Dan's Family trip to New Zealand
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Our Family Adventure in New Zealand
After years of dreaming and planning, our family finally embarked on a much-anticipated trip to New Zealand. As fans of the "Lord of the Rings" and having a lifelong friend, Derek, who moved there in 2016, New Zealand was a special destination for us. The trip was long overdue, postponed first by our kids needing to grow up a bit and then by the global disruptions caused by the Covid pandemic. But at last, we made it, so excited and happy. Our plan was 3 days in 7 places on the North Island.
Auckland: Old Friends and motorcycle riding
Our adventure began in Auckland, where we reconnected with Derek and his family, who had become somewhat of a local. He showed us around, taking us to his favorite spots and sharing how life had been since he moved. We met in Japan nearly 35 years ago and bonded over motorcycle riding. In Auckland, I rented a motorcycle and together, we roared through the scenic routes towards the Northland, with Derek leading the way on his bike.
Northland: Sailing in the Bay of Islands
Heading north to the rugged coasts and ancient forests of Northland, we went sand dune surfing at Cape Reinge. It was an absolute thrill, racing down the massive sand dunes on boards. We also planned a day sail on a Tall Ship in the Bay of Islands. The wind and weather were absolutely perfect, we swung off the yard arm to swim in a beautiful bay that we anchored in. We spent a wonderful day at the
Rotorua: A Cultural Heartland
In Rotorua, we immersed ourselves in the Maori culture. Attending a traditional Maori hangi (feast) and performance, we experienced the powerful haka dance up close. The warmth and hospitality of the Maori people are truly heartwarming. Rotorua was also where we went for luge rides — racing down tracks in gravity-powered carts. We had several relaxing dips in the hot springs that are avaiilable throughout the area. Volcanic activity is everywhere and we had a particularly good time at Te Puia, a geothermic park with bubbling mud pools and a geyser that was continually erupting.
Waitomo: Beneath the Surface
One of the most magical experiences was our visit to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. We did two cave tours: Ruakuri Cave and Glowworm Cave, the "original", glide-in-a-boat-under-glowworms. It truly was magical.
Napier: Stepping Back in Time
As a huge Art Deco enthusiast, I was pumped to visit Napier, a city rebuilt in the 1930s style following a devastating earthquake in 1931. The whole city was destroyed and the whole city was rebuilt in Art Deco style. An unintended time capsule, walking through the city felt like stepping back in time to the 1930s. While the family went to the Aquarium I went on a educational walking tour of the city. Loved it. Another highlight occured when we took a tour on a "Super Trike"- a three wheeled motorcycle with 4 seats behind the driver. My son Erik lost his mind with joy.
A visit to Middle Earth
The movie set of Hobbiton from Lord of the Rings has been preserved as a tourist attraction and it is spectaclular. Tour buses take you from the orientation center two kilometers into the hills to the movie set. No telephone poles or modern-looking structures are anywhere in sight. We wandered around Hobbiton and visited Bag End (Bilbo's hobbit hole) and had a beer at the Green Dragon - a re-creation of the pub in the novel and the movies. One of the coolest things was the 7/8 scale hobbit hole that you can visit. Everything is there: bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, larder - and a working fireplace. We had such a good time.
Cormandel Peninsula
Our last stop was the Cormandel Peninsula. Two memorable highlights were the hot sand beach and the Driving Creek railway. The beach was very fun: hot springs flow under the sand and you can just dig a hole and have a hot tub! We went early and struggled to find the hot springs, but we found the trickle or two and camped out with our hot tub. Within an hour dozens of families had come down and it was a party with people sharing hot pools and helping each other dig. It was a blast. The narrow gauge railway was also very cool as it was the work of a wacky potter who built the railway to move clay from the hill back to his workshop. Clearly a "B" level attraction, it was fun and affordable and we had a great time on the little train that went up the hill.
Reflections on an Epic Journey
This was the best trip we've ever had, we had such a good time.
