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over 100 companies featured
"It has long been known that one
horse can run faster than another - but which one? Differences are crucial."
-Robert Heinlein / Time enough for love @ 1973
Written by Luc Callebaut & Jackie Lee
on s/v Sloepmouche Compiled in April/May 2004 and written in December 2004.
This
special report reflects our own experience during our several tours in
New Zealand in April & May 2004 and is definitely subjective (whoever says
he writes something objective fools himself J). Not all products and services are equal, but
everybody enjoys experiencing the best quality at the best value! Too
often, people complain about their own poor experiences but do not recommend
enough those companies that met their expectations! We would like others to
benefit from our experience (local knowledge is always precious!) and to gather
great memories like we have. But like they say in financial circles, past
performances are no guarantee for future results … but a good track record
generally is a good indicator of top quality!
We hope to
avoid any inaccuracies, and with that goal in mind, we emailed a copy of this
report to all companies mentioned. Any comments they sent us was considered
before editing the final version of this report.
We think it
is important to let companies know what you think about their products and
services so they can ameliorate, and we can encourage those ‘top’ companies by
recommending them to many friends! And remember, tipping guides and
personnel who really made your experience a great one, are always appreciated
and do encourage them to keep up the good work!
Before
making these tours, we researched information about touring New Zealand
so we could decide which areas and which activities we wanted to experience. As
with any country, it takes years to fully discover NZ. But as typical cruisers,
our time was limited and we wanted to experience the best NZ has to offer
without becoming full time residents J We consulted several web sites on
the internet, from the official tourism sites to the commercial sites. We wrote
emails to many companies (more than 250!) to narrow down what we wanted to do
and to design several itineraries offering a maximum of interest with
the least hassle in transportation.
From the
beginning, we were very impressed by the way tourism is handled in this
beautiful country. They want our business and are ready to excel in their
services. Do not hesitate to email companies directly to ask them any
question you may have; we found them very helpful and prompt to answer. Prices
seemed to be about 30% less expensive than similar services in Europe or the US
for the same, or better, quality product.
So why not take advantage?
Splurge, and really enjoy ‘pure NZ’!
Several of
our cruiser friends seemed to spend too much of their time in the vicinity of
the marinas they were in and too little time touring the 4 corners of this interesting
country! Why part, wishing to have done more? Why not do it and leave without
regrets?
This
report, we hope, will give you many ideas and encourage you to discover NZ on
your own! Please, feel free, to disseminate this document as long as you don’t
alter it in any way and transmit it whole, as it is.
Have fun
Luc &
Jackie
We studied
and compared all different modes of transportation available for travel inside
NZ: plane, train, bus, car, camper-van & ferry. We decided to experience
most of them to vary our trips.
By plane:
Expensive
for the mileage you get (despite some regular promotions), fast if you are in a
hurry but does not allow any sightseeing!
Note: to
travel outside NZ, we used Polynesian Airlines.
Polynesian
Airlines
They
offered great service and low season specials to California, Fiji, Samoa &
Tonga.
By train:
Tranz
Scenic offers reliable transport on three main lines in the most popular areas
of the country. The trains are comfortable with large picture windows for
sightseeing. Fast Foods available, but there is no dedicated dining car. Some cars have paired seats around tables,
some are passenger seating only, as on a plane. Some have a comfortable public
lounge area. No beds on the night trains.
Tranz
Scenic
Ph:
0800-872 467
Unique
train journeys on three routes.
1)
Overlander/Northerner : This route traverses the North Island
north/south. Auckland to/from
Wellington during the day (Overlander) or the night (Northerner). The brand new, sparkling Britomart train
station is right in downtown Auckland at Queen and Quay St. It is also the
station for the city buses, and commuter trains. In Wellinton, the station is
on the waterfront right across street from the Interisland Lynx Ferry terminal
that crosses the channel between North and South Island.
2)
TranzCoastal: Picton to/from Christ Church along the east
coast of the South Island offering many coastal views. The train station is
within walking distance to the ferry terminal in Picton, but the station in
Christchurch is several km from the city center or the airport, and is quite
hidden and difficult to find if you drive there by car. Arranging a
share/shuttle or taking a metro-bus is the most economical.
3)
TranzAlpine: Christchurch to/from Greymouth. This route
crosses from East to West coast traversing the famous scenic Southern Alps of
the South Island (and may be the safest way to traverse the summit during the
snow season). In Greymouth the train
station is only a few blocks from the small town center, but may be some
distance from your accommodation, so get details when you book your stay.
By bus:
A myriad of
reliable bus companies offer regular connections and touring to the main
centers of interest. There is a formula
for every price range and range of service (and even Asian ethnic group!) These
are the ones we experienced:
InterCity Coach
Lines/ Newmans Line
Ph: 09-913
6100
NZ’s only
nationwide coach network. This bus line has routes to almost every town and
city on New Zealand’s road system. We booked all our bus travel on a 2 in 1
Travel Pass. (see below). We used this
bus line extensively for the majority of
our traveling in NZ, because the timetables offered so many possibilities
to get us to destinations, and in many cases, JUST in time to make a scheduled
activity. Some of the busiest routes
are transport city to city only, but many of the routes include interesting
commentary by the drivers on history, natural features, and the development of
areas on the route. Some of the drivers
have that great dry wit characteristic of New Zealanders, and most are very
helpful and accommodating. Some of the
routes, like those of the west coast and southern routes of the South Island,
and from Waitomo to Rotorua on the North Island included stops to visit sites
of interest, panoramas, coffee and lunch stops at quaint cafes and fruit
stands. In the remote areas in the low season, some buses even picked us up at
our accommodations when we requested ahead of time, or dropped us off at
activity location that was on the same road.
Most buses were new or well-kept, and very clean and comfortable. Surprisingly, most don’t have on board
toilets, so they try to make frequent enough stops.
Magic
Travellers Network New Zealand
Ph: 09- 358
5600
NZ flexible
bus transport network for the independent traveler. We used Magic Bus’s
Backpackers travel system. Used mostly
by the young adult, single, traveler-on-a-budget, (Called “Backpackers” in the lingo). This system is very flexible, in that it
allows people to make the tourist circuit of all of New Zealand by taking these
buses and hopping off wherever they want, and stay however long they want, then
taking the next bus to the next location they want, etc. The Magic Bus even books accommodations for
you, signs you up for tours and activities, and makes stops at places of
interest. It’s like having a big
brother to look out for you and take care of the bothersome details. Several multi-pass programs are offered and
you can tailor your whole itinerary any way you like. Not all routes are available every day in the low season.
We went
with them from Greymouth to Franz Josef making some interesting, fun stops,
arriving in time to get up on the afternoon glacier tour.
Magic Bus
Company was enthusiastic about supporting and having a presence on www.NOONSITE.com, the most important
informational world-wide website for sailing cruisers, and we thank them for
helping to keep this great information resource alive and growing. Look for their Gold page on noonsite. If you use them, please express your
appreciation for their support.
Kiwi
Experience
Ph: 09- 366
9830
Adventure
Travel Network of New Zealand This is
another company providing the same “backpackers” travel formula as the Magic
Bus covering basically the same routes and sights, with some variations in
schedules and who they book accommodations and activities with. They have a reputation for attracting the
really young (college-age), adventurous, night-life loving, crowds. We took the Kiwi Experience Bus for the 12
hr. day-trip to Milford Sound because they were the only company that included
the Milford Deep Underwater Observatory with the boat cruise on Milford Sound
in their package. The driver was a wild
looking Maori fellow who really knows every turn in that twisting torturous
route. He safely and cheerfully got us there and back to Queenstown on a foggy
rainy day, and showed us some incredible sights.
By Car:
Numerous
car rental companies to choose from, some more serious than others. Better
rental prices for longer rental periods. Beware of what is included and not
(liability, insurance, assistance in case of breakdown, drop-off charges,
…). Often the great advertised rates
won’t be so great when you add in those exclusions, and you may be better off
with the more well-known rental companies.
We found
the combination of renting a car and staying at B&Bs, hostels (called
Backpackers) or economy accommodation an excellent combination! Roads are good,
but narrow, and there are many 1-lane bridges even on major highways, some even
shared by the trains! Driving on the
left maybe dangerously confusing for “righties” at the beginning.
Hertz
Ph:0800-501
301
Nationwide
network of vehicle rentals. We went
with a well-known, quality company and paid by our Platinum credit card to get
supplemental insurance at no cost, although Hertz’s rates include the maximum
insurance that you can get in NZ. Be
aware tho, that no insurance covers windshield (wind screen) damage; (every
kiwi’s got a divit in theirs!) Neither
does it cover rubber components eaten by the alpine parrots, the Kea (no joke!)
Hertz came
through with their high quality service as usual, and even gave us 2 free
up-grades!
By Camper-Van:
We really
wanted to explore some of NZ by camper but we finally didn’t for several
reasons (confirmed later on, after our trip). The maneuverability on narrow
roads & in town is not as good as cars. The nights can be quite cool, so
you are warmer in an accommodation. Credit cards offering free car rental
liability insurance often do not cover camper-vans or other special vehicles.
The price is much higher than a car. You need to rent a minimum of 5
days, and if you rent Monday at 5pm and return the car the next Tuesday at 8am … the 3 companies we contacted would
charge us 9 days! Each partial day is considered a day, not a 24 hour clock
like on car rental. You can only rent and return in Auckland, Christchurch, and
maybe Wellington. On top of the rental price, you have to consider the extra
government diesel surcharge (by the km) and the cost for any hook-up in camper
grounds. The cost to take a camper on the ferry between islands is quite a bit
more than a car. This can be a false
economy. We found that you could do a
long-term rental on a car and stay at budget accommodations for the same, or
even less. Campers would be a better
solution if you go extensively into the wilderness areas, and sleep off road.
Some
friends planning to stay 1 year or more in NZ did buy a used camper-van … that
was a great solution for them wanting to spend a long time exploring NZ
wilderness!
Ferry:
To cross
between the North island and the South island, you will take either the
Interislander ferry or the faster Lynx ferry between Wellington & Picton.
The service is well set, good choice of food & drinks, and amusements
during the crossing.
The
Interisland Line
Ph: 04-498
3023
The
Interisland Line runs both the Interislander Ferries, and The Lynx. Frequent ferry service for foot &
vehicle passengers between both islands. We did not take a car across, going
only as passengers.
The 2
Interislander ferries take about 3 hours to make the Cook’s Strait’s crossing,
depending on weather. The ferry is
huge, and has many types of seating areas that you are free to move about
in. There is a movie theater on board
so you won’t be. (bored). There are
several refreshment areas. And areas to amuse kids, and souvenir shoppers.
The Lynx
Ferry – high speed catamaran. This
modern vessel provides a smoother ride and gets you across in about 2 1/4
hours. Though smaller, it also has
multi-levels, multi-refreshments, and multi-amusements.
Multi transport packages:
The Travel
Pass
Ph:
0800-339 966
Nationwide
travel passes designed for independent travelers of all ages. With our 2 in 1 Travel Pass covering 12 days
of travel by coach and 1 ferry passage, we made our reservations and payment in
advance with the Travel Pass company and called them on their toll-free number
every time we wanted to modify something. No fee for additions or changes made
24 hrs ahead. Very efficient and pleasant staff. It worked like a charm.
We were listed on passenger lists every time, even when we made changes
only the day before. You have several weeks to use your travel days. You can
also get packages including train and plane travel.
Backpackers
accommodation: An unfamiliar form of accommodation to most
Americans, Backpackers is a generic term for a budget-type accommodation
popular amongst young travelers generally traveling around by public transport
with backpacks as luggage. These are
the cheapest form of accommodation, originally based on a dormitory sleeping
area, bathrooms and showers down the hall, and communal kitchen
facilities. All these are still
available, but many Backpackers, now offer bunk, twin, or double rooms, and
even en suite bathrooms. They all
provide your linen, some give towels, some charge for them. Many are full-service
facilities and provide Internet terminals, travel, activity, and accommodation
bookings, laundromats, storage lockers, BBQ areas, cafes, sundries. Some even have saunas, thermal pools, or hot
tubs! Not just young people stay there…
we did, and we saw many seniors cooking a meal in Backpacker kitchens! We thought it was a great formula and wonder
why more countries don’t start Backpackers.
YHA
Budget
accommodation. This is part of the
internationally known Youth Hostel Assoc. They pretty much originated the
Backpacker idea. This membership
organization has 62 youth hostels in 25 locations all over NZ, almost anywhere
one would be interested in visiting.
You don’t have to become a member to stay, but there is a discount for
members and discounts at stores, activities, and services listed in the members
booklet. The best thing about YHA is
that there is a certain standard, and we found that all were well kept with
modern kitchen facilities and immaculately clean toilets and showers. The places we stayed varied a lot in age,
style, and ambiance. They varied in number of beds and size of rooms, whether
they had en suite, whether beds were pre-made or linen issued on check-in, or
whether they gave or rented or had towels available, but almost all were very
tidy and looked as if bathroom facilities were re-modeled frequently. The fun thing about the YHAs was that they
were all so different. One was almost like a motor lodge with some private chalets,
while another was an old house for Marist priests, another like a ski lodge
with sauna.
ACB
This
company has Backpackers in 3 very popular locations: ACB in Auckland, Pipi
Patch in Pahia, and Hot Rocks in Rotorua.
They offer the Backpackers formula, plus. Each has a Bar/Café on premises or just next door that have theme
nights or specials. They have many
rooms with private bathrooms, Pipi Patch has a pool and spa, Hot Rocks has 3
thermal pools. All will book travel, activities, organize shuttles, etc. See details in each geographical area below.
Boutique
Hotel/ Bed and Breakfast/ Home stay: We
could never get an exact answer as to what exactly a “Boutique” hotel was. This is the hot word in marketing in NZ
right now. One of the characteristics
explained to us was that a Boutique Hotel has no Restaurant. Depending on the particular accommodation, a
cocktail hour drink and appetizers could be included, and all served beautiful,
plentiful breakfasts with a wide range of cold selections and toasts, and most
would offer hot cooked breakfast with eggs and the hearty New Zealand
bacon. All that we stayed at had a
couple who were owner/managers and were the most gracious of people and often
very interesting people too. Each place
has it’s own charm. What we found is
that all have a high level of cleanliness, and seem to be refurbished very
often.
NZ offers
an infinity of scenic routes and plenty of interesting hiking trails if one
enjoys calm and solitude. The roads are well marked and with a good road map
you can roam to your heart’s content. Don’t hesitate to take those unmarked
roads if you are in no hurry. One thing we remarked is that local people are
very friendly to strangers passing by. Often people will offer local info or
road directions spontaneously!
This may be
the (as yet) last unspoiled country of so many varied natural beauties in such
a small area. The air has a quality
that makes every where you look seem like one of those computer-generated back
drops for movie sets. The whole country
seems fresh and new and burgeoning with possibilities. Visit NOW, it won’t last
forever.
When you
want to enjoy sports activities, you have a choice of dedicated professionals
to take you white water rafting, ballooning, hiking glaciers, high-speed or
regular boating trips, guided nature tours, and much more. All Kiwi activities
have a laugh and a bit of fun in them!
NZ is the
land of original crazy activities, like tandem skydiving, bungy jumping, Xtreme
freefall, Zorb and others! They offer
well organized and safety conscious activities but without the same liability
exposure, as in the US! Once you sign the waiver, it’s your responsibility to
listen to directions!
We chose
those activities that we really wanted to try and they were the highlights of
our tours! Activities are highly
organized, efficiently and safely-run, well-thought-out to provide quick, easy
instructions even for novices, with the emphasis on thrills and a lot of humor
and fun. We found New Zealanders the
masters of high thrill activities...don’t be afraid to try something you
wouldn’t dare anywhere else.
If you come
from a marina outside Auckland, you may find the following useful when you go
to Auckland to catch an international plane, or if you or friends need
accommodations in Auckland:
Hertz
Ph: 09-256
8695
Car rental
at airport (may be extra charge to pick up a car). You can also pickup your car at the main office in downtown
Auckland very close to the famous Sky Tower, on 154 Victoria St. Oddly enough, office hours are only from
7:30 am to 5:30 pm at the downtown office.
ACB –
Auckland Central Backpackers
Ph: 09-358
4877
Right in
the heart of the action in Auckland.
Bustling high-rise Backpackers located just off Queen St. near the Sky
Tower. This is a major facility from
the amount of BP traffic we saw: at least 15 terminals for Internet, full
service Travel Center, walking distance to cheap, (and expensive) restaurants,
and all the night life of Auckland.
They
organize shuttles to the airport and arrange complimentary pick-up for many
tours.
We had an
ensuite double on about the 7th floor with a peripheral view of Sky
Tower.
Auckland
City YHA
Ph: 09-309
2802
The City
YHA was an older building and the double room was quite cramped. The lay-out
was a little strange, but all facilities were there, and the staff was
friendly.
Auckland
International YHA
Ph: 09-302
8200
Budget
accommodation. This YHA is a newly
built facility and more designed to serve the large amount of backpacker
traffic in this gateway city than Auckland City YHA. Both are about a 10-15 min walk to Queen St and the Sky Tower. The kitchen/dining/lounging area was
vast. There is a Travel Center, and
bulletin boards to help organize people that were going to the airport at the
same time to share and thus, reduce, the shuttle bus fare.
The
Devereux Boutique Hotel
Ph: 09-524
5044
Luxurious
Bed and Breakfast in the Remuera district of Auckland. This delightful fully restored historic home
from the 1890’s has ten “theme” rooms from around the globe, from luxury Master
suites, to Executive suites, to queen-size doubles. Theme décor is not wild and kinky, but tastefully subtle. The breakfast/coffee dining is on the patio
or in the enclosed “conservatory”. Mark
and Shannon are your hosts and can guide you to good nearby dinner restaurants,
and suggest local activities. Mark has
a regular full-time job in the city, but he still has time to put out a great
breakfast.
Auckland
Adventures
Ph :
09-379 4545
Auckland
Sightseeing, Rainforest, Beach Walks & Mountain Biking Adventures. This company offers a wide range of
activities in the Auckland area, or multi-days in farther regions of New
Zealand. We took a half-day tour that
picked us up at ACB Backpackers and took just us 2 (were not cancelled for low
number of pax) to a surprisingly diverse number of activities. The great weather gave us a fabulous view of
Auckland and surrounds from Mt. Eden, an inactive volcano in the heart of Auckland’s
districts. Our guide, Ernesto, catered
the tour to us, spending less time at winery visits and tasting, a brief visit
to a specialty pear orchard, and more time at Muriwai Beach on the west coast
where we viewed Gannet birds and the unique coastal geology that creates a
perfect place for nesting, for the formation of sea caves and arches, (the tide
was low enough for us to go explore), and directs wind currents for not only
gannet flight, but for the rainbow-hued flock of paraglide enthusiasts who were
circling, and gliding with the freedom of birds.
It’s so
much nicer to see so much with someone who knows the area, and who does the
worrying about the traffic and navigation instead of us!
Stardome of
Auckland
Ph: 09-624
1246
Planetarium
and observatory with shows. The
Stardome is a little hard to find if you’re driving, and about 20-30 minutes
drive from downtown, but the planetarium show was very interesting. The first show, The Sky Tonight was a
classic planetarium show with the star projector showing us what we could see
from Auckland that time of year. “Fire
in the Sky” was a fascinating
multi-media show combining the star projector and film that told the
story of an actual phenomenon of a fireball explosion that occurred over NZ in
1999, with accounts of actual witnesses and video footage from a tourist. The evening ended with looking at the actual
sky through telescopes, notably, the faint wisp of a comet that is coming into visible range.
Trip to explore the NORTH ISLAND
NORTH OF AUCKLAND
Since
almost all the yachts will make a stop or stay in the Bay of Islands area, they
shouldn’t miss renting a car (bus service is very limited) and /or taking
excursions throughout the area north of Auckland. There is a lot of nature and
history and legend here as well as great coastal scenery.
Lodge
Eleven YHA - Pahia
Ph: 09-402
7487
Budget
accommodation. One of the YHA chain,
this was formerly a motor lodge. There
is not a great deal of parking on premises, but street parking is safe and
easy. This facility had all the
features of the YHA hostels, and tour
buses picked up here as standard procedure.
Pipi Patch
Lodge - Pahia
Ph: 09-402
7111
Excellent
Backpacker Accommodation in Pahia This
Backpackers is part of a network that includes the ACB in Auckland, and the Hot
Rocks in Rotorua. The Pipi Patch is a
clean, sparkling motor lodge-type accommodation that has all the Backpacker
features and more. We stayed in one of
the ensuite doubles that even had a kitchenette in a quad unit that houses 4
single-level rooms per building. We
drove the car right to the room, no hauling luggage! The room was light and
airy with sliding glass door and full length windows. The premises had a hot tub and a café that featured a weekly low
cost BBQ with typical food of the area. One of the nicest Backpackers of our
trip. As in many places, most tour buses pick up clients right at the door
step.
Taipa Bay
Resort - Taipa
Ph: 09-406
0656
Resort with Accommodation, Facilities, Activities &
Restaurant/café. Located at the south end of Doubtless Bay, this resort has a
backyard view of the long beach and the bay. It is a recently built resort, and
so every thing is sparklingly new. The
suite that we had was like a small apartment with fully equipped kitchen, a
dining area, and comfy living room with sliding door patio looking at the
beach. The bed room with super king bed
had it’s own sliding door and patio.
They also have studios and apartments.
On the grounds, they have swimming and spa pools, tennis courts, and a
Restaurant/café serving breakfast and dinner. Internet terminals are located in
the reception area, and if you only need a phone socket, each room has
access. Taipa is an isolated and quiet place 1 hr north
from the tourist filled town of Pahia.
Activities / Attractions
4x4 Dune
Rider & Pahia Duck
Ph: 09-402
8681
www.dunerider.co.nz / www.paihiaduck.co.nz
Cape Reinga
Tour via 90 Mile Beach & Amphibious Land & Sea Tour, based in
Pahia. The Pahia Duck is a modern built
vehicle/vessel that was designed after the amphibious “Ducks” of WWII
fame. This trip is really a trip! Our Chauffeur/Capt Joe, and Hostess/Tracy
were funny and fun with their combination of banter and factual
commentary. The Duck is a great way to
see Pahia, Waitangi Treaty grounds, roll into the water and “drive” across the
bay to historic Russell, which would take hrs to get to by road, then drive
into the water again and cross to Opua, getting out at the ramp next to the
Opua Marina, and roll down the road again to Pahia. Great fun!
The Dune
Rider is another unique vehicle with a crazy look. The Cape Reinga tour is a long day (12 hrs) if you start out at
Pahia. It can be shorter if you board
at Keri Keri or towns more north along the route to the Cape. There are many tour buses that do this same
tour, at the same times, except that Dune Rider makes some stops that the
others don’t including a dinner stop at a “local color” fish and chip shop in
Mangonui that serves working-fisherman-size portions of fish and fries for a
price the fisherman appreciate. This saves you the hassle of finding your
dinner after the tour back in Pahia.
Fun features: Cape Reinga light house, boogie boarding down giant sand
dunes, driving on 90 mile beach at low tide, the Puketi Kauri forest, and Ancient Kauri Kingdom wood-craft/coffee
shop, and more. A tour like this is the best way to visit the Northern most
point of NZ and get fascinating facts without driver’s fatigue.
Culture
North - Waitangi
Ph: 09-402
5990
Treaty of
Waitangi – Sound & Light Show. We
thought that this would be a reenactment of the Treaty which is the most
controversial agreement ever made between the Maori tribes and the white
settlers of New Zealand, and is still debated to this day. But this theatrical evening is a wonderful
bit of storytelling where a Grandmother tells her grandson, Moko, the legends
of their people, the story behind the Treaty, dancing and games of the Maori,
and the challenges facing the Maori and their place in historic and modern NZ.
Throughout the play are flash backs and points of view of the Maori and whites
and it is filled with thoughtfulness, objectivity, and education and a
beautiful blending of humor and seriousness.
The author and leader of this troupe of mostly young volunteers from
towns all around the area, is a modest gentleman, Kena Alexander who is “just a
sheep farmer” whose passion to tell the story of the Maori situation in a
non-extremist and entertaining way, has
led him to create this seasonal theatrical performance which is now in its
fourth year. He accompanies the bus
that goes all around the Pahia area picking up the guests and prepares them for
this interactive evening. Really well
done.
Fullers –
Bays of Islands Cruises & Tours – Pahia wharf
Ph: 09-402
7421
Cruises:
Cape Brett ‘Hole in the Rock’ , The Cream Trip supercruise, Dolphin Adventures,
Excitor Fast Boat. Tours: Cape Reinga via 90 Mile Beach, Keri Keri or Russell
Mini Tours. Based at Paihia wharf. The
Fuller name goes way back (1886) to the early days of the first farmers in the
Bay of Islands area. Now they have a fleet of varied and modern boats and buses
that do every kind of tour in the Bay of Islands and surrounding area. We went on the Super Cream Tour, thinking it
was named that because it was the “crème de la crème” of their tours. Imagine our surprise when we found out that
it is essentially the original route of the first Fuller’s vessel that used to
make the rounds visiting all the dairy farms on the islands and picking up the
cream and delivering mail and supplies before there were roads. In fact, the now super sleek
state-of-the-art catamaran, still delivers mail and supplies to the modern
farmers still out on the isolated islands.
Capt. Geoff Bird was a floating encyclopedia of fascinating information about
the natural, historic, and marine aspects of the Bay of Islands. He gave us a good preview of calm anchorages
to come back and cruise with the sailboat. I thought he was a documentary
commentator in his former life! When we
saw his calm nerves of steel as he maneuvered into the jagged mouth of the Hole
in the Rock off the end of Cape Brent and held it there steady enough for us to
see the starfish on the rocks as 6-8 ft swells came sweeping through the Hole,
we knew he was not just a handsome face with a golden voice! He took us right up to breaking waves at
Black Rocks and other places that any sailboat person only wants to see from at
least 2 miles off! Amazing...these New
Zealanders are crazy daring!
Taiamai Tours - Pahia
Ph: 09-405 9990
Unique tour
… Here is another passionate advocate of the native peoples of the northern
area of the North Island. Hone Mihaka
is from a tribe called the Ngapuhi, and who according to legend, were already
here when the first Maori arrived. He
is creating a new tour/cultural experience that takes you to significant places
from Pahia to Keri Keri. We were
fortunate to get a preview of Hone’s
ideas, and to give input for development of the final product. In the Puketi Kauri forest that we had
already visited with a guide telling us the naturalist and white settler
history, we got an entirely different perspective, and were moved by the
emotion with which Hone spoke about his father, as he showed us his father’s
face in the weapon that he had carved to tell his story. The trip took us up the river by steam boat,
and to Keri Keri where we were taken back in history in a most surprising and
interactive way. I won’t spoil the
surprise, go for yourself, and learn the legends.
Waiwera
Thermal Resort & Spa - Waiwera
Ph: 09-427
8800
Holiday
park, Resort hotel, Spa, Naturally heated pools, Whirling rides &
waterslides. Waiwera is just outside of
Owera town, and is a family-oriented water activity park featuring a variety of
different swimming and sitting pools of
different temperatures. There is a
large public pool, a water slide complex of about 5 different slides, an
“adult” pool that was full of kids, and the hottest pool under a roof that was
40 degrees C. and a challenge even to the Japanese tourists. There is also a more exclusive Spa, and
fitness center. Entrance to the public
pools: $20 NZ, $8 (Seniors), $50
(Family of 4)
‘Darryl’s’
Dinner Cruise - Pahia
Ph: 09-402
8136
darrylsdinnercruises@xtra.co.nz
Dinner
cruises departing from Pahia. A
thoroughly enjoyable way to see Haru Haru falls (1 of only 2 horseshoe shaped
falls in the world?!) by cruising up the Waitangi River, and to enjoy a
delicious steak or fish BBQ, while meeting other interesting visitors to New
Zealand. The funky and fun vessel, “Huckle Ferry” will be sharing the limelight
with Darryl’s new larger vessel which he just took commission of during our
visit.
‘Only
Seafood’ restaurant in Pahia
Ph:09-402
7085
We love
seafood, and New Zealand has an abundance of it! Only Seafood’s selections are almost all NZ products and are
fresh and delicious. The presentation
of dishes is colorful and tasteful in many senses of the word. Entrees are
about $15-$17 average. We weren’t
disappointed by ordering one of the plates featuring a selection of goodies
like green mussels, oysters, etc. The
desserts listed on the blackboard were too tempting to pass up even after being
stuffed with seafood!
Makana
Confections – Keri Keri
Ph: 09-407
6800
“Boutique”
Chocolate Factory in Kerikeri.
YUM! This Confectionary is
newly-come to the small town of Keri Keri, but has made a big hit already. The sparkling facility has it’s chocolates
displayed to reflect the works of art that they are. The chocolates are sold only out of this boutique and thru
internet, and you can see these works of art being created by hand (and of
course, have a little taste of selected samples!) We loved the Mocha-damias!!
Trip to explore the
NORTH ISLAND
Famous for
the Glowworms which actually can be seen in caves everywhere in NZ and even in
the forest at night, Waitomo is worth more than zooming in on a tour bus
zooming through the Glowworm Cave and zooming away again. This area is very quiet in the low season,
and the caves and forest walks are wonderful.
Exploration can be quiet or adventurous, wet or dry. And DO NOT MISS Billy Black’s Kiwi Culture
Show!
Kiwi Paka
YHA – Waitomo Caves
Ph: 07-878
3395
Modern
economy accommodation. This was the
newest (<2 yrs) and most modern of the YHAs that we stayed at. It reflects a new trend in Backpacker-type
accommodations. We stayed in one of the
ensuite chalet units that are away from the main building. These units are less
than 1 yr old and rival resort motel rooms. There was private porch, with glass
door and large picture windows, a large room, and large bathroom that can be
used by handicapped. These ran $75 NZ as compared to the regular doubles w/
bathroom down the hall at $56 NZ. The kitchen was sparkling and spacious, the
dining area has a deck for al fresco and large windows to enjoy the sun. The reading room and internet terminal were
very small though, and access intermittent. The reception is large, staff friendly, and there is an on-site
Pizza restaurant/cafe which is very nice and has good pizzas. The YHA is about a 100yds up the hill from
the Museum of Caves and a small grocery and ice cream store in the center of
“town” (3-4 buildings) which is also the bus stop for Intercity and others.
Woodlyn
Park
Ph: 070878
6666
see below
The
Legendary Black Water Rafting Co.
Ph:
0800-228 464
Caving
adventures. We admit that even before
we set foot in NZ, we wanted to experience this adventure! These folks were one of the very first to
respond to our e-mail enquiries and were right there with prompt replies to
every question with friendliness and enthusiasm. Like many adventure activities in NZ, they provide EVERYTHING!
You show up in your swimsuit and bring a towel. They give you everything from booties, long johns, wetsuit, to
crash helmet. They take care of everything from pick-up to the Hot Showers and
toasted Bagels. We did one of several
different experiences offered, “the Black Abyss”. This is a non-stop fun adventure that is well choreographed to
keep you interested and moving. The
guides (ours was Fraser and another) give you brief easy training, make you
feel safe, and keep you laughing. The
half-day experience involves practicing abseiling (a kind of rappelling), then
the real thing dropping 100ft into the cave, scrambling, zooming on a flying
fox, bagels w/ coffee or tea, jumping into the frigid waters with your inner
tube, then tubing down the river and back looking at the incredible display of
glowworms, more scrambling, swimming, more hot drinks and chocolate, squeezing
through tunnels, scaling small water falls on your way back to the surface, and
the reward of hot showers and more food in their on-premises café. They have activities for every physical
level and make it more fun than challenging.
You’ll have a blast!
Waitomo
Adventures Ltd
Ph:
0800-924 866
Caving
adventures With the LBWR Co., these two
are the longest running cave adventure companies in Waitomo. Each company has it’s own cave systems and
choices of adventure level, so there is no competition since you experience
different locations. After the wet
adventure and a 100ft abseil, we wanted to try the 400ft, drop in day light to
the Lost World Cave, and the half-day dry caving experience. It was low season, and we were surprised
that they ran the trip for only us 2.
James was our personal guide, a mild mannered, totally competent young
man who instilled confidence in us just by his calm way and quiet attention to
our safety. Our 6am departure was
rewarded with an early morning panorama of the Waitomo area on our way to the
cave. The abseil was amazingly
effortless without any strain on my arthritic hands. The descent is so easy to
control that even with my uneasiness at great heights, I felt only exhilaration
and fascination to see the floor of the canyon and the sheer-sided deep
crevices around us. Looking up from the
bottom was more dizzying than the inverse!
The Lost World Cave was quite different from Black Abyss. There was lots of light from the outside
entrance giving an ethereal “cathedral” quality to the cave. We climbed out
straight up a 100ft ladder in the dark of the cave. Stopping half way and looking around was thrilling. At the exit is another Kodak Moment as you
ascend into the glowing daylight filtering through the trees through a rock
archway. Another innovative Kiwi idea
is sending the memory chip with the photos taken during the trip back to the
office by carrier pigeon so that the photos will be posted for viewing the
moment you arrive back at the reception center!
Waitomo
Glow Worm Caves
Ph: 0800-456 922
Glowworm Cave tour. This is the classic tour that made
Waitomo famous. Bus loads of tourists visit the caves as they are guided thru
with well-rehearsed Maori guides. The
cave is tiled and paved and hand railed to handle the heavy traffic thru the
dry cave and it’s huge caverns at the 15m underground level. At the end, you descend to 40+ meters below
the surface to the underground river to float silently, viewing the glowworms
which look like constellations of stars.
Waitomo
Museum of Caves
Ph: 07-878 7640
Excellent cave interpretation center. This is an excellent place to start
your exploration of Waitomo Caves, as it gives you insight into the area and
how it was formed, the geology, and the flora and fauna of the caves. The story of the glowworm life cycle is
fascinating. The curator, Kevan, was instrumental in developing the trails
through the Ruakuri area.
Woodlyn
Park
Ph: 070878
6666
Billy Black’s Kiwi Culture Show, Drive yourself Jetboats and Unique Motel Accommodation in Waitomo Caves. There aren’t just caves and glowworms in Waitomo. Billy Black’s is one of the most fun and clever shows that we saw in New Zealand. This one-man show is entertaining, educational, hi