Before our ferry to Tiritiri departed we were checking out some fish in the water next to the dock leading to the ferry. On the far end, a local was feeding bait to snappers and kingfish. He told us to come back at 4pm after our visit to the island as there would be more feeding at that time.
The ferry returned at 3.50pm and we lingered to check out the fish again. At around the same spot, a local boat owner was feeding the fish but in addition to the snappers and kingfish, a number of stingrays had arrived. I thought they were too large for the shallow water but the rays themselves didn’t seem to mind. Apparently the fish have been coming to feed for many years and the boat owners were not surprised to see them.
The locals then showed us how to lure the rays to the side of the dock by clapping hard on the wood just above the surface. After a while, amazingly, a stingray climbed partly out of the water up the side of the dock to get handfed with baitfish. We found out that the nearby ice-cream shop and café Ripples sold the baitfish frozen by the dozen for only 8 NZD. This was an easy 5 minute walk so we decided to get some bait ourselves.
After probably 30 mins of trying, hitting the side of the dock and feeding the other fish, quite suddenly a ray came up the side and we were able to feed it ourselves. This was such a fun unexpected experience and a great tip for anyone visiting Gulf Harbour or Tiritiri Matangi island.
Just off the coast of Gulf Harbour in the Whangaparaoa peninsula, an hour drive from Auckland, is Tiritiri Matangi island. The island serves as a sanctuary for many endemic species, mainly birds, and is free from pests and rodents that trouble the mainland.
New Zealand, in its earliest stages when it first broke off from the ancient Gondwana continent 84 million of yeas ago, developed into a unique ecosystem without the four-legged predatory mammals that populate so many other regions. Birds were free to fill the evolutionary gap and many two-legged flightless birds evolved. Most notable of course is the Kiwi but also the extinct 3.7 metre long giant Moa, a huge bird similar to the ostrich, roamed the islands until a few centuries ago.
When the Maori came in their Polynesian double-hull canoes some 800 years ago, they brought with them dogs and Polynesian rats. Not being able to fly and the instinct to stand still in the face of danger, a tactic to avoid detection by eagles, proved to be very poor evolutionary mechanisms against these new predators and the bird population was quickly decimated. European settlers, bringing with them feral cats, stouts, weasels and opossums, further aggravated the situation, not in the least by cutting down large patches of forest, thereby robbing the birds of their natural habitat.
Nowadays, the kiwi and other flightless victims have all but disappeared from the mainland but in the last decades many conservation areas have been set up to provide new shelter for the endangered species. While it is impossible to rid the mainland of dogs, cats and other predators and pests, it is possible to do this on the many small to medium islands that surround the bigger North and South Island.
Tiritiri Matangi Island is such a conservation area and the interesting thing about it is that it has mainly turned into this due to the efforts of thousands of volunteers and private companies. In the last forty years, scores of ordinary citizens, schools, company off-sites and trained volunteers have come to the island to plant native trees and rid it of unwanted inhabitants. The island has been thoroughly transformed from scrub and farmland to a lush unspoilt forested landscape. Native birds have been re-introduced as well as other species such as the giant weta and they are thriving as far as possible on such a small island. The best thing however, is that it is open for visitors and a ferry crosses the distance almost every day, carrying about a hundred people. It’s even possible to spend the night on the island but you’ll have to be entirely self-sufficient and take food with you. This is a great idea if you’re trying to spot the nocturnal kiwi, which is nearly impossible during the day.
You can take a ferry (20 mins) plus guided tour from Gulf Harbour for about 60 NZD. The same ferry also goes directly from Auckland for a slightly higher price but then takes 1h 15 mins. The island has a nice rocky beach to relax when you are done walking as well as a lighthouse on the top of the island that for a while was the brightest in all the Southern Hemisphere. Kids can fill in an activity book for the island after which they receive a Kiwi Ranger badge in the visitor centre.
The elusive Takahē, once thought extinct, of which 263 birds remain. Easy to spot on Tiritiri Matangi.
New Zealand is an excellent destination if you like snorkeling and diving. The water is not quite warm enough for the very colorful fish that hang around tropical coral reefs but the country has its fair share of whales, sharks, rays and other big and exotic fish.
One of the easiest places to go snorkeling must be Goat Island near Leigh, in the north of the Auckland region. Throughout the world there are many islands called goat island for the tendency of European ships to leave goats on islands as food for future voyages or for marooned sailors. We were told that this particular island has never held any goats but was just generically called the same (it did have pigs but they swam to the mainland and disappeared).
The island and surrounding waters are a marine reserve, no fishing is allowed nor are visitors allowed to take anything from the beach. The island itself is of little interest but for a few caves that adventurous snorkelers can enjoy. The surrounding waters however are teeming with fish. Just a few meters into the water from the beach, you can encounter different species every few meters. Apparently due to the cyclone that ravaged Fiji and kept me from enjoying Tahiti, the waters were fairly murky but this is normally not the case. I was able to spot a stingray and an eagle ray, snappers and many other fish I couldn’t identify. There are not many places in the world where you can get this experience just off the shore.
Daily at 12.00 and 13.00 sharp, the so-called Glass Bottom Boat leaves from the beach for a 45-minute entertaining tour around the island. Not only is the tour very interesting but the glass bottom of the boat also allows you to see the wonderful fish slightly further out without having to dive or snorkel, with a chance to see the two very old and huge snappers that live around the island. Costs are 25 NZD per person which is well worth it. Info at: www.glassbottomboat.co.nz.
The beach itself is a nice place to stay for the afternoon. We found that the shallow rocky patches next to the water held interesting creatures such as crabs and starfish, which was very entertaining for the little ones.
Turn over some rocks to see these little creatures
Winetasting at Stonyridge Vineyard, Waiheke Island
There are a number of islands off the coast of Auckland that are excellent for a day trip. This holiday I had my mind set on well known Waiheke Island (40 min ferry) and bird sanctuary Tiritiri Matangi Island (1h:15min). Unfortunately the ferry to Tiritiri was cancelled just before departure due to stormy weather. There was not a real alternative in the city as I am not a big fan of zoos and aquaria where animals spend their life locked up but we did spend an agreeable time in the Auckland museum.
That left Waiheke Island, a place that regularly hits the annual lists of best places to live or visit. I had spent a few nights on Waiheke before in early 2005 in a secluded private mansion on the beach. That was a great experience but this time we decided to do something completely different. Waiheke is famous for its abundance of vineyards and has a climate that is particularly suited to grow the Bordeaux-type grapes as well as some Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. In fact, vineyards are so prevalent that many tourists visit the island just for the wine and so did we.
It is possible to go on many different organised tours (120 NZD or more) if you do not want to do any planning but it is pretty easy to set up a trip yourself. The Fullers ferry organisation sells Vineyard Hopper tickets for 60 NZD that include the ferry ride (36 NZD) and that allow you to use a circle bus that stops at a large number of vineyards every hour. If you start early it’s perfectly doable to visit four or five vineyards provided you have the stamina for it. Every vineyard typically charges 2 or 3 NZD per (small) tasting glass. Not every vineyard is on the busroute or map, apparently this depends on whether they pay for the privilege or not, but most of them are a short walk away from the others.
We started at 11 am and stopped at four vineyards; Cable Bay, Wild On Waiheke, Stonyridge and Mudbrick. We had also wanted to go to Te Whau with its amazing views over the water but it was closed on Tuesday, something that wasn’t very well communicated or known because the bus had dropped of some unfortunate visitors there. Lucky for us, after an hour, they were still there to warn us. There was no waiting at all for tastings at any of the other vineyards which somehow added a sense of exploration and adventure to the trip.
Overall, we tasted about 20 wines. Most were average with positive Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah exceptions until we arrived at Mudbrick. Almost all of the vineyards are beautiful locations, perfectly suited for the many weddings they host throughout the year. Mudbrick was also very idyllic but more importantly, their wines were of great quality. In particular we liked their Reserve Chardonnay and Onetangi Valley Syrah, both from Waiheke, and I couldn’t resist buying a few bottles (sending them home through friends as shipping was 250 NZD). The vineyard’s flagship wine Velvet 2014 is an undisclosed Merlot / Cabernet blend of the best grapes of the vineyard. The wine was therefore very reminiscent of the French Bordeaux region and even though I much prefer the Rhone Valley grape blends, I thought the taste was exceptional. The Velvet wines are apparently not produced every year if quality is subpar so as not to taint the name which adds to the exclusivity (and the steep price surely!).
We had a great time at Mudbrick and they allowed us to stay far past tasting hours asking questions and discussing the wines. While we thought this was the best vineyard by far, it is also fair to point out that we had a great lunch at Wild at Waiheke. At this vineyard it was also possible to do beer tasting, creating a similar experience for people that are not all that into wine.
No trip to New Zealand is complete without a visit to the most magical of fantasy worlds. I fell in love with Middle-Earth when I was 16 after I was allowed to put both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings on my high school English literature list. I had read many fantasy and science fiction books before but none came close to the depth of Tolkien’s world. Even now, having read dozens more, to me there are only a few writers that manage to come close, most notably George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire saga and Robin Hobb with her epic Farseer storyline.
New Zealand has Middle-Earth filming locations scattered around the country because the it has such a wealth of different landscapes and most of the movies were filmed here. The Lord of the Rings was primarily filmed in 1999 and 2000. After the movies were released to cinema in 2001-2003, the locations attracted a lot of tourism. A 2004 survey found that six percent of visitors to New Zealand cited The Lord of The Rings as one of their main reasons to come. 2014 research (following the release of the Hobbit trilogy in 2012-2014) also showed that the marketing of New Zealand as Middle Earth had a significant effect on visitors.
Probably the nicest and easiest place to visit is Hobbiton near Matamata, North Island, a scenic three hour drive from Auckland. I had been there before in 2004 when the remnants of the famous hobbit village unexpectedly turned out to be a huge visitor attraction. The Lord of the Rings filming crew had used cheap and flimsy materials to create the hobbit village, as is common in filming, and they lasted just long enough to shoot the necessary scenes. Hobbiton at that time was not more than a few holes in the ground with cardboard in front of them. Still a lot of people came to see it.
Hobbiton 2004
Probably with this huge interest in mind, New Line Cinema completely rebuilt Hobbiton using durable materials for the filming of the Hobbit Trilogy and it looks spectacular. They keep adding locations every year even though filming is over, turning it into a regular theme park. The tour is now strictly guided and more expensive (80 NZD) but includes a visit to the Green Dragon with complementary beer, ale or ginger beer, specifically brewed for Hobbiton. The movie-set-turned-theme-park now holds 44 hobbit holes, including Bag End, the largest and highest hobbit house which was the home of Bilbo Baggins and later Frodo. It also features Sandyman’s Mill, the Green Dragon Inn and the famous Party Tree.
The Coromandel Peninsula is considered by many as one of the most beautiful regions on the North Island of New Zealand. During nice weather it is visible from Auckland over the Hauraki Gulf, 55km to the west. However to get there from Auckland overland will take a few hours, depending on where you want to go.
The name stems from the British Royal Navy ship HMS Coromandel that stopped at the peninsula in 1820 to buy the famously strong timber from the ancient Kauri trees that are endemic to the northern part of the North Island. The ship itself was named after India’s Coromandel Coast.
Hot Water Beach
There are a few tourist hotspots that almost everyone visits. Hot Water Beach is a beach on the east coast of the peninsula, 175 km from Auckland by car. It gets its name from the underground hot springs that filter up through the sand between high and low tide. During low tide, people go out on the beach with a shovel and dig holes that fill with warm water heated by the thermal activity. Towards high tide, the waves come slowly rolling in further and further every time until they reach the holes in the ground, break their barriers and fill them with colder ocean water. It was pretty busy wen we were there but coming late, we were able to get an abandoned pool from people that were only interested in the warm water experience and we dug it out further to comfortably fit 5 people.
Wait for it!
Cathedral Cove
Not far from Hot Water Beach is famous Cathedral Cove, a cave that is open on both sides, located on a pleasant beach. The cave was used in the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian as the location where the kids re-enter Narnia. The cave can be reached from the main parking area by a walking path sloping downhill which is a 20-30 minutes hike. Only at low tide it is possible to walk under the formation into the ‘cathedral’. I found that the nicest pictures to make were silhouettes of people from inside the cave, but it took some time to have a clear shot without other people, boats and swimmers.
