-

Unless there are some bits and pieces to comment on on the way home.

That's all from the NeW Zealand blog.

Thanks and bye.

Trout @ Lake Taupo

Probably the most famous spot in New Zealand for sports fishing.

Hooked 3 landed 3.

The lake is the biggest in New Zealand. We trolled at 210ft. for about 2-3hrs.

Here's a picture of my good self with fish.

Trout @ Taupo, New Zealand

Let the other 2 go.

This was the smallest.

Zorbing - NZ

Popularised by Andrew Akers, Zorbing is the pursuit which involves immersing yourself in water, surrounding yourself in a giant inflatable ball, then rolling yourself down a hill.

I took two rolls, one with harness the other immersed in bubble bath.

Here’s a video.

Zorbing - Rotorua, New Zealand

Weblinks: Zorbing

Wai o Tapo - Geyser

One of the main attractions and features of Rotorua and the area is the high level of geothermal activity.

On the same rift as White Island, mentioned earlier in this blog, Rotorua is renowned for it baths and geothermal formations.

No where can these be found in more glory than at the Wai-o-Tapo park.

Lady Knox
A 15m Geyser erupting daily.
Lady Knox Geyser, New Zealand
Lady Knox Geyser, New Zealand
Each morning there is a regular show at 10.15am.

Weblinks: Lady Knox

Rotorua - Buried Village

Buried Village, Rotorua
Buried Village, Rotorua
Part of the range of attractions on offer around Rotorua, family owned, the lost village tells a story through a museum and guided tour, of how a village Te Wairoa and it’s notaries were either buried or managed to escape the eruptions of Tarawera in 1886.

Swingers, Museum, Buried Village, Rotorua

Te Wairoa
A point of departure for international tourists to take the pink and white terrace lakes, calciated lakes similar to that which can be found in Pummukale Turkey.

The main hotel was owned by a Scotsman, McRae, it was from here a local notary, Guide Sophie used to take parties up to the terraces.

Buried Village, Rotorua

Omen
Part of this included a trip across a lake Rotomahana.

Ten days before the eruption, crossing this lake, dog headed apparitions were spotted in in a Maori war canoe, none of which existed in the area.
The village elder who accurately predicted this was an omen of doom and bad things would follow.

Lost
Ten days later at 1am in the morning the village was buried and 150 of the residents had lost their lives.

Set in beautiful surroundings, including jungle, trout streams, waterfalls, interspersing the various bits of ruin and excavations along the way, this was a good way to spend the afternoon as the weather stayed good.

Weblinks: Buried Village

Maori Hangi - Rotorua

Currently holed up at the Novotel, Rotarau.

Last night went to Maori Hangi and concert.

Have this photo which was taken before the batteries ran out of the portable.



The show consisted of a ceremony in which I was requested to rub noses with a Maori warrior. Then given a frond of NZ fern.

My tribe (table) was then given priority eating privileges.

Should be chief more often.

Anyway, this was a good night out.

Weblinks: Hangi

Auckland

Auckland, New Zealand
Have made it back to Auckland.

Pahia Beach Resort

Have holed up at Pahia Beach.

It is a holiday weekend here.

AM staying at this resort http://www.paihiabeach.co.nz/pages/home.htm.

The girl tries to charge me $80 for checking out 1/2 an hour late.
Restaraunts are all fully booked.

Mungrels break into the complex overnight and steal some whisky and liquers from the bar.

Pahia Beach

Eat in the pure tastes restaraunt with award winning head chef.

thai cripsy beef cucumber - coconut milk relish + coconut rice

sticky madarin duck - shaved bean, tatsoy leaves, green onion + five spice steamed dumpling

white chocolate parfait - fresh cherries + chocolate dentelles

The duck was slightly overcooked.

The parfait was devine.


Best
This is acclaimed as the best restaraunt in Pahia Beach.

Weblinks: Pure Tastes

Dual Coast Highway

Took this looking down over the bay on the east coast.

Perhaps

I should come back when I've got more money.

Night Shot #2

Taken out of the 26th floor of the Crowne Plaza, Auckland.

Comments please.

The Factory - White Island

Factory then.

Factory, White Island, New Zealand
Factory Now,

Factory, White Island, New Zealand
Perhaps the reason why there is still lingering interest in the island, is the presence of the factory.

Jinx
This ill fated operation was subject to a number of explosions and re-locations, at one point the factory was blown out to sea along with the sulphur miners.
This didn't stop the Kiwi's coming back for more.

Here's what they were attracted to.

Sulphur, White Island, New Zealand Sulphur.

New Hope
With the construction of a new factory further away from the crater, and the creation of huts outside the active area of the island, the miners believed this would put an end to the deaths.

After 3 months of operation this fresh factory blew one of the settling vats, killing three and injuring 1.

One of the miners threw himself to his death in one of the acidic lakes.

All labour in vain
Had they had risk assessment in the 1930's they would have realised that the sulphurous rocks were not pure enough to sustain a profitable operation.

Had it happened in the modern day, health and safety would have closed it down.

Still, it makes a nice day out for us.

PeeJay's tours run two boats a day, plus there's helicopters if you want to pay the extra.

Holidaying on White Island

Travelling with PeeJay's.

White Island is about 40k off-shore. Takes about 1 1/2 hours to get there.

In 1932 there was a sulphur mining operation on the island. After repeated eruptions, deaths and eventually bankrupcy, operations ceased.

The island now is like a moving sand of volcanic activity.


White Island, New Zealand
As you can see the place is not exactly Hawaii.

Don't look into the Rain
We are told stories of melting radio's zippers, trainer islets, items of clothing, the rain is acid, the floor is a shifting crust of ash beneath which lies pools of boiling mud.

It is home to the worlds most acidic lake.

White Island, New Zealand
At PH1, this lake is pure hydrochloric acid, there were still Germans rolling their towels out beside it as we arrived.


White Island, New Zealand
Everything on this island seems to explode or break. Which is why we are given helmets and gas masks when we arrive.

Weblinks: PeeJays
Weblinks: White Island

Day in training

I've been learning how to use my camera.

Here's some shots with different aperture settings.

f/32
f/25
f/20
f/16

f/11

f is a measurement of the focal length. A constant if you like. Depth of field it's sometimes called.

It's to do with the intersection of the lines of vision through an aperture or hole, the bigger the hole the more you can see kind of thing.

This is all new to me, previously I've been in with the pocket camera's. Better for the round city ad-hoc photos.

Not much good for panoramic landscape shots.

Eos

Elected for the Canon for consistency.

Have found it easier to use than expected.

Many of the pre-sets are the same as you might find on your point and shoot: Giving you the confidence to move quickly on to making shots with your own settings.

The last one is just about the right level of exposure.

This should save me a lot of time fiddling round on photoshop if I can get a good level of color and exposure will keep the time down.

Whakatane

Or Fuk-a-ta-ni as the locals call it.

This is the best place to visit the marine volcano's on white island.
New Zealands only live marine volcano.

The trip is organised by PeeJay's and starts out at 8.30am.

It takes 2hrs to get to the island.

Pacific Coast Highway - Hawks Point to Whakatane

Pacific Coast Highway - Hawks Point to Whakatane, New Zealand
Pacific Coast Highway - Hawks Point to Whakatane, New Zealand
Pacific Coast Highway - Hawks Point to Whakatane, New Zealand
From Hawks Point to Whakatane.

There are so many incredible views on this section.
One round almost every corner.

One things you can't do with the blog is give the smells, like the different smells of the trees and the rivers when they meet the sea.
Very unique and atmospheric. I guess the technology must be on the way. Complex chemical compounds created ad-hoc then expelled through your computer speakers or smell patch.

Like a smell footprint.

East Cape - New Zealand

East Cape Lighthouse, New Zealand
Whangaokeno Island, New Zealand
East Point lighthouse.

Initially on the island.
The islanders didn't get on and the lighthouse began to slip off the island with the continuous earthquakes.
They all moved out and someone called Goldsmith bought the island and proceeded to erect starter homes for Maori fisher families.

You can't see them on this photo but that's what happened.

This is the eastern most lighthouse NZ, also the world.

New Zealand - Pacific Highway

Bits n' pieces.

From Gisborn to Hawks Point.






Check Googlemap for exact locations.

Pacific Coastal Road

Today I will be travelling the North Island Pacific Coastal Road.

I have been advised this is one of the most spectacular in NZ.

I will be taking some photographs of what I deem to be the good views.
Maybe stopping off at some of the attractions.

More later.

Weblinks: http://www.newzealand.com/

The road to Giborn

Road to Gisbourn, New Zealand

Have spent today travelling to Gisbourne.

This is 576km or 357miles.

The hills are more undulating and the traffic more plentiful.

Ran out of petrol.
Met some BMX'ers with petrol cans who filled me up and continued on my merry way.

Road to Gisbourn, New Zealand

Wellington - Cable Car and Botanical Gardens

Wellington, Botanical Gardens, New Zealand
Wellington, Botanical Gardens, New Zealand
Wellington, Botanical Gardens, New Zealand
You can take a cable car which takes you from the town centre up to Wellington's Botanical Gardens.

Then walk down through the gardens.

Te Papa Museum - Wellington

Here on recommendation from old Kezza.

Had a late lunch in Intercontinental and spent the afternoon in this, New Zealand's national museum.

Natural History, Arts, Settlers, Maori, Geology.

There are 5 floors. It is modern. I didn't like some of the plastic displays which were on the lower floors which were full of kids.
As you went up though the kids diminished. There were a couple of good displays. And it was generally a good place to wander round for a few hours.

Here's a couple of displays.

NZ Arrivals, Te Papa Museum, New Zealand
Shows imported species.
You can look at this whilst it scrolls through species introduced from 1796 up until 2006.
Acclimatisation is the technical phrase for it.
When the settlers first arrived the sheep refused to eat the grass, didn't like the taste.
Other interesting introductions include trout and salmon in 1897.

Corn Beef Cow, Te Papa Museum, New Zealand
Corn Beef Cow.

Weblinks: Te Papa Museum

Here In Wellington

Arrived last night by 3 1/2 hour ferry trip.

Located here at the IBIS, the first hotel I came across.
Prices are cheap around $100 p/n.
The cheapest yet in New Zealand.

Here's a view of the waterfront from Te Papa museum, rock gardens.

View of Wellington Waterfront, New Zealand

Hog swap

Today have exchanged bikes.

Have changed the RoadKing, for this Soft-tail.

Harley Davidson, Soft-Tail

With this new mobile, I am going to journey toward the North Island.

Three of the Best - Franz Josef, Tasman and Fox Glacier

These are 3 of the most active and largest Glaciers in New Zealand with ice-flows in the region of 4 meters per day.

Spectacular.

Here are some photos to give you an impression.

Helicopter Flight
I have opted to take a helicopter flight. The weather is just good enough for us to take in 3 glaciers, 2 on the west side of Mount Cook and the Tasman on the east.

Franz Josef Glacier

Franz Josef, Takeoff. New Zealand

Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand

Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand

Fox Glacier
Fox Glacier, New Zealand

Fox Glacier, New Zealand


These are the two opposing watersheds West side.

Crevasses
Crevasses, Fox Glacier, New Zealand

Tasman Glacier
This is New Zealand's longest glacier at 8km long.