North Island
Great view from our first farm camp site
Geothermal Explorations
Some fantastic geothermal sights on our hikes today. Waimangu Volcanic Valley close to Rotorua.
Sauna and dip in The Blue Lake
Lake Tikitapu
Lake Taupō - Cracking Overnight Spot!
Ngãtoroirangi Carving At Mine Bay
Cancelled hike = Alpaca walking
Due to horrific weather in Tongariro National Park (severe gales and freezing temps) we had to can our 20k alpine crossing which meant Mrs B got her choice of an Alpaca experience!!!!
Three Sisters and Elephant Rock
A fun black sinking sand walk at low tide to view the Three Sisters and Elephant Rock. The slippy muddy walk was so worth it for the fabulous views.
Mount Taranaki - Dawson Falls
Sadly bad weather scuppered our planned hike around the lower levels of Mt Taranaki, near zero visibility and very cold temps once again. Not enjoyable so we stayed at lower levels around 2,800 ft and did a shorter hike to Dawson Falls which was quite impressive.
A gorgeous evening at Lake Wairarapa
Wellington for Christmas
24 hours in windy Wellington to catch up with Guernsey family who have all moved out to New Zealand over the past 18 years. A festive swim, lots of food and a good old catch up.
Kerosene Creek a hot spring stream
A Boxing Day soak in a glorious natural thermal creek with warm water and a small waterfall, perfect for a unique soak in the forest!
Tutea Falls - we thought about it…..
Pretty epic white water rafting at Tutea Falls. We thought about doing it briefly but decided just to spectate. Nutters!
Owharoa Falls a quick lunch stop
A quick but beautiful lunch stop. Amazing what you find a 2 minute walk from the roadside.
Another coastal sauna
Arriving in the Coromandel peninsula we managed to blag a last minute camping spot and found out there was a pop up sauna by the sea. A booking was made and a wonderful hour spent contemplating whether to head off the following morning as the forecast was looking pretty horrific and the windy switchbacks in the camper were bad enough in dry conditions.
A wet and windy Auckland
A day spent wandering around Auckland. Little bit wet today!
Views, Views, Views
Glorious sunshine for our morning hike up Flagstaff Hill for beautiful views around the Bay of Islands.
Our Morning Dip Spot - Omiha Bay
Having caught the ferry to Waiheke Island for 3 nights our first mission was to find a nice quiet beach for our morning swim. Omiha Bay was a great little find.
Yet Another Sauna!
Saunas by the beach have become a theme of our trip. The warmth followed by the cold immersion in the sea is quite magical and therapeutic for the soul. This was another mobile wood burning sauna which moves around 5 different bays on Waiheke Island.
Surely G & Time!
Waiheke is well known for its stunning vineyards and wineries. We discovered a fabulous gin distillery perched on the east coast of the island and their locally distilled Spirit of Waiheke gin accompanied by succulent lightly fried salt and pepper calamari was a decadent late afternoon treat!
Back to Auckland - Time To Head South
We headed back to Auckland to start our journey down to Queenstown via Christchurch. Excited for what the South Island is going to be like!