The amount of interesting people I've had the chance to meet and befriend over my years abroad, in their own ways, have shaped who I am today. For better or worse, usually better as most people you meet whilst travelling have open minds and similar mindsets, these connections and relationships are the key driving forces behind my travelling desires. Think about it this way, if I did not leave home, I would not have met some of my best friends today.
One such person is Mary Vu. Mary is another person I had the chance to meet in Japan, much like Sean. In fact, Mary and I were housemates for about 6 months in our lovely Octagon home. If you were ever housemates with me, there's a very good chance that you are British and Mary is no exception. Actually, despite constantly pointing out her Vietnamese roots to anyone new she meets, she's probably the most British person I know.
Mary was set to visit New Zealand for the second half of October, coinciding with both our birthdays. We decided it would be awesome to road trip around the North Island together. Her dates also lined up nicely with the end of the winter season in Ohakune and I decided our road trip would be my departure as well. Going back to my point about people you meet travelling, it's crazy how much of my New Zealand journey has been shaped and touched by the friends I met in Japan. Like I said, similar mindsets.
I'll eventually get to the road trip, but in Chapter 2, I promised to reveal more attractions around Ohakune so I'll do that first. Bear in mind that as it's relatively rural, you need a car to get to most place. First up, is Waiouru. The army museum is here and it's about 30 minutes drive from Ohakune. I enjoyed it and it shed a bit of light onto the ANZAC forces and World War 2. On the way to Waiouru, you also pass the Tangiwai memorial which was one of New Zealand's worst rail disasters. It's worth a look but if you're pressed for time, you could skip it. Just outside Ohakune is also the Ohakune carrot that is the town mascot because there's loads of carrot farming in 'Kune.If you're keen on camping or hiking, the Waitonga falls half way up Turoa is a beautiful walk in any season but especially magical in winter with frozen pools and breathtaking views of Ruapehu dressed in white and painted in sunlight. It's part of a 4-day round the mountain great walk if you're keen on that. I could be wrong but I believe there is a freedom camping spot on the way up Turoa as well. Slightly further out of Ohakune is the Ruatiti Domain. It's another one of many free Department of Conservation (DOC) camp sites peppered around New Zealand. It takes awhile to get to but the drive there is beautiful, snaking around cliffs. It's one of the rare spots where having an open fire is allowed. I recommend visiting if you get the chance. Walk along the river, have a picnic or barbecue, and just hang out in its beauty. Like much of New Zealand, you'll feel like you've stepped into the set for Jurassic Park. Obviously there are loads more spots to see in the Ruapehu area such as National Park but I can only review what I have been to.
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| Waitonga walk |
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| Ruatiti Domain |
Alright then, back to the road trip. It was split in 2 parts as Mary visited the South Island in between while I chose to squeeze out a couple more hours of work to fund my trip. Little did I know, it would be the last of any steady work I would have in New Zealand. In part 1, we mostly hung out in an Ohakune which was slowly being evacuated due to the end of the winter season. It finished off in Taupo where we decided to spend a night to celebrate my 26th birthday. In a packed schedule, we started with white water rafting in Turangi. I found it pretty fun even if I expected slightly more from it. It's still great if you're new to rafting but I wouldn't do it again as you don't get any real sphincter-clenching moments.
We booked a bach in the DeBretts Hot Springs and got some dinner after checking in. Fish & Chips down by the great lake for the sunset. That's where I recorded the timelapse which is at the start of my Taupo video. Fun fact, you could fit Singapore inside Lake Taupo if you want a little sense of scale and have some pretty big tongs. We then went back to get baked in the hot springs after which you can hear Mary singing Happy Birthday in Sean's video. The next day, we hiked to Huka Falls then got baked again in some natural hot springs before enjoying the sunset on a different side of Lake Taupo.
Part 2 starts with the hiring of a Jucy camper van. Mary picked it up from Wellington and drove it back up to Ohakune. Note that if you're not present to collect the vehicle, you're not legally allowed to drive it. So as far as Jucy and the NZ Traffic Association is concerned, Mary did all the driving. Our itinerary started with black water rafting in the Waitomo Caves, followed by Hobbiton, Rotorua, Lake Tarawera, then Wellington. We slept in the camper every night.
I daresay black water rafting in Waitomo is a must-do if you're visiting New Zealand. After a quick intro, we changed into wetsuits and sexy pants then abseiled into the caves. Once down there, there's walking followed by crawling and then floating down the caves on a inflated tube before climbing back out of the caves at the end. Famous for the glow worms, the caves are a truly amazing sight when floating down in absolute darkness with the whole ceiling glowing like a infinite green galaxy of stars.
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| Sexy pants galore |
Hobbiton, seems to be a strangely divisive topic in New Zealand. Speaking to most kiwis (the people, not the bird), they don't seem to be massive Lord of the Rings fans and seem to think visiting Hobbiton is a waste of time and money. Then again, maybe because they're constantly surrounded by greenery and rolling hills, it's not special anymore. If you're a fan of LOTR, I can assure you, it is special.
Hobbiton was initially built on a farm with very disposable materials, to be torn down after filming. However, because of storms, the crew could not tear it down and decided to only return to finish the job after 6 months. By then, the Fellowship had been released and locals recognised the hills in the horizon before working out which farm it was on. Needless to say, word got out and the rest is history. So Peter Jackson came back to film The Hobbit and this time, the farm owner agreed to let him use the grounds but on the condition that the structures were built to last and Hobbiton as we know it today was built.
Apart from the obvious appeal of being in the Shire, the fact that there are no visible modern structures like power lines as far as the eye can see is pretty amazing in this day and age. This is also what drew Peter Jackson to the area during location scouting. I have to note though that none of the hobbit holes have anything inside and are just doors cut into the side of hills.
Sulphur is the smell that will assault your senses as soon as you arrive in Rotorua, as well as the biggest i-Site I have seen so far. Known for it's geyser activity and subsequent hot pools, Rotorua is probably one of the bigger towns in the North. On our first night, we went to a Maori Show at Te Puia. Unlike many cultural shows I've been to, it was not over-the-top or gimmicky. The hangi buffet dinner was a nice touch as well. Again, I'd recommend going to a Maori show just for a glimpse into the principles that have shaped so much of New Zealand's history.
On day 2, we decided to drive to Lake Tarawera, mostly because I wanted Mary to do some proper camping. I wouldn't say the drive in is scenic but it was definitely interesting. A long drive on gravel roads past logging areas smothered out green camper in dust. With the Tarawera site, there is absolutely nothing there apart from a long drop which of course Mary loved. It was a 3 hour return hike to the Tarawera Falls which was a nice place to chill and have lunch. If tranquility and complete silence is what you're looking for, this is for you. Sit and watch the sunset reflect in the lake as long as you want with absolutely nobody else around.
Until then, thanks for reading.
On our trip I booked most of our activities through BookMe which is great if you're looking for discounts.
I also made a video of our road trip:
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