Gisborne to Tauranga

My plan for Monday was to just have a more chilled out day exploring the city of Gisborne, before spending the following few days working my way round the East Cape. Gisborne is the most eastern city in the world and was the first place Captain James Cook landed in 1769 when he discovered New Zealand. After having an awful nights sleep because of the heat, I went for a stroll round the city, checking out the main high street, beach, and river estuary. It was a really nice place to walk round. After lunch I headed up Kaiti Hill which overlooks the city, getting some great views out over Gisborne, Poverty Bay and as far as the Mahia Peninsula. The rest of the day I just chilled out which was much needed after my recent travels.

On Tuesday morning I was raring to go and I had a far better nights sleep. My plan was to follow SH35 also known as the Pacific Coast Highway from Gisborne to Opotiki. The 334km road is another off the beaten track route on my behalf, with SH2 through the Waioeka Gorge linking Gisborne and Opotiki in just 144km. The drive passes through countless bays and small predominantly Maori settlements skimming the coastline much of the way. I knew before setting off I had to be flexible and go with the flow as it would be impossible to visit everywhere en route by hitchhiking.

After having a pretty laid back start to the day, my first stop of the day was Wainui Beach just a short walk north of Gisborne. What I wanted to do here was check out Tuahine Head which is the northern tip of Poverty Bay and home to an old abandoned lighthouse. I however couldn't really get to it because the sea was too rough and it would have required rock hopping so I deemed it too risky. I got a glimpse though. From Wainui Beach I followed the beach right along to Okitu Beach and over the Makorori headland to Makorori Beach where I had lunch. They were all nice sandy beaches, particularly good beaches in terms of surfing.

From Makorori Beach I headed over to Tatapouri Beach where I hitched a ride north to Tolaga Bay, home to the longest wharf in New Zealand. I did a walk here out to Cooks Cove which went up to this headland giving great views over Tolaga Bay, before dropping down to Cooks Cove the other side, which is where Captain Cook and his crew first landed for water supplies. There was also a little side walk through the hole in the cliff to a little secluded beach which was nice. When getting back to Tolaga Bay I checked out the 660m long wharf which I walked to the end of, before heading into the town itself which was a good 30 minute walk from the wharf despite only being the other side of the river which was frustrating. I camped by the beach here.

In the morning there was a fantastic sunrise which I was able to watch without even having to get out of my tent as I was right by the beach. After a pretty chilled out start to the day where I went up to this lookout which looked over Tolaga Bay, I headed north to Tokomaru Bay. I would have visited Anaura Bay prior but it was a 7km detour each way from the main road and it was way too hot to be doing that. In Tokomaru Bay I chilled down the beach where I had a good swim in the sea, the waves absolutely massive! I also had lunch here as well as topping up my water supply which was becoming an issue getting a regular source of drinkable water as the humidity was crazy and all the taps said the water was unsafe to drink.

From Tokomaru Bay I thought I may as well just aim for the East Cape Lighthouse. I managed to get a ride to Ruatoria from there, where I was invited to local marae for afternoon tea which was nice. There were great views of Hikurangi which at 1754m I was tempted to climb, but getting there would have been a challenge and you need to get permission from Ngati Porou tribe to climb it. It is the first point of New Zealand to see the sunrise due it's prominence making it a very sacred place for the Maori, and even apparently has this circle of 9 wooden pole carvings up there. From Ruatoria I got a ride to Tikitiki.

In Tikitiki I got a ride with this couple who kindly took me out to the lighthouse. The lighthouse marks the most eastern point of mainland New Zealand, and excluding remote Pacific Islands like the Chatham Islands is as far east as you can possibly go. To access it required a 21km detour from the main road along a gravel track, and then a climb of 800 steps to reach the lighthouse, sitting 154m above sea level. I would have loved to have camped here to see the sunrise but there were signs everywhere telling you not to and there wasn't really any way of being discreet. I therefore set up camp at the permitted campground about 6km up the road from the lighthouse.

In the morning it was a great sunrise anyway, although I did find myself pretty stranded on the middle of nowhere camping somewhat off the beaten track. It was therefore inevitable I had to walk out of the lighthouse road as I had no traffic to work with, coming back out again at Te Araroa where I had lunch. Once I was back on the main road again I hitched a ride to Hicks Bay where I went out to the historic wharf, as well as checking out the beaches of Hicks Bay itself and Onepoto Bay where I just chilled and had a nice swim. I wanted to see this waterfall too but I couldn't work out how to get to it up close without trespassing. I could see it from a distance though.

From Hicks Bay I hitched a ride to Waihau Bay, which also meant I had crossed into the Bay of Plenty region. It was a very rocky coastline here, but still very pretty. I had dinner here at the local pub, before following the coastline round to Raukokore. I was hoping to get to Whanarua Bay for the night although I misjudged where exactly it was and it was further round the coastline from Waihau Bay than I realised, my map slightly misleading. I therefore found a nice spot to camp by the beach, the advantage being as I was almost facing west I got a nice sunset.

In the morning it was slightly overcast and it rained a bit in the night. I therefore decided I would just aim for Whakatane and miss out Whanarua Bay, which I wouldn't have been able to walk to anyway as I would have had to swim across a river to get there. Somehow I got a ride from where I camped straight through to Whakatane which surprised me. Whakatane is the gateway to explore White Island, the most active volcano in New Zealand. I would have loved to gone onto the island but it's only operated by expensive tour companies. I therefore did a walk out to Kohi Point where I got a good view of the island in the distance, as well as an aerial view of Whakatane itself and Whale Island.

As I had done so well getting to Whakatane, I decided to press on north towards Tauranga as I wanted to explore the Coromandel and that was a good base to aim for to get there. I knew the majority of traffic heading in that direction would either be going to Tauranga itself, or bypassing it to get to Hamilton or Auckland, so I would essentially have to stop in Tauranga the night to get myself in a better position to get towards the Coromandel the next day. I managed to get there in two rides via Matata, and when arriving I had a nice swim in the sea as well as grabbing some WiFi which was non existent on the East Cape. I found a nice spot to camp on the beach.

Te Uruwera National Park

On Friday my aim to was get to the Te Uruwera National Park to walk the Lake Waikaremoana Track, which is one New Zealands 9 great walks. The 46km walk follows the lake from Hopuruahine to Onepoto and goes through prehistoric rainforest, offering a glimpse at how New Zealand used to be before European settlement. It is also home some of the more endangered birds in New Zealand including the kiwi. Waikaremoana literally means 'sea of the rippling waters' in Maori, and is home to the Nāi Tūhoe people (the children of the mist). When the Waitangi Treaty was signed (the peace agreement between Maori and European settlers), they were the only tribe to reject it, and there is still some tension to the day.

From Rainbow Mountain where I stayed for the night I left a little later than anticipated at it was a really misty morning which meant my tent was soaked. I knew I'd appreciate it later if I dried it there and then. When reaching the SH38 turn off I got a ride within minutes to Muhupara which is the last town before entering the national park. From Muhupara I got a ride to Ruatahuna with a guy guiding in this big delivery truck. It was a really slow drive as it was an unsealed gravel road which was windy and full of potholes, and a single lane in places. There were also several roadworks as the recent rainfall had caused a few landslips. From Ruatahuna I got a ride with some Americans who got me to the Hopuruahine Landing, the start of the walk. I didn't get there until gone 2 in the end, although I had covered a fair distance along what was essentially a gravel track.

From the Hopuruahine Landing, I soon got my first views of the lake and it was stunning. The weather was perfect which made it look extra clear. After passing the Whanganui Hut I headed towards the Tapuaenui campground, skimming the lake edge to get there. After climbing over the Pukehou Ridge I made it to the Waiharuru Hut. From here I continued along the lake edge for a bit before finding a nice secluded beach to set up camp for the night. I had great views across the lake towards the Panekiri Ranges which I go over later in the walk. I even went for a swim and the water was a lovely temperature, refreshing but not cold. The only thing was as soon as the sun went down the sandflys came out which were annoying little buggers.

On Saturday morning I was treated to a great sunrise with the sun rising the opposite side of the lake to where I was camping. The plan for the day was to cover the bulk of the distance to Onepoto at the finish, camping somewhere in the Panekiri Ranges. From my camping spot I continued to follow the lake edge, the path slightly undulating before eventually reaching the Marauiti Hut. The path continued to predominantly follow the lakes edge to the Korokoro campsite although it was a very hilly and muddy section of the walk.

From the Korokoro campsite there was an optional side trip to go and see the Korokoro Falls about a 30 minute walk each way. I thought I may as well so I followed the path upstream, en route crossing the stream which was challenging as it required using this rope system to rock hop, the stream particularly wide and swelled up at the crossing. It was a very slippery crossing. I soon reached the falls and it was a very pretty. On the way back however someone had twisted their ankle at the stream crossing. The girl and her two friends had all left their backpacks at the junction, but luckily I had my first aid kit and knew enough to know how to relieve the pain. Eventually another guy came along and helped me carry her out to the main path, where we were able to use the emergency radio at the campsite to get a boat out to get her. It just shows how much you need to respect wild country in New Zealand.

After my unplanned delay I pressed on towards the Waiopaoa Hut, the path continuing to follow the lake, although incredibly boggy in places. When arriving at the hut I stopped there for lunch. From the Waiopaoa Hut began the most strenuous part of the hike climbing from 600m to over 1100m into the Panekiri Ranges. The climb was an gradual incline for much of the way which made it a slog, but it did pass through some pretty native forest. The last section was really steep, but when up I just followed the ridge line, soon reaching the Panekiri Hut. From the Panekiri Hut I continued along the ridge line which was a little undulating, although the views of the lake were amazing. Eventually I started thinking about setting up camp for the night, looking for somewhere sheltered and discreet as it was incredibly windy out of the tree cover. In the end I found a great spot which was even nice and flat!

Come morning the winds had calmed down a fair bit which was a good thing as I was heading towards the Puketapu Trig, perhaps the most exposed section of the walk. I was only a couple of hours walking from the finish, but the main reason I decided to camp up on the ridge was so that when I reached the trig nearby the Panekiri Bluff, I had the sun behind me. This wouldn't have been the case if I went there the previous day. It was another perfect day and the view over the lake from the trig was absolutely stunning. I soon dropped down to lake level again after the trig to Onepoto Bay which was the end of the walk. I wanted to go for a swim once there but it was advised you didn't because it was near the hydroelectric dam which posed a risk of undercurrents so I thought I'd better not.

From Onepoto Bay I was tempted to do an additional walk to the Onepoto Caves, but I decided not to in the end because I was out of food supplies and I wasn't sure how easy hitching a ride out would be. Luckily I got a ride pretty easily down to Wairoa where I just chilled out by the riverside on the WiFi, having lunch there too. From Wairoa I headed towards Gisborne, managing to get there in one ride. I checked into a hostel there for a couple of nights just to relax a bit after my hike, but also to have a free day to have a good look round the city too which is meant to be a really nice place.

New Plymouth to Taupo

On Monday I was originally planning to head north up SH3 from New Plymouth. The weather was however horrendous so I opted against that and decided to stay an extra night in New Plymouth. This gave me a free day to essentially relax after all the hiking I've done recently, and I was hoping to go to the local hot pools to do just that. When arriving at the hot pools however it said they were closed on Mondays so that put that plan out of the window. I did manage to have a look round Puke Ariki though which was like a small version of Te Papa. It was a very interesting and interactive museum. I also managed to somewhat dry out some of my stuff from the weekend, as by the afternoon it was nice and sunny outside.

The following day I did head north up SH3, and it was a brilliant day. The plan was to go up as far as the Waitomo area before starting to head East, with several stops planned for along the way. Getting out of New Plymouth was fun however as it is actually quite a large city and I had to walk a good couple of hours before I was actually out of the suburbs. Eventually I managed to find somewhere realistic to hitchhike and I made it up to Mimi, which was the turn off to do the Whitecliffs Walkway. I was hoping to get a ride to the start of the walk 11km down the road although the road was dead so I ended up having to walk it the whole way. En route I stopped at Waiiti Beach.

By the time I reached the start of the Whitecliffs Walkway it was lunchtime. They recommend you only walk on the beach two hours either side of low tide, and I set off about two hours before low tide so had plenty of time to do the walk. The walk went beneath the impressive cliffs along the beach as far as this tunnel. The cliffs were incredibly tall and reminded me a bit of the chalk cliffs back home at times. I did pass a dead cow on the beach though which had obviously fallen off the cliff. When reaching the tunnel I went through it and the rest of the walk followed this track at the top of the cliffs through farmland. The weather turned however and it rained heavily later in the afternoon which was frustrating as I had all my stuff with me and nowhere to shelter.

Eventually I reached Tongaporutu and I was soaked right through. I found this small shelter which I went inside to dry off and get changed. Luckily most the stuff inside my backpacks stayed relatively dry, although I think my tablet is well and truly on its last legs now. At Tongaporutu I wanted to see The Three Sisters and Elephant Rock, and luckily the rain eventually stopped with enough time to go and see it before the tide came in too far. To get there you had to follow the river estuary down to the beach, before following the beach a short way to these sea stacks known as The Three Sisters. Elephant Rock used to look like an elephant although the trunk fell into the sea so it doesn't anymore. It was another pretty piece of coastline. By the time I came back it was basically dinner time so I decided I would just stay in the small shelter I found in Tongaporutu for the night. It was definitely a frustrating day in terms of hitchhiking and weather.

On Wednesday morning the weather had somewhat improved although it rained a bit in the night. I therefore pressed on towards the Waitomo area, although hitching a ride was challenging as the road was so bendy. I eventually got a ride up to Te Kuiti. I was originally going to stop in Piopio to visit the Mangaotaki Reserve and Waitanguru Falls although as I was finding hitching rides so difficult I decided against this. On the drive up to Te Kuiti the heavens just opened, and we passed several fields which were flooded by the recent weather as well as some pretty swelled up waterways.

When arriving in Te Kuiti, I had a little walk round the town which is apparently the shearing capital of the world. It even had some massive statue of a guy shearing a sheep. Other than that there wasn't much else to see, and the rain was just torrential which meant I couldn't really go very far until it passed over. I was hoping to get out to see Marakopa Falls, the Mangapohue Natural Bridge, and Piripiri Caves although the weather put me off. After several hours sheltering from the rain it eventually calmed down a bit, and I made the decision to just aim for either Taupo or Rotorua. I knew anyone going down SH30 from Te Kuiti would be likely passing through one or the other and luckily when I got picked up I got a straight ride through to Taupo.

The drive to Taupo was interesting as the road was flooded in a couple of places from the sheer amount of rain in such a short period! When arriving in Taupo the sun came out so I went for a quick walk down the lakefront before it typically started raining again. Luckily many of Taupos streets are covered in canopies so I was able to walk around the centre without getting wet. With nothing much else to do I therefore spent my evening in launderette to get out of the rain, as well as planning out my coming days, the plan being to get to Gisborne via the Te Uruwera National Park.

On Thursday morning I was up at the crack of dawn, heading out to the spa park just outside Taupo. As I got there just before sunrise there was no one there so I had the hot pools to myself. It wasn't long until they got busy though as soon as the sun came up! After a good relaxation I headed back into Taupo where it was a lovely day, with Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe even visible across the lake. After picking up my groceries for the coming days I headed towards Huka Falls, following the Waikato River to get there. All the recent rain made it a very impressive sight, the waterfall itself just 9m, made impressive by the particularly large amount of water that falls each second.

Once checking out all the viewpoints of the waterfall I hitched a ride north to Wai-O-Tapu, about 20 minutes south of Rotorua. Being in the particularly volcanic active area of New Zealand, there are several geothermal areas which several different companies have taken advantage of by building things like hot pools and tourist attractions, basically as a way of making money out of you. Wai-O-Tapu is one of these areas, and I thought I would give it a visit as it's meant to be one of the more impressive geothermal sites. I was pleasantly surprised when getting there as it was a completely surreal landscape with an array of different colours. This walkway took me round and I was there a good couple of hours in the end looking at all the different sights.

From Wai-O-Tapu my next stop of the day was Keresene Creek, which I accessed by walking through the Kaingaroa Forest straight from Wai-O-Tapu. Like the spa park in Taupo, Keresene Creek was a free place to enjoy some hot pools, although this one was literally a stream. There were several places to swim including a couple of small waterfalls and it was nice to relax for a bit again! From Keresene Creek I headed into the Rainbow Mountain Scenic Reserve. I didn't summit the mountain but I did check out of a couple of viewpoints to see the crater lakes and reddish coloured cliffs of the mountain. I set up camp here nearby the car park too as by the time I arrived it had been a long day. I was also within a 5 minute walk from the SH38 turn off which is the road I needed to access the Te Uruwera National Park the following day so it was a good base for the night.

Mount Egmont National Park

It was nice to have a good nights sleep before accessing the Mount Egmont National Park, hitching a ride from New Plymouth to Egmont Village and then a ride to the visitor centre at North Egmont with ease. The national park is dominated by the majestic andesitic volcano of Mt Taranaki (2518m), the central point of the national park. Approximately 125,000 years old, it is the park’s most recent volcanic peak. Last erupting around 1755 the mountain is now considered dormant. Local Māori believe Mount Taranaki once stood with the mountains of the central North Island. After a dispute with Tongariro over who should marry Pihanga, Taranaki fled his ancestral home, carving out the bed of the Whanganui River on his journey to the coast.

My loose plan for my time in the national park was to spend 3 days incorporating the Pouakai Circuit, a summit attempt of Mount Taranaki and Dawson Falls. After leaving the visitor centre I headed through lowland forest crossing several small streams including a couple of swingbridges towards the 1220m summit of Henry Peak. There were great views of the mountain from here, as well as Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe even visible in the distance. I was astounded the weather was so good after seeing a weather forecast of rain rain rain all weekend. I instead had clear skies and sun! After leaving Henry Peak I skirted round Maude Peak to the Pouakai tarns where I had lunch. I was particularly happy I had good weather at the tarns as they act like mirrors and made some pretty cool photos!

From the tarns I reached the Pouakai Hut where I stopped briefly for water. From here I had the option to summit the 1440m peak of Pouakai, but the cloud was coming in and starting to cover Mount Taranaki so I didn't want to risk getting caught out in rain. I therefore headed down to the Ahukawakawa Swamp which led me to the Holly Hut, my bed for the night. I arrived mid afternoon and despite Mount Taranaki being shrouded in cloud the weather was holding out, so I did a short additional walk down to the 31m high Bells Falls which was a pretty waterfall about half an hour walk each way from the hut. When getting back to the hut it was nice to have a fair amount of time to relax and unwind with an attempt of the summit envisaged for the following day.

I was surprised by the fact that I was only one staying in the Holly Hut, which is a 32 bed hut and apparently one of the most popular in the national park. It was raining come evening though and was still raining come morning. I left the hut relatively early, with the plan being to reach the Maketawa Hut via the summit of Taranaki. When leaving the rain had stopped although it soon returned, all be it light rain. I had a gradual ascent from the hut, walking along the slopes of Taranaki passing the sketchy Boomerang Slip and the towering lava columns of the Dieffenbach Cliffs en route. The mountain was not visible however although I could still see New Plymouth and surrounding areas.

I eventually reached the Tahurangi Lodge at about 1500m which is where I began my serious ascent to the summit. The weather at this point was pretty good, although the mountain itself was covered in cloud. The path was sheltered initially following this valley before opening up onto the scoria slopes. Here it became more exposed and by about 1800m I was in the cloud. The next section called the lizard was the most challenging as I was walking up loose terrain with little stable material to put my feet on which made making progress slow. By about 2100m it became a bit easier though as there were large rocks to use to get more grip. Eventually I made it to a section known as the Sharks Tooth which was the most exposed part and was very cold and windy, but I made it to the crater on the top of the mountain, although I didn't reach the true 2518m summit as it was an unmarked route with high winds and little visibility so I would have risked getting lost. I would have been breaking Maori laws going there anyway as it's a sacred place to them.

I soon dropped into the crater where it was far more sheltered and had lunch. The crater itself has a permanent ice field which I walked round and explored. I didn't go too far though as visibility was poor and I didn't want to get lost! After lunch I dropped back down as it was getting cold, and the descent was as steep and challenging as the ascent. It was when I reached the loose scoria slopes after the big rocks where I had the biggest issues keeping my footing as the ground was just giving way but I made it back to the Tahurangi Lodge in one piece. From the lodge the Maketawa Hut was within an hours walk, although the cloud had set in and it was drizzling again. I made it to the hut by mid afternoon and there were 5 other people there and they already had the woodburner going which was a welcome surprise! 

Within a couple of hours of reaching the hut the rain well and truly set in and it was just persistently raining all through the night. In the morning it was a little bit better although the area was completely in the cloud. I was only an hours walk from the visitor centre where I started and was debating returning there, although I stuck with my original plan of walking towards Dawson Falls. To get there I followed the Curtis Falls track which was incredibly overgrown and had several heavily eroded sections which made progress slow. I was hoping to see Curtis Falls itself which would have required a detour walking up a stream although it wasn't signposted and the fact I crossed several streams meant I didn't know which one it was.

I eventually reached the Stratford Mountain House Inn, and when getting there was an absolute drowned rat as the overgrown path meant the bushes soaked me battling through them, and it was raining pretty heavily too. I was tempted to just bail out here and go to the pub, although I continued on towards Dawson Falls, heading through what they call the goblin forest. After a few more stream crossings including a wobbly swingbridge I made it to the Wilkies Pools. It was so cloudy I could barely see them though! From there it wasn't long until I reached the 18m high Dawson Falls.

After leaving the falls I headed to the visitor centre where I was able to dry off a bit. As the rain was pretty heavy I looked round the centre which showcased the history of Taranaki and all the walks in area, before heading to the nearby cafe. Eventually the rain cleared somewhat so I made the decision to start trying to return to New Plymouth. I had difficulties hitching a ride however as the road was very quiet, although I eventually got a ride to Midhirst. The rain well and truly set in here and I had no choice but to shelter in this garage while it passed over. It didn't, but luckily someone eventually rescued me and took me back to the front door of the hostel. It was torrential rain as you could barely see anything out of the front windscreen when driving. It was nice to get dry and clean again when back in New Plymouth!

Forgotten World and Surf Highways

On Tuesday morning it was a bit of a grotty start to the day, although I had a great nights sleep camping by the river. My plan for the day was to do the Forgotten World Highway which is another name for SH43 which links Taumaranui and Stratford. Before leaving Taumaranui I had a look round the town before hitching a ride out with surprising ease. If I had the ability to drive I would have made several stops along the way to do some bush walks and stop at lookouts, but the road was incredibly remote and not the kind of place you would want to get stranded. If had money to spend as well I would have alternatively done a tour with Forgotten World Adventures who hire out these golf buggy things which you can use to travel along the old railway line as an alternative way of exploring the area!

My one planned stop en route was Whangamomona, and after a lovely drive which included passing through gorges, forested valleys, and even a 180m long wooden tunnel, with several views of the endless hills I arrived in the Republic. I say Republic because Whangamomona declared independence from New Zealand in 1989 as a protest to the town being moved from the Taranaki region to the Manuwatu-Wanganui region. It was interesting exploring the town, and I even went to the famous Whangamomona hotel for a couple of beers where I went through passport control and met the current president. Former presidents include a goat and a poodle!

After leaving Whangamomona I hitched a ride to Stratford, passing over a few saddles en route with more brilliant views of the endless hills. Stratford has a Shakespearean influence with the town named after Stratford-upon-Avon, and all the streets named after characters in Shakespeares plays. A particularly iconic building was the glockenspiel which on the hour produced a performance of Romeo and Juliet which was fun to watch. From Stratford I headed to Hawera, making it there in two rides. Hawera just simply had all the amenities I needed, although it did have this interesting water tower. After getting everything I needed I headed to Waihi Beach on the coast near Hawera which was my camp for the night. There was a great sunset in the evening which I watched from the beach.

The following day my plan was to hitch along the Surf Highway which in other words is SH45 which links Hawera and New Plymouth along the scenic route. From Waihi Beach where I was camping I did a walk along the coast to Ohawe Beach which went along the beach beneath these sandstone cliffs. You could see how quickly they were eroding and the result of this made them pretty dramatic. From Ohawe Beach I headed back to SH45, my next stop Opunake. I got there in two rides, stopping en route in Manaia which is apparently the bread capital of New Zealand!

In Opunake I had a quick look round the town before doing a walk along the coast which had some more pretty coastline. After Opunake my next intended stop was Cape Egmont Lighthouse, which is the western most point on the North Island. I found hitching a ride like most of the day challenging as the road was pretty fast and bendy so it was hard to find places where people would stop for you. Eventually I got a ride to Rahotu where I just decided to walk to Pungarehu where the road to the lighthouse begun. When reaching the lighthouse it was pretty disappointing as it was privately owned so I couldn't go right up to it. It was still cool though.

After getting back to Pungarehu, my final stop for the day was Oakura. I was half hoping I would make it to New Plymouth in a day but it was slow day in terms of hitchhiking and SH45 didn't actually follow the coastline so accessing the coastline each time took longer than expected. I could have got there if I missed out Oakura but I decided I would camp there the night before heading to New Plymouth the following morning. In Oakura I walked along the beach which was a massive and more busy one to the SS Gairloch shipwreck. It was an interesting wreck which I explored before heading back along the beach to this creek for a swim, camping nearby.

On Thursday morning I woke up after having a great nights sleep, with the plan for the day being to get to New Plymouth and relax once there. As I was only about 15km along the coast from there in Oakura I decided to walk there by following the coastline. That was easier said than done however as the beach had several creek crossings and was very rocky in places which made progress slow. It was a nice and wild stretch of coastline though. Eventually I made it to Back Beach and the Sugar Loaf Marine Park which was a series of little islands off the coast, dominated by the Paritutu Rock. I climbed the rock and the views from the top were great with an aerial view of the islands and New Plymouth. Mount Taranaki was still shrouded in cloud however.

From Paritutu Rock I dropped down into New Plymouth following the coastal walkway via the port and Ngamotu Beach to the city centre. From the city centre I continued along the coast past East End and Fitzroy Beaches to the Rewa Rewa Bridge over the Waiwhakaiho River. On a clear day the mountain views from here are meant to be stunning but there was no luck. On the way back to the city centre I passed Lake Rotomanu, having a look round the city when arriving. The wind wand sculpture on the beach front was particularly interesting.

After spending the previous 6 nights camping I thought it was time to get a proper bed for the night, so I checked into a hostel. My tent has been a good investment though as it completely cuts out accommodation fees meaning my only expense is therefore food. The downfall however is not getting proper showers and power facilities, something I needed as my power bank was dead and my tablet and camera were heading in that direction too. It was nice to have a more relaxing evening, although I did have to prepare myself for the following couple of days with the plan being to hike in the Mount Egmont National Park.

Tongariro National Park

On Saturday morning I caught the train up to Paraparaumu to say goodbye to Melva who I'll miss going to see, before continuing north on the train to Waikanae. My aim for the day was to get to the Tongariro National Park, and shortly after leaving Waikanae I got a ride with this local baker to Otaki. From Otaki I ended up taking a slight detour to Palmerston North, although I was soon back onto SH1 by getting a ride from Palmerston North to Bulls. I had a break in Bulls which I always enjoy for its puns everywhere and statues of random bulls in the street.

From Bulls I managed to get a ride to Ohakune which is a small ski resort town near the slopes of Ruapehu. I had a look round here as it's famous for its carrot statue being the carrot capital of New Zealand. The information centre was interesting too. After sorting out some food for Tongariro National Park the following day I had problems continuing my progress. Eventually I got a lift to National Park Village which brought me within 15km of the national park. With Sunday being the only good day in the 10 day weather forecast I had to continue my progress as the sun set, which was an good one, continuing on by foot in the darkness until I found a decent place to set up camp for the night near the entrance to the road that goes to the Mangatepopo car park.

I was glad I set up myself up nicely the night before, hitching a ride bright and early to the car park which meant I was on the move not long after sunrise. My plan was to walk the Tongariro Northern Circuit, which is one New Zealands 9 great walks, from the Mangatepopo car park to Whakapapa. This basically meant I was walking about 35km of the 43km circuit, missing out on the section linking my start and finish point. On paper the whole circuit takes 3-4 days although I was planning to attempt my slightly shorter route in about 1 and a half days because there were thunderstorms forecasted for the Monday afternoon.

From the car park, the track followed the Mangatepopo stream up the valley, climbing into an alpine environment over a succession of old lava flows from Ngauruhoe, one of the three volcanoes in the national park. En route I did a little detour to Soda Springs which was a 15m waterfall flowing down an old lava flow. Before long I reached a steep climb known as the Devil’s Staircase, at the top being rewarded with views of the valley with Mount Taranaki even visible to the west. From the saddle the track crossed South Crater, before climbing again up to Red Crater presenting me with great views of the red coloured Ngauruhoe and the yellow coloured lake in South Crater below.

The track continued past the rim of Red Crater, soon being offered splendid views of the Oturere Valley and the Kaimanawa Ranges to the east. From the Red Crater which at 1868m was the highest point of the track, its red colour coming from high temperature oxidation of iron in the rock, the path descended down a steep scree slope to the Emerald Lakes, which were a very bright bluey green colour. It was a very steep path going down with some incredibly loose terrain to reach the lakes at the bottom. There was even some pretty active geysers so the area smelt very eggy.

From the Emerald Lakes the track descended steeply into the Oturere Valley with views of the valley, the Kaimanawa Ranges and the Rangipo Desert. It was here I left the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and all the crowds behind which meant I could make some more significant progress. The path weaved through an endless variety of unusual jagged lava forms from early eruptions from Red Crater, which fill the Oturere Valley. It felt like a very alien place as it was just a barren landscape full of random rock formations. After reaching the Oturere Hut the track undulated over a number of stream valleys and open gravel fields. It was a very wild place. Eventually I descended into a valley and crossed the Waihohonu Stream, before going up and over this ridge to the Waihohonu Hut.

A short distance from the Waihohonu Hut I reached the historic Waihohonu Hut which is one of the oldest huts in New Zealand. It's just a museum now though but it was very interesting. The path then followed the Waihohonu stream and gradually climbed to the Tama Saddle. I had some great views of Ruapehu here, the biggest mountain in the North Island and one of the more active volcanoes in the country. There was even snow still on the slopes. Luckily it has been pretty calm just lately. When reaching the Tama Saddle I got great views of the Lower Tama Lake. I decided to set up camp here in the end as it was off the main track inside a crater so I could be discreet and get out of the wind, and it was a very pretty location nestled between the three volcanoes in what almost felt like a beach.

Come morning Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe weren't visible anymore as they were covered in cloud, but the cloudline wasn't low enough to affect me. I actually had a really good nights sleep despite being at 1258m according to my GPS, as I was out of the wind. From the Lower Tama Lake I headed to the Upper Tama Lake and the views were stunning from the top. It was just a shame the volcanoes were no longer visible. From here I continued towards Whakapapa through the open tussocks before reaching the Wairere Stream. This led to me to the rather impressive Taranaki Falls.

Eventually I made it to Whakapapa village which at 1150m is the highest settlement in New Zealand. I spent a couple of hours here relaxing, having a good look round the visitor centre which had lots of information abouts walks in the area as well as several stories, films, and information about previous eruptions. As the weather wasn't as bad as I anticipated I went for an additional walk from the village up to the Silica Rapids which were some rapids with a distinctive milky colour. Further downstream I reached the golden rapids which were basically enriched with high levels of iron creating a rustic golden colour to the water.

When returning to Whakapapa village I followed the Whakapaipito track towards Tawhai Falls. It started raining here however although it was only a shower which was lucky. Tawhai Falls is particularly famous for being the the filming location of the so called Gollums Pool in Lord of the Rings. It was a nice little waterfall. From the falls my next stop was a visit to the mounds, formed by historic quarrying in the area. After leaving the mounds I headed back towards National Park Village. I was tempted to stay there the night as the yha there had a climbing wall and mini golf course but I decided to continue onto the small town of Taumaranui so I could get some proper services. I spent the night camping by the Whanganui River.

Eastbourne Week 21

The weekend was Joss's weekend at home, so on Saturday morning we went to the market in Lower Hutt before going to a few shops in Petone. Eventually we got home where we had a pretty chilled out afternoon. The following day Joss went out his Dad and one of his friends to the lego wonders of the world exhibition at Te Papa. This gave me a few hours to relax although I did have to mow the lawn and walk the dog too before it got too hot. When Joss got home his friend stayed round to play so we ended up playing farmopoly with a break in the pool in the middle. 

On Monday Joss's friend came round to see him again in the morning which was nice as that doesn't happen very often. We went in the pool again as well as playing a few games. After his friend went home, some people came to modify Joss's high chair as it needed fixing in a couple of places, as well as giving him a new sling for his hoist. They were there for quite a while, so after they went we went back in the pool, although it was really hot outside. Liza bought a load of new inflatables as loads of the others had been bitten by Joss which we tried out.

Tuesday was the last day of the holidays before Joss went back to school, so we went in the pool again in the morning and had a pretty chilled out day around that. In the afternoon Joss had conductive although he had this trial there to fit these new things he has to wear on his legs to help bend his knees. It took quite a while and he refused to walk in the walker with them on which made it hard work but if he cooperates in the future they will do him good. When we got back home we went back into the pool again, before having an early night with school the next day which Joss wasn't too impressed about.

The following day was school which was nice in terms of getting back into some kind of routine. This meant I could take Max out in the morning like I used to and meet all his friends down the beach. Joss was meant to have sailing although it was cancelled due to high winds which meant instead of doing that we took Max out to be washed which as always he disliked. It needed doing though as he was still malting like crazy and washing him helps stop that. Joss went round his Dad's after school which gave me the afternoon off so I just popped into Lower Hutt to pick up a couple of things from the shopping centre and have a read of a few travel books in the library.

I was hoping Thursday would be a relaxing day, although it turned into quite a busy one. With a reasonable kick off time in the Southampton game I listened to that in the morning. After the game we went into Lower Hutt to wash some duvets which was a nightmare as we had to wash them and dry them. To pass time we did the shopping in between, as well as looking round some of the other shops and eventually got back not long before Joss got home from school. The weather was horrendous though as we had the joys of Cyclone Fehi which brought some very strong winds and a lot of rain. One of the trees collapsed in the garden and the sea was in the road so it wasn't very fun.

Friday was my last day with Joss before moving on to new things. Despite this it was still a very busy day with it being housework day. Liza also wanted me to clean the grouting on the floor tiles so I had lots of cleaning to do. I think she was just trying to make the most of me before I left. It was Joss's weekend round his Dad's so he only came home for a couple of hours after school. It was emotional when saying goodbye to him though as he started crying and left in the car in tears. I'll definitely stay in contact though but I know he's going to miss me! His new au pair is apparently French, selected from over 30 people who applied so fingers crossed he will be good. I was apparently solely picked because I was English and I am still the only English person ever to apply!

With my flight out of New Zealand on March 4th, my plan from Eastbourne was to essentially spend the next 4 weeks or so exploring the North Island. My plans are pretty flexible with more potential things to do than I have time for but that gives me to flexibility to do things depending on weather, my luck with hitchhiking, and my fitness which isn't great at the moment as my legs are playing up with cramp. After saying goodbye to Liz I got a lift into Wellington with the next door neighbour Andrew by chance and had dinner and a few beers in town before heading north the following day.

Eastbourne Week 20

On Saturday morning I woke up bright and early after my night camping on the beach on the Westshore in Napier. It was a very warm night, so I didn't sleep very well but I did get a sunrise in the morning so it wasn't all bad. It wasn't long however before the sun warmed things up a notch and it got unbearably hot and humid. After packing up I walked back into Napier, following the coast through Ahuriri and past the port back into the centre. Once at the centre I had a good walk round the city, famous for its art deco buildings and it was actually a really nice place with palm trees lining the streets, and lots of murals and activity all over the place.

After exploring Napier my plan was to go over to Cape Kidnappers to do the walk to see the cliffs and gannet colony. I however had to time it right so that I went around low tide which was at about 3pm. The walk isn't accessible at high tide and they recommend you only do it 3 hours either side of low tide, so effectively a 6 hour window. I therefore decided to walk from Napier to Clive which initially followed the promenade before going through some wetlands and over the river. It was a pleasant walk although the sun was getting more and more intense! When arriving in Clive I hitched a ride over to the start of the track to Cape Kidnappers.

The path to Cape Kidnappers effectively followed the beach at the base of the cliffs, before climbing up to the top of the cliffs at the end to see the gannet colony. You could see why the walk wasn't accessible at high tide as the sea would crash against the cliffs, so mistiming the tides would be a problem. There were several quad bikes and 4wd vehicles driving along the beach as well as many walkers so it was quite busy walk. The beach was accessible the majority of the way except for a section towards the end which required some paddling to get round and over some rocks. When reaching the gannet colony it was very impressive as the chicks had recently hatched so there were a lot of gannets! The cliffs along the way were dramatic too, in particular the white cliffs at the end. It was a really nice walk and I returned without getting stranded!

From Cape Kidnappers I hitched a ride into Havelock North where I picked up some dinner and had a quick look round. It was a nice little place, with some very modern buildings. From there I headed up to Te Mata Peak to watch the sunset which was a little disappointing but still worth going up for. This local guy drove me up there who was a keen photographer who has often watched the sunrises and sunrises up top so he showed me loads of his photography which was interesting. The views up top were pretty special with the entire Hawkes Bay visible as far as the Mahia Peninsula, as well as the rolling hills inland. There was also a birds eye view of Napier, Hastings, and Havelock North, which was particularly interesting when it got dark to see the skylines lit up. I decided to camp up the top although I did had to be discreet as I wasn't meant to camp up there.

In the morning I was treated to a sunrise which was impressive with the sky being so clear. The clear sky also meant the stars and milky way were particularly visible in the night. After taking in the views one last time I headed down off the peak towards Maraetotara Falls which took me a couple of hours initially following farmland before following this quiet road to the entrance. Prior to arriving at the falls I followed this stream which before long took me to the waterfall itself. I managed to get a couple of good vantage points to see the falls before getting in the water for a swim which was much needed and refreshing!

After leaving the falls I hitched a ride into Hastings where I checked out the town which was another pretty place. When trying to hitch a ride out of Hastings however some random woman was worried about my welfare being out in the sun, which was once again very intense, and offered me food and drink. I hesitantly agreed, as with respect I was slightly sunburnt, and ended up at some baptism ceremony at this school. After watching this kid get baptised in the swimming pool and being offered countless fluids, I went for a swim in the pool. After cooling off they had this buffet which had all sorts of food and I had a really nice lunch with them.

Once this woman was satisfied I was hydrated and well fed she took me out of town to the where SH2 met the Hastings bypass, and I immediately picked up a ride with some Samoan couple right through to Woodville. I was originally going to try and visit the longest place name in the world and Waihi Falls although I decided to head straight back in the end as getting to them places would have taken me way off the beaten track. From Woodville I got a ride to Pahiatua, and from there got a ride straight back into Hutt. In the end I got from Hastings back to the Hutt in about 4 hours flat so I did well. I just chilled out when getting back, grabbing some food, and watching the as ever beautiful sunset over Wellington Harbour.

On Monday Joss didn't come home until about midday so I had a nice and chilled out morning. I was slightly sunburnt though, in particular on my nose so I looked a little silly. Liza had the day off work as it was a bank holiday to celebrate Wellington anniversary day meaning it was a day off only for Wellingtonians. We therefore all watched the Paddington Bear film together in the lounge, before going out in the pool later in the afternoon. The following day was another pretty chilled out day, staying inside until going into the pool later in the day.

Joss had to go to conductive Wednesday morning as he had a trial in his potential new walker, which has a hydraulic lift making it easier to use than his current one. I didn't go but apparently it went well and he walked in it so from what I understand they psychiatrist will now write a report and send it up to someone higher to see if he will be allowed the funding for the walker. Joss was meant to go sailing when he got back although he was out longer than expected so we didn't go in the end, instead going in the pool. His Dad came to pick him up later in the afternoon which gave me the afternoon off, so I popped into Wellington.

Joss's Dad took the day off work on Thursday again which gave me the day off. I didn't really want to go too far though because it was another really hot day, so I decided to do a walk over near Porirua Harbour, catching the train to Paremata and following the coastline via Mana and Plimmerton to Pukerua Bay before returning via these wetlands back to Plimmerton. It was a nice little walk although the coastline was a little rugged and wild, and being out in the sun probably didn't do my sunburnt face any good. When getting back to Plimmerton I caught the train into Wellington where I decided to go down to beach in Oriental Bay for a bit, before finally trying the the fish and chips at the chippery over in Mount Victoria. They were really nice. Joss didn't come home from his Dad's until about lunchtime on Friday, which meant I could get on with doing all the housework. All in all it was a pretty laid back day.

Eastbourne Week 19

Joss was home for the weekend and it was another really hot one. On Saturday morning we went to the market in Lower Hutt to pick up the groceries, although the humidity meant we didn't stay too long. As the sun was so intense we didn't take Joss in the pool until later in the afternoon, although Liza decided she would go for a walk with one her friends in the bush with her friends from Mahina Bay to Days Bay so we met them in the cafe afterwards. It was absolutely heaving down the beach though! We got in the pool when we were back and a couple of Joss's friends even came round, before having a bbq in the evening.

The following day we went to the shops in the morning to pick up a few things for the pool and garden. Whilst we were out we went for lunch out at some Asian restaurant before spending much of the afternoon in the garden, where I mowed the lawn and went in the pool when I was finished with Joss, whilst Liza did some gardening. Even Liz came in the pool which is saying something. On Monday it was another intensely hot day so couldn't take Joss in the pool until later. All in all it was a pretty laid back day though and we didn't go very far.

On Tuesday we took Joss out for a bike ride along the seafront. We even took Max with us although he was naughty because he ran inside someone's house. Luckily it was his friends Bellas house so the owner wasn't annoyed. Joss seemed to find it funny though. When we got back we just had a chilled out afternoon before going in the pool later in the afternoon. We did unfortunately have to empty it afterwards as Joss pooed in it again which was frustrating. It's difficult to know whether he is doing it by purpose or by accident because when he does it he tells us after he's done it and finds it funny which it obviously isn't, but being in the water could relax him so much he can't help it.

Wednesday was an early start as Liza was in Auckland for the day, and she needed to get everything ready. Joss was only at home until lunchtime before his Dad came and picked him up to take him to see a Hurricanes training session in Levin. With the afternoon off I took Max out for a long walk, going along the coast into Eastbourne for lunch before returning via the ridge track back into York Bay. It was very humid though and I kind of wished I had it the other way round as I was boiling when I came out the bush. Joss didn't come home until near his bedtime in the end and as Lizas flight was delayed out of Auckland his Dad put him to bed. Thursday was a real grotty day so we were stuck inside all day. As we couldn't do much we watched Harry Potter in the morning, and later on had another long game of farmopoly. It just rained all day so we couldn't do much else!

Joss's Dad came and picked Joss up on Thursday after dinner as he had the Friday off work so he arranged with Liza to have him an extra night. This gave me a bit of extra free time so after doing all the housework I decided to go away for the weekend. I was debating between doing the Tongariro National Park or Hawkes Bay and opted to visit Hawkes Bay in the end as the weather forecast was good compared to rain forecast for the Tongariro area. Due to the lack of affordable public transport in New Zealand I had to hitchhike up there, although I did catch the bus as far as I could to Te Marua, stopping for lunch at Upper Hutt.

From Te Marua I soon hitched a ride with some family who got me as far as Carterton. From here some guys picked me up and took me to Masterton. After Masterton this local farmer took me to Ekatahuna, who was an absolute nutter. He literally cracked open the beers whilst driving and was driving with a beer in his hand! My next ride from Ekatahuna was with another family who had a disabled child so it was interesting talking to them, getting dropped off in Pahiatua with them. I was then picked up by some local guys who got me to Woodville, where I then got a ride with this couple to Dannevirke. From Dannevirke I managed to get a ride all the way to Napier. All in all it took me just over 5 hours to get from Te Marua to Napier which on paper takes 4 hours so I actually did really well considering it took me 7 rides to get there!

When arriving I took a short walk along the promenade before heading into the city centre to find some dinner. In the end I found this locals pub who had a special deal on their fish and chips which was really nice. I then headed out to find somewhere to sleep for the night. As it was such a nice day I decided to camp instead of stay in a hostel so headed out to the Westshore just outside of Napier where I could camp on the beach. It was dark when I arrived though which was fun and games as I hadn't actually pitched my tent before so I didn't really know what I was doing but I worked it out! Despite it being dark it was a really nice location right by the sea and I could see Napier all lit up, as well as an incredibly clear night sky with there being no clouds.

Eastbourne Week 18

On Saturday we stayed in Palmerston North until about lunchtime before driving back home to Wellington. En route home we stopped at a couple of fruit stalls to pick up some more fresh fruit, as well as Otaki to look round the shops which is commonly referred to as the cheapest place to shop in New Zealand as it is basically only outlet stores! When we got home it wasn't long before Joss's Dad turned up to pick him up as he was meant to go round there Friday night. Luckily his Dad agreed to let Joss come on holiday with us as he was moving house that weekend so it made it easier for him doing that without Joss. In the evening I decided to pop into Wellington to go to a few bars as I hadn't really had many chances to go out on a Saturday night, and it was a good night meeting a few cool people.

The following day I stayed in Wellington for the day as it was a lovely and sunny day and after the huge amounts of driving and exploring we did up at Hawkes Bay I was pretty tired to go out anywhere too far for the day. As it was the weekend the harbour front had lots of entertainment and stalls going on, and it was market day too so there was lots to do. I also had a look round Te Papa which I always enjoy. When I got back I was absolutely exhausted though as several late nights throughout the week caught up with me! It was nice to get an early night though, and a lie in on top with Joss being round his Dad's for the night.

On Monday Joss came home relatively early because his Dad was working. I think he was glad to be home though after the holiday and then going straight round his Dad's. I spent most of the morning making the house look better as well as sorting his pool out which we emptied before we left. By late afternoon the pool was good to use again and as it was such a nice day it was actually really refreshing. The following day the weather wasn't as great which meant we couldn't go very far, although we did pop into Petone for a bit with Joss to do the shopping, as well as taking Max to the dog wash as he was honking after his stay with a neighbour down the road whilst we were away. He was also seriously malting to the point where clumps of hair were being shed so I gave him a good brush too.

Joss went round his Dad's on Wednesday after lunch which gave me the afternoon off. With my visa expiry fast approaching on March 5th, I therefore finally made a decision on my future which I had been dithering about for a while. I was originally pretty set on applying for a second year visa, although when you take into account the fact you need to pay for a full medical check, the visa application itself, and proof of a flight leaving the country it works out pretty expensive. Liza did offer to sponsor me, although in the end I opted to leave New Zealand, booking a flight to Kuala Lumpur as a gateway to explore Asia, as well as getting myself one step closer to home. Obviously I'll be disappointed to leave New Zealand although I've seen and done a lot in my time there and will almost certainly return in the future, and I feel ready to experience some new cultures and adventures. In the evening I met up with one of the people from Saturday who had promised to take me to this vegan restaurant, and it was actually surprisingly nice!

The following day Joss was round his Dad's all day and night which gave me the day off. The weather however was pretty horrendous so I popped into Wellington to finalise my flight details. While I was there I had a look round the shops. By lunchtime the weather hadn't got any better so I caught the bus up to Karori to look round as I hadn't been there yet. I would have done the city skyline walk if the weather allowed me but it didn't. After a while I decided my best bet of a walk for the day was the Birchville Dam over in the Akatawara Forest near Upper Hutt, as it was sheltered. When arriving at Upper Hutt it was sunny though so I guess Wellington was just having a bad day compared to the Hutt Valley. It was a nice walk although the dam was completely dried up which was a shame.

On Friday Joss came home in the morning as his Dad had work. It was quite a busy day with it being housework day, which always takes a lot longer when Joss is there. We also drove into Wellington in the morning to drop Liza off for her appointments with Joss so by the time we started it was afternoon. When we were finally done I took Joss for a swim in the pool which was a nice and refreshing way to end the day.

Eastbourne Week 17

Saturday was a pretty chilled out morning, although we did go into Lower Hutt for the market late in the morning to pick up a few groceries. It was a very quiet one though with a lot less stalls than usual. After the market me and Joss got dropped home, luckily, as Liz and Liza went to get their nails done. The following day was new years eve although we had quite a busy day out in the garden sorting out the decks which had got covered in dog hairs and leaves, as well as cutting back some of the bushes and trees behind the house. We were originally going to go into Wellington in the evening to watch the fireworks although we decided not to in the end because of the weather, so we stayed in in the end. It was nice to see the new year in with Joss and his family though. On the Monday we just had a relaxing day, although we did go over to Queensgate in the afternoon to buy a few things for our holiday to the Hawkes Bay the following day.

Liza made a pretty last minute decision to go away for a few days somewhere, and after a lot of deliberation of where to go, Liza decided on going to the Hawkes Bay area as it wasn't too much of a ridiculously long drive and was far more cost effective than going to South Island. She basically booked a small bache in the town of Wairoa situated about halfway between Napier and Gisborne on the East Coast. On paper getting there from Eastbourne was a 5.5 hour drive and we were hoping to leave nice and early although we didn't leave until close to midday in the end. Liz and Liza were pretty useless in a planning and directions sense so I was effectively in charge of getting us to Wairoa and finding out about things for us to do whilst we were away.

It wasn't long until we left Eastbourne behind and headed through the Hutt Valley and over the Rimutakas into the Wairarapa, stopping en route in Greytown for a drink. After Greytown we continued heading north, stopping in Ekatahuna which is known as being the kiwi bird capital of New Zealand. The drive north was pretty and we passed through several interesting towns and villages, next stopping in Dannevirke which apparently has a viking heritage. After Dannevirke we soon arrived at Napier which is famous for its art deco although I found it slightly overrated. The coastline round here was beautiful though, as well as passing several vineyards. We stopped in Napier for a drink, before one last push towards Wairoa, arriving about 8 hours after leaving in the end. Our bache was located by the river and was actually really nice, and also flat which made it a far more practical house for Joss.

On the Wednesday I didn't have a very good nights sleep, waking up at 5am. This worked in my favour though as I decided to go out for a walk along the river to the estuary where it went out to the sea, tieing this is in with the sunrise which was impressive. I also explored the main town area of Wairoa which included an old lighthouse. After breakfast we headed out for the day towards Gisborne, with our first stop being the Mahia Peninsula. En route we passed several orchards and picked up some peaches and nectarines which had been freshly picked from the side of the road. We soon arrived at the peninsula which was a beautiful stretch of coastline and the home to the largest tombolo in New Zealand. With dramatic rock formations and towering cliffs, as well as big sandy beaches it was a lovely drive in, and when arriving in the small village of Mahia itself we went to the pub for fish and chips for lunch.

After leaving Mahia we continued north for a short distance to the Morere Hot Springs. These natural hot springs were located in the rainforest and required a good 10 minute walk through the rainforest to access them which Joss loved. The facilities weren't particularly disabled friendly however but we made it work and Joss loved being the hot pools, although he for some reason preferred the cold plunge pool! It was even raining and thundering whilst we were there for a bit, although it was a lovely setting being in the rainforest.

From the hot springs we continued towards Gisborne, passing several orchards and vineyards, stopping in one of the vineyards for some wine tasting. Joss was even allowed to come inside which was nice for him. There was even a lovely sunflower field at the vineyard so the setting was very idyllic. When we arrived in Gisborne we had a little drive round the city which was very pretty with its towering palms and very hippie vibe. The city is the most eastern city in the world, hence the first city to see the sunrise. We had a little walk along the waterfront and picked up a few supplies from the supermarket here before heading back to Wairoa. We drove back along the inland road for a change of scenery and the road was incredibly remote, although there was some impressive remains of rockfalls along the way! We didn't arrive back into Wairoa until dusk so it was quite a long day.

On Thursday the plan was to go into the Te Urunewa National Park. The national park is a rainforest full of native New Zealand trees and a great example of how New Zealand was before human settlement. A particular highlight is Lake Waikemoana which is a lake in the middle of the rainforest formed by an earthquake creating a natural dam and flooding the area. The weather however wasn't great but we still decided to go for a drive into it. The road in was very windy and soon became a gravel track and after a while we decided to turn back as we were worried about getting stranded by a landslip, as well as a potential risk of a flash flood. There were several waterfalls coming off the sides of the hills and the river was pretty vicious. It was a shame we couldn't get as far as the lake in the national park but it was still a nice drive.

After turning back we got stuck behind a group of young bulls in the middle of the road which Joss loved. We followed them for about half an hour before they finally got put into their new field. When arriving back into Wairoa we didn't really know what to do. Wairoa itself wasn't the most exciting place in the world, and with the nearest proper settlements of Napier and Gisborne about 2 hours in either direction we couldn't really go very far. We therefore had a chilled out rest of the day and played monopoly, the rain persisting right until darkness! Luckily it cleared eventually and we took Joss in this outside bathtub the bache had which he absolutely loved!

Friday was when we finally left Wairoa and headed back south towards Palmerston North to stay with a couple of family friends for the night. We stopped en route in Putorino for a drink at the lovely rural pub, before continuing down towards Napier. Liz and Liza went to a couple of vineyards along the way which was a little boring for me and Joss who had to stay in the car but they were still pretty to drive through. We stopped for lunch in Havelock North, before making one last push towards Palmerston North. The weather set in pretty bad prior and as the Manuwatu Gorge was still shut we had to head over the saddle which was very exposed and scary to drive over in the weather. We eventually arrived in Palmerston North in one piece though!

In Palmerston North we stayed with a couple of Lizas friends who she met when Joss was born. Kyla and Mark had their daughter Eva at the same time as Joss and as they were both born about 4 months prematurely they were in the same ward so they became good friends for their first few months spent in the hospital. I met them at Joss's birthday party so it was nice for me to meet them again. We had pizza for dinner and a few beers so it was a really nice even

Eastbourne Week 16

My plan for the weekend was to do another tramp in the Tararuas. I went into the hike pretty open minded with several options of where to finish, although I started at the Kaitoke entrance which is near Upper Hutt. To get there I used public transport as far as I could to Te Marua before hitching the last 10km. The walk I was looking at was the Southern Crossing which goes from Kaitoke to Otaki Forks, effectively a traverse from the east side of the mountains to the west side, although I wanted to include the summit of Maungahuka in the weekend which effectively gave me a choice of finishing at Otaki Forks on an alternative route, Waiohine Gorge, or back to Kaitoke. It's always good to go in open minded as you never know what could happen.

From Kaitoke it wasn't long before I started heading upwards, traversing through scrub to reach the Marchant Ridge. The final climb to the ridge was very steep although when on the ridge I bobbled between about 900m and 1100m so there wasn't too much serious climbing once I was up. The ridge had a variety of a scrubland and forest to walk through. There were even the occasional views too which was nice. Eventually I reached the 1118m summit of Omega, where I made a steep descent to the saddle at Hells Gate before making a steep ascent back up to reach Alpha Hut which is where I had lunch. Not long after leaving the hut I left the forest and headed through the open tussocks to the 1361m summit of Alpha. The views were stunning with the Hutt Valley and Wellington Harbour, the Wairarapa, and even the South Island visible.

The next section of the walk was in the complete open and unlike Holdsworth it was a lovely day with clear skies and no wind! I soon reached the 1376m summit of Aston which presented me with additional views of the Kapiti coastline, with the island visible. I continued in the open tussocks on the undulating ridge, bagging the 1472m, 1485m, and 1519m summits of Atkinson, Beehive, and Mount Hector along the way. After climbing the 1483m summit of Field Peak I reached Kime Hut which is where I made the decision to head out to continue to Maungahuka, with a good 4 hours daylight left to play with to get there. Interestingly my progress was so good I could have completed the southern crossing in a day if I wanted to, the walk advertised as taking 2-3 days.

The ridge to Maungahuka was incredibly undulating and I summited another 4 peaks along the way. I then reached the infamous peaks of Tuiti and Tunui which was the most challenging part of the day. The peaks were very jagged, and rock climbing was required to ascend and descend a few of the rock faces before I eventually reached a cliff edge which had a rope attached to the edge to traverse along the edge. I then reached the steel ladder, which was 30m descent down a cliff with a very big drop beyond that. I then had a few more ropes to negotiate to get down to more safe land. Once I had negotiated that particularly scary part of the walk I soon reached Maungahuka Hut, my bed for the night! There was another English guy there as well so I had someone to talk to, who had actually done an identical walk to what I had done to get there.

In the morning the other guy left pretty early as he was heading out for a big day. The night before I decided I would attempt to return to Kaitoke via the Cone Ridge and Smiths Creek back to where I started. The morning was a little overcast but very mild so I set off relatively early too despite the poor visibility. The plan was to get to the Cone Ridge which essentially required me to drop from about 1300m to the Hector River at 400m, before climbing back up to the summit of Cone at 1100m. It didn't go to plan however, as after following the ridge I soon returned into the forest and before long lost the path and couldn't locate it again. Luckily I knew my vague location so I decided the best bet was to head down to the river and follow that until I found this swing bridge. That was easier said than done as I had to battle through thick forest on a pretty steep decline. I fell several times and was only saved from dieing by the thick growth stopping my falls.

When finally reaching the river I was pretty broken physically but I continued on along the the river which was essentially a series of waterfalls which I had to decend. It was very slipperly and I had no choice but to gingerly use the slipperly rocks to get down, and in some places I had to climb up the bank to avoid getting swept away. The river eventually joined a larger one which was more like a gorge presenting new challenges including river crossings. I fell in a couple of times but managed to use the rocks to avoid getting swept downstream, although there were some sections which were strong rapids and I had to climb up the gorge edges using trees and my upper body strength to avoid them. I eventually found the swing bridge and the Neill Forks Hut which finally put me back on track! The detour cost me about 3 hours though so put me quite a bit behind schedule.

From the hut it was a steep incline up to the Cone Ridge although en route part of the path gave way and I had a pretty awkward fall down the bank into some trees. This hurt my right leg but I continued on without any problems to the ridge, eventually reaching the summit of Cone outside of the forest, getting some great views in the process. From here I made a decision to finish at the Waiohine Gorge instead of Kaitoke as I was pretty broken and this cut a substantial amount of distance off, as long as I could get a lift out to the main road from the gorge. The descent was quite painful on my damaged leg which I couldn't bend without experiencing pain. I eventually made it down to the Waiohine Gorge where luckily I got a lift out to the main road, followed by another lift back into the Hutt. All in all it was a stunning walk but the second day taught me a lot as well as using all my experience to get out of what could have been a more serious situation.

Monday morning was Christmas day, although Joss didn't come home until about 11 from his Dad's which gave me a much needed lie in and chance to relax. When Joss returned it wasn't long before we were in the lounge opening presents and even I got some presents which was nice! Joss was very spoilt! For lunch we had ham sandwiches as Liza had bought a big ham. Throughout the afternoon we played with Joss's toys and did some baking, including a yummy pavlova. We even had time to go for a swim in the pool although it was a little cold as much of the day it was raining. It's what Joss wanted though! It was a really nice and chilled out day all in all but it was nice to spent it with people instead of being alone.

The following day was Joss's birthday, which meant even more presents! The weather though was awful and there was very heavy downpours! In that period of heavy rain there was more rain in that couple of hours than the previous 48 days combined. For lunch Joss went out with his Dad for a couple of hours, which gave me a chance to relax before the afternoon. Joss wanted to go in the pool in the afternoon although the weather stopped us, so we did some more baking and played with his new toys, as well as starting a game of farmopoly which went into a second day! Wednesday was another pretty chilled out day as the weather still wasn't great although that did mean we could finish our game of farmopoly which I unfortunately lost in the end which was frustrating. Joss went round his Dad's in the afternoon for a couple of nights which gave a chance to tidy the house up a bit which was covered in Joss's toys and rubbish, as well as walking Max.

Joss was round his Dad's all day on Thursday to return home Friday morning. This gave me an unexpected day off so I decided to pop into Wellington and do a walk along the coast round Shelley Bay to Scorching Bay via the lighthouse at Point Halswell, before continuing to Lyall Bay and the airport via Moa Point. It was a very nice walk, but a little windy! My right leg was playing up by the end so the weekend has definitely done me some damage there. In the afternoon I had a look round the shops at the Christmas sales, and I ended up buying a tent which hopefully will be a pretty good investment and save me a fair bit of money on the long term. On the Friday Joss came home in the morning as his Dad was going to Tango in Taupo for new years. We therefore went into Wellington as it was such a nice day and went for a walk along the harbour, stopping for lunch at one of the restaurants on the waterfront.

Eastbourne Week 15

Saturday was finally the day of Joss's birthday party after all the hard work put in to make the house and garden look good for it over the previous weeks. We still had lots to do in the morning though including preparing all the food and decorating the garden, but luckily we finished with time to spare and by the afternoon all his friends arrived and it was a huge success. We had a big water fight and spent lots of time in pool, and the kids had fun playing some of the party games I prepared, and the food went down really well which was a proper classic party buffet. I think we're going to be eating party food for the rest of the year though as there was a lot left over as we bought so much!

The following day we tidied up from the day before and when putting the rubbish out it created an absolute mountain of stuff! As it was such a nice day in the afternoon we took Joss in the pool, although the water level had gone down a little from the party from the kids jumping off the ledge into the pool! Later in the afternoon Joss went out his Dad for a couple of hours and as it was so nice we went back into the pool until he came back. In the evening we had a bbq as we had bought sausages and chicken wings for the party but as we had so much other food we didn't cook them so that made even more leftover party food to get through!

Monday was the start of the last week of school for Joss, all be it just a day and a half. He had a hospital appointment in Wellington in the morning however so we had to get there, through morning rush hour traffic, before dropping him off at school. After he came home from school we got all the Christmas decorations out and decorated the tree and house with all sorts of stuff! It feels weird having Christmas in summer again although their decorations did include a dancing santa in jandals and swim shorts! The following day was the last day of school before the Christmas holidays which are effectively the equivalent of the summer holidays in the UK. Joss only had a half day so he returned home about lunchtime. It was a pretty chilled out day all in all.

On the Wednesday we took Joss out to the swimming pool in Lower Hutt for the first time to check out there facilities, and it was actually really good. We went into the hydrotherapy pool which was a 33 degree pool designed for people with disabilities, and it was actually really relaxing. There was even an electronic bed to easily get Joss changed, and a ramp in and out which made access really easy. Liz was even on about getting in next time which is saying something! In the afternoon Joss went round his Dad's for dinner, so I took the opportunity to give Max a good walk up in the bush, heading up and over to Days Bay and back along the coast, stopping for an ice cream at the pavilion on the way. It will be more difficult to walk Max regularly now with Joss off school as Liza doesn't like me not being in the house when Joss is there in case there's an earthquake or something.

On Thursday we went to Queensgate as Liz hadn't had any chance to do Christmas shopping, so she bought Joss so he could help buy Liza a present and give her ideas of what he wanted. It was incredibly busy there though being so close Christmas, although the perks of having a disabled person meant we quickly got a park right next to the front door while everyone else struggled to get a park! Me and Joss did get bored after a while though going in several health and beauty shops, so we went and got an ice cream and even visited Santa while Liz was looking round. When we got home Joss wanted to go for a swim. For some reason his favourite place to swim is the pool in the back garden which is also the coldest one to swim in, especially when it's not sunny which was the case, but he still wanted to go in so we braved it!

Friday was a busy day as we had to try and incorporate entertaining Joss with doing all the housework. We managed it in the end, and in the afternoon even had time for another swim in the garden. Joss was round his Dad's for the weekend, returning home on Christmas day. His Dad even arrived early which gave me more free time in the evening. I just popped into Queensgate to look round, as well as preparing myself for the weekend with the plan being to do another walk in the Tararuas. It was incredibly busy again but I managed to buy everything I needed.

Eastbourne Week 14

My plan for the weekend was to do a tramp in the Tararuas, although with Joss staying the night at home this meant a slight change of plan as I couldn't really leave him alone. Luckily his Dad picked him up relatively early and he gave me a lift to the railway station so I wasn't really impacted too much. The Tararuas are a mountain range north of Wellington and there is an array of hiking opportunities available. I was originally planning to walk part of the Holdsworth Jumbo circuit, stay the night in Powell Hut, and then head into the Waiohine Valley the following day, leaving as early as possible to hitchhike to the car park at the base of Mount Holdsworth. Instead I caught the train into the Wairarapa and got off at Matarawa and went for my planned walk the opposite way round. It was funny getting off at Matarawa as it is a request stop and is literally in the middle of nowhere, the station basically a halt with a shed. I was the only one to get off.

From Matarawa to the car park at Waiohine Gorge was a fair but doable walk and I was half hoping to hitch a ride there although only two cars passed me and I was unsuccessful getting a ride. I got there in the end though and started my walk into the Tararuas, crossing a particularly long swingbridge over the gorge. The path followed the gorge above it crossing a few tributaries along the way which were pretty. I eventually made it to the Totara Flats where the gorge opened out to some grass flatlands and I followed the river to the Totara Flats hut. Just after the hut I crossed a pretty intense swingbridge which was essentially metal wires with a soft mesh to walk on. The crosswind as I crossed made it very wobbly!

The next part of the walk briefly followed a tributary of the Waiohine River before starting my ascent through the forest to join the Holdsworth Jumbo circuit. It was a long slog but I eventually reached a ridge line before continuing the long slog up to the junction where I met the circuit. From here it was nice and flat as I followed the ridge line along a more open stretch with views of Mount Holdsworth in front. I eventually reached the Mountain House Shelter which signalled the start of a very steep ascent towards Powell Hut. It was very hard work but I eventually made it to the hut. About 400m prior to the hut though the ascent left the forest and went into open tussocks which presented me with great views of the Wairarapa, but also incredibly strong winds so I was glad to reach shelter! The hut itself was pretty busy with probably about 30 people inside, predominantly families, so it was nice to speak to some like minded people.

Through the night it was incredibly windy and it even rained. It felt at times the hut was going to blow away as it was literally shaking! The weather in the morning wasn't great with the hut effectively in the clouds and it was a bit moist in the air. I decided to crack on pretty early though and I was the first to set off, heading up to the 1470m summit of Mount Holdsworth. The ascent was slightly interesting with incredibly strong winds making it very hard work staying on my feet but I made it. There were no views however due to the cloud. From Mount Holdsworth I had a choice between dropping back into the forest for cover or continuing along the open tussocks to the next peak, the 1405m summit Jumbo. I went for the latter and getting there was very challenging, especially crossing the ridge which had sheer drops both sides and a savage crosswind but I made it, just. The were occasional breaks in the clouds too so I got a few views along the way, all be it very briefly!

The descent from Jumbo to the Jumbo Hut was a bit easier as the wind was behind me instead of a difficult crosswind, and it was nice to reach the hut just to get out the wind for a bit. From the hut I was soon back into the cover of the forest and made a pretty steep descent down to the Atiwhakatu hut and stream, which also meant it became hot again. I followed the stream all the way out to the car park, which included several swingbridges on the way. Just before reaching the car park I did a short excursion up to this lookout of Mount Holdsworth and you could see how bad the cloud cover was on the top! From the car park I hitched a ride out to SH2, which from there I easily got a lift back into Petone, all be it with some religious family which was interesting. All in all though it was a good weekend and a real challenging hike which I enjoyed.

On Monday I discovered that the vomiting/diarrhea bug which Joss had was enjoyed by Liz and Liza over the weekend, so I had a lucky escape avoiding one of Joss's illness again! They were both hoping to do some work out in the garden over the weekend and were unable to, so I went out there for a couple of hours in the morning before it got too warm. When Joss got home from school he was much better then when he left, and we therefore went inside his pool for a bit while Liz did some painting. The following day there was no swimming as the school were going to the cinema in the morning. After school we did have conductive though and Joss apparently did really well in his walker.

On Wednesday I had to go into school in the morning with Joss and help out with this triathlon thing they were doing. As with a normal triathlon, the three disciplines were swimming, cycling, running and Joss was able to do the first two disciplines. Liza even came to watch although was absolutely fuming after he was effectively completely excluded from the rest of the year by doing his swim on his own whilst everyone else was cycling, so he had basically no one to cheer him on. After his bike ride we sat in the park and cheered his friends on in the run, before heading back in the afternoon to do some more work in the garden. I cleaned the front of the house whilst Liz and Liza painted over the odd little bits which needed doing on the deck. It will hopefully be looking good for Joss's birthday party at the weekend now!

Thursday was another really busy day, with the school having a day down the beach. In the morning however Joss had an appointment at conductive about getting a new walker. Liza has been fighting for funding for a long time now to get a hydraulic walker which would require no physical effort to get him in and out, hence meaning his teachers could use it at school, and could be used without my help. They basically wanted to see Joss walk in current walker and luckily he did so fingers crossed there one step closer to getting the funding. After conductive it was down the beach where we were able to try out this beach wheelchair we'd hired for the day, which was actually really good as it enabled Joss to go on the beach and it even floated in the sea with him in! I did take him in without too though as he does like normal swimming. It was a nice day and we even had lunch and played games at the pavilion.

When we got home from school we went straight out to the dog wash place to wash Max as he was getting very smelly, tieing it in with Joss's haircut appointment. Joss enjoyed helping wash Max and it tied in perfectly with getting his haircut after, something he doesn't like doing as he won't stay still. It was quite challenging too having Max with us as each time we got the wheelchair in and out he jumped out the car! And would only go back in when I carried him back in. Not long after we got back Joss's Dad arrived to pick him up for the night, so I decided to pop into Petone for the evening. Friday was another busy day getting ready for the birthday party the following day, spending much of the day when Joss was at school doing the housework, as well as popping into Wellington to return the beach wheelchair. We only just about got back before Joss's taxi arrived! We then spent much of the rest of the day preparing food for the party and sorting out a few odd little bits in the garden.

Eastbourne Week 13

The weekend was another scorching one for weather with the area going well and truly brown now. There's even apparently going to be a hosepipe ban if it doesn't rain soon as the sun is really intense. We therefore went to the market in the morning before it got too hot before heading back home. After lunch we went outside and set about assembling Joss's swimming pool as we thought if there is going to be a hosepipe ban it's best to fill it before that happens. As the pool was particularly big his Dad and partner came round to help us and we soon assembled it. After it was up we went left the hosepipe to fill it up and went back inside to do some baking, as well as preparing stuff for a bbq for dinner. The pool took a fair few hours to fill but it got there in the end, all be it deeper one end than the other because of the slope of the garden.

The following day we had a more relaxing morning as Joss went out with his Dad to see the wonky donkey. After lunch we headed out to Silverstream which is home to a small railway line. There was basically an event which meant they were running a diesel locomotive and a steam train along the track, as well as a museum you could look around with old trains inside. The place was not very wheelchair friendly and it was hard work getting Joss to the platform along what was a gravel path on a gradual incline but I got him there. We then managed to arrange to get him onto the train for a ride, where he was allowed to even drive the diesel locomotive with the driver! He didn't drive the steam train though as that would have been slightly more dirty! After grabbing an ice cream we headed back home where we tried out the swimming pool for the first time. Joss enjoyed playing on his inflatables although the water was slightly fresh!

Monday was back to school although whilst Joss was at school we went out to Mitre 10 to grab some things for the garden for the deck so we could carry on painting it. By the time we came back and had lunch there wasn't long until Joss came from school so I couldn't really get much done, and when Joss did return he didn't want to go outside so I stayed inside and entertained him whilst they stayed outside and did some painting. In the evening there was a carol service in Eastbourne although Joss didn't want to go but was forced to go in the end which he was not happy about. Liz and his Dad went whilst I stayed and helped Liza in the garden. With peace for a couple of hours we managed to get a fair bit done.

Tuesday morning was swimming once again, although the small pool was closed to be cleaned which meant we weren't sure if Joss could go or not. In the end I thought I would tryJoss in the big pool and it was actually probably easier as it had steps in and out which meant I could get him in and out by myself, unlike the the a small pool which takes 2 people getting him and out as it has a ladder and ledge. The only difference was it was slightly deeper in the big pool. During the day it was nice to relax for a couple of hours, and after school Joss didn't go to conductive as they had a meeting there about getting him a better walker in terms of lifting him in and out and they felt it would be better if he stayed at home. We therefore baked a Christmas cake which he enjoyed!

The following day was sailing once again and it was a relatively windy day which meant the boats were going nice and quickly. After sailing I planned to quickly fill in the holes Max had dug, although before I could finish several police cars turned up outside the house. We soon found out there was a robbery at one of the houses in York Bay and the police had supposedly cornered the suspects. Instead they escaped into the bush behind the house which resulted in police dogs being deployed to find them! With Joss round his Dad's after school for dinner I was going to pop out although I decided to stay inside in the end under police advice as they had deployed police cars along a few of the bays to try and intercept them. They managed to escape in the end!

The following day the people who escaped were caught as the police knew their identities and arrested them at their house, so they were pretty dumb. Apparently the persons house they attempted to rob was one of the robbers ex wives and they luckily managed to unsuccessfully steal anything, leaving behind just a smashed in window through their escape. Away from that Thursday morning was swimming once again, and I took Joss in the big pool again which he enjoyed. It's nicer for him being in that one as he's with all his classmates then instead of the early years children. When Joss came from school he wasn't feeling very well, and started vomiting which wasn't pleasant.

The following day we didn't send Joss to school after the previous day, and he apparently had a restless night. Luckily he had stopped vomiting but he did have diarrhoea which meant lots of nappy changes throughout the day. By the afternoon everything was under control though. With Joss at home all day I couldn't really do all the housework, and he would have also gone swimming in the morning too which he obviously couldn't so it actually gave me a pretty chilled out day. We even baked some cookies. In the afternoon he was meant to go round his Dad's for the weekend although Liza and his Dad decided it was best for him to stay at home for the night so his Dad came round at his usual pick up time and stayed round with him and put him to bed as Liza was out.

Eastbourne Week 12

Everything this weekend in theory returned to normal with Joss and the arrangements with staying round his Dad's, hence giving me the weekend off. With the Christmas holidays fast approaching though which are essentially the same as the summer holidays in the UK it wouldn't surprise me if that changes! The weather forecast for the weekend wasn't ideal however with cloud forecasted for the Saturday and showers on the Sunday, so I wasn't sure what to do. I ruled out any overnight hikes in the Tararuas or Rimutakas which I'd been considering as bad weather and wilderness aren't a good combination, in the end opting to go over to Wairarapa once again, this time to Castlepoint.

Castlepoint is located on the Wairarapa’s east coast, about 68 kilometres from Masterton. The area is essentially a fossil rich limestone reef dominated by the 162-metre high Castle Rock. To get there I caught the train to Masterton from Wellington which as before was one of only two trains the whole day. From Masterton I then hitched a ride to Castlepoint which was slightly more challenging than I expected but I got there in the end. When there I did a walk up to the summit of Castle Rock, following the inland route which gave great views of the lagoon and lighthouse. At the top I took in the views which included views the other side towards Christmas Bay and south, before dropping down to Deliverance Bay and along the beach by the lagoon. I wanted to go onto the island at the far end of the lagoon but I decided not to risk it in the end as the waves were quite strong and I would have needed a leap of faith between the waves to get across.

Once at the bottom I went over towards the lighthouse which is an iconic New Zealand landmark which I've seen many pictures of! I explored the fascinating rock formations here and fossil rich limestone rocks before going up to the lighthouse itself. From here I headed back down to the bottom and hitched a ride back into Masterton. I was originally considering breaking the journey and stopping in Tinui to do a walk to this cross on top of a hill, famous for being the location of the first Anzac service although it was getting late so I opted against it. I instead got out at Henley Lake in Masterton which was a pleasant lake full of birdlife, before heading into the Queen Elizabeth Park which included a deer area and swingbridge! When I finally made it back into Masterton town I had a little look round the town before grabbing some dinner.

The following day I was unsure what to do with a dodgy weather forecast, so I decided I would have a more chilled out day exploring some of the towns in the Wairarapa along SH2. After breakfast I left Masterton and hitched a ride to Carterton which I had a little look around, although there wasn't really anything exciting to see. Carterton is perhaps most famous for its modern replica of stonehenge although it was shut when I was there so I couldn't visit. I therefore hitched a ride to the next town along, Greytown. Greytown is perhaps the most touristy town in the Wairarapa along with Martinborough with it being home to many cafes and boutique style shops making it a popular place to visit for people from Wellington. I decided I would go for a walk here as there happened to be a geocaching circuit which looked good. The walk took me from Greytown to Woodside along the old railway line which was interesting, before following the river back into Greytown. There were some really original geocaches en route.

After finishing the walk I explored Greytown itself which had several interesting shops, and I even went into this popular chocolate shop to try some chocolate which was nice. Next stop after Greytown was Featherston which I visited the week before. I had another little walk round before continuing south over the Rimutakas, stopping at the summit of the mountain pass which was home to a viewpoint and a couple of walks. At 555m, there was a walk up to the summit of Rimutaka at 725m so not much to climb so I thought I'd do that. It was unfortunately a bit overcast up top which was a shame as apparently you can see right out over the Wairarapa on a clear day. From the summit I hitched a ride back into the Hutt to get back to York Bay. It was actually a really good day and I found 46 geocaches in the process!

On Monday I was able to have a much needed lie in with Joss round his Dad's,  although Liza decided she would have the day off work so we could start painting the deck outside. We used this special deck cleaner at first before Liza painted the deck with a special deck painting thing whilst I painted the edges and tricky places to get to. Joss even came outside to help when he got home from school and when it was finished it looked good although it will need a second coat at some point. I was a bit unsure how it would come out as she wanted it black but it actually worked and hid all the imperfections very well. We even had a bbq in the evening so it was a good day.

The following day was another busy day with swimming in the morning, and conductive in the afternoon. Joss even apparently walked across the school field and back at conductive so he did a lot of exercise throughout the day, it's just annoying he won't use the walker properly at home! On the Wednesday we had sailing although it was a very still day so it wasn't ideal conditions. In the afternoon I thought I'd go and pop over and see Melva as Joss was round his Dad's for the night. It was as ever awful public transport, with the bus drivers on strike until 2pm and then the stupid timetabling where the Hutt Valley line train pulls into Wellington as the Kapiti line train pulls out meaning you have to wait half hour for the next one. There were also rail replacement buses on the Kapiti line on the way back so not the greatest journey. It was nice to catch up though.

Thursday was swimming once again in the morning, and I was also treated with a decent kick off for once for the Southampton game so I was able to listen to the first half and got back in time for the last 10 minutes. Joss was round his Dad's for the night so after school he only came home for a couple of hours so it was a pretty chilled out day. The following day was a busy day however as the school put on an additional swimming session last minute again in the morning, which included an audience as Liza and some healthcare officials came to watch to see how he was doing. This did mean I started housework later than usual which meant by the time I finished everything Joss had come home from school. We did have the weekend with him though so we had a bbq in the evening.