North Island cont.

Bay of Islands
Heading south-east from 'up north' to the Bay of Islands - a string of undeveloped islands in turquoise waters. It's one of NZ's top tourist attractions and easy to see why. This is where Aucklanders head on weekends - and being sunny and warm, and Labor weekend to boot, it's busy around here. A beautiful spot, though, for sure - and much history attached. The Bay was the site of the first European settlement and also where the Declaration of Independence of New Zealand was signed in 1835. It really is a gorgeous day and we spend the afternoon here - not long enough - before pushing on further south to our campsite for the night.

Horse-riding on Pakiri Beach
Early start to Sunday morning as Chris has booked in to for a two-hour horse ride on Pakiri Beach - a stunning white sand bay which stretches north and south as far as the eye can see. The stables house around 100 horses - and Chris get to partner one of them named 'Beckham'. Off Becks and Chris go, while I take a stroll on Pakiri - get my shorts well wet while wading across a stream to get to the beach (yup a lot deeper than I had accounted for) and get chased by two angry and very aggressive terns who had decided that I had come too close to their nesting area. They looked mad and mean, so I beat a hasty retreat to the solitude of the beach.
Chris reports that she had a great time with Becks, cantering through dunes and woods and along the edge of the ocean. Heaven, but it takes its toll on the knees, which Chris reports are 'killing me.' Must be old age, luv!

Goat Island
No goats on this island, despite its unusual name - but sea around it is like an aquarium. You only need to step into the water knee-deep to see all sorts of marine life - giant blue-dotted snappers and blue maomao. Visibility for snorkelling is superb and there are many people scuba diving here. Cooler water than Fiji for sure, but warmer than back home so John takes the plunge. Yes, some great fish out there and coming out of the water he nearly steps on a stingray, which is not a good idea. Fortunately, the beautiful and big ray has spotted the clumsy-hoofed Welshman heading his way and makes a dignified exit to deeper waters. John's glad, though admits that this close encounter of the sea kind was a thrilling one. We round off day with a great meal at a local restaurant/microbrewery called The Sawmill Cafe. Chris tries the snapper (delicious). No stingray on the menu, nor goat either! John goes for rabbit (delicious too).

Raglan (not South-East Wales, but West Coast, NZ)
We have been on the road two months to the day. Can't quite believe it. Time seems to be flying by. It's back down through Auckland and west across to Raglan - a small surfing town and one of the top places in NZ to catch quality waves. The classic 60s surf film The Endless Summer was shot at nearby Manu Bay. The day we visit the surf is not big, but we can see why surf dudes head here in search of trying to catch the perfect wave, which was what Bruce Brown's film was all about. We like Raglan, it's a very easy-going, laid-back kind of a place where one sunny day just drifts into another. Love to see it when the surf at Manu is really up.

Lake Taupo
The lake, born out a volcanic eruption, is NZ's largest - and we pull in to a nearby campsite to check it and surrounding area out. Take a long and quite challenging walk to Huka Falls on NZ's longest river The Waikato. It's a 3-hr round trip, but well worth it as was soaking our feet in a natural hot spring on the way back. Lake Taupo itself is stunning too - a much bigger version of Crater Lake in Oregon. Next day we head for the Tongariro National Park and on the way stop off to see some very brave folk bungy jump off a cliff edge over the Waikato. It's a 47m hurtle into oblivion and a dunk in the river below for your troubles. Us non-brave people stand in awe on a platform jutting out over the river watching, which suits us just fine.

Tongariro National Park
This is active volcano country dominated by three near 3,000-metre peaks - Mt Ruapehu, Mt Tongariro and Mt Ngauruhoe. The latter was chosen as Mt Doom and the area around it as Mordor in The Lord Of The Rings movie trilogy. This is serious hiking country. Not being serious hikers we take the easy option and drive as near to the volcanoes as we can - and yes, some of them are smoking. It's a cloudy day when we visit and the peaks are not truly visible, but we see enough. 'Mt Doom' is the most breath-taking of the three - it's one conical vent soaring skywards into the clouds, while Mt Ruapehu was still capped in heavy snow. Called in to tiny ski resort village of Whakapapa to get great views of volcanoes before staying for night in quiet village of Ohakune, apprently the country's carrot capital. The world's largest carrot was grown here and is preserved at the entrance to the town. John just has to have picture of himself with carrot. Wot next!

Wellington-bound
South Island next, so a long drive on to Wellington, NZ's capital where we will pick up ferry for three-hour crossing across Cook Strait. On the way down stop at Tangiwai Memorial which marks the scene of one of NZ's worst disasters. On Christmas Eve 1953 the level of the crater lake on Mt Ruapehu rose, a dam burst and a 20ft wave of water and mud swept down the mountain and reduced the railway bridge to a tangled and twisted rubble of iron moments before a crowded express train was due to arrive. Despite the heroic efforts of a local man, armed with just a torch, to try warn the engine driver of the impending disaster, the train hurtled into the chasm below killing more than 150 people. The spot is an eerie and poignant place to visit, the river running so quietly. Hard to believe such a terrible disaster could have occured there.
On a happier note we also take time out at a little town called Taihape. Now if Ohakune is the carrot capital of NZ, then Taihape is recognised as The Gumboot Capital of the World and has a large gumboot at its entrance to mark the distinction. Chris just has to have a picture of herself with gumboot. Wot next!
Last stop before Welly (Wellington) is Gravity Canyon where adrenaline freaks can bungy jump or do tandem swings over incredible gorge. Scary stuff again, even for us mere onlookers. Countryside around here is amazing - weird pointy hills everywhere. Expecting hobbits to pop out of them at any time. Like Tongariro, real Lord of The Rings and Hobbit country - a perfect place for Hobbiton, we think.