#itsakiwithing
January 11/2019
Well we made it to the airport. It’s a travel day for us. New Zealand is 3 hours ahead so we will hit Auckland at 5:30pm. An old friend Keegan will be greeting us here and putting us up for a few days. We are very excited to be in another country. Especially this one!
I am sure thankful for travel days if not just for time to catch up on the blog. Surely the less plane flights the better but sometimes, it’s the only way to get shit done. Our stay in New Zealand is way too short. Not originally in our plans to begin with, we need to keep it that way for both expense reasons and future itinerary reasons.
Keegan promises to jam pack it full of fun and relaxation. At least as much as we can fit in during our stay.
Getting into the country proves to be fairly lengthy plus I can’t contact Keegan because the damn airport WiFi sucks ass.
Finally hitting the outside world and our ride awaits us. Auckland to Ngatea, which is our home base for the week is roughly and hour and a bit so we settle in for the ride. Once in town, we stop at the local market for provisions. Food and beer. Nothing like a cold Red Lion to quench your thirst when its 28C outside. The welcoming committee is plentiful here at the Aislabie residence. We have been spoiled with our own little room for the whole family as they have adjusted their sleeping arrangements to suit us. Incredible people indeed. The time change here is a staggering 3 hour difference from Australia for such a short distance. The day quickly turns into night. Our first day trip of New Zealand 2019 awaits us in the morning!
January 12/2019
There are few individuals in this world that leave you with an absolutely stunning “first impression”. Even less, continue to impress as the days go by. Ayden is one of these people. Keegan’s fiancé and ironically, Peace River Native, Ayden Aspeslet, is the true epitome of the type of host that you would WISH TO encounter when arriving in a foreign country. Now, don’t get me wrong, the entire family here is equally as awesome but to have a genuine, warm hearted, bubbly and incredibly “handy with the kids” person as your first time in NZ introduction is quite the lucky experience. Right away, Ayden and Lela became best friends and would continue this relationship for the duration of our stay.
First up is Waihi beach and the Gorge. We have come to notice that Australia and New Zealand are chalk full of “hidden gems”. Beaches, waterfalls, breathtaking scenery and so on. This is mainstay to the residents here but we most taken aback by everything we see.
Stopping at the Gorge first off changes our plans a bit, beings that it is much too packed with tourists and locals alike. On to Waihi beach for some quick sun, a dip in the ocean and some craft beer at Flat White. Keegan also takes us up the hill for a view of where his parents are planning to build our room in a home overlooking the town. It should be ready for us when we return to NZ in a couple of years.
Time to head to the gorge as the day slips by us rather quickly. A brand-new suspension bridge leads us down a steep walk to another swimming hole. The rushing water slows to a crawl to allow a nice cool dip in the Ohinemuri River. I continue to be impressed with Reid and Lela. Their swimming abilities are improving by the day. Plus they are becoming less afraid of trying new things.
As our first full day in the New Zealand sun dwindles, so does our go, go, go…
A nice quiet drive back to Ngatea where a wonderful dinner awaits us puts this family in a very thankful mood.
January 13/2019
Another day in paradise. Keegan has some more killer beach ideas up his sleeve. The drive is lengthy but the scenery is breathtaking. New Chum Beach is a two hour drive from Ngatea and then a 15 minute walk through the jungle and along the rocky beach. The wow factor leaves nothing on the table. As we arrive to our parking spot, I am presented with a gorgeous beach, waves and surprisingly… NO PEOPLE!
Super pumped to get into the water, I set my stuff down and get met with a “This isn’t the beach, man!”
Really??!! This is plenty awesome for me. Nope… wait till you see the REAL BEACH!
Holy sheep shit! Is this real or a fantasy? A little cove tucked away with head smashing waves, hot sun and wicked sand. What a treat! We aren’t on any timeline at all so the next few hours is bliss. The sound of the ocean is incredible. How are we so lucky to have access to this?
Some frisbee, exploring and a sunburn later, something rumbles down under. Apparently, my tummy wants me to start to make the trek back NOW or we will be dropping trow up the mountain. There are no public washroom facilities here at the end of the 15 minute bush/rock walk so I quickly bid the others adieu and head off enroute to find the closest biffy!
We need to be real here on TheFlashPackerZ blog. Shit happens… Well at least it’s about to. The path is not the same as it was coming here. It was much more bushy, rocky and uphill. Frequent stops to clench and wipe the poop sweats from my eyes are starting to become all to familiar as I crest the last hill overlooking another, what seems to be 4 miles, of beach to get to the crapper. A little faith, intestinal fortitude (see what I did there?) and a tight ring helps in the quest as I reach the can. Bing Bang and Boom… Now that was a journey.
Not far behind are my fellow travellers, excited to hear that I didn’t have “an accident” on the way back. Another day in paradise has a positive ending.
January 14/2019
We did absolutely zippo that was noteworthy. Total nothing day. Played ping pong and went for a walk. Good night! We must prepare for tomorrow.
January 15/2019
Foreshadowed by a meeting with Elijah Wood back in the summer, we have finally reached THE SHIRE! As excited as we thought we were (well everyone except Lela… LOL) We had no idea about what we were in for. Back in 2001 The Lord of the Rings was made with much of The Shire and Hobbiton portion being filmed in New Zealand. A farmer was approached in the lush dairy farming landscape of Matamata about having his land as the home base for the peaceful Shire region. Since then it was rebuilt for the Hobbit Trilogy and now remains as a permanent attraction.
From the entrance to the set to the Green Dragon, we were not disappointed. Hooking up with fellow travellers and Canadian family, The Hancocks, was a special treat as well. Enjoying the day with like individuals whom you share values with added a special spark to the entire experience. Icing on the Shire cake! Smashing a couple brews with Ian made me miss the times spent with friends at home but made me all the more thankful that we could share this with them, here.
Over 40 Hobbit holes mark this terrain, including of course Bilbo Baggins Hole, Bag End. Situated at the end of Bagshot Row in Hobbiton, this was the home of Bilbo then Frodo and later Samwise Gamgee. We had watched the Lord of the Rings Trilogy before leaving and the kids are excited to watch again now that we have seen where it was filmed.
On a side note, we wouldn’t have gotten here had it not been for Keegan. I had driven in Australia for the better part of a month so he had the trust in me to wheel his car to the Shire.
Twas a good morning… I leave this day with this quote.
“Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?”
There is nothing like looking if you want to find something.
January 16/2019
Today Keegan is our chauffeur on our bid to check out a couple “must do’s” when visiting the Coromandel area in New Zealand. First up, Hot Water Beach. Hot Water Beach is a must do for sure. Here, you can dig hour own HOT POOL in the sand easily by renting a shovel and well… digging a hole! The hot water filters up from underneath the sand from to fissures next to each other. I had to try this myself. Work smart, not hard. I quickly found someone with a shovel and also had already dug the hole to the required depth. Beings that the holes were a good seven to eight feet deep, I wasn’t really interested in starting a new one. Using my Canadian tourist voice and a well placed “please and thank you”, the French tourists let me jump in to dig a bit and feel the hot water flow in. The water damn nears scorched my feet! The temperature of this water can reach 64C or 147F so you best be careful. Very interesting to say the least but after a short time sweating on the end of a goon spoon just to scald my toes wasn’t the most excite g way to spend the day so we quickly eat our lunch and carry on to another of the Coromandel’s must-see beaches, Cathedral Cove. Te Whanganui-A-Hei is only accessible by boat, kayak and foot which makes it both a big attraction to tourists and yet less busy than most destinations like this because of the walk.
The cave and beach was used as the tunnel through which the Pevensie children first re-enter Narnia in the movie version of The Chronicles of Narnia:Prince Caspian and more recently used as one of the locations of the music video “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. The amazingly soft sand and blue water made up for the dickhead segulls that apparently know how to open potato chip bags and love to eat banana bread. Can’t get away from the shit-hawks! Another fantastic day of beaching and walking ends. Tomorrow is paint day!
January 17/2019
Keanu Manuel is a traditional wood carver from a VERY traditional Maori family. Check out Tutamure Arts on facebook when you have a chance. This fella is uber talented. Just meeting his family was a treat and now I am going to be lucky enough to have him paint a one of a kind tattoo on my arm. Designed specifically for me and based on MY LIFE events, my Ta Moko will be based in the shape of a Stingray which, to the Maori, is one if their most highly regarded leaders of the sea. A stingray tattoo always acts as a symbol of speed, agility and protection. My tattoo has representation of my entire family and is an individually created piece of art that will never be duplicated. Four hours later, the creation had come to life. I will be forever connected now to Keanu and his family. For this, I am thankful.
Our time in New Zealand will come to an end tomorrow and it is unfortunate that Keegan and Ayden will be accompanying us to the airport to catch a flight to Canada for an untimely funeral. We are happy to get to spend some extra time with them but not for these reasons.
As we bid farewell to our friends, both old and new, New Zealand has captured our hearts and our minds. The country itself is full of incredible mystery and we are very excited to return one day. We haven’t even scratched the surface as to what is available to see here. Thanks to the entire Aislabie family for being so hospitable and inviting during our stay. Special thanks goes out to Derek and Mary for allowing us to invade their space for the week. We will be sure to have you stay with us one day and see our special part of the world when you decide to head to Canada.
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