New Zealand - North Island

Leaving the oppressive heat of Hong Kong, it was a pleasure to arrive in Auckland on a crisp winter morning. Felt immediately at home, collected the car and began the drive north. We decided not to take the toll road, and turn off to drive a way up the coast, not that there was much traffic, we wanted to see some scenery on our travels. We made a lunch stop at Orewa, pretty little seaside town, good food and coffee to bolster the soul and off we went. We had rooms booked at Paihia for two nights and I wanted to arrive in plenty of time to relax and have a look around. The drive up was effortless, the roads are good quality, and more importantly deserted by both UK and Hong Kong standards.

We arrived at the Scenic Hotel Paihia just as the sun was going down, check in was quick and efficient. As we were on the start of a road trip, we only unpacked the essentials and had a quick change to go out exploring. The sea front was very welcoming, and quiet, we walked around 1000 meters to the town centre, where there were a few shops, bars and restaurants.

The following day we had an early start to drive to Cape Reinga at the very top of north island. It was a long drive, approximately 4hrs up and 4hrs back, the Cape itself was stunningly beautiful, and again deserted. On the way back to Paihia we detoured off to see the famous 90 mile beach, which runs most of the way down the western peninsular of the very top of North Island. Miles and miles of hard wet sand to drive on, we saw a few locals making their way down the coast, but there are no sign posts( or if there are we didn't notice) to guide you to exits back to the main roads, so we just drove down to where the road ended and the sand began.

Next day we planned to drive to a night stop near Hobbiton, but first we visited the Treaty Grounds in Paihia, very interesting place, the site of the signing of the first treaty between the UK and New Zealand. There is a new visitors centre under construction which will be open by March 2016 (possibly earlier)

From there we retraced our steps, or tyre tracks, back south, stopping for refreshment at Warkworth, named after a village close to our home in Northumberland. We then drove further south, through Auckland to Cambridge, where we decided to stay for the night. We arrived around 6pm, to find a very quiet little market town. We found a basic but clean motel to stay for the night. The following day we made our way to Hobbiton. if you plan on visiting, the only way to do so is by guided tour, you cant just turn up and walk around yourself. Groups are kept together and strict times are adhered to, and you do get a free drink at the Green Dragon pub, which you have to drink really quickly before having to move on. We enjoyed seeing the tree and the lake and all the Hobbit houses, but had the feeling of it all being a little rushed, but none the less a great experience for LOTR fans.

We then drove to meet friends at Mount Maunganui, walked around the mount and had a quick look around Tauranga. We then drove south to Rotorua and the lakeside, we visited the hot springs at 7pm , it was surreal sitting in the open air, in water around 30 degrees watching the night sky. Next morning we had a walk around the Maori village at Whakrewarena, to see how the Maori live work and cook. You are guided around the village by one of the residents, and is well worth a couple of hours of your time.

We then headed on further south to meet up with friends again. This time we stayed on a farm , miles from any civilization, ( which isn't too hard in NZ) visited a winery for lunch, and had a walk around the art deco town of Napier, makes all the difference to be travelling around with locals who take you places you probably wouldn't think of visiting if on your own. After a couple of nights of great homely NZ hospitality we drove our last leg on north island down to Wellington, where we stayed for two nights. On one of our nights it was the Super Rugby Final between the Otago Highlanders and the Wellington Hurricanes, we watched the game with locals and had a great night. (The Highlanders won) We also visited the Te Papa Museum of New Zealand, which is a must see if you are in the area. Several floors of permanent and seasonal displays. I particularly enjoyed the Air New Zealand 75th Anniversary walk through exhibition.

Next day we drove to catch our ferry to Picton on South Island to continue our trip............