NZ - Day 1 - Auckland to New Plymouth

Friday, 24 January 2020

 

Today we woke to steady and completely un-forecast rain. We decided it would be good to skip our first activity, the Adventure Forest - except we couldn't as we booked and paid for it the night before!  As it turned out, the rain had eased by the time we arrived so it was fine.

At this point it's worth noting that our schedule today was:

 

  • 10-12pm - Adventure Forest
  • 12-4.30pm Drive to New Plymouth
  • 5-7pm - Register, attend model event.

 

We were the first customers to the Adventure Forest when it opened at 10, so we were quickly shown the ropes (heh heh) and set off to negotiate the 8 high ropes courses. As usual it was good fun - I like the challenges of swinging around logs and walking along wires - all while attached safely with a harness high off the ground!

 

 

 

Time flew by and before we knew it it was after 12:30 and we hadn't left yet. We realised we weren't going to get to do the final course (which was fine by me as I was getting a bit weary!) so once Jon and Julie descended we headed back to the car, then to a supermarket to get lunch and dinner supplies.  

We ate lunch in a random gazebo by a random lake in a suburb outside of Hamilton. By then it was almost 30 degrees - so we were glad of the shade.

 By the time we finished lunch it was around 2pm, and we really hadn't made much of a dent in our 350km journey southwards, so we set off with a new resolve to eat up some miles, only to stop about half an hour later when it dawned on us that if we didn't buy Jon some new clothes now, he'd be running in what he was wearing the next day. So after confirming with our insurance that he had a $250 allowance, we diverted to Rebel Sports where he bought some shorts, socks, undies, 2 shirts and some sunscreen.  K-Mart would probably have been a better option but we couldn't find one and we were still entertaining thoughts of maybe getting some running shoes - but they didn't really fit the budget.

By the time we left (it took aaages!)  it was really getting on in the day! Determined to REALLY make some progress we immediately stopped at Mitre Ten to buy a cheap Chulli Bin (eski) as we had already noticed our stuff was getting a bit warm in the van! Armed with the bin, some ice, and some bottles of L & P, we were finally ready to go.

And go we did.  When we finally left suburbia the coastline and country side looked really cool and authentically NZ-ish with steep hillsides and unrecognisable vegetation.  We drove a fair chunk of the way but an hour away from New Plymouth I spied some cool looking rock features called the Three Sisters which we simply had to stop and explore. 

 

They turned out to be a 15 minute walk away, and we could only do it at low tide, which due to our extremely delayed schedule it actually was!  - yay us! 

 

 

 By the time we'd finished checking them out, it was really really late. I contacted our AirBNB host for the zillionth time with a new ETA (there goes my good review) and we eventually arrived in New Plymouth at 8.45pm!  Needless to say we had well and truly missed registration and the model event.  We can sort it all out tomorrow though.

Our AirBNB place is nice and comfortable for us all - we've got three nights here which will be nice. We've got a lovely view of Mt Tarenaki which I'm sure we'll get closer to in our time here.

 

2016summary
Packing, shopping, packing. Sunday, 27 December 2020
Christmas Day 2020 Sunday, 27 December 2020
Adventures with GumTree Monday, 14 December 2020
Gingerbread House of Horrors. Sunday, 13 December 2020
Beautiful Summer Days Sunday, 13 December 2020
Before & After #48 : New Sofas! Wednesday, 9 December 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #38 Wednesday, 9 December 2020
Orienteering Christmas Event Wednesday, 9 December 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #37 Wednesday, 9 December 2020
Getting out Wednesday, 9 December 2020
The Two Capes Hike Monday, 30 November 2020
Crescent Beach Sunday, 29 November 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #39 Sunday, 29 November 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #38 Sunday, 29 November 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #36 Sunday, 22 November 2020
Hartz Moutains Sunday, 22 November 2020
My First (and probably last) Point to Pinnacle Sunday, 15 November 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #35 Friday, 13 November 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #34 Friday, 13 November 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #33 Friday, 13 November 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #32 Friday, 13 November 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #31 Sunday, 1 November 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #30 Sunday, 1 November 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #29 Sunday, 1 November 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #28 Sunday, 1 November 2020
Other projects Saturday, 31 October 2020
Streetscapes Saturday, 31 October 2020
All the things.. Saturday, 31 October 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #27 Monday, 12 October 2020
Back at home Friday, 9 October 2020
St Helens is Still Awesome - Part 2 Friday, 9 October 2020
St Helens is Still Awesome - Part 1 Friday, 9 October 2020
Yummy Bread Saturday, 26 September 2020
Misleading Claims Saturday, 26 September 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #26 Tuesday, 8 September 2020
Catnapping Tuesday, 8 September 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #25 Wednesday, 2 September 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #24 Wednesday, 2 September 2020
Happy Birthday Jett! Tuesday, 1 September 2020
Echidna in Peter Murrell Reserve Wednesday, 19 August 2020
Wednesday Walks Wednesday, 19 August 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #23 Monday, 10 August 2020
Dream Team Monday, 10 August 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #22 Monday, 10 August 2020
Accident on Mountain Circuit! Sunday, 9 August 2020
Freycinet Day 3 Monday, 27 July 2020
Freycinet Day 2 Monday, 27 July 2020
Freycinet in a Day Monday, 27 July 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #21 Tuesday, 21 July 2020
This time last year Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #20 Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Covid Benefits Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #19 Monday, 20 July 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #18 Sunday, 19 July 2020
From the bottom to the top Sunday, 19 July 2020
My Birthday and Recipe Challenge - Books #17 & 18 Tuesday, 14 July 2020
Local Adventures Monday, 13 July 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #16 Monday, 13 July 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #15 Sunday, 5 July 2020
Almost Disappeared Tarn Sunday, 5 July 2020
New Phone, better photos Sunday, 5 July 2020
New views Friday, 3 July 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #14 Friday, 3 July 2020
Cockatoos Thursday, 2 July 2020
Things (not) to take up a mountain Thursday, 2 July 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #13 Thursday, 2 July 2020
Loopholes Part 2 Thursday, 2 July 2020
Happy Birthday Robin Sunday, 28 June 2020
Snug Falls and Dave Burrows Walk Sunday, 28 June 2020
Loopholes Sunday, 28 June 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #12 Wednesday, 24 June 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #11 Wednesday, 24 June 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #10 Sunday, 21 June 2020
Dark OFO Sunday, 21 June 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #9 Sunday, 14 June 2020
Recipe Challenge - Books #8 Sunday, 14 June 2020
Recipe Challenge - Books #7 Sunday, 7 June 2020
Other things Sunday, 7 June 2020
Recipe Challenge - Books #5 & 6 Sunday, 7 June 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #4 Tuesday, 2 June 2020
Zali Saturday, 30 May 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #3 Saturday, 30 May 2020
Recipe Challenge - Book #2 Thursday, 28 May 2020
Challenge Accepted - Book #1 Tuesday, 26 May 2020
Back to Peter Murrell Reserve Saturday, 16 May 2020
How to catch a cat Saturday, 16 May 2020
Small Amusements Thursday, 14 May 2020
Home Things - Zali Thursday, 14 May 2020
Home Things - Pinto Thursday, 14 May 2020
Home Things - Table Soccer Thursday, 14 May 2020
Zali's Hair Boutique Saturday, 25 April 2020
Before & After #47 : Deck Projects - Part 2 Saturday, 25 April 2020
Pittwater Dunes Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Dumb. Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Still Running Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Before & After #46 : Deck Projects - Part 1 Friday, 17 April 2020
Cute Thursday, 16 April 2020
House Orienteering Monday, 13 April 2020
More Local Activities Monday, 13 April 2020
Satisfaction Saturday, 11 April 2020
Friday? Friday, 10 April 2020
So today is probably Wednesday then. Wednesday, 8 April 2020
Is it Tuesday? Tuesday, 7 April 2020
Isolation Activities Sunday, 5 April 2020
Coronavirus Bread Wednesday, 1 April 2020
Golden times - for some anyway. Wednesday, 1 April 2020
Coronavirus Outbreak Wednesday, 1 April 2020
Home School day 2 Wednesday, 1 April 2020
Home School day 1 Monday, 30 March 2020
Whitewater Creek Map Monday, 30 March 2020
Craft projects not cancelled. Monday, 30 March 2020
Camping Food Monday, 30 March 2020
Closures Monday, 30 March 2020
Family Dinner Monday, 30 March 2020
Meehan Ranges Run Monday, 30 March 2020
Bruny Island Day Out Wednesday, 18 March 2020
Melbourne Sprint Weekend Saturday, 14 March 2020
Cathedral Rock & Montague Thumbs Loop - take 2 Wednesday, 26 February 2020
Before and After #45 - Garden Project Tuesday, 25 February 2020
Sourdough Saturday, 15 February 2020
Wellington Falls Saturday, 15 February 2020
NZ - Day 11 - Hawkes Bay to Hamilton Tuesday, 4 February 2020
NZ - Day 9 - STB - Day 2 Saturday, 1 February 2020
NZ - Day 8 - STB Day 1 Friday, 31 January 2020
NZ - Day 7 - Taupo to Havelock North Thursday, 30 January 2020
NZ - Day 6 - Rotorua Wednesday, 29 January 2020
NZ - Day 5 - Part 2 Tuesday, 28 January 2020
NZ - Day 5 - Part 1 Tuesday, 28 January 2020
NZ - Day 4 - Lonely Mountain Sprints - Day 3 Monday, 27 January 2020
NZ - Day 3 - Lonely Mountain Sprints Day 2 Sunday, 26 January 2020
NZ - Day 2 - Lonely Mountain Sprints Day 1 Saturday, 25 January 2020
NZ - Day 1 - Auckland to New Plymouth Friday, 24 January 2020
Hello NZ! Thursday, 23 January 2020
Frenchman's Cap 2020 - Day 4 Wednesday, 8 January 2020
Frenchman's Cap 2020 - Day 3 Wednesday, 8 January 2020
Frenchman's Cap - Day 2 Tuesday, 7 January 2020
Frenchmans Cap 2020 - Day 1 Monday, 6 January 2020
Guessed blog by Clare the favourite family friend Friday, 3 January 2020