The journey to and through Aotearoa - end of week 1

And just like that a week has come and gone. Yesterday had an unexpectedly pleasant start to it. I woke up to the sound of rain falling which made it harder for me to get out of bed an no sooner did I get up, make a bowl of oats did I hear a rap on the door from the caretaker to say “Check out at 10 mate”. But before I set off though I had booked a flight to #Queenstown, but I was struggling to find a place to crash and a way to get out of there to #Dunedin …economically. I did some research into Queenstown and as beautiful as it looked, it was about action and adventure sport and skiing, I was not about that life, so I logged on to the airline site and made the alteration.

Finished my packing loaded up North, my trusted modern day steed, and off we set wading through the rains of #Taupo, destination Hamilton.

On the way to Hamilton, say 7km into my journey, I saw a sign called #HukaFalls. I was like I ain’t running a race am I so I pulled over took a stroll along  the short walk, saw the raging rapids that climaxed in a not so spectacular fall in terms of the length of the drop but it sure did remind me of the power of nature. I took some photos and off I ventured, but not too long after that stop, I noticed smoke was bellowing from ‘pores’ in the earth, people were pulling over, so guess what also me, I pulled over. I stopped near a filling station, next to which was an ice blue stream of hot spring water…mmm nice, ok time to proceed.

The rest of the trip was only punctuated with breathtaking gasps of the North Island escarpment and vegetation. It was very easy to see how this was the setting for Lord of the Rings, I wouldn’t be surprised if many more medieval type movies are shot here, the place is made for it.

A little over 2hrs after leaving Taupo, I arrived at my hotel in Hamilton. I was too early for check in, it was raining but I wasn’t bothered, parked the car in the hotel garage and went for a stroll along the Waikato river. My plan was cut short because sections of the path along the river had been closed off…bummer, not to worry. The famous #FMGStadiumWaikato stadium that entertains me so during #SuperRugby season how far is that…#GoogleMaps says only 2km. The initial part of my walk was pretty cool, rain was hardly falling slight drizzle, but then it started getting harder, I was not going to turn back, it’s water, and even though some call me sweet, I wasn’t sugar, so I wasn’t going to dissolve. I got to the stadium and it was open because people were doing some work there, I could have walked on to field I’m sure, but that’s not how mama raised me. I walked around looking for someone to ask and then I saw a gentleman pull in with his car. He strutted like he knew what he was doing so I stepped to him and told him “Excuse me sir, I have come from lands afar and I would like to get onto your pitch please” such a nice guy Alfie was, man took me down the tunnel to the halfway line. Then I said thanks and was about to head back into the rain, he was like nah man go this way. A tour of the stadium…change rooms, warm up area, cardio area and then the gym. IN the gym, I got a change to meet one of my all time favourite New Zealand wings, #RogerRandle bra still looks like a beast. I managed to get onto the second tier to get a better shot of the stadium. As my mate Rudi would say…”I hit a luck”

Checked into the hotel #VRHamilton, the place looks dodgy ont eh outside but shoot I had a styling room, bigger than some #CapeTown apartments I might add. I texted the brother #LiamMessam to say I was in town so he should let me know when he as a moment. I decided I don’t have much time on the #SouthIsland so I must start making some plans. I looked at my options and most of the cool things I want to see and do are on the opposite side of Dunedin, bummer, oh well! So how was I to get up to #Christchurch? Bus? Train? But there are some pretty cool towns along the way…hire a car! So I hopped onto a few sites to see what my options were. Yoh this place doesn’t play. They charge you between 2000NZD and 4000NZD in excess, here we thought R7500 was high.

Liam texted he was going to be at a play park near an ice cream shop in about 30 minutes, I got the address, 15minute walk…score. Went to meet him and his 2 youngsters Jai and Bodie. Had a relaxed shooting of the proverbial breeze. He had brought along a Maori All Black training jersey, it was supposed to be a #Chiefs game jersey, but after seeing my now permanent pregnancy, he was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to fit into it. He has a point. The #MaoriAllBlack jersey is an XL it’s not soo much better, but it definitely is incentive to shed some killos. It started getting late and the kids were getting irritable, hungry for pizza instead of listening to papa and this bra from #SouthAfrica having a yarn. So ways we parted. Liam mentioned that if I have time I should head to #Raglan it has some of the best #surf in the world. I don’t surf, but even more compelling was the fact that I only had to drop the car at 2pm and Raglan was 40km away.

I had packed the night before so it was an easy exit. But man it was raining harder than it had been since I got there. Fortunately the roads weren’t too busy and I wasn’t in too much of a rush. I can see why he recommended it. I ended up in the city centre and then I saw a sign that said beach, I drove for what seemed like an eternity but I didn’t see any new signs, it would turn out later that I had definitely driven less than 5km if even. But It was raining harder, it was around 10.30, I was concerned that there may be accidents on the way back to #Auckland, so I turned around to head towards Auckland, about 10km out of Raglan I was like no man, you came all the way here, least you could do is see it. So I made a u-turn, headed back into the city. Stopped at information (Something I should have done the first time) lady told me there were 3 beaches of interest. 1^st 2 were the best. And the third was only 8km away…so I drove on. Stopped at #ManuBay, the one Liam had suggested, what a setting. I saw a big wave come in just as I got there but I was too slow with my camera. Manu’s beauty shone through the haze of grim weather I could only imagine what it looks like in summer.

Now here I sit at Auckland airport whiling out time till my flight down south.

Happy Friday all