This will be our 4th trip together to New Zealand; which is made up of the North and South islands. The North island reminds me a lot of Hawaii - volcanoes, black sand beaches, and fern forests. The South island, however, is far more different - with its many snow-capped mountains that dot the top of the Southern Alps and fiords. Below is the map for the hikes we did in the past trips.
The hikes that stood out the most were Mueller Hut and Sealy Tarns ( 2018), Ben Lomond Track (2019), Mangorei Track (2019) and Kauaerenga Kauri Trail to Pinnacles (2017). We also partially hiked the Routeburn Track (2019) and visited a glow worm cave in Waipu (2017).
Below are photos taken inside Waipu cave with glow worms ( Arachnocampa luminosa) in 2017.
This time around, we will spent most of our time in Auckland. The city of Auckland is ranked 5th by Mercer's Quality Of Living in 2024. It has dropped 2 places since 2023. It is a fact that Auckland has more boats per person than almost anywhere else in the world.
Day 1 - Flight To Auckland
Our slightly over 8-hour flight from Honolulu to Auckland was serviced by Air New Zealand's 787-9 Dreamliner. I have to admit that it felt a bit weird to be sitting facing away from the window even though we had window seats. The seat configuration was by far the most unusual from all the other business class flights that I have been on. Nevertheless, the flight was smooth, and the service was delightful. We were served 2 meals, a brunch and a full 3-course lunch meal. The brunch consisted of sweet potato rosti (hash brown), with scrambled eggs, spinach, seared chorizo and burnt spring onion crema.
The full 3-course lunch meal consisted of an appetizer of smoked salmon with celeriac and apple sauce, caper berries and pea tendrils. The main was seared mahi-mahi with salsa verde, warm quinoa, edemame, sunflower seed pilaf, and sauteed peppers. As for dessert, I had the lemon meringue shortcake with strawberries. All these were a delight to the taste buds.
Our flight had its few bumps but overall it was a smooth flight with a strong jet stream behind us. The aircraft hit almost 86% of Mach 1 and we got to Auckland way ahead of schedule.
We flew above the city of Auckland , and turned into Manukau Bay before approaching to the airport.
The airport was buzzing with many travelers, even on Christmas Day. The immigration and custom clearance was a breeze and in no time, we got our car rental and headed for our vacation house. On our way, we stopped at a local Chinese restaurant on Mount Albert, one of the very few places that was opened on Christmas Day.
We got to the house and unpacked just in time for a Christmas light show right from house balcony looking towards Auckland city center.
By this time it was 11pm and finally the end of a very long travel day. It nice to be back in Auckland.
Day 2 - Hiking The Omanawanui Track
We headed southwest of Auckland to the Waitakere Range to hike the Omanawanui Track in Whatipu. Before that, we had to fuel up at Titirangi at a small restaurant called Soy & Ginger. The food here was surprisingly good. We had a Fired Chicken Bowl and the Pork Belly Soba. This was one of the few eateries that were open today.
Having had our fill, we made our way along Huia Road through Parau and Huia towns and to Whatipu Beach. The parking lot at Whatipu Beach Park was full of cars and day users. We have never hiked this trail before although we have visited this park in the past. The trail is well manicured, with many man-made wooden steps to prevent soil erosion.
One of the perks of doing this trail is the beauty of it's surrounding - ocean, cliffs, hills, and beaches. One thing for sure, this trail will work your lungs and legs. We reached the top of Omanawanui in 1 hour.
Here is the link to the hike.
For our reward for a successful hike, we found a local sundry shop that still serve the Tip Top Goody Goody Gum Drop ice cream. Certainly a very, very rare treat as Tip Top has stopped manufacturing this flavor in 2022. It looks like they brought back the flavor but only in large tub form. Gone were the good old days of the wooden stick.
We ended the day roaming around Auckland looking for Malaysian food. But nothing was open... Still we found some good kebabs and some baklava. The streets were pretty empty and the only spot with lots of people was in downtown Auckland on Queen Street. Mostly tourists and locals doing the shopping thing; as Boxing Day is like Black Friday here in New Zealand!
Day 3 - Duder Regional Park & A Very Windy Day
Our first objective for the day was to check out a brand new Malaysian restaurant (at least new to us) located in Onehunga; very close to One Tree Hill. It is a small establishment, surrounded by many auto repair shops and warehousing. This place serves up most of the usual Malaysian fare, so we tried the Hainan Chicken Rice and Nasi Lemak Fried Chicken. The chicken was so tender and juicy that I made a promise to come back again soon. In fact, this has got to be one of the best Hainan Chicken Rice in all of Auckland. The Nasi Lemak isn't far behind. To top it off, we also had a Teh Tarik and Neslo!
In the last couple of days, the wind has been quite relentless. No rain today but just crazy gusty winds. So we picked a trail that isn't prone to falling trees or at least a park that is void of trees. The first one that came to my mind was Duder Regional Park, which consists of rolling hills and green pastures with free roaming sheep and cows. Our first challenge was to head straight up a steep hill.
Once at the top we could see the many pastures and the few trees. There were many paddocks to contain the animals.
Along the way, we could also see people on the ridge and because were were on the flight path for the Auckland Airport; we could also catch a glimpse or two of planes high above.
At the far water's edge of Duder, it comes to a tip. From here the views of the Pohotukawa Coast was magnificent. We could also see cross the inlet Waiheke and Ponui islands.
On our way back it was blustery. One could almost fly! We also met a few of the locals taking a snack on the grassland...
Here is the link to this hike.
This 4-mile loop certainly helped to burn off the calories gained from lunch and now we were ready for more Malaysian food for dinner. This time, we went back to Uncle Man's, but at a different location. This one was situated in a mall. We ordered the mertabak, roti banana, chicken biryani, chicken satay and some curry puff. Man we were definitely stuffed!
Great way to end the day... on a really full stomach!
Day 4 - Day Trip to Mangawhai And Waipu
Waipu was one of the first places we visited on our first trip together to New Zealand in late December of 2017. This time, after a hearty brunch of more Malaysian food from Sim's Kitchen, we drove north towards Waipu. The traffic out of Auckland was really bad. Although moving, it was heavy with cars everywhere.
There were some interesting spots along the way... mostly catered to families with children.
We were making our way to Mangawhai Heads with the intention of hiking the Mangawhai Cliff Walk Trail. Unbeknownst to us, the alternate access to the cliffs was blocked by private land access, so we had to use the main trailhead that shares the same parking lot with the beach park. Of course with this being a weekend during the holiday season, the parking lot was packed. There were even enterprising home owners who opened their lawns at NZ$5 a piece! So without any luck on parking, we then drove to another section by the natural arch to try to access the trail but were turned around again due to the no public access point as well. Hence, we decided not to do the cliff walk and to instead see the Mangawhai heads from the nearby "surf beach" (that really has no surf!) Here there was a caravan park and views of the opposing sand dunes across the water.
Having seen the heads and the large number of holiday makers, we then decided to drive up to neighboring Waipu Beach. There were just as many holiday makers and so we decided to not stop, but noticed the World War I commemoration sign.
As it was getting late in the day, we then decided to pay a visit to Piroa Falls in Waipu. We were hoping that the falls would not be so crowded as it was marked as temporarily closed on Google Maps. Alas, there were a number of people here too... So we parked by the unsealed road and headed down to the falls. It was a well graded set of steps to the stream, along the water, and to the base of the fall. We then noticed that there was a side trail up the fall that we promptly took to avoid the many folks at the base. This was a steep ascend along the waterfall's gorge. It took us to the jumping off point to the pool below. One could also scale the side to get to the upper pool for a dip; but we wanted to see the fall - not swim in it!
There wasn't very much water, so it was brown and not very inviting. But that did not deter the many folks frolicking in its base.
We then setup for a far shot from across the water. This was a nice bend that allowed us to frame the shot amongst the trees. What do you think?
We then drove back to Milford, in hopes that the Malaysian Restaurant called Langkawi would be open... But we lucked out again! It was closed! So we then drove to Chef Rasa Sayang in Birkenhead - a place that we have eaten at before as it was in this neighborhood that we had stayed in the past. It was nice to see the old haunt, and as usual the food was still really good!
By this time we were so knackered that it was time to call it a night. We soon drifted off to the beautiful evening sight of sunset over the Auckland Harbor Bridge. Did I mention that that sun only sets after 9pm?
Day 5 - Mount Victoria and Stanley Point
Feeling a bit under the weather today, so we spent most of it relaxing at our house at Stanley Point. This place is a 4 bedroom Victorian house that sits on a bluff facing the water with the Auckland skyline to the east and the Auckland Harbor Bridge to the west. All the houses in this area look well preserved and is a nice quiet neighborhood. Not sure when the house was built, but it has many windows and doors that makes the space very open and airy.
The owner of this house also has an eclectic taste with modern, post modern and native art. I especially like the plumb of smoke and ash that sits on the wall in the dining room.
We spent most of the day snoozing and getting some much needed rest. It was nice as the winds have also died down today, but the sun was out in full force. Later in the evening, we took a drive into town and managed to catch a glimpse of the crazy people taking the plunge off Sky Tower.
We then decided to take a stroll up Mount Victoria / Takarungha. Unfortunately, the top was under quite a bit of repair, and so it was mostly fenced in. It will be nice once it is done. We got to see the city scape, Rangitoto and the surroundings.
To top off the evening, we went to have some hot pho noodle soup at a place in Northcote called Hai Phong. The bowls of noodle soup here were LARGE! And the price very reasonable. The soup was tasty and very satisfying.
On our way back we stopped at Stanley Point view point, and saw the cruise liner the Edge leaving port. This ship also visits Kona from time to time. We also swung by the Cyril Bassett VC look out point. This is the place to get a great direct shot of Auckland downtown at night.
Best way to end the day, was with one of these meat pies! Have to have some while in New Zealand!
Day 6 - Rest Day
Today was primarily a rest day as we both came down with a head cold. Nonetheless, we did get to try two new places to eat. The first was spot called Penang Malaysian Restaurant at Mount Eden, and the second was a Vietnamese restaurant call Viki Vietnamese Street Food Restaurant at the Glenfield mall.
Both were decent, though a bit on the higher cost side. We could see that the food cost here was definitely inflationary, as an average meal would cost us NZ$50 for two. Though cheap when converted to USD.
At least our bellies were full though our heads were feeling less than clear - in fact throbbing...
Day 7 - New Year's Eve
We took it easy also today, but managed another great Vietnamese meal at Cafe Hung Viet right here in Davenport. Now the baguette for the Bahn Mi was perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
To top off the evening, we settled in for the New Year's fireworks display at the Auckland Sky Tower. It definitely looked like a roman candle! What a nice way to ring in the new year. Can't believe that it is already 2025! Happy New Year!
Day 8 - Happy 2025!
We took a drive into downtown Auckland and surprisingly, it wasn't too busy. In fact, Quay Street was a ghost town; to our surprise. So we zigged and zagged through the downtown streets of Auckland city. Only the tourists and a few locals mooching around; typically collected around Queen and Victoria streets. The architecture in the area is a mix of colonial buildings standing in stark contrast against the new modern sky high scrapers. Even the signs are a mix of colonial markings like Queen's Park or Wellesley Road, but then there is a sign for "downtown" - which tends to be more American in understanding. This is truly a mix bag place trying to find its own. I hope that the city of sails will never loose its grounding between its Maori connection with nature, its asian influences that makes its food so interesting, and its long time Scottish/Irish/English quirkyness that brought together is truly Kiwi! Here is the link to the drive.
Now we of course had to have some Malaysian food today, so we visited one called Treasure Kitchen in Greenlane. This is a formal Chinese Malaysian restaurant. Because we did not have a reservation we were placed amongst the small four top tables at the front of the restaurant. We tried their Otak Otak, Curry Fish and Sambal Mixed Vegetables (suspiciously called the Four Heavenly King). The food was OK and the portions huge. The Otak Otak was not as expected; as it turned out to be more of a fish cake(!) But the real kicker was the price - NZD$138. Too bad the food wasn't as WOW...
Day 9 - Mosquito Beach, South Head
We woke up today still recovering from a cold and flu. It was dreary and rainy. We could see low clouds over the water and the Waitakere range was not even visible. But we were in Auckland, where the rain never hangs for long, if at all. So, today we would take it easy and look to explore the western north of Auckland. But first things first, we made a stop at Sim's Kitchen to fuel up for the day. Onehunga is just 20 minutes away.
This mural captures in essence all the major events of Onehunga. Predominantly, it had the first female Mayor of the British Empire in 1893 - Elizabeth Yates. Unfortunately she only lasted a year... Soon we were on our way to South Head. We've never driven this section of North Island before. This peninsula consists of mostly farms and ranches with a few public parks interspersed in between. Our first stop was at Te Rao Puriri Regional Park. Here we could see the rolling hills, sheep and shoreline. If we were feeling better we would have made the red loop... perhaps another day.
Along the way we also stopped at Omokoiti Bay which had the one and only boat ramp in the area. Here there were many families enjoyng a day at the beach; swiming, fishing and BBQ'ing.
We drove till the road ends at South Head, and there is a series of wooden steps leading down to Mosquito Beach. This was a good yet short exercise down the cliff to the beach and back up. The beach area and the surrounding valley is very isolated, making it a good spot for campers looking to get away from it all. The brisk walk up the series of steps help cleared up my sinuses but we didn't want to exert our bodies too much.
Having reached the end of the road we then made our way to more familiar grounds at Muriwai. Along the way, there were many signs of landslides as this area was quite badly hit with rain and thunderstorms. We stopped for some ice cream but tried their double chocolate shake instead. It wasn't thick or creamy enough, so perhaps Kiwis' like their shakes more drinkable. Service was good but the slide next door wasn't too comforting.
To top off the day we had to swing by Titiranga for some Goody Goody Gum Drop cones before heading off to buy dinner at Uncle Man's in Manuka. I think they have five outlets now; so business must be good for them. They have the best Chicken Biryani and hand made roti with Beef Rendang. Its worth the drive!
When we got home we had the added benefit of this waiting for us!
Day 10 - Upper Nihotupu Walk to Old Tram Bridge & Tunnel
The weather over Auckland can be quite unpredictable. After a rainy night, day break was a stunning sunrise over the houses on Stanley point. The sunsets are not as spectacular as those in Hawaii, but this morning's golden glow was a welcomed sight.
It rained on and off today and the wind picked up again. After some good rest, I felt much better and therefore, decided to go for a short hike. We went back to the Waitakere Range and decided to try this walk that takes one to a dam, waterfalls, old tram ways and tunnels. In fact, this is one trail where you can still see the Giant Moa!
Well it was at least a trail builder's version of one. The hike was a decent 4.26 miles return with about 801 feet in elevation gain. It was mostly forested with many waterfalls and streams. The reservoir level seemed low as water was being released from the dam. At the end of the trail was a picnic spot and a further adventure along the ridge to Quinn's Tunnel. There are many hikes in the area, though the 2023 storm created quite a bit of havoc in the area with multiple slips and land slides.
Here is the link to this hike. This walk is very pleasant, and the temperature was hovering around 65 F with slight brisk. The really interesting part of the hike was Quinn's Tunnel.
We were hoping to traverse the tunnel and make it to Quinn's Viaduct... But alas, the gate was locked! So we can only appreciate it via Google Maps...
It was till 2010 that the tram ran along these lines from Jacobson's Depot to the Upper Nihotupu Reservoir as a tourist attraction. It closed primarily due to safety concerns after a horrible accident involving an infant. Many trails around the Waitakere Range are now closed due to the Kauri Dieback disease. In fact, there is a section of the Scenic Drive between the West Coast Road junction and the Waitakere Visitor Center that is still closed today due to multiple landslides. Hopefully they will be able to fix it soon.
On our way back, we stopped at Birkenhead to pick up some Malaysian food from Chef Rasa Sayang. While waiting for the food to be ready, I took a walk along the historical part of the small township. Its interesting to see how the old and the new blend together. I hope they preserve yet modernize appropriately. Somehow New Zealand seems to do a good job of this and Birkenhead is a good example.
Day 11 - Football and Mount Donald Mclean Summit
Today we were feeling much better and so we opted to swing by the open field near our house to get in some football. We had two balls to kick with and many goal posts to choose from. Its probably been over 40 years since I've played, so it was good running around the field. At least I did get some goals in!
Having had our warm up, we headed back to Huia to climb up Mount Donald Mclean summit. The drive out Waitakere was nice and sunny. The roads were not very busy and the curves made the drive interesting. Manuka Bay was as blue as ever. We arrived at the summit and there was just one other family of four there. The path up to the top was relatively easy and shaded. It was nice to see the tree ferns and local fauna along the way. The Kiwi's really know how to make a good trail.
Mount Donald Mclean is one of several peaks in the area. Most are around 1200 to 1500 feet without much prominance. The highest peak called Te Toiokawharu and it is just next door to this peak. It was hard to understand the New Zealand Geodetic benchmark...
Toitu Te Whenua is the Maori name for the Land Information New Zealand office. He Tohu Kairuri is Maori for Geodetic Survey Mark. At first glance we thought that the Maori words were for the name of the summit... but no. There is no name on these benchmarks, just the Geodetic Code of A9MN. You have to look it up on the online database.
Although it was sunny at the top, it was certainly cool. A brisk walk up hill will have you puffing at the top.
Nice views through from here with clear skies all around. To the east we could see Auckland City with Rangitoto in the background. To the south we could see Manuka Bay and Head. To the west we could see Omanawanui Summit and Whatipu Beach.
It was a short and sweet hike to a gracious view. On our way back we stopped by a place just outside Henderson. It was a small business run by a Vietnamese family called Cago Vietnamese Restaurant. The food here was certainly authentic. Tried their Bun Bo Hue and Bun Cha Gio. Both were scrumptious!
Great way to end the day as we meandered back to Stanley Point.
Day 12 - New Zealand Warbirds At Ardmore, Te Matua Ngahere and Tokatoka Volcano Hike
Our first stop for the day was to fuel up at Sam's Kitchen. We had the usual; Nasi Lemak Fried Chicken and I tried their Noodle Soup. Spot on!
We then drove down south to pay a visit to Ardmore's New Zealand Warbirds Hangars. Many of their collections are airworthy and fully operational. This group is unique in that they focus on restoration and formation flying for events. We went to inquire about a an adventure flight organized by them which consists of aerobatic maneuvers and/or flight formations with the AT-6 Texans, the CT4's, the Stearman or the Chipmunk. We might get an opportunity to do one of those flights in the later week. Here is the link to the video of the visit. Keith and Daryl showed us around the hangars and they were both very knowledgeable about the planes and the wars in which they flew.
We then decided to drive up north along the Kauri Coast. Of the last four times we visited, this area was closed due to the Kauri Dieback. So we had to take the opportunity to visit with Tane Mahuta, the largest Kauri tree in all New Zealand. The pictures do no justice to the immense presence these large trees have. Just awesome just to sit and appreciate its wonder!
We also stopped by the second largest Kauri tree called Te Matua Ngahere or Father of the Forest. This one was a good 15 minute walk through the Kauri forest to get to. There were many large trees in the area.
It was a long drive the get here - at least 3.5 hours. Along the way we stopped by to get some fish and chips as a snack from the River Road Dairy and Takeaways in Dargaville.
Then as we drove towards Ruawai we noticed 2 plugs in the distance.
So we decided to stop at the one called Tokatoka. This turned out to be a really nice scramble to the top with steep yet firm footings. We got up to the top in less than 15 minutes with the full return in 26 minutes. The views at the top were certainly worth the steep effort!
We arrived back in Auckland CBD by 9pm and the sun had just set. This time we went straight to Cago Vietnamese for a reprisal of their Bun Bo Hue, and we also tried their Fried Chicken Wings. These were especially crispy and tasty!
After the hearty meal we made our way back to Stanley Point as it was our last night there. Time has certainly gone by quickly. But we are looking forward to the next place at Ohakune. Mount Ruapehu, here we come!
Day 13 - Ohakune & Our Tiny Home
The drive from Auckland to Ohakune took us approximately 4 hours. Our drive would take us past Hamilton, skirting by Waitomo and passing through Taumarunui - the gatway to the Tongariro National Forest.
Ohakune is a small town that sits south of Tongariro National Park, and a gateway to Ruapehu Ski Mountain area of Turoa. Our accommodation for the next 4 days is situated on a country farm of approximately 8 acres in size. It is a stark comparison to our previous abode as this one is about the size of a container. Albeit its tiny space, it has all the creature comforts that one needs. In fact, I wouldn't mind owning a home of this size but to fully accommodate two people may be a stretch. We are already bumping into things!
Once we settled and unpacked, we drove back to Ohakune to check out what's open or not. It seems like many of the shops are closed (this was at 5:30 pm). I'm not sure why but there seems to be a good number of people out and about. This time we bought a Thai Fried Rice and Sweet & Sour Short Ribs on Rice from the neighborhood Thai restaurant. Looked like a nice spot but it was deserted!
We got back to the tiny home and prepared for dinner. The host was kind enough to offer us his home-grown vegetables which were remarkably fresh. The eggs were so deliciously fresh!
The weather up here was in the lower 50's F and misty. We didn't expect it to be this cold, so the first order for the day was to start a wood fire! Ahhhhh....nice and toasty.
It then started to rain, so we called it a night. We snuggled up in the nice furry coverings and dreamt that we would see Ruapehu in the morning...
Day 14 - Tongariro National Park
It was still cold and misty this morning with no Ruapehu in sight. We began to wonder if we would be completely rained out... But our main highlight for the day was not at Ohakune, but rather to the north to hike to Soda Springs and Devil's Staircase along the famed Tongariro Alpine Crossing. As we made our way up and into the national park, the skies started to clear and before we knew it we started to see blue skies. Then right there as we passed National Park we could see Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu (though its top still in the clouds).
The roundtrip hike from Mangatepopo Carpark to Soda Springs, and to the top of the Devil's Staircase took us about 3 hours and 10 mins, with an elevation gain of 1,555 feet, over 7.2 miles. At the start of the hike is the Maori tribute that treats mountains as sacred ancestors.
From here on it is all up hill, albeit gradual; except for the Devil's Staircase, where it is all steps up to the saddle. Its a beautiful hike to appreciate the grandeur of a stratovolcano.
Although similar to Mauna Kea, it is vastly not the same. Here there is much more ash and the A'A is not as sharp. It felt more like Maui's Haleakala's crater floor with its grassy vegetation and bushes.
Soda Springs is a natural spring coming off the side of Tongariro. It is vey similar to the Old Pali Road spring as the water bursts from the wall. Many of the day trippers stop here as their turn around but we wanted more...
So up the saddle we ventured. Here there were many steps. It was also amazing that there were toilets all along the trail. It must be a huge helicopter lift to service all the portables.
Once at the top, we were afforded a broad view of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and the valley we just hiked through. We could also see the surrounding rolling hills way out and into the distance.
The way back is always easier and much faster. We still had ample time left for our parking limit which is 4 hours for non-permit hikers. Here is the link to the hike.
On our way back, we stopped at a Kebab place just off the main Ohakune drag. Here we picked up some kebabs to refuel our knackered bodies. These were huge and tasty!
When we got back to our tiny house, the clouds started to clear, and finally revealed the majestic Ruapehu and its peaks in the glowing sunset.
A big difference from when we arrived!
Day 15 - Ohakune Old Coach Road to the Hapuawhenua Viaduct
Today was a take it easy day as the forecast was for rain in the afternoon. We woke up to clear skies and Ruapehu showing off its mountain faces to the rising sun; creating lenticular cloud above its dome and peak.
Now this is what makes this tiny home in Mangateitei special (other than watching the sheep or chickens walk past our lawn!)
We went looking for breakfast in Ohakune and found this place called HaLong. Form its name we though that it was a Vietnamese restaurant, and from the online Google reviews and pictures it showed to have Pho. Hence, to our surprise that it was not Vietnamese at all, and it was explained that the Vietnamese chef had left(!) So we settled for some hearty western breakfast instead.
Having had our fill, we wanted to at least get a good walk this morning before the rain arrives. The clear skies were already filling in with clouds as we made our way to the Old Coach Road trail head in Ohakune. Most will cycle this track from Horopito to Ohakune. But since were were hiking to see the trestle it was best to start from Ohakune.
There are three sections to this portion of the track. The first is along open grassland with working farms to the south of the road.
It then comes to a forested area that starts with a tunnel. As the tunnels cuts through the hill, the trail follows the side of the mountain where old growth Kauri trees and towering tree ferns thrive.
Along the way there are many signs relaying the history of the area from its stage coach days to the building of the train tracks.
The final section is the Hapuawhenua Viaduct itself. The old standing next to the new. We walked along the old trestle and it was a bit nerve wrecking for one who is afraid of heights!
We didn't quite make it to the far end, but it was an interesting walk for about 4.3 miles with just 696 feet elevation gain.
By the time we returned to the tiny home, it had started to rain. I must say that the weather service here is pretty accurate. So we spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out at the house, lighting the outside fire, looking at the sheep grazing and watching the fog set in. Its a good way to rest up before our activities for tomorrow.
Day 16 - Heli-Biking at Kaimanawa Descent
The drive to Kaimanawa was along the Volcanic Scenic Drive. The section called Desert Road is an open area of mostly ash. Here there is a military training camp and the national forest. From Ohakune, the scenic farmlands gave way to pine trees grown for the logging industry. It then become barren lands to as far as the eyes can see. There were also several cars along the road as evidence of how dangerous the drive could be if speeding or being tired or driving under the influence.
Soon we arrived at the Kaimanawa Alpine Adventure's base camp. It turned out to be a great day. From the parking lot we could already see both Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe.
This would have to be the highlight of our trip. We combined this heli-biking with Kaimanawa Alpine Adventures with a short scenic flight over Tongariro.
Although the flight was short and sweet, we got to now see from the air what we could not see on the ground. Here is the link to the scenic flight.
I have to admit that in hindsight, this XC/Downhill/Uphill was a bit challenging for us as we do not bike that often, especially over such rugged alpine terrain. It certainly helped having the eMTB bikes we hired for the task. In total the ride was 22KM / 14.3 miles with an elevation gain of 400 meter / 1,400 feet and a downhill of 800 meters / 2,500 feet. It traversed alpine, sub-alpine, a marsh, cliffs, forests and a stream.
From our heli tour of Tongariro, we had to returned to base to pick up two more bikers, then the pilot Thomas Orr dropped us up on top of Patutu Tops where we will begin our initial series of climbs and descent. You will notice from the video that Tom is a single amputee from a terrible vehicle accident. He knows the terrain very well and was a geologist before becoming a pilot. The first agenda for the day was trying to figure out how the electronic motor assists with the peddling power. It took us a while to get use to the fact that by applying too much assist ( i.e. Turbo level), the bike will lurch forward, sometimes to the detriment of the biker. I personally find that the Tour or eMTB levels (out of the 4 - Eco, Tour, eMTB and Turbo) were the sweet spots for this particular ride. When we finished with our ride, we still had more than half of battery power left. Perhaps that explains why we were both so tired! Here is the video of our ride.
On our way back, we stopped in Ohakune's Rice Bar & Food Restaurant. Its a fusion Thai restaurant with excellent food. We were just so tired so we did a take out. It is a place that we would definitely recommend. We had the BBQ Scotch Fillet and the Duck Laab Salad. Although it is definitely priced for tourists, it is a great place with great food.
To top off the day, we had an amazing fire at our tiny home. And because it was vey windy, the fire was roaring!
Day 17 - Good bye Ohakune. Hello Auckland.
We were sad to say good bye to our tiny home in Ohakune. Even more so as our little critter visitor, Stormi, still came to visit and we just had to say good bye.
We truly enjoyed our stay and the solitude that this place brings. So one last look as Ruapehu greeted us this morning, in full splendor.
Our drive back to Auckland was somewhat uneventful. Smooth sailing most of the way except for the one highway accident on the opposite side of the highway just outside the CBD. It was interesting driving through the small towns and the unique scenery.
We topped off our day by trying a different Malaysian Restaurant called Mama Kopitiam. This one was in Greenlane, right next to One Tree Hill. We tried their Hainan Chicken Rice and Kon Lo Mein. It was very tasty!
Our accomodation for the next two nights is at Quest Takapuna. This is an apartment hotel, in which we reserved a king studio with a kitchen and washer/dryer in unit. It was very clean and felt like new! It was time for us to rest up and to get some more good Malaysian food before our long flight back to Honolulu.
Day 18 - Kauri Point and More Malaysian Food
We can’t believe that it has already been 18 days in New Zealand. As we prepared for our return trip, today was just a relaxing day with more good food and a short hike.
Our day started with brunch at Mama Kopitiam. I think we have found our most favorite Malaysian Restaurant in Auckland. Every dish we tried was really good and authentic. The only downside to that authenticity is the fact that Malaysian food is high charbohydrate and lots of salt and oil. Their portions were reasonably large and they had a nice selection of drinks. This time we tried their King Prawn Noodles (Ha Mein or Penang Hokkien Mee), and their Beef Rendang Nasi Lemak. We also added the Kon Lo Mee. This time we were so full!
Our mistake was after driving around a bit we decided to look for dessert…. We found a Taiwanese dessert store called Meet Fresh right off the main shopping drag in downtown. We tried their Grass Jelly bowl and their Mango Bowl. Both were delicious but major sweet, and super large. We should have just shared one. It was “kanak attack” time after this!
To burn off the calories we decided to take a hike along Kauri Point’s Centennial Path Loop.
This is a neighborhood domain by the waters edge opposite Auckland’s city center and slightly further west. The highlight of the trail are the water views of the city, a small beach cove and the many small stream crossings along the cliff side. The trail was a really good work out as its traverse was up and down giving us an elevation gain of approximately 600 feet over 2.6 miles.
It was unfortunate that we did not get to do our formation flying today with the Warbirds. They were instead engaged in some flying north of Auckland in Dagerville and Whangarei. Too bad, it’s something on our bucket list to do. Well just have to keep looking for the opportunity to do it.
We topped off the day with more Malaysian food and a great nights rest.
Day 19 - The Longest Day Traveling Back to Hawaii & Final Hike At Te Henga
This will be the longest day as we spend our last day in Auckland, travel back to Hawaii and re-spend the same day there! So we started our long day with Vietnamese food from Cago - as their pho was one of the best in town. It was also to give our tummy's a rest from all that Malaysian food!
The last time we did the Te Henga Walkway from the north side was on December 16th., 2018. Today, we retraced our way back down and up the cliffside, only to be turn around by a major landslide just before Tirikohua Point.
There are many spots along the Waitakere that were affected by the huge thunderstorms and floods of January 2023. Since that time several areas are still not yet fully repaired. The Te Henga Walkway is one of those areas that still need major repair as whole sides of the cliffs have washed into the ocean. Regardless, it was still nice to be back here, with spectacular jaw dropping views of the cliffs and ocean for the remaining open areas of the walkway.
Still feeling sore from our bike ride, we spent the rest day doing laundry and mooching around the hotel before making our way to the airport. The hotel was a small apartment studio with a kitchen and bathroom with a washer and dryer. There were also other options for a one or two bedroom units. Our studio with garage parking was about USD$140 a night. Quite a deal especially since it was very new.
We took a slow ride to the airport and got to a very busy premium lounge. There was quite a bit of time to kill so we ate lunch at the lounge. The food was pretty comprehensive - with beef, chicken, salad, sandwiches, soups and desserts. Of course there was also a full range of drinks from the non-alcoholic to alcoholic kinds - hot and cold.
The sunset from the airport lounge was also quite nice as there weren’t many colorful sunsets here.
The flight back was smooth. We were fed quite well although I had trouble sleeping even with the lay flat seat.
So reflecting on the past 19 days, here are some observations:
We like NZ because:
it’s familiar as we both grew up in a colonial country;
the food really suites us;
it’s got fewer people - less crazy/hectic;
it’s still a big enough city with lots going on;
the middle class here is still big and it is evident that they can have homes, cars and boats for everyone;
it’s clean - the Tidy Kiwi program from 1967 is still working;
looks like everyone has a home and it’s not an apartment but majority are single family homes.
Inflation is high. The cost of groceries and everything else seems much higher than when we were here in 2017-19. Covid really did a number on its economy.
The new section of Wynyard Quarter in Auckland Central is bustling and gentrified. It’s like the equivalent to Honolulu’s Kakaako. Here you can see the many super cars and super luxury yachts in the harbor. But it masks the real state of the economy as we noticed more closed shops at the local market level.
Auckland can be super windy and cold in the summer. There was fresh snow on Ruapehu and frost down by Ohakune. All the locals said that it was super unusual. Even some ice on Kaimanawa - though all had burned off into slush when we were on it.
For 19 days we only encountered 2 homeless folks. And we were all over the city and it’s suburbs. Every area was nice and clean with little or no trash/rubbish. Every house was in relative good state from the very expensive areas like Herne Bay, Parnell or Remuera to the notorious areas of Central Auckland and Manukau. Even the worse areas still looked really good.
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