Day Forty-Eight, Forty-Nine, Fifty and Fifty-One - Taupo, Rotorua, Hot Water Beach and Auckland

We had a six hour drive from Masterton through the winding valleys of the Manawatu Scenic Route on Wednesday, finishing up in Taupo in the centre of the North Island. We had a little wander and shop round the town when we arrived, before pulling up at our freedom camp right on the shores of Lake Taupo. It was a very quiet and peaceful evening with a lovely sunset and we spent our time enjoying the serenity and skipping stones on the lake; our best camping spot so far.

We woke to a breezier but warm morning on Thursday and headed out for the first of our planned pitstops around the area, a natural thermal spring right on the water's edge, five minutes up the road. There was no one there but us and though it was small, it was nice to soak our feet in the natural hot water with various birdlife keeping warm nearby, including many ducks who were cosied up on the verge. The water was actually bubbling in one or two places and we found it fascinating.

Our next stop was Otumuheke Stream, a naturally hot stream just outside Taupo that runs down the hillside before merging with the Waikato River, New Zealand's longest. There were various mini waterfalls that people were enjoying but it was very busy as you'd expect and we only opted to get our feet wet rather than getting cosy, submerged with the locals. We couldn't believe how hot it was in some places, far too hot to sit in, but it was an amazing place nonetheless - a natural hot tub to enjoy for free.

We then moved on to Huka Falls, one of New Zealand's most visited natural attractions. 200,000 litres cascade over the falls every second, an astonishing amount and we've never seen water moving so fast or with such ferocity. It was a sight to behold and the colour of the water was a lovely clear turquoise which added to the spectacle. It was very impressive and definitely worth a visit though our pictures definitely don't do it justice.

Less than a mile away was the 'Craters of the Moon' geothermal park. It's a region of intense geothermic activity, with boiling mud and dense clouds of sulphuric steam erupting from within the earth - a very unique place. The landscape is constantly changing and it has an other-worldly feel to it in some places with bright colours and a desolate and barren landscape and atmosphere. The bubbling 'mud' which is actually clay mixed with hot water was the highlight, as we witnessed several big 'burps' - where the gas escapes through the pools and shoots the 'mud' into the air. At one particular crater, the steam was being forced through a small opening so rapidly that it was producing a deafening sound much like a steam train - we couldn't believe how loud it was. It was a very memorable experience and for only $8 (which goes towards maintenance and up-keep) we thought it was great value for money.

It had been a very busy day but we decided to drive up to Rotorua to our campsite in the evening instead of heading up the next morning. We were going to head to bed as we were pretty tired when we arrived but we were told about a food market that happened to be on in the centre of the town and as we hadn't eaten, we decided to head out for an explore. It was heaving with locals and tourists alike and there were all kinds of cuisine available from all around the world. We both had spiralized potato that had been fried and covered with garlic salt before Dan had paella and an apple and cinammon crepe while Emily enjoyed a vegetarian hotdog and some homemade date and almond energy balls. It was a fun evening and we slept very well with our stomachs full to the brim.

We didn't spend too much time in Rotorua, the weather had turned and the strong sulphuric smell was growing a little tiresome so we headed up into the Coromandel Peninsula, to Cathedral Cove on the north-east coast of the island, a three hour drive away. We enjoyed a two hour hike down to the beach and amongst the varying rocky formations before settling down at our freedom camp nearby for the night. We were woken by a loud and disconcerting siren in the early hours and our immediate thought was that an earthquake had occured that we had slept through and a tsunami was fast approaching. (As we were right on the coast) With a quick google search, our fears were quashed as we found out that it was an air raid siren that alerts volounteer emergency service workers in smaller towns to an emergency - it was amazing how vulnerable we felt for a brief moment though.

This morning we woke up early and headed to the famous Hot Water Beach at low tide. Natural hot springs underground filter up through the sand in certain areas, and the idea is that you dig your own hot tub with a spade rented at the nearby cafe. It was very busy when we arrived, even at the chilly hour of 8am and several families had already occupied the prime locations. The trick was to find a spot that wasn't too hot or too cold and only a few inches made the difference between freezing cold and scalding heat that was too hot to touch. The steam was very noticeable along the beach when we first arrived and we had a great time digging our own spot. Unfortunately our location was a bit closer to the incoming sea than would have been ideal and crashing waves decimated our efforts on several occasions, though the cool water was a welcome relief as the water in our spot was especially hot. We didn't manage to complete our tub in time and by now the tide was regularly flooding our area. We'd worked up a sweat though and despite several warnings of dangerous rip currents, we went for a cool off in the sea. The waves were the biggest we've ever seen and we had great fun splashing around in them before drying off on the beach, in the now beating sun. It was a really lovely morning and we followed up with brunch in the campervan before heading on to Auckland.

We had a little look around the city centre and around a few shops before heading to our campsite just North of the city. With a population of 1.6 million people and New Zealand's entire population figure at 4.7 million, that means roughly one in three New Zealanders live in Auckland - we find that staggering. Even more amazing, perhaps is that with a population of only just over 1 million, the entire South Island is home to only two thirds of the people that live in this one city. The other thing we find interesting is that after New Zealand, the clear second most common country of birth of it's residents is the United Kingdom, with almost a quarter of a million of NZ's residents born in the UK - and we can see why. It's very similar to the UK in many ways but so brilliantly different in many others. We've often felt like we are in a more beautiful and laid back version of our home country and that's why we've enjoyed it so much.

The other thing worth a mention is the fuel prices. Not so much the petrol as that's on a similar level to the UK, but the diesel is incredibly cheap. On the South Island, we paid $1.40 on average - 75p a litre. We thought that was good until we reached the North Island where it averages at $1.05 - just 56p a litre. With a little more research, we discovered that in early 2016, diesel prices reached a low of just 73 cents, an unheard of 39p a litre! The cause of the price is such low taxes on diesel compared to high taxes on petrol and we filled our 80L campervan tank up from nearly empty for the equivalent of just £43 earlier this week.

All of the above has led us to wonder why more people haven't emigrated here. The climate is very similar to the UK but warmer, the cost of living is similar, the nature is absolutely breathtaking, the people are delightful and it's such a peaceful and relaxing place. There is no dangerous wildlife whatsoever (which is surprising given it's close proximity with Australia) and the South Island is our definition of serenity and natural beauty. We suppose the isolation may put people off, though to us that's certainly not a negative. The high cost of housing in some areas and lack of public transport is a potential issue but wages are relative with a minimum wage 18+ of $15.75. (£8.50) Compare that to the UK where those aged 18-20 are only required to be paid £5.60 and even 25+ are only required to be paid £7.60. The national average hourly rate of $30 (£16.30) is also very high and there are plenty of opportunities for workers with a great veriety of skills.

The biggest turn off may be that the country is very vulnerable to mother nature, 185 people lost their lives when a powerful earthquake shook the city of Christchurch in 2011 and caused billions of pounds worth of damages. There are several earthquakes every week, (four already today) though the majority are too low on the richter scale to feel on the surface. There was a 5.1 magnitude quake that shook Auckland last Wednesday and for some context, a quake that powerful has only been felt in the UK twice in the last 32 years. We find it all really fascinating but the locals don't seem overly fussed, being used to it. None of the above would put us off though and one thing is for sure - we'll be returning.

A few weeks back we made the decision that it would be best to come home a bit earlier than originally planned with a view to coming back some time in the new year on a proper working holiday. This gives us a chance to spend the christmas period with our families and sort our working visas, as well as giving us an extra few months to save for our next adventure. It was a tough decision to make but it's what will work out best for us in the long term as we'll ultimately be able to come away for a much longer period of time and we still have ambitions to visit other countries on our travels next year too. We've learnt an awful lot of lessons on the way, as well as a lot about ourselves and we both agree that New Zealand is where we will initially be coming back to when starting our work placements. All of this means that we are flying back to the UK tomorrow evening, which at first will be quite sad. However, it's nice to be coming home to our families and a longer and hopefully more exciting adventure awaits in early 2018. We've had an amazing experience; it's only further whetted our appetities for the future and we can't wait to be back out in the big wide world again next year.

Just a quick note to say a big thankyou to our supportive families who we couldn't have done this without and also a thankyou to everyone who has followed our blog, we've had fun writing it and we hope you've enjoyed it - hopefully there is plenty more left to write about in the future.

Emily and Dan

Highlights - Camping by Lake Taupo, Huka Falls, Craters of the Moon, Hot Water Beach.

 Sunset on Lake Taupo

Huka Falls

Natural thermal spring on the edge of Lake Taupo

Craters of the Moon geothermic park

Cathedral Cove

Hot Water Beach

Our Trip Highlights:

Emily's best moments: Kayaking on Lake Revelstoke, Beverly Hills, Yosemite National Park, Central Park, the town and surroundings of Wanaka, visiting Queenstown, hiking up to Mt John Summit by Lake Tekapo, Hot Water Beach, the whole New Zealand experience.

Dan's best moments: Lake Louise hike, seeing a bear in the wild, Death Valley, driving down the Las Vegas strip at night in our convertible Mustang, 9/11 memorial, the town and surroundings of Wanaka, the whole New Zealand experience.

Day Forty-Four, Forty-Five, Forty-Six and Forty-Seven - Havelock, Picton and Wellington

We had another long drive in bad weather to our freedom camp next to a river just off the road and the location was popular with fellow campervans filling the place very quickly. We had a short walk to the nearby Maruia Falls which you could hear in the distance from where we had parked and settled down for another night in the countryside.

Emily drove for most of the next day and we made a stop at nearby Lake Rotoiti which was gorgeous and peaceful. Large black eels gathered around a wooden platform by the shore along with many ducks and other birdlife. It was a lovely spot to have a little wander around before getting back in the camper for a long drive through miles and miles of vineyards that litter the northern part of the South Island. We arrived in a lovely campsite in Havelock, on what was a warm and sunny evening, our pitch opposite the local bowls club who were having a great time enjoying the sunshine. We caught up with things online using the wifi and also did some laundry and emptied/filled the camper. Our final job of the day was to book our tickets for the ferry for Monday afternoon.

On Sunday we had a very relaxed day and didn't have too far to drive. Picton was our destination and we made a few stops on the way, firstly at Cullen Point lookout which revealed a panoramic view of the Sounds as well as the town of Havelock we had just left behind. Just down the road at Governors Bay, we found a little track that was very muddy and steep that finally led us down to our very own secluded beach. We were the only ones there and it was a lovely little stop right by the shore. We did notice a lot of sandflies around, however and we came back with one or two bites that we didn't have the day before.

There was a very twisty mountain road that brought us out to a spot looking upon the coastal town of Picton, where we would be catching our ferry the next day. We had a little drive around the town before finding our freedom camp just down the road, another popular spot that was quickly at full capacity. It was a quiet and perfectly still evening with warm sunshine beaming down and it was a nice way to end our Sunday.

The weather took a turn overnight meaning conditions at sea were pretty rough yesterday. Apart from the big swell, it was a very smooth trip with no problems and we arrived in the harbour of Wellington at around 5pm. We travelled straight to our freedom camping spot which was quite exposed to the elements and the notorious 'Wellington Wind.' It was only us and two other campers there and at around 1am we were woken by a group of people knocking at our campervan and we could hear them talking outside. After a few minutes a nearby campervan sped off down the road with the horn beeping furiously. We looked outside and could still see one or two people mooching around so we decided to move somewhere else for the evening. Just down the road we realised a loaf of bread was sandwiched between the door and the door mirror, suggesting it was probably just a group of drunken idiots but we didn't feel safe and were happy to go elsewhere. We found a larger campsite with several vehicles near the harbour and settled down for the night. It was difficult to get to sleep as the weather was now pretty disgusting and several times through the night the wind was so strong that we were sure we were going to blow over.

Thankfully we didn't and this morning we have driven north to Greytown to make use of the public library. A winding mountain road on the way had partially collapsed on one side which left a sheer drop over a cliffside and a massive landslide had also blocked one side of the road further along - we haven't had the warmest welcome to the North Island; not to mention we haven't seen the sun up here yet at all. Tonight we are staying in Masterton before heading further north over the coming days with Auckland our final destination where we'll hand back our campervan next Monday.

Highlights - Maruia Falls, Lake Rotoiti and Governors Bay

Maruia Falls

Lake Rotoiti

Cullen Point Lookout

Governors Bay Secluded Beach

View from above the Port of Picton

Day Forty-One, Forty-Two and Forty-Three - Wanaka, Fairlie and Waiau

We had a long drive to reach Wanaka and were greeted with lovely views of a pristine lake and the surrounding mountains on what was a gorgeous evening with not a cloud in the sky. We found a lovely spot to freedom camp nestled amongst the hills just outside the town and enjoyed the Diamond Lake walk that trailed nearby. The water was crystal clear and it was so quiet and peaceful, with the walk back to the camper being just as the sun was setting which made it very memorable. After dinner we enjoyed a clear night with the sky full of stars, a very nice evening to round off a relaxing and enjoyable day.

Our location and the clear skies meant it was a very chilly night but once the sun broke over the hills, it didn't take too long to warm up. We drove back into the town, stopping at several sites for some pictures and to enjoy the nature. A walk through the centre of the town preceded fish and chips by the lake for lunch, before we headed to the famous Wanaka Tree, which stands alone, it's roots submerged under the water just off the bank of the lake. It is supposedly the most photographed tree in New Zealand and it's not hard to see why, surrounded by the picturesque Southern Alps. Our campsite for the evening was the best we've stayed at. Lovely hot and clean showers with underfloor heating in the bathrooms, a spa with hot tubs and sauna included as well as free unlimited wifi - all included for a very reasonable fee for our pitch. It was a lovely evening once again with the sun shining and a little session in the spa rounded off another brilliant day.

Wanaka was an incredible place on the whole, one of the highlights of our trip for the both of us and we will definitely be coming back. Unbelieveable scenery, friendly locals, plenty to do without effecting the peace and quiet - what's not to like?

There have been several earthquakes around the globe over the past few days, and New Zealand hasn't escaped unaffected. A 6.1 magnitude quake hit on Wednesday off the coast of the South Island before a 5.1 magnitude quake was felt in the capital, Wellington on the North Island later in the evening. We were right in between where they hit so we didn't feel a thing where we were, but mother nature certainly reminding us of her presence around the world this week.

We made an early start on Thursday intending to conquer the 6 hour hike up to the summit of Roy's Peak but unfortunately the route is now closed til December due to logging, construction and lambing - a great shame. The weather had taken a turn so we did what we were going to do the next day and spent most of the day driving north, over eight hours behind the wheel in total, driving through Fairlie where we made a pitstop for fuel before heading back through Christchurch where our journey began nearly three weeks ago. We ended up resorting to plan B as our original freedom spot in Rotherham was in a grass paddock and very soggy. We managed to get in okay but with heavy rain forecast all night we thought we may have had trouble getting out in the morning. The campervan once again showed great aptitude for adverse conditions and skidded and squealed it's way back out the gate and on to the safety of the gravel road before we made camp in Waiau nearby.

This morning we emptied waste and filled the campervan with fresh water before making a stop in the very quiet town of Cheviot this morning at their library ahead of another day continuing north, with the port of Picton in our sights over the next day or two.

Highlights - Diamond Lake Walk, Wanaka Tree, the town of Wanaka

Views on the way to Wanaka

Our campsite by Diamond Lake

Walking around Diamond Lake

Diamond Lake

By the shores of Lake Wanaka

Smaller lake in Wanaka

Skipping stones by the Wanaka Tree

Day Thirty-Six, Thirty-Seven, Thirty-Eight, Thirty-Nine and Forty - Lumsden, Queenstown and Milford Sound

We enjoyed a lovely lunch by the side of the picturesque Lake Wakatipu on our journey north last Thursday. The weather was lovely and warm and we were sat right by the lake shore - it was beautiful. We then headed down 'the devil's staircase' - a winding mountain road that would lead us to the expanding and vibrant tourist hotspot of Queenstown. We arrived and parked up in the holiday park before walking into town. The weather wasn't great but we were starving so we enjoyed a world famous Fergburger - they didn't disappoint. With no sign of the rain stopping, we booked luging for the next day and headed back to the campervan for an earlyish night.

It was still tipping it down in the morning so we looked for something to do indoors while we waited for the sun to come out. We found a 'sensory maze' which was a very unique experience, through various rooms with different lighting, textures, smells and various activities through the maze. It kept us entertained for an hour or so before we headed up the Queenstown gondola to the luge track. We had to get another chairlift up to the starting grid and we enjoyed flying down the slippery slopes and turns but it was still raining and we got completely soaked through. We had a hot chocolate in the cafe at the top of the hill and dried out a little before heading back to the campervan. We saw a few people bungy jumping and it's definitely something we'll have a go at in the future as well as various other extreme activities that the town offers - we just didn't have any luck with the weather.

We found a nice spot by the lake just outside Lowburn to pitch up for the night and woke to several hungry ducks on the search for their breakfast. We had a long drive and got to our overnight stop in Lumsden early enough, our pitstop before heading to Milford Sound early the next morning. We didn't do an awful lot but caught up a bit on things at home and made use of the free wifi. It was a popular spot for freedom campers, nestled in the middle of the quiet town opposite a grocery store, with no charge for staying there and limitless free wifi. The Bafe Bakery is right next door too and they are reknowned in New Zealand for their doughnuts which we can confirm are some of the best we've ever had.

We woke on Sunday with a long drive to Milford Sound ahead of us. The weather was rainy but we thought nothing of it until it started snowing heavily the further we drove. Thankfully it wasn't settling on the roads at this point and we had 80 miles left to drive with no service, no shops and no fuel. As we continued into the unknown, the snow got thicker still and now it was really starting to settle. We were further unnerved when we saw a camper van had skidded off the road into the bushes, but there was little we could do to help as we'd have only got stuck ourselves. By now, the snow was a few inches thick on the ground and the camper was starting to struggle. We had no choice but to keep going as if we had stopped and tried to turn around we definitely would have been stuck in the middle of nowhere. We continued on where we saw a 4x4 had also skidded off the road and crashed into a ditch, but the driver looked like he was okay and again we couldn't really stop to help. At one stage, we had to climb a winding road up a steep hill and the campervan begin to really struggle to grip - we got down to walking pace as it desperately tried to grip the road and push us up the hill. - It started to go sideways uncontrollably but thakfully we had the road to ourselves and with great persistence from both human and machine, we somehow we made it. Not far up the road the snow had was a distant memory and the sun shone down like it was a warm summer's day - the weather can change unbelievably quickly here.

After going through a mile long tunnel right through the centre of a mountain, we arrived at Milford Sound. It's a very quiet place with no phone service or shops and only one little fuel pump which we were now in desperate need of. Again the weather was closing in so we picked up a few booklets from the information centre and headed to our campsite where we enjoyed a lovely hot shower in private bathrooms, even with a heated towel rack - a real luxury out here! We caught up on our laundry and had a nice dinner before heading to bed, praying for some sunshine for the next day.

Our prayers were answered and glorious sunshine lit up Milford Sound on Monday morning. We had a few little walks around the shores and up to various look out points, getting some nice pictures in the process. There were various cruise options available and we'll come back to do the sunrise cruise at some point as that sounded good, but very cold. Endangered birds called Keas, a type of parrot, were causing nuisance around the camp. They are large, very inquisitive birds and you could get pretty close to them without bothering them in the slightest. They frequently landed on our roof and we saw one clawing and biting at the sockets and pipes of the campervan next door to us which was amusing. After a nice hot chocolate from the cafe and seeing a bit more of the wildlife and scenery, we headed for The Chasm - a huge gorge in the mountainside where cascading water has shaped unusual sculptures through the granite over many years. We had a nice but damp walk through the rainforest to reach it and got a few pictures before a much nicer drive all the way back to Lumsden again - not a flake of snow to be seen this time.

We've found another library to update the blog this morning and will be heading north this afternoon to Wanaka where tomorrow we plan to conquer the 6 hour hike up Roy's Peak just outside the town.

Highlights - Lunch by Lake Wakatipu, visiting Queenstown, visiting Milford Sound, The Chasm, the doughnuts from Bafe Bakery

Lunch by Lake Wakatipu

On the way to Queenstown

The Devil's Staircase mountain road

Snowy Drive to Milford Sound

An inquisitive Kea

Milford Sound

Entrance to The Chasm

Day Thirty-Three, Thirty-Four and Thirty-Five - Moreaki, Balclutha and Invercargill

On Monday evening we headed for the Moreaki Boulders, a recognisable landmark of unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of Koekohe Beach on the Otago coast. From there we headed further along the coast to Katiki Point where seals and penguins were just coming ashore for the evening after a long day fishing out at sea. It was amazing to see them in the wild, we've been very lucky to see an extensive range of wildlife on our travels. The seals clambered their way up the hillside and laid to rest right by the pathway. You could literally go right up to them and sit down next to them, but out of respect and a slight fear of our own safety, we left them alone. They didn't seem the slightest bit bothered by our presence, nor were they bothered by the extreme wind which was the strongest either of us have ever experienced.

The next morning we woke up to appalling weather so we drove straight to our next point of interest, the Tunnel Beach Track near Dunedin and parked up and cooked lunch, waiting for the rain and wind to die down. Finally the clouds relented and we headed down the steep pathway towards the beach. Aside from great views from the cliff-top, there is a small cave-like tunnel straight through the cliffside that leads to a secluded rocky beach. There were one or two little waterfalls to enjoy too and it was a really fun experience as we were the only ones there. The steep hike back up was a good bit of exercise but by now the weather was drawing in again and we wasted no time in heading to our campsite in Balclutha for the night.

After catching up on laundry and emptying/filling up the camper, we headed out for a day of visiting several waterfalls in the south, starting with Purakaunui Falls. It was a fairly short walk through the forest to the cascading waterfall, pretty damp too. Matai Falls was our next port of call and there was a slighty steeper and longer walk to reach it, again in the middle of a rainforest. The most impressive falls was Maclean Falls, a 40 min round trip and quite steep in places but totally worth it as the falls were beautiful. We noticed that the water had a brownish/orange tinge to it and apparently it's something to do with iron deposits, but it didn't ruin the spectacle. As opposed to a viewing platform, you could go up and stand right in the falls which made it all the more special.

We decided to freedom camp for the night and found a nice spot just outside Invercargill which we have come back into this morning. Our journey will now begin north-wards with Queenstown and Milford Sound firmly in our sights.

Day Thirty-Three Highlight - Seeing penguins in the wild
Day Thirty-Four Highlight - Tunnel Beach Walk
Day Thirty-Five Highlight - Maclean Falls

Moreaki Boulders

Katiki Point

Tunnel Beach Walk

Purakaunui Falls

Matai Falls

Maclean Falls