Sunday 20^th January

Decisions, decisions. We had two possible routes to go from Wellington at the southern tip of the North Island. Up the middle through Rotarua or to the East Coast and Napier. We decided to give Rotarua a miss although it’s reckoned to be a major attraction it also has the reputation of being highly commercialised and the ocean always has a lure for us.

So up the Hutt valley we went, through Upper Hutt, Masterton and Dannevirke towards Napier/Hastings. We ended up at a strange ‘remote’ campsite at a tiny place on Highway 50 called Tikokino. The campsite was in a field off the road with a gate which was closed but not padlocked, toilet and kitchen facilities with no electricity or running water and no indication of other people or how to pay. There was a hotel next door which was ‘closed for reservations’ and no way of getting into the building. The field had been recently mowed so we thought what the heck and parked. Nobody came to demand payment or anything so we had supper and went to bed. Then, in what seemed to be the middle of the night (it was still pitch dark) we woke to a rumbling very close, too close for the road, the sound of voices and bright lights flashing all around. Timidly we pulled back the curtains to see this massive wooden building being backed into the field where we were. That kind of ruined the rest of our night’s sleep but as it was actually 5 o’clock we didn’t suffer too badly.

Turns out a house moving company was moving the following structure (the mustard coloured thing on the right) as cabins to add to the campsite.

We were amazed at what it must have taken to get it there down the narrow New Zealand roads from Hastings, it had to be almost a hundred feet long (you only see about a third of it in the picture). No wonder they did it at night.

Monday 21^st January

Around our usual breakfast time they started bringing more equipment into the field, to get the thing off I suppose. So before we could get blocked in, we upped stakes and hit the road. Before too long we were driving into Napier down this palm tree-lined street.

Hitting the sea front we came across the National Aquarium so we had breakfast in the parking lot and then went inside. Well worth the reasonable entry fee. We were in time for the feeding. The walk through the oceanarium was the best, as can perhaps been seen from this clip.

Sea horses are always worth a look.

They had kiwis too, but photography totally failed (flash again not permitted) as they have reversed the kiwis’ day and night so you get to see them in their night in very low light.

Here’s a guy we’ve eaten plenty of in NZ – a gurnard.

With lots of distance to travel (time’s a runnin’ out) we were off by mid-day and headed up the coast through Wairoa and Gisborne, heading for remote campsites just north of Gisborne. Turihaua has a big remote camping area down on the shore, unfortunately we found, after getting there, that we needed a camping permit available only in Gisborne. As we had no intention of driving all the way back we just stayed anyway for free - yet again.

Tuesday 22^nd January

After a walk along the beach

we were moving again through Tolonga Bay, Tokomaru Bay, Ruatoria and Te Araroa looking in vain for Internet access so we could contact Alan Littler aka Charlie, a schoolfriend I haven’t seen in 32 years, who was arriving in Mount Maunganui that very day. The trip probably should have been spectacular but as before the North Island did not co-operate weatherwise and it was misty and rained continuously with little or no visibility.

The first place we stopped for the night at Waihau Bay turned out to be very expensive with no credit card use, so we passed on that and ended up at Te Kaha which is reasonably priced and has exceptionally beautiful grounds.

Friday 25^th January

We had breakfast with a lady originally from South Africa but now a confirmed Kiwi who had stayed at the Chipman Hill Suites in St. John, New Brunswick where we stayed before setting out on this epic journey. Susan Fullerton who owns the suites put us in touch with her and we had boiled eggs and scones with Elvor Shaw and heard some of her continuing travel stories.

Times a really runnin’ out and we had the Coromandel peninsular to visit and on Elvor’s recommendation we headed for Hahei to pay the most we’ve ever had to pay for a campsite on the whole t ri p – 20 bucks each and no power but it was on a fabulous beach

 

And I had several out-of-body-surfing experiences like never before. I also got rolled a couple of times as the waves were well above head height.

Saturday 26^th January

Just when you think New Zealand has nothing new to show you along comes things like this.

This is Cathedral Cove – named for obvious reasons. We caught it at high tide and apparently there isn’t any surf like that normally.

Onwards we went after the walk (1½ hours round trip) and after crossing the peninsula to Coromandel Town, found another little gem of a campsite at Tapu Creek on the west side of the Coromandel Peninsula. Beautiful setting

complete with swimming hole

outdoor kitchen

doves

lonely bullock

and new clean facilities.

Sunday 27^th January

Last day before flying to Oz. Given all or most of our leftover food etc. with other campers and down the last of the Coromandel Peninsula and on to the major highways and in a couple of hours we’re at the hotel unloading the campervan ready to return it. Campervan returned with 8,481km more on its clock. Now all we have to do is pack for tomorrow and catch the ’plane at 7:50 am.

The loop is complete.