We joined the Zoo

Living in a New City means that you get to be tourists every weekend.

We decided to visit Wellington’s little Zoo and immediately fell in love with the animals there. Especially the cheeky chimpanzees! We signed up for an annual pass and can often be found at the chip enclosure at feeding time.

Cape Palliser Lighthouse and Seal Colony

Living in England I don’t think I had ever seen a Seal in the wild. In New Zealand they are everywhere and I can’t get enough of watching them and taking pictures of them. Especially the baby ones! There is no access beyond Cape Palliser, the ride was pretty long and windy but it was worth it to see the lighthouse and the Seals and pups.

The Putangirua Pinnacles

So I have just learnt what a hoodoo is... A hoodoo (also called a tent rock, fairy chimney, and earth pyramid) is a tall, thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin.

We woke up to a very dull sky and so my pictures of the Putangirua Pinnacles are very disappointing. The walk from the campsite up to the Pinnacles was incredibly atmospheric and wonderfully deserted. This was also a filming location for the 'Paths of the Dead' scene in the Return of the King, which meant that Michael got to watch the trilogy again when we got home.  

Camping in Putangirua

Our first campsite is the Department of Conservation campsite at Putangira, it is a pretty ideal location, it is beside the Putangirua Stream with views of the Cook Strait and a beach just across the road. 

Christmas Camping trip on the Bike

It’s our first Christmas in New Zealand and we are not fully up to speed with the Kiwi way of life yet. Many New Zealanders seem to take their main annual holiday over the Christmas period. Christmas also coincides with the school summer holidays here and it is not unusual for families to take the whole of January off work.  We had not managed to get a holiday organised and so we went shopping in the Kathmandu sale and purchased a tiny tent and some very posh sleeping bags and then set off on the bike for a little adventure.  

Life

Moving to New Zealand

In April 2014, after 11 months of travel, I landed back in England with a bump. My plan was to get a job as quickly as possible to start replenishing my savings that had been depleted, on my 23 country, trip round the world. I had thought the hardest part of taking a year off to travel was making the decision to go, on reflection I realise that the hardest part is having the adventure end.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing

When I first visited New Zealand, walking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing was on my list of things to do, but with just 10 days on the North Island I couldn't fit everything in and so I didn't make it to National park. Ten months later and I have somehow persuaded Michael that a 8 hour 19.4km walk is a good way to celebrate his birthday. It was well worth it,  it is probably the best thing I have done in New Zealand. It was like walking into a different world. Simply stunning.

North Island Road Trip - Napier

Day Six

Mum had perviouly visited Napier with Dad when they were in New Zealand three years ago so she had a few hours to herself while Lynne and I took in a walking tour of Art Deco Napier. 

North Island Road Trip - Rotorua and Taupo

 Day Four & Five

 I recomended we visit Wai-o-tapu which is an active geothermal area, having visited previously back in February while on my round the world trip. This meant having to get to the Lady Knox Geyser at 10am for its daily eruption. 

Lady Knox Geyser at Wai-o-tapu

North Island Road Trip - The Forgotten World Highway

Day Three

We are blessed with a a beautiful clear spring day and we head out along the Forgotten World Highway with Mount Taranaki in our rear view mirror. The landscape is stunning and kind of reminds us of Teletubbie land and then there are so many stops for photographs and mum is wondering if we will ever get off this road.