On Monday I went on a day trip up to the far north to visit Cape Reinga amongst a few other places. With about 480km of driving for the day it was an early start for a pretty full on day. First stop was the Puketi Kauri Forest where we followed this boardwalk to see some kauri trees. I have seen many of these before but the ones here were really big. We then continued along the coast which had some impressive scenery to this cafe where had morning tea. The next stop was Mangonui where we had an early lunch which was fish and chips at this world famous chip shop. The chips aren't the same as back home though. It was nice sitting by this small harbour though, despite all the seagulls which were pretty annoying.
Cape Reinga was the next stop, which is the at the end of state highway one and often mistaken as the most northern point of New Zealand. It is home to a lighthouse and signpost and is the place where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean clash creating rough waters. The scenery here was impressive with views of the coast, and the Te Paki sand dunes which we went to afterwards. When arriving at the sand dunes we were able to go sandboarding, and I typically went first and went flying into the stream and got quite wet. It was still fun though and we went down as many times as we wanted, although I grazed my arm a far bit.
The next part took us down Ninety Mile Beach which we were able to drive down. The beach is in fact just 55 miles long but it was still a vast beach, the coast to coast effectively being all sand on New Zealands northern tip. We drove the majority of the beach length before heading back onto the tarmac and down to this Kauri based place which sold many sculptures including an impressive staircase which was literally carved inside a kauri tree. It was then back to Paihia where we went down the pub for a dinner and a few drinks as it was quite a long day, and it was even bingo night which was a laugh.
On Tuesday I fancied going for a bike ride to Kerikeri to see a few of the waterfalls and historic sites. After breakfast I hired a bike and cycled along the road, first stop being the Stone House and Rewas Village which showcased an array of European and Maori history. I then cycled along the Kerikeri river trail where I visited Wharepuke Falls, Fairy Pools, and the very impressive Rainbow Falls. I had lunch at Rainbow Falls before doing quite a challenging traverse across this rock face to get behind the waterfall. I got quite wet but got behind it where a rainbow literally came out the water. After getting back I cycled to Charlie's Rock which was a popular swimming hole and waterfall before heading back to Paihia. The hostel had taco Tuesdays and it's quiz night in the evening which got interesting.
Wednesday was my last full day in Paihia, so we decided to go and walk to the nearby Haruru Falls. After having a lie in we walked to Waitangi which is where the treaty was signed in 1840 between the Maori people and European settlers. We didn't go inside the museum however, instead following this path through the woods and along mangrove boardwalks to the waterfall. There was a lot of water coming down probably because of the rain. After having lunch we headed back along the road to Paihia where we just had a relaxing afternoon. Come evening they had a curling competition in the bar and I actually won for once getting a free $50 bar tab, heading to this pool bar afterwards.
We didn't depart Paihia until half 2 on the Thursday, which gave a free morning to explore Paihia further. I took the opportunity to have a lie in before spending the few hours left there on the beach, where I had fish and chips. The journey back to Auckland was relatively easy and after dinner I did the frenzi bar crawl which I've been meaning to do for ages but the fact it's on Thursday nights and I was working Fridays meant I never did it before. It was actually a really good night. On Friday I just had a relaxing day, with it being my last day in Auckland before heading down to the South Island.
After a lie in I had a chilled out morning before heading to Auckland airport for a 3pm departure to Christchurch. It was slightly adverse weather conditions however with a fair bit of rain coming down but it was all clear by the time I arrived in Christchurch. The city itself is the largest city on the South Island and the third most populous in New Zealand after Auckland and Wellington. It is famous for its English heritage and is commonly referred to as the garden city. In September 2010 however the city suffered a 7.1 magnitude earthquake and despite no fatalities caused extensive damage to the city. Fast forward to February 2011 and the city experienced a 6.3 magnitude earthquake, although this occurred a lot closer to the surface causing more damage, including the collapse of the iconic cathedral and the deaths of 185 people. The city suffered several further aftershocks into 2012 and it's estimated since these earthquakes 1500 buildings have been demolished.
On Sunday I explored the city which has changed massively since I last visited about 3 years before. There are still plenty of the so called gap fillers which are small pop up projects designed to put colour and life into areas whilst they're being redeveloped, but also several building sites and new buildings which have popped up since I last visited. The cathedral still looked the same however and it still just sits there exposed to the elements which is a shame. It was also nice the re start mall which is a shopping area full of shipping containers remained despite the construction of new shopping areas surrounding it. Come evening I just relaxed ready to go job searching the next day.
Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Auckland Week 10 and Bay of Islands
Monday was the start of my last week at Unitec, and with plenty of deliveries of things like carpet and ceiling tiles there was a lot of lifting. It did however rain quite badly towards the end of the week, receiving all the rain in the aftermath of Cyclone Donna. To prepare for this we covered the roof in tarp as best we could to avoid it flooding again although the main building still leaks in so many places which isn't great. Due to the heavy rain we finished earlier on Friday although it was nice to go for a few beers before leaving saying goodbye to everyone I've been working with. It was also nice one of my old friends from South America arrived on Thursday evening who I'm going to do the Bay of Islands with.
To put it simple I'm flying down to Christchurch on the 20th May with no particular plans in terms of work, and visiting the Bay of Islands for the week before that. The Bay of Islands is a New Zealand enclave encompassing more than 140 subtropical islands next to the country's North Island. It’s known for its undeveloped beaches, big-game fishing and Maori cultural artefacts. It is also where the Waitangi treaty was signed in 1840. It is commonly referred to as the winter less north due to the reasonable all year round temperatures. With 5 nights up here, I had to plenty of time to explore, and doing it with an old friend on dragoman, and on kiwi experience meant I was doing the area with other backpackers.
Leaving Auckland at 7.15am in the morning, we departed on a relatively empty bus up towards Paihia, which is a popular tourist town to see the Bay of Islands. En route we stopped in Warkworth for breakfast which is where I got the bus to the week before. We then continued heading north, stopping for a short walk at Whangarei falls which was a nice little walk to a 26m high waterfall. It was then one final push towards Paihia, arriving by about 12ish. There was however a big country music festival so there were lots of people walking round in hats and doing line dancing!
After checking into the hostel which was about a 100m walk from the beach, we went on a boat trip out into the bay to see some of the islands. With 144 islands in and around the bay, we weaved in and out of the passages following the Cape Brett Peninsula out towards the lighthouse and famous hole in the rock which was a sea arch. Prior to leaving we told there was a 96% success rate of seeing dolphins, and even a chance of seeing Orcas and Killer Whales if you're lucky. We were typically in the 4% who didn't see any although they give you a free boat trip if you don't see any so if I want to do the boat trip again I can. It was still beautiful seeing all the islands however.
On the way back we got off the ferry at Russell which is the town on the other side of the harbour from Paihia, and was the old capital of New Zealand as other was the first area settled by Europeans. This is hence home to the oldest pub in New Zealand and we had a drink here while watching the sunset. We then headed back to Paihia on the ferry where we had a bbq back at the hostel which was really nice. With it being Saturday night and lots of backpackers about it was a really good evening.
On Sunday we managed to a get a few of us together to do a walk around the harbour, effectively a loop walk including two ferry rides. After having a lie in which was much needed we got lunch and followed the rocky coastline round to Opua. There were some pretty nice views of the harbour and we walked along some lovely beaches. At Opua we had to catch a ferry across to Opatiku, just a 5 minute ride on a car ferry. The walk then headed inland through native bush, on a fairly undulating section. It then headed down to the beach again where we followed some boardwalks through the mangroves back to Russell, where we caught the ferry back to Paihia. It was a pretty solid walk getting back at sunset, and come evening we went to a cheap restaurant for dinner, before heading back to the hostel ready for an early start the next day.
To put it simple I'm flying down to Christchurch on the 20th May with no particular plans in terms of work, and visiting the Bay of Islands for the week before that. The Bay of Islands is a New Zealand enclave encompassing more than 140 subtropical islands next to the country's North Island. It’s known for its undeveloped beaches, big-game fishing and Maori cultural artefacts. It is also where the Waitangi treaty was signed in 1840. It is commonly referred to as the winter less north due to the reasonable all year round temperatures. With 5 nights up here, I had to plenty of time to explore, and doing it with an old friend on dragoman, and on kiwi experience meant I was doing the area with other backpackers.
Leaving Auckland at 7.15am in the morning, we departed on a relatively empty bus up towards Paihia, which is a popular tourist town to see the Bay of Islands. En route we stopped in Warkworth for breakfast which is where I got the bus to the week before. We then continued heading north, stopping for a short walk at Whangarei falls which was a nice little walk to a 26m high waterfall. It was then one final push towards Paihia, arriving by about 12ish. There was however a big country music festival so there were lots of people walking round in hats and doing line dancing!
After checking into the hostel which was about a 100m walk from the beach, we went on a boat trip out into the bay to see some of the islands. With 144 islands in and around the bay, we weaved in and out of the passages following the Cape Brett Peninsula out towards the lighthouse and famous hole in the rock which was a sea arch. Prior to leaving we told there was a 96% success rate of seeing dolphins, and even a chance of seeing Orcas and Killer Whales if you're lucky. We were typically in the 4% who didn't see any although they give you a free boat trip if you don't see any so if I want to do the boat trip again I can. It was still beautiful seeing all the islands however.
On the way back we got off the ferry at Russell which is the town on the other side of the harbour from Paihia, and was the old capital of New Zealand as other was the first area settled by Europeans. This is hence home to the oldest pub in New Zealand and we had a drink here while watching the sunset. We then headed back to Paihia on the ferry where we had a bbq back at the hostel which was really nice. With it being Saturday night and lots of backpackers about it was a really good evening.
On Sunday we managed to a get a few of us together to do a walk around the harbour, effectively a loop walk including two ferry rides. After having a lie in which was much needed we got lunch and followed the rocky coastline round to Opua. There were some pretty nice views of the harbour and we walked along some lovely beaches. At Opua we had to catch a ferry across to Opatiku, just a 5 minute ride on a car ferry. The walk then headed inland through native bush, on a fairly undulating section. It then headed down to the beach again where we followed some boardwalks through the mangroves back to Russell, where we caught the ferry back to Paihia. It was a pretty solid walk getting back at sunset, and come evening we went to a cheap restaurant for dinner, before heading back to the hostel ready for an early start the next day.
Tuesday, 9 May 2017
Auckland Week 9 and Matakana Coast
It was another busy week at Unitec, with a fair bit of scaffold being removed throughout the week which made the interior of the building a lot more visible. There was as ever a fair amount of lifting, although with the rain over the weekend the roof flooded again. The roof flooding is basically the old roof from an original two story block which they've renovated. The issue is where they built the new three story building to connect with this building the old roof tilts towards the new building which is not good. They've rectified this by building a wooden structure on the roof tilting the other way, but this is currently unfinished which means every time it rains the roof collects water. With it raining a couple of times throughout the week this meant a fair bit of time on the roof. We did get good news during the week when they brought us in pizza for lunch and told us we've got a $1 an hour pay rise.
Come weekend I decided to head away from Auckland for a couple of days, catching a bus to Warkworth to see the Matakana coast, about an hour north of Auckland. This area of coastline is particularly popular with divers, due to its abundance of reefs and marine life and various areas are classified as marine reserves. The hiking opportunities are also in abundance with an array of beaches to explore. When arriving in Warkworth I caught a local bus out to Omaha to spend the day exploring the Tawharanui Regional Park.
First stop was Omaha Beach which was a long sandy beach which seemed very popular. With it being low tide I continued following the coastline round instead of taking the road into the park, which took me over some rocky terrain round to Anchor Bay. This was a large sandy beach and the main information point for the park. From here I headed further along the coast before heading upwards and inland towards Tokatu Point. I then headed back down the sea level via Maori Bay and along the coast to this lagoon at the park entrance. All in all it was a very nice walk with great weather.
When leaving the park I had to decide where to sleep for the night. I concluded my best bet was to get to Matakana and have dinner before deciding what to do there. I managed to hitch a ride with some Canadians here. Matakana is a popular picturesque village with lots of cafes and restaurants, and I had dinner here before deciding to head towards Leigh as the plan the next day was Goat Island. It got incredibly dangerous however as I was walking down a dark narrow country lane and every time a car came I couldn't see anything. I eventually came across a bus shelter and just decided to sleep there for the night.
After a surprisingly good night's sleep I was off at sunrise to get to Goat Island Marine Reserve, going via Leigh. The marine reserve was more of a divers paradise that hikers but it was still very picturesque, and I followed the coast path from here back to Leigh. One issue with New Zealand however is they put fields full of fully grown bulls all together on public footpaths. With all the bulls by the fence line I warily tried to go round them but they started moving towards me. I therefore instead followed the fence line but they started charging at me so I had to somehow get over the fence, although it was electric so I hurt myself getting over. I personally think it's ridiculous putting fields of bulls on public footpaths but oh well.
When arriving back in Leigh I walked round the small harbour before following the coastline getting great views across the Huaraki Gulf. I then headed back to Matakana for lunch which was nice to explore during the day with its picturesque river setting and bustling cafes, where I went to one and ordered a full English which was really good. I then headed back to Warkworth where I had about an hour to explore before getting the bus back to Auckland, arriving back in darkness. Come evening I was just tired so after doing my shopping and just grabbing a takeaway for dinner I had an early night.
Come weekend I decided to head away from Auckland for a couple of days, catching a bus to Warkworth to see the Matakana coast, about an hour north of Auckland. This area of coastline is particularly popular with divers, due to its abundance of reefs and marine life and various areas are classified as marine reserves. The hiking opportunities are also in abundance with an array of beaches to explore. When arriving in Warkworth I caught a local bus out to Omaha to spend the day exploring the Tawharanui Regional Park.
First stop was Omaha Beach which was a long sandy beach which seemed very popular. With it being low tide I continued following the coastline round instead of taking the road into the park, which took me over some rocky terrain round to Anchor Bay. This was a large sandy beach and the main information point for the park. From here I headed further along the coast before heading upwards and inland towards Tokatu Point. I then headed back down the sea level via Maori Bay and along the coast to this lagoon at the park entrance. All in all it was a very nice walk with great weather.
When leaving the park I had to decide where to sleep for the night. I concluded my best bet was to get to Matakana and have dinner before deciding what to do there. I managed to hitch a ride with some Canadians here. Matakana is a popular picturesque village with lots of cafes and restaurants, and I had dinner here before deciding to head towards Leigh as the plan the next day was Goat Island. It got incredibly dangerous however as I was walking down a dark narrow country lane and every time a car came I couldn't see anything. I eventually came across a bus shelter and just decided to sleep there for the night.
After a surprisingly good night's sleep I was off at sunrise to get to Goat Island Marine Reserve, going via Leigh. The marine reserve was more of a divers paradise that hikers but it was still very picturesque, and I followed the coast path from here back to Leigh. One issue with New Zealand however is they put fields full of fully grown bulls all together on public footpaths. With all the bulls by the fence line I warily tried to go round them but they started moving towards me. I therefore instead followed the fence line but they started charging at me so I had to somehow get over the fence, although it was electric so I hurt myself getting over. I personally think it's ridiculous putting fields of bulls on public footpaths but oh well.
When arriving back in Leigh I walked round the small harbour before following the coastline getting great views across the Huaraki Gulf. I then headed back to Matakana for lunch which was nice to explore during the day with its picturesque river setting and bustling cafes, where I went to one and ordered a full English which was really good. I then headed back to Warkworth where I had about an hour to explore before getting the bus back to Auckland, arriving back in darkness. Come evening I was just tired so after doing my shopping and just grabbing a takeaway for dinner I had an early night.
Monday, 1 May 2017
Auckland Week 8
Monday was back to work at the university, and I was a little tired after the pretty full on weekend, although it was a very full on day with primarily lifting which made the day go quick. It was a blessing in disguise however that Tuesday was Anzac Day which is celebrated every year in Australia and New Zealand on the 25th April, which meant the building site was shut for the bank holiday, giving me a lie in and a day off. Anzac is an acronym for Australia and New Zealand armed corps and the day commemorates all those who have died in war, the date relating to when Oz and NZ armed forces landed in Gallipoli in WW1 in 1915. I went and paid my respects by attending the service up at the war museum on Auckland Domain, which was heaving with people and included a few displays by planes. Come afternoon I did a few things in town with the shops opening at 1, before spending the evening relaxing.
The rest of the week at the university was as ever busy, with a lot more lifting than usual due to the interior work really coming along meaning many deliveries of materials. The scaffold also started coming down which gave the tedious job of removing things like lose nails which could fall a few stories and damage the glass. All in all though it was a good week accompanied by some very warm weather which was nice. It was also nice on Friday evening to catch up with an old friend from South America who has just arrived in New Zealand.
Come weekend the weather turned, however I decided to stay in Auckland which meant I could be flexible. I spent Saturday morning relaxing at the hostel due to the persistent rain. I was originally planning to either do a walk in the Waitakere Ranges or along the North Shore, or to just simply relax on a beach somewhere, but I couldn't be bothered to get wet so after lunch I instead caught the metro to Sylvia Park which is the largest shopping complex in New Zealand. I just looked round the shops which contained many of the flagship stores before heading back to the hostel after a couple of hours, the rain pretty heavy by this point. Come evening I managed to get a break in the weather and went out for dinner at pizza hut before having an early night as I was tired after a late night the night before.
Sunday was forecast to be rain the morning, clearing up by the afternoon. I didn't want to sit around doing nothing again so I decided to head into the Waitakere Ranges which I visited before when I went to Piha. I instead headed to the northern section of the park however, focusing on the Cascade Kauri Park home to an abundance of plants and waterfalls. After catching the train to Sunnyvale I walked about an hour and a half along the road into the park, before finally reaching the Fairy Falls track. This woodland track took me to an impressive waterfall, although the rain got harder when arriving here. The waterfall had an upper and a lower section and it was a pretty impressive sight.
I then headed to the Waitakere dam, although when arriving it was really windy as it was exposed. The visibility was also quite poor with the rain so I headed back into the woods in search of the Cascade Falls. I took a longer route here taking in the challenging Cascade Track which was incredibly slippery, before joining the Auckland City Walk to see a pou which was a Maori carving statue. I then followed a steam along an undefined path, scrambling over some very slippery rocks and fallen logs across the stream to reach the loud Cascade Falls. It was difficult to get a good view of it with it being in a gorge but it was impressive, and it even stopped raining by this point.
Next I headed back to the Waitakere dam, this time in sunshine where I had lunch. I then headed in search of Waitakere falls, however despite hearing it I couldn't work out how to get to it without jumping off a cliff. I therefore followed the Waitakere tramline, an old tramline which took me to Kelly Stream Falls, and did give me a few views across the valley back towards Waitakere falls and dam. The tramline itself took me through the forest including a tunnel to a disused tunnel at the end. From here I went up and over and when reaching the other side reached the road which took me to Swanson station to get to the city. It started to rain however when getting back, and I got wet again but it was good to do something for the day.
The rest of the week at the university was as ever busy, with a lot more lifting than usual due to the interior work really coming along meaning many deliveries of materials. The scaffold also started coming down which gave the tedious job of removing things like lose nails which could fall a few stories and damage the glass. All in all though it was a good week accompanied by some very warm weather which was nice. It was also nice on Friday evening to catch up with an old friend from South America who has just arrived in New Zealand.
Come weekend the weather turned, however I decided to stay in Auckland which meant I could be flexible. I spent Saturday morning relaxing at the hostel due to the persistent rain. I was originally planning to either do a walk in the Waitakere Ranges or along the North Shore, or to just simply relax on a beach somewhere, but I couldn't be bothered to get wet so after lunch I instead caught the metro to Sylvia Park which is the largest shopping complex in New Zealand. I just looked round the shops which contained many of the flagship stores before heading back to the hostel after a couple of hours, the rain pretty heavy by this point. Come evening I managed to get a break in the weather and went out for dinner at pizza hut before having an early night as I was tired after a late night the night before.
Sunday was forecast to be rain the morning, clearing up by the afternoon. I didn't want to sit around doing nothing again so I decided to head into the Waitakere Ranges which I visited before when I went to Piha. I instead headed to the northern section of the park however, focusing on the Cascade Kauri Park home to an abundance of plants and waterfalls. After catching the train to Sunnyvale I walked about an hour and a half along the road into the park, before finally reaching the Fairy Falls track. This woodland track took me to an impressive waterfall, although the rain got harder when arriving here. The waterfall had an upper and a lower section and it was a pretty impressive sight.
I then headed to the Waitakere dam, although when arriving it was really windy as it was exposed. The visibility was also quite poor with the rain so I headed back into the woods in search of the Cascade Falls. I took a longer route here taking in the challenging Cascade Track which was incredibly slippery, before joining the Auckland City Walk to see a pou which was a Maori carving statue. I then followed a steam along an undefined path, scrambling over some very slippery rocks and fallen logs across the stream to reach the loud Cascade Falls. It was difficult to get a good view of it with it being in a gorge but it was impressive, and it even stopped raining by this point.
Next I headed back to the Waitakere dam, this time in sunshine where I had lunch. I then headed in search of Waitakere falls, however despite hearing it I couldn't work out how to get to it without jumping off a cliff. I therefore followed the Waitakere tramline, an old tramline which took me to Kelly Stream Falls, and did give me a few views across the valley back towards Waitakere falls and dam. The tramline itself took me through the forest including a tunnel to a disused tunnel at the end. From here I went up and over and when reaching the other side reached the road which took me to Swanson station to get to the city. It started to rain however when getting back, and I got wet again but it was good to do something for the day.
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