3/5: A Fabulous Drive from NZ's Rotorua-Wellington!

Kiora or ‘Welcome’ or Good Health in Maori! After spending two nights in Rotorua, we began the drive along the Thermal Highway (all the major highways in NZ have interesting names in addition to a number) down the spine of the North Island toward Taupo. We didn’t need to see any signs directing us where to go as our noses led us there!

Volcanic hills one after another were our constant companion for probably 50 miles or so. 

Diane and I had a good seven-hour drive without stops planned today to get all the way to Wellington, the country's capital, located on the extreme southern part of the North Island. There was no time to stop each time I wanted to take a picture as Diane had agreed before we left Denver she'd be the driver and I'd be the navigator. Therefore, all these photos were taken while Diane was driving and I was trying to hold the camera steady. Luckily there was little in the way of navigating for me to do for long stretches!

Nope, not a fire but just signs of thermal activity that gave the road its name.

The clouds of vapor caused some unusual and rather spooky images.

The mountain looked like its top had been lopped off by a volcano. 

We stopped for a few minutes at the lookout for Huka Falls and especially so Diane could get her morning jolt of caffeine!

We arrived luckily just before an invasion of Asian tourists from a mega bus also wanting to see the attractive waterfalls. I’m writing this from about two weeks later and Diane and I have been surprised at the overwhelming numbers of Asian tourists in every city and sight we visited in New Zealand. Many of the stores had hired Asian clerks to accommodate the needs of the Asian tourists.

Another thing we noticed was the availability of helicopter tours in even the smallest of communities throughout the country. That was something Steven and I have rarely seen in places we’ve ventured before. 

One to add finally to my bathroom sign collection!

Lina: Bet you never would have thought they had poutine in tiny Huka Falls, New Zealand, would you?! Did I also tell you that it was one of the appetizers served at the swanky Logan Hotel in Philadelphia last month when I was there with Zachary?

I did ask Diane to stop so I could photograph some of the fields of lavender that stretched for miles and miles. They were so beautiful but didn't have much of a scent, I thought.

I had loved seeing these grasses blowing in the wind but this was the first opportunity to take a photo of them since seeing them two days ago in the north part of the North Island. They will forever be one of my endearing memories of New Zealand. 

These were possibly the falls over the Mohaka River but the lookout had no name. The signage for everything in New Zealand was pretty deplorable, Diane and I both thought, and got to be quite frustrating in a country that seemed to be almost overrun with tourists. 

The rugged territory countryside was particularly interesting from Taupo to the coast.

Both of us welcomed the chance to stretch our legs in the town of Napier. New Zealand is a country known for its natural wonders but Napier is best known for its architecture. After an earthquake devastated the coastal city in 1931, residents rebuilt it in the Art Deco style that had burst on the global design scene in 1925. Strolling through the town was like walking through a Hollywood back lot as Napier was an exceptional period piece of bold, geometric style.

The sculptor, Mark Whyte, called this fun-loving piece that depicted Sheila and Raven A Wave in Time. There was no explanation given as to who Mary and Raven were.

The name of this shop in Napier was too cute to NOT take a picture of it even if Diane and I weren't Two Lippy Ladies!

We needed to satiate our ‘need’ for chocolate at the Silky Oak Chocolate Company outside of town that I’d discovered when researching our trip ahead of time. The enticing stop included a factory, museum, café and shop although we only had time for the latter. Thank goodness both Diane and I were on the same page when it came to stopping at fun places like that!

One of my all time taste treats is gooey caramel and I adore dates so I was in hog heaven when I treated myself to just one piece of Sticky Date and Caramel Fudge. I would go back there in a New York minute if I could to get some more!

I was very impressed when each piece came with its own label lest someone gets confused what they'd picked! I confess to having eaten mine rather quickly so I din't have time to forget what I'd picked. After all, I couldn't risk having it melt in the car, now, could I?!

I have dragged Steven through a lot of fudge shops in all corners of the world but never had I encountered some of these flavors before. I thought I was out on a limb and being very adventurous with my piece of date caramel fudge but clearly the shop catered to more adventurous palates than mine.

It was cute reading this saying justifying the healthy merits of eating chocolate!

Back on the road again, there were vineyards and apple orchards one after another as far as the eye could see. That wasn’t surprising as the region south of Napier is known for producing some of the New Zealand’s best wines.

I wish I could say the local apples were reasonably priced in the grocery stores but they were NZD3 a kilo, so pricey by my standards for something to keep the dentist away! But the ‘Smitten’ variety of red apples were good at least.

I'd known intellectually before we came that New Zealand had lots of sheep but still being constantly faced with a gazillion sheep on our long drives came as a surprise.

Both of us remarked we couldn’t remember where we’d seen so many different types of terrain in one day from ferns in a rainforest, mountains, valleys, geothermal features, volcanic hills, vineyards, orchards, farms filled with hundreds of cattle and thousands and thousands of sheep and then pretty seaside villages before finally reaching the big city of Wellington– what a feast for the eyes.

In Wellington's harbor was a gargantuan cruise ship.

We didn’t reach Wellington until about 6, so it was too late to tour the country’s capital and seat of government since 1865. It seemed pretty overwhelming as we drove in, having to deal with more than one lane of traffic, traffic lights, stop signs and even a thruway as we’d seen no big city since leaving Auckland early the day before. 

Wellington was located between the sea and towering hillsides that formed a natural arena with houses cascading down the steep hills. After such a long day driving, we had no energy but to find a restaurant along the hopping Cuba St. just a couple of blocks from our hotel. If we’d had another day, I would have enjoyed spending time visiting the Parliament Buildings and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa that had been highly recommended to us as providing a great introduction to the country’s people, cultures, land forms, flora and fauna. 

My tips: If you plan to visit New Zealand, I would urge you to think about spending at least two more days than we did on the North Island so you have time to explore more of the Coromandel Peninsula east of Auckland – especially Whitianga; the immense wine-growing regions south of Napier and in particular Mission Winery; and the capital city of Wellington.

Next post: Ferry across the Cook Strait to the country's South Island.

Posted on March 17th, 2019, 38 years ago to the day after I met Steven in a bank in Zihuatenejo, Mexico. I miss you, babe.