Cat at the Ohinemuri Winery

Hey, it’s Andrea’s fault – she’s the one that had to use the restroom.

The Karangahake Gorge runs along Highway 2 for a bit, and just west of the Ohinemuri  winery was the parking area for hikers looking for a great walk along the gorge. If you’re able to and in the area, STOP! This is a great, easy walk and worth your visit.

Karangahake Gorge

During the 1875 gold rush, the Karangahake Gorge was a happening place to dig. Now, not so much – there would be lots of upset people if you started digging. I’ve heard. The heavy machinery used to extract gold are now rusted hulks by the path, but it’s a great bit of history as you explore the wonderful scenes of nature.

Karangahake Gorge machinery

The path closely follows the river – very closely in spot. The path is mostly rock and dirt, but there are spots of pavement. And if you really want to get close to the water, there are lots of boulders. Who doesn’t like hopping from boulder to boulder? It takes me back to climbing the rocks around Mackinac Island when I was a kid.

Karangahake Gorge

This waterfall was our turnaround point on the trail. It isn’t the big one, Owharoa Falls, but it was certainly beautiful. We were the only two people around, and this fall was reached by following a narrow path through thick forests. The water tumbled about 40 feet from the top before ending in a small pool, the water rushing away towards the Ohinemuri River. Now that I think back, I’m amazed at the beauty of that little spot.

Karangahake Gorge waterfall

This really is a must-stop if your traveling on Highway 2 south of the Coromandel Peninsula. If you’re only passing through, like we were, or have a bit more time to hike the other tracks around the Karangahake Gorge, this is an experience you will certainly remember.

Duxton Hotel, Auckland

Parking was a slight challenge. The lot underneath the hotel was narrow and the parking spots were miniscule. Thankfully, our car was small and I had packed a can opener so that I could actually open the door once I found a spot.

The room was simple yet comfortable. It was a challenge to stay awake, as neither of us slept well on the overnight flight from Los Angeles. But we had two weeks in a beautiful country ahead, and we needed to focus on consciousness.

Duxton Hotel, Auckland

Our view was interesting, being able to see downtown and the Sky Tower from our little patio. I had heard a joke from a Kiwi that the value of one’s property went up if they couldn’t see the Sky Tower. Maybe it’s true. In any case, as a tourist, I was happy to see it from our window.

View of downtown Auckland

Greys Avenue, where the Duxton was located, was quiet, except for the occasional fire truck which emerged from the fire station at the top of the hill. Greys Avenue once had an unsavory reputation early last century, lined with opium dens and casinos. Today, plane trees (I’m not judging them and calling them plain, they are actually called “plane trees”) line the avenue providing ample shade and seemingly quiet the surrounding city.

Greys Avenue, Auckland

(As an aside, whenever I walked down Greys Avenue, I would get that Dave Matthews Band song “Grey Street” running through my head. Easy to do, though.)

The narrow Myers Park ran behind the Duxton. Like Greys Avenue which ran parallel to the park, the park sloped downwards from southwest to northeast towards downtown Auckland. It was a small park lined with palm trees, with high banks sloping down to the path that led through the park’s center. The formerly open sewer was transformed into a park, using money donated by former Auckland Arthur Myers in 1914, and there was no residual stench which I could detect while walking through it.

Myers Park, Auckland

The two mornings we stayed at the Duxton, we ate at the hotel restaurant for breakfast. Prices were what one would expect for a hotel restaurant, but the continental breakfast buffet has a nice selection. We were also able to order off the menu, and the banana pancakes were excellent. The porch had a clear plastic screens (it was chilly in the morning) with views of Myers Park.

The web site says that the Duxton is a boutique hotel. When we stayed in 2006, I simply remember it as a hotel, nothing too boutique about it, so the set up may have changed. But in any case, the location hasn’t changed and the hotel is in a quiet spot in busy Auckland.

Rangitoto, New Zealand

Rangitoto hasn’t been active in a few hundred years, but it still felt very volcano-y. The island was covered with black igneous rock and thick bush, a far different scene from Auckland, where we were staying our first two nights in New Zealand. And being only a twenty five minute ferry ride, it’s a very quick change of pace.

Rangitoto, New Zealand

There are no towns on Rangitoto. No shops, not Starbucks, just a few houses built before further development was banned in 1937. We were not alone on the island – after all, we came with a ferry full of people – but it felt worlds away from the modern metropolis where we boarded the ferry.

We were informed not to miss the last ferry. There were no hotels on the island, and as there were no places to buy food or water, it would have been a long and miserable night. Luckily, we were well supplied and in no danger of dying of thirst or starvation. If you do happen forget to bring food or water, you can buy them on the ferry. And you WILL need water – you’ve got some climbing ahead.

Rangitoto, New Zealand

The hike up the mountain was, well, a hike. Parts of the path were smoothed out, but it was uphill all the way. Most of the trail was rocky and rough and footing was tricky at points. Even for Andrea and I, who are in good shape, it was a challenging workout, but you can’t beat the scenery – it was way better than a treadmill.

Rangitoto, New Zealand

At the top was a stunning view of the bay and the city, and much-needed seats for a well-earned rest. Also at the top was a World War II bunker, erected to protect Auckland from the Japanese. The Japanese still invade, they just bring cameras. But then, so do the invaders from the United States, Canada, Ireland, etc.

View of Auckland from Rangitoto

I definitely recommend a trip to Rangitoto. You can get away from the crowds in Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city, and experience some of the country’s famed beauty.

Path on Rangitoto

The Lodge was easy to find. We turned off Highway 6A and up a few very steep streets to be greeted by an incredible view of The Remarkables mountain range and Lake Wakatipu. Shirley and Barry were incredibly nice and accommodating – we had arrived late from a drive from Dunedin, and I had forgotten to write down the phone number before we left home to let them know we’d be late.

We slept in the Remarkables Room and couldn’t have asked for a better view. With the lake and mountain range in clear view, we had beautiful sunrises and sunset. We were even blessed with a few rainbows during our stay. It was without question the greatest view I’ve ever had from a hotel / B&B room.

Shirley made great breakfasts every morning and Barry was available to provide us information about the local area or book excursions for us. Whenever we would return to the Lodge from a hard day of relaxing, we always felt welcome, like we were visiting friends and not staying at a B&B.

We will not return to New Zealand for several more years, but when we do, the Hikurangi Lodge will definitely be on the list of places to stay.

But onto the book. The description of the scenery and the details of his tramps (hikes, not loose women) paints a wonderful picture of his four-month stay. (What I wouldn’t give for a four-month stay in New Zealand.) This was why I was interested in the book, hearing about an adventure in a far-away place that didn’t involve daily commutes and sitting in front of a computer.

It starts quickly, involving a hike through Milford Sound during a blizzard, not something I would want to experience. (On the other hand, I do hate getting stuck in traffic light after traffic light.) He explores an amazing amount of the country, from the very bottom of New Zealand, Stewart Island, which sits just below the South Island, to Cape Reinga, the very tip of the North Island.

Andrew also discusses details about the conflicts with the Maori and the white New Zealanders, a conflict that goes back to the 19th century. While interesting and certainly informative, there was too much focus on that particular aspect of the trip, a lot of it the he-said, she-said variety which comes from differing points of view. When I get around to blogging about my New Zealand trip, I will not be talking about New Zealand politics, but to each their own.

One of the great things about traveling is meeting interesting people, and from the different travel books I’ve read, backpackers seem to meet more interesting people than we travelers to rent cars or go on packaged tours. Andrew goes into detail about many of the people he encountered on his journey, such as the Englishman walking the length of New Zealand and the Vietnam vet searching for peace in the forest, and he doesn’t seem to disparage the non-backpackers too much.

Which brings me to a rant. I’ve noticed that in the travel books I’ve read, anyone who takes a tour or only visits the major sights is committing a great and terrible sin, wronging the natives for ignoring their real way of life, ruining the environment, and doing themselves a great disservice by living in their own sheltered world by seeing only what tour guides want them to see. Real travelers only stay at hostels and only eat at hole in the wall place with the locals and never, ever, check luggage.

Those things are fine if you like them – traveling is what you make of it. I prefer comfortable beds, visiting famous monuments or areas of nature, and having a pleasant trip. It’s vacation, after all. That doesn’t mean I won’t eat local dishes or visit an out of the way cave that I just heard about five minutes ago – those are wonderful too, and those little things can make a good trip a great trip. Testing your comfort zone can be exciting, but each person has their limit of what is an enjoyable travel experience can be. Prefer to eat at McDonald’s instead of “Chen’s House of Stinky Tofu and Guaranteed Indigestion”? I’m with you.

Okay, I’m back on track now. If you don’t mind a history lesson and discussions about 150+ year old land disputes, it’s a decent read, and a quick one at only 202 pages. I’m glad I read it, and after hearing about Andrew’s numerous experiences with bad weather and being dirty for days on end, I’m glad I saw most of New Zealand by car.

My favorite part of Akaroa was getting there. As Highway 75 approaches the town on the Banks Peninsula, it winds its way up and over hills with sharp turns and beautiful views of the valley. The drive isn’t for the faint of heart – the drops are very steep – but it was a fun drive. Well, for me at least.

We boarded the Black Cat harbor tour with great hopes of seeing all kinds of wildlife, and we were not disappointed. We saw dolphins and birds and seals – if you like boats and wildlife, two great things that go great together, then definitely consider the Black Cat cruise.

It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, though. Let’s just say that for a pregnant woman who was already prone to motion sickness, being on a boat for two hours didn’t make for the best afternoon. Lesson learned.

We went to Akaroa in November, and it wasn’t at all busy, and it was easily walkable. The town is located in bottom of the caldera of an ancient volcano now filled with water and makes a fantastic setting. And it’s only a short trip from Christchurch, the South Island’s largest city. So head on over – it only took us about twenty hours of total time in the air to get to Christchurch from Michigan – no problem.