The Great Escape (from Auckland)
Sorry for the slow-coming updates. I have been very lazy so far while in Masterton! :)
I didn't sleep too well in my car the night before I left Auckland... first I tried curling up in the back seat, but being six feet tall, I got cramped up quickly. I switched to the reclined passenger seat, and even though I couldn't lay flat, I did fall asleep for a couple hours at a time. When I woke up again at 7am, I hopped in the driver's seat and got the heck out of there!
I planned to stop in at an AA office and get my free reciprical membership card (I'm not sure if the NZ AA has partnerships with other countries, but if you are a member of the Alberta Motor Association or maybe other Canadian branches, the NZ AA will give you a complimentary six month membership!). The problem was, I left my AMA card in Canada. When I was in Orewa though, I stopped in at the AA there to ask if a scanned copy would suffice. The nice lady there said yes, and that I could take it to any other AA and they would honour it. So, I stopped in at one in south Auckland, but when I explained the situation to the employee there, she flat out said it couldn't be done... they would not accept a photocopy, scan, etc... it MUST be the original. Frustrated with this answer but not willing to give up, I thought I would email the lady in Orewa later and ask for her advice. However, I saw another AA office before long and decided to try my luck there instead. Well lo and behold, the lady there was more than happy to give me my membership, and didn't even require a printed copy of the scan (I just showed it to her on my laptop screen!). She didn't even write down my AMA #. So it just go to show that if you don't get the answer you're looking for the first time, try again -- similar to asking dad if your mum says no, hahaha. :)
My destination was the Coromandel Peninsula, a favourite holiday destination for Auckland dwellers and for good reason, with it's beautiful forests and sparkling blue waters. I followed the coastal route out there, which went through several cute townships and rolling farmland. I breathed a sigh of relief -- I was finally in the New Zealand I knew and loved!
These Jersey cows had a million dollar view from their pasture, which was fringed by thick blossoms of a variety of flowers.
Jersey's just have the sweetest faces. I want one.
Om nom nom!
While I was taking pictures of the cows, the lady from the property across the street came out to get her mail , and struck up a friendly conversation, asking if I was keen on cows and told me about her neighbour's herd. Country people are always so nice. :)
This was her pond that was visible from the road, with tiny white flowers in it, creating a floating carpet.
She told me the area was big on polo, and that there were polo ponies just up the road.
I saw these horses with matching blankets and guessed they might be part of the string.
I saw lots of these pink flowers growing alongside the road, and they were just amazing with their lush, tightly packed blossoms.
I arrived in the town of Thames, the hub for the Coromandel, and decided to stay at a hostel there since a) I needed a good night's sleep after my car sleeping fail, and b) I didn't have a pillow or a foamie for my tent yet. The thrift shop in town was closed but I made plans to check it out the next day to see if I could get these items. I wandered down the street and found a photography studio open, and had a nice chat with the owner.
Snow's in town? What, where?! *flees*
The sun setting over the water.
The next morning, I found a comfy pillow at the thrift store, but no foamie, so I had to settle for a comforter to fold in half for some padding. When I went to leave, the town's Santa Claus parade was just started and I had parked on the street, so I was blocked in until all the floats passed, unless they would consider letting my Sentra join as a classic car! :p Here's some quick point 'n shoot photos I took of the parade.
Brave kid!
Hahah, the sailboat mast was going to get caught on the power line, so they had to dismantle it. :p
Once I was able to get out of town, I headed up the Kauaeranga Valley, a well-loved area in the Coromandel with many bush walks and camp sites. It was very lush and had an interesting landscape, with mini mountains jutting out here and there.
A particularly unique part of the landscape is known as The Pinnacles and was even a location in the third Lord of the Rings movie. It looked like a great hike -- but when I found out it was 3-4 hours ONE WAY, I changed my mind! That's what Google Image Search is for. I did start up the trail just to see what it was like though.
The trail starts out innocently enough...
Then we have to cimb some root steps.
And what's this? Maximum load 1 person? It must be...
...an impressively small suspension bridge of doom!
I even took a video for you.
I went up some stairs that apparently went up to a viewpoint, but it wasn't much to look at.
However, I will use this opportunity to give you stair vertigo.
I returned after this, and chose what I thought would be an easier/shorter trail, a 45 minute track called "Waterfall Dams". Yes, I still have an obsession with waterfalls. :) The first part crossed the river again, which was significantly more rocky here (but had no bridge -- not sure what you do when the water's high).
It was a little overgrown.
I passed by this sign indicating the trail was not in top condition, but I thought, "Psh, I'm a moderate tramper! How bad could it be, anyway?
But it did start to look pretty unused...
Crossing another creek.
And then it started going up. I thought it would just go up for a bit and then level off, but it just kept going and going!
Disappointingly, for all my effort, this was the best "up high" view I got.
DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A TRAIL TO YOU?
It got so overgrown and narrow that I actually lost the track a few times and had to backtrack to find it again.
After an hour and a half slogging uphill in the humidity through what felt like the untamed Costa Rician jungle, I finally gave up. I never give up. But it didn't seem like I was ever going to get there, and visions of losing the trail and being unable to find my way back started to overtake my mind. I reluctantly started back down, which was just as hard as going up, since it was so steep, and was pleased when I saw a light at the end of the tunnel [of overgrown bush].
See? Jungle!
I decided to camp at one of the Dept. of Conservation (DOC) sites that night, and chose a spot right next to the river. In what was probably a most comical display, I struggled to set up my one-man tent -- I've never been good at figuring out where the poles go or what order they go in, etc. when tenting, but come on... it's a tiny tent and there are only three poles, Sarah! I got them in, but couldn't figure out how to make the tent STAND UP. Finally I figured out that I had them in backwards. :p Durr. I forgot to take a picture of my setup, but I did the next time I camped, so it's coming.
When I went to walk back to pay my registration fee, I said hello to the couple camping near to me, and ended up having a conversation that lasted the rest of the night! They had a campfire going and even though I am She Who Attracts Smoke, I very much enjoyed sitting around the fire, since that is the epitome of camping for a Canadian, and unfortunately there are a lot of fire bans in New Zealand that usually make it impossible. Sue and John were amused by my tales of bad luck, but meeting them was a stroke of GOOD luck since they fed me breakfast in the morning (OH YEAH, no milk powder and stale cereal for me! We had BACON). I then headed out to explore further up the Coromandel Peninsula and got a flat tire. Oh well, I TRIED to think positive. Story in the next entry!
I didn't sleep too well in my car the night before I left Auckland... first I tried curling up in the back seat, but being six feet tall, I got cramped up quickly. I switched to the reclined passenger seat, and even though I couldn't lay flat, I did fall asleep for a couple hours at a time. When I woke up again at 7am, I hopped in the driver's seat and got the heck out of there!
I planned to stop in at an AA office and get my free reciprical membership card (I'm not sure if the NZ AA has partnerships with other countries, but if you are a member of the Alberta Motor Association or maybe other Canadian branches, the NZ AA will give you a complimentary six month membership!). The problem was, I left my AMA card in Canada. When I was in Orewa though, I stopped in at the AA there to ask if a scanned copy would suffice. The nice lady there said yes, and that I could take it to any other AA and they would honour it. So, I stopped in at one in south Auckland, but when I explained the situation to the employee there, she flat out said it couldn't be done... they would not accept a photocopy, scan, etc... it MUST be the original. Frustrated with this answer but not willing to give up, I thought I would email the lady in Orewa later and ask for her advice. However, I saw another AA office before long and decided to try my luck there instead. Well lo and behold, the lady there was more than happy to give me my membership, and didn't even require a printed copy of the scan (I just showed it to her on my laptop screen!). She didn't even write down my AMA #. So it just go to show that if you don't get the answer you're looking for the first time, try again -- similar to asking dad if your mum says no, hahaha. :)
My destination was the Coromandel Peninsula, a favourite holiday destination for Auckland dwellers and for good reason, with it's beautiful forests and sparkling blue waters. I followed the coastal route out there, which went through several cute townships and rolling farmland. I breathed a sigh of relief -- I was finally in the New Zealand I knew and loved!
These Jersey cows had a million dollar view from their pasture, which was fringed by thick blossoms of a variety of flowers.
Jersey's just have the sweetest faces. I want one.
Om nom nom!
While I was taking pictures of the cows, the lady from the property across the street came out to get her mail , and struck up a friendly conversation, asking if I was keen on cows and told me about her neighbour's herd. Country people are always so nice. :)
This was her pond that was visible from the road, with tiny white flowers in it, creating a floating carpet.
She told me the area was big on polo, and that there were polo ponies just up the road.
I saw these horses with matching blankets and guessed they might be part of the string.
I saw lots of these pink flowers growing alongside the road, and they were just amazing with their lush, tightly packed blossoms.
I arrived in the town of Thames, the hub for the Coromandel, and decided to stay at a hostel there since a) I needed a good night's sleep after my car sleeping fail, and b) I didn't have a pillow or a foamie for my tent yet. The thrift shop in town was closed but I made plans to check it out the next day to see if I could get these items. I wandered down the street and found a photography studio open, and had a nice chat with the owner.
Snow's in town? What, where?! *flees*
The sun setting over the water.
The next morning, I found a comfy pillow at the thrift store, but no foamie, so I had to settle for a comforter to fold in half for some padding. When I went to leave, the town's Santa Claus parade was just started and I had parked on the street, so I was blocked in until all the floats passed, unless they would consider letting my Sentra join as a classic car! :p Here's some quick point 'n shoot photos I took of the parade.
Brave kid!
Hahah, the sailboat mast was going to get caught on the power line, so they had to dismantle it. :p
Once I was able to get out of town, I headed up the Kauaeranga Valley, a well-loved area in the Coromandel with many bush walks and camp sites. It was very lush and had an interesting landscape, with mini mountains jutting out here and there.
A particularly unique part of the landscape is known as The Pinnacles and was even a location in the third Lord of the Rings movie. It looked like a great hike -- but when I found out it was 3-4 hours ONE WAY, I changed my mind! That's what Google Image Search is for. I did start up the trail just to see what it was like though.
The trail starts out innocently enough...
Then we have to cimb some root steps.
And what's this? Maximum load 1 person? It must be...
...an impressively small suspension bridge of doom!
I even took a video for you.
I went up some stairs that apparently went up to a viewpoint, but it wasn't much to look at.
However, I will use this opportunity to give you stair vertigo.
I returned after this, and chose what I thought would be an easier/shorter trail, a 45 minute track called "Waterfall Dams". Yes, I still have an obsession with waterfalls. :) The first part crossed the river again, which was significantly more rocky here (but had no bridge -- not sure what you do when the water's high).
It was a little overgrown.
I passed by this sign indicating the trail was not in top condition, but I thought, "Psh, I'm a moderate tramper! How bad could it be, anyway?
But it did start to look pretty unused...
Crossing another creek.
And then it started going up. I thought it would just go up for a bit and then level off, but it just kept going and going!
Disappointingly, for all my effort, this was the best "up high" view I got.
DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A TRAIL TO YOU?
It got so overgrown and narrow that I actually lost the track a few times and had to backtrack to find it again.
After an hour and a half slogging uphill in the humidity through what felt like the untamed Costa Rician jungle, I finally gave up. I never give up. But it didn't seem like I was ever going to get there, and visions of losing the trail and being unable to find my way back started to overtake my mind. I reluctantly started back down, which was just as hard as going up, since it was so steep, and was pleased when I saw a light at the end of the tunnel [of overgrown bush].
See? Jungle!
I decided to camp at one of the Dept. of Conservation (DOC) sites that night, and chose a spot right next to the river. In what was probably a most comical display, I struggled to set up my one-man tent -- I've never been good at figuring out where the poles go or what order they go in, etc. when tenting, but come on... it's a tiny tent and there are only three poles, Sarah! I got them in, but couldn't figure out how to make the tent STAND UP. Finally I figured out that I had them in backwards. :p Durr. I forgot to take a picture of my setup, but I did the next time I camped, so it's coming.
When I went to walk back to pay my registration fee, I said hello to the couple camping near to me, and ended up having a conversation that lasted the rest of the night! They had a campfire going and even though I am She Who Attracts Smoke, I very much enjoyed sitting around the fire, since that is the epitome of camping for a Canadian, and unfortunately there are a lot of fire bans in New Zealand that usually make it impossible. Sue and John were amused by my tales of bad luck, but meeting them was a stroke of GOOD luck since they fed me breakfast in the morning (OH YEAH, no milk powder and stale cereal for me! We had BACON). I then headed out to explore further up the Coromandel Peninsula and got a flat tire. Oh well, I TRIED to think positive. Story in the next entry!