1. Farm help, Feilding, Manawatu.

This 4 wheel drive vehicle (or "Quad") is the standard
transport on a NZ farm. We spent 2 weeks on a 150ha farm
close to Feilding near Palmerston North, where we helped
a 70-years old Cambridge (UK) educated man.
Mustering and drafting sheep&cattle, field harrowing by
tractor, installing culvert pipes, dishwashing and room
renovating were our main activities.
Sightseeing in the area included visits to Ohakea NZ Air
Force Base&Museum, flood gates of the Manawatu river,
Tokomaru Steam Engine Museum, a wood-turning competition,
farm auction and sheep yard sale.




2. Whanganui River, Wanganui.

In 2 days, we cycled from Wanganui to Raetihi, following
the old tourist road along the Whanganui River. Half of
it unsealed, through many Maori settlements and very
scenic. Jerusalem, with historic church, is situated in
a picturesque bend of the river. The Whanganui River
valley, according to Maori legends was created by
Mt.Taranaki, dragging himself away from the Central
Plateau after a fight with Mt.Tongariro for the love
of Mt.Pihanga.









3. St. Joseph's church, Jerusalem, Wanganui.

As part of the catholic mission, Suzanne Aubert, a French
nun, founded in 1892 the Congregation of the Daughters of
Our Lady of Compassion in the Maori village of Hiruharana,
now known as Jerusalem. A Maori priest at St.Joseph's church
stimulated in the 1960's the integration of Christian motifs
into Maori works of art like this wooden carved altar front,
in typical Maori style, with Jesus' head in the middle.




















4. Northern Circuit trek, Tangariro NP, Central Plateau.

We left the Whanganui River valley in Pipiriki and climbed
onto the Central Plateau to Raetihi and Whakapapa Village,
with 1140m our highest cycle-point and gateway to the
World Heritage Area of Tongariro National Park.
In a 4 days-trek we went around Mt.Ngauruhoe (right)
crossing magical and varied volcanic landscape with craters,
Mt.Tongariro, lava formations, lakes, different vegetation
and the most active Mt.Ruapehu (left), with 2797m the highest 
mountain on the North Island that erupted last in 1996.
The weather was rainy and stormy most of the time, but on the
day of the Tongariro crossing beautiful and sunny.






5. Lake Rotoaria and Mt.Tongariro, Central Plateau.

From a distance on the roads around it, the actual vastness
of the Tongariro National Park becomes clear.  With stormy
wind, cold but beautiful weather again, we rode down to
this Lake Rotoaira, opposite Mt.Tongariro, and further down
to Lake Taupo, where we relaxed in the hot pools of our
motel in Tokaanu.









6. Natural Valley Thermal Park, Wairakei, Central Plateau.

Forest fires? No, these are steaming hills in a small
thermal park outside Taupo.  The Taupo volcanic zone
stretches roughly from the Central Plateau to the Bay of
Plenty and is NZ's most active region. Lake Taupo, NZ's
biggest lake, was in fact created by an enormous eruption,
some 25,000 years ago. As comparison, a much smaller one
followed in 186 A.D. and is the world's largest eruption
recorded in the last 5,000 years!










7. Natural Bridge, Mangapohue, King Country.

Waitomo Caves has some of the most beautiful and touristed
limestone caves in NZ, part of them flooded when we were
there. Travelling further into the less touristed limestone
country on the West Coast with rolling "hobbit hills" we
visited rocks with giant oyster fossils, waterfalls and this
natural bridge, the remnant of a very big cave which
roof had collapsed.




















8. Bridal Veil Falls, Waikato.

Between Kawhia Harbour and Raglan, rough gravel roads lead
through hilly farmlands and native bush. Heavy rainfall made
waterfalls in the area very impressive with these beautiful
falls as highlight. Their height is 55m, and the rock walls
are a popular spot for abseiling. 























9. Manu Bay, Raglan, Waikato.

Coming down from the scenic backcountry road around
Mt.Karioi, an extinct volcano, we arrived in Manu Bay near
Raglan, a surfer's paradise and one of the world's top
spots. "Black dots" waiting for the big swell.






















10. View on city centre, Auckland.
View from Mt.Albert Road, that we followed into Auckland,
back to where we started from.

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