Heading south
On Sunday morning we headed off from Whangarei, leaving Northland behind us. We took in the Whangarei Heads on the Pacific coast and stopped at the Scottish settlement of Waipu. This place was settled by a group of Scots who originally emmigrated to Nova Scotia but after that failed they sailed on in 5 ships for 5 months to New Zealand and set up a kind of Scottish christian settlement in Waipu. A monument stands in the town with the names of all the originals settlers and the ships they came on. The town seems immensely proud of their Scottish roots.
We drove on down the Pacific coast to Auckland and stayed at Bamber House backpackers for the night. Next morning we dropped into the car auction place to be told we would make a pretty hefty loss if we sold it there. So we're going to sell privately but use the auction if we cant get what we want for it. No worries.
We then headed south to Te Kuiti, just south of Waitomo Caves. Next day we were going to do the caving we missed out on a month before due to our colds. We stayed at the Casana Mera Backpackers in a nice tree lined spot above the town.
Next we headed off to Waitomo Caves, checked in at the grim YHA then headed to see our old friends the Angoran rabbits getting shorn, it looks pretty brutal but it's good for them apparently, they'd overheat and die if they didn't get shorn.
Then at 2pm we headed for Rap, Raft and Rock. We headed off with 4 not so keen (I think they'd had a few G & Ts the night before) Londoners to the cave.
We got kitted out in wetsuit, white wellies with holes in the soles, climbing harnesses and hard hats fitted with waterproof miners lamps. After a rally down to the cave entrance we took it in turn to lower ourselves down the 27m cavern into the river below. It was like an abseil but you're not touching the edge, it's called a rappelle, that's the RAP part.
After everyone was down we headed up stream, walking through the river, up to chest height in places and only 12C into the pitch dark cave. When we switched our lights off though the glow-worms were there for all to see. Like millions of stars in the pitch black. After about 500m we sat in our inner tubes ( the RAFT bit) and the guide pulled us along the water in a kind of floating train through the dark and under the 'stars' above. We carried on floating back down to where we started, we carried on through and the water got faster and faster and my arse got sorer and sorer. We soon past the last of the glow-worms and were in total darkness. I managed to tip myself out of my inner tube at one point, a very cold experience. After about 300m we left our tubes at the side and carried on on foot ducking through tiny holes in the side and eventually stopping for some hot juice and chocolate. We then headed back, through more tiny caves and then back to the start.
It was getting dark and one by one we climbed back out the wall of the cavern we'd come in (the ROCK bit) . To be honest it didn't look easy but when you got up there it was a bit of a doddle, even in the near darkness. Another great day out, or in?
Anyway next day we headed back north to Raglan, surf country where we stopped off a month ago on our way South. We're taking three nights here. First day it just rained and we just went for a few walks about town. Yesterday we went surfing, my first proper go. We got the proper sized board for learners and as I was the only attendee I got the one on one treatment. It took a few attempts but by the end of the day I was standing on the board riding the waves, just the foamy ones mind. Jamie just continued on his practice from what he learned last time we were here. In the evening we took in an open mic night at the local pub. It was pretty good and despite this being late November it was warm enough to sit outside in just a fleese, it would have passed for a cracking summers evening back home.
Today we're going to have to start thinking about going home, it's our last night in a hostel before we sell the car hopefully so we need to get rid of pots and pans, plates etc etc.
Just 8 more days to go. The other day I read a story that summed up what's so good about this place. Robbie Williams last album only sold 15,000 copies here. I tell you these guys get it over here they really do, they dont get sucked in by commercialism. Poor old Robbie knows where he's not wanted and isn't coming here on his world tour, he's got 4 dates in Australia though.
We drove on down the Pacific coast to Auckland and stayed at Bamber House backpackers for the night. Next morning we dropped into the car auction place to be told we would make a pretty hefty loss if we sold it there. So we're going to sell privately but use the auction if we cant get what we want for it. No worries.
We then headed south to Te Kuiti, just south of Waitomo Caves. Next day we were going to do the caving we missed out on a month before due to our colds. We stayed at the Casana Mera Backpackers in a nice tree lined spot above the town.
Next we headed off to Waitomo Caves, checked in at the grim YHA then headed to see our old friends the Angoran rabbits getting shorn, it looks pretty brutal but it's good for them apparently, they'd overheat and die if they didn't get shorn.
Then at 2pm we headed for Rap, Raft and Rock. We headed off with 4 not so keen (I think they'd had a few G & Ts the night before) Londoners to the cave.
We got kitted out in wetsuit, white wellies with holes in the soles, climbing harnesses and hard hats fitted with waterproof miners lamps. After a rally down to the cave entrance we took it in turn to lower ourselves down the 27m cavern into the river below. It was like an abseil but you're not touching the edge, it's called a rappelle, that's the RAP part.
After everyone was down we headed up stream, walking through the river, up to chest height in places and only 12C into the pitch dark cave. When we switched our lights off though the glow-worms were there for all to see. Like millions of stars in the pitch black. After about 500m we sat in our inner tubes ( the RAFT bit) and the guide pulled us along the water in a kind of floating train through the dark and under the 'stars' above. We carried on floating back down to where we started, we carried on through and the water got faster and faster and my arse got sorer and sorer. We soon past the last of the glow-worms and were in total darkness. I managed to tip myself out of my inner tube at one point, a very cold experience. After about 300m we left our tubes at the side and carried on on foot ducking through tiny holes in the side and eventually stopping for some hot juice and chocolate. We then headed back, through more tiny caves and then back to the start.
It was getting dark and one by one we climbed back out the wall of the cavern we'd come in (the ROCK bit) . To be honest it didn't look easy but when you got up there it was a bit of a doddle, even in the near darkness. Another great day out, or in?
Anyway next day we headed back north to Raglan, surf country where we stopped off a month ago on our way South. We're taking three nights here. First day it just rained and we just went for a few walks about town. Yesterday we went surfing, my first proper go. We got the proper sized board for learners and as I was the only attendee I got the one on one treatment. It took a few attempts but by the end of the day I was standing on the board riding the waves, just the foamy ones mind. Jamie just continued on his practice from what he learned last time we were here. In the evening we took in an open mic night at the local pub. It was pretty good and despite this being late November it was warm enough to sit outside in just a fleese, it would have passed for a cracking summers evening back home.
Today we're going to have to start thinking about going home, it's our last night in a hostel before we sell the car hopefully so we need to get rid of pots and pans, plates etc etc.
Just 8 more days to go. The other day I read a story that summed up what's so good about this place. Robbie Williams last album only sold 15,000 copies here. I tell you these guys get it over here they really do, they dont get sucked in by commercialism. Poor old Robbie knows where he's not wanted and isn't coming here on his world tour, he's got 4 dates in Australia though.
posted by PeterZ at 3:49 PM
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