New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[intern]

Very nice WP. Go to Kawau Island, short ferry trip out of Sandspit. It is by far my favourite Hauraki Gulf island, though I have yet to make it to Great Barrier.

Motutapu is pretty cool though, nice picnic spots on it; Motuihe, you should go camp on (good fishing all around it) and then the ones slightly south of Waiheke - Chamberlins, Pakihi, Rotoroa - are also really special.

[patches]

Very nice WP. Go to Kawau Island, short ferry trip out of Sandspit. It is by far my favourite Hauraki Gulf island, though I have yet to make it to Great Barrier.

Motutapu is pretty cool though, nice picnic spots on it; Motuihe, you should go camp on (good fishing all around it) and then the ones slightly south of Waiheke - Chamberlins, Pakihi, Rotoroa - are also really special.

+1 on that. Kawau is nice trip. Good walks on the island too.

 

The old mansion house is a pretty cool look into what it must have been like in the early western inhabited times.

 

[intern]

I was born in Grey's Hospital; the mansion belonged to George Grey, same guy as the hossie in Maritzburg was named for (he funded it). Also, if you go into the mansion, it is full of Zulu and other African mementos; Grey was a big colonial figure in NZ and SA...

[hayleyearth]

Very nice WP. Go to Kawau Island, short ferry trip out of Sandspit. It is by far my favourite Hauraki Gulf island, though I have yet to make it to Great Barrier.

Motutapu is pretty cool though, nice picnic spots on it; Motuihe, you should go camp on (good fishing all around it) and then the ones slightly south of Waiheke - Chamberlins, Pakihi, Rotoroa - are also really special.

 

I am going to GB this weekend

We are only taking 7kgs each and in that is all food (for 2.2 days), cooking equipment and a sleeping bag too.

[intern]

I am going to GB this weekend

We are only taking 7kgs each and in that is all food (for 2.2 days), cooking equipment and a sleeping bag too.

Jealous. Have always wanted to go there on my boat.

[the nerd]

[patches]

Here's one of my favourites (before my time in NZ though)

[patches]

[Hairy]

Here's one of my favourites (before my time in NZ though)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVXnCRjCcbI

this belongs in the enduro what to wear type of threads

[Wayne Potgieter]

Really had a great weekend.

 

Superb weather. Just sort of hung out with my kids. Lots of beach time, relaxing and just generally soaking up summer.

 

Kids took part in the Howick village parade, that was pretty cool.

 

Love summer.

[patches]

The weather was awesome indeed!

We decided to go camping at Martin's Bay (only about 1hr out of Auckland).

 

 

 

Must say though, if one didn't get a beachfront site then the park is pretty crowded with caravans. It's also quite pricey for a cmpsite at $25pppn.

I think I need a boat... or a kayak and some training, haha! I'm keen to go camping on Motutapu and Motuora islands.

 

[Wayne Potgieter]

If you want to camp Motutapu, just catch the Rangitoto ferry and get off at Motutapu.

 

I am planning a weekend trip there in mid january with the munchkins

[patches]

If you want to camp Motutapu, just catch the Rangitoto ferry and get off at Motutapu.

 

I am planning a weekend trip there in mid january with the munchkins

Oh awesome! I thought the only way there via ferry was to catch the one to Rangitoto, then hike across to Motutapu at low tide.

 

I was fine with that and my hiking tent (sub 2kg, but coffin like), but I wasn't keen to hike with the spacious tent (at around 15kg).

 

Good to know there is a Motutapu ferry option too. Thanks Wayne 

[patches]

If you want to camp Motutapu, just catch the Rangitoto ferry and get off at Motutapu.

 

I am planning a weekend trip there in mid january with the munchkins

 

 

Oh awesome! I thought the only way there via ferry was to catch the one to Rangitoto, then hike across to Motutapu at low tide.

 

I was fine with that and my hiking tent (sub 2kg, but coffin like), but I wasn't keen to hike with the spacious tent (at around 15kg).

 

Good to know there is a Motutapu ferry option too. Thanks Wayne 

 

I was just looking on Fullers and it seems they only do 1 trip to Home Bay Wharf each month. 

 

10 Dec 2017

21 Jan 2018

18 Feb 2018

 

So options seem to be

• Rangitoto Ferry and Hike
• Get own Boat/Kayak
• Water Taxi
• or pack enough food to live there for a month

[hayleyearth]

Oh awesome! I thought the only way there via ferry was to catch the one to Rangitoto, then hike across to Motutapu at low tide.

 

I was fine with that and my hiking tent (sub 2kg, but coffin like), but I wasn't keen to hike with the spacious tent (at around 15kg).

 

Good to know there is a Motutapu ferry option too. Thanks Wayne 

 

It is a really easy walk from the Rangitoto ferry to Motatapu (you don't have to go over the volcano) and it isn't a tide thing, there is 'a bridge'.

[hayleyearth]

Regarding food for hiking etc., we took just these to Great Barrier this weekend and I was pleasantly surprised, especially with the porridge and muesli breakfast options, because I am a difficult breakfast person and I finished mine. (Cheapest I have found was at Torpedo7).

http://backcountrycuisine.co.nz/bcc/index.php/archives/category/breakfast

 

Easy and cheap - just add one cup boiling water to most of the options and wait 10min.