Month: January 2021

January 29, 2019

We woke up to heavy fog and drizzle. The plan was to drive south along the coast and visit a few beaches, some of which we read needed to be visited at low tide. Since low tide was not until 11:30, we took our time checking out of the cabin. Our final destination for the day was Upper Hutt, just north of Wellington (estimated 4 hours 10 minutes drive time).

We drove to the town of Hawera to fill up on gas, and the fog started to clear. We continued to drive south to Patea Beach and encountered fog once again. There were supposed to be some nice coastal views at the black sand beach there, but it was dreary and foggy so we did not stay long.

Our next stop was Waverley Beach where there were interesting cliffs and some sea caves. There used to be a sea arch there, but it collapsed in 2011. The sea caves were only accessible at low tide, and we were there at the right time. Despite the fog it was interesting, and we explored around the cliffs for a little while. We climbed the bluff to get some nice views of the coast.

We drove further south and the fog finally cleared. We decided to stop at another beach since we were running ahead of schedule. Ototoka Beach had a small waterfall cascading down to the beach. It was a nice wide black sand beach for walking, and there were very few other people there. I found a nice sea shell to collect.

We made another stop at Foxton Beach where there were sand dunes and dune buggies and cars driving along the beach. It was quite crowded and it was very hot, so we did not stay there long.

We drove inland to the city of Upper Hutt and checked into the Wallaceville Motor Lodge. This was one of the more expensive places that we stayed since I had been unable to find much available in Upper Hutt. The grounds of the hotel were quite pretty: many weddings have been held there. The room had a refrigerator and microwave but no stove top.

We drove to the Pak N Save supermarket to buy food for the next few nights. That is when we discovered that the roads in Upper Hutt were poorly designed. We had a nasty time navigating all of the roundabouts to get to and from the supermarket. Frankly I have no desire to stay in Upper Hutt again. There was nothing interesting about it: just a crowded suburb of Wellington.

We relaxed that evening and had hamburgers and salad for dinner.

January 28, 2019

We woke up to a cloudy day. The final destination for the day was the town of Stratford, near Egmont National Park (estimated 2 hours 45 minutes drive time from Waitomo). But first on the agenda was the Ruakuri Bush Walk. This 45-minute hike was located near the Arenui Cave car park. It was a fun walk through a river gorge to a view point into a natural bridge. Inside we were able to see a few glowworms on the ceiling of the bridge. The walk meandered through the gorge and went through a couple of small arches.

We drove to Te Kuiti to get gas and then continued south on to the west coast. The road was twisty in several spots, but not as bad as the roads in Coromandel. The scenery was lush rainforest... and it was raining. As we approached the coast, the rain stopped but it was foggy. No great coastal views there.

In the town of Tongaporutu, we visited the Three Sisters. This was a walk along a black sand beach. The Sisters were rock formations only accessible 2 hours before and after low tide. This morning we timed it well and arrived shortly after low tide at 10:30. Despite the fog, it was an interesting walk to the Sisters and some sea arches beyond. There was even a small waterfall.

Next we drove to Urenui Beach, where the fog finally lifted. It turned into a sunny afternoon! We found a nice picnic spot to have lunch. This was another black sand beach with limestone cliffs along the shore. I read a sign that said blue penguins were nesting near the river, but it was the wrong time of day to try to see them.

We turned inland toward Egmont National Park. The scenery was rolling farmland. Many tractors and farm trucks were on the road. We had to pull over to the side of the road to make way for a house that was being moved! It had been split into two sections to allow it to be driven on the road.

House Moving

I had marked a spot on the map where there was supposed to be a great view of Mt. Taranaki, but the top half of the mountain was completely cloud covered.

We arrived in Stratford at 2:15 PM, in time to check into our cabin at the Stratford Kiwi Holiday Park. It was a comfortable, quiet place on the outskirts of town, with a private bath and kitchenette.

After unloading the car, we took a 25-minute drive to the Dawson Falls visitor center in Egmont National Park. As we approached the park, the clouds cleared and I was able to see all of Mt. Taranaki. The rolling farmland abruptly ended, and we were surrounded by thick forest. The road into the park was very narrow and twisty in spots. Fortunately there were not too many cars to pass coming in the other direction.

I was surprised to see that the visitor center was closed. It is only open Thursday through Sunday. There were display panels outside that showed maps and descriptions of the various trails. We took the hike to Dawson Falls and walked down very steep stairs to the base of the waterfall. We also hiked a short trail to a view point at the top of the falls. It is a nice waterfall and worth the short hike.

Then we walked back up the road to the visitor center and climbed stairs to a viewpoint of Mt. Taranaki. The clouds were starting to roll in, but I managed to get a few shots of the summit. Next I took the hike to Wilkies Pools while Heinrich decided to stay at the picnic table and rest his feet. It was an easy hike through a forest of moss-draped trees (the “goblin forest”). There were a couple of small waterfalls above the pools. Unfortunately Mt. Taranaki was clouded over again so there were no good views of the volcano from there. There was a nice view of the surrounding farmland below.

On the drive back to Stratford, the clouds parted and we had a final nice view of Mt. Taranaki. We went to New World to get groceries and then drove back to our cabin and cooked dinner. We had a sweet and sour pork stir fry. In the evening I heard the bellbirds singing.

January 27, 2019

After having our breakfast at the B and B and playing with the cat, we drove into town to get gas and ice. Then we drove back to the Tokaanu Hot Springs to see what the geyser was doing. This time we lucked out and saw two eruptions with a closed interval of 28 minutes.

Then it was time to say goodbye to the thermal features. We headed north toward Waitomo (estimated 2 hours 10 minutes drive time). The weather had been sunny at the geyser, but as we headed north it deteriorated to clouds and drizzling rain. Heinrich drove to our first destination, Omaru Falls. This was a half hour walk through a small forest and then on the edge of some farmland. It was cloudy but not raining for the walk. Nobody else was there, and it was a pleasant hike. The trail led to a good view of the waterfall.

I drove to Waitomo. It was too early to check in, so we drove on for another half hour to see the Mangapohue Natural Bridge. This was a 10-minute walk through a nice river gorge. It was drizzling rain while we were there, but it did not spoil the view. Further down the road was the 10-minute hike to another very impressive waterfall: Marokopa Falls.

I drove back to Waitomo and we checked into our room at the Kiwi Paka Backbackers. We had a chalet room with a private bathroom and refrigerator.

Our tour of the Waitomo Caves started at 4 PM. First we visited Arenui Cave. This was a dry cave (no glowworms) but the formations were spectacular! We had about a half hour inside the cave; I wish it had been longer.

Next we visited Waitomo Glowworm Cave. We took a boat ride to where the majority of the glowworms were located. There were hundreds of tiny blue lights glowing on the ceiling of the cave. It reminded me of being inside a planetarium where you look up to see the stars. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take any photos inside this cave, so the only photo I have is of the exit.

The last cave was Ruakuri. This was a 90-minute tour through a cave that included both formations and glowworms. Personally I thought the tour was a little too long, the formations were better in Arenui, and the glowworms were better in Waitomo Glowworm Cave. But if you had time for only one cave, Ruakuri would be a good one since it had both formations and glowworms, and photos were allowed.

After the cave tours we went to the Huhu Cafe for dinner. By this time the weather had turned to partly cloudy, so it was a nice evening. I had the smoked salmon and Heinrich had the lamb curry. The prices were pretty good, considering we were in a resort area.

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Other videos:

• Taumatapuhipuhi Geyser, Tokaanu, 2019 January 27. H.Koenig

January 26, 2019

We got up at 4 AM to drive to the Backyard Tours shuttle car park. It was an easy 15-minute drive from the B and B. At 5:15 we boarded the shuttle to take us to the Mangatepopo car park where the Tongariro Alpine Crossing hike began. The weather was a little foggy and a bit cold at the trail head, but I was prepared with warm clothing, hat and gloves.

Backyard Tours did a nice operation and I would recommend them. The shuttle driver gave a Maori prayer and then sent us on our way. He offered me the use of some hiking poles. I am glad I had them. This was one badass hike: 19.4 km and about a 2,500 foot elevation gain.

The fog burned off quickly and we had amazing views along the trail: really cooperative weather. The climb to the first summit was not too bad, although we took our time and let all the younger folks run on ahead of us. The first 7 km of the trail was well graded. Once we reached the saddle we were in a wind tunnel. Then the fun began. The hike to the second summit was steep with loose gravel most of the way. With the wind trying to topple me over, I was grateful for the hiking poles.

The views at the summit were fantastic with the Red Crater and the Emerald Lakes below. The descent from the summit was worse than the climb: really steep and loose gravel everywhere. It was difficult to keep from sliding, even with the hiking poles. At that point I gave one of my poles to Heinrich to use.

At the bottom of the slope we took a side trail to get a closer look at the lakes and some fumaroles. All we were able to see was steam from the thermal activity.

The remainder of the trail descended into a valley with great views of Lake Taupo and Mount Terawera in the distance. We continued our slow but steady pace and let the majority of other hikers pass us. Yes, the trail was crowded. For the first hour we had little company, but after we took a side detour to see the Soda Springs, the other hikers caught up to us and it was a steady stream of people. Do not go on this hike if you want isolation!

We finished the hike in time to catch the 4 PM shuttle back to our car. We got a free drink, and I tried the L & P. It tastes a little like Sprite. By that time we were too tired to even think about doing anything else for the day. We drove straight back to the B and B and relaxed for the evening. Dinner was sandwiches and snacks.

The resident cat decided to pay us a visit and spent a few hours sleeping next to the door.

I was glad I did the hike! The views were worth it, and it was a great way to see the park. But I am now dealing with very sore feet.

January 25, 2019

We woke up to clouds and sprinkles. It had rained during the night. It was time to say goodbye to Rotorua, but we were not done with seeing thermal activity. Our destination today was the Orakei Korako Geothermal Park, about an hour drive from the cabin via the Te Kopia road. Afterwards to stay for the night, we would drive to Turangi via Huka Falls and the town of Taupo (estimated 1 hour 15 minutes drive time from Orakei Korako).

We checked out of the Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park and then drove south to the Te Kopia mudpots. This was a fun little walk right next to the road. It was a nice group of mudpots with nobody else round.

Then it was on to Orakei Korako. The weather was still cloudy but it had stopped raining. At the entrance we were informed that the ticket was good for only one round trip boat ride across the river, and that there were no bathrooms on the other side. This was a bit concerning to me since we had intended to stay the entire day.

There were only a few other tourists there, so in the morning we pretty much had the entire place to ourselves. By late morning the clouds cleared and we had a nice sunny afternoon.

Highlights were Cascade Geyser, Sapphire Geyser, and a new geyser with 3 craters that broke out near the Golden Fleece terrace. We saw the right crater vent erupt in the morning, and the left crater with two vents in full eruption in early afternoon. We did not get a closed interval. In the Artists Palette area we saw eruptions of Psyche's Bath, #742 Square Spring, #764, #772, #783, #786, #787, and #812 which is a continuous spouter at the base of the Pyramid of Geysers.

We left at about 3:30 PM and drove to Huka Falls. This was billed as the most popular waterfall in New Zealand, but since we arrived late afternoon it was not too crowded. The best view point was down a trail on the same side of the river as the car park.

Then we drove to Turangi. This drive was really slow. Google Maps routed us through the town of Taupo which seemed like a big tourist trap. I was not impressed. On the main highway south of town there had been a big car accident which delayed us by a half hour. If we had to do it over again, we would have backtracked from Huka Falls to Wairakei and taken Highway 1 south to avoid Taupo.

Near Turangi we stopped to visit the Tokaanu Hot Springs. There were paid hot springs but also a free 20-minute walk around a couple of mudpots and hot springs. At the end of the walk was a geyser that supposedly erupted every few minutes, but it did nothing while we were there.

Then we drove to our place to stay for the night, Moe Marie Sleep Peacefully B and B. It was a very nice place, a small quiet cottage in a residential area. A cat invited itself into the room to keep us company. I would stay there again. We had a microwave oven and very small refrigerator stocked with continental breakfast supplies.

The freezer compartment was too small to store our cooler ice blocks, so we quickly drove into town to buy ice and some dinner supplies. Dinner was baked potatoes with ham, bacon, red pepper and sour cream.

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More videos:

• Cascade and Sapphire Geysers, Orakeikorako, 2019 January 25. H.Koenig/Suzanne Strasser.
• Orakeikorako New Feature, 2019 January 25. H.Koenig/Suzanne Strasser.
• Artist's Palette, Orakeikorako, 2019 January 25. H.Koenig/Suzanne Strasser.
• Orakeikorako Thermal Features, 2019 January 25. H.Koenig.

January 24, 2019

This was another day where the weather was cloudy with light rain in the morning but cleared in the afternoon. We drove to the Z gas station to fill up. Then we drove to the Starbucks in downtown Rotorua to get a You Are Here mug for my niece Liz. They did not have a mug for Rotorua, but they had one for Queenstown.

It was a 20-minute drive south to the Waimangu Volcanic Valley, and we were there in time for the opening at 8:30. That gave us less than 2 hours to see the valley before our reserved boat tour at 10:25.

Inferno Crater Lake was a beautiful blue color and a highlight of the walk. Nearby the Bird's Nest perpetual spouter at the base of the hill up to Inferno was fun to watch.

There was no sign of where Waimangu Geyser used to be: the crater is completely filled in.

We managed to do most of the walk but caught a shuttle bus at 10:15 to get us to the boat tour in time. For future visits I think it would be better to reserve a later time for the boat tour to allow us enough time to finish the walk through the thermal areas beforehand. The 10:25 time made it feel rushed.

The Lake Rotomahana boat tour was totally worth it. We were first on the boat so got good seats at the back. A tour of 25 people filled up the remaining spots on the boat. The highlight was getting to see Pink Terrace Geyser up close.

After the boat tour we took the shuttle bus back to the spot where we needed to finish the walk. We took the steep side trail to see some craters but we did not think they were worth the extra effort. There was a very nice overlook of Mount Tarawera and Lake Rotomahana.

We stopped in the gift shop where I found a couple of T-shirts and a magnet to buy, and Heinrich bought several books.

Since it was still early afternoon, we decided to drive to see the redwoods. This is a very nice park on the outskirts of Rotorua with lots of hiking trails. We spent about an hour walking through the main redwood grove.

Back at the cabin we had chicken carbonara for dinner. I spent a half hour soaking in the geothermally heated hot tub. I was the only person there.

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More videos:

• Rotomahana Geysers, 2019 January 24. H.Koenig
• Waimangu Thermal Features, Part 1, 2019 January 24. H.Koenig
• Waimangu Thermal Features, Part 2, 2019 January 24. H.Koenig

January 23, 2019

It was a 20-minute drive from our cabin to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, and we arrived in time for their opening at 8:30. Heinrich did the driving. It was good practice for him to drive on the left, and the roads were nice and wide. The weather in the morning was cool and cloudy, but by late morning the clouds cleared and it was sunny for the rest of the day.

The first stop was the mud pool located about a mile from the Wai-O-Tapu entrance. This was a very nice mudpot and can be viewed for free. Nobody else was there.

We spent the next hour seeing the various craters and springs. Champagne Pool was very colorful, like a smaller version of Grand Prismatic Spring. Devil's Bath was also beautiful with an intense green color.

Then it was on to see the scheduled eruption of Lady Knox Geyser at 10:15. We got there early enough to get front row seats for the spectacle. On cue, the park employee gave a little speech and dumped the bag of soap into the vent. After a couple of minutes the globs of soap started pouring out and then the geyser was in full eruption. After a few minutes the soap was no longer visible. Many folks left after only a few minutes. After a half hour there were only a few people that remained. We did not stay until the end (the geyser erupts for 1 to 2 hours).

Apparently the geyser can still erupt naturally if it were left alone, once every few days.

In the afternoon we finished walking the remaining trails. It was much more crowded then due to everyone else on the trail that had been at Lady Knox.

We found Waiotapu Geyser. The crater was slowly filling with water and bubbling periodically. We decided to wait for the eruption. We spent the next 1.5 hours watching the crater fill with increased boiling. Finally we were rewarded with the eruption! One vigorous splash hit me on my arm. The water was still hot and it was close to getting a burn.

On the way out we stopped at the gift shop where I bought a Champagne Pool magnet.

On the way back to Rotorua I wanted to stop at Rainbow Mountain, but the location was incorrect in Google Maps and we did not find the car park. Instead we decided to hike a trail that took us to an overlook of Pohutu Geyser! The trail was at the mountain bike car park just outside of Rotorua. It climbed through a gorgeous fern and spruce forest. At the overlook we could see Pohutu was in eruption. It was also a great view of downtown Rotorua and the lake.

Back at our cabin we spent a relaxing evening, did laundry, and cooked a potatoes and egg dinner.

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More videos:

• Waiotapu Geyser, 2019 January 23. H.Koenig.
• Waiotapu Thermal Features, Part 1, 2019 January 23. H.Koenig.
• Waiotapu Thermal Features, Part 2, 2019 January 23. H.Koenig.
• Waiotapu Mud Pots, 2019 January 23. H.Koenig.
• Lady Knox "Geyser", 2019 January 23. H.Koenig.
  

January 22, 2019

What an amazing day at Te Puia, our first geyser gazing experience in New Zealand! The weather was great, and we saw 3 major eruptions of Kereru Geyser and 6 eruptions of Pohutu.

Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park was within easy walking distance of Te Puia, and it was a nice break from driving. We left the room at about 7 AM and stopped to look at some mudpots near the golf course along the way.

We were the first people in the Te Puia entrance gate at 7:58 AM. We immediately headed to Pohutu. At the first overlook we could see that Prince of Wales Feathers was in eruption, and Pohutu was splashing. When we arrived at Pohutu the eruption was on, near start. We had the first 10 minutes of the eruption almost all to ourselves, and I got some nice videos of it backlit. The eruption went on and on, and I thought maybe it was in a wild phase. I sent a message to Tara Cross, who told me Demetri Stoumbos had seen long durations with 70 minutes on and 40 minutes off.

Sure enough, the eruption finally quit after 45 minutes or so. The first 15 minutes had high water, but then it subsided and did a lot of low surging. It did look a little like Clepsydra at that point.

Kereru was not doing anything. We saw a few puffs of steam but no water.

After watching a second Pohutu eruption we walked around to see some small mudpots, pools, and other thermal features.

We returned to see that Kereru had not changed. We walked to the other side of Pohutu to wait for it and see the eruption start from a different angle. We were waiting there for about 10 minutes, watching the preplay from Prince of Wales Feathers. Suddenly I saw a big column of water rise from behind Pohutu. Kereru!

By the time I ran around to get a better view, the eruption was over. Unless it started to do something during the 10 minutes we were out of view, it gave no warning.

Afterwards we watched a few minor eruptions, but none were very tall. 50 minutes later we noticed the minor play getting a little stronger. I started the video on my phone in hopes of capturing a better minor. The water column steadily climbed until it turned into another major! It was spectacular but the entire eruption was over in less than a minute.

2.5 hours later we were fortunate to see a third major eruption of Kereru. This time we had about 5 minutes of warning. The minor eruptions had quieted down, then suddenly became stronger before the major.

Our observed rule of thumb: strong minor eruptions of Kereru every 2 to 3 minutes will not lead to a major. It needs to have an extended period of quiet activity or very small minors.

We continued to walk various trails in the area to see mudpots and other thermal features.

By late afternoon I was really feeling the effects of the sun, and my feet were sore from standing all day. At around 4 PM the local Maori kids decided to go swimming and were climbing all over the sinter formations around Pohutu. I guess it is their land, so they are entitled.

Before we left, we went to the Kiwi bird house. That was a disappointment since it was crowded inside, hot and stifling. My eyes did not adjust to the dark and I never saw the birds. But altogether it was a wonderful day and I definitely want to go back some day. Our final stop was at the gift shop where I purchased some magnets and Heinrich got a geothermal book.

For dinner we had hamburgers in our kitchen cabin. We did not go anywhere afterwards for the evening since we were both bone tired.

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More videos:

• Kereru Geyser Activity for 2019 January 22. H.Koenig.
• Pohutu Geyser Eruptions, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua, 2019 January 22. H.Koenig.
• Whakawerarewa Thermal Features, 2019 January 22. H.Koenig/Suzanne Strasser.
  

January 21, 2019

Today's final destination was Rotorua, the land of geysers (expected drive time 2.5 hours). We started the day by walking out to the beach to see the sunrise. There was a layer of clouds near the horizon, but they did not obscure the sun. It was quite cool and windy.

After checking out of the room, Heinrich got his chance to drive. He drove to Whiritoa Beach. There was not much traffic, but once again the road got very twisty with many sharp curves. Coromandel Peninsula is full of them. The good news is that it seems to keep the tour buses away. The beach was pretty, uncrowded and quiet.

It was time to say farewell to the beaches of Coromandel. We headed inland and stopped briefly at Owharoa Falls. The falls were very pretty, and it was another place we had to ourselves.

Then it was off to the Karangahake Gorge. We took the Windows Walk, about an hour hike round trip. This was a gorgeous forest with tree ferns. The walk went up an old gold mining route with a large tunnel. We walked on the old mine rail tracks. The gorge views were very nice. We brought our flashlights to use in the tunnel.

Heinrich noticed that we were going to drive right through the town of Te Aroha, where Mokena Geyser was located. So we looked up directions on how to get there. It was a short walk to the geyser from where we parked the car. The eruption is from an old capped well, and it started only a few minutes after we arrived.

We drove on to Wairere Falls, but upon arrival we found the track to the falls was 45 minutes each way, so we skipped it.

On to Rotorua! We took a small detour north of town to Hamurama Springs. We found out they were charging $18 per person to enter, new as of 2018. It used to be free, and there are lots of complaints in Internet reviews. So we skipped it and instead drove across the street to the lake shore where we had a nice picnic lunch.

We drove to Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park, where we will be staying for the next 4 nights. We rented one of the kitchen cabins. It is a small mobile unit with a queen bed and two bunk beds, kitchenette, and TV. It reminded me a little of the budget cabin in Yellowstone. This has better facilities and is cheaper.

In the evening we drove to the New World supermarket to buy food for dinner for 4 nights. Then we drove to
Kuirau Park in downtown Rotorua. This was a great little thermal area with many mudpots, scummy holes, and a large hot lake. All free!

While at the park I heard musical sounds. At first I thought it was someone playing a recorder for entertainment in the park. Then I realized the sounds were coming from a tree, and it was a bird! It was one of the prettiest songs I have ever heard from a bird. Later on I found out it was a New Zealand bellbird. Bellbirds can be heard throughout Heinrich's Kuirau Park video, especially from about 9'00 to 10'30 and 12'30 to 13'30.

Dinner back at the room was chicken tikka masala and rice.

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More videos:

• Mokena "Geyser", Te Aroha, 2019 January 21. H.Koenig.
• Kuirau Park, Rotorua, 2019 January 21. H.Koenig.
  

January 20, 2019

Our destination today was Whangarei (approximately 2 hours 5 minutes total drive time, including side trips). After having our breakfast at Albert Mews B and B, we checked out of the room and drove to Cathedral Cove. We got to the car park very early but found out shuttles do not start until 9 AM. The upper car park is closed during summer. So we had to walk 45 minutes uphill to the upper car park.

There were great views of the ocean and beaches from the upper car park. We hiked the trail to Stingray Bay and had the place all to ourselves.

At Cathedral Cove the arch is only accessible to walk underneath during low tide. We intentionally took our time getting there since low tide was early afternoon. When we arrived, it appeared we could have gotten there much earlier since the arch area was dry. That was unfortunate since the crowds had already arrived.

We hiked to the Cathedral Cove overlook which was also worth it: great views and quiet.

On the way back we stopped to buy ice cream. I had the rum and raisin flavor which was delicious.

The road to Whangarei was very narrow and curvy with lots of one lane bridges. We finally arrived at the Pohutukawa Cove apartment which was in a nice area directly across from the beach. This was a privately owned one bedroom apartment with a full kitchen.

In the evening we hiked to Wentworth Falls. The hike was one hour each way. It was very uncrowded. The sun was directly at the top of the waterfall and made photo taking difficult. It was a nice waterfall, but due to the rather obstructed view I would not bother to go there again.

Back in town we ordered fish and chips at a takeaway and brought it back to the apartment to eat. We were too tired to go to market to buy anything for dinner. The fish and chips platter was huge and very tasty.