We started off what we thought would be our last day with a nice complimentary breakfast at our hotel in Auckland. After filling our stomachs and filling our bags we headed downstairs to the included shuttle service to Auckland international airport. We had no issues boarding our three and a half hour flight from Auckland to Sydney and arrived just after lunch time.

After clearing customs and immigration, we headed to the Qantas transfer lounge and entered the domestic terminal. Realising that we had an hour to spare, we took the opportunity to grab a small bite to eat.

Here on out we had nothing but issues. Once we boarded our Dash 6 aircraft it only took about 15 minutes of flying for the captain to announce we had to turn back because of a fault with one of the wing flaps. After circling for what felt like an eon, we eventually landed on the southward runway and where we were met by airport emergency services (thankfully which we’re not needed) before heading to, once again, disembark the plane.

After waiting around in the terminal, we were eventually notified that our flight had been cancelled and therefore we were being temporarily put up in the Novotel hotel nearby. This was all well as we also received a complimentary $50 voucher each which we could spend on food and beverages. However, once we graced the restaurant, we were greeted by a rather inauspicious menu: $40 each for a small fillet of fish for Peter and a modest size lamb shoulder for Keiran – it was an extra $10 – $15 on top of this price for any sides such as vegetables or salad. Such as a ball of iceberg lettuce with croutons scattered on top or a single cob of corn.

Today we had the intention of sightseeing within the Auckland CBD. Our first challenge was to find an appropriate place to park in order to catch some form of public transport to the city. Our first attempt at doing this failed as we found ourselves, thanks to Google maps, at a train station in an industrial complex that had no public parking. Thankfully, after scouring the train route maps we found ourselves at a public train station and more miraculously we found parking just around the corner.

We made our way into the city by electric train, but forgot to buy tickets, which we rectified on arrival. We headed for what we thought was going to be an interesting stroll. What we ended up finding was a public square with bean bags, the historical ferry building at the quay, lots of traffic and not too much to look at. This was partly because we didn’t plan exactly where we were going to walk and so just followed our noses.

After becoming hot and sweaty walking around the harbourside we decided to take the train back to the van as it was nearing the time to return it. Upon our arrival at the depot we found…nobody. We waited around for 20 minutes before an employee arrived. What preceded was a quick check of the vehicle and then we got dropped off to our hotel, where we are currently residing.

After five weeks living in a small van and one bed, we are now luxuriating in a comfy room with two queen beds and air conditioning.

Today, efficiency was meant to be the name of the game but alas it was not meant to be. We planned on making an early ish departure from Taupo Bay and this, we managed to do, but here on out things went a little awry.

We decided on taking a rather direct route to Auckland down highway one, as we originally planned to do some sightseeing in Auckland city this afternoon.

Unfortunately, this didn’t end up happening as we encountered 2 motor vehicle accidents along the way. Both of these accidents had diversions around them and after some nifty map reading and directions from one of the traffic controllers we arrived in Auckland. Because of these divisions we ended up being about 80 km and an hour later then we expected.

Having arrived in Auckland we decided head directly to Bayswater which is the closest ferry terminal to our caravan park. Unfortunately, upon arrival we discovered that the ferries only ran on an hourly basis and the last one was five minutes before we arrived.

As it was getting late in the afternoon we decided to check in to our caravan park which thankfully is off any main roads and backs directly onto the water. We spent the afternoon taking in the bay, lapping up the sun and packing our bags for our voyage back home.

This was a day trip from our base here at Taupo Bay. Cape Reinga is the northernmost point of New Zealand’s North Island which means it is the northernmost point of New Zealand. So having previously visited Slope Point on the South Island we have now been to both the northernmost point in New Zealand and the southernmost point in New Zealand.

This morning we headed for the Bay of Islands, stopping at Paihia where we were hoping to book a yacht cruise for tomorrow. Once again we were unable to get out on the water as all of the yachts were either fully booked or not worth the money. So we walked up to the lookout, took some photos and headed up the road.

Haruru Falls Waitangi. While we were having lunch here we noticed what appeared to be fine white ash falling on us. Later after hearing the news we realised that the ash had come from the volcano that erupted this afternoon.

Secret Falls Kerikeri

Taupo Bay, otherwise known as Paradise if only the water were warmer

We didn’t have a clear destination in mind today so after what could well be our last shop of the trip, we set off heading north.

Mangawhai Heads Beach. The water temperature here was 19 degrees Celsius and the air temperature was probably similar without the wind chill factor. Nevertheless there were a few hardy souls attempting to sunbake on the beach, even though there was little sun.

As we were getting hungry and lunchtime was approaching we thought Marsden Point would be a nice place to stop for our lunch break. We were ignorant the fact that Marsden Point was also home to an oil refinery as well as a log and wood chip export facility.

Then we thought we would go to One Tree Point for lunch not knowing that we would have to travel through a wasteland of canal developments and project homes almost as far as the eye could see. They call it Marsden City a developers dream but an environmental nightmare.

Whangarei Falls

We had the morning to do what each of wanted. For Keiran it was revisiting Hot Water Beach at low tide

And for me, walking to Cathedral Cove

Today we explored the Coromandel Peninsula. We began by contemplating the walk to Cathedral Cove but decided against it at least for today when we discovered that there is no parking anywhere near the beginning of the walk.

Our next stop was Hot Water Beach where if you wish to park there is a charge of $2 per hour. You may then hire a shovel for $10 plus $10 deposit and walk to a certain part of the beach but only within 2 hours of low tide and begin digging a hole. You will be one of many dozens of others also digging holes and hopefully in a spot where the hole is deep enough to find warm and maybe hot water. If the tide is coming in the hole you so laboriously dug will be flooded with cold seawater and you may have to go and dig another hole.

Our intention for the rest of the day was to explore the Coromandel Peninsula which in reality meant lots of slow driving up and down very steep hills with lots of winding roads and every now and then coming out to the coast

We did eventually reach Coromandel township to discover that the entire main street was being resurfaced with the water tanker driving up and down paying no attention to parked cars and occasionally redesigning a stationary car as it went past.

We decided to return to Hahei but taking a different and what we thought was a shorter route. Let me say that this is not the recommended way to return to Hahei from Coromandel. The road is unsealed, very narrow with broken edges, steep drops, seriously winding with multiple blind corners. But that is not all as the road is frequented by locals with a deathwish, not to mention tourists in their motorhomes which are almost as wide as the road itself. And then there are trucks and buses. So even though the distance is shorter timewise it took us as long or maybe longer than if we gone back the way we had come.

I started the day with a lovely rainforest walk to McLaren Falls

Then off to Whangamata for some sunbaking on the beach, but no swimming due to the unacceptable water temperature

Then more winding roads and hills to Hahei where we may stay for two nights while we explore the Coromandel Peninsula

This morning started off with a shock, BLUE SKY! having driven through torrential rain yesterday this was a great relief as our Spellbound Glowworm Tour was coming up this morning. After checking in at the tour office we headed off to the Waitomo General Store to meet our group for the tour.

At 10 sharp our fantastic tour guide Norm appeared and ushered us to the van which would transport us to the caves. The tour operator who we went with, Spellbound Glowworm Tours, only allows 12 people per 3-hour tour slot.

On the drive to the spellbound cave Norm gave us a fabulous insight into the history of the area and the ever-changing fault lines that created the landscape. Just before we reached the spellbound cave Norm stopped at the top of a hill allowing us to walk down through a tree lined Gully to the cave entrance where he met us.

Upon entering the caves, hard hat clad, we encountered a subterranean stream. We walked along the path inside the cave for a couple hundred metres before coming to a dock where an inflatable boat was moored for us. By this time our eyes had almost fully adjusted to the darkness and we were seeing evermore glowworms affixed to the ceiling. An interesting side note here is that glow worms aren’t actually worms, instead they ate the maggot form of a fly becoming incandescent to attract other insects which they feed on.

Once floating down the stream we were spellbound by the amazing sight of the entire cavern engulfed in tiny little dots – glow worms.

After our glow worm cave experience Spellbound also take you to a cave they called The Spirit Cave. our guide Norm was one of four people who constructed the pathway in this cave over a 4 month period 30 years ago – part of the walk is made of a plastic compound and uses over 4,000 stainless steel screws.

On returning to Waitomo we picked up our van and headed towards Turanga via a scenic bushwalk that Norm told us about.

We were excited to see that the blue sky had stayed with us and even noted that it felt slightly like Australia.

After scanning the world wide web for a place to stay tonight and coming up with few suitable options we very conveniently spotted the sign for McLaren Falls Park. This beautiful park is owned by the local council and only costs $10.50 head with hot showers and flushing toilets. Tomorrow we will head up to the Coromandel Peninsula and check out places such as Hot Water Beach. For now though we’re off to check out the glow worm dell in the forest close by to the campsite!