MoaTours Kiwi Guide Andrew led a happy group of travellers around the East Cape of the North Island, here’s the story of their adventure.
There are a couple of corners of New Zealand which really fit the description of being “off the beaten track”, places where you feel the world slow down and it’s like you’re stepping back in time.
Luckily for us in New Zealand many of these places are also rich with stories of our history and culture and being blessed with natural scenery. The East Cape of the North Island is one of those for sure and has been a hit with our MoaTours travellers since 2005.
Day 1 – Auckland – Whakatāne
We Aucklanders love our city but we all know the value of getting out of town too. There’s a great sense of freedom heading south on the motorway, over the Bombay Hills, and down into the Waikato countryside.
Even before lunch we were travelling through some sites of real historical significance which relate to the East Cape. The New Zealand Wars of 1863 started with British troops crossing the Mangatawhiri Stream and this is exactly where we were this morning.
I had been reading up on our “civil war” of the 1860s and sharing some stories and a few travellers approached me at our morning tea stop in Waihi to tell me they too have been reading and were very keen to learn more about it as we travelled around the Cape. No pressure then!
Our lunch stop was perfect to put us in holiday mode, right on the beachfront at Mt Maunganui. It was a beautiful day with a pleasant sea breeze and, after being treated to a wonderful lunch, we all enjoyed a stroll along the beach.
After lunch we headed into the heart of the Bay of Plenty and Te Puke, the Kiwifruit Capital of the world and we happen to know the perfect place for an introduction.
Our friends Gavin and Amanda have been hosting MoaTours guests at a working orchard for many years and what Gavin doesn’t know about Kiwifruit isn’t worth knowing. You’ll learn how the fruit are grown and a bit of fascinating science behind it on a short guided tour around the orchard and, of course, we couldn’t leave without the chance to taste the bounty. It’s funny how learning all about Kiwifruit and seeing how they’re grown makes them taste even better.
After saying goodbye to Gavin and Amanda we continued through the Bay of Plenty countryside and along the coastline to Whakatāne for the night. Capping off a perfect first day, we were warmly greeted and enjoyed a delicious dinner at Roquette Restaurant, where we have been looked after for over a decade.
Day 2 – Whakatane – Ohiwa Harbour – Hicks Bay
Out of Whakatane we took the high road to make the short, but very scenic, drive to Ohope Beach, the perfect little beach town and a great reminder of the beauty of the Bay of Plenty coastline.
At nearby Ohiwa Harbour we took the time to enjoy this stunning place and local hospitality as we cruised over the calm waters with the kaitiaki (guardians) of the Tio Ohiwa Oyster farm. They told us stories of their culture and history and we learnt of their commitment to sustainable oyster farming and their work with conservation groups and iwi to preserve the harbour and wildlife. A delicious seafood buffet lunch was a wonderful finale before we departed for Opotiki.
From Opotiki onwards you really feel like you’re in a different world, a world that’s a lot slower than the city we’ve come from and a world shaped by the interaction of two cultures, Maori and Pakeha. If there’s one place which captures that in a single image, to me it’s the Anglican Church right by the sea at Raukokore, to me this is the image which comes to mind when I think of the East Cape. We were blessed indeed as it was such a beautiful weather as we pulled up and enjoyed exploring the grounds with no-one else around.
We continued on our way around the coast to Te Kaha, a place that many New Zealanders may not know so much about but was actually a busy whaling centre until the 1920s. We’ve been touring the East Cape since 2005 and over the years have got to know all the best spots such as Waihau Bay, a great coffee stop and a major big game fishing destination. On a busy day runabouts queue at the boat ramp, on a mission to find the Marlin that can be caught just 10 minutes offshore.
Our destination tonight is Hicks Bay, if you look at it on a map it’s really out there, right on the far tip of the East Cape so you’re really in a remote corner of the country now. We were welcomed by the locals and enjoyed a home style dinner with amazing views from the elevated position at our accommodation.
Day 3 – Hicks Bay – Anaura Bay – Tolaga Bay – Gisborne
We started our day with a quick trip over the hill to meet Sue at East Cape Manuka Honey and enjoyed a honey tasting. Over a cuppa, we learnt about the unique benefits of the Manuka trees growing in this remote region. Our next stop was Te Araroa, the home of the world’s largest Pohutukawa tree and definitely one of the most photographed! Then we continued further round the coast to the little town of Tikitiki.
The great Maori leader Sir Āpirana Ngata (Ngāti Porou) was from this area and after World War I he wanted to build a memorial to the local Māori soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice and St Mary’s Church is it. He also wanted to revive the traditional arts of weaving and carving and the interior of the church, completed in 1924, is both a living memorial and a showcase for Māori Arts.
We were greeted and given a warm welcome by the Canon of the church and his wife, it was both humbling and moving as he showed the memorial board with all the names of the fallen soldiers and a memorial to Sir Āpirana Ngata himself.
Our journey “off the beaten” track continued on to Anaura Bay where we visited our friend Judy Newell at her garden home, Rangimarie and enjoyed the stunning views out over the Bay.
Anaura Bay is another site of great historical significance, one of the earliest encounters between Captain Cook and Maori in 1769 was right here. Captain Cook’s diary tells of the early encounter and their forays on shore to get water and wood.
The online diaries of our early explorers give an amazing insight into these journeys and they’re all freely available and I’d encourage anyone with an interest in our early history to read them. It certainly brings a journey to the East Cape to life when you’re standing on the spot with the words written by the very people that were there.
After our wonderful afternoon tea at Judy’s we continued on to Gisborne, on the way, of course, stopping in at Tolaga Bay for a walk out on the iconic wharf.
Day 4 Gisborne – Rere Falls – Eastwoodhill Arboretum – Gisborne
Today we explored the countryside around Gisborne. First stop was the picturesque Rere Falls about half an hour inland from the city. This area, Ngatapa, was also the site of a major engagement in the East Coast Wars between the rebel leader Te Kooti and the pursuing British troops.
Our highlight of the day without a doubt, was Eastwoodhill Arboretum and the story behind it is fascinating. This is the National Arboretum of New Zealand, a truly impressive collection of 4,000 different trees from all over the world.
Eastwoodhill was the life’s work of Douglas Cook, a larger than life Gisborne character who was inspired to create one of the largest collections of trees in the world after convalescing in the English countryside from wounds he suffered in World War 1.
We were driven all over the property in their open topped 4WD by the curator, Martin and, on the way, he shared his expert knowledge as well as colourful stories about “Cookie”, such as how unannounced guests would be surprised by his habit of working in the garden wearing nothing but one single gumboot!
Now it wouldn’t be a visit to Gisborne without trying some famous local wines so after saying goodbye to Martin and the tranquil green world of Eastwoodhill, we headed back towards town to treat ourselves to lunch and wine tasting at our favourite Gisborne winery, then on to the excellent Tairawhiti Museum while others took the option of a walk through town.
I have to give mention here to the wonderful dinner and super friendly service we enjoyed at The Works. And our breakfasts at the Flagship Cafe were works of art (no joke, see the photo below).
Day 5 – Gisborne – Waioeka Gorge – Rotorua
We started the day with a visit to another significant site in New Zealand history, the lookout on Kaiti Hill overlooking the place where Captain Cook first landed here in Aotearoa on 9 October 1769.
We took in the scenery and I took a moment to read a few passages from Cook’s diary. This auspicious first encounter between European and Māori is controversial but a real part of our nation’s story.
To compliment our coastal journey to Gisborne, our return trip was inland through the Waioeka Gorge. The forest clad hills and winding river views were a striking contrast to the landscapes of the coast for our journey back through Ōpōtiki and on to Rotorua.
This is also the route taken by Māori parties in the 1830s, dragging their waka through the bush for miles to meet up with the next stream, we pass right by one of the most famous of these sites at Hongi’s track.
Travelling on to Rotorua, we step out on the Redwoods Treewalk through 120 year old trees in the forest at Whakarewarewa. Rotorua felt like the big smoke after the tiny settlements of the East Cape, but we all enjoyed the comforts of our Lakeside Hotel, including the inhouse natural hot pools.
Day 6 – Explore Rotorua – Lake Tarawera – Auckland
Our last morning was spent exploring Rotorua and the surrounding lakes area.
First we visited geothermal Kuirau Park, there can’t be many cities in the world which have bubbling mud and steaming vents in a public park. Then we met our guide for a tour of the Rotorua Museum gardens.
We then headed out to Lake Tarawera for lunch with the locals – Karen, her husband David Walmsley, and their daughter Tracy are like family now. They trace their Tarawera guiding heritage back to Guide Sophia, one of the most famous Rotorua guides of all.
Guide Sophia was immortalised in a Gottfried Lindauer painting and foresaw the Mt Tarawera eruption in 1886 with a vision of a “ghost waka” on the lake. Over the years meeting Karen and Tracy we know what people remember more than anything is the warmth of their welcome.
Karen and Tracy also guided us on our visit to Te Wairoa Buried Village and Museum. We were sad to say goodbye and reluctantly started the journey back north.
For all of us, this was a wonderful week in a part of the country none of us had spent much time in before. The combination of the scenery, Māori and European history and the friendly people we met along the way made it the perfect escape with a real feeling of getting to know our own country a little better than before.
I hope you enjoyed this recollection of our trip, of course nothing beats visiting first hand. Our East Cape Caper trip has been a favourite for over 15 years and we’ll be off again this coming season. We’d love you to join us!
If you’d like to see more pictures from the trip you can see more about our East Cape Caper 6 day tour here.
