Week 15 - Traveling instead of Working

So we started the new week unemployed again. The option of getting a paid job per completed area was ultimately not feasible for us, as we would likely have ended up earning less than minimum wage.

First, we treated ourselves to a good breakfast at a small café before driving to Mount Maunganui. There, we took a short hike around and up the striking mountain. A small highlight was the seal that Julian spotted at the foot of a statue. The view from the mountain itself was nice, but it didn't blow us away.

Afterwards, we treated ourselves to a hot shower at a small thermal bath in the area. Here in New Zealand, you can often take showers at baths, which is significantly cheaper than paying the regular entrance fee and, of course, ideal for us.

We continued on to our campsite for the night in Mataua, where we took a little walk and enjoyed the beautiful seaside location.

We reorganized ourselves that day since we hadn’t planned on traveling further.

On Tuesday, we moved on to McLaren Falls Park. A lovely somewhat secluded park where we found a small waterfall and an idyllic river.

However, the highlight of the day was the Putaruru Blue Springs. This slow-flowing river is famous for its particularly clear water.

The water here is filtered through underground rock layers for 50 to 100 years, and almost all color particles are removed in the process.

Along a lovely wooden walkway, you can admire the river, its blue color, and the green aquatic plants. A bit outside the actual park, we managed to capture the scenery with our drone.

The next day, we visited the Kiwi House in Otorohanga. This small zoo houses Kiwis and other native bird species and tries to rewild them whenever possible. Although we couldn't see the Kiwis here, the other birds were also very nice, and the geckos showed themselves to us.

We continued on to the Marakopo Falls. This waterfall was the most impressive one we’ve seen so far in New Zealand.

We spent the night at the Mangapohue Natural Bridge. This natural rock formation looks like a large bridge. It’s also known for the glowworms that can be spotted here at night. Truly beautiful to see in person, but hard to capture in photos. Luckily, we’ve uploaded a good picture of one of these worms so you can see what we’re talking about.

The next day, we took a walk along the Waitomo Walkway and the Ruakuri Bushwalk. Afterwards, we made our way to the west coast of the North Island. We drove quite a way to Tongapurutu to admire the Three Sisters and the Elephant Rock. These rocks lie on the beach off the coast and can only be accessed at low tide. We didn’t know this exactly until we arrived. Fortunately, luck was on our side, and we had an hour left until the tide reached its lowest point, giving us plenty of time. The path there was very muddy, and we had to wrestle through ankle-deep mud. We were rewarded with the beautiful rocks and lovely evening light from the setting sun. On the way back, it started to rain, and we were able to admire a beautiful rainbow that seemed to rise directly from the water in front of us. A truly unique atmosphere with a sunset on one side and a rainbow on the other.

Early the next morning, we were on the road again. Our destination: Mount Taranaki.

We wanted to start with a big hike since the weather was only supposed to be nice for two days. On the drive there, the spectacular volcano revealed itself to us in its beautiful and cloudless form.

Unfortunately, that didn’t last, and when we reached the summit of Henry Peak (1224m) after more than three hours of hiking, Taranaki was shrouded in stubborn clouds. The strenuous but still beautiful hike was worth it, though.

At our campsite for the night, Taranaki showed itself once again in the evening light with fewer clouds.

On the next day, we wanted to go back to Taranaki, specifically to a small ski area on the east side of the peak. With nearly cloudless skies, there was once again a lovely drive to the parking lot located at 1172m. In perfect sunshine, the peak appeared in radiant white. The large suspension bridge over a gorge on the way from the parking lot to the ski area was a great photo opportunity. Since it was a Saturday, there was a lot of activity and many families were out with skis, snowboards, and sleds.

Even though the slopes probably wouldn’t excite winter sports enthusiasts by European standards, it was very interesting for us to watch the locals enjoying winter sports. (see pictures)

We took advantage of the lovely day to make a detour to Lake Mangamahoe. Here there’s a viewpoint with a view of Mount Taranaki.

For the night, we drove to the largest city in the region, New Plymouth. A short walk from our campsite is the very famous Te Rewa Rewa Bridge. Unfortunately, the first clouds started to roll in, and the view of Mount Taranaki from the bridge was no longer as clear as it had been just a few hours earlier.

Today it rained practically all day, but we were glad to have a cozy day to relax. The whole week had been quite exciting and exhausting.

We visited the library with its associated museum and checked out the free exhibition about the Taranaki region and one about marine animals.

This week could end on a relaxed note, allowing us to process all the new experiences one more time. Certainly one of the most beautiful weeks filled with highlights since we’ve been in New Zealand.