New Zealand - Gisborne to Tongariro National Park - Morere Hot Springs, Lake Tutira, Waipunga Falls - 7 January 2010

After an early morning swim at Waikanae Beach, we left for Tongariro National Park.

We followed the coast road. There were some nice places we would have liked to have stayed had we more time.

The first stop was Morere Hot Springs. We walked through the rainforest for about 20 minutes reaching the hot spas. One spa was cold, the other hot and the other ballistic. We tried all three though the ballistic one made one feel empathic with a lobster. A few minutes was all I could handle.

Next we stopped at Lake Tutira. It was pretty with a lot of swans and ducks. They were pretty tame.

Next stop was Waipunga Falls. A lookout gave excellent views if the huge falls and countryside.

WE continued driving past Taupo and onwards to the Tongariro national Park. The roads were quite in the park and the scenery awe inspiring.

New Zealand - coast north of Gisborne - 6 January 2010

We drove north of Gisborne only a short while to find quiet stretches of white sanded beaches mixed with farming and houses.

We stopped and walked around a few beaches until Makorori where I had an okay fun surf (I think it was that beach) before the wind picked up.

Tolaga Bay was very impressive. The beach was strewn with logs and flotsam with heaps of people swimming and lazing. We walked out on the pier which went for ages. The bay itself has two dramatic and high headlands on either end that stretch out far into the ocean.

Sponge Bay was differently dramatic, being a picture postcard perfect headland and an island. There was a great lookout affording amazing views of Sponge Bay and in the vast Poverty Bay.

New Zealand - Gisborne - 5 to 7 January 2020

At Gisborne we stayed at the Waikanae Beach Holiday Park. It was close to the beach, town and waterfront.

Waikanae Beach is long and stretches off in a crescent shape for kilometres. The other end is the start of the port at Gisborne. I had an okay surf and body surf at Waikanae Beach.

The waterfront pathway passed along the river and seaport at Gisborne. There were ships doing their shipping thing and fisherman fishing and kids swimming. At one stage, a dolphin made its way quite visibly along the river pass the fishermen and swimmers. Thoughtfully, the fishermen withdrew their lines and the kids swam closer to shore.

New Zealand - Rotorua to Gisborne - 5 January 2010

We drove from Rotorua to Gisborne. We stopped at rested at a number of lakes, especially, Lake Rotoiti.

Our next stop was the start of the East Cape beaches of Ohope and Opotiki. The beaches were long and white sanded with dramatic headlands. We swam and wandered around the beaches.

We turned inland and drove through the Waioeka Gorge following the Waioeka River. It was quite spectacular in parts with the road winding its way pass huge hills and down drops to the river below.