Martinborough Wine Region, Wairarapa, NZ

A great benefit of working as an Au Pair is you get the weekends to do whatever you want! The weekend just gone myself and two friends took a short road trip out to the Wairarapa to the lesser known New Zealand wine region of Martinborough. No not Marlborough! It features boutique wineries made up of Artisan wine makers and are typically family owned. Pioneered in 1980 by four guys who planted the first vines on the outskirts of the dying rural village.  The wine from here makes up only 1% of all New Zealand wine produced, that tells you how tiny it is! None the less, I always love to taste wines especially right where the grapes are grown and the wine is made. The region produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. It has a warm climate with low rainfall and long, dry autumns. Needless to say they do not have that hot weather that is also great for pinot noir but they are always thinking of new ways to enhance the wine for example using chunks of glass underneath the vines to boost heat and light. (Ata Rangi)

We were lucky enough to have the sun shine on us, it was about an hour and a half drive so we arrived at around 1pm. (Tried for an early start but certain team members didn't get up in time!!) I had booked an apartment which was a struggle to find as Martinborough is small and popular and to find something within a moderate budget was tricky. I eventually found on Travelbug.co.nz, a kiwi site. It was in such a gorgeous location with stunning vineyard views. I was very pleased
(and lucky) with my choice! We hired bikes from a lovely lady opposite and set off for an afternoon of wine tasting. Thankfully it was very flat which made for easy cycling and also awesome views!

We started off with one of the first vineyards in Martinborough, Ata Rangi which was beautiful. The staff were very friendly and informative and hugely passionate about what they were doing. Here we tried two different Pinot Noirs, Chardonnay, a nice but quite dry rose and a Sauvignon Blanc. All very tasty although the pinot noir was a bit too dry for me. Other vineyards we visited were Margrain, where we actually tried a Chenin Blanc which is unusual for New Zealand but delicious, Te Kairanga, Colombo and Gladstone (a sub region of Martinborough).  All in all Pinot Noir definitely stood out but there were some lovely, fruity and very easy drinking Pinot Gris and also Reisling, and I would say I liked them over the Sauvignon Blanc which New Zealand is most known for. Martinborough is a beautiful place to visit whether you are into wine or not. It is a tranquil, picturesque, quaint and idyllic small town surrounded by gorgeous vineyards and scenery.

Pinot Noir Grapes

Margrain

The people here are so down to earth, hands on and passionate about their wines and are clearly working very hard to get them out there and on the map. In fact the owners of Gladstone Vineyard were in the UK when we visited on a mission to make their wines more available across the world. It is not just wine either, there are I think around 5 olive groves too which between them produce a wide variety of oils and other products.  Only a few on the vineyards get their wines overseas but you will find Martinborough wines in the UK albeit not very many. They have a long way to go but they are definitely on the right track! I will be looking out for Martinborough wines when I get home!

Te Kairanga

Colombo

Colombo

An Au Pair in Wellington

Three months have been and gone, non stop exploring, non stop excitement but also non stop spending! I decided to look for some temporary work and as Wellington is still on the to do list i thought it would be a nice place to be and explore for a short while and also a good place to perhaps find some work. 

I spoke to a girl in my room in the hostel and she was telling me she had applied to over 30 jobs and hadn't got anywhere.  This did not fill me with confidence!  I found that a lot of temporary jobs were listed on the Backpackers Board NZ which is a free noticeboard for jobs, cars, notices from people looking for travel buddies, that sort of thing. Anyway to cut a long story short, i found an advert for a job that was for an Au Pair for 6 weeks. It is an interim period before the child went to daycare and after the last Au Pair had left. 

So here i am. I look after a little boy named Archer who has just turned one.  I work Monday to Friday 7.30- 5. I live with a great family in a lovely house overlooking the harbour in a suburb of Wellington called Kandallah. I don't have to pay for food or board or anything for that matter except of course things i want to do in my own time. I help with the cooking and the clearing up and i look after my own room but that is all. Au Pairs are typically people looking for immersion in a different country/culture, usually to learn the language and they help out with the housework and childcare. For me, this was a perfect solution as i could save and earn as i am also getting paid (quite a good going rate for an Au Pair which is also great!). It is also very close to the city and within easy reach of many surrounding places to visit. I spend my days during the week with little Archer who is a delight to be around and i also get my evenings and weekends to do as i wish.  I have had to dig out my repertoire of nursery rhymes and get used to singing them over and over again, along with various first word books over and over again but so far i think i am doing OK! I have introduced Archer to Spot the dog books and eggybread! I am pretty lucky to have such a gorgeous boy to look after, he has accepted me quite well and greets me with a huge smile each morning (or maybe that's just because I'm making him breakfast!) He is also in the process of taking his first steps, learning to point and standing up to reach things he shouldn't! I am here until the end of March so look out for more posts about my time in a pretty cool city! 

This is a view from my bedroom, that's the airport runway in the middle there! 

Queenstown

Queenstown is an awesome town, named adventure captial of New Zealand. I have been in the winter and it is equally inviting in fact i would say maybe more so. It had a chaotic overrun with tourists feel about it whereas in the winter it is a lot quieter and you can still get the sunshine just without the mad busyness! However we weren't going to let that worry us. We Arrived mid afternoon and by 5pm a bungy jump was booked! Nevis Bungy is the biggest in New Zealand and the ... in the world. With it being peak season the accommodation can get expensive. We were able to find a campground just ten minutes out of the town centre for $10 each a night, it was basic with only toilets but hey who needs a shower! I wasn't doing the bungy but i went out to the suspended platform to watch and that was bad enough! Doing a bungy jump was always something i said i wasnt interested in doing and that it was the having to throw yourself off rather than being attached to someone like a skydive for example that i couldnt fathom. However after witnessing the Nevis i decided i wanted to to the Kawarau Bridge bungy which is only 43m high (Nevis is 134m high). I am not sure what came over me but i booked it and that was it, i was jumping within the hour!! It was terrifying. It took me a good 3 or 4 minutes to actually jump- i was squeezing the poor guy's hand so tight i think he was ready to push me off the edge! At the bridge bungy anyone can watch so i had an audience and ended up being encouraged and cheered on to jump! My error was i kept looking down, why i don't know that is the worst thing you can do! And then i heard 'smile for the camera' and i just went... head first into the river! A feeling like no other i think it should be on everyone's bucket list! So glad i did it. The video is funny and you get several photo's too, oh and a free t shirt! Would i do it again? Maybe!!

 

Whilst there we also took a trip up the Gondola and took in the epic view of the town and mountains, there is a Luge at the top too. We did partake in a little shopping- it is hard to resist and there are so many and great mix of shops! Fergburger was always a must- queues out the door and up the street! Another good reason to visit in winter!! Fergburger is a Queenstown thing and offers very very tasty and huge burgers! 

View from the top of the Gondola

A day kayaking at Abel Tasman, South Island

At the top of the South Island you have the coastal National Park, Abel Tasman. This is another place i have visited in the winter  and it is just as stunning especially if you are lucky and get the sun! Don't get me wrong though in the summer months it is absolutely awesome and you can see why it is renowned for its golden beaches and stunning coastal tracks.  

We booked a kayak trip for the day after arriving in Nelson, a town about 60 km's away which is a good base for the National Park. We stayed in a campsite in a little place called Ruby Bay which actually reminded me of Cornwall as many places have in New Zealand but this little place particularly!
The day started at 7.30am as we had a 40 minute drive to the kayak base on Kaiteriteri Beach. Beautiful sunny day and was looking forward to getting on the water. My first time kayaking since i was 11 years old and went on a school trip to France! 

Kaiteriteri Beach, 8am

We got to enjoy a half hour boat ride up through the National Park to our drop off point where we were to collect the kayaks.  

Once we'd had a brief lesson we were in the water. The bright green clear water was stunning and we headed to an island which fur seals inhabit. We saw so many and they came quite close! They actually have no predators in these waters so they are very relaxed and just swim around you. Our guide for the day was Paige and she was great. Chilled out and chatty but also informative and professional. I think we were lucky and had a good group of people and all kept together nicely and kept moving quite swiftly. We paddled around with the seals for about half an hour and even saw a few pups! We then carried on paddling down the park in the direction we had come from, after about another hour we stopped at Mosquito Bay which i can only describe as paradise! We were the only group there which we were told, was unusual so we lapped up the temporary luxury of being the only ones there and ate a tasty lunch of a baguette sandwich, caramel slice and coffee, tea or juice, which was provided. After lunch and a chat with our fellow kayakers we all went for a swim in the crystal clear waters. The final paddle was down to Anchorage Bay which took just under two hours, we ventured out slightly into the ocean but never too far away from park. We saw a few more seals and then reached the bay where we were to catch the boat back to Kaiteriteri. Fantastic day, thoroughly enjoyed every second. Definitely a must do and huge highlight of my trip!! More photos below but they were only taken with my phone. 

Mosquito Bay, lunch stop

Anchorage Bay 

Taranaki

 Loved Taranaki!! A region of New Zealand slightly off the tourist track- but it so shouldn't be. I guess it is out on its own and for that reason it gets missed off but it is also 'a place like no other' and should be on more lists to see and do.  Taranaki is steeped in history as we learnt at the Puke Ariki museum, gallery and information centre in New Plymouth. A huge dairy farming community brings you endless paddocks of cows and farmland nestled in between the rugged coast pounded by the Tasman Sea and the snow- topped mountain, the dormant volcano Mt Egmont/Taranaki. Great surf, walks, hikes,bike tracks and beaches make Taranki an awesome place to visit, or even stay long term as many people do including many Brits who have come back after discovering Taranaki while travelling around the country and settled here.

During our visit, we stayed with a family friend who lives in the small lovely village of Oakura just outside of New Plymouth in the heart of Taranaki. We were made so welcome and right at home. A short walk down to the end of the road and you get to Oakura the beach, an awesome huge expanse of volcanic black sand. We borrowed their mountain bikes on the second day and rode the Coastal Walkway which takes you from the Port in New Plymouth all the way to Bell Block Beach right along the coastline. It is 12.7 km one way and pretty flat so it makes for a nice meander rather than a hard hike! The coastline is beautiful. Later that afternoon we were lucky enough to try Paddle boarding- i have seen so many people doing it and wanted to try it. Heather, our friend we were staying with had a board and paddle so she took us down to one of the river mouths by the sea and we gave it a go! It was fairly easy, a lot easier than surfing! Great fun though and i will definitely be giving it another go! The river was the perfect place to try it as its so calm, maybe il try it in the sea one day and catch some surf... hmmm! That evening we had a cracking BBQ in true New Zealand style and later went for an evening stroll and took in the beautiful scenery.

Along the Coastal Walkway

Can just see the mountain in the background! 

Oakura Beach

Oakura Beach 

The following day consisted of a nice walk along the beach and trip up to the Mt Egmont/Taranaki visitor centre. It was a pleasant drive through native forest and taking you to an altitude of 946 meters. From here there were fantastic views to the west over New Plymouth and around. Lots of choices of walks up here from 4 minutes to 10 hours. (We did the short one this time!)

That evening we had a tasty dinner from the local Holy Guacamole caravan that sits on the sea front. the Pulled Pork Burrito was delicious!!

Our last day was spent exploring some of the other highlights of the area including the Egmont Lighthouse and a short hike up the very very steep Paritutu. Paritutu and the Sugar Loaf Islands are just off the coast of New Plymouth and are remnants of a large volcano that was active nearly two million years ago. It was so so steep but awesome views too!

That evening we took a stroll around Pukekura Park. It is a Garden of National Significance just near the heart of New Plymouth. Between 14th December and 24th January the park hosts the Festival of Lights transforming the park into a 'illuminated wonderland'. Very unique and a great evening.

Sorry to say goodbye to Taranaki but who knows we might be back!

View of the rugged West coast on a cloudy day!

 Egmont Lighthouse 

Steep climb up Paratutu

Sugar Loaf Islands

Tongariro Crossing, Taupo

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is heralded the best one day trek in the country. It is also said by some to be amongst one of the best single day treks in the world. The 19.4 km takes you across various types of active volcanic terrain, it was tough but awesome! An early start was required which was 6.30am for us to get to the transfer point from the remote camp site we had camped in overnight. We weren't entirely sure where we were going and had to find the transfer car park so by the time we were on the move it was 9.30am.  It started off flat for about the first 4km (great!) and then it gets to the start of the steep trek up to the highest point. Km's of steps, slopes, rocky paths, all in the sweltering sunshine! The views of the turquoise blue pools once you get to the highest point are amazing and nothing like you've seen before. To get down to the pools involved a steep downhill trek and then it flattened out a bit! The downhill came not long after for about the last 8km or so. Without a doubt one of the best things i have done. We completed it in just over 6 hours which going by other peoples times, is pretty good!

Back on the road... Rotorua

We have had a cracking Christmas and New Year in Auckland with a lovely family who we have a family connection with from home. I have to admit i did feel homesick once it got to Christmas Eve but i soon snapped out of it and enjoyed the sun on Christmas Day rather than spend my time thinking how strange it all felt! Singing along to Shakin' Stevens and Slade just didn't seem right in roaring sunshine!!
On New Year's Day we drove to Rotorua, 'the adventure capital of New Zealand' and home to the rather fragrant geothermal activity. We had tickets to see the Kiwi band Fat Freddy's Drop on the 2nd so we went a day early to get a feel for the place. First of all you are struck by the stink of the Geothermal activity which does actually smell like rotten eggs! There was even steam coming up out of the pavement through the storm drains! Kuirau Park is just outside the centre of the town. It has geothermal lakes and ponds and boiling mud pools. It absolutely stinks especially if you are downwind of the steam and a breeze comes along! We also visited Wai O Tapu which is a 'geothermal wonderland' on the way out of Rotorua. A huge expanse of active and very colourful geothermal land. A track is mapped out for you to follow and take in the unusual scenery. It was hot already but the amount of steam is incredible and you find yourself sweltering even more! On the adventure front we did the Zydro Zorb which involved rolling down a hill in a huge inflatable hamster-like ball with the added bonus of water inside so you get soaked at the same time! Was so much fun, just over too quick! After that we took the Skyline Gondola up to the top and had 5 goes each on the Luge which was not as tame as i was expecting! Three different tracks to choose from, scenic, intermediate and advanced - i didn't even get to the advanced because the intermediate was too advanced for me! There were children zooming past me so fast i was expecting them to take off! Once at the bottom you just hopped onto the chair lift back to the top and did it all over again! There is photo evidence of both of these but unfortunately not to on this computer!   

Rotorua Museum, housed in the old Bath House 

Kuirau Park

Boiling Mud Pool, Kuirau Park

Kuirau Park

Wai O Tapu 

Wai O Tapu

Wai O Tapu 

Wai O Tapu

Wai O Tapu