We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

s e i g r n i o k a M mem What gets you going?

Make a plan 72 hours In three cities Weekend away To sweet spots

ISSUE 2 / SPRING 2021

Switch off.

Relax. Unwind.

For 38 years TOP 10 Holiday Parks have been setting the standard in New Zealand.

From Invercargill in the deep south, to Whatuwhiwhi in the sub-tropical north, each of our 49 TOP 10 Holiday Parks are committed to delivering you your very own unique, quality, holiday experiences.

MOTELS

UNITS

CABINS

POWERED SITES

TENT SITES

SAVE 10%

on accommodation at all TOP 10 Holiday Parks and at over 300 activity operators, cafés and restaurants throughout New Zealand when you join our club.

SAVE 15% on travel with Interislander ferries and 10% off on-board purchases.

Join at a TOP 10 Holiday Park reception, or online

Editor’s letter Blue Pools, Mt Aspiring National Park © Adobe Stock

BEST OF FRIENDS Think of ‘We Love You New Zealand’ as a call of support, of camaraderie; the title of a theme song we all know the words to and sing loudly on our road trips. It’s what the country would tattoo on its sun-kissed arm or wear emblazoned on its cotton t-shirt. We Love You New Zealand! Be encouraged to get to know it, to embrace it fully and to be its best friend.

W

ho doesn’t love a road trip? The excitement starts well before the day of departure as you plot and plan, pour over maps and do your research. Of course there’s way more than deciding on the destination; there’s the route and the side tracks and where to stay along the way. I would suggest you also need a theme. This issue of ‘We Love You New Zealand’ is designed to help you find that theme.

It might inspire you to base your roadie around hot pools and ice creams. If you’re into bees, that could be your theme. Perhaps a more edifying angle, with an emphasis on culture, will turn your key.

There are no rules here, though. Even if, inspired by reading this magazine, you decide to learn as you go and visit sites connected with New Zealand’s historically significant events, you can also stop for hot swims and ice cream. That’s why we all love road trips.

Kath Webster Editor We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

1

Contents Make a plan

09 06

7 New Zealand places to inspire young people

11

Meet a local: Paul Brobbel – Len Lye Centre

12

The bee’s knees

14

72 hours

32

72 hours in Christchurch

34

72 hours in the Queenstown region

38

72 hours in Wellington

41

Road trip tips

Time travel in New Zealand

18

Go green: sustainable travel

22

22

Meet a local: Catherine Roughton – Orana Wildlife Park

25

Oarsome adventures

29

What to pack for a road trip 2

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

38 ABOVE: Hannahs Laneway, Wellington © Camilla Rutherford TOP LEFT: Rocket launch, Rocket Lab © Kieran Fanning LOWER LEFT: Meerkat, Orana Wildlife Park, Christchurch © Orana Wildlife Park RIGHT: Indian Char Bagh Garden, Hamilton Gardens © Hamilton Gardens TOP RIGHT: Blake Marshall skiing on The Remarkables © The Remarkables

58 Weekends Make it special to remember

44

Be well: top retreats

46

Ice cream for every month

49

Meet a local: Giapo Grazioli – Giapo Ice Cream

50

Suds up: outdoor baths

52

That natural feeling: hot pools

56

Loo with a view

58

Meet a local: New Zealand skier Blake Marshall

60

South Island by photographs

66

ISBN > 978-1-98-852353-8

Great Barrier Island summer itinerary

71

Meet a local: Carol Comer – Great Barrier Island

72

Hamilton in a heart beat

76

Weekend road trip Auckland to Coromandel

80

Island hopping Bay of Islands

72

© The New Zealand Automobile Association Incorporated 2021. All rights reserved.

AA, the AA logo and the Tourism pictogram are registered trademarks and the colour combination YELLOW & BLACK are trademarks of The New Zealand Automobile Association Incorporated.

While every care has been taken in the compilation of this magazine, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for inaccuracies or changes since going live, or for consequential loss arising from such changes or other inaccuracies, or any other loss direct or consequential arising in connection with information provided in the publication. Due to the pandemic, we also advise you to check before you visit any establishment mentioned, as they may be in hibernation or offering limited services.

There is no requirement for advertisers in this magazine to provide discounts for AA Members; some individual advertisers offer concessions and details of these are indicated in their listings. All content in advertisements was provided by advertisers.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced (except brief passages for the purpose of review), stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publishers.

Published in August 2021 by AA Tourism Publishing Ltd Level 1, Building 2, 61 Constellation Drive, Mairangi Bay, North Shore, Auckland 0632 PO Box 101 001, North Shore, Auckland 0745 T. 09 966 8720 F. 09 966 8721 E. tourism.images@aa.co.nz W. aatraveller.co.nz Advertising Enquiries: T. 09 966 8720 E. tourism.sales@aa.co.nz Editor: Kath Webster Senior Writer: Anna Sarjeant Contributors: Eve Stanley, Monica Tischler, Designers: David Walker Bell, Caroline Cameron-Blackgrove Cover image: Steampunk HQ, Ōamaru © Camilla Rutherford

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

3

The Parnell Hotel & Conference Centre is situated in the exclusive inner city suburb of beautiful Parnell. This 101 room property has apartment style kitchen units in addition to hotel rooms. Most rooms enjoy extensive harbour and city views.

Facilities include Gladstones Café Restaurant, house bar and seven conference venues, free WiFi, free parking and 24-hour reception.

Use promo code AA10 for 10% off your next stay

The Parnell Hotel & Conference Centre is a registered charity under the Charities Act 2005. Registration No: CC38203.

10-20 Gladstone Road, Parnell, Auckland Email: reservations@theparnell.co.nz Call 0800 50 44 66 or visit www.theparnell.co.nz Conditions: AA10 valid for accommodation bookings until 31 August, 2022 via website, phone or email reservations directly with Hotel.

4

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Make a plan Aoraki Mt Cook, Canterbury © Getty Images

Make a

plan Cue the listicles, scribbles and Post-it notes, it’s time to make your next trip happen.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

5

7

New Zealand places to INSPIRE YOUNG PEOPLE

Whatever your kids are into, New Zealand has ancestry, art, science, sport and great historic figures to be proud of.

Ignite some passion with these motivating experiences.

6

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Rutherford Den, Art Centre, Christchurch © Pam Carmichael Photography RIGHT: Ōpārara Arch © West Coast Tourism

01

NUCLEAR FISSION: Rutherford’s Den, Christchurch

Think your sprogs could do something as profound as split an atom? Lord Ernest Rutherford’s parents probably didn’t either, but that he did. Regarded as ‘The Father of Nuclear Physics’ this wee Kiwi lad grew up to name Einstein as a peer and pocketed himself a Nobel Prize. His vast successes can be admired at Rutherford’s Den, a hands-on museum located within The Arts Centre in Christchurch.

Rooms where Rutherford once worked while he studied at Canterbury University have been transformed into fascinating exhibits, complete with a restored Victorian lecture theatre. Stand in the presence of genius and hope that some of it rubs off.

Make a plan

KICK-ASS WOMEN: Kate Sheppard’s House, Christchurch

02

Imagine not knowing you lived in the same house as the most prominent member of New Zealand’s women’s suffrage movement. The Burbury family didn’t have a clue. It wasn’t until 1993 that they realised Kate Sheppard – responsible for Aotearoa becoming the world’s first country to grant women the right to vote – was a former house dweller. The Burburys have since sold the house and in 2020 it opened as a heritage venue, public space and educational centre. Located on Clyde Road next to Canterbury University, explore the home where Sheppard spent 15 years of her life and step inside the dining room where many world-changing campaigns were conducted.

03

TOMB RAIDER: The Honeycomb Caves, Karamea

If you thought your kids were good at setting a booby trap, wait til they learn from the best – Mother Nature. The West Coast conceals such great gouges in its dense, Jurassic-like forestry, they’ve been known to swallow the now extinct Haast’s eagle whole (and yes, that is the largest known eagle in the world). One of these huge cavities is The Honeycomb Caves. Easily Karamea’s best-kept secret and just a short walk from the region’s Ōpārara Arches, entry is only permitted with a certified guide. Inside this labyrinth of colossal limestone grottos – a 35-million-year cave system in the making – visitors are led to a full-size, perfectly preserved moa skeleton.

Prisoner for eternity, it fell victim to nature’s hidden hole centuries ago; today you can still see its broken leg bone.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

7

04

CREATIVE MINDSETS: World of WearableArt Show, Wellington

SPORTING LEGENDS: All Blacks Experience, Auckland

05

Celebrate New Zealand rugby magnificence at the All Blacks Experience located at SkyCity in central Auckland. Detailing exactly what it takes to shape an All Black, this hugely interactive venue includes a fun, 45-minute guided tour and a dressing room experience with players’ pregame rituals. Stand in the middle of a virtual pitch, come face-toface with a life-size (albeit digital) All Blacks’ haka and test your ball skills against the world’s best players. This one’s bound to leave aspiring players dead-set on being the next McCaw, Nonu or Carter. © World of WearableArt Show, Wellington

One for all the budding artists in your clan, the World of WearableArt (WOW) show is held annually in Wellington and features a mash-up of art, sculpture, craft and choreography that’s guaranteed to spur creative juices. Following a COVID-19 cancellation in 2020, it’s all set to explode back on to the Wellington events’ calendar from 30 September to 17 October 2021. An event that sits somewhere on the spectrum of artworkmeets-stage show, featured designs are brought to life by models, dancers, aerialists, musicians and performers.

8

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

ABOVE: All Blacks © James Coleman

Make a plan

MOUNTAINOUS AMBITION: Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, Aoraki Mt Cook

06

Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, Aoraki Mt Cook Village © The Hermitage

Understand the man behind the legend at the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre in Aoraki Mt Cook Village. A tribute to one of our most inspirational home-grown heroes, learn about Hillary’s lifelong achievements, the history of the mountainous area and stories from Mountain Rescue, who regularly venture through the Aoraki Mt Cook region in perilous conditions. Tickets are valid for 48 hours allowing for double-whammy learning, or a few extra shows at the 126-seat theatre. Several films play here throughout the day, including a cinematic celebration of Hillary’s life.

THE FUTURE IS NASA: Rocket Lab, Māhia

07

Make like Jeff Bezos and blast off into space, or at least watch while a brand new satellite does. Rocket Lab is New Zealand’s only rocket-launching company.

Straddling the Māhia Peninsula coastline, minimal air and ocean traffic makes it a prime launch pad. Keep your eye on Rocket Lab’s website and Facebook page for upcoming launch dates then pack your binoculars, head to Blucks Pit Road and perch your derrière on the sand for take off.

Rocket launch, Rocket Lab © Sam Toms and Simon Moffatt

“In Aotearoa, shooting satellites into space is the forte of Rocket Lab, New Zealand’s only rocketlaunching company.”

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

9

AN INITIATIVE OF VENTURE TARANAKI

DISCOVER TARANAKI A PLACE LIKE NO OTHER

Social Kitchen

Te Rewa Rewa Bridge

Experience your perfect getaway in Taranaki. Be pleasantly surprised by truly unique activities, adventures and events, decadent dining and world-class modern art.

Head to Taranaki.co.nz/visit to stop dreaming and start planning your ultimate Taranaki experience today.

It’s just around the corner! taranaki.co.nz/visit

10

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Make a plan

MEET A LOCAL:

Meet Paul Brobbel, the Len Lye Curator at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre in New Plymouth, where he works with the art of modernist artist and filmmaker Len Lye (1901-1980).

Paul Brobbel, Len Lyn Centre

Len Lye Centre © Sam Hartnett

Paul develops the Govett-Brewster’s Len Lye exhibition programme alongside the conservation and research of the Len Lye Foundation’s collection of sculptures, paintings, films and archives.

I’ll never forget the weekend I went to Whitehorse in Canada’s Yukon to see the Northern Lights. I think it’s unusual to go somewhere so remote and to do something so specific but two nights watching the Aurora

Borealis was maybe a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity. The lights were probably a 4/10 at best but it was still an amazing experience.

The activity that instantly calms me is playing my guitar. I’ve been playing since I was 12 and ought to be pretty good by now but haven’t made it all the way through a song since the mid-90s. I’m too quick to move onto the next idea. But I like the creativity that can leave the brain and come out in the fingers.

My favourite season is definitely winter. So long as it’s not raining, being out and about on a crisp, cool day feels invigorating. It’s a feeling that reminds me of childhood winters in the UK or those moments overseas walking in a snowfall.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

“

“M

y favourite way to spend a day off is to get up early to make the day longer, start with a coffee and make sure I have plenty of things to read through the day, preferably unrelated to art or my job! For brunch it’s eggs benedict, either at Monica’s next to the gallery, or at home in the garden. Then I’d be getting some records out and listening to a few from beginning to end or – even better – go to the Vinyl Countdown to buy something new.

11

Mānuka honey bee, Te Puke © Bay of Plenty Tourism

The bee’s knees There are 28 species of bees in Aotearoa and you can thank every single one of them for making your life better.

B

ees are responsible for pollinating one-third of the food we eat; if it wasn’t for their nifty ability to pollinate crops, fruit and veg, our diets would be a boring mix of rice and grains. Bees also contribute over $270 million per year to New Zealand’s economy and their honey is a game changer when it comes to upgrading your toast.

To appreciate these busy workers in all their multi-million dollarmaking glory, try a unique, New Zealand bee experience.

NZMA Beekeeping Experience Centre, North Shore, Auckland

Head to Redvale, just 30 minutes out of central Auckland for a hands-on bee experience at New Zealand Mānuka Apiculture. Don the traditional white beekeeping suit and learn how a beehive behaves. Pick up a hive frame, swarming with bees, and sample honey straight from the source.

12

We Love You New Zealand! Spring Spring2021 2021

Huka Honey Hive, Taupō

Introduced to Aotearoa in 1839, honey bees are not native to New Zealand, but they are responsible for our world-famous manuka honey.

Learn more at The Huka Honey Hive in Taupō. With free entry, enjoy New Zealand’s largest selection of honey products as well as The Honey Shack Tour, a beekeeper-led hive experience open from midOctober to April.

Make a plan

“Bees also contribute over $270 million per year to New Zealand’s economy and their honey is a game changer when it comes to upgrading your toast.”

Bee keeper checking their hives © Bianca Ackermann

Hunt and Gather Beekeeping Experience, Raglan Husband and wife duo, Rory and Hannah O’Brien, have been harvesting honey since 2015 and selling it across the Waikato. By lifting the lid (quite literally) on every beekeeping secret, they share their beekeeping expertise on a three-hour honey tour.

Take a look inside the working beehive and tuck into a complimentary morning tea.

Comvita Wellness Lab, Auckland CBD Discover the art of honey making with a guided, 45-minute multi-sensory experience. Located in the Viaduct, Comvita invites guests to learn the history of New Zealand honey via a 180-degree state-of-the-art theatre experience and by sampling various flavours.

For the Love of Bees, Auckland

A fantastic co-op in Auckland called For the Love of Bees are responsible for several eco-friendly initiatives across the city. One being a monthly beekeeping meet-up at Victoria Park in central Auckland. Join enthusiastic beekeeper Walter Dendl on the first Sunday of every month for a free walk and talk around the park’s three active hives.

Honey Centre, Warkworth

A 40-minute bee tour aimed mostly at adults, learn all about the life of the honeybee, take a peek into the company’s packing plant and pour and label your own complimentary 250g jar of honey. Available by arrangement only, call ahead at least one week prior. There’s also a café on site and a shop selling honey and bee-related skin care products.

Buzzstop Bee & Honey Centre, Queenstown

Bottle your own jar of honey at the much-loved Buzzstop Bee & Honey Centre. There are a variety of experiences on offer here, from simple honey sampling to creating personal honey-based products like soap and lip balm. In summer, visitors can join the beekeeper outdoors and open a working beehive, while year-round experiences include spinning a frame of fresh honey.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

13

THE NEW ZEALAND GUIDE TO

Time Travel

Vintage car at Art Deco Weekend, Napier © Hawke’s Bay Tourism RIGHT: Wagon ride at Erewhon Station, Canterbury © Canterbury Tourism

It’s hard to get your hands on a DeLorean in New Zealand. Time travel via touristic hot spots is your only option, and probably the better one, too.

14

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Hooters Vintage & Classic Vehicle Hire, Hawke’s Bay, North Island

If you’ve ever read The Great Gatsby wishing you could parade around town with as much panache as the New York elite, it’s time to don a pocket watch and visit Hawke’s Bay. Famed for its post 1931-earthquake rebuild into an art deco mecca, including an annual festival celebrating the era’s razzle dazzle, visitors can hire the only open-top vintage cars in the country. Following a one-hour mandatory lesson, in which you’ll fully master the complexities of ‘double de-clutching’, you’ll be given the keys to a 1926 Dodge, a gleaming 1950s Citroën or something equally spiffy. The day is yours to roar around Hawke’s Bay. Should your gallivanting include wineries, fully chauffeured guided tours are also an option.

Make a plan

Shantytown,

West Coast, South Island You are no longer your 21st-century self. You’re a buccaneering gold miner; a pioneer; a valiant bank robber. In fact, in Shantytown, a recreated 1860s gold-mining town, you can be anything your 19th-century alter ego desires. Step foot inside a cluster of gold-rush-era buildings and step back in time.

Visit the hospital with its terrifying medicinal jars and the general store for hard-boiled sweets.

Throw yourself in jail and warm your cold, goldpanning fingers before a pot belly stove in the saloon. King Dick’s café serves an elegant cream tea and the local hotel pours the brews. And just when you thought history couldn’t feel any more real, a chugging steam train rumbles into town. Jump aboard for a ride through the bush to an ancient sawmill.

High Country Horse Adventures,

Canterbury, South Island

Return to a land before city skylines. The Canterbury high country is wild and unspoiled, governed solely by nature’s most hardened species. Take the reins of a gentle yet sure-footed horse and climb into the high plateau. Fully guided, multi-day rides include overnight stays in musterers’ huts, dining by camp fire and waking to crisp, mist-smeared mornings.

By day, travel like a cowboy, navigating braided rivers and mountain tops. By night, leave the horses to graze and sleep soundly by starlight. With a maximum six in a group, riding up to six hours per day, multi-day rides range from two days to five, with single-day treks available for ranch hands in a rush.

JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE WHAT’S INSIDE With stunning galleries, spectacular international exhibitions, and great places to eat and shop, there's something for everyone at Auckland Museum.

Come inside, see what’s new and be inspired. aucklandmuseum.com

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

15

Honourable

Mentions

Waitangi Treaty Grounds Stand in the very spot the original Treaty manuscript was drawn up and ascend the same hill many Māori chiefs climbed to sign it. This and many other poignant moments await.

Howick Historical Village A living museum with more than 30 original colonial buildings. Meander the recreated village and look out for ‘live days’ when locals don full historical costume.

Fort Taiaroa Built to thwart Russian invasion, a secret fort lies beneath Dunedin’s Royal Albatross Centre.

Explore underground tunnels and see the world’s only Armstrong Disappearing Gun. TSS Earnslaw Enjoy Queenstown’s stunning alpine scenery while chugging across Lake Wakitipu aboard the 107-year-old TSS Earnslaw. Visit stokers in the engine room or relax in the vintage saloon.

16

Larnach Castle, Otago © DunedinNZ LEFT: Te Whare Rūnanga, Waitangi, Northland © David Kirkland

Larnach Castle,

Dunedin, South Island What must life as lord and lady of the manor have been like? Between the grand balls and servants seeing to every whim, when did the titillating scandals occur? Spend a day at Larnach Castle and live the life of a 19th century aristocrat. You’ll soon find out. Built in 1871 by William Larnach, New Zealand’s only castle has been restored to its original grandeur, complete with period furnishings and an authentic High Tea served in The Ballroom. Visitors can swan around the sevenhectare garden (also a Garden of International Significance) and stay overnight in regal abodes, including the 140-year-old historic stables which are Category 1 listed. In keeping with the setting, a decadent four-course dinner is served around a grand dining table.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Make a plan Glenbrook Vintage Railway, South Auckland © Wham Design

Ōamaru Victorian Precinct, South Island

There’s no such thing as new-fangled nonsense in Ōamaru; you’re more likely to see an abacus than Google.

Namely because the Victorians never left. Beautiful historic buildings lining Ōamaru’s Victorian Precinct boast shapely façades and grant access to traditional bookbinders, woodworkers and tables laden with fine china teacups. The general store sells rock confectionery, a vintage steam train lugs to the harbour and when the annual Victorian fête comes to town, moustached speed-demons career down the street on Penny Farthings.

Stopping here is more of an experience than an activity, especially when you lay eyes upon Steampunk HQ – an ode to the futuristic subgenre. A fusion of sci-fi, steam and dystopian 19th century England, it’s difficult to ignore.

Glenbrook Vintage Railway,

Waiuku, Auckland, North Island Rewind 100 years and the humble train station was a destination unto itself, a place where waiting rooms buzzed and porters scurried; steam billowed and whistles signalled imminent adventure. Relive the magic at Glenbrook Vintage Railway Station. Both diesel and steam train day excursions chug in and out, collecting passengers for nostalgic journeys across rural Waiuku. Every detail is perfectly re-enacted, from traditional cardboard tickets stubbed by dapper staff, to immaculate, leather-clad carriages. The FirstClass experience includes a refined High Tea, while a full-blown, three-day expedition travels from Auckland to Ohakune via Hamilton and Taumarunui National Park, courtesy of Discover Ruapehu Rail Tours.

TOP TIP: Glenbrook Vintage Railway operates every weekend and most public holidays from Labour Weekend to Queen’s Birthday. Trains depart every 90 minutes between 11am-4pm.

Experience Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s Explore Auckland’s living history museum and living history. Wander through a Fencible enjoy a peaceful day in beautiful surroundings. early as it looked in the Set in settler’s 7 acres village of heritage gardens andmid over 30 to late-1800s.

Explore heritage buildings buildings from early Auckland including a mill, including the general store, Victorian school forge, carpenter’s, toy museum, church, house, court house, raupō huts and the sod printing press and more! cottage, as well as the historic church. All Cafe & gift shop | Free Parking | Open 7 days surrounded by attractive heritage gardens 10am - 4pm, last admission 3pm with friendly chickens. www.historicalvillage.org.nz Café and gift shop | Free parking | Open 7 days 10-4 (last admission 3pm) Annual passes now available www.historicalvillage.org.nz We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

17

GO GREEN

Want to up your sustainable game while travelling?

Here are seven ecoconscious ways to future-proof Aotearoa on your next getaway.

Hotel Britomart, Auckland

Māori Rock Carvings, Taupō © Todd Eyre

Taupō Eco-Boat

Taupō’s Ngatoroirangi Mine Bay Māori Rock Carvings – accessible only by boat – are one of the area’s biggest drawcards. Scaling the cliff 14 metres above Lake Taupō’s water, they are an extraordinary example of modern Māori artwork.

Board a sustainable yacht in the Sail Barbary fleet and help preserve this special place for the future.

Being 100 per cent electric powered, Barbary boats don’t emit any fumes, make zero noise and as for pollution, well, there isn’t any.

18 18

Nationwide DOC volunteering

The Department of Conservation calls out for enthusiastic volunteers yearround, with a diverse range of positions from one-day coastal clean ups to a full sixmonth shebang monitoring kiwi. Put your name forward to play hut warden for a week, spend a day planting shrubs, maintain the gardens of a heritage building or test your dexterity by repairing a water race. Simply keep your eye on the DOC website and turn this year’s holiday into a volunteering vacay. Families are welcome too.

We Love Love You YouNew NewZealand!

Zealand!Spring Spring 2021 2021

Hotel Britomart is New Zealand’s first Green Star eco-hotel located in central Auckland and while guests are instantly privy to LED lighting and pillows made from recycled plastic bottles, what’s not so obvious is that this sustainability journey started from the ground up.

Using environmentally friendly building materials, Green Star certification factored into every construction decision, right down to the placement of windows being strategically positioned (and double-glazed) so that extra, artificial light isn’t required until sunset. There are no single-use amenities in the bathroom and low water-flow systems limit water wastage. And for all those who want to maintain the green theme throughout their stay, the hotel has bikes too.

Make a plan

Nationwide Dark Sky Reserves

ABOVE: Great Barrier Island night sky © Auckland Unlimited TOP: Glenorchy, Otago © Adobe Stock RIGHT: 4WD buggies at Delta Discovery, Glenorchy, Otago © Delta Discovery

There’s a reason New Zealand has such exceptional starry skies: we host the world’s largest Dark Sky Reserve. The Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve covers a whopping 4300 square kilometres of land, while Aotea/Great Barrier Island (90km off the coast of Auckland) became the planet’s first Dark Sky island sanctuary, later followed by Rakiura/ Stewart Island. In short, much of New Zealand has no light pollution, and long may it continue. Glittering Dark Sky experiences include private stargazing dinners courtesy of Good Heavens on Great Barrier Island and the Pūkaki Observatory and Wine Cellar in Aoraki Mt Cook. Combine stellar cosmos views from a retractable observatory roof with a dram of whisky or top local wine.

Glenorchy Delta Discovery

The Dart River flows through a very pristine patch of land near Glenorchy and the good folk at Delta Discovery are ensuring it stays that way. Their threeperson fully-electric 4WD buggies release 0 per cent emissions and roll over the wildly beautiful region in near silence: perfect for catching sight of New Zealand wildlife. With a sophisticated on-board GPS system and a go-atyour-own-pace itinerary, it’s one part idyllic, one part adventurous and 100 per cent environmentally friendly.

We WeLove LoveYou YouNew NewZealand!

Zealand! Spring Spring 2021

19 19

Great Green Logos

Stay at properties that have attained Green Globe benchmarking or a Qualmark Enviro rating (or both – bravo!). The silver Qualmark logo is New Zealand’s official mark of quality for tourism and if the business is also displaying a green enviro-logo, they will be excelling in sustainability too. There’s also Green Globe, an international ranking system. Companies must meet 44 core criteria to qualify. Members are ranked as Certified, Gold or Platinum – the latter being the highest merit. Look for corresponding logos to assess who’s going above and beyond to keep Mother Earth perfect.

20

Wānaka LandEscape

Explore the best of Wānaka with LandEscape, an ecofriendly cycling adventure built into Hāwea farmland combining a series of purposemade cycle trails with a larger off-site network of tracks. Jump on a of state-of-the-art Swissmade YouMo e-bike for a whizz around and afterward, sink into a ‘Spagazer’ – a wood-fired outdoor hot tub filled with alpine water from the spring.

When nature calls, there are zero-flush composting toilets which will one day turn waste into energy, fertilise the soil and save millions of litres of water.

2021 We Love Love You You New NewZealand!

Zealand!Spring Spring 2021

ABOVE: Cycling at LandEscape, Wānaka TOP: Spagazer at LandEscape, Wānaka BOTH: @ LandEscape

Make a plan

Family fun in Napier!

PAR MINI GOLF Par2 is fun for everyone! Choose from two 18-hole courses with unique features or enjoy a round on both.

Open daily with extended summer hours! par2golf.co.nz

BAY SKATE Let the good times roll at Bay Skate, Napier’s world class skate park. Bring your own wheels or hire from the huge range of roller sport equipment for a ride in the park or a roll along Marine Parade. bayskate.nz

THE FARADAY CENTRE

KENNEDY PARK RESORT

Fuel your imagination as you explore this interactive hands-on museum. It’s a fascinating place of discovery for all the family! faradaycentre.org.nz THE FARADAY CENTRE

Enjoy fun right on your doorstep with a large array of accommodation options!

Heated pool complex, jumping pillow and playground. kennedypark.co.nz

NATIONAL AQUARIUM OF NEW ZEALAND

MTG HAWKE’S BAY

hawke’s bay museum of technology

Discover an exciting world above and below the water! Visit Penguin Cove, see sharks and stingrays swim over you in the oceanarium and spot native tuatara and kiwi. nationalaquarium.co.nz

Visit this free award-winning museum!

Explore the artefacts in the Taonga Māori Gallery and discover the story of the region’s recovery following the 1931 earthquake. mtghawkesbay.com

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

21

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF:

Catherine Roughton, Orana Wildlife Park Meet Catherine Roughton, Native Fauna & Domestic Animals Manager – Orana Wildlife Park (Christchurch)

Blue duck/whio © Orana Wildlife Park

“C

onservation is a core part of Orana’s mission and the key reason for the park to exist. I manage a team of ten highly-skilled native fauna practitioners who contribute to DOC recovery programmes for some of New Zealand’s most threatened wildlife, for example breeding kākāriki karaka, New Zealand’s rarest parakeet, for release to the wild.

My work day starts with a team planning session to ensure we meet objectives. We are absolutely privileged to have some of this country’s most precious and unique species in our care and it’s crucial we maintain optimal welfare for them to maximise their breeding success.

22

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Make a plan

LEFT: Orange-fronted parakeet/kākāriki © Kim Free @ OWP BELOW: Maud Island/Hamilton’s frog LOWER LEFT: Orange-fronted parakeet/kākāriki chick BOTH: © Orana Wildlife Park

The career highlight I’m most proud of? There are many! In 2020, we opened a habitat for New Zealand’s Maud Island/Hamilton’s frogs. This technologically-advanced exhibit

replicates the wild environment on Maud Island in every respect.

The ultimate aim of our frog research facility is to reliably breed these cryptic animals in captivity, which has not been achieved globally to date.

In my free time, I’m a Southern girl so I love to venture around the Otago Peninsula. The wild dramatic and rugged coastlines are amazing and of course the wildlife – such as penguins and albatross, is simply awesome.

My next favourite spot would be the Bay of Islands.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

“

The favourite part of my work day is watching team members develop. Everyone on the team carries out a range of tasks that ultimately result in making genuine contributions to conservation of New Zealand wildlife. I also really enjoy seeing our visitors engage with wildlife and learning how they can assist conservation efforts, such as keeping a dog on a leash to protect adult kiwi.

23

24

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Make a plan

OARSOME ADVENTURES

For those who wonder why they weren’t born with fins, these seven aquatic adventures by kayak, canoe and spandangled watercraft are a water-lover’s dream.

01 INTRODUCING ‘PACKRAFTING’, Southland

02 ROWING HOLIDAYS,

It’s the hobby you didn’t know your life was missing: packrafting. A kayaking-meetshiking hybrid that allows you to fold your full-sized inflatable kayak into a handy, carry-sized backpack. Which basically means limitless freedom. Check out packraftingnz.com for products, packraft hire and year-round, multi-day excursions to Lake Manapouri, The Wairaurahiri River and more.

Marlborough Sounds

Experience a multi-day kayaking tour through the sunken river grooves of Marlborough Sounds. Every evening your hard work is rewarded with soft sheets and a deep sleep. Nights are spent at a beautiful luxury lodge, with hammocks, spa-pool, home-cooked dinners and sea views. All thanks to New Zealand Rowing Tours who lead guided expeditions to the Sound’s two main bodies of water – Kenepuru and Pelorus sounds, departing Havelock and returning three utterly peaceful days later.

LEFT: Kenepuru Sound, Marlborough Sounds © Getty Images

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

25

03

Paddling in a waka, Split Apple Rock, Kaiteriteri © Waka Abel Tasman BELOW: River bugging, Bay of Plenty © Riverbug

WAKA SAILINGS, Abel Tasman

Experience an authentic waka crusade in Nelson with Waka Abel Tasman. Following te reo Māori introductions, a hongi, waiata singing and some vital rowing instructions, push off from Kaiteriteri Beach. The waka, albeit modern and made from fibreglass, follows the same main principle from our past: teamwork. Soar across the bay, absorbing the scenery while learning about local heritage and Māori traditions.

04 -

-

TUTUKAKA NEW ZEALAND

SIMPLY AWESOME! 26

™

0800 288 882

ARD W

GREEN

AR A ST

aperfectday.co.nz

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

CRAZY NEW CRAZE… RIVER BUGGING! Bay of Plenty

Best described as an inflatable armchair for one person, river bugging allows adventurous types to tear down river rapids in a small inflatable craft – solo. There are no oars involved but webbed gloves help negotiate the bends. If you’re after raw, natural excitement, there’s nothing better than careering down-river like an ecstatic wild salmon. Suitable for beginners upwards, with various levels to choose from, get in touch with riverbug.nz for tour options.

Make a plan

05

TRANSPARENT KAYAKS, Leigh

New Zealand’s first marine reserve lies 90 minutes north of Auckland, nudging a wisp of rock and sand. Under the water, seaweed forests play neighbour to sponge gardens, submerged bedrock and schools of fish.

Officially titled The Cape RodneyOkakari Marine Reserve, it’s locally known as Goat Island. Rent a Clearyak and watch peaceful fish (and if you’re lucky, stingrays too) as they glide beneath your transparent kayak. It’s the fun, drier way to admire the beauty beneath.

07

06

ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS, Kaikōura

The phenomena come thick and fast in Kaikōura. With such a high density of marine animals, kayaking provides superbly close encounters. Rock-basking seals lollop inches from your paddle and dolphins, well-known for their gregarious personalities, practice their flips all day long.

You should also kayak to Hope Springs in Whalers Bay. Here, a nature-made spa pool bubbles unexpectedly in the water, an outcome of the 2016 earthquake which caused air pockets in the seabed to escape.

LIMESTONE KARSTS AND A COFFEE FIX, Raglan

But wait

there’s more

Tauranga: Head to Lake McLaren and navigate narrow streams by kayak to a glowworm grotto.

The Coromandel: Only kayaks (or paddleboards) can squeeze through the tiny entrance to Whenuakura Island/Donut Island. Once inside you’ll find a secret lagoon.

Akaroa: Stand-up paddleboard at night on paddleboards affixed with LED lights, allowing for an illuminated display of the water.

Pancake Rocks, Raglan © Getty Images RIGHT: Kayaking in Doubtful Sound © Rob Suisted

Glide into a secret paradise that Raglan locals have long kept to themselves. Limestone Coast is blessed with private bays and explorable pancake rocks. Hire a kayak and edge your way through passageways barely wider than your whiskers and dip your toes into milky blue water. Go it alone or book a three-hour excursion with Raglan Kayak and Paddleboard; they’ll even throw in a hot coffee midway.

Rotorua: Hold onto your stomach as you plunge down Tutea Falls.

As the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall, the seven-metre drop is a white-water rafting must-do.

Doubtful Sound: Embark on a two-day camping and kayaking adventure and live in nature for an entire 48 hours.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

27

ADD A CRUISE TO YOUR ROADTRIP

Save 10% on fares with your AA Membership.

Book online now. T&Cs apply.

greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/AA 28

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Make a plan

What to pack Driver essentials: driver licence, AA Membership card, prescription and/or sunglasses, mobile phone.

In-car comfort: CDs/ music, snacks, water.

In-car practicalities: phone charger, maps and guides, first aid kit, tissues, coins for honesty box purchases.

Break essentials: walking shoes, sun hats, sunblock, wind jacket, camera, picnic basket, thermos and rug.

Stop off in Tāwharanui Regional Park, Auckland • TOP RIGHT: Taking a photo LOWER RIGHT: Picnic in the outdoors. ALL IMAGES: © Auckland Unlimited

A

that intriguing museum you’ve always meant to stop at. Then refer to that list as you make your packing list: togs, towels, walking shoes, fishing kit etc.

First items: pen and paper.

Lists are good. Visualise the journey and note all the activities you plan to include on your road trip such as swimming, walking, picnicking, fishing off that little wharf at the end of the beach, checking out

You’re in a car, right? So no worries about excess weight.

Pack lots. Take walking poles, binoculars, board games, a chilly bin. Take lots of clothing, lots of layers. Pop a beanie and a pair of gloves in, why not?

It’s tempting to imagine your road trip will be enjoyed under cloudless blue skies but – hello, this is New Zealand. Pack rain coats, umbrellas, gumboots.

ll the big decisions are made. You’ve done your roadie research, you know where and when you’re going, who you’re taking and how you’re travelling. Ready to go!

Not quite. You need to pack and you need to pack well.

Overnight: clothes, toiletries and medications, obviously – but also consider taking several books, a pack of cards, a torch, an astronomy guide, Bluetooth speakers, a cosy blanket and outdoor cushions.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

29

72

hours

30

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

72 hours Queenstown © Adobe Stock

Upcoming city trip? Spent all of your time packing, none of it planning?

Here, have an itinerary-to-go on us.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

31

72

HOURS IN CHRISTCHURCH

From destruction comes creation and nowhere is this more evident than Christchurch. If you’ve come for the weekend, buckle up.

This city’s got game.

SALT District, Christchurch © Miles Holden

FRIDAY Christchurch is the master of reinvention and The BOXed Quarter is just one pocket that’s had an overhaul. An inspiring mix of spick and span, pop into Engine Coffee Brewers for a caffeine fix and then mosey between art spaces and music studios.

From here it’s just a three-minute walk to SALT, another gentrified district that combines heritage buildings with repurposed shipping containers and a heavy dose of street art. Grittier than 32

the city’s core, obscure shops and thrift stores abound. Get lost for a while and then find a seat at Unknown Chapter for brunch.

A brisk walk will get you from SALT to Sydenham in 20 minutes, but you’ll want to stop at The Welder en route for a spot of R&R. This former warehouse is now a precinct of white walls and airy green spaces with several businesses and dining nooks sharing a courtyard. Pop upstairs for a massage and yoga classes.

Time for a late lunch, don’t you think? Continue walking south for 15 minutes and you’ll reach

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Sydenham. Housed in an old glass factory, Grater Goods comes highly recommended for its vegan menu and industrial décor. Next door is Junk & Disorderly, a charming emporium of curios and nearby there’s The National, a space that showcases superb jewellery in an art gallery setting.

Return to BOXed Quarter for dinner this evening: every world cuisine is on the menu. Then polish the night off with a tipple at Pink Lady, one of only a few places in Christchurch with a rooftop bar.

72 hours

SUNDAY Riccarton Sunday Market is the country’s longest running outdoor market. A seven-minute drive from the CBD, this trove of local wares, food and coffee convenes under a canopy of trees. Things kick off at 9am so it’s the perfect choice for a lazy Sunday start and an easy breakfast. Ample free parking is a bonus.

Punting along Avon River, Christchurch © ChristchurchNZ BELOW: Universo, Christchurch Art Gallery © Nancy Zhou

SATURDAY Stomachs are satisfied at the Riverside Market. Flanking the Avon River, this multi-storey emporium imitates the bustling indoor markets of Europe. With an atmosphere as potent as the delicious smells (think lemondrenched crepes and freshly baked bread), there are over 30 food stores, live music and adjoining boutique shops. Come for breakfast, stay for lunch and if you’re self-catering, stock up for dinner.

Christchurch Arts Centre is a 10-minute walk from Riverside Market. Calling it a centre is somewhat an understatement; with 23 heritage buildings packed

with shops, restaurants and art, it’s more of a neighbourhood.

Explore the Central Art Gallery, chat with in-residence creatives, grab a bite and check out the art deco cinema.

From The Arts Centre, you’re five minutes on foot from punting on the Avon River, so why not enjoy a leisurely 30-minute jaunt down the city’s premier waterway.

Afterwards, take the car (or an Uber) and head 20 minutes east to New Brighton Beach. The He Puna Taimoana hot pools are a must-do in this bonny seaside suburb, with five heated pools, plunge pool, sauna and beachside views.

Once you’re appropriately water wrinkled, dry off and find a fish and chip shop along the New Brighton prom. Grab a scoop and take it down to the 300-metrelong pier for a cheap dinner with million-dollar views. For a nightcap, head back to the city for a dram of whisky at The Last Word. This distinguished drinking lounge is a New Regent Street favourite.

Take SH 76 from Riccarton to Bridle Path Road; your gateway to the Christchurch gondola. Soar to the top of Port Hills in a four-seater cable car, enjoying 360-degree views of Christchurch and Lyttelton Harbour as you go. At the summit, the Time Tunnel details the area’s history and if the panorama makes you peckish, there’s a small café, too.

Back at sea level, take the pleasant 15-minute coastal drive to Sumner Beach. This cosy seaside village is cradled within a dormant volcano and has been a popular beach resort since the 19th century. Stroll along the esplanade that runs from Sumner to Scarborough Beach.

In summer, the latter provides one of the safest swimming beaches in Christchurch. Scramble to the summit of Cave Rock, known in Māori as Tuawera, and explore inside. Come dusk, dine at The Beach restaurant and bar. Straddling the sand with an outdoor deck and ocean views, the seafood is sensational – and served with a fresh sea breeze.

It’s time to wind up the weekend and return to central Christchurch.

From Sumner it’s a 20-minute drive back to the city.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

33

72

HOURS IN THE QUEENSTOWN REGION

The nation’s poster boy if ever we saw one, Queenstown is a compulsive peoplepleaser. Always fun, habitually fabulous.

Start your weekend here and it’ll seduce you for a lifetime...

FRIDAY Wake languidly and stroll into central Queenstown for brunch by the wharf. Several bustling establishments are enveloped by mountain views and boast alfresco tables spilling onto the street.

Queenstown is wonderfully compact and strolling from the wharf to the base of the gondola will only take 10 minutes.

Adjacent to Skyline Gondola is Kiwi Birdlife Park, a five-acre wildlife sanctuary that protects and promotes native wildlife via nocturnal kiwi houses and an onsite Honey Bee Centre.

ABOVE: Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown © Adobe Stock

34

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

From here you can ascend the slopes of Bob’s Peak by gondola or hike one hour to the top via the Tiki Trail. Short but steep, it’s worth it for the big scenic reveal.

Make the most of Bob’s Peak, whether that be lunching at Market Kitchen Café, or conquering the luge, a bungy jump or zipline. As the morning slips into afternoon, head back down and drive to Frankton, 10 minutes from central Queenstown.

Frankton’s Country Lane is a charming, country-style community where rustic farm buildings now host local start-ups.

Discover The Buzzstop Honey Centre, a wine vendor, florist, bespoke furniture and a trio of boutique stores in The Barn. Set in a peaceful courtyard, grab a beanbag and linger over coffee.

Don’t miss Bright Ink, a delightful second-hand bookshop housed in a van.

From Country Lane, you can embark on a three hour ‘Rideto-the-sky’ guided e-bike tour.

Powering 800 metres above sea level, hit turbo and drink up the best of Queenstown’s views by peddling to the top of Grant Peak.

Don’t worry if you return tired to the bone, Country Lane’s newly installed cabins now offer gorgeous overnight stays. As for dinner, it’s just a seven-minute drive to the Wakatipu Grill at Hilton Hotel, complete with Pinot Pit, an outdoor fireplace overlooking Lake Wakatipu.

72 hours

Queenstown

WE GO FURTHER SO YOU SEE MORE. Ask about our wine & & cheese upgrade!

Milford Sound

no one else comes close.

Cruise on the original Milford Sound Red Boats. Locally owned and operated with over 60 years guiding tours in Fiordland.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

35

SATURDAY Rise and shine for Arrowtown, a charming gold-rush village beside Arrow River, just 15 minutes from Frankton. Modern influences are yet to infiltrate these parts and walking the main heritage street is to step back in time.

Pick up pastries from Arrowtown Bakery, devour beside the river and then walk Bush Creek Trail.

This one-hour jaunt winds gently along the banks of the creek, past lingering traces of 19th century Chinese miners and remnants of an outdoor ice rink. Return by retracing your steps.

From Arrowtown, the Bannockburn region is 40 minutes south-east. Peppered with world-famous vineyards, we 36

recommend Akarua Winery for its cellar door and slick outdoor setting, the restaurant at Mt Difficulty for exceptional views or, if you’d like to throw a wild card into the mix, visit Quartz Reef Wines. Lesser-known and far from flash, what Quartz Reef lacks in aesthetics it makes up for in flavour. The surroundings are modest, but the pinot noir is phenomenal and their sparkling wine has a stellar reputation.

With a boot full of clinking bottles, it’s onwards to Wānaka. Polish off the afternoon with a lakeside walk, taking a compulsory snap of ‘That Wānaka Tree’ and then spend some time at The Precinct.

This industrial multi-storey complex is housed in a former 1970s police station and boasts

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

a stylish community of high-end shops. Browse the boutique wares and stop for a drink at Wee Tart Coffee Shop and Bar. Open until 10pm, bask in its whitewashed tranquillity while enjoying hot dogs and fried chicken in the rooftop garden.

Rest your head in Wānaka tonight. For something different, Oasis Wānaka offer luxurious yurt stays with cosy wood burners and hot tubs.

LEFT: Arrowtown Chinese Settlement © Adobe Stock TOP RIGHT: Dish at Akarua Winery © Akarua Winery LOWER RIGHT: Wānaka Tree © Adobe Stock

72 hours

SUNDAY Part of the Wānaka Hotel on Ardmore Street, Scroggin is an inviting hot-spot for breakfast.

With views over the gardens and lake, its Scandi-style interior will draw you in.

Make the most of your morning in Wānaka by perusing the town’s independent stores such as The Next Chapter bookshop. By lunchtime you’ll be ready to swing

by Ground Up brewery. Now making up to twenty tap beers, nosey around the brewery and knock back a beer on the deck.

Next on the agenda is Cardrona Valley. Nestled between Queenstown and Wānaka, this dazzling stretch of land is accessed via a spectacular drive over the Crown Range, 20 minutes from Wānaka.

The historic Cardrona Hotel – defined by its vintage Chrysler stationed outside – serves an excellent pub lunch and the beer garden is superb. Right opposite is The Junction. Inside a tiny historic building exists a fascinating emporium of

treasures. It may be small, but you could easily get lost in its wares.

Drive (or walk) two minutes down the road to Cardrona Distillery and enhance your appreciation for refined single malt whisky with a 75-minute Classic Tour.

Next, from the pure alpine water used to make Cardrona whisky, to the mountain range it runs off, experience Cardrona’s rugged high country on horseback or quad bike. Located next door

to the distillery, excursions are fully guided and while the horse rides involve river crossings and canters, the quad bikes access alpine terrain only reachable by a grissly motor. The views are exceptional whichever means you choose.

Wrap the weekend up with one last night in the valley. Cardrona Hotel offers everything from modern standard rooms to spacious family villas.

TOP: Exterior of Cardrona Hotel © Cardrona Hotel LEFT: Whisky at Cardrona Distillery © Miles Holden RIGHT: Lamb salad at Cardrona Hotel © Cardrona Hotel

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

37

Dangerously attractive, find us a visitor who hasn’t succumbed to our capital’s charms… and we’ll show you a liar! A city that’s easy to adore, a weekend in Wellington leaves punters wanting more.

FRIDAY Start the day the Wellington way with a thick slab of toast from Fix and Fogg. Centrally located on Hannahs Laneway, this Wellington-born success story specialises in peanut butter which they slather and serve from a hole-in-the-wall. Once the clock hits 10am, neighbouring Wellington Chocolate Factory opens for tours. Watch the entire bean-to-bar process or sit and sip a decadent hot chocolate.

It’ll take a mere 15 minutes to walk to Clyde Quay Wharf from Hannahs Laneway, where you can rent a charming three or sixseater ‘croc-bike’ and take it for a spin along Oriental Bay; easily 38

72

HOURS IN WELLINGTON

one of the prettiest sea-gazing esplanades in the country. Upon returning your bike, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is within eyeshot; New Zealand’s world-famous national museum has an exhibit to fascinate every visitor.

After lunch, hit the shops on Lambton Quay or take the Cable Car into the hills of Kelburn for impressive views, the Botanic Garden, Cable Car Museum and Space Place Observatory.

Come evening, enjoy a pleasurable dawdle down Cuba Street, packed with bohemian boutiques and a wealth of dining options. For an aperitif (or night cap) try the mysterious Night

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

PSST! Nothing in this itinerary requires a car. Go and explore by the power of public transport and your mighty two feet!

Flower. Somewhat a hidden gem, peek between Cuba Street’s 1154 Pastaria and The Rogue & Vagabond to find it. The cocktails are a favourite amongst local celebs.

72 hours BELOW: Cable Car, Wellington © Positively Wellington RIGHT: Escarpment Track, Paekākāriki © WellingtonNZ BOTTOM: Cuba St Rainbow Crossing © Celeste Fontein

SATURDAY Wake early and catch the Kāpiti Line train from Wellington Station, arriving in Paekakariki 45 minutes later. This morning you can experience a small part of the Te Araroa walking trail, which runs the length of New Zealand, by hiking the three to four-hour Escarpment Track from Paekākāriki to Pukerua Bay. The path, which straddles sheer cliff side above startling Kāpiti coastline is an exhilarating mix of swingbridges and snaking staircase.

Once in Pukerua Bay, tuck into a classic Kiwi pie from Greedy and

Co, the bay’s charming café-in-acaravan, before jumping back on the train for a 15-minute scoot south from Pukerua to Porirua.

Home to New Zealand’s first McDonald’s, these days Porirua offers more than just a Big Mac. Nip into Pātaka Art + Museum for Māori artwork and then the quirkier New Zealand Police College Museum which shares a surprisingly appealing mix of cop cars and crime stories. Stick around for sunset – a highlight in these parts – and dine at one of Porirua’s many establishments before riding the rail back to Wellington.

Did you know?

Wellington has replaced a handful of its traditional green men at pedestrian crossings with brilliant new figures. These include Carmen Rupe, New Zealand’s most famous drag queen, woman’s suffrage leader, Kate Sheppard, a soldier, haka performers and more.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

39

SUNDAY Wellington’s longest running market, the Harbourside Market pops up every Sunday between 7.30am and 2pm on the corner of Cable Street and Barnett Street, three minutes on foot from Te Papa Tongarewa. With produce straight out of Wellington soil and a myriad of global flavours, pick up a tasty breakfast and hot coffee to go.

Wellington Cafés & Bars Seashore Cabaret, Petone: Start your day on a sunny balcony with a freshly squeezed OJ. This retro café boasts one of the best views of Wellington city.

Maranui Café: Built in 1911, a 2009 fire almost destroyed the Maranui Surf Life Saving Club but it has since been restored into a beachfronting café. Enjoy far-reaching views over Lyall Bay.

Dirty Little Secret: A rough and ready lil' hangout with a rooftop bar that is particularly attractive in summer. Street art smears the walls from within a tangle of cool shipping containers.

Little Beer Quarter: Known as LBQ to its fans, this atmospheric beer bar is home to 14 hand-pumped tap beers and over 100 global beer variants in the fridge.

Hanging Ditch: Hidden away in the corner of Hannahs Laneway. Shelves are shunned here. Instead, liquor bottles are suspended by bungees and bar staff grab them down to make cocktails.

40

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

The rest of the day should be spent at Wellington’s muchlauded creative studio: Weta Workshop, famed for creating sensational costumes and props for Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, District 9 and Mad Max. Take a tour to see various movie memorabilia or experience a hands-on afternoon of creativity with a bespoke Weta Workshop. Options include clay modelling, special effect make-up and leather work, all under the guidance of a skilled Weta technician. Many tours include return transfers from the Wellington city i-SITE. Alas, it’s your last night in the capital. We know – you don’t want to leave. Appease your tantrums at Noble Rot Wine Bar. Elegant and modern, with over 500 wines on the menu, treat yourself to a five or six-course degustation menu with matching wines.

LEFT: Beervana event, Wellington © Positively Wellington TOP: Weta Workshop, Wellngton © Weta Workshop

72 hours

Road trip tips

Car games ‘Eye spy with my little eye, something beginning with…’ An easy-to-learn classic for the whole family.

Car colours: Everyone on board chooses a colour and proceeds to count all the cars of that colour, until the next stop.

Akaroa lighthouse, Canterbury © Adobe Stock RIGHT: Kids sitting in the van © Getty Images

B

e spontaneous.

While the plan may involve going from A to B, why not take that back road or explore the side roads instead of taking a direct route?

Drive to the conditions, don’t be in a rush, and allow for plenty of stops along the way.

Kids in the car? Think about playing some car games and make a point of stopping to let them stretch their legs. New Zealand has plenty of quality,

easily accessible playgrounds; a run on a beach will help everyone enjoy the journey more.

Pack snacks. With or without hungry children in the car, it’s a good idea to have some food and bottled water to keep the driver’s energy levels up.

Do your research. Pick up maps and guides from an AA Centre and check out itinerary ideas online. While you’re at it, jump on www.aa.co.nz/travel/, and book your accommodation.

Memory game: Start with: ‘I’m going on a picnic and I’m taking an apple’. The next player repeats it and adds a food beginning with a b. ‘I’m going on a picnic and I’m taking an apple and a banana…’ and so on, through the alphabet.

20 Questions: Someone thinks of a thing, person or place. Everyone else tries to guess what it is, by asking up to 20 questions answerable by yes or no. If your answer is yes, you ask another question. Whoever guesses is the winner and starts the next round.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

41

Make it

special Every trip should be full of those moments when you steal a look at one another and smile.

42

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Make it special Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools, Canterbury © Natasha Shearer

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

43

Be well.

When you need to escape from the stresses of life – retreat, retreat, retreat!

Yoga • RIGHT: Glamping in a teepee. BOTH © Auckland Unlimited

WOMEN’S RETREAT Te Wahi Ora, Piha, North Island

Our coastline is never too far away, so it’s easy to forget just how restorative the ocean can be. Te Wahi Ora is a beach-fronting retreat run by women, for women. Modest rather than flashy, relaxation is achieved by rest: by inhaling sea air and falling asleep to the sound of waves. Enjoy massage, wholesome food and selective counselling. The experience is welcoming yet effortless, with the beach just a skip away and the rare opportunity to do as much or as little as you like.

SILENT MEDITATION Dhamma Medini, Auckland, North Island

One hour north of Auckland but in some ways, in another dimension altogether, Dhamma Medini teaches Vipassana meditation over the course of ten, silent days. Regarded as one of India’s most ancient, albeit challenging methods of selfobservation, the technique is taught step-by-step, with food and accommodation included.

44

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

YOGA Anahata Yoga Retreat, Tākaka, South Island

Cradled in the forest with views across Golden Bay in Nelson Tasman, here guests stay in straw bale yurts, dorms and cottages. It’s totally off-grid so embrace the back-to-nature lifestyle and ditch the digital enablers (we’re talking smartphones).

Replace your screen time with sauna sessions, yoga workshops and a weekly fire ceremony.

HOLISTIC Cape South, Hawke's Bay, North Island Sip on tea made with herbs from the garden before an hour-long hot-stone massage. Perhaps you've always been intrigued by reiki or reflexology? Or you'd like to sit down with a nutritionist and discuss your diet. At Cape South, there’s on-site apothecary, a yoga studio, infrared sauna and an outdoor swimming pool. The feel-good experiences stretch to the aesthetics, too: the homestead is French colonial in style and feels perfectly homely.

Make it special

IN THE TREES Rainforest Retreat, Franz Josef, South Island

A retreat that will satisfy both the savers and those who like to splurge, accommodation here ranges from deluxe tree houses to campervan sites. The former boast private jacuzzis amongst the forest canopy.

A communal sauna, spa pool and barbecue area is available to all.

WALLET-FRIENDLY Solscape, Raglan, North Island

An eco-retreat that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, Solscape teeters on a cliff side overlooking the ocean and offers a handful of seriously cool glamping options, including mud huts, teepees and a caboose. Simple and sustainable, there's a plant-based café on-site with meditation and yoga lessons both morning and afternoon.

LUXURIOUS The Lindis, Otago, South Island One night at The Lindis costs well over $2000, but it does deserve every superlative bestowed upon it. Set in 6000 acres of high country, the lodge is cut into a hillside, leaving the South Island wilderness virtually untouched. Luxuries include an exceptional wine cellar, outdoor bathtubs and floor-to-ceiling windows with staggering views.

SURF INSPIRED Surf ‘n’ Stay, Whangamata, North Island

Yoga in the morning and hammocks to fall into after a full day of surfing, this surf retreat accommodates both absolute beginners and those wanting to take their skills to the next level. With all the chilled-out vibes you’d expect, you can meet new people over the dinner table, book in for a post-surf massage or simply crack a cold one and chill out.

HISTORIC. THERAPEUTIC. WORLD-FAMOUS. + 64 7 3 4 8 1 3 2 8 | P OLYN ESI A N SPA .CO.N Z

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

45

I

m

c

r e C a e

Manuka honey bee, Te Puke © Bay of Plenty Tourism

for every Calendar Month

JANUARY Deja Moo, Ōamaru Let’s gloss over the wacky yet wonderful flavours such as multicoloured unicorn ice cream and get straight to the point: Deja Moo makes ice lollies for dogs.

With pooch-preferred creations like seaweed and green-lipped mussel, they’re soy-based and healthy. So good, in fact, owner Shaun Osbourne regularly finds a local lolly-loving dog waiting patiently at his door.

Crème de la ice crème: Hoomans can lock lips with sweeter flavours such as Pineapple Lumps.

MARCH

FEBRUARY

Patti’s & Cream, Dunedin Betty is a 1984 Bedford truck, food wagon and the fourwheeled brainchild of Olive Tabor, an ice cream-lover turned creator. Based in Dunedin, Olive specialises in hand-made boutique flavours such as candied pear and blue cheese, as well as ‘London Fog’, an Earl Grey and vanilla hybrid. Track down the truck or head to the new scoop shop on Eglinton Road.

Rush Munro, Hastings A Hastings icon, Frederick Rush Munro dished out his first ice cream in 1926 and opened the Heretaunga Gardens in 1931. His prized roses and ponds can still be enjoyed at Rush Munro’s IceCream Gardens. It’s an absolute must to come here when visiting Hastings, with the queue frequently spilling out onto the street.

Crème de la ice crème: Traditional ice cream sundaes made and presented the oldfashioned way.

Crème de la ice crème: One online reviewer described Olive’s mint choc chip as ‘life changing’.

LEFT: Ice cream © Louis Hansel • CENTRE: Patti’s & Cream, Dunedin © Hayden Parsons • RIGHT: Eating ice cream © Auckland Unlimited

46

We Love You New Zealand! Spring Spring2021 2021

Make it special

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

The Gelato Lab, Christchurch Science and sorbet fuse together like frenzied atoms at Gelato Lab. Run by Martina, Italian by birth and Pippa, who studied in Italy, these two whizz kids use a spatula rather than a scoop (an Italian method). Pippa is a research scientist by day and her fondness for a test tube prevails; the menu is designed like a periodic table.

Poppy’s Café, Kaikōura This is the quintessential Kiwi café with an ice cream counter.

There’s something seriously delightful in simple pleasures such as these and we do them so well in Aotearoa. Poppy’s ice cream is churned entirely on site using a traditional method, so the flavours are just as rich as decades prior.

Pokeno Ice Cream and Coffee Shop, Pokeno If you like your ice cream large, Pokeno won’t disappoint. In fact, small isn’t even in the vocabulary.

As your quintessential Tip Top hangout, this curbside store serves a 12-scoop cone for an unbelievable $14. If you must go ‘small’, there is a positively minuscule seven scoop option.

Crème de la ice crème: Trust those who descend on Poppy’s every weekend – the locals! They say the hokey-pokey is sensational.

Crème de la ice crème: 12 scoops! ‘Nuff said.

Crème de la ice crème: Miniature cones that are perfect for kids with eyes bigger than their bellies. I.E. All of them!

JULY LUX Light Festival, Wellington © Positively Wellington

AUGUST Giapo, Auckland If you haven’t heard about Giapo’s world-famous ‘squid’ ice cream, you must’ve been hiding under that proverbial rock again. This is a year-round ice cream experience with seasonal concoctions like Halloween Pumpkin Pecan Pie and a winter inspired steamed pudding ice cream.

Crème de la ice crème: ‘The Selfie Cone’, complete with edible picture frame.

Selfie cone, Giapo, Auckland © Davide Zerilli

Gelissimo, Wellington Come winter, Wellington hosts the LUX Light Festival, a free public event that casts the capital in surreal light sculptures. And how does a local ice cream parlour respond to such a spectacle? Why, create glow-in-the-dark ice cream of course.

for 9 4 p t See e abou mor

po a i G

Crème de la ice crème: Damson Plum, made with Hawke’s Bay plums gets our vote.

We WeLove LoveYou YouNew NewZealand!

Zealand! Spring 2021

47

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

Luna’s Gelateria, Taupō © David Jones

Duck Island, Hamilton One of New Zealand’s original innovators of daring flavours, Duck Island has taken up residence in Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton, but the latter is its birthplace. We all love vanilla but long gone are the days where banana choc chip was considered revolutionary. Duck Island dabble in Matcha strawberry milk crumb and white chocolate with miso, amongst other beautifully batty combos.

Crème de la ice crème: For all the fairy bread aficionados out there, here it exists in ice cream form.

Luna’s Gelateria, Taupō Cool lakeside vibes are maximised at Luna’s Gelateria. Taupō’s tastiest little secret boasts fruit sorbetto made with water for those needing dairy free or vegan options, as well as traditional milkbased gelato spilling from a series of colourful tubs.

Crème de la ice crème: Make like a true Kiwi and tuck into feijoa sorbetto.

LEFT: Chocolate & berry ice creams © Duck Island

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Black Peak, Wānaka Come summertime, central Otago stone fruit is in a class of its own. At Black Peak in Wānaka, the freshly made ice cream is whipped up with orchard delicacies such as cherries, peaches and plums. It doesn’t stop at fruit either; other heavenly tastes include Kiwi jelly tip, whisky and pavlova.

Strawberries © Getty Images

Crème de la ice crème: Generous scoops of goodie gum drops never disappoints.

Strawberry fields, Kumeū Heading back from Muriwai or Bethells Beach on Auckland’s western shores? Find refreshment in Kumeū, home to ample PYO strawberry fields. Prime strawberry season falls between December and January, when home-made ice cream stalls pop up with contagious frequency.

© Keriliwi

Yumm y

!

48

We Love You New Zealand! Spring Spring2021 2021

Crème de la ice crème: Phil Greig Strawberry Gardens has a humongous real fruit ice cream called ‘the Mega’.

Make it special

MEET A LOCAL:

Giapo Grazioli Meet Giapo Grazioli, head chef of Giapo ice cream, Auckland

At the start of each work day, after my coffee, I spend an hour drawing (dreaming) ice creams.

This is my most productive time, when I visualise things that do not exist yet. The favourite part of my work day is when I see that what we are doing is meaningful to other people and motivate them to do more or do it differently.

ABOVE: Doughnu ice cream, Giapo, Auckland Giapo Grazioli. BOTH: © Davide Zerilli

My favourite way to spend a day off is playing basketball. I love basketball.

“

“M

y name is Giapo Grazioli, and I am the head chef of Giapo ice cream. My work focuses on changing how people experience ice cream through art, science and technology. I have been doing it for 14 years.

I graduated in Applied Science at AUT and I live in Mission Bay in Auckland with my wife Annarosa and my two children, Francesca and Pasquale.

To be honest, I don’t have a particular highlight in my career that I am mostly proud of. I could say an award, the many acknowledgements from other colleagues, the thousands of positive reviews or a celebrity coming to visit us... but I am mostly proud of my team who show up when it counts, and is there to make it happen. I owe it all to them. They put the hard work in.

My favourite place to take a Kiwi holiday is Waihi Beach; it is stunning and our children love playing on the beach there.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

49

CLIFF BLUFF BATHS Sitting 30 minutes north of Nelson, guests must cross the golden ‘drawbridge’ to access Pepin Island, a working sheep farm off Cable Bay. Aside from the livestock, you get 518 hectares to yourself, and three gorgeous huts with secret paths that drop into hidden beaches.

The piece de resistance? Curvy porcelain bathtubs balancing on the cusp of a dramatic cliff bluff.

Suds up Fancy a soak? These seven outdoor bathtubs will make you ooh and ahh.

50

IGLOO-INSPIRED Part transparent igloo, part hut, Te Tuhi Dome near Taupō affords uninterrupted Milky Way views from inside a huge perspex bubble. Perched on hillside with nothing but farmland in eyeshot, the only place you’ll find a better panorama is from the outdoor tub, which has wheels for moving from one jaw-dropping viewpoint to the next.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

TUBS ON A TRAIN Up until it crashed in 1963, Te Pahika was a 1900s train carriage.

These days it offers a unique accommodation experience, complete with outdoor bathtub.

Just 15 minutes from Greymouth, the four-acre property ensures your stationary train experience feels a million miles from anywhere.

BATHING IN BEAUTY Overlooking the wild black sands of Karioitahi Beach and only an hour’s drive from Auckland, Castaways have bathtubs embedded deeply into the ground, on a cliff edge overlooking raging waves.

LEFT: Outdoor bath on Kariotahi Beach, Auckland © Auckland Unlimited ABOVE: Sheep, rural New Zealand © AATP

Make it special

ABOVE: Te Tuhi Dome, Taupō © Ken Kerins TOP LEFT: Welcome Rock Trails outdoor tub, Southland LEFT: Cycling in the Welcome Rock Trails, Southland BOTH: © Videocopter.nz

SOAK LIKE A SHEPHERD Welcome Rock Trails are a privately owned scribble of hand-built biking and hiking tracks etched into Otago high country. Along the route, Mud Hut is made from basic sod mud bricks and Slate Hut is perched on the plateau ridgeline at 1000 metres. Both huts offer the type of remoteness that can make you feel giddy, while soaking up impressive mountain views from their no-fills bathtubs.

ROMANTIC OUTDOOR BATHS At the Green Rabbit shack in Northland, you’re more likely to see bunnies than beings.

Superbly remote, with nothing but far-reaching tussock views, between the hammock and the hares, there’s a romantic outdoor bath with tealights. We must also mention the bijou wood burner and vintage record player, because they’re lovely, too.

BUBBLE BATHS IN THE SKY Get your suds as fluffy as the clouds that float beneath you.

Bird’s Eye View Lodge sits at the very top of the Hunter Hills, often above the cloud line. Located 20 minutes from Timaru, you’ll need Gerry, your host, to drop you off at the summit via a 30-minute uphill jaunt in his 4WD. The bath, much like the hut, is rustic, but the views are priceless.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

51

That natural

feeling

Otumuheke Stream, Taupō © Joel McDowell

Mother Nature made a giant spa complex and she called it Aotearoa. Come and try one of her lesserknown natural hot pools.

52

SECRET HOT POOLS: Rotorua

Rotorua is all about thermal water, but few know that Lake Tarawera’s walking trail boasts more than what’s in the guidebooks. Starting from Te Wairoa car park, the 5km track conceals Wairua Stream Hot Pools, an all-natural lagoon hidden in thick bush. There are no signposts, but approximately 2.5 hours into the hike you’ll reach Te Wairua Stream Amenity.

Look for a short detour; foliage often camouflages the path entrance but forge ahead and you’ll find a secluded hot pool.

From here, it’s downhill to Hot Water Beach where you can have a secondary soak on the edges of Lake Tarawera.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

RIVER REJUVENATION: Taupō

The cat’s been out of the bag about Spa Thermal Park for a while; now its popularity has led to an upgrade.

Situated in a pocket where the freshwater Waikato River meets the steaming hot Otumuheke Stream, the water is warm and mineralrich. Bathe under the waterfall and then de-stress in its natural rock pool. While the recent regeneration has brought new bathrooms, a changing room and coffee shack, the vicinity remains pleasantly rough-hewn.

Make it special LEFT: Kāwhia, Waikato © Getty Images BELOW: St James Cycle Trail © Bevan Triebels

HOT OFF THE ROCKS: Hanmer Springs

NOT THAT HOT WATER BEACH: Kāwhia At low tide (and approximately two hours either side) make tracks to Ocean Beach in Kāwhia. Negotiate the dunes and clamber down onto the sand. Here, much like The Coromandel, you can dig a hole and wait for a rush of geothermal water to fill your DIY hot tub. The hordes have all raced to the east coast, so you can enjoy this slice of serenity undisturbed.

What better way to bolster your next bike ride than with a heavenly dip in nature’s very own hot pools? Near Hanmer Springs, two pools gargle in the tussock. Known as Cow Stream Hot Springs, they’re fashioned out of rocks that have trapped the brook’s natural bubbles.

It’s heaven on earth. The pools are found just off the Edwards Valley Track, or should you be tackling the St James Cycle Trail, a 10-minute detour off the main route between Scotties Hut and St James Homestead. You can also 4WD there but it’s nowhere near as rewarding.

HOT AT BOTH ENDS: Napier Mangatutu Hot Springs are just the beginning.

Located in Kaweka Forest Park, a narrow, 55km-long road leads to Puketitiri before a 25km hurtle along the wild, rocky and very gravelly Makahu Road. Eventually a little campsite appears and it’s here the Mangatutu Springs exist: a set of small but inviting wooden tubs fed by natural spring water. If you hike an additional two hours to DOC’s Te Puia Hut (and then follow the path for a further 30 minutes), Mangatainoka Hot Springs will appear out of the foliage, featuring sunken tubs and solar fairy lights.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

53

Man-made mentionables Budget Friendly – The Mount Hot Pools, Mt Maunganui Two huge communal pools offer plenty of space and varying temperatures and there are kids’ pools and jacuzzis, too.

Refurbed in April 2021.

STARLIT POOLS: Southern Alps

For hardcore spa seekers, the Welcome Flat hot pool is found at the end of a demanding seven-hour hike. The Copland Track is 17km of spectacular forest, river and mountain scenery, culminating in the Welcome Flat Hut, complete with a large reedframed lagoon and stunning mountain views. Maintained by DOC, this is a five-star quality spa for zero dollar. Sitting just two minutes from the hut, you can skip to and from in your togs, and come nightfall, it twinkles under the stars.

Everyday Necessity – Ngāwhā Springs, Northland Simple and traditional, natural thermal water bubbles from the earth into 16 geothermal pools. Following a $4.3 million refresh in 2020, there are now an additional eight private pools.

Weekend Treat – Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa Relax in open-air thermal pools, escape to the spa and glide down the lazy river. When excitement beckons, fling yourself down SuperBowl waterslides and winding hydroslides.

Pushing The Boat Out – The Lost Spring, Whitianga Open day and night, with grottos, gardens and cocktails delivered poolside, holiday mode kicks in immediately.

ABOVE: The Mount Hot Pools, Mt Maunganui © Bay of Plenty Tourism RIGHT: Spa, Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools © Hanmer Springs Photography Top: Hot Tubs Ōmarama © Tourism Waitaki

54

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Splurge – Hot Tubs Ōmarama Slink into your private outdoor hot tub filled with fresh mountain water and gaze across the lake.

Make it special

There’s a unique atmosphere in Hanmer Springs; a laid-back, relaxed vibe that makes visitors feel like a weight has been lifted from their shoulders.

Just 90 minutes from Christchurch but a world away from the hustle and bustle, this special part of the country is home to some of New Zealand’s most breath-taking scenery.

Get amongst nature and fill your lungs with fresh air, enjoy lazy days in some of the region’s world-class boutique accommodation spots, or treat yourself to a rejuvenating trip to the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa. visithanmersprings.co.nz

HURUNUI, NORTH CANTERBURY HC HST2527

HST2527 Feels More Relaxed Ad_180x250mm_v1.indd 1

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021 28/07/21

55 4:46 PM

Mackinnon Pass toilet, Milford Track © John Strother, www.panafoot.com

LOO WITH A VIEW Around New Zealand in six scenic toilet spots.

LIVERPOOL HUT, Mt Aspiring National Park

There are more popular huts in the park but that’s the beauty of Liverpool Hut; it’s just a little red shack sitting serenely along the six-hour Liverpool Track.

The views are not so little.

Perched on the throne on the mountainside above the almighty Matukituki Valley, you’re dwarfed by a gigantic all-encompassing landscape.

MACKINNON PASS, Milford Track

The MacKinnon Pass toilet on the Milford Track has a large rectangular window from where you can gawk at snow-capped mountain ranges hovering in a blanket of clouds.

Get there: Part of the 53.5 km/ four-day Milford Track Great Walk.

The Mackinnon Pass (and its shelter) is found on day three.

Get there: The Liverpool Track, starting out from Raspberry Creek car park: five to six hours (15km).

56

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

HANGING VALLEY EMERGENCY SHELTER, Fiordland National Park

Craggy mountain spines for as far as the eye can see. This small hut provides respite during your fourday assault of the Kepler Track and its toilet is one of the most dramatic places in New Zealand to spend a penny.

Get there: At 1390 metres – the highest point on the three to fourday Kepler Track and immediately prior to the descent into the Iris Burn on your second day.

Make it special

HIGHLANDS MOTORSPORT PARK, Cromwell

When you’re not whizzing around the track on a go kart or Ferrari 488, you may as well be ‘whizzing’ in one of the race park’s unique toilets. From gold panelled bathrooms to musical urinals, each WC has one-way glass for stunning views of the race-track.

Get there: Book in for a driving experience at Highlands Motorsport Park, just 45 minutes from Queenstown. With fast laps in a Ferrari on the agenda, the excitement will call for a trip to the…

HUNDERTWASSER TOILETS, Kawakawa

World-famous artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser spent his final years in Kawakawa, designing the Hundertwasser toilet block.

The WC showcases his signature psychedelic style, multicoloured tiles and bold jerky shapes.

ABOVE: Hundertwasser Toilets, Kawakawa © NorthlandNZ TOP: Bathrooms at Highlands Motorsport Park, Cromwell © Highlands Motorsport Park RIGHT: Syme Hut, Egmont National Park © DOC / Sean Thompson

Get there: Right in the heart of Kawakawa township. Look out for the striking (and unmissable) Te Hononga – Hundertwasser Memorial Park; the toilets are right next door.

SYME HUT, Egmont National Park

Swing open the door and drink up the view. Syme Hut is at the end of a four-hour uphill grunt, so guests are few and far between.

Directly below you are clouds (and 1950 metres) and directly above you are the steep slopes of Mt Taranaki, so close you can almost touch the scree.

Get there: Departing Dawson’s Falls Visitor Centre, conquer the demanding Fanthams Peak/ Panihati and Syme Hut Track: three to four hours to the top/the hut, another three to four hours back down.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

57

ALL IMAGES: Blake Marshall skiing on The Remarkables © The Remarkables

58

We Love You New Zealand! Spring Spring2021 2021

Make it special

MEET A LOCAL:

Blake Marshall I start each work day with a coffee then head to the bottom of The Remarkables to catch the bus up; on the way I make the most of watching the beautiful sunrises.

Over summer he spends his time in the northern hemisphere competing then comes home for our winter, spending his days teaching the next generation of snowsports athletes at The Remarkables ski area in Queenstown.

The first run of the day is my favourite. Not many people are around, it’s quiet and the best snow is on offer.

The career highlight I’m most proud of is placing third in one of the Freeride World Tour events in Andorra 2020.

Another special result for me is coming first in The Remarkables Freeride competition – this is my home mountain so taking the title here was amazing.

My favourite way to spend a day off is to go skiing at my home resort - The Remarkables!

Where is my favourite place to take a Kiwi holiday? I like to spend my holiday in Queenstown but I live here so I can’t choose that! I would have to say the Coromandel for some sunshine and warm weather.

We WeLove LoveYou YouNew NewZealand!

Zealand! Spring 2021

“

“M

eet Blake Marshall, professional Freeride Skier from Queenstown, currently ranked 9th in the world.

59

Mitre Peak

South Island by photos A picture is worth a thousand words. So we’ll just leave these here to inspire your next South Island trip.

Pancake Rocks LEFT: Pancake Rocks, Punakāiki, West Coast © Getty Images ABOVE: Mitre Peak, Milford Sound © Getty Images

60

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Make it special

Hokitika Gorge

Riverside Market, Christchurch

Alpacas, Banks Peninsula

RIGHT: Riverside Market, Christchurch © Pam Carmichael ABOVE: Alpacas, Banks Peninsula © ChristchurchNZ TOP: Hokitika Gorge, West Coast © West Coast Tourism

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

61

Theatre Royal Hotel, Kumara West Coast © West Coast Wilderness Trail

Kumara Township

Otago University clock tower, Dunedin © Adobe Stock BELOW: Albatross, Otago Peninsula © DunedinNZ

Dunedin

Albatross, Otago Peninsula 62

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Make it special

The Great Journeys of New Zealand combines three iconic scenic train journeys: Northern Explorer, Coastal Pacific, TranzAlpine and Interislander ferries. Each offers a unique experience, but one thing is for certain, expect world-class views, comfortable seats with panoramic windows and much more.

Book online and save 10% off scenic trains with your AA membership. T&Cs apply*.

Book now at

greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/AA

*Normal fare conditions apply. Not available in conjunction with any other offer. Subject to availability. A valid New Zealand AA Membership card in booking name and accompanying photo ID must be shown at check in.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

63

Weekends to

remember

Walking in the Bay of Islands © Alistair Guthrie

64

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Weekends to remember

How many travel stories do you have in your collection?

If it’s time to acquire some more, turn the page.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

65

Weekends to remember

Ready for an off-grid adventure, a slice of wilderness and an exotic island all rolled into one? Aotea/ Great Barrier Island is an oasis to rival Rarotonga, and it’s just 40 minutes from Auckland.

4

DAYS IN PARADISE

Mt Heal Hut, Great Barrier Island © Todd Eyre

ESSENTIAL KNOW BEFORE YOU GO • There are many campsites. DOC sites have simple amenities: long-drop toilets, cold outdoor showers and zero cooking facilities.

• Phone signal can be patchy.

• No signal for Google? Grab an island map from Claris Airport.

Or download beforehand.

• There are various car rental companies on the island. Book ahead in summer.

from Claris and leave it with resident rubbish before 8am on Monday. Or drop it off directly at the Claris landfill.

• There are no banks or supermarkets, but local grocery stores are well-stocked and accept cards.

• Electricity is run solely off generators so don’t pack your hairdryer!

• Most things are more expensive than mainland New Zealand.

• Budget for roughly $3.11 per litre for petrol.

• There are no taxis or public transport.

• There are no rubbish bins.

Purchase a council rubbish bag 66

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Getting there • Fly from Auckland Domestic Airport to Claris Airport in 40 minutes.

• Ferry from Auckland Wynyard to Tryphena Wharf in 4.5 hours. Good for foot passengers, cars, push bikes and scooters.

• The ferry and plane arrive and depart at Tryphena and Claris respectively: 17.5km from one another.

• The ferry has a small café and some indoor seating.

On a bluebird day, sit on the bow and look for dolphins.

TRIED-AND-TESTED CAMPING ITINERARY: 4 DAYS/3 NIGHTS

NIGHT

Head to The Currach Irish Pub for an early dinner. Based in Tryphena, you can practically fall from the beach into the beer garden.

Night sky, Great Barrier Island © Ariel Camera Limited

MORNING

Departing central Auckland at 8am, the SeaLink ferry shuttles its passengers to paradise in 4.5 hours, rolling over the turquoise waters of the Hauraki Gulf Marine, gliding past dolphins and the Jurassic-like terrain of Coromandel Peninsula.

Soon enough a hint of Aotea appears on the horizon, growing steadily until the deep hues of the ocean transform into ripples of mint-teal lapping Tryphena Wharf. By 12.40pm, luggage that has been stowed in a separate van (so don’t pack anything you might want on the crossing) is off-loaded, and pre-booked car rentals await retrieval.

NB: You’re on island mode now, so cars are likely left unlocked, windows down and ready to go.

ABOVE: Dolphin, Hauraki Gulf © Auckland Unlimited

NOON

Immediately, you’re in subtropical bliss. The road is narrow and windy from here on in, initially weaving a route away from the wharf in a flurry of verdant flora and flashes of beach peeking through the gaps.

First stop – refreshment! Drive 10 minutes to Tryphena village, snatching glimpses of sugary soft sand as you go. Home to Pa Beach Café, park up for an alfresco lunch by the water.

Around about now the pull of the ocean – in all its sparkling blue glory – proves irresistible. Throw on your togs and walk barefoot across the road to Pa Beach.

Sheltered by coastline, there is little wind and no waves, resulting in a lagoon-like bay licked by golden sand. Perfect for a lazy afternoon of sunbathing and safe swimming.

Come early evening, we suggest making camp at Medlands Beach, one of the more popular campsites on Aotea and favoured for its reliable surf conditions.

The small, gated paddock is located just minutes from silky beach and there’s a tidal stream with surrounding short walks.

TOP TIP: At low tide, a mermaid pool forms around Memory Rock. Look for the large outcrop midway along Medlands Beach and hop in.

Great Barrier Island enjoys almost zero light pollution and was awarded Dark Sky Sanctuary status in 2017. The galaxy-stained night sky is phenomenal. Make the most of it with a Good Heavens stargazing experience. Group tours take place at Medlands Beach, combining thousands of stars, telescope viewings, a knowledgeable guide and a big mug of hot chocolate.

TOP TIP: For private stargazing experiences, the Good Heavens team will come to you. Your location must have a clear view of the sky, with Tryphena, Medlands and Ōkupu highly recommended.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

67

MORNING

Start your day the right way with an early morning swim, surf or stroll at Medlands Beach and then walk to Station Rock Lookout. A short, 30-minute jaunt from the beach itself, the last 170km are steep but the farreaching views are worth every puff. You can reward your hourlong hike with brunch at My Fat Puku in Claris, a 20-minute drive east from Medlands.

Claris is the island’s premier services hub so stock up on provisions and petrol from The Store and Mobil gas station.

There is also a bottle shop.

Leave the car parked and wander to Claris Community Heritage and Arts Village, with its small but delightful art gallery packed with mementoes, and a bijou museum housed in 1922 Gray Cottage. A pleasant, two-minute stroll leads to Claris Airport, past a series of fun, brightly painted rocks hiding in the grass.

TOP: Out to surf, Great Barrier Island © Auckland Unlimited ABOVE: Barbecue sausages © Markus Spiske

68

NOON

While in Claris, hire an electric motorbike from Motubikes and explore the backroads. A full New Zealand driver licence is required but with no pedals, chains or gears, it’s the easiest way to have a windin-your-hair adventure.

For lunch today, drop the bike off in Claris and walk to nearby Swallow, a laidback burger shack. Sit on the grass and tuck into one of their lauded deep-fried mussel burgers.

Back on the road again, drive north from Claris to Awana Bay in 20 minutes. With its enormous campground, epic surf and long sheet of pearlescent sand, a lazy afternoon is on the cards.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

NIGHT

Fire up the barbie for snags and steaks devoured to the soundtrack of Awana’s waves.

NOON

How does an isolated sliver of sand and crystal-clear water sound? Whangapoua Bay and campsite is a 45-minute drive from Kaitoke Springs and seldom busy.

When the tide’s out, the sea is barely visible on the horizon, but the estuary flows temptingly to its edges, perfect for quick dips and a shallow but fast flowing current to float along.

NIGHT

MORNING

Blow out the morning cobwebs on the Windy Canyon walking track from Awana, a 15-minute climb past sheer rock face to a spectacular viewpoint. There are numerous steps to ascend but working up a sweat will serve you well for the next attraction: Kaitoke Hot Springs.

It’s a 12-minute inland drive to access the walkway to Aotea’s all-natural hot spring. Snaking through native bush rustling with fantails, the 30-minute walk is both easy and serene. Soon enough, the trees part and a secret lagoon is revealed, cradled in greenery and brimming with hot, sulphurous water. Relax into New Zealand’s most wallet-friendly spa experience.

Port Fitzroy is located on the northern side of the island, favoured by boaties and home to Akapoua Bay Campsite. There is no beach here, but a small, driftwood-littered bay hosts a scattering of yachts.

Before day’s end, venture to Glenfern Sanctuary, a 15-minute walk from the campsite. Run by a family, this privately owned hideaway is flush with native flora.

Highlights include a swingbridge, duck pond teeming with brown teal ducks and exceptional island views from Sunset Rock.

The birdlife is abundant and you’ll encounter pāteke, kāka and kererū. Entry is free but a donation goes a long way in maintaining this marvel.

LEFT: Kererū / wood pigeon © Shellie Evans / Department of Conservation TOP: Kaitoke Springs, Aotea Track © Todd Eyre

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

69

Great Barrier Island © AA Traveller

ESSENTIAL

CAMPING PACKLIST • Stove and gas/portable barbecue.

• The full camping shebang: utensils, pans, pots, plates etc.

• Washing-up liquid.

• USB car charger – there is no electricity if you’re camping.

• Torch and headlight.

TOP TIp

• Thermals for sleeping. It drops to cool at night even in the height of summer.

The St Johns Op Shop in Claris sells all sorts of cheap cutlery, colanders and homewares – perfect if you forget an essential.

• Solar panel charger.

MORNING

Your ferry departs Tryphena Wharf at 3pm today but that leaves plenty of time for a relaxed morning.

Great Barrier

Roadtrips start with SeaLink

Tramping, fishing, surfing, stargazing – come prepared for everything and pack more into your island adventure.

sealink.co.nz/aatraveller | 0800 732 546 70

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Immediately opposite Akapoua Bay Campsite is Warrens Track, a 10-minute walk to a waterfall, complete with swimming lagoon. After a quick dip, continue along the pathway for a further 50 minutes and you’ll find yourself at Port Fitzroy General Store.

Grab a cold drink and stroll back to camp.

NOON

It’s a one-hour drive back to Tryphena Harbour from Port Fitzroy but a stop en route at Harataonga Bay will allow for some excellent snorkelling right offshore.

As you near Tryphena Wharf for your return ferry to Auckland, don’t miss Shoal Bay Pottery, just minutes from the marina. This small studio is owned by successful artist, Sarah Harrison and her medley of ceramic wares make the perfect departing gift.

Weekends to remember Night sky, Great Barrier Island © Carol Comer Photography

MEET A LOCAL:

Carol Comer Meet Carol Comer, photographer on Great Barrier Island. She takes bespoke Astrophotography Adventures, providing tips on how to shoot the island’s incredible night sky (www.carolcomer.nz)

and beautiful produce made right here on the Island. Visit the galleries and grab yourself a taste of Aotea.

During the warmer months, take an evening walk around Tryphena and you’ll find glowworms tucked up into damp sheltered banks.

For a delightful day trip, hike up our highest peak, Hirakimata/Mt Hobson. The 627 metres can be a little challenging in places but you will be rewarded with the most beautiful scenery via the

dramatic sheer rock faces of Windy Canyon.

Great Barrier Island has the most breathtaking landscapes, amazing bird life, clear turquoise water, pristine secluded white sandy beaches, incredible walking tracks and the darkest black velvet skies with stars scattered like millions of diamonds.

I still pinch myself that our island has so much beauty at every turn.

We WeLove LoveYou YouNew NewZealand!

Zealand! Spring Spring 2021

“

“M

y top mustdo’s for visitors would have to include a magical night-time journey with Good Heavens to discover the beautiful night skies on the first designated Dark Sky Sanctuary Island in the world. No trip to the Barrier is complete without a visit to The Currach Irish Pub in Tryphena. Thursday night is ‘open mic’ night; always lots of criac with the locals. And we have many talented artists

71 71

Hamilton in a

heartbeat

Hamilton Gardens © Camilla Rutherford

Make the most of The Tron in 48 hours. Easily one of the country’s most underrated cities, don’t knock it ‘til you try it.

Saturday MORNING

Punch ‘Lovegrove Lane’ into your maps’ app and follow Google’s lead to one of Hamilton’s nicest laneways. Lovegrove Lane is hidden down a sneaky side street, so you’ll likely get directed to Grey Street.

Look for Subway; Lovegrove is the nearby alleyway with pretty mural graffiti.

Past the florists and yoga studios sits GG’s Café, a beautifully ramshackled coffee spot, adorned with bric-a-brac. Sit at a vintage schoolboy desk and eat the best savoury scone in the city.

Afterward, take a stroll down Grey Street. Saturday hosts pavement plant sellers and some serious treasure can be found in thrift stores and Recycle Boutique. A second coffee enjoyed in the park watching cricketers bowl on the grass isn’t a bad shout either.

72

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

MID MORNING

Time for Hamilton Gardens. Like most of the city’s premier sights, entry is free. We suspect most visitors are so impressed, they drop a few notes at the gift shop or flush the donation box, keeping the gardens shipshape and free of charge.

Scrap any preconceived ideas you have about botanic gardens because this venue dances to its own tune. More amusement park than manicured rose bushes, you enter a labyrinth of themed gardens and curious doorways; courtyards and castles; tea parties and tricks of the eye.

From globally-inspired gardens mimicking India, Italy, England, to vintage Ford cars and blimps intent on taking off, you won’t want to leave, let alone return to your own mediocre backyard. The latest pocket of horticultural magic features giant-sized doors, spades and wheelbarrows. And wait, is that something moving in the trees? You’ll have to wait and see...

Weekends to remember

Grab a drink from Mr Pickles and then depart via Duck Island, the city-born ice creamery with a cult following. Choose your unique scoop (white chocolate miso is suitably obscure) and then branch left out of Riverbank Lane. A small plaza falls away into a leafy stairwell and river-fronting pathway; the perfect place to stroll with your ice cream.

LUNCH

Appetites now rife, whizz across the city to the Jukebox Diner.

Hamilton is relatively large but mercifully compact, so such dashes are achievable. The Jukebox is part of the Classics Museum, an emporium of retro classic cars and vintage petrol pumps. The diner is fittingly 1950s inspired, with red vinyl booths and Elvis on the airwaves. Tuck into burgers with the quintessential thick shake – served in a tall glass and topped with a cherry no less.

A short, four-minute saunter leads to the doors of Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato. Entry is free for something that, once again, overdelivers. Home to 13 galleries, more than 25 exhibitions and a 200-year-old waka taua (war canoe), expect to lose a few hours of your life in here.

EVENING

All that learning makes for a hungry stomach...

Making the most of Waikato produce, Paddock to Plate is an upmarket restaurant just two minutes on foot from Waikato Museum. Specialising in fresh, seasonal ingredients, sourced from pastures nipping at Hamilton’s perimeters, you’ll know exactly where your meat is farmed, veggies are picked and the cheese is churned.

LEFT: Ice cream © Ian Dooley BELOW: Hamilton Museum staircase © AATP

Entry to the museum is via the diner and costs $20pp. Simply pay at the counter and push through the double doors into a kingdom of kitsch and Cadillacs.

LATE AFTERNOON

Mosey down to The Riverbank Lane, an enclosed hub of small shops and hospitality, including Browsers, a handsome secondhand bookshop packed to its 18foot rafters with literature of every ilk. Further down, Mr Pickles is a funky modern bar with a terrace overlooking the Waitako River, a broad and ever-present vein of water that runs through the heart of Hamilton.

For a budget-friendly overnight stay, those in campervans can park up on the museum’s parking lot. For $15 a night, it’s not the Ritz Carlton, but you can’t beat the price.

TOP TIp

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

73

Sunday

PSST! Balloons Over Waikato is a week-long hot-air balloon bonanza in the skies above Hamilton, culminating in a balloon ‘dance off’ held at night, with food stalls, fair rides and fireworks. Held every March, events are free.

© Hamilton Farmers’ Market

MORNING

With humble 2006 beginnings, Hamilton Farmers’ Market has grown into a 60-store extravaganza and is the ideal way to kick-start your Sunday.

Springing up in a rainproof barn on Brooklyn Road every weekend between 8am and noon, you can taste every flavour from Waikato locally grown produce to coffee sold in reusable mugs to return once you’ve drained the cup. There’s a large free carpark and EFTPOS is available.

74

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Weekends to remember Zealong Tea Estate © Hamilton Waikato Tourism

LATE MORNING

From the markets, it’s a quick 10-minute drive to Zealong Tea Estate. Gracing the suburb of Gordonton and spread over 40 hectares, much of which is tea fields, take part in ancient tea rituals, award-winning tea tastings and a plantation tour. A decadent High Tea, should your stomach be dictating the agenda, is served from 10am.

On to some furry fun.

Cornerstone Alpacas is five minutes north of Zealong Tea Estate and home to scores of adorable alpacas.

The alpaca tour starts with a sit-down introduction with video presentation and an alpacashaped cookie to dunk in your complimentary hot brew.

Then it’s outside to meet a

Alpaca selfie, Cornerstone Alpacas © Cornerstone Alpacas

range of prancing alpacas, from signature creamy white, to grey, black, long-haired, infant and even a trophy winner (except he’s a little big-headed these days and doesn’t waste his precious time humouring humans). Food pellets are provided so expect an ambush – alpacas are greedy.

Once you’ve taken your fair share of alpaca selfies and the feisty ones have snouted their way through your bag of snacks, the farm café, Cornerstone Kitchen, is on-hand to serve hot coffee and burgers.

ABOVE: Tea specimens, Zealong Tea Estate LEFT: High tea at Zealong Tea Estate BOTH: © Zealong Tea Estate

After a good munch yourself, it’s time to wrap things up and hit the road.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

75

Weekend Road Trip:

Auckland to North Coromandel Togs on, toes out!

If you’re after a barefoot adventure with more ocean dips than fish and chips (just!) make this your next road trip.

MAP LEGEND Road trip route Towns 1

State Highway symbol Road trip towns Road trip stops

• WHEN TO GO: Late spring/summer.

• WHAT TO TAKE: Tent, camping gear, togs and sun cream.

Pack a handful of $1 coins for the showers.

• WHY? New Chum Beach: Voted in the top 20 in the world by seashore connoisseurs.

TOP TIp

BELOW: New Chum Beach, Coromandel © Getty Images

HIT THE ROAD

On the road by 3pm is ideal if you want to avoid the menace that is Auckland traffic on a Friday.

Friday 76

Approximately 90 minutes into your journey and just 10 minutes north of Thames, stop at Te Puru Store and Takeaway for fish and chips. Grab something deliciously deep fried. The store kisses the ocean front with various sandy spots to sling a picnic rug. Keep your eyes on high alert for basking seals and shorebirds.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

From Te Puru to Whangapoua, the road is as winding as it is spectacular. There are various lookout points as the road wiggles its way up and over the big hill before dropping into Whangapoua.

Framed by a row of towering deciduous trees on a large paddock, Whangapoua Holiday Park is the closest campsite to New Chum Beach. There are tent sites as well as small cabins and shared facilities.

Weekends to remember

Saturday MORNING: HAPPINESS COMES IN WAVES

Beached out? Travel 25 minutes to The Lost Spring in Whitianga. This adultorientated spa complex offers a luxury mix of hot pools, spa treatments and poolside cocktails.

Drive for all of five minutes to reach Whangapoua Beach. If the waves are up, surfers dot the water. For those on dry land, Whangapoua Store sells coffee and hot buttered scones.

TOP TIP: Opposite Whangapoua Store there is a great playground often featuring chimp-like children swinging from its apparatus.

LATE MORNING: NEW CHUM BEACH

New Chum Beach is the next bay along from Whangapoua Beach, reached only by foot or boat; its remoteness is a large part of the allure. Set out to the northernmost tip of Whangapoua Beach, cross the estuary and head towards a rocky outcrop occupied by ruminating shags.

Navigate the crags until you see a track snaking into the bush. Follow its lead all the way to the beach. This little slice of untouched New Zealand is pure paradise and your retinas will rattle with excitement.

TOP TIP: Roughly five minutes before reaching New Chum Beach, keep an eye out for a yellow ‘DANGER’ sign, just right of the track.

Most folk ignore all warnings and take the detour. It’s steep, rocky and requires hoisting yourself off various branches, but survive that and the views from the top are spectacular.

Relaxing in a pool, Lost Spring, Whitianga © Lost Spring

LUNCHTIME: DEATH BY ICE CREAM

The drive from Whangapoua Beach to Luke's Kitchen in Kūaotunu is less than 20 minutes but you won’t find yourself there alone; the woodfired pizzas are lauded by all and the chilled vibes are as moreish as the margaritas.

Leave room for dessert and stroll a few doors down to The Kūaotunu Store, renowned for ice creams bigger than your head.

The Killer Cone is five flavours and 10 scoops of brain-freezing pleasure, all for an equally unbelievable $9.

AFTERNOON: ONCE MORE INTO THE BEACH

Kūaotunu is connected to the glorious Ōtama Beach by a sixminute stretch of coastal road.

One look at this enticing mix of

white sand and teal sea and your togs will be on before the car stops.

EVENING: STARLIGHT, STAR BRIGHT

Once the sun dips, return to Kūaotunu, stopping just shy of the village for a Stargazers Astronomy Tour (look out for the roadside billboard). The Milky Way is fully dissected by your passionate host and keen astrologist. Don’t forget to wrap up warm and douse yourself in insect repellent. From here it’s just 20 minutes back to Whangapoua Holiday Park.

TOP TIP: Phone ahead (8pm in summer) to check the tour is happening. Those temperamental clouds can be obstructive.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

77

Sunday

MORNING: COROMANDEL TOWN

Say goodbye to Whangapoua Holiday Park. A 20-minute drive west will deposit you in Coromandel Town for a lazy morning of coffee, brunch and window shopping.

MID-MORNING: RUN FREE LIKE A WATERFALL

If the coffee didn’t quite supercharge your fuel tank, it’s time for an invigorating plunge.

Cue Waiau Falls, located on a 10-minute detour off the main highway from Coromandel Town, along the famous 309 Road. The waterfall sits at the end of a threeminute bush walk and is the kind of waterfall all other waterfalls dream to be. Jump straight in…. and then straight out. She might be pretty, but boy she’s fresh.

78

LUNCHTIME: SHUCK IT REAL GOOD

EARLY AFTERNOON: TIME FOR ANOTHER DIP

TOP TIP: Grab a dozen justshucked oysters for $20 and have change left over for a drink. You won’t find fresher – or cheaper!

LEFT: Oysters © Getty Images ABOVE: Coromandel © Adobe Stock

With hunger creeping in, get back on the coastal road and head south to the Coromandel Oyster Company, just a 10-minute drive from Waiau Falls. Served from a rustic roadside shack, this seafood deli serves fresh ocean tucker. Bite into a steak and oyster burger and load your chilly bin with mussel chowder for tonight’s dinner.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Hoffman’s Pool is a popular spot for its deep-water lagoon which daring folk throw themselves into. A full 1.25 hours south of the Coromandel Oyster Company, it’s loved by locals but remains relatively unknown, existing in relative solitude at the end of a gravel road. An easy 250-metre walk leads to a pebble embankment with surrounding rock ledges and an irresistible bowl of water.

Weekends to remember

DRY OFF & GARDEN ON

Onwards to Ngātea Watergardens, 35 minutes from Hoffman’s Pool and 20 minutes south of Thames. You’re just $12 away from a floral wonderland etched with Kiwi humour.

Between the stampeding ducks that chase all those with snacks across the lawn (grab a bag of feed at reception if you’re game), to punny garden signs, placards requesting the birdlife to behave and unexpected castles, it’s an instant mood improver. Just watch out for the large black swan with more swagger than social skills; he’d like your entire bag of bird food and only a fool would refuse.

TOP TIP: Don’t miss the on-site Canny Museum. Unassuming from the outside, step within to find an emporium of over 11,000 commercial drink cans spanning decades and collected from across the globe.

LATE AFTERNOON: HOMEWARD BOUND

Alas, all good weekends must come to an end. Auckland is 98km from Ngātea Water Gardens and, assuming the motorway’s not too clogged up, you’ll be home in less than 1.5 hours.

LEFT: Ngātea Water Gardens © Rodger Blake

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

79

Weekends to remember

Island hopping by kayak

in the Bay of Islands

Discover pockets of untouched paradise and entire beaches all to yourself. With just a dash of civilisation, spend three days kayaking the beautiful Bay of Islands.

TOP: Urupukapuka Island © Camilla Rutherford RIGHT: Kayaking in the Bay of Islands © Adventure HQ TOP RIGHT: Fantail / pīwakawaka © Getty Images FAR RIGHT: Camping in New Zealand © Getty Images

80

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

THIS ESCAPADE BEGINS ON THE BEACH. START AS YOU MEAN TO GO ON. Launch from Long Beach, just over the brow from Russell. It’s the closest strip of mainland to Motuarohia/Roberton Island and for a few extra bucks, Bay of Islands Kayaking Tours will drop your kayak off on the sand.

Leaving early means the water is calmer but allow at least 30 minutes to pack three days’ worth of your life into a 3.5-metre vessel. But where there’s a will there’s a way.

It’ll take 30 to 60 minutes to cross the water to Motuarohia Island.

Here are the Twin Lagoons, famed for their crystal-clear water and dazzling marine life.

Before donning your snorkel, climb the bluff to the lookout.

A large wooden deck presents far-reaching views; golden beach meets aquamarine water meets sparkling yachts.

Now for a bit of chop. From Motuarohia, Moturua Island is in eyeshot, but the water isn’t protected by motu so 30 minutes of graft is required to navigate the waves. Fortunately, you can head for any stretch of sand; the entire island is a circuit walk so anywhere you stop will form a loop.

Moturua takes roughly two hours to walk but with so many irresistible coves and snorkelling, allow twice that. Army Bay is renowned for its abundant fish life and on land there are trenches and a military pillbox.

The birdlife delivers a constant cacophony of tweets, chirps and singsong, all thanks to Project Birdsong. The native species are well protected and they, along with their orchestral lungs, have flourished.

Come late afternoon, push off towards Urupukapuka Island, giving yourself a good hour to get there. This ocean-licked expanse is peppered with pleasure boats and passenger ferries, so brace for larger ripples.

• SUNSET BAY: Closest to Ōtehei Bay, where the ferries dock, there’s a licensed bar. Also the closest site to row to from Moturua Island. However, spaces are limited to two (lucky) tents.

• CABLE BAY: The next site along from Sunset Bay, accommodates up to 20 tents.

• URUPUKAPUKA BAY: The furthest campsite to kayak from Moturua Island.

Largest campsite on the island with space for 60 tents. *Book campsites in advance and expect basic amenities: long-drop toilets and cold showers.

Upon nearing Urupukapuka, look out for Explore ferries; they will be heading in and out of Ōtehei Bay (which can be hard to locate from the water). Once on land, there’s a choice of three DOC campsites, all of which sit to the right of Ōtehei.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

81

WAKE UP TO SEA VIEWS FROM YOUR TENT.

A fantastic variety of walks are accessible from every campground on Urupukapuka Island and all three sites are within a 10-minute walk of Ōtehei Bay and its beachfront café.

TOP TIP: Pack snorkels today.

Every bay offers unprecedented water clarity.

For a full-day excursion, leave the kayak moored to the beach and stretch your body poles. Walks range from easy to steep and you’ll find some undulating terrain on every path.

82

Connect onto the right paths and you’ll drop into Indico Bay within the hour. A small cove of serene water, it’s seldom busy and provides the ideal spot for swimming and elevenses.

Dry off, march on and join the Pateke Loop which connects with the Clifftop Pā Loop – an unmissable section of the island which climbs skyward via a series of stairways. Exposed cliff bluffs tumble precariously into deep corridors of ocean, guaranteed to take your breath away. Stop for a picnic at the top of an elevated crag, where the views stretch for miles.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

Heading back to Ōtehei Bay, link onto the Paradise Bay Loop and midway you’ll drop into Paradise Bay itself. Deserving of its moniker, flop and drop. The sand is sugary fine and the water is a delicious shade of teal.

Drunk on sea and sunshine, saunter back to Ōtehei Bay in 45 minutes. Frosted pitchers of beer and bar food awaits. Live music is often on the agenda and the 10-minute walk back to camp is easy when you’re full and merry.

PACK UP AND PUSH OFF!

Time to pack up the kayak again, albeit a little lighter now you’ve eaten all the supplies. A last hurrah in the placid waters of Cable Bay will relax your muscles; the rocky outcrop is good for snorkelling and fossicking.

If you’re feeling energetic, detour into Ōtehei Bay for a final island coffee. Ordinarily the beachfronting beanbags are highly sought after but at this time of day you’ll be able to sit and sip in solitude.

It’s possible to paddle all the way back to Long Beach within two hours but why rush? Return via Moturua Island for stops at empty bays you didn’t discover the first time and repeat your stint at Twin Lagoons. The pools are just

metres from the water’s edge and the marine life always stages a different performance. Stingrays aren’t uncommon so keep your eyes peeled.

Back on board, point your kayak in the direction of the longest strip of sand; Long Beach was aptly named. It’ll take an hour to reach shoreline but on a bluebird day, the seabed – at least 20 metres below – is fully visible, and when the water’s glass-like, it’s an absolute pleasure to slice though.

Once back on the mainland, Bay of Islands Kayaking Tours will pack up your vessel. Long Beach has a small coffee cart should you be needing refreshments or you could revisit the water for one final frolic in the Bay’s irresistible waves.

TOP: Urupukapuka Island, Bay of Islands © Getty Images ABOVE: Oystercatcher © Alan Cressker RIGHT: Bay of Islands © Northland Tourism

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021

83

Last word Boardwalk, Mt Cook Trail © Adobe Stock

MUST 2021

New Zealand walks from 30 minutes to multi-day

DOs

Featuring Short Walks, Day Hikes & Great Walks • Maps • Safety • Walk Descriptions Tips • Things to See & Do • Places to Stay

84

YOUR FREE COP Y

aatraveller.c o.nz

These pages provide the inspiration. For nittygritty practical advice, turn to We Love You New Zealand’s sibling publications. A suite of Must-Do’s covering New Zealand’s regions, North Island and South Island road trip itineraries, Must-Do’s Walking and Must-Do’s Cycling can be found online or pick up a hard copy from an AA Centre.

We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021