Milford Sound, Fiordland

Milford Sound (at the south-west bottom of the South Island),  is one of the jewels in the crown of New Zealand tourism.  It has been one of the most popular and visited sites for over a century - but somehow manages to keep a feeling of aloneness and a sense of raw untouched nature.  It's like an undiscovered world that humans have not yet set foot on.

However it is very tourist-friendly with a beautiful hotel and accomodations, boat cruises, cafes etc.  But they've kept them all in one place and they don't intrude an the incredible beauty of this magical place.

If you do the Milford Track Walk you will end up nearby and can relax on a cruise up the sound accompanied by dolphin surfing your bow wave.  The sound is home to beautiful virgin native forest (bush), and magnificent waterfalls falling from the towering mountains on either side of you.

There are many fiords in this most  south-western area of the South Island - all worth a visit - however Milford Sound is the most accessible.

Auckland - a city built on volcanoes

Auckland is a city built on - and of - many volcanoes.  Most are extinct but some are only dormant.  The CBD and suburbs are all built on top of extinct volcanoes and many islands of the gulf are also extinct volcanoes - see Browns Island at left.

 
The mightiest volcano of all is Rangitoto - which is only dormant as it last erupted a mere 550 years ago.  It is an icon of Auckland and is unusual in that it looks the same no matter what direction you view it from - it is an almost perfect cone shape.  The name Rangitoto means "Bloody Sky" in Maori. It is perhaps Auckland's most favourite landmark.

Looking at a map of just a small part of Auckland shows how ubiquitous the volcanoes are. They stretch far beyond he area shown on the map.

When I wrote that Auckland was built on and of its volcanoes I meant that many volcanic cones were excavated (and often obliterated), for the red and black scoria which were the base metal of our roads - and buildings.


Flying over Auckland as you arrive home it is the volcanoes that are the most predominant of the landscape features below you. As you look down on the houses nestled around those volcanic cones and out over the blue waters of Auckland's two harbours - both dotted with volcanoes - you know you are home.

Wai-o-tapu

Wai-o-tapu is a thermal wonderland just 20 mins south of Rotorua.  Step back in time a million years and see the raw untamed volcanic landscape.  Walk amongst deep hell-holes belching steam and a sulphurous stench.  Tiptoe carefully across a path between two boiling brilliant blue lakes fringed with bright orange.  Gaze into a cavernous hole with unbelievable fluorescent yellow steaming water at its base.  Marvel at the vivid primal colours of nature.




You can lose hours walking around the very large site, astounded at the primitive nature of the volcanic landscape and then move up into the surrounding hills where suddenly you are in a beautiful forest (bush in Kiwi terms), and you stroll along serene forest paths, catching unexpected vistas of amazing hanging lakes and the steaming volcanic area below that you have just come from - it is all so spectacular you feel you have been in another world.

Wai-o-tapu means Sacred Waters and there is something truly awe-inspiring about this place. Not for the faint-hearted but totally unique and unforgettable.

The Auckland Harbour Bridge - the Coathanger

The Auckland Harbour Bridge - or the Coathanger as it was once affectionately called joins the city to the North Shore.  It was completed in 1959.

Prior to that if you wanted to take a car to the North Shore you had to either drive right around the top of the harbour - a tedious trip.  Or you caught a vehicular ferry which was a wonderfully exciting experience - and expensive.  You lined up your car at the wharf and drove down a creaking wobbly metal plank and then once on the ferry you had to park your car very close to the edge and jammed up alongside all the other vehicles.  If it was a rough day - well that just made it even more of an adventure.

The construction of the bridge was watched with enormous interest as bits were barged in and attached. On the Grand Opening Day people were allowed to walk across it - never to be allowed again.

To pay for it you had to pay a toll of 2 shillings (later 2/6d) at a line of toll booths across the northern side of the bridge. That's 20 cents - which was worth a lot more then than today!



Show-offs got quite good at tossing the money to the toll booth operator as they sped through. Most people slowed down and placed the money into the operator's hand though it was still a challenge to try to do that without coming to a complete stop. The worst thing was when a person in front of you didn't have their coins ready (or the right change) and a queue formed and waited with tooting horns blaring.



These days the bridge has the added attraction as a site for bungy-jumping. Tourists and locals throw themselves off the bridge into (well nearly), the sparkling waters of the Waitemata Harbour.

Lake Tekapo of the Milky Blue Water

The stunning Lake Tekapo is pretty much bang smack in the centre of the South Island.  It is famous for the colour of its water - the pics are a real indication of this.  It is a remarkably beautiful place.  The other wonderful feature of the lake is the beautiful stone church - the Church of the Good Shepherd - on its shoreline.  Quite an appropriate name in this sheep farming area.  There is a bronze statue of a sheep dog nearby.

In case you're wondering, the amazing turquoise blue colour of Lake Tekapo is caused by very fine particles of rock, from glaciers which feed into the lake, suspended in the water. It really is an incredible almost milky blue/green.

The night sky is so clear in Tekapo they have built an observatory to view the heavens.

Ninety Mile Beach - which is actually 55 miles long

 The iconic Ninety Mile Beach at the very top of the North Island is a spectacular piece of coastline.  It is officially a public highway and cars and tourist buses speed along its length every day.  Not to mention motorbikes, horses and bicycles.

The trick is to drive on just the right part of the beach - drive by the sea and the sand is too wet and boggy; too close to the land and the sand is dry and soft and your wheels won't get any traction - and either way you're very stuck. So the middle strip - where it's not too wet and not too dry - is the way to go. Of course the inevitable happens with some regularity - vehicles get too close to the waves and the soft sand sucks them under and the waves pull them out and you're stuffed (in the Kiwi idiom).

The most alarming example of this is when a bus load of tourists becomes amphibious - doesn't happen often - the drivers are experienced and no-one's drowned yet!

Although the beach is on the West coast it is unusual in that it doesn't have black sand - it's as though the golden sands of the East coast have snuck around Cape Reinga to colonise this top-most western part of NZ.

The truth about sheep ..... and the story of a stubbornly virginal ewe

New Zealand and sheep are synonymous - and the Aussies love to make sheep jokes at our expense.  However it is a little known fact that sheep are amongst the most intelligent of animals.
   A university - not in NZ - conducted an experiment putting various mammals through a maze - and the sheep learned the route through the maze faster than any other animal - not so dumb huh!

People think all sheep look the same - but when you work with them you see each face is different and they have unique personalities - as you will see from my story :-)
    

When I was young I spent my school holidays on a sheep farm which is where I learned to love sheep. During lambing season there were always lambs whose mothers had rejected them - and we would bring them into the house and put them by the old wood range to keep them warm and we'd feed them cows milk every couple of hours. When they were big enough they would go and live in the home paddock by the house, so we could keep an eye on them as we weaned them off the bottles of milk. They would then be added back to the flock when they were older.

However, one lamb called Sally didn't believe she was a sheep and always kept herself apart from the rest of the flock and would run helter-skelter to any human who was near, bleating in outrage that she was locked in with these awful  woolly beasts. Time passed and when it came time for tupping (putting a ram into the flock for mating), she would firmly reject the ram's advances and back her rump into the fence corner and keep herself inaccessible and pure. She stubbornly did this all her life. We of course renamed her Virginnia.

  

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.