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Travel itinerary ideas for north-island (NZ)?
I've got until the 2nd of April here in New Zealand which means about
2 weeks. Right now I'm in Christchurch, will move on to Kaikoura tomorrow, Picton and Wellington the next day. I'll probably stay in Wellington for a couple of days before taking on the rest of the north-island, but at the moment I don't really know too much about which places are worth seeing. I've had a few suggestions here, but I'm still pretty confused, so I've been reading a bit and have come up with the following which I probably have to pick and choose between: - Rotorua (Maori culture, geysirs, mud pools to soak in, sheep sheering) - Taupo (thermal pools to soak in, beautiful lake) - Waitomo (glow-worms, limestone caves) - Coromandel (natural spa baths) - Tongarino national park (smoking volcano: Mt. Ruapehu, volcanic landscape) - Napier (art deco type city) - Palmerston north (not touristy, relaxing university town) - Tauranga (Kiwifruit growing) 1) My final destination will be Auckland where I plan to spend a few days to wind down before I move on to Japan, so is it easy to get from Coromandel to Auckland, or is this a long detour? Natural spa baths sounds nice and relaxing. 2) As I haven't been to any of these places before, are there places mention here which are repeats of the same things I'll see other places? I'd rather not waste time seeing the same thing twice in this limited time if I can go to some other place and see something new. I have for example seen glow-worms (in the Fox glacier township), so I'm not really bothered seeing it again in Waitomo, even though they're in caves, but then again I hear that Waitomo is worth stopping by because of the unique caves... 3) I don't intend to spend lots of money on tours etc. (remember, Japan is next, so I really need to save up!). I'm more into just hanging out, soaking up the atmosphere of a place, taking small walks on my own etc. than joining some expensive organized thing. Can I for example visit some of those caves in Waitomo myself without having to pay a lot for joining a tour? 4) What exactly is "Art deco"? Napier is supposed to be an art deco styled city, but I don't really know what this is and if it's so good that it's worth stopping by. Hallvard |
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Travel itinerary ideas for north-island (NZ)?
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Travel itinerary ideas for north-island (NZ)?
Geodyne wrote in message . ..
On 14 Mar 2004 01:53:05 -0800, (Hallvard Tangeraas) wrote: - Rotorua (Maori culture, geysirs, mud pools to soak in, sheep sheering) To see the best thermal attractions, go to the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute adjacent to the Whakawerawera thermal reserve. The park was split into two in a recent argument over management, and the best oart of the park is on the arts and crafts side. This is on the road ont he way to Taupo. Also in Rotorua, make sure to get out to the Buried Village. This is a maori village that was buried by ash when the Mt. Tarawera erupted. Worth visiting. When I was last passing through Rotorua (a little over a year ago) I really enjoyed having a Polynesian massage at Hell's Gate thermal reserve. I didn't do the full mud bath thing, but would definitely go back there to do so. They have buses running from the centre of town. I forgot to mention that I'm travelling by public transport as I don't have a car, so that makes it a lot harder if places are nearby each other, but not close enough for walking. I had to hitch from Milford sound for example, to get to Wanaka in order to stop wasting one whole day as the bus (Intercity at least, which is what I've taken) goes to Queenstown, and you have to wait till the next morning to get to Wanaka. Anyway, are the above places within walking distance of the centre Rotorua (alternatively, are there local buses going to those places, so I could have a "base" in Rotorua for a few days)? I don't want to *rely* on hitching, because you never know if you'll get a ride or when. I'd only do it in "emergencies" when there's no bus going etc. - Taupo (thermal pools to soak in, beautiful lake) Comparatively cheap skydiving, if you're interested, and trout fishing tours on the lake. Give the Wai o tapu thermal reserve a miss if you're going on to Rotorua. The thermal pools on the road to Napier are nice. You must go to see Huka Falls. I won't do any skydiving (3 bungy jumps in one day in Queenstown is enough for me!) or do any fishing, and since I'll get similar thermal reserves in Rotorua, is it really a waste of time going to Lake Taupo? Where are those thermal pools on the road from/to Napier? It might be hard for me to do when I rely on buses if not staying overnight there. - Coromandel (natural spa baths) Definitely worth a visit. Try to get to Hot Water Beach, as you can scape the sand and find flowing hit water. Yes, this sounds like a lot of fun! Where exactly in Coromandel is this hot water beach? Are there buses going there? - Tongarino national park (smoking volcano: Mt. Ruapehu, volcanic landscape) Accessible as a day trip from Taupo. Worth doing also. Ah! That saves me backtracking with all my stuff. I could go from Wellington to Napier, then from Napier to Taupo, stay there for a day or two, taking a daytrip to Tongarino nat. park, then continue towards Rotorua from Taupo -will that work? I'm a little confused about the national park.... I'm not going to do any long treks (I'm more into short, mostly flat walks, not "tramping"), but would really like to see some of the "moon" like landscape and volcanoes -is the national park where to go and see this sort of thing? And without having to take 5-6 hour long walks? Where exactly do I take the bus to? - Napier (art deco type city) Definitely, if you're into architecture. I highly recommend that you visit the Tourist centre for a walking tour brochure. Yes, this is the kind of walking I'm more into, and yes -definitely interested in architecture. That will most likely be my next stop, after Wellington which I'll be reaching tonight (I'm in an internet cafe in Picton right now). - Tauranga (Kiwifruit growing) Nice enough, but just a town. I'd suggest that you either go to Mt. Maunganui (an outlying suburb of Tauranga) insead for very nice beaches, or just to the north of Tauranga to Kati Kati, which is a small farming town surrounded by Fruit orchards. Being in NZ I'd be interested in seeing the actual growing of Kiwifruit as I won't see that back home in Norway. I assume they're grown on trees, so it would be nice to see those trees up close some place. Those places you've just mentioned sound nice though. Is it warm enough to swim there this time of year? I've just been to Australia's east coast and thought NZ was pretty much cooler when I got here 2 weeks ago. If you're interested in seeing a live volcano or diving, I would add Whakatane to your list, with a half-day trip out to see White Island. It's not cheap, but it's a very interesting trip. Yeah -a live volcano would be really cool, but I thought I'd see one in the national park mentioned above? Also in Wellington, you must see Te Papa (the national museum). I can make restaurant recommendations if you'd like them. Yes, I've heard about this museum and would like to have a look. So far as the route, I would suggest Wellington - Napier - Taupo - possibly Waitomo here - Rotorua - (optional Whakatane) - Tauranga or surrounds - Coromandel - Auckland. Thanks. Sounds like a good suggestion which I'll look into further regarding bus timetables etc. 1) My final destination will be Auckland where I plan to spend a few days to wind down before I move on to Japan, so is it easy to get from Coromandel to Auckland, or is this a long detour? Natural spa baths sounds nice and relaxing. It's a little over an hour by car from Coromandel to Auckland. Perhaps a couple of hours by bus. Quick and easy, especially if you're coming from the Bay of Plenty, as Coromandel is only a slight detour. I'll just have to find out *where* in Coromandel I'll be going first. Waitomo is definitely worth going to, because of the limestone caves. Otherwise, most of the areas you are going to are quite distinct from each other. The only duplication you would have is the thermal areas in both Taupo and Rotorua, but there are other attractions in Taupo. So my suggestions weren't half-bad then? ;-) 3) I don't intend to spend lots of money on tours etc. (remember, Japan is next, so I really need to save up!). I'll take what I said about White Island back then! So far as I know, you must be on a tour to go into the Waitomo Caves. If people are allowed in there on their own, they do too much damage. I understand. I've noticed quite a few other travellers in this country ;-))) Actually when I asked a guy where he was from and he replied NZ, I kiddingly said: "Really, from NZ? Wow!!! I don't see many of you gys around". Hehe... But that's not too far from the truth. Aside from the locals within the tourist industry I haven't met more than a handful New Zealanders. I like interacting with local people wherever I go, but it seems harder here. 4) What exactly is "Art deco"? Napier is supposed to be an art deco styled city, but I don't really know what this is and if it's so good that it's worth stopping by. I love Napier, it's such a nice place. Think classic 1920s/30s architecture. Yes, this is definitely interesting! I'll spend a couple of nights in the capital first, then most likelt move on to Napier from there. Thanks for all those tips! Looking forward to hearing from you again. Hallvard |
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Travel itinerary ideas for north-island (NZ)?
On 15 Mar 2004 17:49:44 -0800, (Hallvard
Tangeraas) wrote: Geodyne wrote in message . .. On 14 Mar 2004 01:53:05 -0800, (Hallvard Tangeraas) wrote: - Rotorua (Maori culture, geysirs, mud pools to soak in, sheep sheering) Anyway, are the above places within walking distance of the centre Rotorua (alternatively, are there local buses going to those places, so I could have a "base" in Rotorua for a few days)? I don't want to *rely* on hitching, because you never know if you'll get a ride or when. I'd only do it in "emergencies" when there's no bus going etc. Whakawerawera; definitely walkable from town, although it's a kilometre or two. The Buried village is out of town, and I'm unsure how you'd get there. I've always had a car. There is very likely to be a bus, but I don't know for sure. I won't do any skydiving (3 bungy jumps in one day in Queenstown is enough for me!) or do any fishing, and since I'll get similar thermal reserves in Rotorua, is it really a waste of time going to Lake Taupo? Not if you want to see Tongariro/Ruapehu. Taupo is on the north shore of Lake Taupo, and Tongariro and Ruapehu are on the southern side. It's about an hour's to 90 minute drive. With Huka Falls as well, there are definitely attractions other than thermal reserves. Huka Falls have very little height, but the water is forced through a small canyon as it leaves the lake and for sheer amount of water rushing through, it's impressive. Where are those thermal pools on the road from/to Napier? It might be hard for me to do when I rely on buses if not staying overnight there. Hm. You might find them difficult to get to. They're about 10 minutes by car out of town, on the road to Napier. There is possibly public transport, but I wouldn't bet on it. - Coromandel (natural spa baths) Definitely worth a visit. Try to get to Hot Water Beach, as you can scape the sand and find flowing hit water. Yes, this sounds like a lot of fun! Where exactly in Coromandel is this hot water beach? Are there buses going there? The nearest large town is Whitianga (40 mins away). The nearest small town is Whenuakite. I know that there is a bus from at least Whitianga. - Tongarino national park (smoking volcano: Mt. Ruapehu, volcanic landscape) Accessible as a day trip from Taupo. Worth doing also. Ah! That saves me backtracking with all my stuff. I could go from Wellington to Napier, then from Napier to Taupo, stay there for a day or two, taking a daytrip to Tongarino nat. park, then continue towards Rotorua from Taupo -will that work? Yep. I'm a little confused about the national park.... I'm not going to do any long treks (I'm more into short, mostly flat walks, not "tramping"), but would really like to see some of the "moon" like landscape and volcanoes -is the national park where to go and see this sort of thing? And without having to take 5-6 hour long walks? Where exactly do I take the bus to? Hm. I haven't been to these areas since they have been venting. You're not really going to see that at Tongariro/Ruapehu, as the most dangerous areas are closed off (can any of the NZ natives confirm this?). If you want a moon-like landscape without hours of walking, I would recommend White Island - although the trip is $130. http://www.whiteisland.co.nz/ If you want to go to Ruapehu, I would suggest you look into the possibility of a bus trip to Happy Valley or Whakapapa Ski Resort, as that is on Mt. Ruapehu, but there would still be quite a bit of walking to get to where you want to go to. - Napier (art deco type city) Definitely, if you're into architecture. I highly recommend that you visit the Tourist centre for a walking tour brochure. Yes, this is the kind of walking I'm more into, and yes -definitely interested in architecture. That will most likely be my next stop, after Wellington which I'll be reaching tonight (I'm in an internet cafe in Picton right now). There is a direct bus from Wellington. - Tauranga (Kiwifruit growing) Nice enough, but just a town. I'd suggest that you either go to Mt. Maunganui (an outlying suburb of Tauranga) insead for very nice beaches, or just to the north of Tauranga to Kati Kati, which is a small farming town surrounded by Fruit orchards. Being in NZ I'd be interested in seeing the actual growing of Kiwifruit as I won't see that back home in Norway. I assume they're grown on trees, so it would be nice to see those trees up close some place. They're grown on vines. There is actually a tourist attraction just to the south of Tauranga (near a town called Te Puke), on the road to Rotorua, that would allow you to see the vines close up. http://www.kiwifruitcountry.co.nz/ You could see that and then go on to Mt. Maunganui (if time allows), and give Tauranga a miss. Not only are there nice beaches there, the Bay of Plenty is north-facing, so the water is warmer than you've experienced in the South Island. Those places you've just mentioned sound nice though. Is it warm enough to swim there this time of year? I've just been to Australia's east coast and thought NZ was pretty much cooler when I got here 2 weeks ago. If you're interested in seeing a live volcano or diving, I would add Whakatane to your list, with a half-day trip out to see White Island. It's not cheap, but it's a very interesting trip. Yeah -a live volcano would be really cool, but I thought I'd see one in the national park mentioned above? You should check with the locals (perhaps in Wellington) as to how easy it will be to see the volcanoes in Tongariro. The appeal of White Island is that it is the only active marine volcano in the area, and it is the former site of a sulphur mine. I work in geology, so it's interesting to me. It's a little over an hour by car from Coromandel to Auckland. Perhaps a couple of hours by bus. Quick and easy, especially if you're coming from the Bay of Plenty, as Coromandel is only a slight detour. I'll just have to find out *where* in Coromandel I'll be going first. Looks like Whitianga would be the easiest to get to/from. Waitomo is definitely worth going to, because of the limestone caves. Otherwise, most of the areas you are going to are quite distinct from each other. The only duplication you would have is the thermal areas in both Taupo and Rotorua, but there are other attractions in Taupo. So my suggestions weren't half-bad then? ;-) You've got a couple of things in there that are a little off the tourist track, so I'm suitably impressed! I understand. I've noticed quite a few other travellers in this country ;-))) Actually when I asked a guy where he was from and he replied NZ, I kiddingly said: "Really, from NZ? Wow!!! I don't see many of you gys around". Hehe... But that's not too far from the truth. Aside from the locals within the tourist industry I haven't met more than a handful New Zealanders. I like interacting with local people wherever I go, but it seems harder here. Heh. It's just that you've been in the tourist areas, and reliant on public transport. The locals are everywhere that public transport doesn't go. Have a great time. Cheers, Geodyne |
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Travel itinerary ideas for north-island (NZ)?
1) My final destination will be Auckland where I plan to spend a few days to wind down before I move on to Japan, so is it easy to get from Coromandel to Auckland, or is this a long detour? Natural spa baths sounds nice and relaxing. Once you get to Auckland, you may want to head north to check out the giant kauri pines in Waipoua Forest. They are 2000 years old and some are 15 metres wide. There are trails in the forest you can go walking around. About an hour or two east of the forest is the Bay of Islands, so you could spend a day getting to and going through the forest, stay in the bay of islands and head back down to Auckland the next day. Auckland is NZs biggest city, and you will probably find things to keep you busy for a few days there, but a city is a city really, and even if you have seen the giant redwoods in California, Waipioua Forest is worth checking out. I was there earlier this year. MK. |
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Travel itinerary ideas for north-island (NZ)?
Hallvard Tangeraas wrote:
I'm not going to do any long treks (I'm more into short, mostly flat walks, not "tramping"), but would really like to see some of the "moon" like landscape and volcanoes -is the national park where to go and see this sort of thing? And without having to take 5-6 hour long walks? You might want to visit the Craters of the Moon park near Taupo, it's quite close to Huka Falls [can't remember if it's walking distance or not], and it's free. |
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Travel itinerary ideas for north-island (NZ)?
Geoff McCaughan wrote in message ...
Hallvard Tangeraas wrote: I'm not going to do any long treks (I'm more into short, mostly flat walks, not "tramping"), but would really like to see some of the "moon" like landscape and volcanoes -is the national park where to go and see this sort of thing? And without having to take 5-6 hour long walks? You might want to visit the Craters of the Moon park near Taupo, it's quite close to Huka Falls [can't remember if it's walking distance or not], and it's free. Actually I've already thought about this, as I've read about a "moon landscape" sort of place, but didn't know where it was. I've studied the map and found this place, so is this a place which looks like the name suggests? It looks like I might have to do some hitch-hiking at some stage to get to/from various places I want to go to, but that's OK as long as it's not too far (in case I don't get a ride I can always walk). It does however seem like Kiwis are more willing to give people a ride -on my ride from Milford sound to Wanaka I got a ride with 3 Kiwis and one American (he had a father living in Wanaka, so in some sense you could say he'd been "Kiwinised" ;-) People from elsewhere seem more sceptical. Hallvard |
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Travel itinerary ideas for north-island (NZ)?
Hallvard Tangeraas wrote:
Actually I've already thought about this, as I've read about a "moon landscape" sort of place, but didn't know where it was. I've studied the map and found this place, so is this a place which looks like the name suggests? Well it depends what your imagination conjours up. Craters of the moon has a walkway which takes you past thermal vents [some quite large] which emit lots of steam etc. I think it is well worth visiting, but it isn't a "Mt Doom" type landscape of barren rocky craters. You get more of that sort of think around Mt Tongariro. It looks like I might have to do some hitch-hiking at some stage to get to/from various places I want to go to, but that's OK as long as it's not too far (in case I don't get a ride I can always walk). It does however seem like Kiwis are more willing to give people a ride -on my ride from Milford sound to Wanaka I got a ride with 3 Kiwis and one American (he had a father living in Wanaka, so in some sense you could say he'd been "Kiwinised" ;-) People from elsewhere seem more sceptical. I once ended up hitching at Turangi and found myself outside a prison farm - not the best place to look for a ride. Fortunately someone who wasn't local and didn't know about the prison picked me up before long. 8-) |
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Travel itinerary ideas for north-island (NZ)?
Geoff McCaughan wrote in message ...
Hallvard Tangeraas wrote: I've studied the map and found this place, so is this a place which looks like the name suggests? Well it depends what your imagination conjours up. Craters of the moon has a walkway which takes you past thermal vents [some quite large] which emit lots of steam etc. I think it is well worth visiting, but it isn't a "Mt Doom" type landscape of barren rocky craters. You get more of that sort of think around Mt Tongariro. And that's in the national park, after tramping for quite a while across the pass, isn't it? Sounds interesting enough though, and Rotorua which will be my next stop after Taupo might have more of this sort of stuff. I've decided to let Tongariro go this time around as it's too much of a hassle with the buses, and probably not worth it just for a closer view of Mt. Tongariro which I *might* see if the weather is good. I'd love to see a volcano, but then again I might be able to see some of that in Japan where I'm going after NZ! I've worked out (and spent half the day booking tickets/accomodation -phew!!) for a great part of the rest of my stay here in the north island.... Tomorrow morning (yikes, I should be asleep now, but having watched "Lord of the rings" at the Embassy theatre here in Wellington it's gotten pretty late) I'll be on the buss to Napier, spend the night there, then move on to Taupo. Spend a couple of days there (seeing the craters of the moon and the falls), then move on to Rotorua where I'll have 3 days to play around in the thermal pools and see lots of things which sound very different and interesting. Next on my list is Te Puke so I can see how Kiwifruit are grown. Since there's no budget accommodation there I've booked a dorm bed in Tauranga, so what I'll do is hop off the bus at Te Puke, hopefully be able to keep my backpack somewhere near the Kiwi centre, look around, then hitch along to Tauranga for the evening. Then comes the tricky part which I'm welcome for any pointers to.... I want to go from Tauranga to Hot water beach in Coromandel, but it isn't as easy I was hoping. Buses don't seem to go directly there, and with the InterCity buses I'll have to go through Thames and all the way around (on the west side) till I get to Whitianga, or at least that's the way I rougly remember it. It doesn't look like Hot water beach is too far away from Whitianga, so I might be able to hitch the rest of the way (there are backpacker hostels there, so for all I know they might do pick-ups). There's also a shuttle bus going the "short" way on the east side directly to Hot water beach, but for 60 bucks I'm not sure if it's worth it. I was hoping not to spend the greater part of the day waiting for the bus to arrive (some time in the afternoon), but it seems that I'll be arriving at roughly the same time with either buses, so I think the Intercity might be the better option as I'm sure it'll be cheaper. And I've been told that there's a great view along the west side of the region, so I might as well enjoy it, unless there's a better option? Then, I'll be going from Hot water beach to Auckland. By the way, where can you soak in natural mud spas which are supposed to be good for your skin? I've heard about it, but can't remember where it was -Rotorua? People from elsewhere seem more sceptical. I once ended up hitching at Turangi and found myself outside a prison farm - not the best place to look for a ride. Fortunately someone who wasn't local and didn't know about the prison picked me up before long. 8-) Oops! Hehe... good thing someone without that knowledge came along, or you'd still be waiting ;-) Hallvard |
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Travel itinerary ideas for north-island (NZ)?
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