Author: Ged (Days 1-4), Rach (Days 5-7)

Photos: Rach (unless specified)

Day 1 – Auckland

After a particularly uncomfortable Latam flight from Santiago we landed in Auckland at 5:30am on the 3rd of March (day 58 – the 2nd – never existed for us!) Kia Ora New Zealand! Our body clocks were all confused so we were wide awake and quickly passed through customs and the bio security checks (make sure your hiking boots are clean when you fly to New Zealand!!) We met Ged’s Dad’s friend Chris who we were to stay with for the next three nights, along with his wife, Carol.

After a good cup of tea and a catch up at their house we fell asleep in the best bed we’d slept in in nearly two months. A quick kip, shower and clean shirt later we headed to the Auckland ferry terminal to start the day’s frivolities. We met a few of Chris and Carol’s friends and boarded the ferry to Waiheke island for a day of good food and wine. The drinking started on the well stocked ferry, and after a short taxi when we landed, we arrived at Three Seven Two restaurant to enjoy some delicious food at about 2pm. It doesn’t get better than brilliantly cooked New Zealand lamb shoulder right next to the beach with a cold beer.

After the last morsel had been eaten we headed over to Mudbrick Winery to be treated by Chris and Carol to some superb wine and views. Their objective was to convince us Chardonnay was a good drink and they may well have succeeded at Mudbrick as the sun went down.

More drinks on the ferry home and we were more than a little tipsy by the time we climbed into the Uber ride back to Chris and Carol’s lovely home. Ged managed a night cap or two with Chris before bed (the first whisky he’d had in two months!) before zonking out until the next morning. What a corker of a first day in New Zealand.

Day 2 – Auckland

We woke a little later than planned the next day. What was to blame? Jet lag? Chardonnay? Comfy bed? Who know? We headed out from Chris and Carol’s about 10:30 and headed towards St. Helier’s beach. The notion was to walk for a while towards central Auckland and see what we found. We quickly discovered a bakery, and to Rach’s delight, a custard slice.

Coffee and a custard slice restored us body and mind as we took in the beautiful scenery from the beach. Invigorated, we decided to walk to the main museum in Auckland some 6 miles away following the coast. Half way, ish, we came upon a mini golf place with dinosaur statues. Too good to pass up, we went into fierce competition mode. All pleasantries abandoned. Rach took an early lead but bottled it on the 2nd to last hole giving Ged the victory. It may have been the pressure, it may have been the bloody T-Rex that we thought was a statue that moved and roared as you moved past it.

Strangely, Rach hardly mentioned the score at all as we carried on the beautiful walk to the museum, getting fresh strawberries for a couple of New Zealand dollars from the roadside as we went.

The War Memorial Museum is set in beautiful parkland with stunning views and is worth a visit and a walk in its own right. The museum building itself is a gorgeous and poignant memorial to those that gave their lives in service in war.

But it is so much more than that. We should have left all day to see it rather than the couple of hours we did. It contains an entire floor about Maori culture as well as rooms on natural history, the environment, volcanoes, and art. The museum even contains the ice pick used by Edmond Hillary to climb Mount Everest! The top floor is both museum and memorial about/for New Zealanders that have died in the major conflicts of such a young nation. Educational, deeply sad, and inspiring. In the hall of names of soldiers killed in service there is one blank wall that simply reads “Let these panels never be filled.”

Whatever glory in war history discusses, it is human loss that always happens and this plaque drives this point home subtly but firmly. This museum is a must for anyone visiting Auckland.

We caught the bus back to St. Helier’s along the coast famished and hoping we weren’t too late to meet Chris and Carol for food. Of course we were as the bus stop had moved and Google didn’t know. Carol had prepared a gorgeous mediterranean chicken casserole and we stuck in hungrily when we got back. The rest of the night was spent picking Chris and Carol’s brains and pouring over maps to plan our roadtrip. Before long Ged was barely able to speak he was so tired and we both slept deeply and dreamlessly until the next morning.

Day 3 – Auckland

Chris and Carol treated us to a hearty breakfast the next day, and we needed it. We were headed to Rangitoto volcano (Maori for ‘Bloody Sky‘), the youngest of Auckland’s 50 volcanic cones and craters! It formed from an eruption under the sea 600 years ago and is now a nature reserve for the plants and birds that have colonised the place. We got the 10:30am ferry (for about £18 return!!) and landed about 30 minutes later.

The island was like no place either of us had been to before. Between the trees the ground looked like bare soil that had been churned up by some giant plough. This was no soil though. This was the broken up crust from the cooled lava flows of the last eruption. The sun blazed down as we hiked towards the summit.

The crater, long since dormant, is humongous and now filled with vegetation. It’s hard to think that this entire island erupted so recently. From the summit of the crater you can see beautiful views of Auckland and the beaches we walked along the day before. Stunning.

We only had a couple of more hours before we had to catch the ferry back so we darted down to the lava caves. Lava caves are formed when lava cools to a crust on top of a flow and the hot lava underneath runs away. The caves on the island are grouped together and the biggest is still a bit tight to get in. Ged crawled inside and saw it open into a huge vaulted space. Perhaps 6 metres high. It was so cool (temperature and atmosphere!) and brilliant to get out of the burning sun. The entrance was a little too small for Rach’s liking but she’s always done better in the sun anyway.

We were sad to leave the island (3:30pm was the last ferry back!), but this did give us the opportunity to see downtown Auckland quickly and take an obligatory selfie with the Sky Tower.

The downtown area is all glass skyscrapers and busy people. Not to our liking really, so we had a quick half in the Shakespeare (an old boozer apparently) and went to find the bus back to our temporary home. We were eager to get back in the end. Chris and Carol had barbecued a leg of lamb and invited their daughters and a few friends. The lamb was perfect and we had a chilled out night having a few drinks and talking about Liverpool. Great last night with good people.

Day 4 – Campervanning commences!

We treated ourselves to a lie in the next day then phoned home, packed, made our final road trip plans, and had breakfast. Before long it was time to say goodbye to Chris and Carol and their lovely home. They’d made us feel so welcome it was hard to leave. Truly. Their hospitality was incredible and we got countless tips from them for the trip. We really do appreciate their kindness and perhaps one day we can repay them somehow.

Chris gave us a final lift to pick up our new home. Sleek, sexy, subtle, swift; none of these words can describe the Jucy campervan we picked up(!), but it was our new home.

However it is well equipped – 2 burner gas stove, plenty of bed space and a loo and shower!

To paraphrase Captain Jack; “It’s not what a ‘campervan’ is, it’s what it means: Freedom.” Our lime green cabin on wheels was all we needed to get out and see New Zealand. Not too big, not too small, but just right. We named her Goldilocks and promised each other to keep her clean and tidy as we set off. Our first drive was North West of Auckland to the Bay of Islands via a tree that we were told to go see.

This wasn’t just any tree. We arrived some hours later, near dusk, just in time to see the massive 51.5m high and awe inspiring Tāne Mahuta. This Kauri tree is the largest known to stand today in the world. Its age is unknown but is estimated to be between 1,250-2,500 years old. It was an awesome sight and we can see why it was named for the Māori god of forests and birds.

The smell of the forest was amazing, like heady pine, as we admired the tree looking truly magical in the failing light (unlike our faces…)

We see why New Zealand is trying to protect these trees (do not walk on the roots and always brush and disinfect your boots when going near them).

Our first planned campsite was near to Opua, Bay of Islands, and we got there well after dark, ready for sleep. However, we couldn’t find the place we’d read about, and we never did. Exhausted we pulled into a lay-by opposite some houses hoping we weren’t in anyone’s spot and a council worker wouldn’t knock on the window to fine us in the middle of the night. We pulled the blinds down, made the bed, and crawled under the cover with fingers crossed.

Day 5 – Bay of Islands

We woke up in our little commandeered car parking space near the harbour in Opua wondering which neighbour we might irritate first. There it came – the knock at the door of the van. Oh no! Upon answering we were relieved to learn it was just someone working on the ferry who was hoping to park in our space when we left! Phew!

The day started with a beautiful sunrise over the harbour…

…followed later by a rainbow as we winded our way down the hill towards our intended destination of Paihia, and found a free parking space down a backstreet near a little church. Time for beans on toast! Rach had been craving this for ages, so although we discovered that only the USB charging points, not the sockets, work when you’re not plugged into power (we improvised by holding the bread over the gas flame), she enjoyed it nonetheless!

After a little walk down the pretty beach we boarded our catamaran on the jetty for our afternoon out to the bay of islands, and specifically the hole in the rock. This Jurassic rock has had a ‘hole’ carved through it by the sea, because of a soft spot by the fault line running underneath it. Captain Cook called it Piercy Island as he imagined a cannonball had pierced the island.

The Maori deem it a special place because of the lady in the rock (see pic) that faces due north. They believe she blesses the sea – we can see why as there were hundreds of fish in the clear water around the island!

We sailed back through unbelievably clear azure water, passing on the way a lighthouse that was kept by 3 couples (the lighthouse family!), which was first lit in 1910. They were quite famous because they raised 15 children on the island between them!

We also passed a sheltered island, which was bought by a man who wanted to build a casino on there! The government rightly refused to let that happen and he ended up selling it back to them! Now it is protected and looked after by the department for conservation.

On the way back we were given the opportunity to get off at beautiful Otehei Island for 2hrs and take the 4.30pm ferry back. We jumped at the chance! We whiled away a blissful 90 mins or so lying on the beach and swimming in the clear blue, but surprisingly freezing, water. It’s well nice in paradise!

After a quick beer at the Swordfish we got on the road again to get closer to Auckland for the morning rush over the bridge. We found a spot to freedom camp by a forest on highway 1 (Tangiora Ave) for the night and turned our attention to cooking our first meal on the cooker. We think we did alright!

Day 6 – New Chums Beach

We left at 5.15am to complete our 5 1/2hr drive to Coromandel, hitting Auckland around 6.45/am. After a bit of queuing due to an accident we were through and on open road again. After passing Coromandel town we drove across the peninsula and were rewarded as we were coming to the end of our long drive with beautiful views of the bay at Manaia as Dreams by the Cranberries blasted out of the stereo.

Our plan was a sunbathing day on New Chums beach, but sadly the weather wasn’t meant to be. After a second breakfast (beans on toast again!) we walked along the rocky shore of Wainuiototo beach towards New Chums.

It was then that the grey skies began to empty and the poncho came out. We went anyway, and enjoyed a blustery walk down New Chums, supposedly one of the top 10 beaches in the world (we can see why on a sunny day it’d be a pretty perfect spot).

There was almost no one else on there and the sand was as gold and fine as one would expect in paradise! Peachy!

Ged decided to go for a swim (shorts on!) in the choppy water. Rach opted out; not warm enough or brave enough after her faux pas in the choppy sea in Rio!) and he ran in with Rach rolling the camera. It was a little more turbulent than he expected however and as he turned to wave at Rach, a huge wave created behind him. Before she could shout out, it crashed right over him, forcing him under and he spluttered up, a bit confused because… he couldn’t see. His glasses were gone! Here’s the moment the wave crested behind him. Rach is still laughing now…

After a bit of optimistic searching in the water he gave up looking for his glasses and trundled back to dry off. Being as short sighted as Rach, he couldn’t get back without glasses, so had to borrow Rach’s sunnies. As we said earlier, luckily no-one else was on the beach to witness this sight!

We settled into a freedom camping car park at Whitianga after our original target sites were full, but we didn’t mind as there was a public loo in the town and also a cheap(er) liquor shop to get a few beers in and a bottle of wine. Time for fajitas!

Day 7 – Cathedral Cove & Hot Water beach

We spent our fourth day in the campervan enjoying Cathedral Cove and Hot Water beach on the fringes coastline of Te Whanganui-A Hei, part of the Coromandel peninsula. Once again the weather didn’t behave itself so our sunbathing plans were a little scuppered but we didn’t let that ruin our enjoyment of these fab spots. Cathedral Cove was a 50 minute walk from the town and well worth the visit. The “Cathedral” in the cove was carved out by the sea. Waves repeatedly chipped away at a soft spot in the rock, forcing open the fissure and making it wider and wider.

Now this glorious vault is there to enjoy and take shelter in, but one day the ceiling will collapse leaving a solitary stack of rock. Examples of these stacks litter the cove and at some point even these will succumb to the waves.

As we pulled up to hot water beach the rain set in again. Determined to make the most of it we left the campervan, Ged just in his swim shorts ready to get wet, for the beach. Luckily the rain stopped and when we arrived we saw others already there starting to dig their holes in search of hot water. After failing a couple of attempts, Rach got some tips from the lifeguard and we moved about 30ft across and forward. Bingo! As Ged dug with our little bowl(!) we found steaming hot water. Crazy!

The fault line must have been right under us, as when we sat down in our little dugout the water kept going suddenly boiling, so hot you couldn’t sit in it! A few buckets of sea water and we’d cooled it enough to have an inch or so underneath us. Lovely on a slightly chilly grey day!

After an hour or so the rain came back and we headed back to the van, following a quick douse under the outside shower on the beach. Time to find another camping spot! A quick stop off at Whiritoa beach for a sunset pic, we continued on down to Tauranga. Still sandy from the beach we knew tonight would be a nice time to go to a proper camp site with proper facilities and have a hot shower. Also incidentally it would be Rach’s bday the next day, so nice for her to wake up not in a public car park or on the side of the road! The shower was bliss and we used the kitchen to cook a nice chicken pasta tea. We doubt anyone else has made a roux sauce in there!! Happy last day of your 31st year Rach!