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Showing posts from September, 2015

New Zealand - North Island Day 4 (Part 2 - To do/see, to stay, to eat)

To Do: Wairere Falls Old Te Aroha Road, Te Aroha, New Zealand Wairere Falls from roadside The beginning of the walk is relatively easy and gives a false impression that this walk is so much easier than Cathedral Cove. I was so wrong! This walk is really a trek and its gets more difficult as you progress. I was pretty much gasping for breath when i was 30 mins into the walk. There are very steep stairs to climb and some boulders to climb over every now and then.                    First lookout - Wairere falls overlooking a valley It felt like a huge achievement upon reaching the first lookout with the waterfall in full view. There is another 2nd lookout that heads to the summit of the waterfall but we are uncertain of the route and abandon the walk to 2nd lookout 30 mins after leaving the 1st lookout. Nearly had a huge fright when SO slipped on the way down and did a...

New Zealand - North Island Day 3 (Part 2 - To do/see, to stay, to eat)

To do: Cathedral Cove Coromandel, New Zealand This is pretty physically exhausting though not as challenging as Wairere Falls. I will rate the walk as moderate with 2/3 easy sections and 1/3 difficult. There's a few sights to see on the way to Cathedral Cove - Gemstone Bay, Stingray Bay, Mares Leg Cove and Cathedral Cove. cathedral cove The best view is most definitely from Cathedral Cove. We skipped Gemstone Bay at my request though neither did i also didn't venture out far at Stingray Bay. Stingray bay is secluded with warning signs that states the area is prone to rockfall. There are also huge boulders to climb over to reach the small beach. Hence, I simply stopped at the end of the stairs and refuse to budge despite my SO prodding.   Stingray bay We spent quite a bit of time excluding the walk (an hour) to Cathedral cove but if you wish to cover 2 places on the same day namely Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove. Precise timing is essentia...

New Zealand - North Island Day 2 (Part 2 - To do/see, to stay, to eat)

To do: Sky Tower Victoria St W & Federal St, Auckland 1010, New Zealand                  Sky Tower For the adventurous, you can choose to do the bungy jump off the tower or the tower walk. For me, the walk within the building will suffice. This place is extremely small. It took me just a few minutes to complete the walk. I was quite surprised and i asked SO if i really did complete a full circle round the tower. This is by far the smallest tower i've been to and for its entry price i really don't think its worth the trip up. View from Sky tower See-thro...