The Burnhams in Kiwiland 2001-2

Yes, there is still more rain than sunshine, but we are coping very well. We've changed our plans slightly but haven't missed much. We have been surprisingly lucky in that the rain has always stopped long enough to visit the scenic spots. We have passed a number of bicyclists pedalling up the hills on our travels. I don't think there has been a day where they did not get soaked. It makes me glad we are driving, not cycling.

Since you last heard from us, we have explored more of the Coromandel Peninsula, explored the geo-thermal areas around Rotorua and Taupo, taken our first three-day tramp and visited some of the Waitomo caves. No sitting around for us.

On our way out of Thames on Saturday Dec 8, we got caught up in a Saturday morning sidewalk sale and mussel fritters are a town speciality. Even though we had finished our breakfast not long before, we couldn't resist. These tasty and rather filling treats were more like a mussel burger and came served on buttered bread. Not exactly a fat-free meal. We picked up a bottle of another town speciality, fresh pressed apple juice. It looked like grapefruit juice, but was sweeter than commercial apple juice. It went well with the mussel fritters.

We weren't travelling far that day anyway, just across the peninsula to Tairua. The backpackers hostel there had one of the nicest properties and facilities. Like most of the places we stay in, it had both dorm, or multi-bed rooms and double and twin bedded rooms. We look for a double room. The toilet and shower rooms were down the hall and there was a large well equiped kitchen. We bought an insulted bag and a freezer pack to keep our perishable food and we store these in a labelled bag in the communal fridge. Our non-perishables are carted around in a cardboard box and stored either on a shelf in the kitchen or in our own room. We buy fresh fruit and veggies and meat to cook our selves when we are in a backpackers, but we stick to pasta mixes and tuna when we are tramping. Tairu Backpackers even had a few old cars, painted up with their names on for people to borrow; great advertising for them. They also had kayaks, sailboards and bicycles for the use of their guests, but we didn't get to use them in the wet weather. The weather socked in for the afternoon and we just vegged.

Hot Water Beach

Our plan was to visit the famous Hot Water Beach nearby. The beach has hot springs under the sand that are only accessible at low tide. When we woke up in the morning, it was not raining so we stowed borrowed shovels from the hostel in the boot (trunk), took off, and arrived at the beach a half-hour before low tide at 8:30 AM. Several people were already installed on the beach in their little 'spas'. The easiest way to find the hot spots is to dig your feet in the sand near the existing spas. You know you have hit the right spot very soon and the springs are boiling hot. That's why you have a shovel, for you need to hollow out a tub-sized area with sand walls around it to keep out the encroaching sea. This can be difficult if the surf is high or you are a little late getting to the beach. You no sooner build one wall than the waves crash them down. We got lucky. We were invited to share a good-sized spa with one young lady. Her family had built it earlier and had abandoned the site in favour of breakfast. We were only too happy to bask in the warm waters and help reinforce the walls whenever the waves threatened them. A family with a baby and a small child joined us and we all had a great time playing in the sand. There were signs warning of a very strong undertow in the area and the water was quite chilly, so we didn't stay to have a swim. We had other places to visit that day.

Cathedral Cove

Natural rock arch in the cove

Just up the coast is Cathedral Cove, also best visited at or close to low tide. There was a sign at the car park indicating a 50-minute walk to the cove, so we hustled down the path, passing several other tourists on the way. We made it in record time and had lots of time to explore. We descended to a small cove, past a lovely waterfall and reached the adjacent Cathedral Cove through a natural rock arch. As we walked along the beach in the second cove, admiring the Flower Pot rocks, like the ones on Hopewell Beach in New Brunswick, a pair of Oyster Catchers accosted us. They were not at all shy but if we got too close to them, they very definitely let us know. We soon realized they had a nest right at the back edge of the beach. It was not a well-chosen site. We tiptoed past and returned to the car park on the walking path.

On to the next stop. A few K further up the road we turned off and ascended 1 K up a steep and twisting side road to Shakespeare's Cliff. Besides giving a great view of Mercury Bay, you get a little of the local history. It seems that Capt Cook named the bay after he witnessed the transit of the planet Mercury across the sun from this very spot in 1769.

Back down the hill we went on to the tiny village of Ferry Landing, where, you guessed it, we took a ferry, to Whitianga, a 5 minute trip. This was our lunch and grocery buying spot. We chatted to a fellow backpacker on the return ferry and when I noticed him checking the local bus schedules, we offered him a lift. He was from Boston and was hitch hiking and bussing it. The previous day he had hiked up to the highest peak in the northern part of the Coromandel Peninsula with a local and confirmed that we had made the right decision by staying put. He spent most of the time in the rain slogging through boot high water: not fun. We dropped him off at Hahei Beach, a resort town near Cathedral Cove.

There was one more sight to see before we made it back to our hostel. We had to see what Tairua looked like from the top of Mt Puka. A roadway snaked around the hill about ¾ of the way up. From there we hiked for 20 minutes through a forest and up a rocky slope. Yes, the view was worth the climb. We looked down on Tairu, on a bay leading to the Pacific Ocean, and surrounded by small islands. Just across the bay was the resort town of Pauinui, built on reclaimed land. To the west, we could even see Pinnacle Mountain, that we had climbed a few days before. A fitting end to our Coromandel visit.

We had a bit of sunshine for our departure from Tairua on Monday, but the clouds and light rain soon moved in and out all day. We managed to miss our turn just out of town, but that turned out to be a bonus. We travelled through the scenic Kauaeranga Valley, then discovered we would be passing by the Karangahake Gorge on our detour south. This warranted a visit. We took a half hour walk down a path cut into the side of the narrow gorge. The river below us was filled with rapids and caves, the remains of abandoned gold mines, opened to the side of the trail. If we had planned better, we could have spent most of the day exploring the area. Instead, we continued on to Rotorua and the Funky Green Voyager Backpackers. We spent the rest of the day stocking up on groceries and taking advantage of the sales in the MEC-type outdoor store, Kathmandu.

Karangahake Gorge

Te Whakarewarewa village geothermal steam

Rotorua is famous for its geothermal areas, so the next day we visited the Te Whakarewarewa village ('wh' is pronounced like 'f'). The Maori villagers have been showing visitors their geysers, craters and blow holes for more than 100 years, and they still live in the village. Some of the front yards of the houses have their own craters, where they often cook their food and new ones appear all the time. Included in your admission is a guided tour of the area and a Maori song and dance performance, similar to the one we saw in Auckland. We enjoyed it just the same. After the show we were free to visit the area on our own and we took them at their word. We managed to find paths that got less and less distinct and seemed to be leading out of the village boundaries. Trust us.

Lady Knox Blow Hole

Thar she blows!

The other geothermal areas we wanted to visit were on the way to Taupo, so Wednesday we packed up and moved again. Just south of Rotorua is Waiotapu, a favourite of bus tours but well worth the visit. We had been told to get there before the scheduled eruption of the Lady Knox geyser at 10:15. We were there in time to have a preview of the craters and blow holes in the main park, then we jumped back into Alice and followed the stream of cars 1 K down the road to another parking lot. Seated in a large amphitheatre nearby were scores of other tourists all waiting for the promised show. A park employee arrived to warm up the crowd and to give us the history of this geyser. In 1901, convicts were brought into the area to plant pine trees. Some of them decided to take advantage of the natural hot springs to wash their clothes. They dumped some soap into this particular geyser and proceeded to scrub away. All of a sudden, the geyser erupted and their clothes shot straight into the air. Apparently the soap changes the surface viscosity such that pressure is built up and the geyser erupts. All this was explained to us while the announcer poured 1.5 Kg of pure soap flakes into the mouth of the geyser. It foamed away for a few minutes and sure enough, it blew on schedule, about 10 M into the air. Everyone snapped away while the geyser just kept on erupting. We left before it was even finished because we wanted to return to the main area.

The sights were truly amazing; huge craters, smoking blow holes, black water pools, lime green pools, multi-coloured rocks, and a huge bubbling mud lake, all in very well kept surroundings. We didn't need to fear the crowds as the area was large enough for everybody to spread out.

Green Pool

Craters of the Moon

It started to rain again just after we left Waiotapu, so we ate our picnic lunch in the car, right near the Huka Falls lookout. Even in the light rain the falls were impressive. They were not very high, about 3 - 4 M, but the volume of water rushing through the narrow gorge made up for the height.

In the same area was the Craters of the Moon. This large geothermal area came into existence in the 1950s when the construction of a local power station altered the ground water levels. Suddenly several acres of new steam vents, craters and mud lakes appeared. The site is now administered by the Department of Conservation (DOC) and as a bonus, is free to visit. We spent about two hours walking the wooden boardwalks around the area. The rain even stopped for us. Great clouds of steam emanated from many of the craters, a benefit of the recent rains and subsequent rise in the water table level.

Taupo was a let down for us. Our room was a tiny cubby-hole with a small window opening to the main action area. The place was full, over crowded as far as I was concerned. We had planned to stay two nights, but cancelled the second night and moved on to National Park, at the edge of the Tongariro Reserve. That was the best decision we made. We wanted to do the Tongariro Northern Circuit, a three or four day tramp, and the weather had to be good to enjoy it properly. We decided to do the three day version and we were in luck. Friday was the best day for the last month. It was clear and not too hot, just perfect for walking. We caught an early bus taking us and several others to the start near Mangatepopo Hut. We weren't the only ones to realize this was the day to hike. Our first day of the hike is the same as the Tongariro Crossing, reputed to be the best one-day hike in NZ. I would agree that the scenery is spectacular.

There was a steady stream of trampers on the route, but close to 90% of them were on the one day hike. The first ½ hour was a flat walk to the base of the hills, then there was an hour walk straight up the rocky path. I let the keeners pass me, but we eventually caught up with many of them. Once up the steep hill, we were confronted by the black volcanic Mt Ngaurahoe. There was a three hour side trip to climb to the summit of Ngaurahoe, but we just opted to watch people snake their way to the top. We were told later it was a difficult climb. You were rewarded by a view to die for at the top, but you had a choice of walking up black sand, two steps up and slip back one, or climb hand over hand up a rocky cliff. On top of that, those who hiked up arrived at the first hut too late to get a bed! They had to sleep on the floor.

Tongariro Crossing Trail

Red Crater

Just past Ngaurahoe was the smaller peak of Mt Tongariro, another side trip we opted not to take. Instead, we gawked at the Red Crater, a huge, active crater with dark rust red sides. In fact, the whole area is still active. Mt Ngaurahoe last erupted in 1975 and Mt Ruapehu, whose snow covered sides we could see beyond Mt Ngauruhoe, blew in 1995 and 1996. There was almost no vegetation at all the first day, just bare volcanic rock and sand. From the Red Crater, you look down on the Emerald Lakes, with waters that sparkled in the sun and just as green as their name implies. Many of the trampers rested there to eat their lunch, but we opted to take our break just a bit farther on at Blue Lake, really almost as green as the Emerald Lakes. The colour of the lakes is determined by the mineral salts present in the water. After lunch we had an easy ¾ hour walk down the longest switchbacks I have seen, ending at Ketetahi Hut. I thought the person who laid out that track must be sitting somewhere having a good laugh at our expense.

We got to Ketetahi before 2 PM, after 5 hrs 20 mins on the trail. I thought we did very well. The trampers who were already at the hut were lying or sitting on the sundeck, enjoying the view of Lake Taupo and Lake Rotairo in the distance and resting before the final 1 ½ - 2 hour walk down to the road where buses arrive to take them home. One fellow looked at me and said, "I know you, you picked me up at Ferry Landing". It was the hitchhiker from Boston.

We claimed our beds in the hut and just took it easy. The hut had beds for 26 people spread between the one main room and two extra bedrooms. The main room had gas burners, a wooden table and benches for meals. We chose two places out of the four on the lower bunk in a side room. It didn't take long for all the beds to fill up. There is no booking system for these huts. It is first-come-first-served, so after 4 PM you had a choice of sleeping in your own tent outside or sleeping on a thin foam on the floor inside. The final head count was 33 inside and 10 in tents outside. Despite the numbers of people, everyone was very cooperative, sharing the cook stoves and table space.

Sunset at Ketetahi Hut

Sleeping platform in Ketetahi Hut

The sunset that evening was as good as a paint-by-numbers picture. The dying sun painted stripes on the wispy clouds in one direction and sponge painted the clouds in another direction. It was almost as if an alarm clock went off with the setting sun. Everyone was in bed and asleep shortly after 9 PM. No big partiers here.

We were all up with the sun the next day, ready for Day 2 of our hike. People were making sure they reached the next hut in time to claim a bed. In fact, not everyone was going the same way and it was not a problem. Some had hiked the circuit in the opposite direction and were on their way out. We were off before 8 AM, retracing our path to the Emerald Lakes. I could see the value of the switchbacks on the way out, it was a piece of cake.

We spent the day changing our outfits. We started out with long pants and a light fleece and Ray shed both part way up the hill. The wind came up at the turn off from the Emerald Lakes and we put on rain jackets. In fact, the wind was gusting so strongly, I could feel it catching by backpack. Thank goodness, we descended into the protection of a valley and took off our jackets again.

We had 1 ½ hrs walking across the moonscape of valleys and ridges of volcanic rocks swept down during the eruptions of Ngaurahoe and Tongariro. We made it just in time to Oturere Hut, our half way point for the day. It started to rain just after we got inside for a break. We got out our full rain gear; pants, jackets and bag cover and waited until the rain let up. We continued on in light, but steady rain for about ½ hr, until it finally stopped and we could get rid of the hot rain wear and get back to shorts and t-shirts.

Just when we thought we were getting bored by the easy but barren landscape, we came to the only forest in the area. Waihohonu Hut, our destination, was somewhere on the other side of the hill. We entered dense woods of North Island Beach, with tiny leaves unlike any North American Beach tree. We crossed a roaring brook and then started straight up. Time to change gears and stop frequently for water breaks. Finally we came out of the woods on the top and saw the hut below us. It took us 6 hrs 20 minutes that day, but we were feeling fine.

The layout of Waihohonu hut was almost the same as Ketetahi, except there were an extra 3 beds, 29 in all. There were just 18 people in the hut that night, and 8 more in tents outside, not an overflow crowd. The hut warden was American. You can volunteer to be a hut warden, and if you have first aid training and appropriate experience, you are provided with free room and board for a two month stint. A Swiss girl was the warden in Ketetahi hut and her husband was in Mangatepopo, where we started our tramp. They all seemed to be enjoying the experience.