Friday 2nd February
Sandra:
Journey to Whangamata – another reasonable journey time today which did not necessitate a very early start. I had enjoyed my stay in Tauranga far more than I had expected – a lively an interesting place. We followed the coast for part of the way, in and out or over inlets which are a feature of this part of the coast – we would certainly see more of that over the coming few days. We were still very much in horticultural growing areas and there were all types of fruit and veg on sale for the local buyer as well as more commercial growers. We had started to see vineyards, orchards etc all covered in miles of netting – other than obvious reasons we pondered as to why some rows were not and the others were. It would take to the final day on Waikeke Island for us to find out the proper reason.
We were on the lookout for a coffee stop and the town of Katikati was next on the map. What an absolute find. As you drive down the High Street – the odd mural may catch your eye but that is only the tip of the iceberg. We found a lovely café – obviously popular with the locals – their offering matched that and we had a lovely coffee and, of course, cake. It was whilst we were there we found out more about the town and its famous murals all over the buildings in town. The stop then became a visit whilst I parked up, Richard went about taking some fabulous photos, many depicting the history as a gold mining town too. On our travels, we have often come across little gems of places like this – they don’t always appear in guidebooks but to miss them is, as the saying goes, to miss out.
As we were looking to lose some time on our short journey, we decided to take a scenic yellow road and have a look at the northern end of Tauranga harbour. We followed the road and came to a right turning – no exit but promised to show us some great scenes and possibly some boats waiting at anchor to get into port. We drove as far as we could and there was a lovely scenic reserve and picnic area and a drive up onto a headland where you could indeed see the northern part of Tauranga Harbour. It was a lovely day at this point and we passed by some very expensive looking houses indeed. We had learnt that this area is a favourite weekend haunt of more affluent Aucklanders – it was easy to see why. That plus the many huge yachts and motor boats that were in the many marinas we passed.
Photos taken, we returned and completed the scenic detour – this led us to Whiritoa Beach where we ate our usual prepared packed lunch.
The motel was certainly very comfortable and a leisurely evening and good sleep followed – it was a very quiet place indeed.
Stop 27 | Blakes Court Motel | Whangamata | 3 nights | NZ$180/night
Todays journey:
Saturday 3rd February
The reason for our 3 night stay at this motel was due to
wanting to visit the Coromandel Peninsula.
Although where we were staying is only just technically inside the ‘area,’
when booking a motel earlier in the trip, we found that there were very few
available and those that were, were fully booked.
There were several reasons for this – some of which you may have read about in last years news about this time. In February/March 2023, one of the worst recorded cyclones in New Zealand’s history – Gabrielle rattled through North Island of New Zealand and wrought severe destruction and a good number of people lost their lives sadly. Auckland city down by the harbour area was under about 4ft of water too. One thing I did remember was that Auckland Airport was shut for a good few days as it was under a few feet of water. Even now, almost a year later, you can still the repairs going on all over the island and parts of Auckland City are building sites due to new sewers etc having to be installed. The Coromandel was particularly badly hit and was cut off for days – in fact, some of the roads did not reopen until just before we arrived in New Zealand. We had seen evidence of some major roadworks going on – new bridges etc and had been complementing them on doing so much for the infrastructure – now we knew why. Also, houses are for sale absolutely everywhere on the peninsula. In parts it seems like whole streets are on the market. When chatting with the motel owner about this, she said many people had left the area as they did not want to live somewhere where they could be cut off for such a long time. Many tourist businesses closed and have not reopened including motels of course.
Today was the turn of the East Coast of the peninsula – Richard was at the wheel and he enjoyed a day of good driving over twisty and in places very hilly roads. We paused at Tairua Marina to take some photos of yet more boats and equally choose our favourite ones each. There is some serious money parked up in these places. We pondered on how many of them actually made it out of the harbour for any serious length of time. We returned to the town centre and parked up for a coffee – an amble up and down the small high street was interesting and the usual very clean public toilets. It had fortunately stopped raining for a while but it was never far away.
The next main town was Whitianga and this was to be our lunch stop. We managed to park in a lovely car park sitting under the trees – it was very windy but the sun came out for a while and it was a very pleasant stop.
We also had a good look at the maps and decided to visit one place which regularly shows up in the guidebooks – Hot Water Beach.
We decided to make a stop here though at a lovely café which again was in the guidebooks. A lovely little Oasis as by now it was very hot and humid. We ordered a pot of tea and took some pleasant bench seats in the little garden. Only for less than a minute later the rain made its presence felt and then some. We and the other guests made a beeline for indoors, shutting open patio doors etc, such was the severity of the rain. As is the case, it lasted no more than 10 minutes and was gone again. A nice little bonus of a stop.
A final stop on the way back to the motel was at the Mount Paku peninsula that shields Tiarua from the Pacific Ocean, unfortunately the rain had returned with a vengeance so there were no more photos.
We returned to the motel and as it had, or at least we though it had, stopped raining for a while, I put the washing on. That was all well and good but then I had to sit in the laundry – no more than 20ft from our room door whilst yet another tropical downpour went through. We had certainly seen plenty of rain during our time on the East Coast of North Island.
Our usual dinner and as the WiFi signal was not the strongest – some pre recorded TV, XWord and bed for a good night’s sleep again.
Sunday 4th February
We awoke to the promise of much better weather and it proved to be the case. Our usual morning routine completed it was my turn to drive – this time up the West Coast. In terms of miles to go it is really not that far but in time you can double it due to two things, the twisty and hilly roads and the desire to take many photos of the stunning scenery.
The first major town at the bottom of the west coast is named Thames – it sits at the end of the Firth of Thames – in essence the end of a sea inlet. The guidebooks advised that the water would be very unappealing, sandy and grey looking. It is not polluted, it is a victim of its geography, it is slowly but surely silting up with sand. The tide has little or no impact at this point although it is still 100% sea water. It also mentioned that Thames was quite a historic place – however we were not to discover this until the return journey later that day. We had a time to work towards and the road followed, almost at sea level the whole way up the peninsula, twisting and turning as we went – there were still lots of roadworks going on and queues were inevitable.
A very pleasant drive indeed although there were no coffee stops until we reached our destination – Coromandel Town.
Coromandel Town was a pleasant little place and we soon parked up and found a great coffee stop. There is some history here too related to gold mining and the High Street had some old buildings including a replica of your typical Western style hotel where people would have tied up their horses in times gone past. A little Information Centre was very helpful and gave us information on our destination after lunch – this was the timed event and was still a little further north.
We then drove up to our visitor attraction – the Driving Creek Railway. A lucky find on the web. I will leave Richard to kindly tell the story and share his photos.
This attraction was a cracking find by Sandra and excellent value too. It was the dream of a chap called Barry Brickell, originally from Auckland, whose first love was actually pottery. It’s worth reading about how the railway came about HERE
Narrow gauge track from an old coal mine zig zags it’s way up the mountainside, the area being restored to pre-colonial times with native trees. At it’s highest point it’s 173m above sea level, the look out point at the top named the Eyefull Tower, the design of which was based on a lighthouse in Auckland harbour. It was an enjoyable ride through the undergrowth but, needless to say, the views from the top were stunning. It’s New Zealand after all.
Sandra:
I enjoyed it very much – the vision of one man is something to behold and its great that it is continuing well after his passing. The train driver we had was from County Galway, so was happy to chat and she explained a lot of the background of what had happened in 2023.
I got to do the drive back to the motel, very enjoyable and it served remind us that so much of our time in New Zealand is not just about the destination but the journey too, it can be equally as enjoyable.
Monday 5th February
Another gorgeous morning weather wise but it’s probably fair to say the mood was a little subdued as we were to be heading back to Auckland and another step closer to the end of what has been an awesome trip.
There was very little to discard food wise, just some milk and cooking oil which we left for the owner to make use of. The tea bags went with us – experience has taught us that the ones on offer in the various places with stayed vary considerably in quality.
I took the wheel first, in the knowledge that this would likely by the last drive of our fab rental car the Hyundai Elantra. We headed north again and again west, crossing the bottom of the Coromandel on the road that had only recently been reopened after the cyclone in 2023.
Sandra:
We made for Thames, for coffee and the usual loo stop. There was much more to it than at first appeared and we found a lovely café – again frequented by locals. There is also a lovely statue of Sir Keith Park, a gentleman from the area who fought in WWII and gained high rank. The statue is very lifelike and a useful information board is to one side. Another reminder of the very close links between our two countries in times of war.
Sandra had the con for the next part of the journey, which turned out to be all the way into Auckland. We joined the SH2, then turned north onto the SH1. The roads were largely straight, the topography flat and it felt like we were leaving all the fabulous scenery behind. I was trying not to get morose but it wasn’t easy.
There was one more stop to make before we returned the car – she needed filling up to avoid excess charges for fuel. Sadly my navigational skills were found wanting and we took a rather circuitous route, traversing a couple of roads more than once! Car duly juiced up I drove the few minutes to the rental centre and reluctantly handed the keys back. A taxi took us to our hotel in the city, only a couple of blocks away from the one where we started our trip back in December. Our packed lunch was consumed, then followed a nap.
If there’s one thing I missed whilst we’ve been away is – you guessed it – real ale. I’ve had plenty of nice bottled beers but no proper hand pulled ale. That was about to change however – a google a few days prior had revealed a brew pub in one of the suburbs that offered a changing range of real ales, including English style bitters. They did food too so that was our evening meal sorted.
The only fly in the ale was how to get there? It was way too far to walk and whilst our experience of taxis in Auckland had been good it had also been expensive with, it seemed, a minimum fare of NZ$20. I was reluctant to pay that sort of money just to have a proper pint so - and I can hear Trev, as an ex-cabbie, turning on his soap box – I downloaded the Uber app. Much cheaper, something like 3 quid each way. Sorted.
Well, the food was ok, nothing special, but the beer was superb – first a best bitter then a potent stout – they went down rather too well but at nearly 8 quid for the stout I eschewed a third pint. A nice treat though.
Todays journey:
Tuesday 6th February
Our last full day in New Zealand and we’d pre-booked something rather than risk moping about – a trip to Waiheke Island. In fact it was just as well we’d done so as, although we’d not realised at the time, it was Waitangi Day, a public holiday, right at the end of the school summer holidays so the ferry and island was likely to be busy, particularly given it was a fabulous day weather wise too.
The 45 minute boat ride to the island was very pleasant and soon after arriving at the quay we boarded a hop on/off coach to ensure we would see as much as possible.
First stop was Oneroa for, as you’ve probably guessed, coffee and cake. A small notice on the counter advised a 10% surcharge due to it being a public holiday. We’d seen this before, it’s not uncommon and I have no problem with it – if employees are prepared to work on such days they should be rewarded. Hopefully they see some of that 10%.
Next stop was Onetangi beach on the north coast for lunch. The hotel in Auckland had a fridge so we were able to make up our usual packed lunch and we found a nice spot under a tree to sit and devour it.
Thanks to it’s climate Waiheke is blessed with a plethora of vineyards and we stopped off at one for a cuppa and a glass, or two. There were stunning views out across the island and back to Auckland.
The wine was superb but at NZ$55 a bottle I wasn’t about to buy any – there was a shop back in Oneroa that stocked wine from all the vineyards on the island so I planned to pick something up from there on the way back to the boat.
We didn’t have to wait long for the bus and as per usual the driver’s commentary was informative and entertaining. There was one stop we were going to make that wasn’t on the schedule, that being a deli which apparently produced the best meat pies on the island. The driver was followed in by two of the passengers – one of which was me – and the steak and cheese pie was delicious. The diet starts soon…
A bottle of merlot was procured back in Oneroa, along with a couple of ice creams before we made our way back to the boat and thence to Auckland. We agreed it had been a fabulous outing and a fitting end to the trip.
That evening we decided to eat at the pub that we chose for our first night in New Zealand back in December – the Shakespeare. We booked a table online up in the restaurant and after a shower I squeezed into my leather jeans for the first time since we arrived – clearly they’d shrunk in the heat!
Sadly our experience of the pub wasn’t the same – the upstairs was closed off and there was no table service. They were clearly short staffed and the chap behind the bar looked harassed and was the nearest we’d come to a Sales Prevention Officer – a very rare thing in NZ. The food at least was just as good though.
Sandra:
There is obviously a staffing shortage – much the same as in the UK, I wondered aloud where all the students had gone – the backbone of the hospitality sector pre-COVID. By the time we had finished our main course, they were clearly shutting up and the outside tables and umbrellas were being wheeled in and I suspect before we had even returned to our hotel, less than 5 minutes away it would have been shut up. The time was about 8pm. I also wondered just how much longer an establishment like that – at the height of the summer season would be able to continue trading – sadly not that long I fear which would be a great shame given its long history in the city.
Back in the hotel room the coach from Heathrow to Brighton was booked, then time for a bit of telly before bed. We are currently ploughing through Last of the Summer Wine and enjoying them very much – much more than when I was a kid. The idea of old men behaving badly really appeals for some reason!
Wednesday 7th February
We awoke to our last day in Auckland – it was bright, sunny and warm. Hotel breakfast consumed, we returned to our room which we had booked until the following day and finished off packing, showers and preparation. The Airport Shuttle was booked for 2.30pm – could have done with being a bit later but they were fully booked. A lot of long distance flights leave overnight and so later ones are always taken first. We duly made our way down to the reception and a quick phone call from the driver advising he was nearly there and we were soon boarded. A little trip round Auckland to pick up a few others and we were soon at the International Departures. Due to our early pickup we had a bit of a wait for the check in desks to open but seats were procured and time passed. Once bags had been checked in, we made our way to the Emirates Lounge – another treat but like when we left London, so worth it. My transfer assistance worked like clockwork – there was considerable distances to be covered between the Lounge and departure gate. We duly boarded and settled in for an up to 17 hours flight – eek. Truth be told, after the dinner – the usual chicken but still lovely, we both fell asleep and had reasonable stretches of sleep on an off.
I wont lie, it was an emotional day, leaving Auckland behind as the shuttle weaved its way towards the airport, then the moment the aircraft left the runway and we left New Zealand behind. We’d had the trip of a lifetime and yes, I had something in my eye again, several times.
Thursday 8th February
Sandra:
We landed in Dubai pretty much on time and were met by transfer assistance once more – even more than in Heathrow and Auckland was this an absolute necessity. We were changing terminals this time – thank goodness for a 2.5 hour changeover time! We then passed about an hour of being moved along a system, using electric buggies, to eventually arrive at our departure gate. We were soon boarded and took off on our final flight to Heathrow. 7 hours did not seem that long after the previous flight. The staff were excellent as usual, the flight was not that full and time passed well with the odd nap or too.
Arrival into Heathrow was not as plain sailing, or should I say flying? We were put into a stack over Essex and proceeded to spend the next half hour or so going round in circles. It’s a regular occurrence so we were not that surprised. We descended out of the sunshine, through the clouds and landed in a grey, damp and unappealing Heathrow Airport.
Assistance worked well again and we ended up in baggage reclaim. All was going well and we had in mind our 14.05 coach departure from the Heathrow Coach station. Then the baggage reclaim belt stopped working unexpectedly, no explanation given and it remained like that for at least 20 minutes – by this time we realised that there was no way that we would make the 14.05 coach, so I fired up the app and changed it to 15.05 – the app said confirmed and that was it, or so we thought!
We arrived at the coach gate with about 10 minutes max to go. We showed the driver the app – it had not yet changed it to 15.05 but you could see it was changed. Go and see the counter desk he said, he did not have a working machine on his bus, allegedly!! That for a fit person would be a sprint of 2-3 minutes, providing the counter staff played ball. For me that would take longer. Richard stayed with the coach whilst I went to the counter. The grump SPO retorted – you will have to buy a new ticket – I was exhausted and in no way wanting to delay our getting home, agreed – I would sort it out when we got home. I then made my way back to towards the door – only for Richard to come through with me a minute away, he has gone would not wait. To say we were both more than annoyed is an understatement. We returned to the counter and the chap said – you missed it so you will have to buy a 3rd ticket. I think being faced with two very angry and tired people he saw sense and, lo and behold, produced a 3rd ticket without having to pay for it. An official complaint will be going in once we return to Chester. For the sake of a minute or two, their reputation has been severely tarnished in our eyes. Suffice it to say, I personally would think twice about ever using them again.
We’d not been back in the UK two hours and already New Zealand seemed a lifetime away. Miserable weather, unhelpful people, gawd it was depressing but I was determined not to dwell on it, we’d had an amazing time in an amazing country and it’s the memories of that we shall treasure.
And we are determined to return, one day.
Sandra:
We arrived back in Brighton and an Uber taxi was soon there. We were running late but friends came to help us out at the flat with the Asda delivery and getting the luggage back up – we were so grateful.
A chill and an early night beckoned. We were back in the UK!
Time to bring this series of blog posts to a close, very many thanks for the likes, shares and lovely comments, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed sharing our trip with you.
Cheers
Rich & Sandra
