New Zealand: Part 2

Half way through our first stint in camping and spirits still high we awoke early once again ready for breakfast.

After breakfast and the camp was packed up, we packed ourselves into the car ready to head off to a new area. Unfortunately it seemed the car was not ready to leave just yet and the battery was not playing ball. Luckily some lovely and helpful men in the next site were happy to give us a jump start which got us on our way much faster than if we’d have needed to wait for roadside (or campsite side) assistance.

We decided to head further South East to the city of Napier to see more of the coast and pick up any essentials we might need.

But first we had to get there. This meant travelling along over 140km of the Thermal Explorer Highway, through stunning mountain ranges. As we left Taupo a sign told us the next fuel stop wouldn’t be until we hit civilisation again. This gave a pretty good idea of what we were in for, no towns or even rest stops, just road, mountains and some serious twisty turns!

We arrived in Napier in good time, picked up some essentials and headed straight to our home for the night. With the day wearing on we set up pretty quickly (the joys of a pop up tent!) and James set about making a delicious curry, while I finished up the camp and got friendly with the local wildlife.

The next morning we were awoken by the call of the sheep who seemed eager to start the day. The ducks also came to inspect our breakfast progress.

We had decided to spend a couple of nights in Wellington and gave ourselves a few days to make our way down south. This meant our next stop was enroute (with only a scenic detour) to Wellington.

We went back through Napier and spent a little time on this volcanic beach, its great having the flexibility to stop and explore when we please.

Having been a couple of days since our hot spring bath and finding ourselves slightly cooped up in the car, we stopped at a town along the way to make the use of their public swimming pool…and showers!

It was James’ stroke of genius that led us there and we were definitely very thankful for both the swim and the shower!

Our night’s stop was at what the D.O.C refer to as a “Basic” campsite, which basically means an area you can put a tent, they have however provided a drop toilet. Our site was actually nestled in a clearing in the bush, the backdrop to our evening and morning was filled with beautiful birdsong! None of which we could identify though. Unlike our previous sites, the layout of this one was much more communal and had no little hideaways for people to get their own slice of heaven, it did mean we all felt a little on top of each other but we can’t have everywhere to ourselves!

The next morning we were keen to hit the road and reach our next site, it advertised some excellent walks nearby and we wanted to make the most of them.

We had the choice of two sites, one was slightly larger and had more walks close by; the other was smaller and more off the beaten track. We initially chose the larger site, however when we arrived they seemed to have cordoned off all of the camping patches leaving only the carpark for those visiting the walks.

We decided to stop here for lunch anyway and try one of the shorter walks.

Option 2 turned out to be in the hills and surrounded by trees and a river. I think it was actually more picturesque than the first option and felt much more private.

Another bonus to this site was that we were allowed fires.

I had barely pitched the tent when James already started scouting for firewood.

Between us (mostly James) we gathered a good little haul and I tried my hand at controlled arson while James rustled up dinner.

The dinner was much more successful than the fire. So James had to step in and transform it from the sad little smoking pile I had concocted, to a much more customary crackling fire.

It had been a beautiful evening, however just as the sun was setting the weather turned and the skies opened, they did not close until the morning.

The morning however was dry and sunny which was perfect for drying everything off before it was packed up for a few days!

We’ve dubbed our current sleeping pattern of sleeping when the sun does, and rising when it does, as Feudal; and with this Feudal sleep pattern it affords us the time to spend a leisurely morning getting everything together and having breakfast.

We still had plenty of time before we’d need to leave for Wellington so we decided to head off on another local walk, this time through the forest by our camp. It was a lovely hour long walk that allowed us to soak our surroundings in at our own pace, and stretch our legs a bit.

We seemed to have timed it perfectly for getting back to the car and we hit the road right away to get to Wellington. But this time was slightly different…this time I was driving!!

We got to our hotel in one piece by check in time so we were able to head to our room, make ourselves fit for society and headed straight back out to explore Wellington (and get some food)

James was so impressed with our Sal’s experience in Auckland that we headed to their Wellington branch for a rematch.

This gratuitous amount of food demanded a proper walk afterwards and after a little research, we found that Wellington had its very own Victoria Peak.

It seemed as good time as any to give it a go and so we began the climb.

This was – fortunately – nothing like our Hong Kong escapades and after about an hour including stops to monkey around, we reached The Peak.

There were a lot of areas along the way – most likely aimed at children – that encouraged willing participants to climb, slide and generally muck in with a natural playground.

We were provided with 360 degree views of the Wellington area and the bay.

Always in favour of a quieter spot, we found a different lookout point that still provided beautiful views while not having to compete with other tourists and their selfies.

In the words of A.A.Milne “and then there was the coming down.” Again, taking a different but more direct route we found ourselves traversing a surprisingly steep track.

Soon enough we were back on flatter ground and just as the sun was setting too.

We decided to turn in for the evening and get some shut eye in an actual bed.

We had a couple of days in Wellington and we’re heading off into the wilderness again for a week so we’ll see you then!

Hatti x