If playing in rock pools, snorkeling, fishing or even just hanging out at a beautiful beach is your kind of thing then Whangawehi is the perfect spot for you! If you cross over the Whangawehi River bridge and drive for a minute or two you reach a stretch of road with parking areas and beach access... continue reading at New Zealand Holidays - Travel & Holiday Tips from New Zealand
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Freedom Camping in Hawkes Bay -
If you head North out of Gisborne (up the coast) in the general Tologa Bay direction you can find lots of nice freedom camping spots all along the beach front. Pouawa is usually the favourite as it is only about 15 minutes from Gisborne so is handy to town and the beach is great for swimming... continue reading at New Zealand Holidays - Travel & Holiday Tips from New Zealand
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Kaiti Hill Stair Climb: Gisborne New Zealand
After my lazy weekend I decided to get some exercise so headed to kaiti Hill. There's walking tracks all over Kaiti Hill catering for all fitness types but today I thought I'd attempt the Stair Climb Challenge - a steep flight of stairs going about 100 metres up hill. It is an intense and very tiring... continue reading at New Zealand Holidays - Travel & Holiday Tips from New Zealand
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Tokomaru Bay - Hawkes Bay NZ - Spend at least one day here
Last summer I spent a week in Tokomaru Bay - it was the first time I had ever been there and I loved everything about it! The beach stretches forever so was a bit of a sprint over the hot sand to reach the ocean but all this room was perfect for the beach soccer... continue reading at New Zealand Holidays - Travel & Holiday Tips from New Zealand
RERE ROCKSLIDE, FALLS AND THE CHAMPAGNE POOLS - Iconic New Zealand - Gisborne
A Gizzy summer typically involves a trip to Rere Rockslide - a natural rock slide formation only about 50kms out of Gisborne where hours can be spent on boogie boards (or any flotation devise) racing each other down the 60 metre long slide. But, if you're not the thrill seeker type (like me) then the... continue reading at New Zealand Holidays - Travel & Holiday Tips from New Zealand
Monday, December 27, 2010
New Zealand holidays blog, new look, new writers New Year
We have finished the updated template for New Zealand Holidays and have taken on two new writers to help us out. Over the last month we have not posted much but have been busy writing articles ready to start being posted in the next few days so stay tuned from some iconic kiwi stories from in... continue reading at New Zealand Holidays - Travel & Holiday Tips from New Zealand
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Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Day 9 - Taihape to Woodville (110km)
After sending this email Mark has just heard news of the miners in Pike River and conveys his deepest sympathies to all families and friends, his thoughts are with you all. Last night I asked the locals the best time to leave Taihape on bike to beat the trucks. They said anytime between 1.00am... continue reading at New Zealand Holidays - Travel & Holiday Tips from New Zealand
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New Zealand Bike Ride - Day 8 - Taumarunui to Taihape - 133km
I woke up today 5.30am ready to get going....however the family were still asleep (better not wake them quite yet) and legs were tired after yesterday (170km...best to give them some more rest) The biking was a bit slow today, 6 hours for the 133km with Taumarunui to National Park very slow taking over... continue reading at New Zealand Holidays - Travel & Holiday Tips from New Zealand
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Waimangu Volcanic Valley New Zealand- 'The world's youngest geothermal system'
So often when you are visiting another place you explore the tourist book stuff and see adds for stuff that’s a bit further out, or even worse when you get home somebody says did you see/do/find the ... It is a risk to go to the less well known places not knowing if your time and effort will be rewarded with something special or a few hours less in your day, a lighter wallet and a disappointed feeling, especially when time is limited and you are trying to get the best value for your money. One of the themes from this travel blog is to find some of those out of the way opportunities and highlight the best of them not only for visitors from other parts of the world, but also for Kiwis exploring their own backyard. Sometimes even for the locals who didn’t even know they could fill in a morning with something cool.... continue reading at New Zealand Holidays - Travel & Holiday Tips from New Zealand
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Waimangu Volcanic Valley New Zealand- 'The world's youngest geothermal system'
So often when you are visiting another place you explore the tourist book stuff and see adds for stuff that’s a bit further out, or even worse when you get home somebody says did you see/do/find the …
It is a risk to go to the less well known places not knowing if your time and effort will be rewarded with something special or a few hours less in your day, a lighter wallet and a disappointed feeling, especially when time is limited and you are trying to get the best value for your money. One of the themes from this travel blog is to find some of those out of the way opportunities and highlight the best of them not only for visitors from other parts of the world, but also for Kiwis exploring their own backyard. Sometimes even for the locals who didn’t even know they could fill in a morning with something cool.
Last weekend we travelled to Rotorua, kids in tow looking for something to do. Heres a little adventure well worth the effort and one of the better value trips as well.
Waimangu Volcanic Valley – ‘The world’s youngest geothermal system’
About 20 mins by road South of Rotorua on the Old Taupo Road (links Rototua to Taupo). You turn left and wind your way back into some stunning New Zealand back country and regenerating Native forest (the area was totalled with the eruption of Tarawera). Don’t worry the trip is well worth it. Go for lunch in the cafe, get an ice block or coffee and see why this attraction is about to be a must see, especially for the new generation of eco tourists.
Be prepared, it is a self guided walking tour, but its either downhill or flat, with good wide metalled paths and a bus to bring you back to the top of the valley, or to transport you between stops on the way if you just want to do bits of the walk. Its good for kids and mature people. You can get up close with bubbling mud, steaming water, gysers, craters and everything in between. To finish off the trip if you bought the ferry ticket (well worth the extra) you can spend about 45 minutes out on lake Rotomohana being shown the worlds youngest geothermal system as well as visiting the locations of the famous Pink and White terraces.
We had a great day out, if we had known about the cafe we would have gone for lunch. The kids really enjoyed seeing things close up and the self guide booklet was rich in detail (and seems to be available in multiple languages). Numbered posts along the trail tie in to the numbering in the booklet to ensure you know where to look and what you are looking at, including plenty of history about the area.
This is a spectacular place do it at your own pace.
Monday, November 22, 2010
New Zealand Holidays – Waitomo Caves a great place for extreme adventures
New Zealand’s reputation as an extreme sports mecca for those planning Holidays in New Zealand is something many of us Kiwis take for granted. Growing up with bridge jumping, making go karts with 250CC motorbike engines and tobogganing on car bonnets from old holdens behind V8 utes in old quarry roads, extreme sports is in our blood. The Black Abyss at the Waitomo Caves 1hr south of Hamilton is the ultimate Waitomo adventure and is the caving tour of choice for natural born adrenaline junkies everywhere. First you descend into the seemingly bottomless black depths of the glow worm studded Ruakuri Cave. Then embark on a five hour expedition which combines abseiling the 35 metre tomo, climbing, whizzing down a flying fox and cave tubing underneath glow worms into one unforgettable journey. At every stage you're accompanied and supported by experienced caving guides from The Legendary Black Water Rafting Co. who know and love this totally unique and mind-blowing environment. View Larger Map
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Athenree Hotsprings you need to book your New Zealand Holiday early at this camp ground
For over 10 years I have taken my family to Athenree Hot Springs & Holiday Park for our annual 2 week camping holiday. One of the things that have kept us going back apart from being clean and well maintained was how kid friendly Athenree is. Our first visit was complete with a six month old baby and every year we have taken our kids and felt totally comfortable with them running around and making friends.
The general attitude of campers is excellent with many of them being families and no loud and raucous party goers which is quite rare but suits us nicely.
The covered BBQ and dining area next to the kitchen offers a fantastic spot to eat or to meet up with other campers for a chat and is also the dance floor every new years eve party with a live D.J. In a normal setting it would be a bit like a school disco but as part of the summer camping thing with a few beers and plenty of families its kind of a highlight.
There is a laundry on the premises and if you don’t feel like eating out, the communal kitchen is equipped with anything you might need to prepare a meal. The games room and library are great places to spend some time and at the park entrance you’ll find a playground for the children.
There are two ablution blocks at Athenree Hot Springs and Holiday Park so there are plenty of showers (no charge!) and toilets available for our guests, along with hairdryers, hand-dryers and full length mirrors. There are also Motel Units and Deluxe Chalets which have their own bathrooms and toilets and all have SKY TV. All communal facilities are kept clean and checked regularly.
We love our summer holiday at Athenree that we pre booked for 5 years, you can’t get much more kudos than that.
Holidays in New Zealand – Piha Beach Nature, Surf Culture Auckland New Zealand
Your New Zealand Holiday this summer would not be complete without a trip to Piha. Located 28 kilometres west of Auckland city centre amidst the Waitakere Ranges is Piha beach, an excellent surf beach (in fact it was the birthplace of NZ Boardriding in 1958) and being so close to the ranges the bush and scenery is amazing.
The nearest beaches accessible by road are Karekare to the south, and Anawhata to the north. Karekare is a beautiful spot and I spent several summers there as a lifeguard when I was a young lad. The characteristicly rugged coastline of the west coast of New Zealand is a great hideaway for a couple of romantic days wiht some great walks which can reward you with secluded beaches accessible only on foot. Immediately to the north of Piha is Whites Beach, accessible only by foot. Mercer Bay is immediately to the south both of which are accessible by foot.
Kitekite Falls
The rugged coastline and forested Waitakere Ranges offer a number of walks, or tramps, ranging from easy to very difficult. Close to the beach are the Kitekite Falls which while not very large are picturesque. Swimming is possible all seasons (though only for the cold hardened outside of summer) in a pool just above the falls. At the bottom of the falls is a sheltered picnic area popular with families in the summer time.
Lion Rock is a natural rock formation splitting North and South Piha beaches. It's a 16 million year old volcanic neck, named for its similarity to a lying male lion when viewed from the rear (shore side), Lion Rock is immediately visible to visitors as they descend along the only access road. Lion Rock is an iconic kiwi landmark not only of Piha, but of Auckland's West Coast in general. It was featured on stamps as well as an Auckland phone book. A blowhole is also located at Piha.
Surfing and surf lifesaving
As I mentioned Piha was the birthplace of New Zealand board riding in 1958, and has been the scene of both New Zealand national and international surfing championship competitions. Two Surf Lifesaving clubs provide surf patrols in summer. United North Piha Lifeguard Service is responsible for the section of the beach north of Lion Rock and Piha Surf Life Saving Club patrols the section of the beach to the south of Lion Rock. Both clubs provide patrolled areas designated by red and yellow flags as is the custom with Surf Lifesaving in New Zealand and many other countries.
The rip currents along this section of coast are very unpredictable and can shift with little warning. They claim many lives despite the efforts of surf life-savers. Most of these drownings, however, occur after lifeguards are off duty or after rock fisherman wearing heavy clothing are washed off rocks, out of sight of the lifeguards. Lifeguards advise swimming between the red and yellow flags, during patrol hours.
Sleepy Whananaki South - a picturesque New Zealand holiday destination
If you want to get a feel for a small coastal New Zealand settlement while you are on Holiday in New Zealand Whananaki South is one of those places that time forgot. The "town" is a little country school, tennis courts, library & general store on the northern side of the shallow estuary. The Southern Hemisphere's longest foot bridge connects two clumps of bach's.
The baches of South Whananaki are the key ingredient for the retro feel of this remote holiday spot. The couple of dozen little buildings were all constructed just after World War II on leasehold land & there are strict covenants that mean that they can't be radically extended. This has lead to ORIGINAL baches - 1940's style tiny little places often augmented by a collection of old caravans, lean-to's & connecting roofs.
It's real can do No.8 wire Kiwiana & I love it!
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New Zealand Holidays Hawkes Bay summer time at the river
- Tuki Tuki River & the Te Mata Peaks
One of the things I miss most about living in Hawke's Bay is the ability to drive less than 20 minutes no matter which town you live in & find yourself at an awesome spot on the edge of The Esk, Tutai Kuri, Ngarororo or Tuki Tuki River.
On summer evenings when it was too hot to cook at home we'd throw some spuds & a few bits of chicken wrapped in tin foil in the car & head down to the river. With luck it wasn't "too crowded" (there was no one within a kilometre of your spot) & the rope swing was still there at the swimming hole. There is nothing like a river for cooling off! You get out feeling refreshed & clean. It's what made the heat of a Hawkes Bay summer bearable. Then we'd get a little fire going on the stones, cook our tea & kick back while the evening cooled off & the colour faded out of the sky.
There are so many things that make up the unique experience that is New Zealand. For me an essential part of our Iconic Kiwi Lifestyle is the sights, sounds & smells of a Hawke's Bay river. If you're staying in the Bay during summer, take time to sample an Iconic Kiwi experience.
Sunday breakfast at the Little Clydesdale Cafe in Pirongia - A break in your New Zealand holiday
Little Clydesdale Cafe is definitely something you would expect to find in a rural setting, complete with horse stuff, saddles and barrels but both the food and staff were excellent.
Coming from a 15 year background in Hospitality and a family who seems to be fairly well immersed in the industry I had a little chuckle at the menu which had been prepared for our table of 12 as it was hand written on an A4 piece of paper and there was only one copy. To their credit they took drinks orders and got coffees to us while we passed the menu around.
The selections were everything from your traditional Kiwi breakfast to Spicy Chorizo and potato melt on Turkish bread. I chose the breakfast and complete with real bacon and sausages, which I believe were local, was definitely bloody tasty.
The kids had a blast sitting on the saddles and looking at the clydesdales not to mention enjoying drawing on the pen and paper provide to help keep them entertained. Very easy to lose a couple of hours here even with the kids in tow.
Pirongia Clydesdales
1375 McClure St
Pirongia 3876
New Zealand
Cafe Phone: 07-871-9369
Email: cafe@clydesdales.co.nz
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