The small beachside town of Raglan as our next stop after our previous trip in New Zealand the next week. Located in Hamilton, the town is known for its surfing and arts scene that can be found here. I learned a lot from my visit in the place when I got there. I found out that the Raglan area has been inhabited for at least 800 years already and was originally known by Maori as Whaingaroa. The first Europeans that settled in the area were Wesleyan Missionaries that the locals have embraced easily. Their settlements have included a large scale conversion of the land as they have created pastures and commenced in earnest almost 20 years after the mission in the mid 1850′s.

There are many ways to get into Raglan nowadays that has made it easier for people to travel to and fro. The town is served by bus Route 23 from the Hamilton Transport Center which offers buses to and from the rest of New Zealand as it connects with the transport center. Another type of bus known as the Stray backpacker bus will travel from Auckland directly to Raglan at a total of at least 3 times a week. This type of bus will only travel one way and does not go back the opposite direction after the trip.

A lot of activities are available for people that are visiting Raglan for the first time. There is the walk to  the summit of Mount Karioi which follows the Whaanga Road from Raglan until reaching the Te Toto Gorge carpark. Its summit offers great views of the town and its west coast part as well. This walk will take approximately three hours each way and is relatively difficult especially for novice hikers. The walk into Te Toto Gorge is reached by a track located below the hill from the car park. This route itself is a steep track. Those that are adventurous enough can turn left in the gorge and go through an overgrown track that rounds the foot of the hill. There is also another track present but it is unfortunately unavailable because it has become overgrown.

The town of Raglan is associated with the Whaingaroa Harbour on the west coast of the Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. This harbor itself runs 12 kilometers inland from the entrance and for the most part, is less than 2 kilometers wide. Located southwest of the township is the extinct volcano of Mount Karioi itself. Based on the Maori legend that the locals have been talking about, Kariroi was a jilted Maori Princess that upon discover that love was lost lay down and rests until this day.

Another popular destination near Raglan is the Bridal Veil Falls that is a plunge waterfall type. I was so happy I had laser eye surgery in Sydney because I was able to enjoy the view. It is located along the Pakoka River in the Waikato area and is around 55 meters high. It is approximately 15 minutes from the town of Raglan and the falls can be seen after a quick 10 minute walk. Facilities such as parking spaces, lookout platforms and long-drop toilets are available in this destination. The sandstone where the waterfall is now located has been worn down over time and leaves the hard basalt cliff behind. The water now cascades down from this cliff and thus further eroding the sandstone at its base which in turn is the cause of the large pool.

It should be noted that swimming in the pool is not allowed because the water quality does not meet health standards fit for swimming. Rock climbing is also not permitted as it can cause damage and endanger plant life.

Image (c) PhillipC

The meaning of Cape Reinga comes from the Maori word which means Underworld. This destination found in the northwestern tip of the Aupouri Peninsula was our next stop from our vacation spree in New Zealand that included Tongariro National Park. It is located about 100 kilometers north of the nearest small town Kaitaia. Since 2007, the Cape Reinga is on the tentative status in the list of UNESCO which is waiting to receive the World Heritage Site status. It has already become a favorite tourist attraction to many, having an estimated 120,000 visitors in a year and around 1,300 cars that arrive per day during the peak seasons. Improving roads has even further improved the rate of visitor increase in recent years.

During my trip, I learned about the Maori mythology that is connected with Cape Reinga. According to their beliefs, the spirits of the dead travel to the cape as they journey to their afterlife and leap off the headland to climb the roots of the 800 year old tree. They then descend to the underworld and return to the traditional homeland of Hawaiiki-a-nui. They will be going through this using the Te Ara Wairua or the Spirits’ pathway. Upon briefly turning at the Three Kings Islands, they will look back one last time then continue on their journey. I can say that the Maori locals really have some unique mythology that has gotten me hooked up researching about these things for quite some time. Now that I have learned quite a bit, I was able to talk about this topic to some of my Maori friends.

There is also a spring in the hillside which plays an important role in the ceremonial burials of the Maori. This represents a spiritual cleansing of the spirits using water of the same name that are used in burial rites. The significance of this custom has lasted until most of the local population have converted to Christianity. The spring has also been capped with a reservoir making it impossible to access. This led to only a little protest from the mostly converted population of the now Christian area. After quite some time, the spring soon vanished and only reappeared below the cliff which has rendered the reservoir useless by all means.

Generally considered the separation mark between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Tasman Sea to the west, people can watch the tidal race from the lighthouse as these two bodies of water clash. These motions are able to create unsettled waters that are just off the coast so make sure you get travel insurance because it could be dangerous. The local Maori themselves refer to this as the meeting of Te Moana-a-Rehua which is the sea of Rehua with Te Tai-o-Whitirea, the sea of Whitirea. Oftentimes, the cape is mistaken as the northernmost point of the North Island and thus the mainland of New Zealand. This is not true however as the North Cape’s Surville Cliffs are slightly further north. There is also another headland found just to the west of Cape Reinga which is the Cape Maria van Diemen. It was discovered by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman when he set out on his journey in 1642 in which he thought it to be the northernmost point of the newly-discovered country he named Staten Landt.

In 2007, the protests of the local Maori including the increasing intervention of the tourists have led the Department of Conservation to announce that the public car park and toilet facilities would be removed further away from the cape. The cape’s road, one of the last stretches that links State Highway 1, has been only recently sealed after three years of work and include extensive roadside revegetation having over 150,000 plants placed to prevent its erosion. The works on the visitor facilities have been completed in March 2009.

Image (c) Sids1

I was really astounded by the sights and sounds that I have encountered when I visited the city of Napier in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. It is located on the east coast of the North Island like Tauranga and is famed for its Art Deco architecture. The city itself has a population that ranges more than 60,000 today and the city of Hastings can be found just 18 kilometers south. This has led to the two neighboring cities to be called the Twin Cities or the Bay Cities of New Zealand. The combined population of Hastings and Napier has made it the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the country closely followed by Tauranga and Dunedin.

Different ways to get to Napier includes by car through the State Highway 2 which passes through the center of the city just outside of its downtown area. Plane is available and will be landing in the Hawke’s Bay Airport just north of the town. National bus operators Intercity Coachlines and Newmans Coach Lines are available for people that prefer riding buses. There are daily services being offered in and out of the city with connections throughout the North Island region. The fares of this type of transportation will start from $1 and can be bought through the Internet or other local ticketing agents.

Getting around Napier is relatively easy and safe as there are many public buses to choose from. These services have improved in recent years but the buses are not frequent in the areas that are traveled. That is why it is advised to tourists to grab a timetable beforehand for people that are planning to travel by bus. There is much information available regarding the bus fares, time tables and zones in the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council website for people that are using the Internet.

Many things can be seen in the city itself which is why it has become one of the popular destinations for tourists. The National Aquarium of New Zealand features a reef tank and a travelator which spirals downwards beneath the huge Oceanarium. This is able to create the impression of a real underwater journey for tourists. It also has a typical New Zealand rocky shore environment to appreciate. It holds many sharks, stingrays and hundreds of other fish species. Many of these species are caught from the east coast. Other marine life includes octopus, turtles, sea horses and eels.

There is also the Hawke’s Bay Museum and Art Gallery which presents newly extensive renovations to give people a much better experience. The Soundshell and Pania of the Reek is one of the most photographed establishments in New Zealand as Pania is a figure of Maori mythology and is the local symbol of Napier. This is located in the Marine Parade of Napier and is a short stroll the center of the city.

The things that can be done throughout Napier includes a guided Art Deco tour which allows people to experience the sound and sights of the Art Deco weekend. I have personally tried this one and have eaten in one of the picnics around the city as well as watch the soapbox derby. There are also vintage cars being displayed here.

If you are an enthusiast of wine and spirits, you should try the food and wine tours of Hawke’s Bay. All they are missing is a great grill steakhouse. People that attend this can taste great wines and learn of the growing conditions of the area. There are also cheese boards provided throughout these tours and let people take home the great wines they offer. People cantaste Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot wines in the tour. It is also possible to book requests for the winery tours.

Image (c)Russelljsmith