Moving to the other side
Summary
It was the winter of 2018 when the beast from the east hit the UK. I was living in Chester at the time, but I was made redundant in early February, so I made a plan and decided to use my redundancy money to move to New Zealand. I have visited New Zealand before and thought it was a great place! Lots of outdoor activities which would suit me to the ground, so why not give it a go? Even if there was an uncertainty of me failing, I had to find out and see for myself if I could make it work.
After spending 4 months in the country, I came back to the UK. I was struggling to make it work for me and couldn’t find secure work. I was constantly moving locations and doing different jobs here and there. My money ran out, so I cut my losses and came back home. A country always looks different when you’re not in holiday mode. I still had a great time seeing more of the country though, and it’s an experience that has helped me grow as an individual.
Places visited
Palmerston North
Palmerston North, also known as Manawatu, is located on the south side of the North Island. It is about 2-hour drive from Wellington and a 1hr 10min flight from Auckland. The city is fairly small but has a lot of sophistication and diversity, from heritage collections, art galleries which is home to New Zealand’s rugby museum, the University of Massey, and a wide choice of café’s and dining options.
Outside of the city it has quite a dramatic and rugged landscape and makes it an easy place to explore. Especially by bike on the country roads that take you off the beaten track, through majestic landscapes and rural villages. However, I didn’t get to visit the iconic Te Apiti – Manawatu Gorge as it was shut from a rock landslide, but I’ve been told it is a must-see.
Tauranga
Tauranga is where I spent the majority of my time, working and trying to explore as much as I could. It is the largest city in the bay of plenty and has an attractive coastline that is full of bars, cafes, hotels, restaurants and naturally heated saltwater pools in Mount Maunganui; many surfers gather here. The main attraction is Mount Maunganui that overlooks the bay where you can walk up the ‘mount’ on winding walk paths around the dormant volcano. It is 232 meters high and can be seen from almost anywhere in the Bay of plenty.
Rotorua
Rotorua is renowned for its geothermal activities, natural redwoods, Māori culture, epic bike trials, bubbling mud pools, and explosive geysers. It is a place for everyone, families, thrill-seekers or those looking to unwind. For thrill-seekers, Rotorua is home to the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world and offers everything from bungy jumping and luging to zorbing and ziplining. I only visited the geothermal parks and redwoods due to time, but this was enough for me as I was very impressed.
Rotorua is a place that needs to be visited for more than a day.
Karangahake Gorge/Wairere falls/Waihi
The Karangahake Gorge lies between the Coromandel and Kaimai ranges, at the southern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. A sharply winding canyon, it was formed by the Ohinemuri River. You follow a gold mining track that is full of history and have viewing platforms over the canyon.
Wairere Falls is quite a hard walk but well worth the effort to get to the top of the waterfall with fantastic views of the Waikato region. Well-maintained tracks through native bush. It is around 2 hours to get to the top.
Waihi is a town in Hauraki District in the North Island of New Zealand, especially notable for its history as a gold mine town. In the gorge, you can fish for trout, take walks through old mining tunnels and relics, or cycle the Hauraki Rail Trail. Waihi Beach, just 10km from Waihi, offers 9km of sweeping white sand and is one of the safest surf beaches in New Zealand
Taupo
Lake Taupo is at the heart of Aotearoa New Zealand’s beautiful North Island. Around the lake has geothermal attractions, walks and hikes, cycling and mountain biking, trout fishing, winter ski fields, Huka falls and is close to the Tongariro National Park.
I visited a place called craters of the moon which is a geothermal walkway with Lunar Landscapes. This completely blew me away watching the steam evaporate out of the ground.
Whilst I was in the area, I rode the entire circumference of the lake, which is almost 100 miles! It was a great way to see the beauty of Taupo and had amazing views of the lake on the sweeping roads.