Rotorua

Everything you've wanted to know about sheep, and a lot more.
And also a few more local (or not so local) animals

Early morning walk in the Wai O Tapu ("Sacred waters") volcanic area, where the geothermal activity created colours of every tint from green to yellow and from white to red, including the famous Champagne Pool and the Lady Knox geyser, reaching heights of 20 meters.

When visitors start to invade the tracks, I leave and head out to Te Puia, in order to learn more about the maori culture, and see one more kiwi and some more geysers.

How long can a maori name be? ;)

During the evening, a traditional maori diner, with a lovely family from Sydney. I am usually not very fond of the so called cultural performance, but the one organised at the Tamaki village was worth it.

Last day in Gisborne - Rotorua

While Colin and Gill bring their grand children back to the airport, I am in charge of feeding the animals. Those 2 little monsters will manage to escape, we are still not sure how.
Not easy to chase them on all the tracks running through the trees, but fortunately, they will be pushed back to the corral before reaching the road.

 



Then Colin drives me to town, in order to show me the harbour when he used to work, the tiny airport where 19 seats planes take people to Auckland and Wellington, the beach where he likes going for a ride, the huge indoor arena of the equestrian center, the former jail (where you could rent a cell for the night when there were "vacancies"), and beautiful lookouts on the bay and on the vineyards & fields of avocados, oranges...

In the afternoon, the temperature hits 34°C, it is getting hard, even with the wind, so we eventually take the dogs to the beach, in order to let them have a bath.

Time to say goodbye, hit the road again, leave Gisborne and go back to Opotiki.

As soon you get to Rotorua, a delicious smell of sulfur / boiled eggs / rotten eggs - call it what you want - fills in the car. Boy, it smells!

Gisborne

Woken up at 5:30am, just in time for the sunrise.

It gives us plenty of time to get ready for the day, put Colin's horse in the trailer and head out to the countryside, in order to meet one of his friends and ride with her. A great morning, spent in an incredible scenery, among the cows and sheep, following by a nice picnic and chat.

By the time we come back to Gisborne, the temperature has reached the level where you don't want to go outside. After an hour or so, we just jumped in the swimming pool, and stayed there for ages.
Tonight, we enjoyed the amazing dinner prepared by Gill (had a chance to try the lamb and wine from NZ), watching the ocean on their deck.

What else could you request from life?

From Auckland to Gisborne

Jan 6th

After more 34 hours on the road / in the air, I was starting to forget where I was, but the Auckland airport reminds you quickly where you have just landed: the whole building is decorated with maori sculptures and scenes from The Lord of the Rings, no way you can escape!
Friendly staff at the airport, a bus driver in the shuttle to the city center who acts like a tour guide and gives everyone as much advice as possible, it is nice to be welcome in such a way.
starting with something really local, the name of my first backpacker is the "Cozy Kiwi". They can't find my booking but no problem "they should be able to accomodate me". Sounds like good news ;)
Sounds like I am not the only one to be jet lagged, someone has just told me "Good morning" and it is 8pm...
A short walk in the streets where almost everything is closed (it is Sunday today) in order buy some fruit and strecth my legs, and I fall asleep like a baby.

Jan 7th

9am, time to meet my Toyota Corolla. We should spend quite a few hours together by the end of this trip.
I manage to reach Thames without taking the motorway or the roundabouts in the wrong direction. May be I will survive to driving in New Zealand...
This little town, which was built for the gold diggers, feels like the American Far West. Same atmosphere and architecture.

Later on, the road follows the shore. I stop every kilometer in order to make pictures. This is not helping for the average speed...

 

Short walk on Surf Beach, then on Hot Water Beach (with no hot water because of the high tide...)

And to finish the day with the most amazing spot, a one hour walk to go to Cathedral Cove. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking!

 

Jan 8th

Kia ora!
The jet lag eventually caught me. Woke up at 2am, and impossible to sleep again before 7am. It is gonna be a long day.
At least it should not be too hot, the sky is very cloudy this morning. Hope it won't rain.
First stop in Opotiki, the last town before Gisborne, here is where you leave the sea resorts and enter the maori land, and the "Aoteroa", the land of the long white cloud.
Two statues from a local artist, Heke Collier, were inaugurated in 1991, and tell about the story of this part of the country

The Sunrise Coast is just amazing, the scenery changes at each corner of the road, I could spend weeks driving on such roads.
More and more motorbikes since yesterday, they must really have a blast here.
At noon, I reach the 100 year old anglican church of Raukokore, in the middle of the countryside, a few meters away from the sea.

Stop for lunch at Te Araroa, the farthest you go to the East in New Zealand. Feels like you have reached the end of the world. Even the gas station does not look like anything seen so far.
In the courtyard of the school is one of the oldest pohutukawas (holy trees) of the country, it is more than 350 years old, and its name is Waha O Rerekohu. It is the "family tree of the tribe".

In Tikitiki, one more anglican church, St Mary, but this one is maori, and was built in remembrance of the soldiers who died during World War 1.

Last stop of the day before reaching Gisborne: Tokomaru Bay, in order to enjoy the beach during a few minutes.

Just a few minutes before 6pm, I arrive at Okitu, good to see Colin again and to eventually meet Gill.
Their place is breathtaking, the walk after dinner gives me the opportunity to discover their bush forest, where everything was planted manually, whereas you have the feeling those trees have been there forever.
It is so big that you could easily get lost in the garden.
I couldn't imagine that human hands could get such a result.

An expected journey

Only 12 hours of flight, 6 hours waiting in an airport on the other side of the world, and another 12 hour flight, and I will be in the Middle Earth. Can't wait to be there...