Farewell to New Zealand

Well, it’s been grand. We started in Auckland three months ago, and we are returning to Auckland tomorrow. In between, we rolled down the middle and the east coast of the North Island, then crossed the Cook Strait to the South Island. There, we rolled down the east coast and up the west coast. We returned to the North Island, and we spent our last five days in New Plymouth.

New Plymouth is the westernmost town on the North Island. It is an ocean town, a deep water port, with a mountain hovering over it. It is set on a volcanic peninsula, of which Mount Taranaki is the main volcano. It is 8500 feet in elevation, just a half-hour drive from the ocean. The ocean here is the wild west coast, sparsely populated, with big surf and secluded beaches. South and north of New Plymouth are some of the best surfing beaches in the country.

We spent one day exploring the coast to the south, and another day hiking in the mountain forest, and we we also spent time in New Plymouth itself. This is not a touristy part of New Zealand. The town is friendly and quiet, and it has a beautiful ocean walkway. It is uncrowded, with lots of good restaurants and art galleries and museums.

Every other Sunday, there is a Seaside Market. When we were there, it was a gorgeous sunny day. Lots of food booths, crafts, and a marimba band performing with the community choir. New Plymouth has lots going on, just not too many people. A good combination.

Pukekura Park

Pukekura Park is the heart of the city. We spent an afternoon there, wandering through green spaces. There are events here year-round, including the WOMAD Festival (World of Music, Arts, and Dance). This is a three-day international festival held every March. People stream into little New Plymouth from around the country and around the world.

Our airbnb hosts were Donna and Wayne. Wayne took us out in his boat one late afternoon. He had just had some mechanical work done on it and he wanted to check it out before really taking it out to fish for marlin. We were in the “lumpy” sea for about a half-hour. Mike got to take the wheel, but the camera stopped cooperating in Mo’s hands.

New Zealand has treated us wonderfully every step of the way. We didn’t get everywhere, notably missing the north of the North Island and the south of the South Island, but we had the opportunity to see a lot of the country and to meet a lot of people. It’s great to know that these calm islands are here, a speck of land in the Southern Ocean.