Travels around the North Island - Part II
Trip Start
Jul 20, 2004
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58
207
Trip End
Jul 20, 2014
Rotorua, New Zealand
Friday, October 28, 2005
Here, I met two Maori men, Joe and Will who told me about the treaty and invited me to visit and stay on their farms near Hokianga Harbour. I had to decline the offer as I had just come from this area and needed to move south. By this time, I had contacted Hawke's Bay Fruit Growers Ass. To confirm the availability of work permits and was told that they are not sure if they will have a shortage of labour. This meant there was no security for me in obtaining a work permit and therefore, I elected to go south to work in Central Otago again. This was the sad part, as I really wanted to stay on the North Island and get to know the places and people that comprise this part of NZ. But I also had to think about my finances and I knew I needed to work to refill my travel funds. And as work was guaranteed in Central Otago, I opted to head back to the South Island to work for 2 months.
From Waitangi, I took the ferry to Russell where I ate fish and chips, wandered around the town and tried to find a backpackers. Russell was the first capital of New Zealand and one of the first European settlements. The town is rich in history with a variety of shops and services that do not spoil the old charm. Hours can be spent in the museum tracing the towns history from the first European settlers, whaling and marine history. Even the headstones at New Zealand's first church have a story to tell.
Unsuccessfully in this attempt, I decided to continue on and went to Oakura to camp out in my car. What a beautiful area this is. Unfortunately, it seems to have been discovered by many people and building goes on everywhere from near Oakura to Mangawhai. I took as many back roads as I could and finally via Langs Beach and Waipu Cove reached Leigh and Goat Island. Goat Island is a marine reserve teaming with a variety of fish. I very much liked the area around Leigh, dotted with winery and vineyards, little farms and otherwise quaint places. From Leigh, I headed straight to Turua where my servas host Maureen was waiting for me. Maureen and her husband Roger are natural therapists and live in an Old Post Office building. Turua is a sleepy little village close to the gateway of Coromandel, which I explored the next day. I stopped in the town of Coromandel and Whitianga. From Whitianga, I took the ferry to Ferry Landing from where I hiked to Shakespeare Lookout. The lookout offers a magnificent view of the Bay and the islands. Ferry Landing homes offer lovely views over the harbour and has the oldest stone wharf in Australiasia the gateway via the passenger ferry from Whitianga Wharf to Front Beach and Flaxmill Bay. One can take a shuttle service or hire a bike to go to Cooks Beach, Hahei, Cathedral Cove, and Hot Water Beach. As the ferry runs continuously all day until late at night, dining out or shopping in Whitianga is easy.
After Coromandel, I stayed for one day at Daryl's dairy farm in Waharoa before moving on to Rotorua.
