or so to the top of the Pinnacles themselves.  The final 30 minutes is more like what I'd imagined the full three hour ascent to be like.  It was tough, and Kayleigh was feeling a little beat, but I feel like the Duke's Nose was much harder.  Once at the top the views were sweeping panoramas of the Cormandel Mountains, peninsula, and even the flatlands of Waikato to the south!

Almost there!

Finally!

On the way down from the Pinnacles we were feeling a little less smug and decided that it would be a good idea to stay in the hut overnight after all.  So we did what we could to kill the time (it was only about 2pm after all) until nightfall.  When we went in to check out the bunk room we realized we had made a grave oversight.  We hadn't brought any blankets or our sleeping bags to help stave off the cold.  "We'll be fine" we thought.  It had, after all, been a pretty warm day.  If worst came to worst, we did have our jackets and a towel that we could drape over ourselves.  Stupid stupid stupid.  The night was cold and the bed was small.  We huddled together for warmth, with no room to turn over even if we had wanted to.  We got through the night with some sparse pockets of sleep in between shivering and cramping muscles.  

6:30 am, the sun was coming up and we were awake, as we had been much of the night.  There was fog covering the tops of the mountains today, and we decided to just get up and head for the car instead of wasting more time in the cold trying to sleep.  On the way back we chose to go the alternative route back down to the road in order to try and catch a glimpse of the viewpoint from the top of Billgoat Falls.  This was another bad decision, as it added an additional hour onto our return route, and somehow added a significant climb to our return to the valley floor, saving all the downhill for the last hour or so of the trial.  Add to the fact that we had only a granola bar and an apple each left to eat for breakfast that morning and it turned to be quite a challenging endeavor.  The Pinnacles reputation turned out to be true after all.