New Zealand / Antearora (“Land of the long white cloud” in Maori), 4.5 weeks on the Northern Island with public transport and hitch-hiking: Dez 2013 - Jan 2014
Money-exchange: Western Union in Auckland offered the best rates in town for Euros. All Australien owned banks pay lousy Euro rates.
Sim Card: There are various offers. Skinny has the cheapest at the moment but their Sim cards only run on Skinny cell phones. I got a Voda phone Sim card for NZD 5 plus paid NZD 40 for special offer. Good deal. Text messages are with most providers free of charge (within the country). With Voda phone you can dial a land line in Germany or Switzerland for up to 1h for just NZD 2.
Public Transport: If turning up with a friend / friends to rent / buy a car fails, than you are left with little choice but to choose between Intercity and Naked Bus. Naked Bus is cheaper in the Winter (June – August) but both companies are roughly the same during summer Dec – Feb., NZ’s High Season. But Intercity has more departures. Therefore I started with a Flexipass with a credit of 20h for NZD 156. Each ride has a designated time which gets deducted from your hour-pass. You can book on-line yourself or let the i-site (Tourism Bureau) do it for you.
Hitch-Hiking works rather well but not everywhere and better if you have a big backpack. Be aware that there are always certain risks so you need to decide for yourself whether to take them or not but it’s a great way of getting to know Kiwis. Make sure you stand at a good spot (walk there, let somebody you know drop you there or take a local city bus in busier areas to that spot and make yourself known as being a foreigner. Generally it’s easiest with a big backpack, clean shaven and with a big smile. Make eye-contact with the drivers as they pass by and possibly wave to them a greeting with your other hand. Decide whether or not to show a signboard with your destination. What worked as well was a signboard where I just wrote the word “PLEASE”. A county flag of your country is also cool.
Top recommendations: Go for a race in a America’s Cup Yacht from 1995 and team up with your buddies against the other yacht. Rafting the 7m waterfall and sledging down the Kaituna river, Rotorua, taking a trip from Whakatane to the most active volcano in NZ on White Island, 50km off the coast and finally go for an unforgettable trip into the hills and creeks on a Quad Tour with Taupo Quad. See below!
Auckland:
Stayed at Nomad’s Fat Camel Hostel: It’s so lousy, you shouldn’t put a foot in it, seriously – plus they often lie about their offers and rooms too. In case you don’t believe me – check out their free dinner or the ventilated, windowless rooms and tell me your opinion about it.
Yacht RACE with Explore (SailNZ): www.exploregroup.co.nz or call free 0800 397 567
The company runs various tours from the sailing trip with America’s Cup Yachts to watching dolphins and whales plus many more. Sailing trips on the Race Yachts are daily at 11am and 2pm, 2h, November - March, NZD 160 adults, NZD 110, Kids 10 - 15 years old and 1pm April - October. The Race with the 2 Race Yachts are on Thursday (Dec – Feb) and Saturday (Nov – March) at 2pm, 3h, NZD 195 adults, kids NZD 175, 10 – 15 years old. The 3 hours on the sea pass quickly as you get your hands busy and your body sweating in order to win the race or just sit back and see your buddies work and shoot some great photos at the same time. Don’t worry, you are very unlikely to get sea-sick although you are sitting / working on a inclined basis of up to 35° degrees. This means if the yacht sails at full speed, it’s a very steep way up or down from one side to the other. The team is professional and friendly and you get fitted out with a long rain jacket and an inflatable life vest. Highly recommended!
Auckland Museum: Prices went up steeply from NZD 10 to 25! for adults which can be combined with either a Maori Performance NZD 20 and or a guided highlight tour ( NZD 10) or both of them. As you will most probably get to see a Maori Performance elsewhere in the country, safe your money and look for the awesome Maori and South Pacific Collection - the highlights of the museum. Plan 2-3h for your visit. Highly Recommended.
Auckland Art Gallery: Still free of charge, donations welcome. Plan on 2-3h for the well-presented exhibits. Recommended.
Civic Theatre: (hard to get to as it is not open to the public if there is no show). If you still want to give it a try ask the people inside the theatre of where to inquire, 5 minutes’ walk around the corner and hope for your luck. The theatre looks amazing from the inside and there are Buddha’s all over but not a single naked boy. Was the last lonely planet author drunk as he mentioned the “naked boys” instead of the Buddha’s?, The person who showed me around has never heard of them too ;-). Highly Recommended.
Maritime Museum: Adults NZD 15. Recommended.
Rotorua and around:
Stayed at Rotorua Central Backpackers. Excellently outfitted, friendly and competent owners. Comfortable 6-bed dorms, no bunks, huge kitchen and fridges. Location in the middle of town, 4 minutes from the bus stop, 5 minutes to the supermarket.
Rotorua Museum and Blue Bath: Great Museum in a awesome colonial house which is a delight to see. You can climb up to the rooftop and down into the hot steamy quarters to see how the old bathhouse was running at that time. The Maori Collection is superb but very unfortunately no photos are allowed. The short film about the geothermal stuff is very worthwhile. Recommended.
The Blue Bath still operates but was empty by the time I visited in the afternoon. Opening hours in Summer are 10.00 – 18.00 hours. Prices are A/C/Fam. NZD 11/6/30 and include the entry fee to the small museum. If you just want to see the museum, it costs NZD 5 per adult. From time to time they run shows in the huge hall before the outdoor-bath. Inquire about timings and prices at the entrance.
Whakarewarewa in short “Whaka” (Thermal Village) and Te Puia: Tel. 07 349 34 63
If you want to safe money and see a Maori Cultural Performance at the same time than this is your best bet! Tours around the village start on the hour (9am – 4pm) with cultural performances at 11.15am and 2pm. Entry fees are NZD 30 for adults. Whaka is a living village and the knowledgeable guides do a great job in explaining the stories around their way of life, how meals are cooked and what to see. The performance is very enthusiastic and better suited for taking pictures than the dim lighted nightly shows anywhere else in the country. And as Te Puia the famous Geyser is spurting hot water once every hour you will most likely get to see it in action. Be reminded though, that the height is around 10m / 30 feet (and not 30m as written in LP). Recommended.
Wai-O-Tapu, Thermal Wonderland: Tel. 07 366 63 33. 08.30 – 17.00. Admission Adult/Child/Fam.: NZD 32.50/11/80.
A bit difficult to get out there without your own wheels. With NZD 60 in your hand, you can get a shuttle transport to Wai-O-Tapu (organized from some hotels, ask at the i-site) which includes your entry ticket. If you wanna try hitch-hiking, it’s not so easy but it works. Best is to walk 3km out of town and stop in the bend of the BP Petrol station (close to the Whaka village but on the main road). Hitch-hiking back from Wai-O-Tapu into town was easy. There are 2 feeder roads leading to the place. Roughly in the middle of the first one (after about 1km) there are some hot mud pools to explore (signs, on your left). On the other way out, you can divert the water below the bridge in a do-it-yourself-op (near the main road) for your own little hot-bath. Once at the main site, make sure you have at least 1.5h to combine all the 3 walks together. The fantastic looking yellow-green lake is a sight to behold. The Lady Knox Geyser still starts once a day at 10.15am and last anything between minutes and up to 1h. Recommended.
Waimangu Volcanic Valley: Tel 07 366 61 37, 08.30 – 17.00, adult / child: NZD 34.50/11, includes a free bus pick-up back to the entrance. Optional boat tour for NZD 42.50/11(about 45 min.)
The walk takes you down the volcanic valley with different volcanic attractions and the surreal bluish inferno lake which alters its water level. The boat tour takes about 45 min and shows you the location of the once famous white and pink sinter terraces and there is more volcanic activities on the nearby lake shore including a geyser pushing about 8m skywards. Recommended.
PS: If you have only time and/or money to visit one attraction (Wai-O-Tapu or Waimangu) and especially if you plan to hitch-hike from Rotorua, go for Wai-O-Tapu as it’s easier to get there, there is more to see and you get a better value for your money (in my opinion).
While hitch-hiking down to Taupo I stopped at the “Kerosene Creek” where you can take a hot bath in the creek, just below the 3m waterfall, less than a 5 minutes’ walk from the car park. The water is around 40° C and rosty-brown. Great and free of charge but you need a car to get to the place. Later we stopped at the “Huka Falls” Look-out, also free of charge and did a short walk to admire the falls. Both are recommended.
Raft or Sledge it with Kaitiaki Adventures down the Kaituna River with a 7m waterfall drop! (WW Grade V, rafts only). Tel. 0800 338 736 / cell 07 357 22 36. Prices are NZD 95 (adults) for rafting, NZD 109 (adults) for sledging and NZD 185 (adults) combined but prices vary depending on where you book, cheapest offers are normally found at the hostels. Photos cost NZD 35 for 1 activity or NZD 50 for the combined trip. The good news is the trip is near (15 min from Rotorua) and short (45 – 55 min) and trips run a couple of days during the high season in summer. It’s big fun and the guides are cool and knowledgeable. Be sure to hold your breath down the 2m and 7m waterfall. As I always sit front right while rafting I was actually quite surprised to surface within the boat after the long drop! But in case you go for a sledging lesson / trip you will find out that rafting is kindergarten stuff ;-). Sledging means you are right in the element and literally head down the rapids. You will learn emergency turns of 180 degrees with your sledge as you rapidly approach a wall of rocks or get stuck within a rapid – pay attention as it will happen surely! But don’t forget to look cool and smile, as you never know when a camera is pointed on you. Highly recommended.
Tamaki Cultural Village, Evening Performance and Hangi (Dinner-meal). Prices vary depending on where you book, cheapest booking is at the hostels for around NZD 90.
The performance has its own shuttle service which you have to use. Book in town. On entering the place in late afternoon your will be greeted with a haka-dance, next you will be shown 5 posts of which to the funniest are being chosen to learn the haka-dance and to throw and catch their short sticks. After another great sing and dance performance inside a meeting hall you will be lead to the restaurant, where the hangi (earth-oven-cooked-meal) is presented. Great food in a relaxed environment.
Suggestions: If you just want to see a performance you can as well go to the Whaka village, the entry fee is much cheaper there but if you wanna enjoy an evening out of town with a good buffet dinner, than head for this place with their professional, ever-smiling staff. Recommended.
Mitai Maori Village, Cultural Show and Hangi (Earth oven dinner). Tel. 07 343 91 32. Offical price: NZD 111, at backpackers for NZD 88, combined with night time kiwi bird watching, NZD 138.
Here the warriors great you in a waka (traditional canoe) on a small nearby creek. The performance was great and very enthusiastic with a couple of jokes put in for good, combining past and present times. After a great meal you will go for a little walk to a nearby source and see some glow worms. The entertainer is great too and will great and joke with you in at least 10 different languages. Recommended.
If you decide where to go consider this: Tamaki further away from town (but both operators organize free pick-up services). Tamaki is smaller and has the do-it-yourself workshops (haka dance, stick throwing and more) if you push yourself forward to take part in while Mitai has generally more people, will greets you in their war canoe and shows you the glow worms. Both have excellent shows and meals.
Moutain-Biking with a rented bike from “Cycle Zone” in the Redwood Forest (the best place in NZ), 1299 Fenton Street, town center. Phone: 07 348 66 10, www.cyclezone.co.nz. Opening hours: Mo – Fr 08.30 – 17.30, Sat 09.00 – 16.00, Sun 10.00 – 14.00 hours. Prices are NZD 45 for up to 5h and NZD 60 for the whole day. You can also rent bikes worth NZD 6’000 at a higher daily rent price. Bryce Shapley is the friendly owner and he or one of his staff will get you a cool bike to head out into the forest with. The forest out of Rotorua is accordingly to many – the “Disneyland” in the country for mountain biking and the tracks of all levels can keep you occupied for days. Recommended.
Zorbing, www.zorb.com. Tel. 0800 22 74 74. Open daily from 9am to evenings. Minimum age 6. Weight restrictions apply. There is a local bus from town which stops right in front of their place.
Zorbing was originally invented at this site in NZ. Basically there are 3 options (dry, wet and wet with a small kind-of-surf board inside – the latest one) on 3 different tracks (fast lane, drop or zig-zag). All rides are NZD 39 per person, with all following rides for NZD 19. If you are unsure of what to do – go for the wet rides, there are more fun and there are possibilities to join a zorb with 1 or 2 more friends (for a higher price).
Whakatane:
Take a boat tour to NZ’s most active volcano on Whakaari (White) Island with White Island Tours. www.whiteisland.co.nz. Tel. +0800 242 299. Highly recommended – one of the 3 highlights of my tour so far!
Accommodation: Best place to stay in town is at the White Island Rendevous Motel which has comfortable large rooms, s/d: NZD 110 – 160, plus 35 for additional persons (up to 5 in total).
Tours (NZD 199 for adults, NZD 130 for kids up to 13 years, ca. 6h) start daily in the morning but the departure time varies according to the tide. It takes about 90 Min to reach the privately owned White Island (named after James Cook), 49 km away. On the way out we saw a lone penguin and later a school of common dolphins racing along the tip of our powerful & comfortable boat. Photo opportunities are great, first in the deep blue water with the dolphins and later on the island all is about the volcanic activities which vary greatly in color and smell.
Near the shore we jumped in groups in a small zodiac (rubber boat) hidden in the ship’s belly and drove ashore with our yellow helmets on our head and the gasmask hanging loose around the neck. As this is not my first active volcano I was happy to have the given gas mask at hand as it allows you to breath at ease if you get lulled in by a gas cloud and you can scare your grand-ma with a special photo.
We started our walk of roughly 90 minutes and visited first the big crater, passing fumaroles, boiling mud pools and incredible yellow sulfur vents which looked amazingly in the bright sun light. The look down into the lake revealed constant gases rising from the water surface. At the far side a new crater emerged with the last eruption. Via a different path we went to a nearby beach and walked back via the old sulfur mining company’s remains to the zodiac.
At present the warning level for the volcano was at 1 but can rise up to 2. All safety instructions were given special care (helmets and gas masks are given out before landing) and the 3 person team on the island (Rebecca, Chantal and Matt) were both friendly and knowledgeable. Better still if they wouldn’t know an answer exactly they would search for it in the brochures on the tables or even looked it up with their smart phones on the internet! I was smiling when I recalled one of their many entertaining stories about the Grey Faced Petrel (a type of bird) as I imagined it, darting short sighted at night into a tree, falling and flying down to the bottom to make it to their nests in the burrows. Funny creatures. Highly recommended – and one of the 3 highlights of my tour so far!
The Maori Meeting House Te Manuka Tutahi Marae (right next door of the White Island Rendevous Motel) has an incredible story to be told. Go and visit, it’s a masterpiece of art with beautiful carvings, the entry is free and you will be shown a film about the albeit sad history of the house as it served for 71 years as an exhibit abroad (Australia and England amongst other countries) instead of being what it is – a meeting house for the resident Maori in the area. Recommended.
Tauranga: Spotting and swimming/snorkeling with Dolphins. There are 3 tour operators in Tauranga doing more or less the same thing. Dolphin Seafaris, Dolphin Encounters and Orca Wild Adventrues. I went on a tour with Dolphin Seafaris, www.nzudolphin.com / call free 0800 ECOTRIP or 07 577 01 05, NZD 140 adults and NZD 95 kids up to 12 years. Trips start at 8am daily and you will be back around 2pm. There is coffee, tea and light snacks on board plus plenty of ginger biscuits and a spray for those who might become seasick. The commentary was a bit over excited in my regard but still enjoyable. We got to see 2 schools of common dolphins, the first group had about 25-30 dolphins and the second much less. Because both groups had a young dolphin with them, we weren’t allowed to snorkel/swim with the dolphins but it was beautiful and cute to see the young dolphin leap out of the water in synchrony with his mother. Recommended.
Taupo:
Stayed at the Silver Fern Lodge for a few nights, one of the nicest backpacker options I have ever seen especially for more mature clients. Huge kitchen, cosy beds, Wifi is NZD 4 for 24h. Recommended.
Taupo Quads: Tel 0800 4 QUADS (0800 478 237), cell 07 377 64 04. www.taupoquads.co.nz. Highly recommended – one of the 3 highlights of my tour so far!
The trip out with John Sutton, the witty owner who started the company 20 years ago was an eye-opener. “This is a real adventure”, as he likes to say. You are the boss, you run the risk. If you listen well to the safety briefing, you stay on the path and have a fantastic ride, if not you may fall over and have to pay for your damage. You will quickly find out this is “no tail to head riding”, as you follow your experienced guide, you sit on your quad and drive mostly out of sight of the others through the natural terrain which varies from open space with wide views to forest and down into creeks and so on. Tracks are curvy, small and steep and the scout motto: Be prepared (at all times) is your best advice. Weather beginner or experienced quad biker, here you will learn to improve your skills. Women and kids are welcome as often they are the better students!
I was lucky to be taken out by the legend himself and on the second (impromptu) part I have mastered terrain on the quad I didn’t think would be possible. No experience or licence required. Helmets are provided. Security is high and as long as you don’t overestimate your abilities, be sure you enjoy the ride. Prices: 1h for NZD 95, 2h for NZD 155, credit cards accepted. The only disadvantage is the location. At 24km north of Taupo on Highway 1 towards Hamilton it’s difficult to get there without your own wheels. You can try the Hotbus, tel. 0508 468 287 who will drop you there for around NZD 25 per head. Highly recommended.
Go sailing with the Barbary. www.sailbarbary.com : Tel. 07 378 58 79. Prices adults/kids: NZD 40/10. Timings: 10am, 2pm and 5pm, 2.5h. The evening option includes a bbq for an additional NZD 20 for a deluxe burger or NZD 5 for a hot dog. On all tours there is one free drink included. Soft drink or beer. The ship sails out the Maori carvings and you have the time for a quick swim in the cold water before hopping back on board. The crew is very knowledgeable about the area and will point out interesting factors about the surrounding volcanos an so on. Recommended. PS: The sailing boat “Fearless” offers similar tours but is less advertised and booked.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing: Highly recommended – one of the 3 highlights of my tour so far!
Weather needs to be good, inquire at the nearest i-site, your accommodation or at tel. 07 892 37 29. The walk takes an average of 6.5h and is mostly very well prepared. Still you need to be reasonable fit to conquer the 19.4 km vertical distance, the 800 altimeter up and 1’000 altimeter down and come well prepared for all weather plus with plenty of water and food to the hike.
If you want to take a shuttle bus from Taupo or Turangi (or even Rotorua) to the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, take the Hotbus. Tel. 0508 468 287. Gus, the jovial Maori owner can be a bit difficult to understand on the phone but all will work out well in the end. Recommended. The Vans they use are very comfortable and the pick-up time on the other side of the track is calculated fairly but you won’t have the time to climb the nearby additional summits. That said, if you are very fit, you might scale Ngauruhoe or Tongariro just in time.
Wellington:
Stayed with CS-Hosts, so no recommendations here.
Having walks around Wellington on a fine day is a great thing to do, if the weather turns ugly – visit Te Papa Museum which is open 365 days. Be aware that the museum is huge and with countless small exhibits and many not that clearly labeled it can get exhausting. Admission is still free but there might be special admission which cost a separate entry fee. Took a well over one hour tour and the guide did his best to tell us about his wide knowledge and especially involved kids in his tours. Recommended.
Palmerston North / Feilding:
Stayed in both Grandma’s Place and Pepper Tree Hostel. The former is small and everything is worn but the Grandma and Grandpa are lovely people. Pepper Tree is also aging but a bit more comfortable albeit the couple running the place is much less friendly. Both are NZD 30 per bed.
Rugby Museum: www.rugbymuseum.co.nz. Adults/kids/fam: NZD 12.50 / 5 / 30, 10am – 5pm. Special admission fees for changeable exhibition.
The Rugby Museum is ok, but you have to be a fan of the sport to really appreciate it. Otherwise it’s a dim lit large room, stuffed with memorabilia, photos and a couple of running screens showing some highlighted games.
20th Scout Jamboree, Feilding:
Feilding has won the award for the most beautiful town in NZ for 14 times and it’s nice to wander around the little town. The scout jamboree, packed with 3’000 kids from 9 countries was worthwile but it’s not easy to get in apart from you have a good reason to visit.
Napier – which calls itself the Art Deco Capitol of the world.
Great town in short, very pleasant to walk it’s Art Deco Building lined streets – wonder, shop and eat and of course don’t forget the wine. All of this is easiest done with a tour.
Art Deco Trust, 7 Tennyson Street (behind the new museum-art gallery). Tel. 06 835 19 12. Take a guided Art Deco Walking Tour, around NZD 20 for adults and NZD 5, kids 12 and up at 10am / 2pm or 5pm to explore the city’s heart and find out from your entraining guide how to recognize its different styles: Art Deco, Spanish Mansion etc. Unbelievable; their roughly 140 guides work for free and get just some NZD 5 for petrol! Recommended.
The same place runs much more tours anything from self guided maps available to visitors, to bike and bus tours – even a tour in a vintage car with your own chauffeur, NZD 150, 75 min. up to 4 persons is available.
For a wine tasting take a tour with OdysseyNZ, call free 0508 639 773. www.odyssenz.com .
4 tours are currently available: The odyssey selection from 09.00 -12.30 pm, NZD 79, a wine & gourmet odyssey, 12.30 – 5.30pm for NZD 89, the odyssey experience, 09.30 am – 05.30pm for NZD 199 and the twilight odyssey, 05.30 – 11.30pm for NZD 199. I joined the second tour and it was great. Our friendly driver Brandon drove us to 4 nearby wineries (Mona Park with the best tasting, Unison for a great food platter, Ngatarawa and Salvare) and learned a lot about the wine makers in the area and about wine in general. I never tasted wine in such a relaxed environment and the wine makers, often surprisingly young fellows like to chat about their achievements. Recommended.
MTG (Museum Art Gallery), opposite the i-site is the new showpiece in Napier which opened in Sept 2013. Entry is NZD 15 for adults, children under 15 are free. There are changing exhibitions. Only the one about 1931’s earthquake stays permanently on the lower level. At present among the other exhibitions the one about the Maori artifacts with beautiful carvings is very worthwhile. Count on an hour or so. Annoyingly no photos are allowed anywhere in the museum. Recommended.
East Cape: I hitch-hiked around the East Cape as there is no public transport and this was fairly easy, I don’t have any recommendations as I was taken home by Maori families on the way, went out for Paua (Abalone), Kina (Sea urchin) and Crayfish catching at low tide, learned how to eat them raw and the like.
The Marae which is on the NZD 50 note (Wai-o-matatini Area) was one of the best I have seen and pictured in the country but it’s hard to get there as it is way off the main road and you can’t get in there either if you are not accompanied by a local Maori.
Enjoy New Zealand and Kia kaha (be strong),
Roger
