100th post! (and an explanation)
I’ve made it to 100 blog posts!
It is 19 weeks today since I first pressed that big blue “Publish” button and launched the Kiwi Blog Bus on the big world-wide web.
If you have followed me since early on then you’ll remember my amazement when the blog quickly took off and established a (small and friendly!) readership around the globe!
The blog stats became the first thing I checked online each day and the flag counter was closely monitored as it ticked its way upwards (it’s currently on 92).
I love to blog about our travels in the Kiwi Blog Bus and have managed a few short, brief posts while we’ve been on the road; tackling the longer more detailed descriptions from home at a later date.
Winter has snuck up on us now in New Zealand and we may not be out on the road quite so much until it warms up a bit (having no heating at all in the bus!).
I will continue to post from The Kiwi Annison Archives as we’ve still quite a selection of trips to tell you about and heaps and heaps of photographs to work through.
But the other reason for this post is to mention that I have now graduated (Diploma in Journalism) and found full-time employment (yay!) so I have to admit the free time I had for blogging is beginning to dwindle a little!
I hope to still get a post up every week and perhaps you’d like to become one of my blog ‘followers’ just to make sure you don’t miss it!
Thank you and hope you stay tuned.
Tarawera Falls, one of the best walks in New Zealand
From the Kiwi Annison Archives…..
In December 2010 we made a special visit to Lake Tarawera’s eastern shores.
We had previously been to the western side of the lake (read Lake Tarawera and the Buried Village) but the journey to Tarawera Outlet required us to travel via Kawerau (off SH 30 between Rotorua and Whakatane) where we had to obtain a permit to travel on the private forestry road to the lake. Read More…
Lake Tarawera and The Buried Village
From the Kiwi Annison Archives…..
In central North Island, near Rotorua, stands Mt Tarawera – the volcano that caused New Zealand’s deadliest eruption.
This and that, dogs and a sunrise
I just found some photos on my phone that I don’t think have ever made it onto the blog….
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.
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…
A story of gold, cyanide and thoughtful preservation
Situated within a large bend of the Ohinemuri River, opposite Waikino village, are the remains of a revolutionary gold processing plant that was once New Zealand’s biggest and best.
The Victoria Battery site was built in 1897 by the Waihi Gold Mining Company to process ore from the large Martha Mine in nearby Waihi. Read More…
Karangahake: Camping in an old gold-mining gorge
After our walk through the 1km old railway tunnel and back along the riverside (read Going for gold in the gorge) we travelled in the Kiwi Blog Bus through the gorge and over to our campsite for the evening.

We stayed at the Department of Conservation campsite at Dickeys Flat. Read More…
Going for gold in the gorge
We have often visited Karangahake Gorge to enjoy its natural beauty and gold mining history, but on a recent trip away in the Kiwi Blog Bus we got to camp right in the middle of this wonderous area and discovered a lot more on our explorations.
Whatever the weather
I read in the news today that here in New Zealand we have apparently just experienced one of the warmest Aprils on records.
(April’s record breaking sunshine. )
I must admit we had a pretty crappy summer this year but I can vouch that Autumn has so far made up for it.
New Zealand is supposed to have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons – but the weather can be very changeable and we often get four seasons in one day.
As in this well-known kiwi song by Crowded House…









