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.

 

Gardens in New Plymouth

We picked up some brochures at the motorhome park and decided to visit Tupare - a house, cottage and garden created in the arts and crafts style. Though it's autumn the gardens were still beautiful.

A glimpse of the cottage...

and the interior.

The main house.

Next stop was Pukekura Park. below is the tropical house, part of the fernery.

Pukekura Park covers 52ha and has lakes, gardens, etc and a tea house by the main lake.

We took hundreds of photos as there was so much to see.

 

Ngawha Hot Pools

Leaving Awanui we drove past Taipa to Cable Bay, where we walked along the beach. There were sandy areas and rock pools.

Back in Kaeo we returned to the Mad Hatter cafe...

...then had a fossick in the antique/second hand/book shop.

I would need a lot of time here, which we didn't have, so will have to revisit another time.

Final stop on our tiki tour - Ngawha Hot Springs. This pool complex has been upgraded since our last visit a few years ago.

There were many small pools of differing temperature. Traditionally, as well as relaxing, the pools were known to have healing properties. The water in some pools was black, in others green. Temperatures were from 30-40 degrees.

 

Mainly Mangonui

First thing this morning we wandered around the jetty at Totara North. Everything was very tranquil.

Next stop was Mangonui, another harbour nearby. Mangonui has just had a new boardwalk and jetties built.

Can't go past a good cafe. This was the Little Kitchen, in one of Mangonui's old buildings.

We decided to walk a track around the Rangikapiti Peninsula and up to the pa site.  We turned at the police station...

...and made our way around another arm of the harbour...

...to the start of the track.

The summit had amazing views up and down the coast.

The track went through shady native bush, also with good views.

More local humour.

We were feeling pretty hot so were happy to find this ice cream shop.

In the afternoon we drove to Awanui where we walked around the old graveyard at this church, established in the early 1800s.