When Bethan, Pete and Cassandra Came to Stay - February/March 2007

I have left this a while (my bad) so some things are a little hazy so it is basically a brief mish mash of things I can remember going on...

My sister and her entourage came to see me in New Zealand. Pete and my niece Cassandra made up the party. It was fab to see them, it had been 20 odd months since I had seen them, and I had never even met my niece Cassandra so i was pretty excited. I am sure Cassandra was thrilled to see me too!

Anyway, the Dodge brigade was here for about 4 weeks and the plan was to cruise round the North Island taking in the sights, sounds and smells. Sadly things didn't start to well and the welcome to New Zealand was kind of ruined by Maui (the camper van people) totally cocking up the booking (they were informed they had run out of stock even though it was booked some 6 months previous, and that they should go and buy a tent at the Warehouse for $75!!!) and leaving B,P & C somewhat in the lurch. So after a frantic few hours finding a suitable tent for them to spend their holiday in (they were renting a tent not a camper) they spent a night in Hotel Horoeka. It was certainly a wake up call (literally) into the sleeping habits of a 1 year old!!!

The next day B, P, and C headed up north. I was to catch up with them on the weekends and show them the sites.

I met up with them in Whangerei, we then headed north some more to the Bay of Islands, stopping on route to see the toilets at Kawakawa. Random I know, but they really are fantastic. Decked out with wonderful colours and with windows made from coloured glass bottles. Its perhaps the only place you can get away with taking pictures in a public toilet!!!

The toilets at Kawakawa

So we made it to Paihia, camping on a the beach front. Fantastic. I love the Bay of Islands. Time was spent doing the touristy type stuff. And Cassandra had her first outing to the beach. Not a bad place to have it really.

We headed over to Russell - a fantastic little town tucked within the Bay of Islands. I could so see myself living there. Chilled out and sunny, oh and they had a really good pub. always important. A trip was also made to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the historical site where NZ became part of the Commonwealth way back when in 18wheneveritwas...

I left them to head over to the west coast of the north to go big tree spotting. I would soon see them again after a short week at work.

Joy rider in the making...

The next stop of meeting up with them was Rotorua. I love this place - the 'Vegas as it is affectionately known amongst travellers, tourists and kiwi folk alike. The 'Vegas is a geothermal wonderland full of geysers, and volcanics and steam and smells and all sorts of wonderful geologicky amazingness. We swam in a hot pool (secret spot), saw mud pools, geysers (not a gold chain or cignet ring in sight), all kinds of Maori singing and dancing (Pete chickened out of the Haka) and even a real live Kiwi. Amazing. I want one as a pet, although I am not fully convinced it was real, it may well have been a robot. Anyways, it was ace, grubbing around for bugs in a darkened enclosure. Yeah so it wasn't strictly in the wild, but they are so hard to come by I think a captured one counts.

In good uncley fashion i took it upon myself to learn Cassandra a traditional Maori move - she is now an expert at sticking her tongue out!!! I know it pleases Bethan a whole lot, but i do feel i have done my bit in educating her in the world.

Cassandra looking cool

I had to head back to Auckland once again, so I left them to carry on their journey. The next time we met was in the Coromandel.

Hot Water Beach was the port of call. A normal looking beach, white sand, ok surf, but with one difference. Hot water from gepthermal springs trickles through the beach into the sea. At low tide you dig a big hole in the sand, dam the walls and kick back and relax in the hot water that has filled your handy work. Well thats the theory.

We got there nice and early to stake our claim. One problem though. The shop that rents the spades required was shut. I didn;t really fancy our chances with Cassandra's plastic bucket and spade, but luckily a friendly local lent us his spade, and gave us a tip on where to dig. Pete and myself set to work as Bethan cunningly called the baby watch card!!!

Our hole was complete and it was filled with water, very hot water in fact. Bethan had brought along Cassandra's thermometer to check the water wasn't too hot for her. Well it was. A blistering 47 degrees centigrade it got too. It was flippin hot. And arrived in waves which provided endless amusement to the numerous onlookers as every so often we would leap up with yelps of scalding pain!!!! What a fantastic place.

We moved on and headed to Coromandel City to camp. The campsite had a giant inflatable cushion to bounce on. Cassandra loved it!!! As did I. Although i think i did myself some damage trying to perfect some acrobatics. Ah well.

The final trip for me was to the Driving Creek Railway. A narrow gauge railway up into the Coromandel hills originally built to bring clay down for pottery. However it kind of grew and now winds its way through the bush to provide stunning views of the Huraki Gulf and the Coromandel.

It was back to Auckland for me, but B, P & C would soon be joining me as sadly their adventure was coming to an end. It was really fab to meet Cassandra - i feel like a real uncle now, and good to catch up with B and P.

Abel Tasman - Sea Kayaking Expedition

It was Waitangi Day on the 6th of Feb so i decided to take the Monday off and have a super long weekend. After a quick discussion with my mate Becky it was decided that we would go sea kayaking round the Abel Tasman National Park. I used to sit next to Becky in the Cardiff office of MWH and now she works in Nelson. Ideal. And seeing as she had been badgering me to come for a visit for some time i thought i had better oblige.

So i arrived in Nelson on the Friday and we got on the beers straight away. Much beer, food, some stupid cocktails and comedy dancing later i hot the sack in preparation for the preparation of the sea kayaking expedition extraordinaire. Saturday was spent recovering and shopping and having a mooch round Nelson. Its a small place with picturesque colonial architecture. And its fairly quiet too. Not sure its totally my cup of tea. I did managed to visit the geographical centre of New Zealand though, which isn't actually the geographical centre of New Zealand at all. So there we go, pretty pointless really.

The 'centre' of New Zealand - or not.

Anyway, on with the sea kayaking. Abel Tasman is the smallest national park in New Zealand is located on the northern tip of the South Island. It is named after Abel Tasman who was the first European explorer to sight New Zealand in 1642.

We had a kayak rented for 3 days with a return water taxi booked for the afternoon of the 6th. We were not to miss this else it would be a loooooooong paddle back. We set off from Kaiteriteri having packed our double kayak with tent and rations. I was the 'driver' at the back and had control of the direction with a foot pedal operated rudder. Becky was at the front. The first few km's we paddled we were in a group accompanied by a guide to make sure we could handle the bus like kayaks. We headed north past split apple rock - a large round rock that has been split in two somehow or other. I am sure the Maoris have a good story for how it ended up like that.

Split Apple Rock

So we headed north. Our guide left us and we were on our own. Well, sort of. The Abel Tasman was busy this weekend due to the stunning weather. Ho hum. We paddled along, headed out to a couple of small islands to explore. The beaches are fabulous and the water so clear and aquamarine. Wildlife was a plenty with fish and Shags and Oyster Catchers and Cicadas (really noisy grasshopper type bugs) being the most abundant. We were hoping to see some dolphins but sadly that didn't happen.

That night we were camping at Te Pukatea Bay, a beautiful campsite in a sheltered cove. We were camping right behind the beach. Stunning views to go to bed too and wake up too. Following our landing at the camp we took a short walk through the bush to a view point. Wow, what a view. Back across the bay we were camping in and away to the north over the rest of the park where we would be heading on the next day of the trip. You could even see Rays swimming in the shallows of the cove in the evening sunlight. Amazing.

Te Puketea Bay

The next day we paddled north and stopped in at a tidal lagoon (only accessible at high tide). We paddled up Torrent River (no torrents in site mind) and took another short walk into the bush to Cleopatra Pool. This is a fresh water, natural water park. The rocks have formed and eroded in such a way as to form a series of pools and water shoots that you can swim and frolic in. Trouble was however the water was bloody freezing!!!!! Great fun though. Sadly the crowds arrived and it got a little to crowded for us so we walked back tot he kayak and carried on paddling north. The beauty of the kayak was not only the stunning views, but also the freedom. We could explore beaches and coastline not accessible by foot!!!

Our second camp was in a place called Mosquito Bay. It is only accessible by boat. And at high tide (unless you like a long walk/drag with you very heavy craft). Luckily we timed the tide just right. An hour later the hike up the beach would have been a mammoth expedition in its own right. The views from the beach were amazing. And the pink cloudless sky at sunset was superb. Thankfully the site did not live up to its name and the mossies were few and far between. Sand flies on the other hand are a different matter!!!

Mosquito Bay

The following morning the tide was still out a fair way so it was a bit of effort to drag the kayak to the water. Thankfully a couple of other kayakers were in the same situation so team work was the order of the day. Today was our final day in the kayak. I was kind of glad as i was actually starting to get over the fact that you could see all this wonderful coastline and golden beaches. But the day was made a bit more interesting by a rather significant swell that was coming in. The paddle out was extremely choppy and surf filled, and we had to steer clear of the shore and the numerous reefs in the area in order to stay up right. Fun!!!

Tonga island was the port of call. This is a seal colony. And there were plenty of seals to see. Although it may have been a little early for them as they didn't seem to be their playful selves. They just kind of floated there. Or maybe they were getting bored of sea kayaking too. We couldn't stop for long though as Becky was starting to feel sea sick in the rocking and rolling of the kayak in the swell. I mean come on - how can you get sea sick in a kayak!!!

We headed for shore, a tiny beach lashed by surf for a bit of a breather. After a while sitting in the sun contemplating the next foray into the surf it was decided we would head to Shag Harbour, then back for the pick up and a couple of hours on the beach.

Shag Harbour, only accessible at high tide, provided a tranquil lagoon like refuge from the swell outside. Bounded by sheer rock walls it forked and split into many channels and rock islands. Excellent for paddling round and exploring. We only saw one Shag in Shag Harbour mind, so i can only presume he owned the whole lot.

The owner of Shag Harbour

It was a short paddle back (an hour or so) to the pick up point for the aquataxi to return us back to the Kaiteriteri. The trip back in the taxi took about 30 minutes. It took us nearly 3 days to get to the pick up!!! But it was a fabulous experience. The weather was hot, the sea was clear and the beaches were amazing. I once said sea kayaking is for gays. Well its not. It was fun. But it did lack a certain bit of adrenaline you get in the white water side of the sport. I would do it again for sure. But i am not rushing out to invest in a sea kayak. In all honesty i almost got bored of the endless paddling. But it is a means to access some of the most stunning scenery i have seen.

Tom and Rachael - The Wedding, Raglan 28th January 2007

It was the Auckland Anniversary weekend so we headed off to Raglan for Tom and Rach's wedding. After a large stag do on the friday night people were feeling a little worse for wear early doors so departure was set for mid afternoon.

We pitched the tents and headed for the pub in the heart of Raglan. This seemed to be the theme for the weekend. Raglan is a small coastal village on the west coast about 2 hour drive south from Auckland. It comprises mainly of baches and coffee shops and of course the pub. Oh and it happens to be a couple of km's away from what is regarded as one of the best left breaks IN THE WORLD! Basically it has awesome surf. Anyway, we were there for a wedding not a surfing holiday.

The wedding was on the Sunday. After a quick dip in the sea in the morning to clear our heads we got dressed to the nines and headed for the church. It was a relatively quick service, the highlight being Toms eagerness to plant the first wedded kiss. Rachael was in fact prepared to wait until the appropriate moment. With that out of the way it was off for champagne at the beach. After all thats all weddings are about isn't it - the booze. Sorry perhaps i should clarify - thats what other peoples weddings are about. Right?




Then it was off the the reception. This was held at Rachaels folks' house. A 3000 acre farm just outside of Raglan. It was a stunning place. The marquee was set up and the bar was opened up to the 200 odd guests. The food was excellent, and the speeches went without too much embarrassment. Then the party really began, and continued late into the night. Thunder and lightning and a down pour couldn't dampen the spirits.

The next day the primary focus was on rehydration. And after a grey start the weather soon picked up - not a cloud in the sky. And the surf was pumping. We hit the beach. West coast waves are like nothing you have ever experienced. The best way to describe them i guess is that they are thick. There is a lot of water in them. And when they decide to nail you, err, you get nailed. Its all good fun though.


A fab weekend. Just need to buy shares in aftersun now. After a weekend in the NZ sun i seem to be radiating somewhat!!!

Auckland Harbour Bridge...

On Saturday 6th Jan the New Zealand A1GP team were doing a publicity stunt on Auckland Harbour Bridge to promote the NZ round of the A1GP series. Half the bridge had been closed for roadworks, these were now complete, but before it was opened up to the public again the GP car was to have a few blasts over it - just for fun.

All well and good, but it gets better. Being an aquaintance of the project manager of the road works on the bridge has its advantages!!!! Darren and i got up nice and early and toddled off the the harbour area. High vis vest on we were given free reign of the bridge. It was awesome. We climbed the arch and walked the length of the deck. The views were fab - especially from the top. Then we got ourselves in position for the running of the car.

The arrival was some what of an anti climax. I was expecting a huge black truck and trailer with the car being rolled out in a cloud of smoke and lights. Sadly the best the A1GP NZ team could come up with was a hired flat bed trailer from a local garage towed behind a 4x4. Ah well. I guess the budget is some what less than F1.

After a little waiting around the car was fired up. Wow - it was super loud. When i mean super load i mean ear shatteringly super load. Very impressive. Up on top of the arch we had a spectacular view as the car blasted its way along the bridge. It only got to about 160km/hr apparently, but the police radar was having difficulty picking it up as it was so low to the ground. The driver also admitted he wasn't going flat out due to the lack of grip on the bridge and in the cold tyres. Still looked flippin fast though.

Not your normal bridge traffic.

Then came the burnout......

Busted!!!

It was a fab morning. Not something you get to do everyday. Especially walking over the bridge. People pay to walk over it. They get full rope access gear and harnesses and have to clip on to a safety wire. Hahahaha, we were running round on it with nothing more than a high-vis vest. Perfectly safe!!!!

Christmas and New Year

Not much to say really. Christmas was spent at home in Akld. Had a gang of fellow 'orphans' over to celebrate. BBQ bacon and eggs for breakfast accompanied by champagne in the sun. Then a little more champagne, then a BBQ christmas dinner - sausages, steak, chicken, salad, veggies and oodles of booze. Splendid. Then it was silly games in the evening until bed. Great day.

New year was very wet. Headed down to Taupo for a spot of camping. And it rained. But was still a good time. Except i was ill. Ho hum. Then back to Auckland on New Years day to dry out. The weather picked up so we headed north to Leigh for a couple of days. Its only an our north of Auckland but it is stunning. Goat Island is a marine reserve and you can snorkel with fish galore of all colours and shapes and sizes. We played on the beach, in the surf and in the sun. The weather was amazingly hot.