Leon Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 If you have a nice car, do stop at Taupo or Hampton Downs if they have a track day running Excellent, muahaha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 No south island means no visit to the John Britten museum... I could not go to NZ without seeing The Shed in Invercargill... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 That could be reason for another trip another time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 I'm saying...should work have me land on North Island, or anywhere in NZ for anything... I will not leave until I've seen it. Job be damned, there are things greater than any job... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 It's official, booked the tickets! We'll be going from 11/21-12/6. Now the real planning begins! I'll be sure to review this thread as we make plans, feel free to throw out any more suggestions if you have any. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Zorbing in Rotorua... do you know sheep? Agrodome has around 15 different varieties on display, and sheep being stupid, have smart dogs to chase them around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 Departure is tomorrow evening! Zeders beware, I will be on the lookout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZROSSA Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 leon, I haven't been here for a while or i would have answered earlier. If you get over toward Hawkes Bay look us up. www.hawkesridge.co.nz. The contact on our web site come straight to me. Interesting part of New Zealand that quite different to the rest of the North Island.....And we have the best wine! Cheers, Douglas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 Thanks Douglas, we'll be in Rotorua for the tail-end of the trip and will definitely look you up if we get into Hawkes Bay! Our plans are pretty loose, the only thing I've actually booked is places to stay, a car, and a massage. Everything else will be decided once we get there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 A Massage? Happy Ending? I guess you're in the air now given you commented 2 days ago that you were leaving yesterday. What did you rent? Ford turbo Ute? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 A Massage? Happy Ending? I guess you're in the air now given you commented 2 days ago that you were leaving yesterday. What did you rent? Ford turbo Ute? Got in this morning at 5:20 actually! Had brekkie on Ponsonby (near where our first stay is) and got to our place by 9:45. And then I slept for 3-4 hours. Got to explore Ponsonby and walked downtown to do play tourist on the Sky Tower. Had fun and some great food. Saw an R32 GTR! The massage will be later, happy ending would be great but it may turn into sad ending when the wife finds out... In the end, I went conservative with the rental. The fancy stuff was too expensive so I took the ol' cheapest-I-can-get route! Ended up with a surprisingly peppy Hyundai Getz with a 5-speed and 16V twin-cam motor. It's a fun little car but at this point I'm more worried about reprogramming my brain for the mirrored roads and controls! I hit the wipers multiple times instead of the indicators before I got used to that one. So far, only one slam of the hand into the door panel reaching for the imaginary shifter to my right. Even as a pedestrian, I looked like a moron as I walked into the path of another car because I hadn't reconfigured my head to look a different direction. Lots of fun still ahead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Ponsonby? Lots of cafes there to fuel up on java at A fair few Remuera tractors around there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260ZT Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 If your in Wellington try http://littlebeerquarter.co.nz/# If you are a beer guy. Pretty good food too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 Ponsonby? Lots of cafes there to fuel up on java at A fair few Remuera tractors around there too. The wife definitely had some espresso upon arrival! I had to look up Remuera tractor. If your in Wellington try http://littlebeerquarter.co.nz/# If you are a beer guy. Pretty good food too. Sadly, we won't be making it that far south. Next time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZROSSA Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Driving on the "wrong side" is always a bit of fun! We did the opposite and rented a 30ft camper and drove it from San Diego to Atlanta a couple of years ago. That was a challenge. In New Zealand you would need a Heavy Transport licence to drive something that size. I think you will appreciate the smaller car. Our roads are rarely in straight lines! Cheers, Douglas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted November 29, 2014 Author Share Posted November 29, 2014 Driving on the "wrong side" is always a bit of fun! We did the opposite and rented a 30ft camper and drove it from San Diego to Atlanta a couple of years ago. That was a challenge. In New Zealand you would need a Heavy Transport licence to drive something that size. I think you will appreciate the smaller car. Our roads are rarely in straight lines! Cheers, Douglas Nice, that's a heck of a trip Douglas! In the US, it's deadly simple to get a driver's license let alone take charge of a huge missile barreling down the interstate. On a related note, I've found the drivers of New Zealand to be a lot more respectful and calm, compared to California at least. It's a very pleasant place, everyone is very polite. I'm getting more used to the driving part, I'm afraid I may do a few goofy things when I get back to the States. We just got back from a diving trip at Poor Knights, what a cool place! Tired now, time sit on the couch and stuff my face with delicious chocolate... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 I always had my chocolate on the boat while diving! Stay fueled up and you aren't as hammered when you get back to land again! 30 meters down sucks energy out of you! You going as far north as the place of the jumping off of souls? Aka cape reinga ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted November 29, 2014 Author Share Posted November 29, 2014 I always had my chocolate on the boat while diving! Stay fueled up and you aren't as hammered when you get back to land again! 30 meters down sucks energy out of you! You going as far north as the place of the jumping off of souls? Aka cape reinga ? You've got better forethought than I! I'm not sure if we're going much further north, relaxing in Tutukaka right now. We thought about taking a trip to the Bay of Islands tomorrow but we're feeling pretty wiped out, especially since it's almost a 4 hour round-trip the day before we take a 5-hour drive to Rotorua. We're planning some activities in the Rotorua area so we may need to conserve energy. I would've loved to kayak with some dolphins or something cool like that though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 Sometimes the white island ride has dolphins come alongside, but not often enough to count on it. Going to hells gate in Rotorua? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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