Kiwiana 2006 is a collection of photos, pictures and some information from our latest tour of New Zealand. Between the end of November 2006 and March 2007 we travelled mostly by campervan and covered a lot of territory in New Zealand.
Over the course of nearly 4 months we have walked on an active volcano, seen numerous species of birds and marine mammals, climbed a mountain, been choppered up to Glaciers, walked many trails, rode on tractors/trailers, shot across a river on a wire, sailed the Pacific, rode a bike after 20 years, kayaked, snorkelled, and so much more - a list the length of our arms!!
Nearly all of the activities and tours we have done have been exceptional, but one in particular stood out mostly for its uniqueness. It also rated high on our fun-o-metre and we consider it an absolute "must do":
So first place in our ratings (the creme de la creme) goes to:
Gannet Beach Adventures: Based out at Clifton in the Hawkes Bay on the North Island of New Zealand, they are under-rated in the travel guides but we consider this... (... more information below the photos)
Mountain Daisy Flower Mt Ruapehu Hiking in Mt Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park on the North Island of New Zealand a Mountain Daisy is one type of flower you will see. |
Clyde Central Otago New Zealand Under fluffy white clouds sits the town of Clyde and the Clutha River in Central Otago on the South Island of New Zealand. |
Picture Of Mission Estate Hawkes Bay One of the oldest vineyards in the Hawkes Bay area, the Mission Estate winery produces award winning wines in New Zealand. |
Oamaru War Memorial NZ With a bed of flowers at its base, the Oamaru War Memorial stands literally in the middle of the road in downtown Oamaru, South Island, New Zealand. |
Little Blue Penguin Statue Set in stone - an Oamaru stone statue of a Little Blue Penguin adorns the main street of Oamaru, South Island, New Zealand. |
Crater Lake White Island Volcano Steam rises off Crater Lake on White Island volcano off the North Island of New Zealand surrounded by the remnants of explosions creating a fascinating landscape. |
Beach Volleyball Mt Maunganui New Zealand Spectators enjoy the action of the beach volleyball tournament held in Mt Maunganui in the picturesque Bay of Plenty on the North Island of New Zealand. |
Aranui Cave Pics New Zealand Yellow hues of the lighting accentuate the interesting limestone formations inside the Aranui Cave which is part of the Waitomo Caves system in Waikato, New Zealand. |
Bull Kelp A close up shot of bull kelp at the Fossil Forest that covers the coastline at Curio Bay on the Southern Scenic Route along the South Island of New Zealand. |
Historic House Kaikoura The beautiful historic house known as the Fyffe House sits along the coastline in Kaikoura on the East Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. |
Hydroelectric System Aviemore Dam The Aviemore Dam is the main source of the Waitaki River hydroelectric system along Highway 83 in North Otago on the South Island of New Zealand. |
Wine And Food Festival Oamaru The wine and food festival in Oamaru on the South Island of New Zealand is a huge success every year. |
Lemur Catta Auckland Zoo A cute little Ring-tailed Lemur or scientifically known as a Lemur catta peers from behind the ferns at the Auckland Zoo on the North Island of New Zealand. |
Glacier Helicopter Tours New Zealand A helicopter sets down upon the landscape of Fox Glacier on one of the many tours available to see these magnificent natural wonders of New Zealand. |
Beach Cairns New Zealand Sunset brings a close to another day at Gillespies Beach on the South Island of New Zealand as people have used the perfectly shaped rocks for building cairns. |
Hararu Falls Paihia The water of Hararu Falls near the town of Paihia on the North Island of New Zealand, rushes over the rock ledges into the pool below. |
Mining Machinery White Island White Island on the East Coast of the North Island was once home to a Sulphur Mine and remnants of old mining machinery can still be found on this active volcano. |
New Zealand Land Sailing A great outdoor activity along Orewa Beach on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand is land sailing. |
Cape Kidnappers Lighthouse New Zealand Along the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand in Hawkes Bay stands the small lighthouse at Cape Kidnappers which is actually more of a light beacon than a lighthouse due to its size. |
Kitesurfing Gear Orewa Beach Two men rest on the shore of Orewa Beach on the North Island of New Zealand as they rearrange their kitesurfing gear for another round of excitement. |
Waiho River Franz Josef Glacier As far as you can see across the landscape, you can see the Waiho River flowing from Franz Josef Glacier on the South Island of New Zealand. |
Trout Fishing Statue Gore The town of Gore, Southland on the South Island of New Zealand is known as the World Capital of Brown Trout Fishing as this statue shows. |
Cape Kidnappers Colony Hawkes Bay Perched high above the turquoise colored waters of the Pacific Ocean, three Australasian Gannets take time out at the Cape Kidnappers colony in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. |
Sky City Auckland New Zealand The Sky City complex situated in downtown Auckland, New Zealand, consists of the sky tower, hotel, and casino. |
Mangonui Wharf Fishing Northland NZ A popular pastime for locals in the town of Mangonui in Northland, NZ is to sit on the wharf casting fishing line out over the water on a warm summer day. |
Rolls Royce Picture A beautiful 1935 Rolls Royce cruises the waterfront of Mt Maunganui in the Bay of Plenty on the North Island of New Zealand. |
Sky City Tower And Hotel Auckland The impressive Sky City Tower stands over the Hotel which houses the Sky City Casino and several restaurants in Auckland City, New Zealand. |
Cloudy Sunset Kaikoura Coast NZ Even a cloudy evening couldn\'t obscure the beautiful sunset light over the Kaikoura Coast on the South Island of NZ. |
Kaikoura Beach New Zealand The view to the sea and the Kaikoura Ranges is stunning from the beach in the town of Kaikoura on the South Island of New Zealand. |
Phalacrocorax Varius Varius Picture A pied shag, also known as Phalacrocorax varius varius, rests on a rock on the Kaikoura Peninsula on the South Island of New Zealand. |
Coastal Ocean Biome Kaikoura This area of the Kaikoura coast is a prime example of a coastal Ocean Biome, where the sea meets the land. |
Whale Watching Flight Kaikoura NZ The large body of a sperm whale can clearly be made out during a whale watching flight from Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand. |
Sperm Whale Water Patterns Kaikoura During a flight with Wings over Whales from Kaikoura visitors see large sperm whales resting on the surface of the water and creating interesting water patterns. |
Sunset Gillespies Beach South Island Yellow hues fill the sky at sunset as the sun settles in after another beautiful day on Gillespies Beach on the South Island of New Zealand. |
Apricot Picker Central Otago A commercial apricot picker spends his days collecting the ripe fruit from the trees in an orchard near Roxburgh in Central Otago on the South Island of New Zealand. |
Picture Of Apricots A crate full of freshly picked, ripe apricots is a mouth watering sight. |
Hawkes Bay Geology Picture The landscape of the coastline en-route to Cape Kidnappers clearly shows the geology of the Hawkes Bay area. |
Types Of Volcanoes Taranaki There are many types of volcanoes in the world including Stratovolcanoes such as Mt Taranaki in New Zealand. |
Famous Waitomo Caves New Zealand Stalactites grow from the ceiling in Aranui Cave, one of the many caves found in Waitomo, New Zealand. |
Blue Penguin Picture A cute little Blue Penguin looks curiously at visitors to the Auckland Zoo, New Zealand. |
Wai O Tapu Thermal Wonderland A trip to Rotorua on the North Island of New Zealand is't complete without a visit to the Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland in Rotorua, New Zealand for views of boiling mud, steaming lakes, and sinter formations. |
Maori Carving Picture The intricate details of the carving on a totem which depicts Maori legends and culture. |
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... as the most fun and informative tour - and we did it twice! As well as visiting the gannets at Cape Kidnappers to watch the antics of these sometimes unsociable and clumsy birds, you are taken along a piece of coastline where layers of sediment have collected over centuries and are now uncovered through tectonic plate movement, all clearly visible. The tours are conducted from old red tractors which pull a small train of flat deck trailers along a beach which changes on a daily basis - and yes there are adventures including bogged tractors and trailers! Be sure to look them up during your next vacation in New Zealand.
March 22, 2007 marks the end of our Kiwiana 2006 tour and we will farewell Aotearoa, God's own, Kiwiland, Down under - but we will be back for sure! The diverse landscape, stunning scenery, culture, and wildlife of New Zealand is simply irresistible.
Make sure to read our daily blog about this tour:
New Zealand Travel Blog - Kiwiana 2006/2007
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