New Zealand trip (2024)
In which we visit NZ—the very first time for Little H, and the first time in 8 years for the other two H’s.
The goals for this trip (for me, anyway) were to catch up with as much of the NZ fam and buds as possible, and to take travel companions W-W-F to see some of NZ’s scenic highlights.
For Little H, the goal was “go to the beach every day”. After she got a taste of NZ ice cream the mission scope was expanded to include eating as much ice cream as allowed.
Main places visited
- Auckland (scroll to Auckland section)
- Tauranga and thereabouts (scroll to Tauranga section)
- Ohakune and thereabouts (scroll to Ohakune section)
- Auckland again (scroll to second Auckland section)
Photos: Leica D-LUX 5, iPhone SE OG, and various phone photos pinched from the trip group chat. This post is mostly photos. I also include some factual information.
Auckland (part 1)
Auckland fact sheet
- Settled since about 1350 AD, it was New Zealand’s capital from 1841–1865
- The urban area now has about 1.5 million residents. It’s by far the largest city in New Zealand. More people live in Auckland than in all of the South Island
- The city sits on the Auckland Volcanic Field, which is still active. The most recent eruption was in 1450 AD, from the Rangitoto volcano in the Hauraki Gulf
- Basically the best city in New Zealand
Main things on the list for Auckland (part 1)
- Visit & BBQ at M-O-R’s new place
- Piha
- Auckland War Memorial Museum and domain
- Figure out if I can still drive? (My license had expired, and it had only been about 15 years since I last tried driving a car)
Official inspection of the new M-O-R residence
Out to Piha
Piha is a black sand beach on the coast west of Auckland, a drive of about 45 minutes from the city centre. The black sand is because of high iron content; the high iron content is because of volcanoes.
Out and about in Auckland
Also in Auckland (part 1) but no photos
- What’s up Bill Bixby
And then we were off to Tauranga …
Tauranga
Tauranga fact sheet
- Located at the top end of the middle of the North Island’s east coast, settled since the late 1300s
- Legally made a city for the second time in March 2004, which suggests a period of illegal civitas (or a disqualification)
- The Port of Tauranga is New Zealand’s largest “in terms of gross export tonnage and efficiency” and is a regular stop for container ships and luxury cruises
- The surrounding land is mainly horticultural
- Maybe the second-best city in New Zealand?
We drove down via Paeroa and the Karangahake Gorge.
Main things on the list for Tauranga
- Visit G&A at the new place
- Visits with K-JO and fam. (Our first time to meet the cuzzies on this side of the family)
- Hike the Mount
- Meet MaC and The Boat
Hiking Mount Maunganui
The proper name of this dormant volcano is Mauao, with Mount Maunganui being the name of the adjacent suburb. A walking track circles the base of the volcano, with more trails leading up to the 232m summit. On a good day the views are spectacular the whole way.
G&A’s new place
A new place for Dad and Anne since the last NZ trip, located near the intriguingly named Cheese Factory Lane. We made several visits, and enjoyed a magnificent dinner.
Arataki Beach
We stayed a week in a super-basic rental that could fairly be described as spartan. The good part: just a short walk from Arataki Beach (and the excellent lower-case-on-purpose special mention café).
Meetup at the Mt.
As part of Mother’s [REDACTED] birthday celebrations she and C took on a two-week Australia-NZ cruise, and it just so happened that they docked at the Port of Tauranga while we were in town.
Kaiate Falls visit
We wanted to visit Blue Spring, one of the famous short walks near Tauranga, but that track was closed due to a rockfall and related safety issues. So we took a look instead at Kaiate Falls.
K-JO’s place
We helped put on a hotpot dinner for fam and friends at the palatial K-JO estate.
Also Tauranga but no photos
Side trips
- We headed over to Hamilton for a day, visiting the Hamilton Car Museum and the Hamilton Zoo. It was a rainy day with minimal photography opportunities.
And then we were off to Ohakune …
Ohakune
Ohakune fact sheet
- “New Zealand’s Carrot Capital”
- Maybe a couple of thousand permanent residents?
- Close to the skifields on Ruapehu and the trails in the Tongariro National Park
- The location of Mother’s last major birthday event as well as the current major birthday event
On the way down to Ohakune we stopped by the Agrodome, the Craters of the Moon, and Huka Falls.
The Agrodome
Part of an actual farm, the Agrodome offers a Farm Show (sheep, shearing demo, sheep dog) and a Farm Tour (tractor ride around part of the farm to see alpacas, deer, beehives, and more). We were able to use WeChat Pay to purchase our tickets here.
Craters of the Moon
The walkways at the Craters of the Moon take you around a few of the vents of a geothermal field in the Taupo Volcanic Zone. This visit wasn’t super exciting; might try out Orakei Korako next time.
Huka Falls
Allegedly New Zealand’s most-visited natural attraction. I could have stayed all day to watch the water.
We continued to Ohakune via Taupo and the Desert Road, encountering flooded roads south of Taupo and rain storms on the Desert Road.
Main things on the list for Ohakune
- Hangs with MaC, and the Big Birthday Dinner
- Tongariro Alpine Crossing
- Other nearby attractions (Mt. Ruapehu and the Sky Waka, Waiouru National Army Museum, Carrot Park)
Waiouru National Army Museum
We always used to stop here on the way through to Tauranga or Auckland or wherever. The museum is at the southern end of the Desert Road (which I love driving) and there’s an army training ground in the area as well. Didn’t take a lot of photos here. Mother was here to look up the service records for Granddad Mac, who served in North Africa and Italy.
Mt. Ruapehu and the Sky Waka
The Sky Waka is a gondola that goes up to the café and restaurant at the Knoll Ridge Chalet (2020m elevation) on Mt. Ruapehu. I was hoping to hike up to the Skyline Ridge for views of the Central Plateau, but skipped that plan when the clouds didn’t clear. There are several hiking tracks that begin at the Knoll Ridge Chalet, including the Waterfall Descent trail.
Chateau Tongariro
We stopped by the Chateau Tongariro on the way back to Ohakune. It was all shut up and emanating a palpable Overlook Hotel vibe. Turns out it would close permanently just a few days later, “due to seismic risks […] with parapets and chimneys at risk of falling, inadequate bracing, unreinforced masonry infill, and under-strength foundations”, probably nothing to do with hauntings or anything like that.
Ohakune mountain weather
Sometimes clear, sometimes cloudy.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is variously known as New Zealand’s Best One-Day Trek / New Zealand’s Greatest Day Walk / a Top Ten Single-Day Trek in The World, and I’d been wanting to get back on this trail ever since a school trip, during my first last year of college, on which we became separated from adult supervision during a blizzard and went on to do an unsupervised Northern Circuit.
We had much better weather this time, and I took way too many photos. Here’s a small selection, and you can see the rest (more than 80 photos, plus some notes) in the separate Tongariro Alpine Crossing post.
Also in Ohakune but no photos
- We did the birthday dinner at the Powderkeg—highly recommended
- Indoor walls at Vertigo Climbing
- Mangawhero River track
- HJ and W-F did a side trip to Wanganui on a rainy day
After a week in Ohakune we headed back north, passing through Otorohanga to visit the Kiwi House, and then a straight shot back to Auckland …
Auckland again
We’d gone back up to Auckland to welcome the second W of the W-W-F team. The W-W-F team would go on to travel in the South Island, while us H’s would soon be heading back to Beijing.
Main things in Auckland (part 2)
- Sky Tower
- Tiritiri Matangi
- Meetups and shopping
Tiritiri Matangi Scientific Reserve
Tiritiri Matangi is an island nature reserve that’s home to a variety of native New Zealand flora and fauna.
You get there by ferry—a journey of about 80 minutes from Viaduct Harbour— and after arrival you’re free to look about until the ferry comes back in the afternoon. It’s not a large island, and there’s plenty of time to walk the trails along beaches, through forest, and up to the lighthouse.
The lighthouse on the island was built in 1864 and was once “the most powerful in the Southern Hemisphere”. During the Second World War the island hosted an observation post set up to signal nearby gun emplacements if enemies were spotted.
Ferries to Tiritiri Matangi are operated by Explore Group, and you can also book in a guided walk for a more in-depth experience.
The last few days in Auckland
Also Auckland (part 2) but no photos
- What’s up old Beijing buddy J
- We met up with BigUncleB from the Kashgar trip
- We were supposed to meet up with Actual Uncle B for the Tiritiri Matangi outing, but he caught The Covid
- Auckland Art Gallery
- Auckland Library
Planning a trip to New Zealand?
For trip planning, the Department of Conservation website, the NZ Tourism website, and the various i-Sites (phone, email, or in-person) are super-helpful for finding fun places to visit.