Russell – Coromandel Peninsula – Tongariro National Park – Wellington
Russell
On January 1st, 2023 we boarded a flight to New Zealand. In flight we missed January 2nd completely and landed in Auckland on January 3rd. After 21 hours of travel, we showered and rested, then picked up our little rental car and headed northward to the historic town of Russell, aka Kororareka, in the Bay of Islands. This was to be the first stop on our road trip from north to south.
Our four-hour drive up north was in the pouring rain. While we were en route, concerned about landslides, our host contacted Manohar and suggested we take the main route rather than the scenic coastal route she had previously suggested. Manohar consulted “Susie” (his name for the voice of our navigation system), and we were on our way again. As the steep and winding road turned from asphalt to gravel, we started getting nervous. After all, we were jet lagged, it was raining cats and dogs, and it was our first day driving on the other side of the road. How in the world could this be the main route? (We found out later it was not.)
Along this dicey 15-kilometer stretch there were points where half of the road had already washed away. We had no choice but to inch our car along the remaining single lane. As a grim reminder of the danger, on the edges of the road we saw battered, abandoned cars apparently already rescued from the ditches and waiting to be reclaimed. From bad to worse, as we descended the final hill, a flooded road lay in our wake. Had we not been passed earlier by two small cars who seemingly already made it across, Manohar said he would have turned around. But, alas, we powered through. This journey was a precursor to our entire rainy stay in the Bay of Islands — a complete wash.
Coromandel Peninsula
The gray skies and rain overshadowed our southwardly drive to the Coromandel Peninsula. However, peeks of blue sky showed promise. While our day-long peninsula hike needed to be cancelled on account of floods and dangerously muddy conditions, a shorter hike to the pristine New Chums Beach seemed very doable — and what a lovely surprise that turned out to be!
However, after a taste of the most perfect day at the most perfect beach, warnings started flooding our phones about the impending Cyclone Hale. Fun fact: did you know a cyclone is the same thing as a typhoon and a hurricane? They are just different names depending on which part of the ocean they are in.
Having just experienced a typhoon in South Korea in September, and considering the stretch of coastal highway we were planning to drive the next day, we made the decision to leave the Coromandel Peninsula a day earlier than planned.
Tongariro National Park
And so the race inland began. We knew the storm would catch up with us eventually — and catch us, it did. It was during our first night at our hut in Tongariro National Park. The rains and gale winds were fierce. Long after our fire burned out, we lay awake in the cold, dark night hoping our roof would not blow off. The rain and cloud cover continued during our stay here as well. Needless to say, hikes continued not to happen — but at least we had Scrabble.
Wellington
Further south and much to our delight, in New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington we finally found some sustained sunshine. For one month we had a sunny stay in a studio only five houses from the beach in Lyall Bay. We even had our very own lemon tree with the biggest, juiciest lemons you ever did see. Mind you, that glorious tree was a wee bit stressful since we tried to use as many lemons as possible before the fruits dropped to the ground.
Our daily activities often included hiking, running, swimming, or a walk along the beach. A favorite and frequent climb was up to the top of Mt. Victoria perched conveniently in the middle of the city. The 650-foot (200 m) climb made for a perfect outing. A little bonus on the way up, you can see one of the Lord of the Rings film locations. And at the top, you are always rewarded with a lovely panoramic view of Wellington Central Business District “CBD” (downtown) and the harbor.
We also ventured into the heart of the artsy city a few times to make our normal rounds — in search of a health food store for vital wheat gluten (for seitan making), good coffee, and to peruse the vintage op shops (“op” for opportunity, aka thrift shops) — P.S. Thrift shops in other countries are a fascinating lesson in anthropology, imho.
In all, we had seven whole weeks to explore the North Island’s bays and harbors. Onward to the rugged South Island where its mountains and glaciers await!
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