Ngaruawahia and New Plymouth

We headed south from Kerikeri and stayed a night in Whangarei. The bus was booked in at a glass place to fix a cracked windscreen. Then we went to Waipu for the night before heading through Auckland and down to Ngaruawahia, where we spent the night beside the river.

Next stop, Bell Block just outside New Plymouth. The motorhome park has views of Mt Taranaki and is close to the cycle trail along the coast into New Plymouth.

First the track goes through bush and parkland at Bell Block...

Then we came to some sort of special truck show. It was huge - I took a video but obviously this platform doesn't support videos. So, just a picture of an old fire truck.

This bridge is on the coastal walkway/cycleway. Mt Taranaki in the background.

Malcolm at the other side. It's like a whale skeleton.

Along the coast. The beaches here are all black sand.

We stopped at a pop up cafe and had hot crossed buns - it's Easter Sunday. Malcolm has a Lawrence of Arabia hat under his helmet for sun protection.😀

This is the wind wand, a kinetic sculpture at New Plymouth. We had lunch in town then cycled back.

 

Okaihau to Kaikohe Cycle Trail

Early morning view of the river just above Rainbow Falls and just a few metres away from our bus, parked at the NZMCA Park.

We drove to Okaihau (not far away) and rode the trail to (almost) Kaikohe and back. It was hot but Malcolm's protecting his skin from the sun.

Scenes along the trail...

This is the remains of railway stuff. This part of the trail is an old railway route.

Lots of pretty countryside...

Horse on the trail.

Unfortunately Malcolm got a puncture just before Kaikohe, so we returned a few kms early. He had to keep stopping to pump up the tyre.

Mural at our lunch stop cafe at Okaihau.

 

Around Kerikeri

This is the Honey House Cafe at the Kerikeri (Stone Store) Basin. It's called the Honey House because the first bees brought to NZ were brought here by missionaries.

Flowers outside Kemp House, the missionaries home,the Stone Store behind. NZ's first stone building.

The river at the basin (Kerikeri Inlet).

Looking across at the Stone Store from the other side of the river. Mauri waka (canoe) in the foreground.

Nearby is the Puketi forest, a big area of native bush. We went to a boardwalk area where it looped around many kauri trees.

The trees are very tall so it's hard to get the whole tree on a photo.

This is the stump of a massive kauri, killed by men who drilled into it for its gum back before this was outlawed in 1905. 

 

Scenes from the north

Coffee stop at Kawakawa, between Whangarei and Kerikeri. It's 'famous' because it's the only place in NZ where a train runs down the main street. It's a tourist train, run by volunteers.

Just a view of the rear part of our bus, parked at Rainbow Falls with the falls just behind us..

Quirky stuff for sale on a house truck at Kerikeri Markets.

This is Ngawha Hot Springs - geothermal hot pools, each with different temperatures and mineral content.

Pou (carved post)at Ngawha.

 

Ngatea Water Gardens

From Matamata we drove through the Waikato countryside and back to the Firth of Thames, where we visited Ngatea Water gardens.

It was pretty there - also quirky!

There was a museum at the water gardens totally devoted to tins.

The sign says, "Don't stand here." The swan has other ideas.

We parked back at Ray's Rest...

...and went to the fish n chip shop. It serves wine and you can eat takeaways on their tables. very civilised! :-)

After a pretty sunset and another nice morning view we drove along the road above Miranda for a coffee stop...

...with this view. Above the gate - if you zoom in - the dots are campervans at Ray's Rest.

Then we turned for home. Wanderings over until next time.