HEAVEN ON EARTH – NEW ZEALAND TOUR.   27.10. – 7.12.2011

This New Zealand Tour was entitled “Heaven on Earth” and having participated in the Tour this is exactly what it was. What a country New Zealand is, beautiful scenery which ever way you look, helpful cheerful people where ever we went, real fresh air too. Magic.

The tour got off to a good start over an excellent welcome meal in Auckland.  Our Tour Leaders, Doris and Charles Pritchard, ably assisted by Stella and Roger Allison and Howard and Jessie Hunt, quickly put us at our ease and they, having previously researched the locations of the van hire depot, supermarkets, filling stations etc. ensured we were quickly on our way to our first overnight stop at Orewa, which served as a “shakedown” for the hire vans. Some of the Group struggled with the navigation to Orewa due to the extensive roadworks around Auckland whilst a motorway is created.

Our first proper event was a guided coach tour of NZ’s biggest city, Auckland, a humorous and informative commentary from a Maori driver/guide made for an interesting day and kept us out of the rain.

Our route was then to make toward Ninety Mile Beach, Cape Reinga and North Cape and on the way take in the sheer splendour of the country. Most took time to visit the Kauri and Pioneer museum  at Matakohe to appreciate the wonderful wood and it’s value to the early NZ economy. The day finished at Bayly’s Beach overlooking the Tasman Sea where supper was taken at the famous “Funky Fish” restaurant. I’m not too sure how famous this place really is, I suspect not as famous as Harry Ramsden’s in Guiseley but the fish and the company was good.

A fantastic drive towards Ahipara was across the Maungataninha Range, where the sheer beauty needs to be seen, before dropping down to Kaitaia and on to our stop at Ahipara, to anticipate our day trip along Ninety Mile Beach the next morning. Unfortunately the weather the next day turned nasty on us and it rather marred our trip along Ninety Mile Beach to Cape Reinga, fog, low cloud, rain and a stiff breeze made for generally unpleasant conditions. What was clear was that the beach is wonderful light sand, backed by large dunes. Shallow waves lap the shore. Standard coaches ply along the beach and the driver again entertained us with some hilarious commentary. Before we left the beach some of the Group had fun riding sand toboggans down a very high and most precipitous sand dune. Good entertainment too for the more sedate members who watched. Prior to this the Group had received a traditional Maori welcome, which was very entertaining. Our return to camp that day was to a double birthday celebration – Julia Marsh and Carol Bolton’s - before heavy rain fell on us. (Pictures courtesy of Wendy and Deryck Parris.)

Having got to the North Cape we then steered west and south to Russell on the Bay of Islands. Russell is a blissful place and lies opposite Waitangi where the Treaty between the Maori’s and the British was signed in 1840.

The scenery, once again, is simply stunning and I am not able to adequately describe it in this piece. It was no less so on the Coromandel Peninsula where we spent two days.  While on the Coromandel most visited the Drivers Creek Railway, built by a potter who used it to get his supplies of clay, it is a 15” gauge. As it climbs the hillside the train has to tackle gradients of 1 in 12. It took the potter 32 years to build 2.6kms of track. During this time he has replanted Kauri and other indigenous trees and is slowly ridding the land of vermin in the hope of reintroducing Kiwi birds in the longer term. The enterprise was real pioneering stuff.

We had to wait for the tide to be right to experience the Hot Water Beach, where hot  water erupts from the sand. It is amazing, at its source in the sand, it is too hot to stand in but a few feet away one could dig a really warm bath. Having to wait for the tide allowed us to overstay on a kiwi fruit farm, courtesy of a friend of Pam and Bob Tilling – Councillor and Hon. Rep for New Zealand – who also provided other information about the Coromandel.

Our route after the Coromandel Peninsula towards Gisborne required us to navigate the Waineka Gorge  which, again was spectacular, miles of ups and downs, twists and turns through the gorge which was cloaked from top to toe with native forest. It would appear to have been untouched for decades, so many shades of green, so many varieties of leaves and shapes and shadows too. Through the gorge and onto the plains, we were at the beginning of the vineyards of the Hawkes Bay area and  to Gisborne, to my mind spectacularly unimpressive.

Gisborne is the first city in the world to see the sunrise, so it was a 5.30a.m.start to the Cook Observatory on Kaiti Hill to witness the sunrise over the Pacific Ocean – well worth the effort. Bacon Butties, cooked by Brian King, Terry Bolton and John Reynolds and Sparkling wine were well received by all.

Next stop was Napier the “Art Deco” capital of the world. Wiped out in 1930 by a massive earthquake the city was rebuilt in the then style of the time. It has been largely maintained in that style. It’s a bit like a film set, only the modern cars seem misplaced.

Our journey towards Rotorua was to climb over Te Pohue and view the Waipunga Falls. The temperature of 7c backed by a chilling wind seemed very bracing at the time. Our arrival at Taupo was a relief because by then the sun was out. Next day we all visited the unique Thermal Park and marvelled at the Geysers, boiling mud pools, the multi coloured lakes and took in the sulphurous odour too. The evening saw the group bussed, to enjoy a traditional Maori “Hangi”, by a very humorous Maori driver to be informed, educated and entertained royally in traditional Maori style. The meal was cooked in an earth oven using the thermal energy in the ground.

We were very much reminded that the ICA really is an International club and it was very thoughtful when the group was invited by John Hutton – past NZ Representative - to his home in Putaruru.  John had arranged for many other NZ members to rally on his property too and so a jolly day and evening culminated. in a full sit down meal in his barn. Speeches were made and votes of thanks given, and, as a surprise Certificates were issued to those who witnessed the Sunrise at Gisborne.

Too soon we had to depart John Hutton’s lawn to make a long trek to New Plymouth, via the Waitomo Caves to witness the “glow worms” in the caves. In complete darkness we were transported absolutely silently in a boat for an almost surreal experience. Photos were not allowed.
At the Kiwi Camps site in New Plymouth the Group were guests at a BBQ provided by Kiwi Camps and a good meal and jolly company rounded off the day.
Next morning the day started well with the sun bright in the sky, still was the wind and the Tasman Sea was gently lapping on the shore beneath our ‘vans. The Group took breakfast communally of eggs, bacon and sausages kindly provided by Malcolm and Nell Pevreal, who were at John Hutton’s, and who some of the tour had visited the day before. The cooking was again by Brian King, Terry Bolton and John Reynolds, very ably assisted by their better halves – Shirley, Carol and Julia - who were frying eggs on demand. Marvellous fare!
If that wasn’t enough to send us on our way towards Wanganui,  Lisette Benkert, a Kiwi member who with her husband Rudi had joined us overnight on site, entertained us with a superb solo and unaccompanied rendition of “Der Hueterbueb”  John and Cath  Moran who had also camped with us overnight provided a very nice fruit cake. It was really good to meet all these “Kiwi’s” on their own turf.

We left a still and sunny New Plymouth and headed for Wanganui and skirted to the east of  Mt. Tirinaki, still covered in snow and looking very much like Mt. Fuji in Japan. It looked majestic standing at 2500 metres.

Wellington, the NZ capital, was well worth the visit, if only for the Te Papa museum on the waterfront, but the cable car to and  the Botanical Gardens were also well worth the visit.  One got the sense that maybe many were thinking “let us get the InterIslander ferry to South Island” and commence Round Two.

   Three hours plus on the Cook’s Strait filled some with trepidation and prompted a grab for the Kwells tablets. In the event the crossing was well manageable and two thirds of the trip is either in Wellington Harbour or Queen Charlotte Sound.  And so here we are – South Island.

Like most towns in NZ, Picton is small and functional, it belied the stunning beauty surrounding it. A short drive and you find yourself in, what is claimed to be, the best wine growing area in NZ. How neat the vineyards looked. Queen Charlottes Drive, a route around the Sound, we found ourselves driving along the Sounds, twisty turny, uppy downy, with sheer drops on the left, nature flirting with you by occasionally lifting her skirts and letting you see a stunning glimpse of aquamarine blue of the Sound, then the foliage would snap back into place and you would get back to concentrating on the road ahead.

Kaikora is THE place for whale watching. Virtually everybody was hoping to get to see these majestic mammals in natural surroundings. Nature played a key role in that only one couple managed to get out on a boat on the third day of trying, when the rest of the Group made their way to Hanmer Springs. The swell of the Pacific Ocean was too high for the safety or comfort of the passengers and so the Captains abort the trips. This was a major disappointment for most.

Greymouth’s claim to fame is that it is the gateway to the Glacier country and Montieths Brewery. We did all enjoy an evening meal in a local hostelry where we were able to celebrate with Margaret Swithenbank on the occasion of her birthday.

Next day we arrived at the base of Fox Glacier and where many hoped to take a helicopter trip over the Glacier and Mount Cook. Nature played its hand again and this time surrounded us in low cloud and fog. The flights were cancelled and many of us consoled ourselves with a trip to Lake Matheson – famed for the reflection of Mount Cook on the surface but not on this day.

The journey to Lake Wanaka took in much lovely scenery, with water falls, suspension bridges to traverse, “Blue Pools” and then the lake  itself, spectacular blue, surrounded by mountains reflecting  in the water.

On our way to Queenstown we visited the original “bungy jump,” made famous by A.J. Hackett, off the Kawarua Bridge. At 43 metres it is not the deepest but it still a long way down.
We all enjoyed a trip aboard TSS Earnslaw  across Lake Wakatipu to the Walter Peak High Country farm for a splendid lunch and demonstration of sheep shearing. For the engineers amongst us they enjoyed the open views of the two exposed engine room of the TSS Earnslaw. On the way back across the lake we were entertained by a pianist who played throughout the trip, sort of reminded me of the film Titanic.  We made a pretty decent choir. Incidentally both ships went into service in 1912.

November 30th was a very clear day for our trip to Milford Sound, which is about 140kms from Te Anau, along a most beautiful road built in the 1930’s as a way of keeping men working. What it revealed is the wilderness that is the Fiordland National Park is, absolutely stunning beauty, the power of nature is demonstrated by it’s cascades, waterfalls, mirror lakes, chasms teeming with water rushing down from the heights, Kea’s flying free and at the end of the road Milford Sound. No houses, no shops, just a wharf and a reception building. The sheer sides of the  mountain fall straight into the Sound and then go to 1000feet down almost vertical.

(Photo courtesy of Doris Pritchard.)

 At Dunedin most of the Group got to see the Royal Northern Albatross one way or another and so we made our way towards Christchurch and the Finale via Timaru. On the way there were a succession of “happy hours”  which was an opportunity to use up any surplus alcoholic drinks and the final one in Christchurch was quite jolly, despite the heavy rain. Next morning it was return the motorhomes, which went very smoothly.

The Farewell Meal was excellent. Brian King, on behalf of The Council and the tour members, thanked the Tour Leaders for their efforts over many months to ensure that we all enjoyed a trouble free and excellent tour. Pieter and Hetty Berserik, from Holland, sang a clever and funny song they had written in English for Doris and Charles and the rest of the Tour Team.
Doris then distributed small humorous mementos’ to members who had helped during the tour. A nice touch.

So the tour ended on a happy note and I think everybody left NZ happy having had a first class time.

If any have read this and are not members of the ICA be assured there is no regimentation, you do not travel in convoy. The tours are arranged and marshalled by other members and all pay their way. The Association does not exist to make profit so tours are always good value for money. COME AND JOIN US.

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