New Zealand North Island West Coast Travel

OHA-Mokau（3-4 days）

New Zealand North Island West Coast Travel » Info » OHA-Mokau（3-4 days）

Day 3：

Yesterday I had a little cold, so clodn't sleep well. woke up at 7 am, the temperture was 12.6 ℃, cold for me. It is starting autum in the middle of March in New Zealand, the temputure defferince between morning and day time.

Today our plan was going to go to Waitomo Glowworm Caves, I waited long. But my good felling was broke into Meer's slowly preparation. Pssing Otorohanga center city, then the scenery was changed to farm. When approaching the Waitomo town, there are a lot of imformation. Easy to understand what this town revitalization.

We would like to attend the tour by boat. There are other tours such as rafting, canyoning...etc, though these prices are expensive too. We could get the tours ticket Isite close to Waikato cave. We arrived to Isite at 11:30, and could get tour at 12:30.

It is about 500 m only between Isite to Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Waitomo Glowworm Caves building looks like art museum, beautiful modern architecture. We understood their business is going well.The parking was very crowded and I could hear various language. We thought this spot was mismatch to us who live to avoid crowds places.

The building inside still keep modern fashionable. We needed check in at reception, then waited to the entrance cave gate until start to our tour. Finally Tour participants become about 40 people. A stuff guided us in the cave.

The temperature fell down quickly, we went down stairs in the darkness. The beginning tour was the limestone cave. "what shape can you see this stone ? " "Lizard." feeling was school excursion, my child's heart revives.

Then we went a large area, there were other tour group. We went down a few steps, we could see a heaps of blue light beyond fence, that's wonderful. Countless blue light made very mysterious world. but the stuff turned on the light we noticed the places was lake and the blue light made of sticky line. Hahhh... just gross, sometimes we don't need to know fact.

We moved to another place and waited for riding on the boat, that wasn't short time. Finally our turn came and rode on the boat. We made very silent and examine around us. the boat moving was very slowly, reached a big whole in the river. WOW Speechless, these amazing world was beyond my images, unknown world. Defeniently I recommended this tour, you should watch this scenery at once in your life. There are value to pay the fees. I have enjoyed the world until my neck got pain. Our sight get bright, the tour was finished, that's fantastic experience for me.

We walked down a lot in the cave, so we needed walk up to exit, there was restaurant in this accommodation, however these prices were high. We decided our lunch was a sandwich in our motor home. We fond Glowworm stuffed toy in the souvenir shop, but.....were these cute ? necessary ? After lunch, we went back to Isite for toilet, we found a map around here, there are other places to play with nature. There are next fun. There were Maori's boat, some stone's art work.A big park is across form road, we got rest time and decided today's camp ground.

Today Meer would like to use a free camp ground instead of Paid. Certainly if we used paid camping ground every time, cost increase. But we had a terrible experience when we had used a free camp ground last year. so I hesitated to use free camp. but finally I agreed with some conditionals.

We finished styaing the dark in cave, now we had a nice sunny day, We arrived todays camping ground with helping google navagation.

Mangaokewa Scenic Reserve

Here was a nature park with heaps of trees. we found another motor home, we parked beside this leaving eough space. Why Meer chose this site, cause this ground has good comment and high recommendation from searching camp site website. It is surronded mountains, but parking are is very wide, so our feeling were not closed. There was river beside park, and found a small brigde and short hiking course.

We thought we would like to go to walking course next Kiwi house, but we didn't for keeping the time for the Waitomo Glowworm Caves tour. We love hiking, don't miss this chance again. Let's hike tomoroow. Until night time, others motor home came and gathered each other, people who use tent also gathered close to each other. We got silent night time.

Day 4：

Same as yesterday, when we woke up, it was cold, temperature 12.1℃. We could have a silent and safety night without my worried. If I can get same situation anytime in free camp ground, that's no problem. We don't need to care about check out time. we had free time each in the morning. After we had branch, we went to hike.

Through the bridge, we were in a forest. Another couple was in front us, we waited for making a space. Except us, there are no people. So we don't need to walk nearby. Morning dew was left on a street, it made a little bit slippy, so we cared about it. We were spending a fun time in original forest scenery that gave us optical illusion.

We found some waterfall that flow as same as river. We went up more and more. Then scenery was changed from forest to prairie. So far we got shade and nice temperature, but here was direct sun light came and hot. We needed to go to through suspension bridge that I am not good. Beyond that there were some hiking course. but our preparation was not enough, we went back on the short course, we reached turning point, then went back in the forest.

We got shade benefit again, went down the course. We saw the parking, and finished. That's was fun course even though short. Time to go, We couldn't take shower because this camp ground doesn't have. so today we are going to use holiday park.

Keep going south to New Plymouth, on the way we stopped Piopio town, and got fresh berry and ice cream. We had a delicous local food.

We could see farm veiw on the car, all of the place were well maintained.I could feel old-fashioned appearance. That's I god feeling was they are proud of their own dairy and agriculture, wonderful emotion time. We decided to stay in Mokau today.

Sea view Holiday Park

This holiday was next to the sea, and we could see Mt. Taranaki, that's our destination. The sea view looked like Japaneses painting. I understand Mt. Taranaki is called fake Mt.Fuji.

This holiday park facilities is ok,and there is close to New Plymouth. Maybe that why it's crowded. The beach in front park has black sand, that's wonderful reflection appearence when they get wet.

When we tried to hang towel up to awning, we noticed that dosen't open. broken ? We were not going to fix until went back to Auckland.

We had a delicious pasta dinner with sunset, uhhnn...good mode.

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