Hamilton Gardens: a collection of paradise and more
Staying local again this week, I shall take you on a trip to Hamilton Gardens – the Waikato’s most popular visitor attraction.
Indian Char Bagh Garden, Hamilton Gardens
Locals and tourists alike throng regularly through the many themed areas, gardens and collections, all open free to the public.
We are lucky enough to be able to visit the gardens on a regular basis; for dog walks, Sunday strolls, Jazz festivals, picnics and more.
In particular we enjoy Read More…
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Sometimes the best things in life really are free
One of the big things we noticed when we moved to New Zealand from the UK in 2008 was the fantastic and plentiful array of kids playgrounds here.
It may seem like an insignificant thing but when you have three kids who have usually seen broken, graffiti covered, litter strewn playgrounds that normally contained a set of broken swings and nothing too adventurous that you could potentially injure yourself on – then it all came as a breath of fresh air.
Thames playground
Before I get jumped on and all the UK peeps shout at me…. yes, I agree there were SOME nice parks and playgrounds for kids. But I am speaking my opinion when I say that while we lived and travelled around the UK I can honestly say that the large majority of playgrounds were either in undesirable areas or visited by undesirables who used for undesirable purposes.
Sad but true.
Another huge difference for us here was the school grounds. Read More…
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A little place we like to go (infamous for doing it in public)
From the Kiwi Annison Archives:
In one of my strangely popular (!) posts Doing it in public, I mention briefly a wonderful little spot that we quite often like to visit.
Today I give further, deserved, attention to Fergusson Park in Tauranga.
As well as BBQs and a fantastic playground, the large waterside sports field has toilets, changing rooms, a boat ramp and is a very popular area for kiteboarding and windsurfing.
We were drawn there by this… Read More…
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Rattle ya’ dags! Get your gumboots on and get to Mystery Creek
Ok – I’ll admit it now… this post has pretty much nothing to do with the Kiwi Blog Bus.
BUT… it’s about a pretty cool annual event in New Zealand and a great place to have a day out – that happens to be only 10 mins away from where we live so we don’t have any need to go in our bus – acceptable reason?
Fieldays is the largest agricultural event in the Southern Hemisphere – it is also held at Mystery Creek Event Centre – which happens to be where I now work in a Communications role so that may just be the other reason for this post! Read More…
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All the signs of a wild west road
A short but brief post today with some pictures from the very wild west coast of New Zealand’s North Island.
These were all taken around Raglan and the countryside and coast that surround the extinct volcano, Mt Karioi.
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Waterworks: surely the best fun you can have with recycled objects?!
From January 2011…
After a fantastic journey around the Coromandel peninsula we decided to travel inland from Coromandel Town on the infamous 309 road; a winding gravel road which connects the east and west of the peninsula through spectacular scenery and offers lots of interesting sights.
Like 100 wild pigs by the road…
Stu’s Wild Pigs on the 309 Road
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Marvellous nature at Mangapohue Natural Bridge
The Kiwi Blog Bus recently took us to a magical location where we were not only awed by the amazing feats of nature but well and truly gobsmacked by it.
I’ve already said the road from Waitomo out to the west coast is simply stunning, read magnificent meanderings to Marokopa, but the highlight of the scenic trip has got to be a stop at Mangapohue natural bridge.
A short stroll on a riverside boardwalk takes you along the Mangapohue Stream through a steep limestone gorge and into the remains of an ancient cave system.
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Down at the beach… are you sure it’s Autumn?
Part of our recent trip away involved a night at Whangamata in the beautiful Coromandel.
We stayed overnight in an avocado orchard (an NZMCA POP site) which we have visited before, and then went into town for a spot of shopping and to visit the beach.
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A New Zealand mountain, a sunset and a cafe
Where were we up to?
……..oh yeah…… one of us had climbed a mountain and was ready to rest weary bones and relax for the evening.
And the rest of us were still full of energy.
(Read I’m pathetic on the peaks of Mount Pirongia)
but it was getting late and we had thoughts of dinner in our heads.
So we decided to go park up the Kiwi Blog Bus for the night and down the road in Pirongia village we found just the place.
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Meet you at The Mount?
Mount Maunganui is a small town in the Bay of Plenty that takes its name from the extinct volcano that rises above the popular resort.
Situated on a peninsula to the north of Tauranga the area and its beaches are known to most North Islanders as The Mount.
Pilot Bay, Mount Maunganui
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Kiwi Blog Bus
Campervan tales from New Zealand
The Kiwi Blog Bus - campervan tales from New Zealand 