Ok, I promise I will start doing this more often, again. I had a great time around New Plymouth. I helped around the house, farm and some around the shop. I tried to earn my keep and I think I did a good job. The whole Taranaki area is a unique place.
The region gets its name from the dormant volcano that can be seen from town and for miles around. Captain Cook named it My Egmont, but the natives called it Taranaki. The mountain god apparently was kicked out of the Taupo area when a fight over a lover happened. Since coming there it has provided the surrounding area with fertile dark soil and black sand beaches. Small farms and orchards give way to dairy production. This is also an important area for energy and industry. The town has a lot to offer in the way of work and around 60,000 people its in the top ten city's in NZ. In fact during a conversation with the mayor he boasted that the UN named New Plymouth the best small city to live in the whole world. I would not go that far but it had a lot to offer. The surf is popular to the South so folks can surf many breaks. During the winter it snows a lot on Taranaki so you can ski or board the mountains. I went on a little self guided tour of the town and discovered some cool attractions. I climbed a large rock along the coast called Mt. Peritutu. I was rewarded with a 360 view of the harbor, town and ocean. I then discovered a large city park just outside of down town. This place was huge, it took me a full day and a half to see it all: 5 groves or fields, 2 lakes, a fernery, green houses, racehorse track, cricket field, zoo and 1 large amphitheater. I might go back for a music festival in march or I will be somewhere else. Who Knows?
Christmas was fun and I was welcomed by the whole family. I did some more work to help out around the place after christmas. Then NYE rolled around and I stayed for that. I went out and had a blast at the local bars. It was similar to other places. KEvin and I were picked up and dropped off so we did not have to drive. Kevin is the son of Merv's partner. Kevin and I were only a few years apart and both like to travel. He was fun to hang out with. I even got to watch the Alamo bowl from here. I had been using the internet at Merv's place with no problem. I evidently had used all of their allotment of broadband internet so it was super slow by the beginning of the game. I had to watch the game so I left the house to go to an internet cafe. While I was walking there I popped into a bar to see if they had wifi. They did, and I got it for free! That place was awesome. Soon after NYE I left New Plymouth for Taupo. It's the largest Lake in NZ and similar to Lake Tahoe. I took the Forgotten World Highway. It was the Most enjoyable drive to date. I stopped often and liked driving at my pace from grassy dairy farms, into mountains and back into sheep farms. I even passed through an independent republic called Whangamomona. I stopped into the only Inn in town. I had a beer and got my passport stamped. I then drove to the end of that great highway which dumped me off at highway 4 and near a town. I got a campsite and chilled there for a few days doing day hikes and chillin in the river. Eventually I met up with 2 hikers that were through hiking the Te Aroroa trail. It is an experimental new trail from Cape Rengia in the North to the bluffs on the south of the South Island. That is some way crazy hiking. They were going to canoe a river that I had been eyeing for an adventure. I decided to join them for that trip. That brings me to a holiday park in Ohakune. The weather predictions for the last week and this morning say rain and windy cold. My last check was that it might clear up. I am not going to risk it and neither are they. I will meet up with them when they come back to do the river in a week or so. For once I have a plan. I will be working my way back up to Rotorua for a Disc golf tourney. I will do some dat hikes when I get up there as well. It should be fun and I am looking forward to the next adventure. I will up date every sunday at the least from here on out. I hope all is well in the states and enjoy the football playoffs. Peace, Love and Pura Vida
