Another day....An other trail!
This time New Zealand
The 'Te Araroa'
3000km Top to Bottom
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Started in Auckland for logistical reasons
(To beat the snows of the South Island in April -
Will come back to the North Island again later)
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| First section: Auckland to Waitomo - km 721 to km 898 |
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Obligatory 'Champagne' start
(wasn't very good!)
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| All great journeys start with one small step...here's the first! |
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| Nice start!....a proper trail! |
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| With a cheering section..... |
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| And then it all falls apart.......Richmond warehouses by the mile! |
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Awesome trail
Nothing in Canada compares!
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| An improvement..... |
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| A trail......even better! |
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| Didn't last long......But it's OK.....it's McDonalds! |
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| The trail continues through open pasture lands. |
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| With a new cheering section! |
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| Can't figure out why the sheep are running from me! |
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| Climbing now.....finally in the mountains |
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| Much..Much better! |
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| First hut of many.....brand new...really nice inside |
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| Not so nice outside! |
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| No hut tonight! doesn't matter...tired....zzz |
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Final tramp down into Waitomo.
Time for a rest break with 'Pickup & Dropoff' in town!
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Coaches Corner
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Direct flight - Vancouver to Auckland - 14 hours
Walked enviously through First Class section to the cattle car at the back!
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Ibis Airport Hotel - Our home base for several days while we sorted
things out and DA got several days of hiking out of the way.
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One of the first things to sort out....
.........driving on the wrong side of the road!
Auckland is a shitty place to do this...no maps yet...no GPS yet
full on city driving with massive two lane 'round-a-bouts and more!
Not a problem though....done this lots before in Scotland and New Zealand
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| Campsite on the road....nice to have shade |
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Campsites / hostels all have these glorious stainless steel kitchens
Haven't used the van's equipment yet!
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Dropped by the Hamilton Gardens.....very spectacular....gardens of all nations
and ages. Medieval (as in the Tudor gardens above), Chinese, Ming dynasty,
Japanese, Italian, English, rose gardens, Maori gardens and more!
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| Birds of paradise! |
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| The ubiquitous New Zealand fern......they're everywhere. |
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Raglan .......on the west coast.
Young surfer's mecca!..........the Tofino of New Zealand.
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| Surfers in action....water's even somewhat warm! |
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But don't screw up!
It's OK....Grim reaper's got your back!
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| Why swim with the dolphins when you've got horses! |
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| Back to the world famous glow worm caves of Waitomo......utterly incredible! |
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Maori warrior.......ancestors of the 'All Blacks'
Their tongues are not the only things they stick out!
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| My pathetic attempt to grow a Maori hairdo! |
Till the next post!
