The New Zealand Chapters. III: Hei konā rā Ohakune

"More so than the beauty and landmarks you see, it is the people you encounter that makes travelling what it is for me."

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.

Waitonga walk

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.

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.

We spent the last 2 days mainly driving and walking around Wellington. This chapter is long enough already so I won't bother with describing the city. I will say that I prefer it to Auckland and it is the windiest city in the world. After that, Mary flew off back to Japan and I prepared to start phase 2 of my New Zealand chapters. Easily the most interesting phase not just in New Zealand but maybe my entire travelling life, stay tuned for tales about my car, amazing Raglan and the hippie commune in the next few chapters.

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:

The New Zealand Chapters. II: Of Banks and Climbing up Walls

2 questions I got asked all the time in Ohakune were, “What are you doing in NZ?” followed by “Why Ohakune?” The answer to the first is in Chapter 1, and it's that I’m here on working holiday. The second question, funnily enough, is also in chapter 1. Because I wanted to do a winter season, and Sean was based near Ruapehu. It’s always nice to have someone you know when you’re finding your feet.

So, Chapter 2. My time in Ohakune, which is actually the most time I spent in 1 area in New Zealand. It’s a really laid back small town made up of mostly restaurants and bars catering to tourists passing through and skiing in the winter or hiking/cycling/doing the Tongariro crossing/rafting in the summer. I ended chapter 1 with needing to find job and a place to stay.

First off, because I actually intend this to be a guide in some form, let’s start with some boring bits. Banking and IRD. IRD was fairly straightforward for me. It’s different now (I advise you to sort it out before you get here because it takes awhile), but when I did it, I basically walked into the post office, presented my documents, paid an admin fee, and got my IRD number a week later.

Banking was slightly stranger. For some unknown reason, even being in a small, laid back town, the local bank, BNZ, requires you to make an appointment to open a simple savings account. I walked in there, nary a soul in sight, but was asked to come back the following Tuesday at 10. So I came back at 9.50 the following Tuesday. The same teller that set up my appointment told me I was a little early and offered me a seat to wait. Again, I was the only person in sight so I naturally thought the accounts opening executive or something was scheduled to come in at 10.

Nope. I shit you not, after 10 minutes of sitting and waiting, nobody else came in during this time, she got up, walked over to me and we started to open my savings account. Suppressing my urge to scream “Are you serious right now?!”, we got it done. So I now had my IRD number and a BNZ savings account. It was a slight worry for me so I’ll include this. Yes, you can do international cash withdrawals at most ATMs in New Zealand. As long as your bank/card has been approved to do so back home.

Here, have a pic of a campfire.

So, the job. Remember how I said in Chapter 1, none of my plans worked and everything happened by chance? This was the first big one. I applied to the biggest bar and hotel in town, the Powderkeg. An interview later and I did my trial on a not so busy Friday. Things went well and I was told I would be called in for my shifts soon. 2 weeks went by, my questions about work deflected, and I still had not started proper work. Then the owner called me in to apologise about the situation but started interviewing me again! What a complete shitshow. I noped out of there as soon as she started blaming her managers for not keeping each other up to date.

This whole time, I had moved out of Seans’ into a charming A-Frame home in Ohakune with 2 other really nice Brits (can’t seem to escape them). Tip: wherever you’re going, try and join the local FB group. That’s how I found my room and eventually, a job. So anyway, the whole time this farce was taking place, I was bleeding cash for rent. My monetary situation was getting even worse. Eventually though, when all looked lost and gloomy, I found a job at the Cypress Tree as a bartender and things got a lot better from there. Good crew, best food in town (seriously if you're passing through, have the steak and kumara mash here, thank me later), and bartending there was fun. Also, I skated to work daily. Not sure when I’ll ever be able to do that again.

The Cypress Tree

The view from work. Not too shabby.

That was the gist of my winter in Ohakune. I picked up a season pass for cheap and rode whenever Sean went up. You need a car here if you want to ride cause of how there is a 15 minute drive up the mountain to get to the lifts. I will just say this. The terrain in Turoa is great. Steep and challenging enough but it’s definitely a skiers’ mountain. To get to the good stuff, as a snowboarder, you’ll do a heap of traversing and then skating to get back into the lifts. But shredding is shredding and it’s all good fun in the end.

For the down days, and there were a few due to the volatile weather on the mountain, I picked up indoor rock climbing. It would become a weekly affair for us that honestly, I looked forward to as much as riding. There is also a plethora of running and hiking trails in Ohakune and Turoa and I sampled quite a few of them. Again, with New Zealand, the beauty and sparseness of the land makes your routine evening jog an event. Just 2 minutes from where I lived, a trail I regularly ran started in light bush along a stream, before crossing it on a suspension bridge then running on a dirt track through farmland into the sunset. And that’s the charm of New Zealand. The simple beauty and pleasures of the everyday.

Jogging views

Hiking Waitonga Falls

Hanging in a cave on Turoa

In the next chapter, I'll go slightly more in-depth about the attractions within reasonable driving distance of Ohakune, my departure, and the resulting road trip.

As always, I look forward to any feedback and you can follow me on:
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Video: Snowboarding in Turoa, New Zealand

Hey ladies and gents,

You may or may not know that I have recently moved to New Zealand for a 6 month working holiday stint. I start my adventure in Ohakune, which is in the Ruapehu district on the North Island. Definitely more to come in terms of blogging about my experience here but to start things off, enjoy 2 videos that captured my first weekend here.

Open Thermal Spas, Huka Falls, ATV quad biking, Hot Spa Water Park, Falling face first off a cliff, and shredding some insane pow pow at Turoa. The second video is by good friend and kind host Sean, who's taken care of me in my first week here.

As always, stay tuned. I'll be blogging quite a bit more about my experience here as I go through it.

You can also follow me on:
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