More about Pikowai

Klicken Sie hier für die deutsche Version

Pikowai is a camp ground run by the Whakatane district council.
Last week, on the way to Tauranga, we stopped at Pikowai (near Matata) to have a look around........

The Pacific Coast Highway - How to say the place names

Klicken Sie hier für die deutsche Version

New Zealand place names are usually in either English or Maori. Maori pronounciation is probably more logical in relation to the spelling than English. Despite this, many Pakeha (New Zealanders of European descent) still manage to speak Maori badly, so there are common mispronounciations of Maori place names.
In this (very boring but useful)set of videos, Alice traces the route from Auckland to Whakatane, and around Whakatane, saying the names as best she can.
We're both sorry that it's rather dull, but at least you can hear the place names.


1. Arriving in Auckland


2. From Bombay to Tauranga........

....in this post, Alice gets excited about meat pies

Klicken Sie hier für die deutsche Version

We went for a drive to Maketu today........

Dolphin in the wave

Klicken Sie hier für die deutsche Version

New Zealand's most famous dolphin, Moko, has recently been hanging around Whakatane.  On Friday he shocked the high school rowing team who were practicing in the harbour.   On Saturday he was 200 meters off the coast of Ohope, hanging around the kayakers.   This morning I went with Alice and the dogs to the west end of Ohope beach, hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous free-wheeler.
It was a glorious day, and there were a lot of people in the water surfing, boogie-boarding, kayaking, rafting, or just swimming.  It was so nice that we forgot about the dolphin until Alice spotted the perfect silhouette of a dolphin inside a curling wave.  A surfer was riding the top of the wave, so it was quite a sight!  After that, we saw Moko a few more times, hanging around swimmers and surfers.
Chris Redhead, a vet in Edgecumbe has started this blog to help keep track of where Moko is and what he is doing.
In the meantime, our dogs finally figured out how to play in the water and went completely crazy playing silly games like:  "push each other into the waves" and "run out past the waves so you don't dare to come and get me".  It was really special.
These photos are published here with permission from Chris on the understanding that the photographers retain the copyright on the photos:

Campsites II

Klicken Sie hier für die deutsche Version

I’ve been on the lookout for more campsites.  Most of these campsites I found most recently are either out towards Opotiki, or towards the Urewera National Park.

Opotiki is a beautiful little town just along the coast from Whakatane.


View Larger Map


Its beaches include Waiotahi Beach, Hukuwai Beach, Tirohanga Beach and Kutarere.  

We drove out there .....

Dolphin watching blues

Klicken Sie hier für die deutsche Version

On Saturday we went on the Diveworks eco tour around whale island. Everyone was really excited about it as the day before, Moko the infamous dolphin had been to visit. He had followed the Diveworks boat for miles, swum with the passengers, and stolen Phil’s son’s swimming noodle off him.

The staff were really confident that the oceans were TEEMING with dolphins. However, tours that offer the chance to see wild animals are never 100% guaranteed, .......

Whale and Dolphin Watching in Whakatane with Diveworks

To view the German language version, click here

Whakatane’s harbor has several whale and dolphin watching tour operators and most recently I have been talking with and reading the website of Steph and Phil van Dusschoten, who own a dayboat called Diveworks.

Their website contains....

Visit to Murphy’s Holiday Camp in Matata

To View the German Language version, click here

We just drove out to Matata to take photos from the mountain, and visited Murphy’s Holiday Camp on the way. Here is their sign here:

View Larger Map


I was really impressed by.....

Camping Places

View the German Language version here

Yesterday my neighbours got back from campervanning in Tolaga Bay, a famously beautiful and remote beach on the East Coast of New Zealand. We got talking about the prices of campsites, and more specifically, how ridiculously expensive it is to camp in Ohope. ....

Tui Glen Farm

View the German Language version here

On Thursday we went out to Tui Glen Farm, a Horse Trekking business that also offers farm experience and Dirt Kart rides. ....

The Pacific Coast Highway

View the German Language version here

The Pacific Coast Highway
When you are heading out of Auckland, on state highway 1, towards Hamilton, it will be nice for you to stop at the Autobahn café near a town called “Bombay”, near Pukehohe.
There, you can enjoy a nice morning tea or lunch and say goodbye to Auckland.
View Larger Map

Continue south along the highway a little bit further ....

Arriving in New Zealand

View German Language version here.

When you arrive in Auckland, I suggest you have a nice rest in an Auckland hotel or motel before you set out on your New Zealand journey. Too many people try to start their holiday immediately after getting off the plane and consequently have car accidents. For a nice restful walk in Auckland, you could have an ice-cream or a cup of coffee in Cornwall Park. There you can look at a lot of beautiful semi-tropical trees and listen to some native birds (such as the tui) singing you a welcome song! The good thing about Cornwall Park is that it is close to the motorway and you don’t have to go too far into the city to find it.

View Larger Map
To get to the park, .....