An early start today and breakfast on the hoof so we could get away from “cool” Raglan. We found a lovely breakfast stop too – see pix. Also we were detouring a bit so we could see some live Kiwis before we leave NZ.
The Kiwis have a special place in our hearts (the feathered ones on this occasion.) The little guys (not so little actually) along with a few others have such a struggle against all the land predators around the island in particular the bush tailed possum from Australia. Bizarre really as the same possum in Oz is a protected animal yet over here in NZ there are millions of them and a nuisance they are too. I digress, we called in at a Kiwi house on the way to Thames in Coromandel. Here they had a healthy breeding programme under way and were doing their bit to stop the guys being wiped out totally. Albeit in a managed environment but still quite a good one with far better chances of survival.
There was a brown kiwi and a spotted kiwi here and both were foraging around their domains. Their day had been turned around so that we could see them so our day was their night and our night was their day. It was as always a great pleasure to see these wonderful creatures. There are some similar birds wandering around the island and plentiful in number, flightless and minus the famous kiwi beak and they are called Weka see pix. Sorry no Kiwi pix as the flash would upset them
So, after our kiwi fix we drove up to Thames and the Coromandel peninsula. We stayed here last time and at the same place as it is well placed to explore the area. Once again when we were here last it was wet and we couldn’t do the pinnacles walk so I was hoping for a better time this time.
On arrival at Sunkist we noticed it had been tidied up a bit but the owners were still the same and the dog was still sat outside the kitchen. We were actually put in the same room as last time which was OK.
So what about Thames, (education time) the region was built on logging the 4 to 5000 year old Kauri trees which were abundant in the Kuraranga Valley. In the early 1900s the trees were almost logged to extinction but some area in this and other regions were saved. Kauris are very tall, very broad , straight and knot free so ideal for ship and house building. The logging stopped around 1930 (there weren’t many left by then to cut down!)
This was followed by a mini gold rush bringing more folks to the area. Nowadays Thames plays host to many a traveller looking to explore the area. Most of the buildings in town are made of timber and it has the look of an old western type town.
For us this time it was a D type walk one day and a drive round the peninsula calling at Whitianga the next, weather permitting. The first evening we sat with a lovely couple from Melbourne who were over on holiday and wanting to come and live out here and the second night we sat we had a BBQ and the third we sat with a couple of guys from the states who were motorcycling around the world. All entertaining stuff.
On the day of the D walk it was as usual cloudy……so off we went up the valley to the car park. Yet another 10kms of unsealed road, I hope these hire cars don’t have trackers on them or we’re stuffed! We set off up through the bush over a couple of proper rickety looking swing bridges. We are actually following the route the supply ponies used to take once a week to the camps up in the hills where the guys would live for 3 months at a time. The track was very uneven, bouldery and rocky and heaven knows how those ponies managed to get over and up as we were struggling.
The pinnacles are limestone pillars pushed up through the volcanic era and a favourite with trampers (walkers to us Brits) as the last section is quite steep and the views rewarding (when it is clear.) Onwards and upwards and no grumbling at the back today. Well, that was until it started raining. We sheltered for a while then set off again and it started to clear. I forgot to mention that this route is so popular that DOC as it’s know out here (Department of Conservation) built a trampers hut with basic bunk and cooking facilities up here at the base of the final climb.
As we approached the hut Mrs D was not interested in going any further and went to look at the hut and set off back down. I like the fool I am decided to do the last bit and go up for a look as it was now clear. It was a hell of a stiff climb firstly through open scrub then over what seemed to be millions of wooden steps then finally up some rock ladders and rock bars to a platform at the top!! I was knackered!! However the views were worth it. After the obligatory photo shoot and rest I set off back down. Good start to return journey slipping down on my arse, what a muppet, I then tried to keep a mental tally on the steps ( as I had nowt better to do) and lost interest at 500. That’s over 500 up then the same back down, my poor knees were shot.
I eventually caught up with Mrs D who was ambling along back down and we headed back to Thames for a beer and some grub. A splendid day was had by all and a good high up fix was achieved.
The next day we set off to do a walk to a small Kauri plantation, one of the few left in this area followed by a drive over to Whitianga. The walk was short but excellent and the drive to Whitianga was scenic and enjoyable, well that was until the fuel gauge plummeted to the bottom and I gingerly drove round the coast slowly on fear of running out of gas!! However we made it and fuelled up in Whitianga.
Lovely place, typical tourist resort just up the road from hot water beach. This is where the old geothermals – remember them – come up through the crust and heat the water below the sand. You have folks sat around in self-dug sand pits bathing in hellish hot water. You can actually hire a shovel on the beach – only in NZ!!!
We got a ferry across the bay and a walk then back to the car and on to Thames for the usual evenings lemonade and food fix. Next day was a longish drive up to the Bay of Islands a beautiful area where we were rained off last time so let’s hope it’s better this time.
The Kiwis have a special place in our hearts (the feathered ones on this occasion.) The little guys (not so little actually) along with a few others have such a struggle against all the land predators around the island in particular the bush tailed possum from Australia. Bizarre really as the same possum in Oz is a protected animal yet over here in NZ there are millions of them and a nuisance they are too. I digress, we called in at a Kiwi house on the way to Thames in Coromandel. Here they had a healthy breeding programme under way and were doing their bit to stop the guys being wiped out totally. Albeit in a managed environment but still quite a good one with far better chances of survival.
There was a brown kiwi and a spotted kiwi here and both were foraging around their domains. Their day had been turned around so that we could see them so our day was their night and our night was their day. It was as always a great pleasure to see these wonderful creatures. There are some similar birds wandering around the island and plentiful in number, flightless and minus the famous kiwi beak and they are called Weka see pix. Sorry no Kiwi pix as the flash would upset them
So, after our kiwi fix we drove up to Thames and the Coromandel peninsula. We stayed here last time and at the same place as it is well placed to explore the area. Once again when we were here last it was wet and we couldn’t do the pinnacles walk so I was hoping for a better time this time.
On arrival at Sunkist we noticed it had been tidied up a bit but the owners were still the same and the dog was still sat outside the kitchen. We were actually put in the same room as last time which was OK.
So what about Thames, (education time) the region was built on logging the 4 to 5000 year old Kauri trees which were abundant in the Kuraranga Valley. In the early 1900s the trees were almost logged to extinction but some area in this and other regions were saved. Kauris are very tall, very broad , straight and knot free so ideal for ship and house building. The logging stopped around 1930 (there weren’t many left by then to cut down!)
This was followed by a mini gold rush bringing more folks to the area. Nowadays Thames plays host to many a traveller looking to explore the area. Most of the buildings in town are made of timber and it has the look of an old western type town.
For us this time it was a D type walk one day and a drive round the peninsula calling at Whitianga the next, weather permitting. The first evening we sat with a lovely couple from Melbourne who were over on holiday and wanting to come and live out here and the second night we sat we had a BBQ and the third we sat with a couple of guys from the states who were motorcycling around the world. All entertaining stuff.
On the day of the D walk it was as usual cloudy……so off we went up the valley to the car park. Yet another 10kms of unsealed road, I hope these hire cars don’t have trackers on them or we’re stuffed! We set off up through the bush over a couple of proper rickety looking swing bridges. We are actually following the route the supply ponies used to take once a week to the camps up in the hills where the guys would live for 3 months at a time. The track was very uneven, bouldery and rocky and heaven knows how those ponies managed to get over and up as we were struggling.
The pinnacles are limestone pillars pushed up through the volcanic era and a favourite with trampers (walkers to us Brits) as the last section is quite steep and the views rewarding (when it is clear.) Onwards and upwards and no grumbling at the back today. Well, that was until it started raining. We sheltered for a while then set off again and it started to clear. I forgot to mention that this route is so popular that DOC as it’s know out here (Department of Conservation) built a trampers hut with basic bunk and cooking facilities up here at the base of the final climb.
As we approached the hut Mrs D was not interested in going any further and went to look at the hut and set off back down. I like the fool I am decided to do the last bit and go up for a look as it was now clear. It was a hell of a stiff climb firstly through open scrub then over what seemed to be millions of wooden steps then finally up some rock ladders and rock bars to a platform at the top!! I was knackered!! However the views were worth it. After the obligatory photo shoot and rest I set off back down. Good start to return journey slipping down on my arse, what a muppet, I then tried to keep a mental tally on the steps ( as I had nowt better to do) and lost interest at 500. That’s over 500 up then the same back down, my poor knees were shot.
I eventually caught up with Mrs D who was ambling along back down and we headed back to Thames for a beer and some grub. A splendid day was had by all and a good high up fix was achieved.
The next day we set off to do a walk to a small Kauri plantation, one of the few left in this area followed by a drive over to Whitianga. The walk was short but excellent and the drive to Whitianga was scenic and enjoyable, well that was until the fuel gauge plummeted to the bottom and I gingerly drove round the coast slowly on fear of running out of gas!! However we made it and fuelled up in Whitianga.
Lovely place, typical tourist resort just up the road from hot water beach. This is where the old geothermals – remember them – come up through the crust and heat the water below the sand. You have folks sat around in self-dug sand pits bathing in hellish hot water. You can actually hire a shovel on the beach – only in NZ!!!
We got a ferry across the bay and a walk then back to the car and on to Thames for the usual evenings lemonade and food fix. Next day was a longish drive up to the Bay of Islands a beautiful area where we were rained off last time so let’s hope it’s better this time.
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