The Home of the Long White Cloud New Zealand Feb 2011

Home of the Long White Cloud New Zealand North Island 2/2/2011

Different sort of holiday. We are touring in a car

Leaving home at 5-15am hoping to beat the early morning traffic on the (M5 which we did) we arrived at the Fly and Park Station at 5-45am .A driver took us to the Sydney airport and we checked in to Emirate Airlines we were the only ones at the check in, too early I guess at 6am. The Sydney temp was 29deg c.

Flying Business class we were accepted into the Emirate Lounge, boarded the plane at 8-45am and we had seats 20F and J with silver service. Freshly made salmon and cheese omelette and steaming coffee, tis the only way to fly. The service was excellent.

Arrived at Auckland at 2pm and whizzed through customs and immigration, Jucy car rental picked us up and took us to their office where we picked up a little Daihatsu.(Like rent a rent a wreck the little car has so many bumps and scratches but it goes well, what do you expect for NZ $38.00 A Day) Set our Garmin and headed off to Pukekohe (pukky something) about 45klm South of Auckland, Stayed in a beaut little Motor lodge called Touchwood, where we were upgraded to a Executive Studio Unit. Very clean very nice.

The scenery is very beautiful with rolling green hills and the temperature is a cool 21c.  Did our breakfast shopping at Woollies and had a beaut dinner at Bazzas steak and seafood restaurant.

Thursday to New Plymouth ,390 klm or thereabouts.

Leaving Pukekohe at about 9ish to head for New Plymouth, Vic put in some  different roads in the GPS which were off the main highway and we headed for Raglan on the East coast on the Tasman Sea. We saw some wild Peacocks, a couple of flocks of wild Turkeys and a lot of goats, not to many sheep yet, and then we did not see much at all as the sea mist rolled in. We did some rally driving along the coast on rocky roads to Kawhia, then stopped to see the Bridal Veil Waterfall and had a walk in the rain forest.

 It started to drizzle with rain as we drove through Otorohanga and the mist lasted as we drove over the mountains could only see about 20 metres ahead. Then more drizzle as we pulled into New Plymouth it is just so lovely and cool.

The roads are really good (the tarred ones that is) and would be great on a bike – next time perhaps.