Wellington - The Windy City

10th - 12th January 2013

After taking the Starlight Express to Wellington, I made my way to my hostel at 7am. Being there slightly early, I left my bags and went off to explore. As Te Papa, the national museum wasn't open until 10am and the weather was less than desired, Courtney Place coffee shops were a great way to get over the lack of sleep and get me ready for the day ahead.

I decided the best way to see the key pieces of the gigantic Te Papa was to get on a free guided tour. I was one of three, with the others a Scottish couple from Glasgow. Small world! Our guide was very knowledgeable and wanted to tell us as much as she could about her Maori culture.

Te Papa, taken a day later in better weather

The museum itself is a wonderful collection of artifacts and stories about how New Zealand came to be how it is today. I tried to see as much as I could! In the foyer, there were three trolls from the Hobbit movie.

A brief stop at the Embassy theatre, to book tickets to see the Hobbit, and I checked into my hostel.

My seat was slap bang in the middle of the theatre, and it felt so special to watch it in Peter Jackson's place.

Early start the next day to Featherston. I took the train to see a distant relation and her family out in Martinborough. The train ride was only an hour, but was stunning with views of Lake Waiarapa and rolling hills.

The founder of Martinborough was an Irish traveller. He named most of the streets after places he had visited and laid out the town square like a Union Jack flag. There was even a Regent and Oxford Street.

My family lives on a gorgeous plot with so many plants and trees, as well as some vines. They grew everything, and had a great view of the countryside. It was great getting to know part of the family and find out about their lives out there.

We also visited Ata Rangi estate to meet more family members, and learn more about wine. I was loving it, and got to try the range.

Once I arrived back in Wellington I visited the Beehive and walked along the waterfront.

After a heavy night, I dragged myself out of bed to see some more of Wellington. I wandered up to Cuba Street and began to tick off places Linda had recommended to me. These included Midnight Expresso, Fidels and Dixon Street Deli. I loved this street, amazing coffee and vintage shops!

Onwards to Civic Square and then up to the Lambton Quay for the cable cars. I had been really excited about this. It was fun being pulled to the top and to see the view from the Botanical Gardens.

And then it was time to leave and head to the airport! It was also full of Hobbit memorabilia, and I want to visit the Weta Workshop the next time I come to Wellington.What a scary flight that was, but I was informed this was normal due to the high winds around the city!

Napier - 1930s Style Day Trip

8th January 2013

Another day trip from Taupo, the journey was very long and very hilly. The bus even struggled to get up over the steeper parts. Then we came down into Hawkes Bay and all of a sudden vineyards started popping up everywhere and Napier was in sight.

After we were dropped off, I went to the i-site and bought an art deco self guided tour booklet. In the 1930s there was a devastating earthquake and the whole place was built up again with art deco in mind. It is pretty much everywhere you look. Some of the buildings were magnificent but others looked tired and unloved.

I loved the quirkiness of the city and how proud the residents were for managing to rebuild it in two years after the earthquake. I actually loved the sea front, including the whole of Marine Parade which looked out onto the turquoise sea. The sand is weird as it is the broken down remains from the earthquake. Resourceful!

Once I had finished the tour, I decided to try some of the famous Hawkes Bay wine and visited the wine centre. I think the sales girl was happy there was someone young and I decided to stick around for a wine tasting. There I learned so much about how they produce wine, as she had grown up on a vineyard.

Then it was time to catch my bus, so I grabbed two bottles of wine for Linda and her parents. I quite fancy going back to that part of New Zealand and hiring a bike to ride along the coast, visiting vineyards along the way.

Rotorua - More than the smell of sulphur

7th January 2013

One of my day trips was spent in Rotorua, which is around one hour away from Taupo. It was easy to book my bus with Naked Bus, and only cost about £10.

Upon arrival in Rotorua, the smell of sulphur penetrates the nostrils. It is quite pungent, but you get used to it right away. I ventured over to the i-site (tourist info) and booked Te Puia, for me to learn more about the Maori culture. There seemed to be no shuttle bus, so I decided to get on a local bus which toured around the suburbs. Was nice to see more of the city the way the locals would.

Dropped off just outside the centre, the heat of the sun was immense. I had to wear my sun hat to avoid being burned! Scottish skin is not used to the sun so much :)

The outside had a range of tiki statues and there was a fantastic metal structure in the entrance.

I met my tour group, and we were welcomed in a special ceremony where the men performed war moves. We were asked to respect the Maori ways and not laugh at anything. This included taking off our shoes, hats and sunglasses when we entered the meeting house, known as the marae. The Chinese tourists in my group didn't seem to understand, but I thought perhaps this was a clash of cultures.

  Inside, the carvings were beautifully crafted into the most mystical shapes. We watched a show were the famous Haka was performed and some lovely songs. My favourite part when I watch New Zealand play rugby is when they perform the Haka. This one was a bit put on for the tourists, and I felt uncomfortable at times as the actors didn't look like they were enjoying it much. It was terrifying to watch though and I definitely didn't laugh once.

We were then split up into different groups and I ended up in a tour group with our funny guide called Paul McGarvie, he has a very traditional Maori name! He told us that only 10% of the Maori population is actually only Maori, due to years of integration. He then began to ask where people were from, and took the piss out of the Aussies and English. When he found out I was from Scotland he remarked at least my team know how to play rugby.

Paul told all about his tribe and how they had come to own the park we were about to walk through. He mentioned many people living in the park were related to the original chief. Then off we went down to see the geysers and mud pools, especially geyser Pohutu which can reach 30m off the ground.

The day continued to get hotter, so we were offered a rest when we went to visit the Kiwi birds. They are nocturnal and endangered, so we had to be very quiet and walk in the dark to get a glimpse of them. They are quite funny birds and hop around. Once we emerged back into the sunlight the tour ended. I decided to get some traditional Hangi, food which had been boiled in the thermal pools in the park. Very tasty!

I also checked out the carving school at Te Puia. It was fascinating to learn all about how those fantastic carvings take shape and this is only for males who are part Maori . There is also a weaving school for women, and this is open to everyone.

I then headed back into town to explore some more, and get some much needed ice cream from the famous Lady Jane's Ice Cream Parlour! I ended up walking through the Government Gardens and along Lake Rotorua. I even dipped my feet into the lake which was so warm.

I really enjoyed my day trip to Rotorua, and would recommend it as a must see place in the North Island!