North Island, Auckland to Wellington

I didn’t know what to expect going to New Zealand. In conceptualizing our time there, Alex and I figured we should just make it up as we went and see what sort of adventure we stumble upon. This held true in the finest sense of the matter. Exiting our flight from Sydney landing in Auckland, we didn’t even know where we would be sleeping that night, but that’s all part of the fun. I searched up the cheapest hostel I could find in Auckland and after booking our stay, we hopped a taxi to downtown.

We arrived at our hostel in the late afternoon and got checked in, the person working informed us that there was a rooftop bar with nightly events for the people staying here. Alex and I decided to explore the city first, searching for some food and WiFi (there was none at the hostel). After finding some dinner and appreciating the sites of downtown Auckland, we returned to our home for the night and decided to check out the bar upstairs and try to make some friends. We heard that it was trivia night and any team with four or more people got a free pizza. Now for travelers, college students, and travelling college students, those are the only two words needed to get our attention. Scanning the room, Alex and I looked for any team that need extra people, an easy in for making new friends. We found a team of two people and they were eager for us to join them for the sake of some free ‘za’.

Skytower
Ferry Building

As the cheap beer permeated the livers of that room, making more friends became increasingly easier. It was here in the hostel that Alex met a man named Ari, he was also from the States. He was a nice, outgoing guy, and he was telling us about his plans to road-trip throughout New Zealand. Ari had rented a camper-van that could sleep a couple people and he asked us if we wished to join him. Alex and I were rather interested in his offer, we wanted to get out of Auckland and see the country and to have this opportunity fall in our laps was pure serendipity. Ari told us that he would be leaving the day after next and we could plot our course tomorrow.

The next morning came and Alex and I had a day to kill in Auckland, so we headed for the ferry harbour to catch a ride to a nearby island named Rangitoto. We had heard about a guided tour of the volcanic island the previous day and took the opportunity to go see it. Before boarding the boat, we had to clean our shoes as to prevent the spread of pests to the island. New Zealand’s department of conservation has been making significant efforts to reestablish species to their traditional ecosystems and remove invasive pests. Arriving at the island we hopped on a tractor pulled cart which would take us up towards to volcano’s caldera. Apparently, the last time an eruption occurred was around 650 years ago and this eruption left the island covered in lava which is still omnipresent on the island. We reached the walkway which would take us to the summit and hopped off to go check it out. Walking up the path presented us with wonderful views of Auckland and the surrounding bay area, as well as some much-needed silence. Up on the side of this volcano was the first time in months that we were able to escape the bustle of cities, traffic, and other people. The air was still and between the sparse singing of birds, there was absolute silence. It’s an interesting experience to whisper to someone thirty feet away and for them to hear you perfectly.

Returning from the island, we headed back to our hostel to relax and meet up with our friends from the previous night. We lounged most of the evening and discussed with Ari what our plans for the road trip would be. Alex and I wanted to visit Hobbiton. The set on which the scenes in the Shire from the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit films were shot. It is still available for tours and us being fans, we had to take the opportunity of being in New Zealand to visit. We also specified that we needed to be in Wellington by Tuesday in order to catch a flight back to Auckland so we could continue on up to Korea. Ari had the one stipulation that he visit a town called Rotorua for a Maori cultural experience. Apart from these, the whole trip would more or less be impromptu and spontaneous.

The next morning, we rendezvoused and embarked on an unexpected journey. After driving for a short while, Auckland eventually gave way to beautiful landscape. We were treated to rolling hills and mountains, and everywhere you looked there were sheep to be seen. Everything you hear about the landscape of New Zealand is true, and we had only just left the city. Our first stop was Hobbiton, as it was the closest to Auckland and only a slight detour from the road to Rotorua. Upon arrival we boarded a bus which would take us further off the beaten path to the location of the Shire. As the bus crept further and further towards its destination, the sense of excitement gradually filled the air. We pulled around a hillside and the bus parked in front of a small clearing with a lone sign marking the entrance to Hobbiton.

We were then guided down a path and rounded a corner and there it was in one sudden reveal, the Shire, just as it was depicted in the films. There was a hazey aura surrounding the cloistered location. In all directions, there was no sign of man-made structures or influences. We were informed by our guide that this was one of the main appeals of the site for the creation of the set. As the group meandered through the Shire, the guide filled us in with the details of every nook and cranny of the location including its construction, maintenance, and film lore. Apparently after the filming of the Lord of the Rings, the set was partially destroyed. It wasn’t until the filming of the Hobbit trilogy that the entire location was reconstructed permanently with the intent to maintain the location as an attraction. The most exciting segments of the tour were towards the end with us finally approaching Bilbo Baggins’s hobbit hole atop the hill and the Green Dragon Inn over the stone bridge where we were treated to some complimentary tavern beverages. Bilbo’s hobbit hole still had his sign in front warning “No Admittance, Except on Party Business”, alluding to his 111^th birthday celebration.

Bilbo’s

Once we had finished nerding out at Hobbiton, the three of us: Alex, Ari, and me, continued towards Rotorua where we were going to check out the Maori cultural experience. We arrived in town and made our way to a small traditional Maori village. The three of us were greeted by our exceptionally worldly host, he seemed to know a little of every language as he greeted and made small talk in each of the other guest’s native tongues. The group was then shown how our dinner was being prepared in a traditional fashion. The main entre of chicken, lamb, potatoes, and sweet potatoes were cooked in a pit by heated stones over the course of the entire day. Next our host showed us to a large central building in which we were to witness a cultural ceremony and display of various facets of Maori life and ritual. This included demonstrations of dance, games, music, combat forms, with the finale being the infamous Haka, the Maori war dance that tribesmen would perform in order to intimidate opponents. This traditional dance is still utilized by the rugby teams of New Zealand before games, as I’ll mention later. The evening concluded with our feasting on the dinner meticulously prepared for us followed by a short night-time walk through the surrounding jungle in order to get a glimpse at glow worms, crystal clear freshwater springs, and silver ferns (a national symbol of New Zealand).

With the evening’s activities concluded, the three of us drove to a site that offered free overnight parking to camper-vans. This location was down in a valley close to a river and would serve as our campgrounds for that night and the next. When morning arrived, we awoke to see the beautiful New Zealand countryside bathed in light, a lovely juxtaposition the previous evening’s moonlit glow. Without anything on our to do list that day we decided to explore the trails surrounding the river. Walking alongside it we approached a drop where the calm slow flowing current gave way to a small, but still boisterous waterfall. Complimentary with the encompassing undergrowth, nature had worked its wonders to cultivate a place so mellow and serene. I made my down to a small bend in the river past the waterfall where the current slowed and foam collected. Here I clambered my way down the rocks to sit next to the water, gently rinsing my face and soaking my hair; it was a pleasant way to wake up.

After breakfast was eaten and morning walkabout concluded, we wanted to check out some of the local area. The previous day we saw signs indicating the location of natural sulfur springs and we decided to look into it. Arriving at the springs we saw that we could bathe in the pools with the stipulation that we didn’t submerge our heads as the low pH of the water could lead to eye problems. Here we spent a significant portion of the afternoon relaxing and discussing any further plans, letting the warm mineral waters warm and exfoliate our skin. During this time Ari informed us of a rugby game being held that night between the Maori All Blacks and the Fiji national team. I had wanted to catch a rugby game while in Australia but failed to do so due to scheduling conflicts, so I was keen to buy tickets. With a new course set we washed ourselves off and made our way into town.

Arriving at the stadium one of the first things I noticed was that there was a considerable number of Fiji supporters there. In fact, if I had to judge from the number of Fijian flags present and the volume at which their chants were sung, there may have been more Fiji fans present than home team fans. The game was preceded by a scrimmage between these two teams’ under 20 divisions, a Fiji cultural dance, the singing of the two nations’ national anthems, and of course the Haka from the Maori All Blacks. This spectacle is even more intimidating than the videos make it out to be. With the Haka performed, the game was underway. If you think American football is an intense and physically demanding game, you haven’t seen rugby. There are no plays or downs in rugby, so the players are constantly running and making tackles, all without any padding. These players were literally steaming towards the end of the game. The Maori All Blacks ended up winning the game, but not without a strong resistance from the Fijian team, making several lengthy runs, racking up quite a few points towards the end of the game.

The Scrum

We returned to our campsite, this time to a brilliant sky of stars, almost completely unobstructed by any light pollution, save a few distant houses and streetlamps. The sky was so clear that even the Milky Way could be seen streaking from horizon to horizon. This beautiful display and the sounds of the nearby waterfall lulled us to sleep. These two nights have allowed me to cross something off my bucket list that would make ol’ Matt Foley proud. I was living in a van, down by the river.

As Alex and my deadline of getting to Wellington before Tuesday approached, we had to continue on our way down the north island. Putting Rotorua behind us we headed towards our next stop, Taupo. We arrived in town late in the afternoon and without plans, so we stopped in a local coffee shop to mooch some WiFi and figure out some plans for the evening. Looking online we saw that there were public hot springs in town, we tentatively decided to go there after making dinner at our campsite. As we finished up dinner, the stars began to come out, and like the previous evening, there wasn’t a cloud in sight. Unfortunately, though, the cold was also beginning to set in and we were worried that upon getting out of the springs, we would be even more cold than we were getting in. At my insistence though Alex and Ari agreed to go to the hot springs. After parking the van, we began walking to the springs and the night air was frigid, but we persisted onward. We got to the springs and tested the water and I quickly hopped in to escape the cold air, and it felt amazing. The hot spring water soothed my cold body, warming me deep to my bones. Banishing any semblance of the previous shivering state I had been in. The springs warmed me so that even when exiting the water, the cold air did not bother me in the slightest, and after changing back into my clothes I was warm for the remainder of the night.

The next morning came and our last day in New Zealand had arrived, and I wanted to make the most of it. So we hiked a mountain, mount Tauhara to be exact. Mount Tauhara rises 1088 meters above sea lever and overlooks Taupo to the south west of its base. We arrived at the base of the mountain just before 9 and embarked after packing some apples and water for the trek. First we had to cut through farm property to reach the tree line, don’t worry this was designated, we were only warned that the livestock had right of way should our paths cross theirs. The steep grassy hills of the farm were only a precursor of what was to come. As we reached the tree line the beaten dirt road gave way to a muddy and winding narrow path that weaved its way up the side of the mountain. Many obstacles lined this path including narrow trenches, rocky crags, and muddy pools bordered by drop offs. The posted sign at the beginning informed us that a bench indicated the halfway point and stream signaled that the summit was near.

The slog up the mountain was periodically interrupted by breaks in the foliage revealing almost framed views of the surrounding landscape. These sites in themselves could have been appreciated for hours but I was much more interested in the view from the peak. After marching for what felt like an eternity, we came to the bench, Ari opted to rest for a bit while Alex and I continued upward. Trekking onward and scrambling over fallen boulders and through vines and branches we eventually heard the sounds of a waterfall in the distance. The stream was near. We kept walking and eventually came over a mound where the air surrounding us immediately dropped in temperature. We had reached the stream. It was a small picturesque sight, a stream no more than half a meter across quietly flowing down the mountain, minding its own business. Like before at the river, I stopped to rinse my face and hair with the cold fresh water. Stopping for a short while to eat an apple, we continued along the path, appreciating the vibrant scenery before us, glowing as sunbeams rained down through the canopy. A short ways after the stream we came across a small knoll covered in sunlight, here we basked in the sun briefly to warm up, during this time Ari came down the path. After reuniting, the three of us marched onward with renewed vigor, determined to reach the peak.

Passing mossed coated tree after tree and a myriad of mud patches we encountered the narrowest, steepest trench of the hike. I wasn’t going to be stopped now so I took lead and shimmied my way up into it. After a bit of finagling and twisting I was able to pull myself up and out of the trench into a break in the foliage. I took a few steps further up and was greeted by the view of a lifetime. I had reached the top of the mountain. Not being able to contain my excitement I let out several celebratory shouts, yelling back to Alex and Ari that we’d made it. We could see for miles upon miles, in the distance we could see endless rolling hills and even taller, snowcapped mountains beyond. Standing above the clouds, we watched as they crept over the landscape, like a glacier in the sky. Words fail to describe moments like this, so I hope that my pictures can. Climbing mount Tauhara served as a perfect climax to my time in New Zealand. As a reward for persevering through the obstacles lining the path, I was granted an amazing and beautiful experience, etched fondly into my catalog of personal memories.