Taranaki - aka Mt Egmont

Taranaki - or Mt Egmont as it was once known is the Kiwi version of Mt Fujiama. It is a perfect cone shape and rises above the Taranaki plains and the nearby coastal city of New Plymouth. The city is the cultural hub of the area and for a small place does very well in the arts scene. It is one of my favourite places.

Mt Taranaki is surrounded by rich emerald dairy land and the area is famous for some amazing gardens which are open to the public.

When you fly over or towards NZ it is this mountain and the other three peaks of the North Is that you see rising up from the landscape. Except for the summer season these peaks are usually snow-capped.

Near the city are some excellent surfing spots - with the west coast black sand of course!

Rotorua - Sulphur City!

When you first arrive in Rotorua the sulphur smell is overwhelming - and the steam puffing out from little vents everywhere - in parks, yards, streets, houses, lakeside, footpaths - is a bit alarming.

However within an hour or so you don't notice it so much and it becomes just part of the exciting Rotorua geo-thermal experience.

Geysers that 'play' - erupt - regularly throwing up great quantities of boiling water into the blue sky. Boiling mud pools everywhere. A big beautiful blue lake which steams and bubbles at the edges. Maori culture predominates here so admire the traditional carvings on houses and buildings throughout the city. Visit the beautiful Rotorua Museum - a wondrous mix of Tudor and Maori architecture.




You can cook as the locals do by dropping a flax bag of food down a small steam vent and pulling up after a few minutes. Relax in the hundreds of naturally warm spas - the local mineralised water is wonderful for all aches and pains, and the mud once cooled is a world-famous skin treatment mudpack facial.

Rotorua also offers some great adventure activities - cruise the lake, ride the cable-car, fish for trout, visit theme-parks - play golf to your heart's content on several courses. Go to a traditional Maori village and watch carvers at work, enjoy a Maori concert. There's something for everyone here. A must see!

Lake Taupo - the Heart of NZ

The heart of the North Island - at its very centre - is Lake Taupo - a very deep water-filled volcanic crater. When this volcano last erupted - hundreds of years ago - the ash went high into the stratosphere and fell around the globe. Diaries and reports from the time record the event in far off lands. It was one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in history.

Today it is a large and deep lake, full of rainbow and brown trout. Anglers come from all around the world to fish in its waters. The photo shows the three snow capped peaks of Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngaruhoe in the distance.

The pic on the pic above is taken from the other direction and shows the steaming Crater Lake at the summit of Tongariro in the right foreground with a small arm of Lake Taupo in the distance.

This whole area is a mass of volcanic activity past and present. Rotorua is close by and the geo-thermal area between it and Taupo is full of interesting features such as geysers, and boiling mud pools, hot water pools, and power stations which use the ferocious steam to make electricity.

When I was young, once in a while, some poor person would fall in a boiling mud pool or down a geyser - it was horrifying. But now all the hazards are well-mapped and well-fenced so we've had no accidents for a long time.

The Mountain Trinity at the Heart of the North Island

Ruapehu, Tongariro, Ngaruhoe are the three titans of the Central North Island. A trinity of volcanoes that still periodically erupt to the awe and wonder of anyone fortunate enough to see it.

A few years ago Ruapehu erupted for several weeks and put on a magnificent display - truly awesome! (See pic below.)Tongariro has a crater lake which in the last month has overheated and spilled out over the create rim causing a lahar to sweep over the neighbouring countryside.

There is a sophisticated series of warning systems in place and so no one has been hurt for may years. Tourists and locals alike count it a privilege to see this spectacular volcanic activity.

In winter these mountains provide a wonderful venue for great skiing and snow-boarding etc.

In summer tramp or walk the many tracks - the scenery is still amazing!

Bay of Islands- the Birthplace of the Nation

The Bay of Islands is in NZ's "winterless north" - right at the top of the North Island - on the east coast - so white sands!

It's a popular spot for tourists and Kiwis alike - but if you fancy a bit of alone time, like Robinson Crusoe, you can buy your very own small island.

The climate is warm - the sun shines - the sky is blue - dolphins frolic in the clear blue/green sea - the fishing is great - the shellfish are fat and abound on the shore - what more could you want? It is truly an unspoiled paradise on earth.
The two coasts at this part of NZ are only a short drive apart - the North Is is very skinny at this point. So when you're tired of the benevolence of the Bay of Islands, you can pop over to the black sands of the wild west coast for a bit of surfing, surf fishing, sand dune skiing, dune buggying etc.

Northland, as this area is called, is the nation's birthplace so there are many historic places to visit if that's your thing.

Northland is a must see - the landscape is so different from the other popular tourist destinations - the unique volcanic heart of the North Is which is the Taupo/Rotorua area, and the very stunning landscape of the South Is.

Black and White Sand.....?????

We have this interesting situation in NZ - as you may know we are basically a country of three skinny islands - and so enjoy a very long coastline. Not so special? Well the odd thing is all down the west coast of our country the sands are black - iron ore of quite good quality. Down the east coast the sands are golden/white.

The west coast beaches are dark and wild - magical, atmospheric places. The east coast beaches are stunningly beautiful too - but have a more pleasant welcoming ambience.

When I was a small child we would take a magnet to the Piha - a west coast beach famous for its surf break - and we would put the magnet to the sand and watch the grains jump onto the magnet.

However I also remember jumping out of the car in excitement and running down towards the water, only to be terrified as the very hot black sand burned the soles of my feet. Sandals are a must when walking on iron sand on a sunny day!

Abel Tasman Park - 100% pure NZ!

This is Abel Tasman National Park - at the top of the South Island of NZ. It is truly a natural wonderland. With lots of little bays and beaches you can camp on and never see another person!

Kayaks or canoes are available and you can spend a few days happily paddling around this very large public park exploring the many bays and inlets. Virgin forest - or 'bush' as we call it - lines the beautiful little coves and native flora and fauna are free to enjoy and wonder at. A priceless little place of heaven on earth.

Coromandel Pennisula- It's a Beautiful World!

On the Coromandel Peninsula - about ninety minutes drive from Auckland - there is a beach called Hot Water Beach - you pick a nice bit of sand and dig a hole for yourself. Hot sea water, warmed by underground volcanic activity, fills it up from underneath and you sit in it drinking wine and watching the waves roll in on the white sands. A natural and free hot jacuzzi! Bliss!!!!

Auckland - my home town

That's Auckland in the photo - taken at night obviously. The Sky Tower is the tall thing in the middle - of the photo - and of Auckland. Auckland AKA "The City of Sails" because of its two harbours and yachting-crazy inhabitants.

The Sky Tower was built by Ron Brierley - a  permanently miserable looking, millionaire businessman - in the 1990s.  I hated it when it was being built. I hated the idea that a fat-cat with a big ego could use his ill-gotten millions to build a rich man's folly on my skyline. I hated that he made sure it was higher than Mt Eden - our beautiful iconic volcanic cone. What arrogance! As it grew we all thought it looked like a hypodermic syringe - and loathed the imagery.

BUT..... I have to admit now - and I dislike doing so - I think I actually like it! The junkie needle and big business connotations have faded from my mind and it is a focal point - pun intended - for the CBD. It also helps me when I get lost - a navigational aid that can be seen for hundreds of miles - okay tens!

The only thing I hold against it now is that it sits atop the casino - a misery-making place if ever there was! But don't get me started on that one!

Auckland is the largest city in NZ - a million plus souls - so not large by world standards. However it is one of the largest geographically - about the same size as Los Angeles. It is a great starting point for tourists and has heaps of great things to do. You could bungy off the above Sky Tower for instance. More sedate activities - like eating and drinking - are also on offer.