Category: North Island

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes And the rain finally came in, it was chucking it down. It all worked out ok though because all of today’s activities were indoors. We drove back over to Miramar and did the WetaCaves tour for an hour and a half where we got a glimpse at the magic that goes into the set and…

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes After a neighborhood walk with Pauline and Snoopy we said our goodbyes and drove into the city. The weather today was glorious but tomorrow is forecast to be wet and miserable so we wanted to do as much of the city outdoor stuff as possible and save the Te Papa Museum and WetaCave Tour for…

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes We had a lovely sleep in a very luxurious bed – heaven! We’re starting to feel saturated with food and drink so we skipped brekkie and went for a walk though residential Napier which took us up high above the city to a viewing bluff. Really glad we took the time to do this before…

Estimated Reading Time: < 1 minute Checking into a motel yesterday had been a smart move, it absolutely chucked it down with rain all night. We had a lazy morning before driving for 3 hours to Napier, the Art Deco capital of the world. When we arrived it was raining on and off but at least it wasn’t a downpour anymore….

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes The clouds were starting to build so no more beach time for us. Breakfast was muffins and coffee with the Maunganui ladies that hike and brunch before leaving this lovely town behind for a 3 hour drive to Gisborne. Lovely scenery for the whole drive but what else is new? As we got closer to…

Estimated Reading Time: < 1 minute Since Mount Manguanui won us over yesterday and the forecast was for a gloriously sunny day with rain to follow the rest of the week, we decided to stay put and enjoy all that this place has to offer. We wandered through town for a couple of hours after breakfast and Mike managed to talk…

Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes Hi ho Hi ho, it’s off to Hobbiton we go! The drive out to Alexander Farm where the set is located was picture perfect with rolling green hills and grazing cattle and sheep, it’s easy to see why this area was chosen. The farm itself is 1,200 acres and is still a working farm, the…

Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes Holy cow what a day and I’ve got the bruises to prove it! We had a leisurely and extremely pleasant breakfast at Ciabatta Cafe in an unexpected location on an industrial estate. My breakfast was a little lambie breakfast sandwich, I always think that having lamb for breakfast bodes well for the day ahead! We…

Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes A much needed day of considerable rest. We departed Taupo fairly early because the town was ramping up for Iron Man this weekend and we wanted to get out before they started closing roads and diverting traffic. On our short drive from Taupo to Rotorua we stopped off for a 2 hour hike to Huka…

Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes This is IT. Tongariro Crossing day! 12 miles and 3,300 of elevation gain await us. We’ve wanted to do this hike for so long! The alarm went off at 5:30 am. A nutritious breakfast of milk and hot cross buns before jumping on the shuttle bus to the trailhead. The hotel and shuttle was run…