Photos:
Maori village:
Hobbitton:
No visit to New Zealand would be complete without going to Hobbiton and a Maori village. Right? That's what I thought until my classmate Thomas Poh showed us that New Zealand, particularly Auckland, had much more to offer. Initially we had planned to visit Hobitton and a Maori village in Rotorua on our arrival in New Zealand. However the threat of rain finally convinced us to take my friend's advice and we left the visit to these two popular resorts to the final leg of our holiday.
Start from the top if you want to have a feel of the city.
And there's no place like Mount Eden or Maungawhau, Auckland's highest natural point, to get a panoramic view of the city's skyline, including the famous Sky Tower. Of course, you can also have an aerial view from the tower itself but then you have to pay NZ$28 each. The setting is more natural at Mount Eden, plus you can say you were at one of the region's 48 volcanic cones. The weather was bad, so we could only gaze down at the volcano's crater. It was not safe to go down. The rain came down so fast and heavy that we were soaked before we could dash to the car which was parked only 50 metres away.
You can also have a stunning view of the city and Waitemata Harbour from Mount Victoria or what the Maoris call Takarunga which means the hill standing above. This used to be a military lookout post and you can still see an old artillery piece and an underground bunker.
There is also the Signalman's House which reported the arrival and departure of ships. You can either drive up here or if the weather is good, you can take a 20-minute walk up here from Devonport. Later, you can reward yourself at Devonport Chocolates. Try its designer products. I saw a chocolate shaped like an expensive shoe and it costs more than a real shoe. Besides the mountains, New Zealand is famous for its beaches, black and white. There's Mission Bay with its white-sand beach for those interested in water sports and outdoor activities. Or you can just come here for the food. My friend Thomas brought us to Fish Pot Cafe which he claims has the best fish and chips in the world. It's good but my vote still goes to the Hobart restaurant recommended by my brother James. If you want to see black sand beaches, then head to Muriwai on the west coast of Auckland. This is another popular spot for outdoor activities but its greatest attraction is the gannet colony. Each summer, between August and March, there is a huge gathering of gannets and it is a thrill to watch them diving for fish.
We saw a small group of gannets but we could only watch for a while before we were forced back to our car again by the bad weather. Well, the weather did not improve on our return to Auckland after our trip to Christchurch and Queenstown. Fortunately my niece Kelly and her husband Aaron offered to drive us to Hobbiton and the Maori village of Whakarewarewa. It was raining the whole day and I can imagine how miserable we would be if we had to rush about trying to catch the tour bus for these two places.
It is a two-hour drive from Auckland to Matamata, the place where the Hobbiton movie set is located.
The tour guide for Hobbiton gave us an insight into the making of the movie set and the tricks used by the director and his crew for the shooting of certain scenes.He took us up and down the hilly slopes, passing one hobbit hole after another before finally taking us to the Green Dragon Inn.Boy, was I glad to finally get out of the rain, sit in front of the fireplace and enjoy the complimentary drink of ginger ale.Maybe it was the rain but I did not enjoy the Hobbiton tour as much as I had expected.Or is it because I was comparing it to the Harry Potter movie set which I had visited in Watford, England, in 2012.The Harry Potter set was more interactive, while this was very static.It was an hour's drive to Rotorua but it seemed longer because of the miserable weather.As soon as we got out of the car, there was no doubt where we were. The smell of sulphur was so strong. This place is famous for its geothermal activity, hot mud pools and geysers.There was an evening Maori performance but we decided to rest and catch the next morning's performance.
The entrance fee to the Whakarewarewa Maori village is NZ$35 each. This entitled us to a 40-minute cultural performance of song and dance and a guided tour of the village.
For the first time in a long while, the sun was out. There was no rain. It must be the geothermal activity in this place, or simply the Maori magic to welcome guests. The performance was enchanting, especially the Haka, the war dance made famous by the All Blacks rugby team. I was thoroughly impressed by the tour guide. He was very entertaining and informative. After this tour, I knew a little bit more about the Maoris, their beliefs and their lifestyle. But there is a lot more to see here and in other parts of the country.
Among other things, I want to see one of the great attractions of this village, Pohutu Geyser, in action. It is known to have shot water and steam up to over 30 metres high.
I am sure my brother James would like to try the hangi meal as it was sold out when he wanted to buy it at the village cafe. Me, I will just settle for the corn cob.
There are other Maori villages to explore and many Hobbit location shoots to check out in North and South Island. Plus a whole lot of mountain trails to hike and scenic beaches to take a stroll in. That is why I must return for another visit, preferably in the summer when it is not raining daily and it is not so cold.
P.S. We had two lucky escapes. There was a heavy snowfall the day after we left Queestown. And it started snowing in Auckland also a day after we flew back to Sydney. Phew!!