If only we had a rubber duckie to test out the waterfall....hmmmm
Bad Idea Bear says" Anyone got some soap suds!"
6.10.11
Whangarei Falls
If only we had a rubber duckie to test out the waterfall....hmmmm
Bad Idea Bear says" Anyone got some soap suds!"
Caveman Botz!
"Anyone got some spare AA batteries?"Caving in The Organ Cave (one of the Abbey Caves at Whangarei)
Jaimee meets Tane Mahuta, 'The Lord of the Forest'
Tane Mahuta is the most massive kauri tree known to stand today and it is estimated to be between 1,250 to 2,500 years old.
(Waipoua Forest on the West coast of Northland)
Ninety Mile Beach
Our northernmost point of our trip.
We didn't go to Cape Reinga (the very top of NZ), we have left that for another time but we have been to the Northernmost big red shed in NZ (The Warehouse in Kaitaia) ha ha
Waitangi Treaty Grounds (Bay of Islands)
Did the Kiwi history thing and went to the Waitangi Treaty grounds.
For those unfamiliar why some of us get a sleep-in (public holiday) on 6th Feb each year in NZ, the flag post marks the spot where a treaty was signed between the British Crown and the Maori on 6th Feb 1840.
If it wasn't going to be the British, then the French were hard on their heals to claim our islands.
Eden Park - England v Scotland
There were heaps of Scottish supporting and chanting, I bet the Scottish team thought they playing at Murrayfield!
(Oh and the English must have found their white playing jerseys ...ha ha)
Eden Park ....Go on the Scots!
Eden Park for the England v Scotland RWC game.
We spent the afternoon at the Fanzone on the wharf watching other rugby games, and had a look around the Viaduct then made the 4.5km walk to Eden Park on the 'fan trail'.
I also had my first conversation with a RWC player. South African Bryan Habana. We were in a Canterbury of NZ shop when he bumped into me. I automatically said sorry, and in return he turned and replied "sorry" back to me. It wasn't until he set the alarm off as he walked out of the shop, that I realised it was him (.....he didnt seem to injured to me?)
3.10.11
A lovely day to be at the seaside......
Make your own jacuzzi in the sand!(Hotwater Beach near Whitianga)
We've found Narnia!
If you look closely you can see Peter, Edmund and Susan(The opening scene when the children return to Narnia in 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian'. Filmed at Cathedral Cove)
2.10.11
28.9.11
Exploring Karangahake Gorge
This place was once a very popular gold mining area during the 'Gold Rush' era of 1900s.
We had lots of fun exploring tunnels and mines (and the Roman ruins ha ha), but the gold nuggets were to heavy to carry out, so we had to leave them behind unfortunately....
(Karangahake Gorge is near Paeroa)
Random NZ Icon #89 - L&P
We'll you've just got to do it when your in Paeroa...."World Famous in NZ!"
Take the man to the 'Mount'
Had our first introduction to the Kiwi summer, at Mt Maunganui (north of Tauranga). The sun shone brightly, so off with the thermals and on with shorts and t-shirts or maybe thats just the norm here?We walked up to the summit of the Mount (which Jaimee is looking at)....or should I say the locals outdoor gym? People were constantly walking, and even running to the summit morning till night? They breed them though here?
Random NZ icon #265
No not 'James and the Giant Peach', but Jaimee in the Giant Kiwifruit'.
In Kiwifruit country (Te Puke)... and this is what happens when you pump Kiwifruit full of steroids!
Watch out for the Leprechaun wannabe...
We'll sometimes it just pays to go along with the crowd...
at the Ireland v Russia RWC game.
(note the silver fern still been proudly worn)
Is there a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
No, only just some Irishmen....and some Russians?Its the Ireland v Russia RWC pool game in Rotorua, where I think for the first time ever for a rugby game, we sat on the terraces, (yes sitting down!). Not wrong, just different,..... and perhaps the first time I have seen a whole rugby game unobstructed on the terraces??
Oh and the Irish took over Rotorua for the weekend. Just heaps of campervans and Irish flags about the place (At one stage I thought was back in Ireland again?).
Com'on the ABs!
Pre-match nerves in anticipation of the All Blacks v France RWC pool game?........Nah....We watched the game in the Rotorua fan zone, on a temporary grand stand in front of a big screen tv.
I am pleased to report we didn't need to resort to sleeping out side the train station (unlike last RWC encounter. No accommodation, and the French knocked our boys out of the cup in the quarter-final, in Cardiff.....things we do not speak off)
No its not porridge!
Mud, glorious mud!Another geothermal site at Wai-O-Tapu. This time mud boiling, bubling and gurgling away.
Phoooooh, who let one go?
Another geothermal site, this time at Wai-O-Taupu, near Rotorua.
The lovely rotten egg arroma (due to sulpur), is common at these sites. The upside is I should have some impressive photos due to the soil colour, the water and location.
Jaimee is on the moon!
Er, well its 'Craters of the Moon' outside Taupo - A geothermal area where hot water boils below the surface and steam rises above the surface. The erosion of soil creates the illusion of craters.
23.9.11
Hanging out at The Gin Trap, Napier - Fit for Royalty
Just chilling out, in Napier at the Gin Trap bar. Little did we know that a few hours earlier, Zara Phillips (Queen Liz's grandaughter) was also there with a couple of mates. We should have rocked up to the bar in our Kate & Wills masks!!
Re-attaching the spare wheel
Oh dear... the gremlins have been busy. The spare wheel fell off from under the van as we were driving along at 100kms.
Luckily we managed to recover the wheel and dodgy bolt.......not sure how the car behind us managed to avoid the tyre as it fell off? (......very lucky no incident!)
21.9.11
Tui Brewery HQ - 'Yeah Right'
A couple of appropriate rugby signs for a laugh:
'Relax South Africa, we've forgotten about Susie...Yeah Right!'
'Dear Robbie, Best Wishes, Love Graham....Yeah Right!'
Tui Brewery HQ - The Famous Tower
Almost as famous as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, ....(well, for us former students in this part of the world?)
Tui Brewery HQ
The Tui Brewery in Mangatainoka. We had to check out what the fuss was about......if the girls in the adds were true?
Watch out Dan Carter!
The New Zealand Rugby Museum in Palmerston North was lots of fun. As well as walls chocker with memorabilia, we got to have some fun on the interactive displays.We also did a lap of the Massey University grounds which included the Sports Institute of Excellence. Unfortunately we didn't have time for us to share our invaluable sporting knowledge to the staff and students.....ha ha
Full 'O Bull?
We stopped in Bulls for lunch, a most amusing town as almost every name was a play on the name 'Bull'. - So I had to throw this photo on.
Cooks Garden - Wanganui
This is the grounds where Peter Snell broke the sub four minute mile, back in the early 1960s (it is also the Wanganui Rugby Ground)
Next door is the outdoor Velodrome, which we took a sneaky peek as well.
Watch out for the 'Cave People'
After abseiling at least 100 meters, we enjoyed clambering over rocks and through caves to eventually emerge from 'The Lost World'
19.9.11
Hello People
Here are a few pics of our travels around the North Island, so you can follow along on our adventure!
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