I February 2017 Kerry and I went to a wedding in New Zealand. We flew Air New Zealand to a very wet Wellington on the Friday afternoon before the wedding. Wellington has the reputation of being ‘Windy Wellington’ but on this day it was a smooth approach and landing although the rain made for a dull and uninviting view.
Crossing Wellington Harbour on the final approach to the airport. Very wet and overcast as you can see.
We were staying at the Rydges Hotel and we were quite hungry when we got settled in our room. There was an extensive room service menu so we ordered a cheese board to satisy the hunger pangs.
Cheese board from the Portlander restaurant at the Rydges Wellington. The Kahurangi Blue was especially delicious.
This was delicious and gave us a taste for the NZ cheeses available. Fortunately, we were able to find them later on our road trip.
One of the major attractions in Wellington is the cable car that climbs from the centre of the city past the University to Kelburn in the hills. It is a funicular railway rather than a true cable car and the two cars in use are both attached to the cable that runs around a pulley at the Kelburn terminus.
Car No 2 of the Wellington Cable Car approaches the terminus at Kelburn.
The cable car rises 120 metres over the 612 metre trip and has great views over the city and harbour from the top.
A view from the cable car terminus at Kelburn, looking over the eastern side of the harbour.
Another Wellington attraction is the Queens Wharf area along the harbour. There are many attraction along here, including restaurants and the Museum of New Zealand (Te Papa Tongarewa.) Several veteran working vessels are moored along this area.
The old tug “Sealion” in Wellington harbour.
There is also a fence which has been covered with padlocks, many of which are engraved with names and messages.
Padlocks along the harbour.
As it had been over 30 years since we had travelled anywhere in New Zealand (apart from transits through Auckland airport) we decided to hire a car and drive from Wellington to Auckland.
We booked a Thrifty car before we left Australia and picked it up about midday on the Sunday after the wedding.
SsangYong Tivoli from Thrifty.
The car was a SsangYong Tivoli; a car I have never driven, or even seen, before. However, it was comfortable and spacious enough for the two of us plus our baggage – two large cases, my camera case, and a couple of other bags.
After leaving Wellington we headed north on State Highway1 towards Palmerston North. We had decided this was a reasonable trip to do in the afternoon after the wedding.
Our first stop was at Otaki Beach, as we were looking for somewhere to have lunch. Otaki Beach is about 80km north of Wellington and is a coarse sand beach open to the ocean.
Otaki Beach, with Kapiti Island in the distance.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t find anywhere suitable for lunch, so we turned around and went back to Otaki, which is on the highway. We were able to find a very cheap cafe open there.
After lunch we went on to Palmerston North; about 75 km further on. We didn’t have anywhere booked as we thought it shouldn’t be hard to find a place. The first hotel we tried was the Distinction Palmerston North Hotel & Conference Centre. A very officious young man at the reception desk of this establishment gave the booking computer a cursory glance before rudely informing me that there were no vacancies. As it had begun to rain again I ducked back into the car and checked the map. We drove over to Fitzherbert Avenue and found the Bella Vista Motel. This had vacancies and was reasonably priced at NZ$160 for a night.
After a pleasant breakfast we left Palmerston North heading towards Napier, on the east coast. The first part of the drive was overcast, with rain showers from time to time. Leaving Palmerston North the road wound through steep hills, around the Manawatu River.
Manawatu Gorge, out of Palmerston North.
This was a real country drive, through places such as Dannevirke and Norsewood, for about 180 km. When we arrived in Napier we did a bit of a drive around, finding our way up to Bluff Hill Lookout. The last part of the road to this popular spot is extremely narrow, with a cliff on one side and a steep drop off on the other. It is difficult for two cars to pass on this road, so I was glad to be following someone else on the way down.
Napier is on Hawke’s Bay and has a man-made port where timber and other cargoes are loaded onto ships. It is also a regular cruise ship port of call. When we were there, Celebrity Solstice was in port.
Napier Port from Bluff Point Lookout, with Celebrity Solstice moored at the cruise terminal.
Napier is know as New Zealand’s art deco town and many buildings are from this period.
This art deco building now houses the Napier Lone Star, where we had lunch.
Napier has a vintage car city tour of about 1 1/2 hours available. Patrons are taken around the city and surrounds in the comfort of a restored old car.
One of the cars that does the city tour.
While Napier was worth visiting, we decided that it wasn’t necessary to stay overnight. We decided that we would drive on to Taupo, which had been going to be our next stop anyway.
Taupo is about 145 km from Napier, across the high ground in the centre of the North Island. There were a few roadworks sites on the way, so it took us over two hours to get there.
On the way we stopped at the Waipunga Falls, alongside the Napier-Taupo Road.
Waipunga Falls
We called into the Colonial Lodge Motel, located on Lake Terrace Road across the road from Lake Taupo. We decided to stay two nights here, in such a good spot with lots to do.
Colonial Lodge Motel on the shores of Lake Taupo.
Lake Taupo is home to many water birds, such as this duck.
Huka Falls.
We drove out to the Huka Falls, located on the Waikato River. This thunderous waterfall sees 220,000 litres of water pour through the narrow canyon every second.
In the afternoon we decided to take a seaplane flight, with Taupo Seaplane. This ten minute flight took us over the Lake, the Waikato geothermal area, the Huka Falls and the township of Taupo.
Cessna Stationair Floatplane on Lake Taupo.
Te Mihi Geothermal Power Station.
Huka Falls and the Waikato River from the air.
Taupo, with Lake Terrace Road running along the lake shore.
Banking left to line up with the seaplane landing area.
We had booked a 5pm cocktail cruise on Lake Taupo with Ernest Kemp Cruises. This cruise is on a replica of a steam-powered boat from the 1920s. It cruises around to the Maori rock carvings that were commissioned in 1976.
“Ernest Kemp” moored at Taupo
Maori carvings
The Maori carvings are a popular cruise destination out of Taupo.
Approaching Taupo township from the Lake, with Mt Tauhara overlooking it.
After our second night at Taupo, we drove down the east shore of it for a while, looking at the scenery that abounds in that area.
The shores of Lake Taupo, near Turanga Taupo, looking to the west and the mountains beyond.
We went as far as Turanga Taupo, then headed back to Taupo to get fuel, then we headed north on State Highway 5 to Rotorua, our next planned stay.
When we arrived at Rotorua we were both surpised at how little smell of sulphur dioxide there was. When each of us had been there last, in the 1970s on separate trips, the odour through the town was strong.
We checked in to the Novotel Rotorua Lakeside Hotel for that night and then went down to the shore of Lake Rotorua.
The Novotel Rotorua Lakeside.
While it was getting late in the afternoon, there was still a lot of activity around the shore. Seaplanes and helicopters were landing and there were many tourists milling about, despite a cool breeze.
Volcanic Air EC120 Eurocopter lands on the pontoon at Rotorua.
In the park near the shore we found an olive tree that had been gifted by the people of Crete to the NZ veterans who had fought there in the Second World War. This was of particular interest to Peter as his father had fought in Crete alongside the New Zealanders.
Memorial olive tree in Rotorua.
The next morning we went to Te Puia in the Whakarewarewa Valley, the cultural experience in the principal geothermal area of Rotorua.
Here we were able to join a guided tour, showing how the geothermal springs fit into the culture and traditions of the Māori in the area.
Te Puia’s Rotowhio marae.
Pohutu geyser erupts early in the morning. This geyser erupts approximately every hour.
The Blue Pool at Te Whakawerawera thermal area in Rotorua.
Bubbling mud at the pools at Te Puia.
Looking down into the geothermal valley, between eruptions of the Pohutu geyser.
After leaving Te Whakawerawera and Rotorua we began the drive over to Auckland, firstly on Highway 5, then State Highway 1, then Highway 18 and back onto Highway 1.
The country changed from rugged hills and valleys to undulating grazing land.
Trawling the internet had shown us that the hotels in Auckland itself were quite expensive at this time of year and we didn’t feel inclined to pay too much. We found a small motor inn at Waiuku, a town about 50km from Auckland Airport. This was the Waiuku Lodge Motel. The room was comfortable, if basic, and suited us perfectly for the one night.
Waiuku Lodge Motel.
After the night at Waiuku we drove to Auckland and around to the airport, leaving the car in the Thrifty section of the car park. We gathered our bags and went in to the airport to start our next part of the adventure. Our fourth trip to the Cook Islands was coming up and we had an appointment with a Virgin Australia 737!
