A Christmas Potpourri

Here we are and it is Christmas time again after a very strange year. Who would have thought last Christmas that the world would be brought to a halt for the best part of the coming year?  My heart goes out to all those who have lost a loved one, lost a job, been put through financial stress etc and my hope is that life for everyone will improve greatly in 2021.

Since I haven't traveled much I haven't had much to write about so today I thought I would offer a Christmas Potpourri of miscellaneous items.

For many there have been positive gains from being in enforced lockdown.  Maybe, like me, you have worked on projects that have been in the "get round to it" basket or you have explored your own country and appreciated all it has to offer. I have also spent more time on things I enjoy, like reading, gardening, walking, spending more time with my grandchildren and even doing jigsaw puzzles. Life has been at a slower more gentle pace. I haven't missed overseas travel but do feel anxious about when I will get to London to see my son and his family again. Still, I keep in mind how long the two world wars were and what people had to go through then.  In comparison this is nothing.

A SONG FOR OUR TIMES 

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS was written during the second world war when families were separated and dreaming of being together again.  It seems very appropriate for this Christmas too, and it's always good to hear Judy Garland sing.

And here is a quick and easy Christmas recipe. Christmas Day in New Zealand is usually hot and sticky, not really plum pudding weather.  Berries are always popular but the brandy in this recipe makes it festive.

 GLORIOUS CHRISTMAS BERRIES 🍓🍓🍓

500g strawberries or raspberries 

500g of boysenberries (boysenberries are hard to source so could use blueberries or blackberries, just make sure you have two kinds of berries to layer)

SYRUP 

250g boysenberries ( can use frozen for the syrup)

1/4 cup sugar 

3 tablespoons brandy 

1 teaspoon either Tahitian vanilla extract or pure vanilla essence

Make the syrup by putting the 200gms of boysenberries into a saucepan with the sugar.  Warm gently then bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Cool

Then strain through a sieve. Mix in the brandy and vanilla.

Layer the whole (hulled) berries into a bowl, pour the syrup over and serve cold but not chilled with fresh cream or a mix of fresh and sour cream whipped together or  serve over a good quality ice cream

Very festive!🍓🍓🍓

ALONE AT CHRISTMAS

It is very hard to be alone at Christmas but you may find some helpful hints in a previous blog I wrote.  Type into my blog search box: ALONE AT CHRISTMAS? WORRIED  and you will find a page of helpful hints.  Some of them will not be appropriate during this time of lockdown but there will be some that should work for you.

OH HOLY NIGHT This beautiful Christmas Carol was written in 1847 but is also appropriate today. 

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn'
Fall on your knees, oh, hear the Angels' voices
Oh, night divine, oh, night when Christ was born
Oh, night divine, oh, night, oh night divine

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone.  Thank you to my readers from all over the world, you may not celebrate Christmas in your country but know that it is a season of goodwill to all.  I'll be back writing more blogs next year and, who knows, might even get to travel overseas again. Most of all keep well! 

Martinborough, New Zealand - a wine lover's dream destination

In the lower west of New Zealand's North Island and a short drive south from Greytown (see my previous post) is the small village of Martinborough.  Although tiny, with a population of less than 2000, this lively community is well worth a visit.  Its greatest drawcard is the many fine wineries, specialising in pinot noir, dotted around the surrounding countryside.  Martinborough enjoys a warm micro climate with hills to the east and west and dry riverbeds threaded through the area offering the perfect soil for growing grapes.  There are around 30 wineries in Martinborough.  They are mostly family owned and within walking distance of the village making it the perfect place for a wine lovers holiday.

A relaxing afternoon at  Colombo Winery, Martinborough

This enthusiastic community makes the most of its wineries, staging a number of annual events to draw in the crowds.  One of the most popular is the Round the Vines, a 10k or 20k walk/run around the vineyards. It is a fun event where many people dress up and enjoy the live music and wine tasting at stations along the way. Sounds like a great way to spend a day, sadly I have never participated... maybe one day! Martinborough also hosts a classic car event in late January and the very popular Toast Martinborough Wine Festival in November.

Martinborough Hotel

Packed with colonial charm, this delightful village was founded in 1879 by John Martin who named it after himself, laying the streets radiating from the village square  in the pattern of the Union Jack and naming them after places he had visited.  Amongst a number of quaint buildings surrounding the square  the most prominent and notable is the Martinborough Hotel.  Built in 1882 it was originally a hostelry for wealthy travelers from isolated sheep stations, today it is usually busy with travelers from all over the world at least it was until covid struck! I'm sure it will be again.

The leafy square, the heart of the village (photo by Lanma726)

It doesn't take long to wander the shops however they are well worth a  browse.  Probably the most well know of them all is Martinborough Wine Merchants which sells not only wine but a vast array of locally produced food products.  I guarantee you won't leave without buying something tantalising to take home.  There are also a number of good options for dining including the popular Cafe Medici and the In The Neighbourhood Coffee House where we had breakfast. We were astonished by its array of cabinet food, all looking delicious and making decisions difficult. I'd definitely go back there, it is always a testament to a cafe when there is a long queue at the counter.

There is nothing better than spending an afternoon with good friends and family at a winery, enjoying good wine, conversation and platters of meats, cheeses, olives and hot pizzas and that was how I rounded out my visit to Martinborough. It had been a while since I'd been there, it won't be so long until the next time.

For more information: www.wairarapanz.com

Greytown, New Zealand - an alluring Victorian village

 80 Kilometres North East of Wellington and on the other side of the spectacular Rimutaka Ranges, lies the picturesque and charming village of Greytown, population 2300.  Greytown has long been a favourite get away destination for Wellingtonians and today more and more people are moving from the city to retire there, and who can blame them?

This tiny shop was
originally
a boot maker's 

Established in 1854 Greytown was New Zealand's first planned inland town. Today it is one of the prettiest towns in the North Island winning the title of "Most Beautiful Small Town in New Zealand" in 2017. The early settlers who moved to Greytown looking for affordable plots of land to farm would marvel at the trendy bars, cafes, and designer stores now lining the main street, the settlers' great legacy being the wide streets and the number of Victorian heritage buildings still in use today. It is these heritage buildings, so lovingly preserved and cared for, the tree lined streets, the beautiful surrounding countryside, with its wineries, olive groves, farms and rivers which make Greytown irresistible.

                            

Left and right: The Borough Council Building (1892) is now a bicycle shop

Below: Heritage buildings on Main Street. On the left is the former blacksmith's home parts of which date from 1861.  It is thought to be the oldest remaining structure in Greytown. On the right, the former Bank of New Zealand (1875)

I was fortunate enough to spend a few days in Greytown recently to attend my nephew's wedding. It had been a few years since I had been there and I was excited to be going back, I wasn't disappointed. It is always a pleasure to wander Main Street, picking and poking in the various stores, and reading the plaques on many buildings detailing their history.  Greytown must have more designer stores than any other town its size, it is fun to browse them but my favourite thing to do is to get up early in the morning and walk the quiet back streets admiring the homesteads with their beautiful gardens, rambling roses and cherry blossoms. 

Above, left and right: Some of the pretty houses and cottages.  The cottage on the right was originally a shop

 

For a real step back in time go to Cobblestones Museum, which is laid out as an early settlers village with 14 heritage buildings to visit.  Feel like a sweet treat? Then go to Schoc Chocolate shop where you can buy an astonishing array of delicious, if rather pricey, chocolate and who can resist sitting with friends at the beautiful White Swan Hotel in the heart of town with a glass of wine, good conversation and a passing parade of strollers?  There are plenty of dining options and  I highly recommend the Aroma India Restaurant on Main Street where we agreed we had one of our best ever Indian meals at only $21 a head.

The White Swan Hotel, originally a railway workshop, transported over the steep and winding Rimutakas in 6 pieces

The iconic Eucalyptus

If you are a lover of trees Greytown even has a Heritage Tree Trail (you can pick up a map for this at the Information Centre). The town boasts many grand and beautiful trees but the jewel in the tree crown is the huge Eucalyptus on Main Street which was transported by wheelbarrow all the way from Wellington and planted in 1856. Also worth a visit is the Soldiers Memorial Park for a leisurely walk along the pretty, shady lime tree avenue.

I loved my stay in Greytown and know I won't leave it so long to visit next time. If you are in Wellington I suggest you take a day out and visit Greytown.  You will be very pleased you did. While there pick up an Historic Greytown map at the information centre.  It denotes 37 points of interest, a surprisingly large number for such a small town.

 www.greytownheritagetrust.com   www.cobblestonesmuseum.org.nz     www.whiteswan.co.nz    www.schoc.co.nz

Stranded in a Game Park in Botswana

(This is another extract from my diary of the month long camping trip a friend and I took, traveling through Namibia, Botswana and Zambia.  It was intrepid, exciting and although we were hot, tired and dirty, most of the time, it was wonderful and certainly unforgettable)

You know you're in the wilderness when a hyena spends the night whooping and prowling around your camp site. Something is walking up and down outside our tent.  It is either a hyena or a black backed jackal but we are not keen to investigate. We can also hear lions and elephants near by so, all in all, not much sleep tonight. A 5.30am breakfast, truck packed and we are off on safari at 7.30am. Shortly after leaving camp we pass a broken down safari truck. Three men are working on it and tell us they don't need our help so we sail past feeling smug. You know the saying -"pride comes before a fall"!

Above: All hands on deck to load the truck. It usually took about an hour

A couple of kilometres down the road our driver, Ike, notices problems with our truck. Water is gushing from the radiator. He fills a jerry can from a nearby water hole to top it up but it still gushes out.  The men in our group are in their element and gather round to inspect the radiator only to find it has a huge hole in it, pierced, it seems, by a stick. Other safari trucks stop to offer help so that at one point there are 10 men gathered around but there is nothing they can do, we need a new radiator. Ike radios for help from Maun, the nearest  town, 3 hours away, so we settle in for a long wait.

Above: The broken down truck and our guides, Ike and Mfana pondering the problem

Initially we follow the rules of the game reserve "Never leave your vehicle" but it is stiflingly hot and the truck is cramped so we all eventually leave the truck and move to the shade of an acacia tree.  We idle away the hours reading, chatting, snoozing, and doing crosswords, always with one eye out for any wild life. Our cook even provides us with a welcome picnic. 

We spend the whole day sitting in the game reserve with wild  animals  not far away, fortunately for us they keep their distance. I don't know what we will do if lions decide we look tasty, thankfully they don't come near.  We feel quite proud of ourselves  - who would have thought we could be so brave and intrepid? 

 Our new radiator finally arrives 7 hours after we broke down and mechanics quickly install it, then we can finally set off for our next camp site 5 and a half hours away. We make a stop to collect great piles of firewood for cooking which means we spend the long trip with the wood under our feet and our knees up to our chins.

Ike spots some cheetahs in the distance so we bounce and rattle at speed across the countryside to view them. Two of these magnificent animals are resting on a mound.  They are gorgeous with their distinctive facial markings, muscular, sinewy bodies and plush coats.  We get within 5 metres of them and they look at us warily.  Cheetahs are not known to attack humans but I still feel nervous when they stand up and pace around our open sided truck.

It is a very long trip to our next campsite but I don't mind.  I thoroughly enjoy looking out over the burnished countryside as the sun sets and, as night falls, passing through tiny lantern lit villages where locals call out and wave to us. It is magical looking up at the millions of stars in the night sky, without city light pollution the African night skies are sensational.

Finally we reach our new camp site and it is hard work unpacking the truck and setting up our tents in the dark.  Meanwhile our amazing cook, Mfana, prepares us a meal of boerewors sausages, maize pan, which look like mashed potato but is a kind of porridge, and tomato sauce.  He is a magician, he can make even the simplest meals taste delicious, or maybe it is just that we are starving! We sit around the campfire chatting about our day and marveling at the fact that we actually sat in a game park for 7 hours, unprotected. When traveling it can be the things that don't go to plan they can sometimes make for the best memories.

Left: Mfana cooking our dinner over the fire

Te Aroha, New Zealand, a charming, historic town, well worth a visit

Nestled on the lower slopes of the lush, verdant and often mist clad Mt Te Aroha (952 metres) the village of the same name looks out over flat farmland to the west. It is a charming place full of character, heritage buildings and another place on my  "never visited before" list.

Te Aroha, with a population of around 4000, is blessed with hot, natural thermal pools, an excellent heritage walk, glorious bush tracks and mountain bike trails on the slopes of the mountain and a quiet, gentle pace of life. It is fair to say I kind of fell in love with the town, aptly, since Te Aroha means "the loved one" in Maori.

My first afternoon I ventured up some of the walking trails on the mountain, first pausing to enjoy the Mokena soda geyser doing its thing. It is said to be the only natural soda water geyser in the world. 

I do love New Zealand's native bush, it is one of my happy places. (Note:what we call bush in New Zealand is known as woods or forests in other countries) We are very fortunate to have no predators, no snakes, no wild animals etc so can walk in the bush without fear.  I was on the hunt for the Tutumangaeo Waterfall zigzagging along various trails before I found it. You must know by now I love waterfalls and running water and rapids and streams, you get the picture, anyway the falls at Te Aroha were worth the climb up the lower slopes with the added bonus  that close by is a lookout with a magnificent view over the town and the surrounding countryside.

Well pleased with my afternoon's adventures, up bright and early the next morning, I set off on the town's heritage trail.  This was impressive.  Unlike so many other towns in New Zealand where most of the heritage has been destroyed in the name of progress, Te Aroha has proudly maintained most of its heritage.  The walk is rewarding, taking you right around the town and out over a bridge at the town's entry and through fields to return to the town again.  Along the way there is plenty to see.  Full marks to Te Aroha, it's a shame other towns have not followed its lead. 

Below: Some of the buildings on the Heritage Trail

 

The jewel in Te Aroha's crown has to be the wonderful Edwardian domain,  where the original buildings from the 1880s,Te Aroha's glory days as an Edwardian spa town, have been lovingly preserved and are still used for various purposes, including housing the museum. It is an excellent museum, well worth a visit. I enjoyed whiling away some time there, learning about the town's history, including its role during the gold rush of the late 1800s and then its development as a spa. During its hey day thousands visited to bathe in the soothing waters.

One of the Edwardian buildings, now housing the museum

 

Still a popular spa visitors have a choice of visiting the Spa or the public pools.  If I have one criticism of Te Aroha it is that the much vaunted Spa does not cater for single people.  It has been designed to contain hot tubs for two and due to health and safety laws a person is not permitted to be alone in a tub.  This rules out solo travelers like myself.  Interestingly I got into conversation with two other solo travelers who also expressed their deep disappointment. In this day and age when many people travel solo the Spa is missing a trick.  They need to develop a larger pool which can take groups to cater for singles. The public pools are close by but while I was there they were swarming with excited children. Disappointed I consoled myself with coffee and cake at the nearby and charming Domain Cottage Cafe where a group of local women were enjoying a knit and natter get together. They were a happy, friendly lot.

Down a gentle slope in the domain are public foot pools where anyone can soak their feet for free in the natural hot springs.  The springs sometimes run hot and sometimes cold, unluckily for me, they were cold that day. Undeterred, I wandered down to the river, enjoyed the tranquility there and later had lunch at the popular main street cafe, Ironique.

I am definitely going to go back to Te Aroha.  There was something about the town that really appealed to me.   I loved the heritage, the bush and the way the town nestled against the mountain, not to mention the well cared for community garden and the brightly painted free library cupboard, the river and the friendliness of the locals.  Te Aroha, indeed.

Morrinsville, aka Cow Town, New Zealand

Recently I made a day trip to Morrinsville, (population 7000) purely because I had never been there before. Less than two hours from my home city of Auckland, Morrinsville is a rural service town set in the lush, productive and prosperous, dairy farming area of the Waikato.  It is a busy, bustley sort of place, a genuine hub for the local farming community.  It is not known as a tourist destination, nevertheless, I was still keen to find out what it had to offer.

First step was to go to the local information centre to collect maps of the town and a list of points of interest. Then I headed off full of the excitement I always feel when exploring a new place.

The Nottingham Castle as it was in 1877.  See how it looks today in photo below

I went straight to the Morrinsville Heritage Centre, a small but very well curated museum, where I learnt a lot about the history of the town and the surrounding area.  I found that the town was named after an Aucklander, Thomas Morrin, who owned a vast estate there. It was Thomas who laid out the plans for the town.  Interestingly, Morrin Road, near where I live in Auckland, is also named after him. Inside the museum is an original and complete colonial cottage dating from 1874, which was moved there and is incorporated into the museum building.  I enjoyed this museum, taking my time to read and study everything. Regular readers of this blog will know I have a penchant for small, local museums.

Next, armed with a map, I set out to do the Heritage Walk. As is not uncommon in New Zealand many of the sites of interest are now occupied by utilitarian, modern buildings, the heritage lost to progress.  I found the walk a bit disappointing to be honest.  Stand out, though, is the category 1 heritage listed Nottingham Castle Hotel (1914) which holds a prominent position at the end of the main street.

It started to drizzle so I sought refuge in the excellent Loxy and Co cafe (read about it in my previous post) and once fortified with a good hot coffee wandered through town to look at the Herd of Cows street art.  Many small towns try to make their mark by coming up with a theme. Morrinsville, since it is in the middle of a dairy farming area, has chosen 'cows' as its symbol. Drawing on that theme there are  60 full size painted cows, many with witty titles, and painted appropriately to their location, dotted throughout the town.  The piece de resistance is 'Mabel the mega cow' on the road leading into town.  Mabel is 6.3 metres high. This street art is a bit twee but the cows are bright, quirky and cheerful and I would suggest a 'hunt the cows day' as a fun activity for the family. Children would love them.

Mabel the mega cow is 6.3 metres (21Ft 3ins) high

Cow in police uniform at the police station.  Note the red and blue horns (lights)
Below a small selection of the 60 cows dotted around town

Unfortunately, the day I was there the Wallace Art Gallery was closed but I am told it is good and the town is proud of it.

There are many small towns like Morrinsville in New Zealand and some of them look tired and dreary but what I liked about Morrinsville was that it had a busyness, a spring in its step, and a sense of pride in its importance to the surrounding farming community.  Would I go there again? Probably not, because I would have no reason to, but I'm glad I've been.

6 Cafes worth a visit, North Island, New Zealand

 I love going on road trips and one of the things I really enjoy on these trips is stopping off at cafes for coffee, a snack or lunch.  I am pretty fussy when choosing a cafe and will often wander the streets of a town until I find just the right one because I'm a cafe lingerer. I find cafes are great places to write up travel notes, catch up on emails or trawl the net for sight seeing ideas. I also like to chill out and relax and watch the comings and goings of people. As someone who travels alone it is always good to be surrounded by happy, chatting people even for a short while.    As far as I'm concerned, since I'm going to linger, a good cafe has to be clean, have an inviting ambiance, a good selection of food, appealing decor and be popular.  I know being popular means busy but popularity also usually means it's good. The way I see it is if you are going to stop and spend some time in a cafe it might as well be a good one!

I have gathered together 6 excellent cafes that I have discovered on my travels around the North Island of New Zealand which you might like to try.  Some are old favourites and some are new discoveries. Here they are in no particular order:

DIXIE BROWNS 38 Roberts St Taupo

I had wandered round Taupo looking for a good cafe and ended up right on the lake front.  There seemed to be a steady flow of people heading for Dixie Browns so I thought "this must be good"and followed them in.  It was a very happy accident.   The cafe is large and although busy it didn't feel crowded. The decor is modern and clean. Being on the lake front its large picture windows provide views right down the lake to the snowy mountains.  I was wet and cold from steady rain but managed to get a seat right beside the fire.  I was warmly welcomed, service was excellent and my steaming hot soup was delicious.  Sitting by the fire with a glass of  red wine was bliss and I didn't want to leave.  There is an outdoor area with warm rugs provided against any chill but the weather wasn't good enough to be outdoors that day.  This was my first visit to Dixie Browns and it will stay on my list of "go tos". Vegetarian and Gluten free available.


CAPERS EPICUREAN 1181 Eruera St, Rotorua

I love this place.  It is almost worth the three hour trip to Rotorua just to go there and is on my 'must do' list each time I visit the city. It is extremely popular so it can be hard to get a seat at busy times, like Sunday brunch, but so far I have never had a problem. It is large and cosy with a stunning array of cabinet food as well as menu food. Part of the cafe is given over to a shop selling food products made by New Zealand artisan producers and it also houses a T2 speciality tea shop.  In one corner of the cafe is a glass walled room especially for children so parents can enjoy a peaceful chat while keeping their eye on their little ones.  The play area provides colouring in, interactive toys, a TV showing child appropriate films and a kids menu.  It is a wonderful idea more cafes should follow.  Happy parents, happy children! Vegan and vegetarian catered for.

LIME CAFFETERIA 1096 Whakaue St, Rotorua

This is another cafe I have frequented many times.  It is very handy to the hotel I usually stay in, also it is close to, and has views across, Lake Rotorua.  I often have breakfast there and have never been let down. Located on a corner it is bright and airy with windows on two sides and an outdoor seating area.  The decor is clean and modern. It is a small, friendly cafe offering good food, a selection of magazines to enjoy and warm, welcoming service. Recently I was stopped in the street by a couple who couldn't get into Capers for Sunday brunch and asked for my suggestion as to where to go.  I told them to go to Lime.  I saw them again later in the day and they told me they had loved it. Vegetarian option available.

DOMAIN COTTAGE CAFE In the Domain, Te Aroha

The tiny town of Te Aroha is packed with heritage buildings from the Victorian and Edwardian era so it is fitting that The Domain Cottage Cafe is housed in an old cottage high above the town in the very picturesque Domain. It is rated number 1 eatery in Te Aroha on Trip Advisor. Several rooms in the cottage are used by the cafe and it has a charming, cosy, old world atmosphere with a fireplace for chilly days and wide views out over the town. There is plenty of outdoor seating, too, for summery days. When I visited there was a knitting group of half a dozen women enjoying a knit and natter in one of the rooms, they added to the down home charm of the place.  Service was friendly and my passionfruit cake was delicious.   This was my first visit and it is certainly a place I would visit again. The cafe offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options

LOXY AND CO EATERY 292 Thames St, Morrinsville

This has the reputation of being  the best cafe in Morrinsville.  It is large and popular with a big city, industrial decor and vibe. The day I visited the patrons included business men having meetings, a mothers group with toddlers and  assorted couples enjoying morning tea.  It is clearly a go to place in Morrinsville.  The staff are outstandingly friendly and welcoming, calling greetings to everyone who walks in.  They serve great cafe food and have a very enticing array of cakes, muffins, biscuits and sandwiches in the cabinet.  It is very hard to choose. Excellent service and a kind farewell.  The only thing I would criticise is the rather out of place and shabby looking artificial flowers on the walls...they need to go. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten free available.

Last, but not least, one of my favourite cafes in all New Zealand and one I have frequented many times over the last 20 years. It is a compulsory stop for me when passing through the town of Matamata, often planning my trip to coincide with a meal break just so I can have it there.

WORKMAN'S CAFE AND BAR 52 Broadway, Matamata

This cafe is fantastic.  Don't be fooled by the name, it is the surname of owner Syd Workman, the most welcoming, outgoing, generous and friendly host you could imagine.  He has had the cafe for 26 years and when I spoke to him recently he told me "I just love it".  It would be easy to say that Syd makes the cafe, and in a way he does, but the food and service are excellent as well and the decor is quirky and interesting. On a recent visit I had mushrooms on toast and it was the best I have ever had. Workman's offers a Kiwi Retro menu while also keeping up with the times. They also offer vegetarian and gluten free options. Part of the cafe is a bar where you can pop in for a drink in the evening or before your meal.  

So there you are, 6 great cafes worth trying.  Please note that none of them have paid me in any way to write about them.  This is purely my view. Also be aware that cafes do change from time to time although I have frequented 3 of the 6 over several years and they have been consistently good. It would also be wise to check their opening hours as some of them have days they are closed.  Happy cafeing!

Redwoods Treetop Walk, Rotorua, New Zealand

One of my favourite places in New Zealand is the Redwood Grove in Rotorua.  It is always on my 'must do' list whenever I visit the city. The thermal city of Rotorua is famous for its steaming geysers, boiling mud and natural hot pools.  It is packed with interesting places to see and things to do but for me nothing tops the Redwood Grove.  The tall majestic Californian Redwoods, planted 118 years ago, fill me with a sense of peace, calm, and awe.  Wandering through the grove feels to me like walking through a grand European cathedral. So it was a no brainer that on my recent visit to the city I would take a walk through the grove, albeit this time by way of the Tree Top Walk.

Left: One of the 28 bridges

Right: The highest platform, 
20 metres above the forest floor








At 700 metres long and with 28 bridges and 27 platforms it is the longest living tree walk in the world. The day I visited there was a light drizzle but, just as their brochure states, it made the colours of the forest more vibrant with raindrops sparkling like diamonds on the ferns and spider webs below and that lovely, earthy, foresty aroma rising up.  A plus, as far as I was concerned, was that the rain meant their were fewer visitors.  It is suggested that the walk takes 40 minutes to complete but I was enjoying it so much, and because there were so few people around, I took about an hour just meandering along and admiring a birds eye view of the forest and the stunning ferns below.

I enjoyed it so much that I went back in the evening  to see the Redwood Nightlights. At night the Treetop Walk is illuminated by huge suspended lanterns hung from high in the trees.  Designed by New Zealand award winning light designer, David Trubridge (appropriate name) the sculptural, wooden lanterns reflect the patterns of nature.  They are magnificent and the way they throw light on the trees and illuminate the ferns at night is quite magical.  Unfortunately for me by evening the rain was steady, nevertheless, undeterred, I forged ahead and enjoyed it thoroughly. I met only one other hardy soul braving the elements and I ended up drenched but it was worth it, one of the many beauties of Rotorua being that I could have a warming soak in a thermal pool later at my hotel.  I am now keen to return and do both walks all over again in better weather

Above and right: The David Trubridge lanterns. 

Below right: The only photo I got at night
due to steady rain blurring my lens. 

A few facts: The tallest tree in the forest is 75 metres or 246 feet high.  The lowest part of the Treetop Walk is 6 metres high, working up to 12 metres. The highest part is 20 metres above the forest floor and 100 metres long. 

If you have visited the Redwood Forest before, the Treetop Walk is a must do.  If you haven't visited the Redwood Forest before, the treetop walk is also a must do but you should, before or after the experience, wander through the forest at ground level.  I guarantee you will love it as much as I do.

Wet but happy!

Visit the Treetop Walk website: www.treewalk.co.nz for more information.