Coast to Coast Walk

Coast to Coast Walk, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

There is a Coast to Coast walkway in Auckland that takes you through the city taking in many points of historical interest and fine views. We thought we'd give it a go - especially as it had route markers like the one above. It would be easy!

We got up early (for once), caught the bus into Auckland and made our way to the start. We saw the nice yellow signs and off we went.

Immediately we came across some interesting old buildings from Auckland's past. The trail signs had started to hide but we had a map and so knew roughly where to go.

After a while we came to The Domain - a large park in the center of the city. Suddenly the trail signs were back again and so Kate & Fiona led the way - passing some interesting modern sculptures as we went. The trail led us along a path in a lovely wooded area where the path split three ways. Sadly there were no more signs to follow. We picked the most likely path and ended up in the middle of the park but with no more sight of the trail. We were very close to the Auckland museum though and after a quick family vote we the trail was ditched in favour of lunch and a look round.

There was a large exhibition of WW1 & WW2 artifacts including a spitfire and a Japanese Zero fighter. The best thing by far though was the volcano simulator which provided a feel (including earth tremors) of what it would be like if a volcano erupted in Auckland harbor.

We then walked back into the center of the city where we did some shopping and caught the bus home.

The North

Wizard, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

For our final NZ mini break I took everyone up to the north. On the way we passed this interesting chap.

We visited the Bay of Islands and Kerikeri where they have the two oldest buildings in New Zealand and had a visit to another strangely decorated toilet.

KawaKawa Toilets, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

There were some big trees, the story of a happy little dolphin and lots and lots of beautiful views.

You can see more about our trip here.

Bearman and the Dragon

Bearman and the Dragon, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

The true purpose of my visit to New Zealand has finally come out into the open as rumours of a new Bearman movie (filmed entirely on location in New Zealand) surface. Peter Jackson will be furious!

Doubtful Sound

Doubtful Sound, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

After our first night in Queenstown we drove further south to Manapouri for an overnight trip on Doubtful Sound. A boat was waiting to take us on a 50 minute cruise on Lake Manapouri where we would board a coach for a trip over the winding Wilmot Pass before ariving at Doubtful Sound itself.

The Lake Manapouri boat was called the Fiordland Flyer and quite large (no chance of getting my paws wet here). Softy and I took charge of the driving (helped by a nice man called Bruce) and we soon arived at the west end of the lake - next to the Manapouri Hydro Power Station (the largest in New Zealand).

We Take Control, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

Whilst waiting to board the boat lots lof nastly little bugs called Sandflies buzzed Fiona and the other people. Luckily those of us with fur were not bothered by this but they all found it really annoying!

At the top of the Wilmot Pass we briefly got off the bus for our first (misty) view of Doubtful Sound. A short time later we were at the jetty boarding the Fiordland Navigator - our home for the next 24 hours.

We were soon underway. Once again my VIB status got us a special cabin - one with it's own bathroom and a door (most other people had to use the shared bathrooms and they only had a curtain for a door!). On his first trip down to the cabin Fiona's Dad was lucky enough to see a dolphin swimming along beside the boat. Everyone else had to wait until the following morning when we were joined by three or four of them.

We cruised along the sound until we reached the sea - pausing to view some seals on a nearby island and where you know who saw a swimming penguin (again the only person to see this!). We then turned around and went back down the sound to a calm area where the boat dropped anchor for 'fun' activities. Kate and her mum went for a ride in some little motor boats while Fiona and her dad went kayaking. Softy and I wisely stayed inside.

Kayaking, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

After this we had a nice dinner and then went off to bed early as it was a 6:30 start the following morning.

There was some fuss during breakfast when some dolphins swam by causing everyone to leave their bacon and rush to one side of the boat. Luckily we didn't tip over and so were able to continue our cruise, this time though the narrowest part of the sound where we could get a good look at the steep cliff sides.

The driver seemed to go to sleep at one point as he took us right into an island.

Island Ahoy!, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

I was going to take charge but he got it under control again and with some excellent driving took us very close to the shore for some great views of the some of the many waterfals that run down the cliff walls.

All too soon our time was up and we were back onto the coach for the short journey to Manapouri where the Flyer took us back to the car.

It was a wonderful trip. You can see some more photos here.

Queenstown

Queenstown, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

After Lake Tekapo we went further south to Queenstown. This seems to be the adrenalin capital of NZ with opportunities everywhere to bungee jump, parascend, treck, dive, fly, sail, etc. Sadly all of the activities on offer had a minimum height requirement so I had to pass. We did however get to go on the Skyline Gondola - a ski lift thingy that takes you to the top of one of the hills overlooking Queenstown. The views are great.

They also have a fun thing up there called the luge. You get onto another ski lift which takes you further up the hill and then slide back down on a tray on wheels along a 400m concrete track. Fantastic fun!

We again stayed in the Youth Hostel however something obviously went wrong with the booking as we appeared to have been put in a small cupboard instead of a room.

The next day we went on down to Doubtful Sound returning the day after for another night in Queenstown. Luckily the room problem had been sorted for our second stay and I was able to get a good nights sleep.

One of the staff on the Doubtful Sound boat, a nice young lady called Jimmi, suggested that we go to a restaurant called Chop Chop when we got back to Queenstown. We did - and it was very nice. She also said that while we were there we had to take a look at the unusual gents toilets...

The Gents, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

On our final morning we walked around town, the girls went shopping and we had a nice lunch sitting outside enjoying the sun. Kate found a man playing a strange musical instrument and we had a nice chat with him. In the afternoon we caught the plane back up to Auckland. Queenstown airport has rather large hills very close to it that the plane needs to clear. After my boat driving experience on the way to Doubtful Sound I thought that I could offer the pilot some assistance however he seemed to manage OK and we saw some wonderful views on the way back up North.

South Island Mountains, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

Some other Queenstown photos can be seen here.

Lake Tekapo

Our Room, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

After Christchurch we moved on to Lake Tekapo. The staff at the Youth Hostel had obviously been informed that a VIB (very important bear) was coming as we got the best room in the place complete with lakeside views.

The lake is an amazing blue colour caused by a mixture of glacial melt water (containing rock flour) mixing with fresh rain water. It reflects back just the blue light apparently.

We used Lake Tekapo for our base to visit Mount Cook - the highest peak in New Zealand - and the Tasman Glacier. On Saturday we drove to Mount Cook where we picked up a bus that took us to a car park in the middle of nowhere. Softy and I took a ride in the backpack as Fiona and the other people walked to a lake formed by the melting glacier. The colour of this lake was a stoney white colour - not at all like the blue we had got used to recently.

Lake Tasman, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

At this point things went a bit wrong as yet another water activity beckoned. Softy and I were left in a shed as Fiona, Kate and the other people went for a trip on the lake. They dodged in and out amongst the icebergs and even got to eat a bit of one. After about an hour of sightseeing they had a fast boat ride back to the jetty where we were picked up and taken home again.

As usual you can see a few more photos here.

Christchurch - Kiwis, Eels and Penguins

I have come to the South Island for another short holiday. I came on my plane. A new car was waiting for me when I arrived (it was supposed to be automatic but it still needs the same old driver!)

I stayed at Christchurch in a nice (although slightly noisy) Youth Hostel. There is a very nice food shop over the road that Fiona and the other people like.

We met up with one of Grandma's friends and relations - a nice lady called Joan - who took us to Willowbank Nature Reserve. We fed eels from plastic spoons and then went to see some kiwis. As it was an evening tour the kiwis were quite active. We got really close to them. They are bigger than me and can run very fast.

This morning we went to Antarctica. It is in a big shed next to Christchurch airport. We saw some Little Blue penguins. They were very cute. We also went into a room that was very cold. We had to wear special clothes. At 11:00am they turned on a storm and it got even colder.

See our photos here.

We spent the rest of the day driving down to Lake Tekapo. More of this later.

Kayaking

Kayaking, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

Another stupid water based activity. Don't they know that Bears Don't Like Water???

Fiona, Kate and the other people went kayaking on the Puhoi River. First they drove to the kayaking shack at Puhoi village where some people took them in a mini bus to Wenderholm (a country park at the mouth of the river). They were then put in two man kayaks and told to paddle back 8km upstream to where the car was.

Apparently it was lots of fun. I stayed at home.

Driving Creek Railway

Driving Creek Railway, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

We visited the Driving Creek Railway and Potteries. Originally the railway was designed to fetch clay but it's now been extended for passenger use right the way to the top of the hill where the clay comes from.

It's a bit unusual in that it zig zags it's way up the hill, stopping at various places for the driver to get out, change some points and then go to the other end of the train and go off in the reverse direction. The views from the top of the hill are great - you can see right out to sea.

In the afternoon we stopped at a local cafe for some lunch and then went to the beach where we were treated to an expert surfing display.

Surfer Dude, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

You can see some more railway photos here.

Cathedral Cove

Cathedral Cove, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

For the first day of our Easter break we went to Cathedral Cove. Although it's only a short distance as the kiwi walks from our holiday house it took about 45 minutes to drive there. Worse still the beach is still another 45 minutes walk from the car park.

The wait was worth it though. The beach has golden sand and the sea was nice and blue. Bears don't like to get wet so I didn't go into the sea however the rest of them spent the day jumping waves and generally mucking about in the water.

The cove gets its name from the large cave that you can see on the picture above. Click here for some more pictures.

Easter At Whitianga

Jayden, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

I took everyone to a nice house at Whitianga for Easter. On Thursday evening we were joined by Jayden who is small, fast and loud!

We had some nice trips out to places like Cathedral Cove and the Driving Creek Railway. On Saturday we all went to the local market, had a nice lunch out and then the old people went for a walk whilst Kate, Fiona, Jayden & me stayed at home to watch DVDs.

On Saturday evening Chris (Jaydens Dad) turned up along with his girlfriend and her son. Now there were two small, fast, loud things in the house.

Easter Bunny, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

Sunday brought the Easter Bunny and yummy chocolate eggs. We played on the beach and some people went in the sea (again!).

We left on Monday morning to go to a local nature reserve however the driver & navigator missed the turn so we ended up missing that particular treat.

In the Tunnel, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

We did however get to go to an old goldmine site and had a walk through an old railway tunnel that was over 1km long.

Finally we got back into the car and with me reading the map we got safely back to Orewa.

See here for more photos from our Easter Break.

Te Puia

Welcome to Te Puia, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

Te Puia is home to the Maori Cultural Centre plus it also has Thermal Valley where you can see pools of boiling mud and huge geysers.

We took a tour of the area with the guide explaiing all about the history (the full name is Te Whakarewarewatanga o te ope tau a Wahiao) and stories about the thermal valley.

After the tour we saw a Maori concert featuring a traditional welcome followed by songs and dances.

Welcome Dance, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

Afterwards we returned to thermal valley, stopping in at the Kiwi House where we saw two of the strange endangered birds. The mud pools were great - they make a fantastic bubbling noise although they smell a bit. The best thing was the amazing Pohutu Geyser which shoots steaming hot water up to 3o metres into the air.

Geyser, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

We were the last people to leave at 5pm - when we started our 4 hour drive to our holiday home at Whitianga.

Glow Worm Caves

Glow Worm Caves, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

For the first day of our holiday within a holiday, we drove down to Waitomo to visit the glow worm caves.

Hamilton Gardens, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

Waitomo is a few hours drive from Orewa so we made a stop at Hamilton gardens on the way where Kate & Fiona fed the ducks (although it was the fish that ate most of it!) and we saw a fantastic wooden carving showing a woodland fantasy scene - animals, fairies, pixes, etc.

When we eventually got to the caves our guide took us along to path and then into the cave entrarance. You then go down paths and steps until you are way underground. He showed us a deep, deep hole, stalactites and stalagmites (which grow at 1cm per 100 years) and then the lights went off for a first look at the glow worms.

We had to bend down low to look at the underside of a nearby cavern. We looked down and could see hundreds of tiny blue / green lights flickering below us. We then realised that these were reflections in the water and looked up to see the tiny worms suspended from the cave roof. The guide then turned on another light to show use the long hanging threads that worms use to catch flies and other insects.

Finally the best bit - we all got into a small boat for a trip in the dark down the river towards the cave exit. Above us on the roof were thousands of tiny lights as the worms illumintated the way.

Unfortunately photos weren't allowed so we only have the picture of the guide taking the boat back into the cave that you see above.

Hamilton Gardens, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

After out trip we went off to find our accomodation for the night - a chalet at Waitomo YH followed by pizza at the on site cafe.

My New Car

My New Car, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

I have aquired a new car (although sadly not a new driver) and so I'm going to take Fiona and the other people on a short trip away for a few days.

We are going to Waitomo to see some caves and some worms and then onto Whitianga for an Easter break with Katy, Nigel and Jayden.

In case I don't get to a computer I hope that you have a nice Easter.

Love, Fluffy Bear.

Weekend

Race, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

We had a busy weekend. We went to a school fair and then the beach. On Sunday we hit a local market and then had a trip to some historical landmarks.

See more of what we got up to here.

Sky Tower

We took the bus into Auckland for a first look at the big city.

One very dramatic landmark that you can see from all around the area is the Sky Tower.

Sky Tower, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

It's a little like Blackpool tower in that it serves no great practical purpose other than providing something good to look at. You can also go up it - so that's what we decided to do.

The lift has a glass floor and glass doors so that you can see out and down. Great fun! We met a nice couple in the lift who were dressed exactly the same. They were obviously a little eccentric as they went on to do this!

Once at the top of the tower you can get 360 degree views all around Auckland.

Nice Views, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

There are also places where the concrete floor has been replaced with glass so that you can keep an eye on everything happening below you.

Kate and the Glass Floor, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

Pausing only for Fiona to sample the Best Hot Chocolate Ever in the Sky Lounge Cafe we took the glass bottomed lift back down again and then headed on over to Vitoria Park market for a bit of a mooch around.

Shopping, originally uploaded by Fluffy Bear.

After a few more stops we paused for some refreshments and the Best Fruit Salad Ever, catching the bus back home again just in time to get caught up in the rush hour traffic!

You can see a few more Auckland & Sky Tower pictures here.