Carey
21st April 2007, 09:19 AM
Finally home in UK after amazing 6 weeks in NZ, a real tonic after 6 stressful months in Sicily (another story for another day!). Like Vixann's recent post, we're full of enthusiam and have fantastic memories and hope to find a way to emigrate.
A brief resume of our travels: did the camper van thing first, for 10 days, brilliant, kids loved it. Slight delay while we waited for 2 days for Air New Zealand to find our main suitcase which got left at Heathrow coz the label that 'check-in 'stuck on, came off so they didn't know which plane to put it on!! Not a great start but they did taxi the case to us. So 2 nights in just the clothes we travelled in at Orere Point Top 10, then to Waihi, stunning beach and native bush. Here saw schools having lessons on the beach! Onto Tauranga, bigger than imagined, to Rotorua and Wai-o-tapu Thermal area. Impressed by geyser and mud pools, all very well set out. Across to Whakatane, stopping at Lake Rotoiti for an amazing swim, warm water, crystal clear, no-one else around - perfect! Loved Whakatane, harbour beach stunning. Persuaded family to try freedom camping ( kids were keen on camp sites with trampolines or jumping pillows but husband and I wanted space and more adventure) Found little scenic reserve off main road, arrived in the dark so had the most incredible wake-up to native bird song and an explore of this little piece of paradise. OH and I spent a year in NZ 19 yrs ago, most of the time off the beaten track, so got to know native species etc but had forgotten how special it is until we got here. Kids amazed by just standing still and listening to tui's, bell birds and seeing tree ferns, etc.
To Gisborne, another amazing beach plus playground, first hoky-poky ice-cream, parked up on Mahia Penisular right by black sand, big surf beach. Surfers arrived 7am Sun, great to watch, while we breakfasted, again stunning views, heaps of driftwood, felt so free....holiday mode I know but such a pleasure being somewhere so beautiful. By now OH had agreed that maybe it was worth seriously considering moving to NZ, phew!
Lake Waikaremona in Te Urewra National Park next, again so beautiful, saw no-one, had little golden sandy beach to ourselves, swam....frustrating not to have more time to do some walking but limited by 3 yr old....next time! Onto Napier, seemed nice if flat, to Ocean Beach, found another reserve to camp at. Down thro' Masterton , Featherston etc, interesting to see these places mentioned on here. Agree with comments on Top 10 site in Welly but Ok for a night. Te Papa brilliant.
Picton then Nelson where based for a week with friends, camped 2 nights in tent at beginning of Abel Tasman Track, lovely; OH and elder daughter to Kaikora to swim with dolphins - definite high-light for her. Visited a primary school and a high school in Nelson, extremely impressed with facilities, teaching standards and the range of opportunites; then to a bach in Nydia Bay in Marlborough Sounds, only reached by water taxi, or tramping in, (not appropriate for us). Absolutely gorgeous, fished, swam, walked, saw 70 yr old tame eel in creek, fed Weka's..blissful. Returned reluctantly to civilisation, back to North Island, drove up stopping at Wanganui, great museum; New Plymouth, another great beach right next to the city (can see why you like it Hannah!) to Hamilton. Friends here suggested Raglan; loved it, another swim!
Onto Dargaville, stayed with friends on sheep and beef farm, kids got to do some shepherding, ride on quad bike and tractor, drove on Bayls Beach, then to cap it all we farm-sat for 2 weeks, near Kaikohe where we looked after 2 pigs, 2 cats, dog, milked the house cow and feasted on avocados which were dripping off the trees even feeding avo's to the pigs!
All in all, excellent. Continually impressed by the 'bug' scenery, so many 'wow' corners. So much space, so uncrowded. Only slight shame is that because OH wasn't sure he wanted to consider emigrating before we went, we didn't manage to make any real contacts. But that's our next challenge......
A brief resume of our travels: did the camper van thing first, for 10 days, brilliant, kids loved it. Slight delay while we waited for 2 days for Air New Zealand to find our main suitcase which got left at Heathrow coz the label that 'check-in 'stuck on, came off so they didn't know which plane to put it on!! Not a great start but they did taxi the case to us. So 2 nights in just the clothes we travelled in at Orere Point Top 10, then to Waihi, stunning beach and native bush. Here saw schools having lessons on the beach! Onto Tauranga, bigger than imagined, to Rotorua and Wai-o-tapu Thermal area. Impressed by geyser and mud pools, all very well set out. Across to Whakatane, stopping at Lake Rotoiti for an amazing swim, warm water, crystal clear, no-one else around - perfect! Loved Whakatane, harbour beach stunning. Persuaded family to try freedom camping ( kids were keen on camp sites with trampolines or jumping pillows but husband and I wanted space and more adventure) Found little scenic reserve off main road, arrived in the dark so had the most incredible wake-up to native bird song and an explore of this little piece of paradise. OH and I spent a year in NZ 19 yrs ago, most of the time off the beaten track, so got to know native species etc but had forgotten how special it is until we got here. Kids amazed by just standing still and listening to tui's, bell birds and seeing tree ferns, etc.
To Gisborne, another amazing beach plus playground, first hoky-poky ice-cream, parked up on Mahia Penisular right by black sand, big surf beach. Surfers arrived 7am Sun, great to watch, while we breakfasted, again stunning views, heaps of driftwood, felt so free....holiday mode I know but such a pleasure being somewhere so beautiful. By now OH had agreed that maybe it was worth seriously considering moving to NZ, phew!
Lake Waikaremona in Te Urewra National Park next, again so beautiful, saw no-one, had little golden sandy beach to ourselves, swam....frustrating not to have more time to do some walking but limited by 3 yr old....next time! Onto Napier, seemed nice if flat, to Ocean Beach, found another reserve to camp at. Down thro' Masterton , Featherston etc, interesting to see these places mentioned on here. Agree with comments on Top 10 site in Welly but Ok for a night. Te Papa brilliant.
Picton then Nelson where based for a week with friends, camped 2 nights in tent at beginning of Abel Tasman Track, lovely; OH and elder daughter to Kaikora to swim with dolphins - definite high-light for her. Visited a primary school and a high school in Nelson, extremely impressed with facilities, teaching standards and the range of opportunites; then to a bach in Nydia Bay in Marlborough Sounds, only reached by water taxi, or tramping in, (not appropriate for us). Absolutely gorgeous, fished, swam, walked, saw 70 yr old tame eel in creek, fed Weka's..blissful. Returned reluctantly to civilisation, back to North Island, drove up stopping at Wanganui, great museum; New Plymouth, another great beach right next to the city (can see why you like it Hannah!) to Hamilton. Friends here suggested Raglan; loved it, another swim!
Onto Dargaville, stayed with friends on sheep and beef farm, kids got to do some shepherding, ride on quad bike and tractor, drove on Bayls Beach, then to cap it all we farm-sat for 2 weeks, near Kaikohe where we looked after 2 pigs, 2 cats, dog, milked the house cow and feasted on avocados which were dripping off the trees even feeding avo's to the pigs!
All in all, excellent. Continually impressed by the 'bug' scenery, so many 'wow' corners. So much space, so uncrowded. Only slight shame is that because OH wasn't sure he wanted to consider emigrating before we went, we didn't manage to make any real contacts. But that's our next challenge......