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)
Nugget Point Otago Rocks or nuggets arise from the waters beyond Nugget Point along the Southern Scenic Route in Otago, New Zealand. |
Railway Station Dunedin Otago Immaculate gardens in the front of the Dunedin Railway Station in Otago on the South Island of New Zealand. |
Lighthouse Sunset Castlepoint Sunset turns the horizon into amazing hues from Castlepoint Lighthouse on the North Island of New Zealand. |
Marokopa Waterfall New Zealand At the base of the waterfall of Marokopa Falls on the North Island of New Zealand the water divides between large boulders. |
Auckland Zoo Animal The Ring-tailed Lemur is naturally found only in Madagascar but they are also a common animal at the Auckland Zoo. |
Kaikoura Coast Seafood Enjoy some fine seafood at Nin's Bin along the Kaikoura Coast near Kaikoura on the South Island of New Zealand. |
Neptunes Necklace Neptunes Necklace in the tidal pools at the Fossil Forest in Curio Bay in Otago on the South Island of New Zealand. |
Taieri Mouth Otago Taieri Mouth in Otago, New Zealand has a small harbour where fishing boats tie up to the pier and come ashore. |
Spur Winged Plover The Spur Winged Plover is a common sight along the Southern Scenic Route in Otago on the South Island of New Zealand. |
Hokianga Harbour New Zealand Beautiful colored waters of the Hokianga harbour near Omapere on the North Island of New Zealand. |
Curio Bay Fossil Forest Otago The fossil forest at Curio Bay in Otago, New Zealand is an intriguing creation that has formed over past years. |
Drysdale Sheep The cute face of the Drysdale Sheep is one of over 600,000 found throughout New Zealand. |
Oystercatcher Bird New Zealand The black body of the Oystercatcher makes the orange feet, eye and bill prominently stand out on this bird at Ocean Bay, New Zealand. |
Apricot Trees Central Otago Beautiful apricot trees loaded with apricots encompass the walkway through this orchard in Central Otago on the South Island of New Zealand. |
Cromwell Town New Zealand The town of Cromwell in Central Otago on the South Island of New Zealand situated amongst the waterways. |
Nursing Fur Seal Lounging atop the rocks at Cape Palliser on the North Island of New Zealand a fur seal pup is nursing from its mother. |
Artists Palette Pools New Zealand The Artists Palette at Orakei Korako near Taupo, New Zealand is a fascinating thermal area made up of various pools. |
Rocky Point New Zealand An amazing sunset over Rocky Point on the North Island of New Zealand. |
Cape Kidnappers Gannet Colony Looking across the land all you can see are thousands of Australasian Gannets at the colony at Cape Kidnappers on the North Island of New Zealand. |
Curio Bay Coastline South Island The water crashes against the coastline of Curio Bay in Otago on the South Island of New Zealand. |
Dunedin City Otago Standing at Signal Hill Scenic Reserve you get a clear view of the city of Dunedin in Otago, New Zealand. |
Kawhia Harbour New Zealand Beautiful blue skies make Kawhia Harbour in New Zealand a boater's paradise. |
Sperm Whale Tail Fluke The massive tail fluke of this Sperm Whale was photographed with a whale watching tour in Kaikoura on the South Island of New Zealand. |
Mission Estate Winery New Zealand The Mission Estate Winery was first established in 1851 and is the oldest winery in New Zealand. |
Buller River New Zealand The Buller River is located on the West Coast of the South Island and is considered to be the largest free flowing river in New Zealand. |
Wellington Cable Car The Wellington Cable Car is a form of transportation in Wellington on the North Island of New Zealand. |
Giraffe Habitat Auckland Zoo A Giraffe strolls through its habitat in the Pridelands at Auckland Zoo in New Zealand. |
Kaka Bird New Zealand A kaka bird at the Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Center on the North Island of New Zealand. |
Oamaru Wine And Food Festival Thousands of people enjoy themselves at the Oamaru Wine and Food Festival on the South Island of New Zealand. |
Kauri Tree Bark A detailed picture of the bark of the Kauri Tree along the Kauri Walks in Waipoua Forest in New Zealand. |
Waitomo Caves Picture A picture of the formations seen in Aranui Cave at Waitomo Caves, Waikato, New Zealand. |
Diamond Geyser Orakei Korako The unpredictable Diamond Geyser at Orakei Korako whose eruptions are known to last anywhere between a few minutes to several hours. |
Bulldozer Ngawi New Zealand Tinky Winky the bulldozer is one of many that is used to get boats in and out of the water in Ngawi on the North Island of New Zealand. |
Sea Kelp Kaikoura In the Kaikoura Peninsula on the South Island of New Zealand, the kelp floats on the surface of the sea when the tide is in. |
Ocean Cliffs Sunset A west coast sunset lights up the ocean cliffs of Taranaki on the North Island of New Zealand. |
Thermal Mud Bath Picture Thick boiling thermal mud from the Wai-o-tapu Scenic Reserve is good for the skin and would possibly make a great bath albeit too hot. |
Eglantine Rose Picture A fragrant delicate flower, the Eglantine Rose is an agressive plant which grows in Central Otago, New Zealand. |
Haast River New Zealand The Haast River in New Zealand stretches for miles through the glacial valley that was created by nature's wonders. |
Kayaking Okarito Lagoon New Zealand Kayaking on the Okarito Lagoon on the South Island is an excellent way to discover the natural wonders of New Zealand. |
Tuatara Reptile The Tuatara is an endangered species of reptile and you can view them at the Auckland Zoo in New Zealand. |
Ripiro Beach New Zealand The beautiful Ripiro Beach extends for miles along the coastline in Kaipara on the North Island of New Zealand. |
Fossil Oyster This fossil oyster is on display at the Mangapohue Natural Bridge Scenic Reserve in Waitako on the North Island of New Zealand. |
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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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Fall Pictures
