I’m so glad that I decided to take the Amplified 16 day New Zealand tour with Haka Tours.
What made me choose Haka Tours was the simple fact that 70% of it’s customers are single travelers just like myself, they provide flexibility to do what you want to do at various destinations, and for an additional charge I could have my own private room.
I took the Uber from my Auckland apartment to Haka Hotel in Newmarket where I was supposed to meet the tour guide and other passengers on the tour. Due to morning rush hour, I got there 15 minutes late, but all was well. Whew!
Mike Burton, Haka Tour Guide, who likes to be called as “Burto” told me to make myself comfortable because soon they will provide overview of the tour and introduce each other.
When you meet a group of strangers for the first time there is an air of awkward silence and, of course, I was curios to know who are these people I’ll be sharing the next 16 days with!
Burto introduced himself as our tour guide, as well as introduced Vall – who was a tour guide in training and would be accompanying us as well, George – who is a Logistics Manager and had recently joined the company, and Sam the cameraman, who will be capturing our candid shots on this tour which will be used for their promo. Burto gave us the rundown about the tour and optional activities we might be interested in signing up for.
First time on this journey, I had not done any research about what to expect or do in New Zealand. I wanted to go with the flow and let the tour agency experts guide me. Most of the other passengers had a long list of activities already planned and they had come here for the adrenaline kick. I was the only one with low expectation, because I was more interested in exploring the entire country, learn about it’s history and culture, and be surrounded by nature.
We went around the table, introducing ourselves, where we were from and why we were on this tour. Including the crew and passengers, it was in total 17 of us – 13 passengers and 4 crew members.
Ten of us were solo travelers except an Indian couple with their son who lives in Australia. They were on this tour only for the first 7 days. The age range was pretty wide from the youngest being 21 to the oldest being 61. I kinda fell in between this spectrum, which was a nice feeling than being the old fart on this tour.
Three of us were from the States, one from Canada, two from Hungary, two from Germany, one from Australia and one from Ireland. Kinda from all over the map with women definitely being in the majority. Throughout my travels, I’ve come across strong and independent solo women travelers much more than men, which is so cool.
For the first week, we were going to explore the North Island and then head over to the South, with Christchurch being our final destination.
DAY 1 – AUCKLAND TO COROMANDEL
After an hour, we left Auckland on our Haka mini bus. The drive from Auckland to Coromandel reminded me of Scotland, especially Isle of Skye. Green lush mountains on one side and the sea on the other side. The coastal drive through the beaches with white sand and clear blue water made the ride so much more relaxing and calming.
Burto recommended that we play a speed meeting game on the bus so that we could know each other. It was definitely an ice breaker and a fun way to know each other.
We made a quick stop at a super market to pick up lunch and snacks for our picnic at the beach.
Wainuioototo Beach –
From the parking area, we had to walk through a shallow stream, then a long strip of rocks before entering the forest to finally get to the beach. Just before hitting the beach, I decided to follow the pathway which directed me to the top of the mountain. Little did I know that this hike was steep and slippery. I managed to get to the top and have to say that the gorgeous views was worth the hassle. It was going back down that did test my nerves and after few bruises I made it back down to the beach.
The water was so clear and fresh, that I had to go for a swim. The sun was shining bright, so I made sure to apply sunblock before jumping in the water. Thanks to all those who voted that I buy this orange swimwear. Yep, I know that after this world tour is over, I need to start working out again to be fit and stronger.
After having a light lunch, it was time to head back to our bus, through the same rocky path and head in to our next destination.
I’m so fortunate that Burto was our tour guide, because he is a Kiwi local as well as very passionate and knowledgeable about the islands. He made sure to provide us lot of historical and cultural information as we drove by various towns and mountains, such as, “Mercury Bay,” the place where Captain Cooks observed the transit of Mercury.
Around 6pm, we got to Cathedral Cove and were staying at Hahei Holiday Resort. The accommodation was basic nothing to brag about. I had my own room but had to share the bathroom with others. Since we were just staying here for a night, it didn’t bother me.
We all got together for BBQ style dinner and they had made sure to have vegetarian falafel burgers for me so I was happy. After dinner, we played couple of games, which was a lot of fun.
DAY 2 – COROMANDEL TO ROTORUA
Woke up early next day, to have a light breakfast and get ready for the morning hike to Cathedral Cove.
Cathedral Cove Hike –
Burto dropped us at the summit from where couple of us hiked to Te Whanganui-A-Hei (Cathedral Cove) Marine Reserve, which is in the southern part of Mercury Bay.
The hike through the nature path was so peaceful and I got to see lot of birds along the path which was very cool.
When we got to the beach, I was in awe at the sight of the natural rock archway. In fact, this was the location for the movie, The Chronicles of Narnia.
After passing through the rock arch, the majestic Te Hoho Rock stands strong on the beach as the waves clash. I made sure to give it a hand so that it didn’t tip over 🙂
After a beautiful morning hike, we got back to our accommodation to freshen up, pack our bags and head to the next destination.
Hot Water Springs –
On the way, we stopped at the Hot Water Beach to checkout the Hot Water Springs. Around low tide, one can dig into the sand allowing hot water to escape to the surface forming a hot water pool. When we got there, the beach was jam packed with so many tourists, which is not the ideal scenario to relax and enjoy the thermal water. I dipped my feet into one of the holes that Val dug for us and I could barely soak in my feet unless I wanted to burn myself. The water temperature was simply too hot. It was definitely a very cool experience sans the tourists.
Had lunch at the cafe near the beach and then we drove to Hobbiton. The scenic drive through the Bay of Plenty and rolling hills was spectacular.
While Hobbiton movie set is the number one visited site in New Zealand, I was not interested is joining the hordes of tourists. Except Allison and me, everyone on our tour opted to checkout the Hobbiton movie set.
Burto came up with the plan for two of us to hike “The Blue Spring.” George decided to join us as well. It’s always nice to have a local tag along so that we didn’t get lost during the hike.
The Blue Spring (Te Puna) hike –
The Blue Spring (Te Puna) is a natural taonga (treasure) formed through the special and delicate merger of geology, ecology, freshwater biology and geography over thousands of years. The pristine and clear blue water not only reflects the nearby landscape but you can also have a glimpse of vegetation growing under water along with eels and fishes.
We also spotted a waterfall and turbine midway through our hike.
Along the narrow path, a cow came marching towards us, while Allison screamed, brave George knew how to deter her away. The poor cow had somehow come on the other “human” side of the fence and didn’t know how to get back on the other side. Her friends on the other side of the fence were screaming out loud. Such a sad experience but there was not much we could do.
We kept on hiking towards the other end of the spring where Burto was going to pick us up. We made it to our meeting point exactly in 90 minutes as planned. Yay!
I’m so glad that I chose to go on this hike rather than the touristy Hobbiton site. This hike is as close you can be in the midst of nature. Also, I heard from others who went on the Hobbiton tour, that the set and gardens were beautiful but it was way too touristy and hard to enjoy it.
Arrival in Rotorua –
We got to Rotorua around 7:30pm. Burto drove us around the town to show us where everything was before we got to our accommodation.
Also, shared with us the love story of Hinemoa and Tutanekai. The story is that Hinemoa and Tūtānekai fell in love, but her family resisted the marriage, as Hinemoa was beautiful and high-born, while he was of lower social status. Hinemoa would listen each night to the flute music of Tūtānekai as the sounds drifted across from his home on Mokoia Island. When Hinemoa’s family tried to prevent her leaving, she strung together six empty gourds for flotation and swam three kilometres naked across to Mokoia Island at night, guided by the sound of the music. Tūtānekai found Hinemoa warming herself in a hot pool on the island. Their marriage was eventually the source of strong bonds among their kin.
In fact, Rotorua city has named two intersecting streets in their honour.
We were staying at YHA, Youth Hostel Association, Hosteling International. I had my own private room with en-suite bathroom. In spite of it being a hostel, my room was very similar to a hotel single room, which was very clean with comfortable bedding, towels, toiletries and, even had a heater and AC. The free WiFi and the huge kitchen at all YHAs is always an added bonus.
After checking in, some of us decided to go for dinner and drinks at Sobar. Around 10:30pm, I decided to head back to the hostel while the youngsters decided to stay out and party. Glad my party days are way behind me. I was so happy to be in bed by 11pm and get my beauty sleep.
