Some of the paths least travelled in the North Island are around the East Cape. It’s a unique and special corner of New Zealand not often visited by travellers. We’ll start our week-long odyssey with some time in the gateway to the east, Rotorua and gradually follow the coast around to Gisborne. Here are some highlights;
Day 1: After morning tea on the shores of Lake Taupō we head to Rotorua and enjoy a picnic lunch at the Band Rotunda in the Government Gardens. After lunch there are options to explore the gardens further, perhaps walk the lakefront trail to our hotel – the much-loved Novotel Lakeside Rotorua Hotel, our base for two nights.
Day 2: This morning we visit the world’s youngest geothermal valley at Waimangu south of Rotorua. Created largely by the enormous Mt Tarawera volcanic eruption of 1886, this valley, which meanders down to the legendary Lake Rotomahana, is laden with a myriad of hot springs and vents including the giant Frying Pan Lake along it’s many walking paths. A guided walk down to the lake is offered to those interested whilst a bus will take the rest of us to the meeting point at the jetty on Lake Rotomahana. From here we enjoy a guided cruise of the lake under which lays the remains of the world-famous Pink & White Terraces together with over 200 hot water vents. We’ll hear the history and tales and enjoy the experience of cruising this mystical body of water. We conclude our visit to Waimangu with lunch in their café before returning to Rotorua and a free afternoon to explore. This evening there will be an optional night time Redwoods Treetop Walk. Experience these giant trees and the forest around them lit up featuring David Trubridge lighting. Spectacular!
Day 3: We depart Rotorua this morning and after morning tea on the shores of Lake Rotoiti we head east to Whakatāne, firstly to take in the incredible views from the Heads, and then into town for lunch. Then we continue our trek east through Ohope and Ōpōtiki to our next stop at a small bay called Torere. Here Vanessa Hayes cares for her ancestral land and is having great success growing macadamias. We’ll take a look around her operation and enjoy a cuppa before heading to our final destination of the day and our accommodation at the tiny settlement of Te Kaha.
Day 4: We continue our journey east today stopping firstly at Raukokore for a look at the century-old white church. Look out here for the wandering ‘wild’ horses the area is renowned for. Then it’s on to Waihau Bay and lunch at the Lodge overlooking the inlet and the pier. After lunch and a look around we head towards Cape Runaway before finally arriving at our accommodation for the night at Hick’s Bay.
Day 5: Our first stop this morning is the settlement of Te Araroa, birthplace of Sir Apirana Ngata and site of the oldest Pohutukawa tree on the NZ mainland at around 600 years old. From here our journey turns south with a stop at historic St Mary’s church at Tikitiki for a cuppa before we head on through Ruatoria and a stop at Tokomaru Bay for lunch. Later we arrive at Tolaga Bay. We’ll take a walk out on the lengthy Tolaga Bay Wharf and then it’s on down the coast to Gisborne and the wonderful Emerald Hotel.
Day 6: Arguably NZ’s finest arboretum, Eastwoodhill, is our focus this morning. We’ll be given a guided Jeep tour to enjoy this amazing collection of trees before we enjoy a picnic lunch here. This afternoon there is the option to experience the Gisborne Railbike Adventure. Here, on disused railway lines two bicycles specially welded together ride side-by-side on the rails. Those not participating can relax back at the hotel or do a little retail therapy.
Day 7: This morning our final Gisborne destination is the outstanding Tairāwhiti Museum. It holds constantly changing exhibitions and within its walls sit Wylie’s Cottage, the oldest European building in Gisborne. Next door in Kelvin Park you’ll find two more fabulous buildings to explore. The first is the restored two-storey wheelhouse of the steamer ‘Star Of Canada’ that was wrecked on rocks off the coast of Gisborne in 1912. The second is the beautiful Māori Battalion ‘C’ Company Memorial House, a testament of the men of the East Coast who served in this famous army unit. We then depart south for lunch in Wairoa before continuing back towards Napier and home.
We’ve called this tour a ‘Getaway’ as it takes us to a part of our country rarely visited by tourists and puts us in touch with a New Zealand that hasn’t changed much in 50 years. And that’s worth getting away to!
