On Sunday night, after more visiting with the cousins, we opted for fish and chips for dinner. The photo below shows some of the delicacies available at a New Zealand fish and chip shop. Of particular note, although I did not try it, is the bottom item in the second column - Battered Moro Bar. Three of those and a large Coke would make a wonderful meal. We had our fish breaded, not battered (so healthy), and only 1 scoop of chips between the four of us.
We had been wondering where to spend the next 4 days, thinking possibly Lake Waikaremoana, but the weather forecast was not promising for that area, and it would make for a longer drive to Auckland at the end of the week, when Tricia suggested Raglan, which she had heard was a nice area. A few Google searches later, we decided to give it a try, so, on Monday morning we said goodbye to my sisters as they headed home to Wellington, and we travelled from Tauranga on the East coast to Raglan on the West coast of the country, a 2 hour trip.
Raglan is a small town located on an estuary, and is a popular surfing destination. Our accommodation was about 7 Km out of Raglan in a farming area, and was very quiet. It was a 2-bedroom suite attached to the owners' house, but modern, comfortable and fully self-contained. We loved it. The most notable building in town is the Harbour View Hotel, which has retained a lot of its earlier charm.
We started with a walking tour of town, and after wandering across a pedestrian bridge, came across a wonderful children's play area. A young girl made the climbing equipment look easy to negotiate, so Marlene tried it, swinging precariously at times, and insisted that I try it also. It was a challenge, but I think it is easier with longer legs
On Tuesday we visited Bridal Veil Falls, a 55 metre (180 feet) cascade in beautiful native bush. It was only a 10 minute walk from the road to the top of the falls, and another 15 minutes to the bottom. The climb back up took a little longer.
Needing a more challenging hike, on Wednesday we decided to tackle 2,500 ft. Mt. Karioi, but with no plans to reach the summit. The lady at the iSite told us that the last 4 Km of the drive was on a narrow winding road, and she certainly did not lie. From sea level the road wound up to the top of Te Toto Gorge, and as we climbed, Marlene gripped the door tighter and tighter, and demanded that I drive slower and slower (I was doing 30 KPH maximum). When we reached the parking lot she said that she was never leaving if she had to go down the same way, as she would be on the cliff side.
After taking in the views of the gorge from an observation platform, we started the climb up Mt. Karioi. After climbing for 30 minutes, the parking lot was just a speck, far below us. Thankfully a lot of the climb was in bush, so there was some shade from the relentless sun.
The climb continued along the peak of the ridge, with a steep bush-clad drop off each side of the track. After an hour and a quarter we were about halfway up the mountain and had encountered chains and a metal ladder to negotiate some of the harder sections, so decided to stop for lunch. Two young women coming down the mountain told us that the views from the lookout point were not that great, so we decided that, considering the heat of the day, we would not waste our energy, and headed back down the mountain.
Reluctantly, Marlene got back into the car, and we headed (slowly) back down the gravel road, successfully passing 3 vehicles travelling up the hill. On our way back to town we stopped at one of the surf beaches, just to check it out. From the point on the south side of the bay, the waves have a left-handed curl, which, according to the local brochures, can provide a 2 Km ride for a good surfer on the right wave. We did see a few long rides, but nothing like 2 Km.
Today, our beach and bush experience comes to an end, as we head north to Auckland to spend the weekend with my niece and her family, in the heart of the city.
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