Home Again

All our worldly goods..

..have to go out of here...

 

...and into here!

 

Several days later...

...we did it!



 

 

We drove straight up the island back to Whangarei and after a few days by the bridge and behind the library we moved back into King Street.  This Summer's Grey Wanderings are over and now Malcolm can do the work on the bus that he had hoped to do last Winter!

An unexpected cold snap!

Matekuri Island

Te Waihou Walkway

We left Rotorua when we realised our battery was getting low - hadn't moved the bus in a while and it had been grey for the solar panels.  We need electricity to run the fan in the diesel heater!  So we drove to Lake Maraetai near Mangakino where we parked up with 2 other busses at Matekuri Island (actually a peninsula).  This was a quiet, picturesque spot where we spent the morning chatting with our neighbours yesterday.  Today we woke to 4 degrees and were surrounded by mist.  When it burnt off mid-morning we drove to near Putaruru where we are parked under an oak tree beside a waterfall in a rest area.  This afternoon we walked Te Waihou Walkway which goes beside a swift, clear river (Waihou) to the Blue Spring.  About 2 and 1/2 hours return.  Hopefully the cold snap has passed through and tomorrow will be warmer!! 

Rotorua

A grey day in Rotorua

Malcolm and museum

Hamurana Springs

Malcolm above the main spring

People rafting at Okere Falls

Me in the redwoods at Hamurana Springs

We've been at Rotorua for a few days, mostly sitting out the dull grey weather and rain.  Today was sunny so we did a bit of tiki-touring.  First we went to Hamurana Springs where water comes up after 70 years underground.  It is amazingly clear and pure.  The trees in the redwood forests there were pretty big, planted 100 years ago.  We drove around and to 4 lakes - Rotorua, Rotoiti, Okataina, Rotoehu - then went to Okere Falls where we did another walk and also watched kayakers and rafters going over some of the falls.  not a very arduous day but very pretty scenery! 

Kawerau

Kawerau

Hot pool complex behind where we were parked - Mt Edgecombe in background

Autumn freedom camping

On the track to Tarawera Falls

Kawerau may seem an unlikely destination but it is a freedom camping friendly town with free hot pools!  We parked up in the centre of town (it's small) and had a couple of soaks over the days we were there.  We got a permit and drove half an hour through forestry to a DOC camp at Lake Tarawera.  From here we walked to Tawarewa Falls.  The track goes beside quite a few other waterfalls before the river goes underground then comes out of a cliff face at the falls.  We were a bit underwhelmed as the pictures show a much higher waterfall - but it has been a dry summer!

Malcolm's ride

Malcolm rode the Motu Trail's Pakihi Track (52km).  He got the shuttle from Motu Trails hq where we were parked and was dropped off a couple of hours later in the forest near Motu.  He said the track was amazing, though you have to keep your eyes on the trail as there's lots of steep drop offs.

Opotiki dunes cycle trail

Typical view from the trail

picnic lunch

Me amidst scenery

Bumpy boardwalk across a beach

I'm sure there were more up-hills coming back!

Start/end of trail

Moved on to Opotiki this morning and parked up at the Motu Trails hq.  From here we cycled the dunes trail an easy(ish) 20km return through dunes and across beaches.  Stunning scenery.

Whakatane and Ohope

Whakatane waterfront

detail of paddlers on waka

Whakatane harbour entrance

Statue of Wairaka

Freedom camping spot at Ohope

Ohope Beach

Volcanic White Island

Ohope Beach

Whakatana and Ohope are just a few kms apart.  We spent a day wandering around Whakatane, along the waterfront, saw the Mataatua Canoe replica and statue of Wairaka.  When the canoe arrived from Polynesia the women were left onboard while the men went ashore to explore.  Wind and current began to drag the canoe away and Wairaka encouraged the women to do the man's job and paddle.  Whakatane means act like a man - so the legend goes.

Ohope is around the headland at the start of another long sandspit.  We got 1 of 3 freedom spots right beside the beach with views down to the mountains of East Cape and out past Whale Island to White Island with its ever-present plume of steam.

Pukehina

Pukehina Beach

Freedom camping spot at Pukehina Beach

An even better spot at the end of Pukehina Beach

Pukehina Beach

 

Waimana Gorge

After we left Tauranga we went to Pukehina Beach which is between Te Puke and Whakatane.  We freedom camped beside the beach - very picturesque and peaceful.  The next morning we drove along the spit about 5km to the end.  This had a beach on one side and an estuary behind.  Lots of birds including dotterels - it was called Dotterel Point.  Next time we'd stop here - even better than our spot.  That night we camped beside a river at the Waimana Gorge - an inland spot for a change.