Author: Mrs A
Dates: 30 January-13 February 2025
Location: Omokaroa, Tauranga, Lake Taupo and Stratford, North Island of New Zealand
Omokaroa was our first port of call, and a restful few days with my dad, Richard and his wife, Sue. They have had a tumultuous few months with both of them not in the best of health, Sue with bad back pain, and Richard having multiple surgeries, the latest of which had been the day before our arrival. It was great to be able to help them out with shopping, meal making and gardening duties in between getting out and about and enjoying their stunning location.
We did some very warm walks, one of which we had done about 8 years ago, but since then there had been some wild weather resulting in trees down and some pathway erosion, making it more of an assult course than previously! We were lucky to see quite a few North Island Black Robins which are endangered, but being encouraged back with many rat, stoat and weasel traps throughout the bush to rid the area of the most harmful introduced pests.
Our time rushed by, and before long we were travelling down to Tauranga to stay a night with our friend Owen’s sister Kay, and brother-in-law Frank, at the airport. It’s certainly a unique place to live, and after a superb lunch in nearby Mount Maunganui, we had a lovely afternoon enjoying the spectacle of planes arriving and leaving.
The following day, Owen, Mark and I left in our hire car heading to spectacular Lake Taupo. The weather was warm and sunny, and we arrived just in time to head out on the lake with Owen’s other sister Vicki, and brother-in-law, David, on their boat. Just stunning scenery.
Our time there was just fabulous. Great company, mealtimes full of delicious food, wine and laughter, and more time on the water. Mr A and I went out kayaking, finding the shallow and bird-filled waters hidden behind Motuoapa Bay.
Our friends Jenny and David drove over from their home in Stratford to join us, generously also put up by Vicki and David, and joined us on another boat trip on the lake. The conditions were perfect and David and Vicki took us to where the hot springs fed into the lake warming the sand and water perfectly.
Time flies when you’re having fun, and it was not long before we were hugging Vicki, David and Owen farewell, and joining Jenny and David for a winding drive along rainforest lined roads on the way to Stratford on the western side of the North Island.
Jenny and David have a beautiful home in Stratford, tastefully renovated and decorated, and hosting some stunning art and photography from their collection. Initially we had to trust Jenny’s insistance that there was a huge volcano overlooking the small town – there was nothing to see but clouds. But as the sun set, the cloud lifted, giving us our first glimpse of Mount Taranaki, or ‘The Naki’ to the locals.
The next day Jenny took us to Rotokare Scenic Reserve, a predator-free sanctuary where 230 hectares of native bushland are protected from preditors. We saw so many birds which are endangered and rarely seen outside these fences.
The mountain was our destination for our third day – after a brief visit to a possum fur and marino wool products factory, it was off to commence a hike up. It was a misty and drizzly morning, and while the views were not rewarding on this occasion, we certainly achieved a good training hike for our South-Island adventures to come.
The next day was perfectly clear, and Jenny made sure we took advantage of the day to see the volcano and its amazing views from all angles.
It was a moonlit start to our final morning, as we departed at 4:30am to drive to the airport at New Plymouth.
From there Mark, Jenny, David and I took off at sunrise, and were treated to the most fabulous views of Mount Taranaki as the plane circumnavigated the vocano before heading due south towards Queenstown, and our next adventures!
