Cape Reinga and Northland

Cape Reinga Lighthouse

No trip to New Zealand is complete unless you go on a road trip to Northland and visit spectacular Cape Reinga.

On the road to the far north.

In our 12-seater rental van.

Like all road trips that I've been on in New Zealand, I did this one with my Auckland Uni schoolmates, who were mostly Filipinos, but with the addition of Chinese classmate Yue and Vietnamese classmate Hang Anh. We hired a 12 seater Ford Transit van from USave and left Auckland at 6 in the evening on a Friday.

Gassing up our van rental

As usual, ako yung dakilang designated driver. I drove 230 kilometers north to the Bay of Islands. Other than the long distance, it is quite pleasant to drive in New Zealand. If I did a similar long drive in the Philippines, I would've definitely encountered lots of crazy drivers, jaywalking pedestrians and potholed roads, and developed a headache along the way. None of that sort happened in NZ. So, I really didn't mind driving. And the good thing about it is I had control of the music. Hahaha!

Pepper Tree Lodge in the Bay of Islands.

The eleven of us stayed at Pepper Tree Lodge Backpackers in the Bay of Islands. Hostels in New Zealand are generally clean and safe. Pepper Tree was a good one, however a couple of bunk beds of the girls had bedbugs in them, allegedly left by the previous guest. Anyway, we complained about it and the manager addressed the situation.

First stop for this trip was Matai Bay in the Karikari Peninsula, 100 kilometers further up north from the Bay of Islands. Matai Bay is just one of New Zealand's many pristine beaches. I would've taken a dip, but the water was freezing. Our friend Lez did swim though. Brave girl.

With classmates Hang Anh and Yue jumping at Matai Beach.

Cape Reinga

From Matai Bay we drove another 130 kilometers further up to the northern tip of New Zealand--Cape Reinga. It was discovered by Dutch navigator Abel Tasman--the same explorer who named New Zealand after a town in the Netherlands. 

It was a beautiful day when we visited. The sun was out, the grass green, the ocean blue and the sky absolutely magnificent. Cape Reinga is famous for its lighthouse. It reminded me of the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in Burgos, Ilocos Norte.

Afterwards, the group made a u-turn and dropped by the Te Paki Giant Sand Dunes. Again, Northland reminded me so much of home. The sand dunes reminded me of our own versions in La Paz, Laoag City and Paoay town. However, the sand dunes in Northland are really big and towering. 

Group photo at the Te Paki Giant Sand Dunes.

We rented sand boards for NZ$15 per person. We actually negotiated for a lower price for half the time. You can haggle too, or you can bring your own sand board. Anyway, we hiked all the way to the highest dune and slid down the steep slopes. It was fun and death defying at the same time. Many of us had sand for merienda.

Group photo at 90 Mile Beach.

From the sand dunes, we passed by 90 Mile Beach, which was on the way back to the Bay of Islands anyway. It's not really 90 miles. more of 60, I think. But it's called that to emphasize its length and massiveness. It's a really big beach. I've never seen such massive beach front. People drive their 4x4s and other adventure vehicles here. In fact, they shoot a lot of car commercials in this area.

What a shore.

The visits to Cape Reinga, Te Paki and 90 Mile Beach took the entire day. From the beach, we drove back to our hostel in the Bay of Islands.

Sunrise at the Bay of Islands.

The Bay of Islands is a tourist destination in itself. Like the Hundred Islands in Alaminos, Pangasinan, the Bay of Islands is know for its many small islands and islets. Boats ferry visitors from one island to the other and they can do all of sorts of things like, swim, fish or dolphin watch. Too bad we didn't have enough time (and money) to do those activities.

Sunrise from the Opua Forest.

The next day, we woke up early to watch the sunrise. Some of us went to the bay shore, which was near the hostel, and waited for the sun to come up there. The others, including myself, hiked up the Opua Forest and watched the sunrise from there.

Our first official stop for the day was the Treaty of Waitangi Grounds. Before the country became New Zealand, it was known as Aotearoa and was occupied by the Maori people. And although the islands were "discovered" by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, it was, in the end, colonized by the British. The Maori people, of course, resisted, but war was averted with the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. The treaty outlined what the British government could and could not do, and emphasized that the ultimate owners of the land were the Maori people. Anyway, general admission is NZ$25. If you are an NZ resident or student, admission is NZ$15.

Within the treaty grounds is a Marae--a traditional Maori meeting place, a cross between a chapel and a social hall. It is a place of worship and social gathering. 

Maori men perform the Haka.

We were lucky enough to catch a Maori performance of the Haka at the treaty grounds. The Haka is the way Maori tribes greet their visitors. The performers look scary, shouting and  screaming like they're going to tear your head off with their own teeth, but the whole thing is supposed to be friendly. I actually still don't get it, but it was fascinating to watch.

Group photo at Rainbow Falls.

From the Treaty of Waitangi Grounds, we bid farewell to the Bay of Islands and travelled back to Auckland. On the way, we stopped by Rainbow Falls in Kerikeri.

Too bad, we didn't see any rainbow when we visited. Still, it's a nice waterfall--if waterfalls are your thing.

Afterwards, our group made its way to the Kawiti Glow Worm Cave in Kawakawa. The more famous glow worm caves are at Waitomo, but the Kawiti cave is allegedly better. Entrance is NZ$20/person.

Flash photography is strictly prohibited inside the cave and so I have no pictures to show, except for this group photo at the cave entrance. So you have to trust me when I say that the cave is home to thousands, if not millions, of glow worms. And when the flood lights are turned off, they do look like stars twinkling at night. 

Once you come out of the other end of the cave you have to hike back to the car park. On our way back we found silver ferns, a plant New Zealand is famous for. In fact, the silver fern is a national symbol and its image is found on many New Zealand products.

The glow worm cave was the final tourist stop for this road trip. From Kawakawa, I drove the van back to Auckland. I had driven more than 1,000 kilometers in a span of three days. Gabi na nga kami nakabalik ng Auckland. But we couldn't call it a day because before we could return the van, we had to clean it up first. Pero oks lang. Enjoy naman.

I can compare the Cape Reinga and Northland road trip in New Zealand to a similar road trip to Ilocos in the Philippines. You get to see a lot of things, like historical places and natural formations. And there are activities for almost everyone, from sand boarding to horseback riding; from swimming to island-hopping; from picnicking to wine tasting. If you're in Auckland and don't want to fly out to the south island, I really recommend this road trip to the north. Best when done with friends.

Enjoy New Zealand!



Thank you to Neeko Catalan, Giulia Soria and Lara Mula for the photos in this post.

Christchurch and Thereabouts

NZAS 2013-2014 at Lincoln University (All photos courtesy of Jam Jacob)

Part of my south island trip last year was to visit New Zealand's second largest city, Christchurch. And if I had only known that it was flatter than Auckland and Wellington, well, I might have studied there. That's because I've always wanted to bike commute while doing my postgrad abroad, but I couldn't do that in Auckland because it was ridiculously hilly (It was easier just to walk). Christchurch is relatively flat. And the city is bike friendly with lots of bike lanes. In fact, my friend Ace, who studied at Lincoln University, biked to school. Another scholar Meikko, who was at the University of Canterbury naman, also rode his bike to campus. Anyway, we visited them last September 2014, and explored their city, which has so much more to offer than bike lanes.

My friends and I who were based in Auckland flew in to Christchurch in Autumn. We were welcomed by our counterparts based in Lincoln University and the University of Canterbury.  It was a bit chillier than Auckland (you'll learn that as one goes further south in New Zealand, the temperature gets colder). 

On our first day, Meikko, Rico and Ace toured us around the central business district. Christchurch, which suffered an earthquake in 2011, was still picking itself up from the rubble. Many of its commercial and historical buildings, including Christchurch Cathedral, were severely damaged and were undergoing repair and reconstruction.

At Christchurch Botanic Gardens and Canterbury Museum

Nevertheless, Christchurch is still a beautiful place to visit. Some even say it's the most English city in New Zealand. We went to the Canterbury Museum and the Botanical Gardens. We saw the River Avon, which went around the CBD. They used to have scenic boat rides, but not on that day we went. The city also had an old tram network, but only one line was operational at that time.

University of Canterbury

On our second day in Christchurch, we visited the campuses where our friends studied. First stop was the University of Canterbury. Really nice school. It reminded me of UP Diliman. Meikko, Rico, Tin and Michael were studying here.

Lincoln University

Our next stop was Lincoln University where Ace and Mikey were studying. This campus naman reminded me of UP Los Baños because of its rural ambiance, and rightly so, because it is agriculture and environment focused. 

Film location for Chronicles of Narnia

From Lincoln, we drove 90 minutes north to Castle Hill, famous for its huge limestone rocks and boulders. It's a film location for the battle scene of Chronicles of Narnia. And I'm quite sure they used it also in Lord of the Rings.

Group photo at Castle Hill

Castle Hill was the highlight of my trip because the scenery just takes your breath away. God truly is a great artist.

From Christchurch, the group travelled west to Lake Tekapo, which will be the subject of another post. Thank you to Jam Jacob for the wonderful photos.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing

The Tongariro Crossers from Norman Zafra on Vimeo.

Before I left New Zealand to go back home to the Philippines I went on one last road trip with my friends. We went to Tongariro National Park to hike the world famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing--reputedly one of the best day hikes in the world. The 7 to 9 hour trek that traverses approximately 19.5 kilometers takes you to a mountain summit 1,800 above sea level, between Mounts Tongariro and Ngauruhoe, showcasing volcanic landscapes of craters, mountain springs and emerald lakes. It should be in every hiker's bucket list.

Location Map of the Track.

Anyway, my friends and I travelled more than 300 kilometers south of Auckland to Tongariro National Park on a Friday afternoon. It took us 5 hours to get to our accommodation in Raurimu--which was just around 20 minutes away from the park. There were other accommodations (hotels, hostels, backpackers, chalets, etc.) closer, but the place we found in Raurimu was the only one that could accommodate our large group of 10 exclusively.

Our accommodation at Wood Pigeon Lodge. We had the whole barn to ourselves. (Photo: Neeko Catalan)

We spent the night at The Barn of Wood Pigeon Lodge. The next day, Saturday, we were scheduled to do the hike. Now here's the thing: the weather at the park is unpredictable. Some days are bright and sunny, while others are wet and rainy. So you have to allot at least two days to do this activity--that is, prepare for one reserve day, just in case you can't do the hike on your desired date, which was what happened to us. Saturday was rainy, foggy and cloudy, and we were strongly discouraged by our host Tim from pushing through.

Having breakfast at the Barn. (Photo: Neeko Catalan)

We followed Tim's advice and postponed our hike for the following day.

Tongariro Crossing Transport

Thankfully, our group was blessed with beautiful weather on Sunday. The sun was out, the sky was blue, and the temperature was a crisp 18 degrees. We woke up early at 5am, got ready, and we were out of The Barn by 6:30. I drove our van to Ketetahi--at the end of the hike, and parked there. We got our things, left the van, and transferred to our Tongariro Crossing Transport, which was going to take us to the start of the hike. Now, this is important. You have to arrange for your Tongariro Crossing Transport. You have three main options:

Option A: You can book transport for direct pick up and drop off at your accommodation. It is the most expensive, setting you back at least NZ$45 or more per person, depending on distance

Option B: You can drive to the transport's headquarters/office, leave your car there and  ride their shuttle to the start and from the finish of the hike. Departure times are 6:45am, 7:45am, and 8:15am, while pick up times are 3pm, 4pm and 5:30pm. Option B will cost you NZ$35 per person.

Option C: You can drive all the way to the end of the hike, at Ketetahi Car Park, board the shuttle there, which will take you the start. You do the hike. When you reach the finish line, your car will be waiting for you. This option is the cheapest of the three at NZ$30 per person.

Of course, another option is to have a driver friend drop you off at the start, wait 8 hours, and then pick you up at the finish. Good luck with that.

Inside our Tongariro Crossing Transport shuttle to the Mangatepopo entrance. (Photo: Neeko Catalan)

Anyway, we chose Adventure Tours, and went with Option C. Aside from being the cheapest option, it was also the less stressful, unlike Option B, which had strict pick up times (I heard tour operators were ruthless with this, often times leaving tourists who were late at the pick up point). With Option C, our group could hike at our own pace and not worry about not getting to the finish line at a designated time. 

Things to Bring

So, we were dropped off by our transport at Mangatepopo Car Park. We rented hiking sticks from our driver Paul for NZ$5 each. This turned out to be a good investment as the sticks came in handy going up the mountain. Incidentally, here is a list of other things one should bring on this hike.

1. Water
Although this is just a day hike, and nothing compared to a U.P. Mountaineers hike, it's still a mountain. There are no sari-sari stores or convenience stores up at the summit or anywhere for that matter. There are springs, fountains and lakes, but the water is not fit to drink. So you have to bring water for the hike. Hiking guides recommend bringing at least 1.5L of water per person.

2. Food
Again, no sari-sari stores from Mangatepopo to Ketetahi. Bring energy food like bananas, nuts, sandwiches and nutri-bars to snack on.

3. Jacket and pants
Even if you hike on a clear, bright day, the temperature and weather changes as you climb up the mountain. So it's best to wear layers so you can add and remove them as need be. Start with thermals underneath, and then a shirt. Prepare a light sweater, and a rain jacket. For the bottom, you can wear those convertible hiking pants/shorts.

4. Walking or Hiking shoes with traction
There won't be any wall or rock climbing involved, but it'd be best if you leave your sneakers at home. You'll be hiking over rocks and loose soil, so best to wear hiking shoes with some kind of traction.

5. Hat and gloves
You need to protect yourself from the New Zealand sun with a good, sturdy hat, preferably one that covers your ears. If all you have is a baseball cap, it's best to wear a buff/bandana with it. Bring a pair of gloves as well as you never know how cold it can get at the summit.

6. Sunscreen
Need I remind you that there's a big Ozone hole over New Zealand? Better put on some sunscreen. After all, it is an 8 hour day hike.

7. Mobile phone
There are guide posts along the track, and it's possible to arrange for a guided tour. But you can still get lost, especially if you pick a day with very few hikers. So, for your safety, it's best to bring your fully-charged mobile phone to call authorities in case you lose your way or have an emergency.

8. Walking or Hiking stick
If you're a hard-core mountain climber or hiker, then you'd probably say hiking sticks are for sissies. And you're probably right. But I found the hiking stick to be very useful going up and down track. So if you're like me, a recreational hiker, and it's available, why not just rent a hiking stick. I rented mine for NZ$5/day.

Arla and Norman ready to hike. (Photo: Neeko Catalan)

The Tongariro Alpine Track

Let's get to the hike itself. We left the Mangatepopo entrance at around 8:45am. That's pretty late already. When we got there we joined the tail end of the day's hikers. The temperature was pretty warm, so we took off our jackets and stored them in our backpacks.The first part of the hike was pretty flat. It provided good views of Mount Ngauruhoe--Mount Doom for Lord of the Rings fans. After an hour and a half we reached the Soda Springs area. There's a cute waterfall. But more importantly, Soda Springs has the last toilets for the next 4 hours. So if you think you need to pee, then the Soda Springs toilets are your last chance to relieve yourself before climbing up the mountain.

At the start of the track. (Photo: Neeko Catalan)

Soda Springs (Photo: Neeko Catalan)

From Soda Springs, the hike started to get steep as we climbed from 1,200 meters up to 1,500 meters to the South Crater. The climb is known as the Devil's Staircase. This is where the hiking stick became handy as it eased some pressure from the legs. The park is a volcanic area and it started to show. Less grass and shrubs, and the soil and rocks turned dark and blackish. Anyway, we felt a bit tired midway up and we rested on some of the boulders. From our viewpoint you could appreciate the natural beauty of the Mangatepopo Valley.

Devil's Staircase (Photo: Neeko Catalan)

After 2 1/2 hours, we reached the plateau known as the South Crater. There we took another rest with other tourists and waited for the other members of our party. We had our lunch--sandwiches and banana. Drank water. Took pictures. At 1,500 meters above sea level, the winds were stronger at the South Crater. It got colder so we wore our jackets. 

Enjoying the view of the Mangatepopo Valley

We crossed the South Crater. Mouth Tongariro was on the left and Mount Ngauruhoe on the right. We still saw some snow (even if it was technically summer in the southern hemisphere). Anyway, akala ko tapos na yung pag akyat. Hindi pa pala. At the end of the South Crater we had to hike up again. Unlike in the Devil's Staircase, there were no steps to help us. Instead, the incline was composed of loose soil and rocks. The hiking sticks come up handy again. This time, for balance.

Arla overlooking the south crater, with Mt. Ngauruhoe on the left and Mt. Tongariro on the right.

I think we climbed up to 1,800 meters to reach the Red Crater. It's called red because, well, the soil is color red. We rested. Waited for the others. Rehydrated. Enjoyed the view. The wind was definitely stronger and chillier.

That's me planting the Philippine flag!

Thankfully, that was the highest altitude for our planned hike. It was mostly downhill after that. However, if you wish to climb up the summit of Mount Tongariro, you could, but it will set you back another 1 hour.

The Red Crater

From the Red Crater, we hiked down to Emerald Lakes. Medyo mahirap yung pababa kasi malambot yung lupa. It also doesn't help that the view coming down was beautiful with the three emerald colored lakes popping out of the grey and brown landscape. For me, it was the highlight of the hike. I loved the view.

The hike going down from the Red Crater.

The Emerald Lakes (Photo: Neeko Catalan)

Group photo at one of the lakes. (Photo: Neeko Catalan)

We rested between the lakes, named Ngarotopoum Namu by the native Maori. I read that the bright green color of the water is caused by minerals from the volcano. Anyway, we waited for our friends. We ate pistachios. Posed for group photos. We took our sweet time that we didn't realize we were the last hikers already.

From the Emerald Lakes to the Blue Lake (Photo: Neeko Catalan)

There was still snow in some parts of the hike. (Photo: Neeko Catalan)

From the lakes, we continued walking until we reached a larger lake called Blue Lake. We rested again and took more photos. (Tourists, right?) There was still some snow along the way and the hiking boots were helpful to traverse them. After about an hour and a half, our party reached Ketetahi Hut. We had bathroom break there.

With the boys at Ketetahi Hut. (Photo: Neeko Catalan)

Hiking down to the Ketetahi exit. (Photo: Neeko Catalan)

From vegetation to volcanic rocks then back to vegetation (Photo: Giulia Soria)

We walked further down the winding path that seemed would not end. It started to get warm again. Vegetation started to reappear. It was a 2 hour walk down, we passed through a light forest, and then we reached Ketetahi car park at around 6pm. What was supposed to be an 8 hour day hike turned into 10 because of all of our breaks, rests and photo ops. But the hike was well worth it. I really enjoyed it because although it was warm at some parts, it wasn't excruciatingly hot and humid. Tama lang yung temperature. I imagine if I did a similar hike in the Philippines, I'd probably collapse due to heat stroke or dehydration within hours. 

Tired! (Photo: Neeko Catalan)

If you like hiking and the great outdoors, and have a weekend to spare while in New Zealand, I highly recommend doing the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. It's doable. It's enjoyable. It's worth it. For more information, visit the park's website at www.nationalpark.co.nz.

Happy hiking!



Thank you to Norman Zafra for the video, and to Neeko Catalan and Giulia Soria for the photos!