Summer in Kiwiland - what’s more Kiwi than the quintessential summer roadie? How did I decide on Raglan? I Googled where I could go rock climbing in the North Island, came across Raglan Rock’s website and planned my road trip from there. Simple as that, really. Turns out Raglan is just one of the many places on my ‘how come I’ve never been there’ gigantic list. Maybe, because I’d always considered it more of a surfing mecca, when really there’s so much you can do.
Read MoreAt over 5,600 hectares, the Whakarewarewa Forest is a giant outdoor playground - from locals walking their dogs, multiple walking trails or a day out on the MTB trails. Located just an hour from Whakatane and 15 minutes from the Rotorua CBD, it’s the kind of place where you can see so much in a few hours or spend the whole day. It’s one of the best FREE attractions you can do in Rotorua.
Read MoreIn New Zealand, as the island nation that we are, we’re definitely spoilt for beautiful coastlines. Having recently moved back to Whakatane, I decided to check out some of my favourite ‘local tourist’ spots. Having recently moved back to Whakatane, I decided to check out one of my favourite ‘local tourist’ spots. Otarawairere Bay is a hidden gem just a 15-minute walk from its more famous cousin, Ohope Beach.
Read MoreA moonlight kayaking tour with KG Kayaks was my introduction to ocean kayaking two years ago. Since then, I have been out on Ohiwa Harbour to check out the little islands - which make great picnic spots by the way! Most recently, I joined him on the Whale Island tour - where we encountered some decent swells due to the Winter months. There was even a curious seal pup swimming alongside us for part of the trip. This blog post covers an awesome morning exploring the beautiful coastline between West End in Ohope and Whakatane.
Read MoreI have covered the Onepu MTB Park, Onepu Wetlands and the Karaponga Reserve in previous posts - and this one is just a morning explorer with my Mum. She had been in the Philippines for a couple of months, and now that the weather is warmer in New Zealand (just coming into Spring), it was nice to show her some of the places I had been to. It was also a chance for me to see the wetlands again as Bill Clark (and the Onepu Community Group) had been doing some work in there recently.
Read MoreWe had studied World War I in school. There was a lot of focus on Gallipoli - teaching us about the brutal ANZAC campaigns and how it (and subsequently World War II) had robbed many towns and cities of a generation of men. No community escaped the melancholy of war - and even those who survived the bullets and shrapnel, their minds did not. For myself, born in a generation that has never experience a world war (or lived in a war torn country), I hope that we are not naive enough to think it won’t happen again. Exhibitions like Gallipoli are necessary to remind us that war is futile - the great loss of life is no victory for either side.
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