Sulphur Adventures and the End!

Once we left Tongariro National park our journey continued to the East. We drove through Gumboot Capital of NZ with a giant Gumboot and also through Carrot Capital with a giant Carrot:-). But our goal was Napier and nearby hot springs.

Before we reached Napier we headed to the close mountains to camp in one of the DOC free campsites. But we have chosen this one because of nearby Mangatutu Hot Springs. We arrived relatively late but Lukas and his love for bath won and we had to try the springs before we went to sleep:-). As we walked down we realised that we are joining a small party there. In the small plastic pools there was a group if travellers and local kiwi guy with bottles of home made spirits so we happily jumped into hot water and joined the party. Before we left for Napier in the morning we went to soak ourselves in the pools again and enjoy the views. 

 

Napier is an Art Deco town build up almost completely from scratch after a devastating earthquake of magnitude 7.9 in 1931. It was nice to see how the town was able to reinvent itself and it is certainly an inspiration to a todays Christchurch rebuild. I would call Napier a city of palms because most of the main roads are fringed with palm trees so it sometimes feels like you are driving through Beverly Hills.

On the way to the sulphur country we have chosen a road across Te Urewera National Park, the largest NP on North Island. It is a deep forest area with only one main gravel road crossing. These forests were the best hiding place for the last Maori bastion that stood independent until 1916. The actual name of the national park can be translated as "The Burnt Penis", don't ask me why though:-).

There is one of the great walks in the park but as we did not have much time we have decided for a half day interactive trip to Lake Waikareiti which stands 892m above the sea level. At the park's only DOC we have rented a key to one of the row boats used on the lake. The lake had a clear water and in the middle of it there was a small island with a lake on it, the lake on the lake. That was our destination. Even though we were experiencing occasional heavy showers we had a great fun. None of us could row very well so our trajectory had to look like a big zig zag:-). The island was very small and you have access only to the lake, so only about 15m inside the island as everywhere else is a natural reserve. So with the birds signing we headed back to the shore. We think that we saw a blue duck, but they were so quick to disappear that we can't be sure.

We have spend the night at the free DOC Rosie Bay camp but to our surprise we woke up with our van covered in frost. So we had another breakfast make a eaten in winter gloves :-). Once the sun was out the temperature had risen fast and the rest of the day we could spend in light clothes again going through nearby caves and exploring waterfalls, Maori settlements and nature around forgotten gravel road.

The day after we headed to Rotorua. You can smell the town from far away. I felt sorry for locals as in some places the rotten egg smell is almost unbearable. During the day we explored the area, but the main event of the day was our stay at Sudima Hotel that we booked with Lukas, vouchers from GE. It was our treat with a hotel pool, delicious breakfast and a necessary shower and of course bath for Lukas. In the evening we went to the night market where we tried local produce which included a delicious pasta and giant hotdog.

To experience the real Rotorua we also had to visit a thermal area and one of the cultural experiences. So as our thermal area we have chosen Orakei Korako. It is further from the town, about half way to Taupo, but less touristy. Through its silica terraces, 20 million of water flows every day. You have to board a small boat that take you across a small lake to the beginning of the walk.As you wander around you can see an incredible thermal creations with geysers and mud lakes. The large geysers explode every two to three hours so we had to wait a while to see some "larger" action.

In the afternoon we headed back to Rotorua to experience the old Maori culture at Tamaki Village. We were lucky and manage to purchase tickets through GrabOne, NZ version of Groupon. I have to say that this was one of the best tourist attraction that I have ever visited. It started right from the moment you registered at the visitor centre and every minute after that was perfectly thought through to give the best possible experience. The journey stars by transport to the traditional village, but you should imagine that the bus is a waka (boat) and that you are coming to visit a tribe. Once the invitation ceremony ends you are invited to participate in various presentations of Maori games & crafts. The presentations are followed by cultural performance and traditional hangi (dinner). Then you are taken back to your hotel (car for us:-)) while signing your traditional songs.

The following days we have spend around Taupo area, exploring water curiosities such as Huka Falls or Aratiatia Rapids. We have also visited a few more smaller thermal areas and dipped into a hidden Kerosene Creek that is heated by hot springs.

On our way to Coromandel we stopped at Victoria Battery, which is historical gold processing plant with ruins of equipment and old railway. Coromandel area has been shaped by one of many NZ gold rushes. Very nice and interesting example is at Broken Hill where you can walk through 500m long Collins Drive tunnel. We were so lucky to see Weta there, for the first time. I know that it looks like disgusting insect, but it belongs to the natural heritage of New Zealand and we were very excited to see one.

The north of Coromandel was amazing. The green hills are unique and roads are lined with “prehistoric” Pohutukawa trees.

From Coromandel there was only one way for us to go and that was Auckland. We started to look for work and in less then two weeks both of us had some sort of work and after one week in the car we have also found our beautiful house.

 

While in Auckland we managed to escape for a couple of trips. The first one took us to Bay of Island. The area holds a great importance to New Zealand as one of the first missionaries was created here but most importantly The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in here in 1840. The Treaty was signed by Maori chiefs to confirm their sovereignty was ceded to her majesty Queen. It is considered as a founding document of New Zealand as we know it today and it is also a great bargaining tool for Maoris.

Between Auckland and Bay of Islands you can also find Puhoi, the only Czech village in New Zealand founded in 1863. It is a tiny village that is proud to have bohemian heritage. Few of the inhabitants still hold Czech surnames such as Straka or Schischka, but soon we realised that when the old settlers came in 19^th century they spoke German, not Czech. But the old church, small library and old pub with many things that Czech visitors left behind create a nice atmosphere and make you proud to be Czech.

The second trip took us to Waitakere Ranges. A mountain area just 50 minutes away from Auckland CBD. You can find the famous Hilary Trail in here but also many smaller tracks and great beaches. We have mainly visited Piha Beach (Skegness for Aucklanders, however you cannot find any amusements parks in here, only pristine nature) and nearby Karekare village with its beautiful cliffs and waterfalls.

And that was it. Because of the inconvenient shift patterns we did not have much time to explore the area further. But New Zealand will stay in our memories for many days to come as one of the most beautiful country that we have ever visited with its great culture and people. We will miss you New Zealand!