We’ve just finished our last shift at the Chateau, and after saving enough money to keep us going for another few months, the time has come to put work behind us again and return to the ‘holiday’ part of our working holiday visas.
Spending a month in Tongariro was almost enough time to see everything, but not quite. Either way, we saw our fair share of the local walks and attractions and made enough good memories to last for a long time. Tuesday was our last day in Whakapapa Village and thus, our last day to make one final memory to bring with us on our next endeavour.
The weather as we interpreted it, was weather for a cold beer or two with the guys whom we had met during our stay, but not before packing our room and going for one last walk through the village to say goodbye. It was an easy day for us and a perfect wind-down to a busy month.
On Wednesday morning we left early, almost. Due to some unforeseen delays (hungover Liam was supposed to pack the car, but rather he just pretended to pack the car, and instead hid in the back of the car and slept) we ended up actually leaving late afternoon and heading towards New Plymouth. We stopped at the Golden Kiwi Takeaway in Taumarunui, a favourite of ours which we wrote about in a previous article. It was more of a dinner than a lunch due to the time we arrived, but the food gave us the energy we needed to plough on with the journey ahead.
Without knowing it, we ventured on to one of the most beautiful roads we could imagine - SH43, better known as the Forgotten World Highway. We weren’t prepared for the 155km-long road so we didn’t get to fully enjoy the drive; around halfway down it the night fell and the views turned to black, but even the small amount we saw made a lasting impression.
We’d recommend making a day or two of this drive as it’s very unique, and there are eight settlements along the way, some of which you can stay the night in. Part of the road (12km) is unsealed, so be prepared and make sure to carry a full tank of fuel as well as a camera because there are no fuel stations along the way.
After a long drive we were naturally quite tired, and were hoping to get our heads down without too much hassle. The first campsite we arrived at was full, but we were lucky enough to get a space at Battiscombe Terrace in Waitara instead. It felt good to sleep in a car again.. as funny as that sounds.
We woke up on Thursday morning to the gentle sounds of a beach. It was the perfect spot to enjoy a morning coffee and breakfast. The weather was much warmer away from Tongariro too, and the combination of the morning sun and a quiet, relaxing breakfast by the sea made us feel like we never left the camping life at all.
Feeling free again we drove to Lake Rotamanu to see one of the most photographed bridges in the North Island - Te Rewa Rewa Bridge. It resembles dinosaur bones in a way and we’ll admit that it does come out well in photos. The skeleton-like structure creates a pleasing frame for the beautiful Mount Taranaki in the background. This is assuming that you can get a shot without a crowd photobombing every photo... the bridge is part of a busy coastal walkway so you’ll need to be fast if you want a good picture.
The lake itself isn’t anything extraordinary but still makes a favourable spot to have lunch. We sat by the edge of the water, watching the locals walk their dogs whilst we enjoyed our sandwiches before then heading into the nearby town. New Plymouth is a chilled coastal town with great beaches, and despite most if the shops being closed we still had an interesting walk around the streets. A local office was open though where we picked up a pamphlet guide and made plans for the following day.
We still had time to do something short before the evening came in, so we made use of our newfound freedom and went on a short hike up Paritutu Rock. Reading the comments on Campermate about the climb made Sabina nervous but the supportive encouragement from Liam prevailed once again.
“Sabina’s literally scared of everything, I reminded her of that and told her to stop being such a wimp”
”I am determined to cross my boundaries and free myself from as many fears as I can in New Zealand! That is why I decided to go and try my best to climb to the top and at the end, I actually found myself a little bit disappointed.”
The climb takes approximately 15 minutes depending on your level of fitness. The last stretch is steep and some actual ‘climbing’ is required but there are guide ropes to hold on to and to provide protection from falls. If you make it to the top you’ll be standing on an ancient volcano, 100 metres up and with a view of the coastline in front of you. To the left is the stunning Back Beach, and right underneath are the Sugar Loaves standing proud in the Tasman Sea.
It was nearly time for dinner and given that we were right next to such a picturesque beach it was a bit of a no-brainer... next stop: Back Beach. Back Beach is the perfect place to finish your day in New Plymouth; you can chill on the beach until the sun sets and afterwards, there are conveniently placed picnic tables inviting you to sit for dinner before camping for free nearby (the campsite has since closed). Can you think of a better way to end the day?
On our second day in New Plymouth, we did a little bit of exploring with a rented kayak. This was Sabina’s first time in a kayak and thanks to her unique approach to controlling said kayak, also nearly her last. Our original plan was to join the island tour from Chaddy’s Charters ($40pp) but we changed our minds in favour of a fully controlled visit to the Sugar Loaf Islands instead. We opted for a two person kayak at $60/2hrs (single kayak is $30/2hrs)
If you’ve never heard of these islands, you’re not alone - neither had we. We heard about them on our way to New Plymouth and being so close, we thought why not go check them out. The islands are uninhabited and remnants of old eroded volcanoes. If you go there you’ll find thousands of sea birds and a breeding colony of fur seals.
The best time to visit to see the seals is June to October, meaning our timing was slightly out. Nevertheless we knew that if we didn’t see the seals we’d still enjoy the kayaking and so off we set... like a rocket. The benefit of kayaking with Liam is that there is no need to help paddle - you won’t keep up anyway so it’s not even worth trying. Great for Sabina, but of course, this also meant that she got no time to practice, and this is where we went wrong... terribly, terribly wrong.
First, we spotted some seals. Surprised and excited, Liam reached for his camera and started taking photos, leaving Sabina in charge of the kayak.. a kayak that was still heading towards the islands. Not sensing the connection between sharp rocks and boats, Sabina happily let the kayak continue towards the islands, with the brilliant idea that we would simply ‘park’ on the rocks that we were speeding directly towards.
By the time Liam noticed what was happening we were very close to crashing. However, with his phone and camera in his hands he couldn’t paddle to stop the momentum or risk losing his things to the sea. This is precisely the reason why we needed to let Sabina practice earlier - she attempts to save us from the impending wreckage, but instead just flicks water up into the air and screams.
We’re a couple of metres from the rocks now. The waves are crashing around us, the kayak is not slowing down, Liam’s trying to put his things away, Sabina’s screaming, the seals are laughing at us, and we’re just splashing water about like a toddler in a bath. It must have looked brilliant, but somehow Liam managed to grab his paddle just in time and stop the madness.
“Sabina is never paddling again. Ever.”
”To make this clear, I didn’t try to kill us. I just thought that we could land on the rock and admire the cute guy from a bit closer. Apparently we couldn’t.”
Getting to the islands took around 10-15 minutes, leaving us with just over an hour to explore before we needed head back to return the kayak. We circled the islands for a little while and came across dozens and dozens of seals laying all over the rocks. They were so curious and playful, it’s no wonder people call them the dogs of the sea.
”This was one of the many moments I felt a lot gratitude for being in such a wonderful place like New Zealand. One of the moments what brings tears into your eyes ... Tears of happiness, of course.”
“It was amazing, so much so that I decided to go back on my words and give Sabina one more chance of paddling so that I could film the seals again.”
So anyway we’re about to crash, again. Although this time not intentionally - the waves and current were overpowering for Sabina as we headed towards more sharp rocks, but luckily Liam was better prepared this time round and we avoided an accident once again.
We gave ourselves half an hour to get back, bearing in mind that the current was now against us and we had already been paddling for two hours. The current was strong and made a huge difference but we managed to get back with 10 minutes to spare. We got changed into dry clothes back at the rental office and carried on with our day.
When we say ‘carry on’ what we mean is that we went to the beach and sunbathed for the rest of the day. We had earnt it, and it was the perfect day to soak in some sun anyway. Now, we often mention how Sabina always loses her phone, but did you know that Liam also has a habit of losing something regularly... his clothes.
Yep, really. For example, In Greece he left his shoes on an inaccessible beach. In the Uk he left his jacket in a hotel at the airport, and in Tongariro he left his jumper in our old room. This time Liam tried to lose not one item, but ALL OF HIS WET CLOTHES in New Plymouth! Luckily Sabina noticed that they were drying on the bonnet just as Liam drove off, otherwise they would also be lost forever.
This was our last day in the area but we’d definitely pay it another visit if we are nearby in the future. The city has good seaside vibes and there is a lot of interesting and unique things to do. Hopefully one day but for now, we’re heading to Mount Taranaki....
To be continued...
More Photos landing in our GALLERY soon