Renewing Friendship in New Zealand

The beaches are beautiful; shopping is cheap compared to the UK; and there is wonderful scenery, unusual birds, nice walks, and interesting days out.

Quick Tips:

The AA in New Zealand issues free visitor guides that give details of events, lodging, and other interesting information.

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to get around was by car, and of course, we had our own local guide - free!

Situated 20 minutes from the airport, it was an ideal stop after a late arrival. There are approximately 20 ground-floor units sleeping one to two people, with tea/coffeemaker or a small kitchenette (with a microwave and two hotplates). All have en-suite bathrooms, a TV, a fridge, and a telephone. Some units have connecting doors suitable for families. Parking is available outside your door, breakfast is available on request, and there is a coin-operated laundry. The rooms were very clean and the owners very friendly.

Shops are close by, and restaurants are available in Parnell and Remuera. Ellerslie Racecourse and Alexandra Park Raceway are also close.

Visit: www.nzmotels.co.nz/tudor.court.auckland
Free phone: 0800 826 878

This is not the place we would have chosen had we been on our own in a new town, but our friends said it was superb - and it was!

It was (what we call in the UK) a wet-fish shop. The fishing boats land their catch on the dock outside, and this café is basically a wooden hut selling the catch. All the day’s catch is laid out in a cabinet on ice inside the hut, and customers kept going in to buy. However, they also have a kitchen area where they cook fish-and-chips (fries) and a few wooden tables and benches outside (some under cover).

The fish-and-chips were served in paper with no cutlery (the best way to eat this meal), and there was salt and vinegar available. When asked what the fish was, we were told grouper. I would never have chosen this had I known, as I am not a fish lover, but it was delicious.

Locals call Mauao (steep cone) Mount Maunganui, although this is the name of the town where Mauao is situated. There are two walks available: one that goes right to the top and is a steep climb, but with panoramic views over the coast islands and Tauranga across the harbour, and one that goes around the bottom.

We opted for the bottom one, which was very leisurely. The path is paved all the way with only slight inclines, although at one point, there is a bridge-type structure designed to keep sheep in that graze on the mount. There are scenic views all the way around, and we were able to see herons and cormorant sunning themselves on the rocks. We just missed some Ocra whales chasing rays in the bay, which we were disappointed about. At various points along the walk, there is access to small beaches, and at one point, you are able to walk across a beach to join the path farther on at low tide. There are also strategically placed benches to take in the views. This is a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours or more and not too strenuous.

This is a spa resort with cabins and a hotel where you would probably go for a weekend of relaxation. It is situated in the country a few miles from Tirau.

Meals are served from a varied menu and are to be eaten in the restaurant or ordered from the bar and eaten on the outdoor patio. There is a pool table, golf course, spa baths, riverside walk, and relaxing gardens.

When we were there, friends had a guy dressed in a woman’s flowered dress, wearing a hat, tights, and lipstick, and handcuffed to the patio rail. They were not being a nuisance, just enjoying themselves, and everyone joined in the fun. After we had lunch, our men played golf whilst we walked along the river and on the grounds and then sat on the grass and relaxed.

Nearby is the small town of Tirau, where there are antique and arts-and-craft shops, and best of all (if anyone is into teddy bears), The Teddy Bear Maker shop. This is the home of Heatherbelle and Bear With Us bears, which are all made out of fur. Thinking about it, this is quite a good idea, as lots of people have fur coats that they cannot wear anymore and are just stuck in cupboards. These can be taken to this shop, which they then make into teddy bears, and so the old coat has a use again. My friend’s mother had two bears made from one coat. They were about 12 to 15 inches high and cost her about NZ$150 each. It takes about 15 hours to make one bear, and there are all shapes and sizes to choose from. Unfortunately, they do not have a website yet.

We gathered in the booking hall, where drinks were on sale whilst we waited for our allocated coach. Our driver was Dave, who was very amusing. He started by greeting us all by saying hello, welcome to the tour, etc. in 52 languages. He then proceeded to tell jokes and have fun the whole 30-minute journey. He also went through the choosing of a chief to represent us on arrival at the village for the "challenge." The men appear, and one "warrior" goes through intimidating gestures and movements with a spear (taiaha) until the peace offering (teka) is accepted by the visiting chief. This is Maori culture and very serious. There has to be no laughing, mocking, or making faces in return.

There were four coaches, and each had elected a chief, but only one of these was selected to accept the gift (which was a bone) from the village. After the welcome ceremony, we proceeded to walk through the village, where Maoris were in traditional dress showing how they used to live, work, and play. There was poi twirling (two balls on string), hand games, weaponry, and the reciting of chants as in days gone by.

We then entered the Wharenui (the Big House). The rules are that women must not be seated in the front row in case fighting between home people and visitors occur and the men have to protect. Welcome speeches are made, and then there is the hongi (pressing of noses) that seals the bond of friendship. Then there was a show of Maori songs and dances that tell the story of Te Maori.

Next we moved to another building where tables had been set out for our dinner. The food had been cooked in the traditional Maori way in a hangi, which is an earth oven. Rocks are heated to a white-hot state with native timber and are then put into a pit that has been dug in the earth. The meat in baskets is put on the rocks, the vegetables in baskets on top of the meat, and then the pudding. The whole lot is covered by wet cloths, Hessian, and earth, which keeps the heat inside. The cooking takes between 3 to 4 hours. There was a whole selection of meat and vegetables on the buffet table all cooked and served to a high standard. Each table went to the buffet table in sequence to save crowding. The only problem was the difficulty in obtaining a drink, as there was only one person serving at the bar.

After the meal, we had time to wander around the village and the few shops with souvenirs before it was time for the closing ceremony. Then it was back on the coach for the return journey, where our driver entertained us again by getting us to sing songs from our own country, with everyone joining in.

Cameras and videos were allowed throughout the whole evening. Visit www.maoriculture.co.nz.

After waking early for the last 2 weeks during our visit to Singapore and Australia, it was nice to sleep till 8:30am (I think it was the more temperate climate, at least more than we are used to in the UK).

Our first stop was Parnell, for breakfast at one of the many pavement cafés the area is known for. The sun was pleasantly warm, and it was relaxing to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and then take a stroll down the road for a glimpse at this up-and-coming district. Between buildings are alleyways leading to courtyards with more cafés and shops. It is a very pleasant area.

Then it was off to Harbour Basin. Auckland is known as the "City of Sails" and there were literally sails everywhere. A walk to the end of the jetty gave us a wonderful view of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, which we were going over later. The return journey gave a different view of Auckland's skyline.

Our next stop was Takapuna (6km north of Auckland), which is a lively commercial centre with a beachfront reserve. There are also attractive shops, cafés, restaurants, and bars.

We meandered our way east towards the Bay of Plenty through countryside so much like our home area and eventually came to Ngatea on the scenic route of State Highway 2, where we stopped for ice cream. Ngatea, a one-street town with a population of 1,074, is the service centre for the Hauraki Plains and has an Urban Heritage Trail and arts-and-crafts outlets.

We then headed coastward to Waihi for our first look at one of the North Island’s beautiful beaches. This 8km stretch of sand is one of New Zealand’s best-kept secrets. Here, there are facilities for coastal walks, rock fishing, and boat owners who want to fish the harbour or Bay of Plenty. There is a nine-hole golf course, and during the summer, holiday surf carnivals, fishing competitions, and fun runs.

We passed through Katikati, which has a historical charm and was the tourism award winner in the Heritage Category, claiming the title of "Mural Town of New Zealand." There are 37 murals and open-air artworks in and around the main street, and there are more on the way. Here, too, are boating and fishing facilities, coastal and bush walks, and the Kaimai Forest Park.

We arrived at our friends’ home tired, happy, and full of all we had been shown by our "local" guide, and it was wonderful to relax in their garden over our evening meal and a glass of wine. Tomorrow would be another busy day!

Tauranga is the largest town of the Bay of Plenty on the North Island. With a population of 77,916, it has a pleasant climate and fertile land, and therefore, is the centre of the kiwi and citrus growing area.

It has many preserved buildings from the 1860s, parks and gardens, scenic attractions and lookouts, interesting walks, and beautiful beaches. It also has a newly developed waterfront area with shops, bars, cafés, restaurants, and nightclubs. The town away from the waterfront also has shopping areas with a good selection of shops, including those selling souvenirs, art, crafts, fashion, and there are also restaurants and bars.

There are also tower blocks with beautiful apartments offering fantastic views over the whole of Tauranga. Hot pools are also in abundance in the area.