Life between trips

To do: Waimangu 587 Waimangu Road (PO Box 6141), Rotorua, New Zealand There is plenty of things to see here and covers quite an expansive area. The general advice is to walk from the beginning to the end as it is a downhill walk. Along the way are 3 main bus stops for pick-up and drop-off. Felt like walking on eggshells when crossing this wooden bridge as it is so steamy and the river flow is at boiling point Don't climb to Mt Haszard Hiking Trail. The ticketing person informed us, there isn't any volcanic activity on this route and we should have heeded her advice. It is kind of wasted effort unless you are keen to see the crater. SO did not wish to backtrack as he was still hurting from the fall. Pat on his shoulder for braving the pain and climbing up the hill with me. Midway, we saw a very gung-ho traveller disregarding the warning signs and went to play with the water along the river. We are pretty much aghast and he even show us how his hands ar...

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...

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...