Glow worm adventure

Prior to coming to New Zealand, I signed up for the New Zealand Groupon, hoping to find good deals on food. No specials came within our price range but, after I had booked and paid for our three special New Zealand experiences, (Hole in the Rock, Ninety Mile Beach tour and Auckland Hop on, Hop off trip) I got an e mail about a glow worm kayak trip up a river for sixty five New Zealand dollars instead of a hundred so I bought two vouchers. They were not valid until after the 12th January so we booked our slot for the 14th. By this time we were no longer in adventure-explore mode but rather family mode so it was a bit out of our comfort zone to travel half an hour and think of paddling upstream. The last time we had attempted kayaking six years ago on the Able Tasman, we battled to keep up with younger members of the group and now we were both six years older. Moreover the day started with rain pouring down and more forecast for the evening.
It was with a certain amount of trepidation, therefore, that we got in the car, armed with rain jackets, warm clothes and my son's go-pro, and made our way to Lake District Adventures in Horahora Rd.

We were kitted out with essential gear and joined the other couple in our group.

It was just before seven when we got into the kayaks.

We paid for extra back supports (the black things strapped on)

With the go-pro attached to the top of my head, it was difficult to take photos.

The current wasn't as strong as we had feared and the journey up stream was very pleasant.  At the half way point we got out to stretch our legs and wait for dark. Our guide, Lofty, produced a hot fruity spicy drink and some nibbles. He invited us to take a leak in the trees but I wan't feeling inclined to, especially after he had pointed out a possum.

While we waited he told us some very interesting things about glow worms. They are not worms but the maggots of  a winged flying insect with thin wings like a dragon fly but smaller. Their bio-luminescence is designed to attract insects which are their prey. He also pointed out native New Zealand trees and told us interesting facts about them.

When it was sufficiently dark, we drifted downstream through the gorge which was well populated with glow worms.  We were told to keep down the noise because it could disturb the insects. (In caves it is just the opposite and visitors are encouraged to make a noise because food is scarce in the back areas of caves and noise might mean extra prey coming in.)  We drifted in near silence by moonlight. It was an awesome experience.
It was too dark for the go-pro but I have these photos with kind permission from Lake District Adventures.

We got back to base after ten and it was close to half past eleven by the time we got back to Hamilton. Despite our apprehensions, it was another wonderful adventure and another illustration of God's wonderful creation.

This was our last adventure in New Zealand before we had to say good bye, pack up everything and undertake the long journey back home. It is the last post for this trip. I have another blog which I have neglected for a while. It is called Coffee in the Rain and is more spiritual and sometimes literary in nature. If any of my blog followers would like to follow that one, please let me know.

Waihi Beach 2

Another beautiful day at Waihi Beach. I set my alarm for 5.30 so I could watch the sunrise.

After breakfast we tackled the Windows Walk, taking the car all the way to the car park at Karangahake.  We set off with the push chair through more beautiful scenery. We hadn't expected the number of stairs we would have to climb.

Again we passed stunning river views

and mining relics.

Just before we reached the highest point of the walk, the pram decided it had had enough and developed a flat front tyre. From then on it was carry the toddler and carry the pram.

At the top we got to walk through a mine tunnel, using torches. Every now and then there was an opening which let in a little sunlight and gave us a view of the river and gorge below.

Apparently the mine had not been particularly successful and had barely broken even which was one of the reasons it is now abandoned.

The down journey of the loop was easier with fewer stairs but one or two suspension bridges. They don't look like suspension bridges at first so I was taken by surprise when the bridge felt unstable.

 

After we got back to the holiday park we had time for a last visit to the beach.

We had to be out by ten the following morning so we decided to visit the Gold Discovery Centre in Waihi after leaving the holiday park just before the deadline.

We didn't take the tour but wandered around on our own, interacting with the displays which were very hands-on.

We got to experience what it was like to drill into the rock-face and witness on a video the results of our detonating a blast.

There was a very interesting theatre production incorporating mirror technology and photo frames which doubled as TV screens in the enacting of the story. Although it was a love story, it gave us a good insight into the conditions in the early days when there was a  strike and strike breakers were called in to do the work and extra police to enforce order.

There is a tour available to see a working mine but since we were in transit (and it was very expensive) we didn't do it.

We learned a lot and from some of the working models I could make sense of some of the ruins we had seen in the last two days. For instance, a battery is a set of stampers working together, powered by a waterwheel, to crush the rock.

We could have stayed much longer but it was nap time and we still had an hour and a half travel time back to Hamilton where the children weren't the only ones in need of a nap!

Waihi Beach 1

We all packed up, put our stuff in the trailer and squashed seven of us into a Toyota Wish.  We headed for Waihi Beach for a three day holiday. The holiday park was crammed with everybody making the most of the last of the holidays.

Waihi beach from the bridge. It is a lovely swimming beach 

The next day we all caught the train at Waikino station....

to the Karngahake Gorge Historic Walkway.

The Waihi area is gold mining area and the walk took us past an abandoned gold mine which gave me lost of fun shapes to play with photographically.

We also saw beautiful scenery and had our lunch besides a river.

The initial plan was to walk all the way to another walkway called the Windows track but after asking directions from a group of maintenance guys who laughed at the thought that we were planning to take a one and a half year old, a four year old and a six year old on such a long walk. So we decided to abandon the second part of the hike for the following day.

Hamilton Gardens revisited

Yesterday we went to Hamilton Gardens again in an attempt to find the river path along the Waikato River. We went towards the sign saying "Jetty" but didn't find what we were looking for. We found other unexplored sights though! It seems like every time one visits the gardens there is something new to discover.

Portion of a wood carving mural in a glass case in the Pavilion. Photo is of about a third of it. It took two artists 7 000 hours to complete

Looks like a modern sculpture but it is just a tree

Out and about in Hamilton

There are some peculiarities to New Zealand that we've found interesting.

• Grocery stores similar to Checkers or Pick 'n Pay are open seven days a week until 10pm at night.
• In summer the sun sets at 9.45pm.
• Togs and jandles mean a swimming costume and slip slops.

We are enjoying glamping in our roomy tent. Our morning view from our bed is of forest and birds. 

We have taken some trips in and around Hamilton. We went for breakfast at the Punnet on Boxing day.

Playground included a boat that kids could climb onto and in

Breakfast was rather expensive - R300 for a breakfast of hash brown, bacon and scrambled egg with cappuccino and R50 for a plate of chips that the kids shared.  Most things we expect to pay double for but this was much more than that.

We had a picnic at Claudelands  play park (which was built by the Rotary.)  There is a foofie slide (which they call Flying Fox) as well as other playground equipment that was new to us.

 There were a number of shaded gazebos with picnic tables and benches but there were none vacant and we sat on the grass in the shade.

The park itself is huge and after lunch we went for a walk in Jubilee Park Boardwalk which is like walking through forest.

We've also been to a bike park, which is quite similar to the one down the road from us although the traffic lights didn't seem to be working when we were there.

Hamilton is quite famous for the Hamilton Gardens which is a meandering adventure into different kinds of gardens, eg the Japanese garden,

 A Chinese Garden, incorporating a Bamboo forest,

European gardens,

...and even an ancient Mauri garden.

We ran out of energy before we ran out of gardens.

We have also been to visit friends of the family at a holiday cottage at Raglan Beach. It is right on the water and the kids were able to go canoeing.

 It is close to a small airport and we saw a plane towing a glider higher and higher.

I get a little confused about the difference between suburbs, towns and villages. We have been to so many places nearby. 

Today we had plans to meet my cousin and his wife at the Hamilton Gardens.  We had just driven down the long driveway servicing about five houses, when we noticed we had a flat tyre. We limped back up the driveway again and put on the biscuit spare. We knew we had to have the tyre fixed. It's not a matter of driving to the nearest garage less than a kilometer away as we do in South Africa. Our son recommended a place he uses. We had to go to Te Rapa (suburb? town?) about fifteen minutes away to a specialist tyre centre. We used Google Maps and inadvertently went to the wrong one (the intended one was next door.) They said it would be at least two hours before they could even look at the tyre so I phoned my cousin and they came to fetch us. They took us to a coffee shop on the shores of Lake Karapiro in Cambridge, not far from where they live at the base of Sanctuary Mountain, an ecological island enclosed by a 3,400 hectare mountain with a 47 km pest proof fence.

After cappuccino, chips and chat, they took us back to the tyre place. We needed a new tyre. Originally the price was 90 NZ$ but we were eventually only charged 75 NZ$ (not sure why.) Brian was inspired to give the man we dealt with our last Gideon testament.  Maybe this whole convoluted scenario was God's plan to give His Word to one Kiwi? Please pray that this testament may change a life.

Message for the day.

For some reason this post didn't get published. It was written on 17 December.

We have just left Orere Point. We only stayed one night.

I will remember...

the message on the office wall,

the instrumental praise music played in the bathrooms,

the abundant bird life,

and the hungry ducks.

As I was having breakfast this morning, a group of young adults from some oriental country came in carrying food.  One of them was wearing this T shirt.

So that was my message for the day.