Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Hey

Just a quick update!

With not much time left we spent the next few days in the Bay of Plenty area, the Central Plateau and Taupo-the land of volcanic terrain and geothermal madness!!

On our way to Lake Taupo we had to do the touristy thing in Rotorua, often referred to as the Las Vagas of New Zealand. Not quite, but close with bus loads of us tourists everywhere. The area was first settled in the 14C when the Te Arawa Waka (Canoe) arrived from Hawaiki. The tribe of the area was named after the canoe. Rotorua is an dynamic thermal area full of natural hot springs, exploding gysers and bubbling mud pools. Kuirau Park in the heart of Rotorua had its very own bubbling mud pools, bellowing steam from the water and a very strong smell (egg like!) which after a few hours you got use to.

Before heading further inland to Lake Taupo we had a tour around the living thermal village of Whakarewarewa. For generations the tribes have been showing people around their village which they still live in today. Really touristy but way worth doing. Steaming Lakes, thermal pools reaching temperatures of 120'c, a cultural show including the Haka, sweetcorn cooked in one of the pools, exploding geysers and silica terraces. The recent earth quake in Italy was detected at the thermal village. Scientists often go in to monitor the movement and level of the water and underlying fault line. When the earth quake hit the water levels dropped really low in the village pools.
When shown around the village graveyard with 20 plus tombs Angie and I could not help but wonder whether the bodies cook!! I know, wrong, but around the tombed graves were vents to let the steam out so the pressure did not build up.......What would happen to the bodies-answers on a postcard please. These thoughts made worse by the villages geothermal Hangi, where the food is cooked, was just down the path!!

Our next stop, another thermal dip, this time in a thermal stream in Kerosene Creek, away from the main hordes of tourists surrounded by bush-awesome! Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand, is beautiful, we stayed there for the day and prepared for our longest and the best walk we have done so far!!

The creme de le creme of our time in this area was the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in the heart of Tongariro National Park. 19KM across active volcanic terrain and where Mordor was filmed. My words will not do it justice. The most breathtaking views, walking amongst steaming vents, hot springs, emerald lakes, old lava flows, water filled craters, the stunning red creator, volcanoes (Ngauruhoe and Mount Tongariro) and more awesome views! The mountains of Tongaririo National Park was gifted to the people of NZ in 1887 by Ngati Tywharetoa Chief. The walk took 7 hours in total, up some really steep slopes and sliding on our bums on the scree slopes! I hope these photos go some was to showing you how awesome the walk was.

I'll be back soon to update on the last of our adventures in New Zealand before heading to Asia!!

Much love xxxxx

Tinorangatiratonga

Hey,

I'm so sorry it's been ages since I last posted. Crazy amounts to catch up on over the last 4 weeks. I've been thinking about all my friends and family a lot and hope all is good back at home. The whole camping thing here in Aotearoa has not always made it easy to e-mail on a regular basis but you have all been in my thoughts.

The other day I did manage to have a catch up on my best friends blog -thedailyone.blogspot.com. Fantastic blog by the way if you want a peek! I only got to read a bit as it was making me laugh and cry at the same time, making it hard to read the screen! Reading it brought home how much I'm missing that every day contact, daily knowing of what is happening in my family and friends world, how you are feeling, when times are shit, magical, sad and joyful. Some of my family and friends have been through really tough times and its been hard to to be with them. Reading blog gave me a glimpse of Sarah's world- I miss you so much buddy. Really what I'm trying to say in a very long winded way is I miss you dudes at home and think about you all lots-not with sadness but with huge amounts of appreciation and gratitude. Enough of the slush already!

The title of this blog comes from, in part, the values of Maori philosophy:- Self determination to be in control of our own destiny. Being lucky enough to have the chance and choice to travel, free from constraint, to be away from usual distractions, home comforts, routine as we know it, certainly has encouraged and emphasised the importance of this for me. Every day I am doing something that I have wanted to do for a long time. Everyday, no matter where we are, we are creating our destinies, being in the mystery and trusting it!

With this comes the whole learning to trust myself, trust in decisions I make, the crap as well as the good and get to know myself. I'm not sure that I do know myself that well. It is certainly an interesting, eventful, sometimes very hard but also cool journey in itself. I think the self discovery journey takes many lifetimes! Trusting myself, fully, may take sometime but I'm working on it and that's what counts.

We've spent some time in the Coromadel region where we stayed at Mahamudra Centre, Tibetan Buddhist Monastery. Such a beautiful and peaceful place. We were lucky enough to have guided meditation and as much literature to read as we want. Being there felt really good. More and more I'm starting to think about what I want in life, a lot of the time I'm not sure, or I think I'm not sure, but deep down there are a lot of 'wants', dreams, hopes that I would like to listen to more and follow. Ok I really am going to get on with this now....

So I left you as we were heading up the East Coast. We made it and have done much more! With only a few days before we leave for Asia and not ones for rushing we decided not to do the West coast of the Northern Island and spend more time in the areas we explored.

Here are a few of our adventures along the east coast before we headed into volcanic terrain! The east coast treated us really well. Totally laid back, taking the pace down to an even slower rate, almost horizontal. More stunning coast lines, tiny villages, mountain ranges and lots of rural land full of sheep and more sheep. It really felt like a major step back in time. Some of the local stores had washing powder back from the 60's, no kidding!!

Moving up the east coast, the number of carved Marae seem to out number the amount of people, especially in the rural villages. We ventured into lots of tucked away areas along the top of the east coast and east cape, visiting Marae. In the sleepy village of Manutuke (near Gisbourne) totally away from the tourist route, we were really lucky to be invited into one of the Marae that we were looking at from the outside. So many of the meeting houses have beautiful carvings of Tupuna (ancestors) and Tukutuku (woven flax panels). Inside, the Tukutuku and Kowhaiwha (painted rafters) link the Tupuna to one another. One Maori women explained that the rafters inside act as a ribcage with the cetral carved wooden pole as the heart. We were really lucky to have the chance to go in as it is very disrespectful to go in without an invite.

Much of our time along the east coast we've been going to lots of museums, galleries, Marae, looking at more tonga (treasure) and learning more about Maori culture, belief's and philosophy.

Here's some of our best bits up the East coast, Hawkes Bay and the East Cape. First, the quirky town of Napier. After an earthquake in 1931, Napier, Hastings and surrounding areas were destroyed. At the time of the rebuild, art deco was in fashion and so many of the buildings are a funky art deco style. It had lots of individual quirks but a bit too much of a resort feel along the water front for my liking.

The freedom camping had gone really well till our exciting experience in Napier! We settled down for the night in what we thought was an OK area along the marine parade, it didn't take us long to realise it was the cruising area of Napier. Not that this is a major problem (!!?!) but most of the cars parked near us were not there for the views of the lights twinkling on the water, they were after a different kind of enjoyment!! Then there were sounds of a car being stuck in the gravel beach near us and other cars skidding around us. Not only a local cruising ground but an area for people to drive their cars like twats! We had had a few beers at this point and so we were not able to move on! We woke to a trashed car next to us with the windows smashed, I assume stolen!!

It was in Napier where we were asked, by an Irish woman, to come along to a real 'kiwi experience' at a rural village close by. What a Kiwi experience!!!! It turned out to be a church fate. Cream teas, people in stocks, table full of jumble clothing and a welly boot throwing competition! A real step back in time but funny all the same. Not sure that can be the only true Kiwi experience!!

Close to Napier we visited some stunning white beaches and Te Mata Mount. One of the legends goes that the mount is the body of the chief, Rongokako, the ancestor of the Iwi (tribe) Ngati Kahungunu, one of the local tribes of the area.

Further up the coast a quick visit to Te Urewera National Park and Lake Waikaremoana (Sea of Rippling Waters). The rain didn't stop and we spent most of our time talking with two kiwi hunting dudes. They had just hunted down a stag and had it hanging close by, Yum! The National park and lake has lots of Maori history but I'm worried I will start to sound like a travel guide, a bad one at that!! Apparently, Te Urewera translates 'the burnt penis'!! Despite the rain we went to see some more waterfalls before heading to Morere hot springs, just outside of Gisbourne.

How to relax in style.....rain doing its thing as we relaxed back into the springs that reached temperatures over 40', surrounded by sub tropical forest and Nikau Palms. We didn't move for a long time!

Gisbourne, originally called Turanganui a Kiwi, is part of Poverty Bay, named after Captain Cook, who landed there in 1769 and was not able to stop and get supplies after a 'misunderstanding' with the Maori. I liked the pretty coastal town with a seemingly large cultural mix. Lots of sleepy rural villages on the outskirts and beautiful beaches. The Tairawhiti museaum there was totally awesome!
Apparently the east coast area is famous for its women leaders. The Ngati Porou tribe (around the east cape), women speak in ceremonies of welcome which traditionally is restricted to men (surprise!) and Margaret Sievwright, from this area, was a massive influence in the national campaign for women's vote in 1893. I love this quote of hers- " The question is often asked 'what do women want' we want men to stand out of our sunshine, that is all".
We've been camping, again, in some beautiful coastal spots on our way up to the East Cape. Here's just a couple of photo's of our homes for the evenings!

One of the most memorable moments of the East coast adventures was an afternoon with Paoru, a Maori guide from the Ngati Porou Iwi. We went to visit the sacred mountains of Ngati Porou, Hikurangi, part of the Raukumara Range. It is the highest Non volcanic mountain in the North Island and the first spot on the planet to be touched by the sun each day. We cheated a little and got a lift part way up with Paoru and his 4WD!

Part way up are stunning wood carvings all linked to the story about Maui Tikitiki-a-Taranga. Maui is a Demi God who is celebrated through song, dance and story telling. Ngati Porou are direct descendants of Maui. To the tribe, the greatest exploit of Maui was fishing up the North Island of Aoteraroe/New Zealand, known to Maori as Te Ika Nui a Maui-The great fish of Maui. the first piece of land to be fished up was the peak of Hikurangi.

We were driven to 9 amazing carved Whakairo (sculptures) depicting Maui and his Whanau (family). All the carvings had much significance and connected meaning. Totally magical experience.

(Ok so here was the spot for the photos that I will have to put on another time, the computer keeps crashing and I want to keep my sanity!!)

The day was made even better talking with Paoru about the Maori culture of the area, (95% Maori populated on the East Cape), about the Iwi and his family. His father is a very talented carver and his younger brother and sister now specialise in the art of Te Moko (Maori tattooing) which has been brought back into cultural practice over the last 30 years. At one point, chiefs of tribes were banned doing the traditional art of Te Moko which was done using a chizel (ouch!).

Ngati Porou is one of the few tribes that did not have land taken off them by the crown and settlers, like so many others. That is in part why the east coast/cape is thankfully highly Maori populated and not having to fight for their land back. The land was not taken from many because part of the Ngati Porou tribe worked for the Crown in the land war times, this created inevitable conflict between the tribes. Others from the tribe we have met have said it was due to them fighting for their land and refusing to pass it onto the crown. The tribe is known for its strong worrier blood. Currently under the Treaty of Waitangi, rather than claiming back land the tribe are taking up grievances and claiming compensation for loss culture, loss of learning, ways of living, language and art.

We finished our East Coast and Cape adventures before driving to the Bay of Plenty and the East Cape lighthouse. The eastern most part of the world map!

Driving towards the Bay of Plenty we had amazing coastal views, the sweet smell of Manuka honey, forested mountains, deserted beaches and more sleepy townships. Distant views of White Island on the horizon-the most active volcano off the Whakatane Coast where we stayed before heading inland to Volcanic terrain of Mordor and geothermal hot pools and mud of smelly Rotorua!

(Sorry again but the computer does not want to put any more pictures up for me, so for now, I'm giving up!! Use your imagination!)

Moving from the East Cape to The Bay of Plenty region and Coromadel region there seemed a real difference in culture and lifestyle and whether this is a true observation, sometimes a stark difference in wealth, from tiny, rustic villages full of character to the resort coastal towns full of plush cars and boats!

This is Kitty Kat reporting from New Zealand......

Bye for now, much love xxxx