Sunday 26 January 2020

New Zealand North Island Adventure

In the North Island, we visited:
  • Wellington
  • Kimberley Reserve near Levin
  • Mt Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Tongariro
  • Lake Taupo and Huka Falls
  • Rotorua, Orakei Korako, Rainbow Springs and Ngawero
  • Waihi Beach and Whangamata
  • Opoutere
  • Hahei and Hot Water Beach
  • Mataranui
  • Thames and Kauaeranga






Wellington

A Moa, sneaky Weka, and Giraffe-Weevils at Te Papa

Moa and mini moa skeletons



A moa egg

Deep sea fish

Inside a Blue Whale's heart



Kimberley Reserve near Levin


Taihape


Mt Ruapeho, Mt Ngauruhoe, Mt Tongariro








Lake Taupo



Australasian Swans

The volcanoes from Lake Taupo



This is a hot spring heated pool with a treasure cave for pirates


Huka Falls

Rotorua

Orakei Korako Geothermal Area














Rotorua

 
Rainbow Springs Bird and Trout Park


A tuatara

A Giant Weta

 Another tuatara

 A kea

A kiwi

Three more kiwis


 A big Moa and a mini Moa

Ngawero


Waihi Beach, Bay of Plenty








 

Whangamata on the Coromandel Peninsula






Opoutere






Hahei

Mint choc chip x 2 and Boysenberry

Everyone has a tractor at this place, for pulling their boats out over the sand.

Hot Water Beach

At low tide, people come here to dig into the sand and sit in water heated by geothermal springs under the sand which produce water at around 60 degrees C, so some spots were really hot to walk on and some pools were steaming!








Matarangi near Coromandel











Coromandel Harbour

One of many many very wiggly roads.


Kauaeranga National Park near Thames

This was a great Department of Conservation campsite with a water hole, creek, treasure hunt and visitor centre but lots of mosquitoes! A great place to spend our last night in NZ (apart from the mozzies).







A Rimu tree on our treasure hunt

Young Kauri trees


Building dams


Farewell New Zealand