Well, at least for the next few days! We had two super days in Auckland – exploring the city in three dimensions!
1. Ground level – and what a cosmopolitan city is turned out to be! Near our hotel there were loads of Chinese restaurants, Thai ones, Korean ones, Japanese and a few more besides. The city, like many is an interesting mix of old and new buildings – very often the very modern at the bottom, with the old still there on top!
2. From above – 418 metres above to be precise – from the viewing platforms of the Sky Tower – the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. Splendid views all round Auckland. If you are mad enough you can walk around the tower on the OUTSIDE...or if you’re totally insane, you can do a controlled descent base jump! Controlled it may be, slow it was not ! Needless to say the $NZ190 each was better in our pockets than theirs!
3. From the sea as we went very touristy and did a harbour boat tour. Auckland isn’t quite the size of Poole, but comes close – their entrance doesn’t have the Bramble Bush Bay Chain Ferry clanking across it, however, Ron did spot a 1930’s steam tug, the William C Daldy, built on the Clyde, which was moored at Devonport Pier. This vessel made its way here under its own steam – incredible for such a relatively small ship. It was sold to it’s current owners , its Preservation Society, for $1NZ – hardly surprising it’s no longer in use as it takes 2 days to get up steam! We didn’t see “Parahandy” at the helm!
So where are we now? We’re spending 3 days exploring the Coromanel Peninsula. We chose a DOC (Dept.of Conservation) camp site to try out our tent for the first time – and guess what? It rained! Hardly surprising since we were in the mountains – 5K up a gravel road with 2 fords to cross to reach the site! As the fords had risen considerably (at least 12 inches) after last nights torrential rain ( the worst that the warden had seen for many years) we decided that, beautiful as it was, one night was enough – especially as they were forecasting “Storms” for this evening!
Whilst we were waiting for the tent to dry, we spent what Ron has just described as “a leisurely 2 hrs” , walking up to Wentworth Falls – I think my description might have been a bit different, but the falls were very impressive (over 200 foot drop), and well worth the uphill slog!
So, with a now dry tent we went exploring – whilst packing up we had been chatting to our neighbours, who were similarly engaged, and they recommended the site we are now at – in a tiny coastal village called Hahei. It’s a 4.5km walk to one of NZ’s well known beauty spots – Cathedral Cove. Which is where we spent the afternoon – we even got a swim in, although the water was quite a bit colder tan Rarotonga! Two steep hilly walks on rough tracks in one day..and Ron wonders why I look tired! Seriously, it was a beautiful Cove, with amazing (and enormous) natural rock arches, stacks and a load more costal features to waste photos on!
When we got back, we went in search of a much needed shower and found something very useful . Out trusty Trangia cooker got a night off as they have an enormous cookhouse at the site for anyone to use, Its fitted out with ovens, hobs, microwaves, toasters etc etc – locals were even leaving their slow cookers on while they went out for the day, and coming back to a ready cooked meal! That’s hardly what I call camping!
Tomorrow we head off for Coromandel Town – the centre of the 1850s Gold Rush. It’s named after HMS Coromandel – a British Navy Survey vessel that called here looking timber for masts etc. No long rough walk tomorrow though!
1. Ground level – and what a cosmopolitan city is turned out to be! Near our hotel there were loads of Chinese restaurants, Thai ones, Korean ones, Japanese and a few more besides. The city, like many is an interesting mix of old and new buildings – very often the very modern at the bottom, with the old still there on top!
2. From above – 418 metres above to be precise – from the viewing platforms of the Sky Tower – the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. Splendid views all round Auckland. If you are mad enough you can walk around the tower on the OUTSIDE...or if you’re totally insane, you can do a controlled descent base jump! Controlled it may be, slow it was not ! Needless to say the $NZ190 each was better in our pockets than theirs!
3. From the sea as we went very touristy and did a harbour boat tour. Auckland isn’t quite the size of Poole, but comes close – their entrance doesn’t have the Bramble Bush Bay Chain Ferry clanking across it, however, Ron did spot a 1930’s steam tug, the William C Daldy, built on the Clyde, which was moored at Devonport Pier. This vessel made its way here under its own steam – incredible for such a relatively small ship. It was sold to it’s current owners , its Preservation Society, for $1NZ – hardly surprising it’s no longer in use as it takes 2 days to get up steam! We didn’t see “Parahandy” at the helm!
So where are we now? We’re spending 3 days exploring the Coromanel Peninsula. We chose a DOC (Dept.of Conservation) camp site to try out our tent for the first time – and guess what? It rained! Hardly surprising since we were in the mountains – 5K up a gravel road with 2 fords to cross to reach the site! As the fords had risen considerably (at least 12 inches) after last nights torrential rain ( the worst that the warden had seen for many years) we decided that, beautiful as it was, one night was enough – especially as they were forecasting “Storms” for this evening!
Whilst we were waiting for the tent to dry, we spent what Ron has just described as “a leisurely 2 hrs” , walking up to Wentworth Falls – I think my description might have been a bit different, but the falls were very impressive (over 200 foot drop), and well worth the uphill slog!
So, with a now dry tent we went exploring – whilst packing up we had been chatting to our neighbours, who were similarly engaged, and they recommended the site we are now at – in a tiny coastal village called Hahei. It’s a 4.5km walk to one of NZ’s well known beauty spots – Cathedral Cove. Which is where we spent the afternoon – we even got a swim in, although the water was quite a bit colder tan Rarotonga! Two steep hilly walks on rough tracks in one day..and Ron wonders why I look tired! Seriously, it was a beautiful Cove, with amazing (and enormous) natural rock arches, stacks and a load more costal features to waste photos on!
When we got back, we went in search of a much needed shower and found something very useful . Out trusty Trangia cooker got a night off as they have an enormous cookhouse at the site for anyone to use, Its fitted out with ovens, hobs, microwaves, toasters etc etc – locals were even leaving their slow cookers on while they went out for the day, and coming back to a ready cooked meal! That’s hardly what I call camping!
Tomorrow we head off for Coromandel Town – the centre of the 1850s Gold Rush. It’s named after HMS Coromandel – a British Navy Survey vessel that called here looking timber for masts etc. No long rough walk tomorrow though!
really Ron shorts,trainers and white sports socks pulled up!!:-> still i spose its slightly better than blue socks and brown sandels! he he looks like your havin wonderfull time and in case i 4 get happy birthday for monday dave xx
ReplyDeleteJust for your benefit, Dave! Or more accurately to do with sun burnt feet!
ReplyDeleteMx