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.
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