Mt Taranaki - Kokowai Loop

To celebrate our anniversary we decided to stay local and enjoy some adventuring. The weekend offered beautiful sunny days so we packed our bags and headed out to the mountain. We chose to tackle a 12-kilometer  (7.5 miles) loop track, the Kokowai Loop. 

The track began with stair climbing through a wooded area, heading towards one of the huts. The scenery changed when we turned off on what is known as the Boomerang Slip. This section was the most challenging by far, with sections requiring single-file access and rapidly changing scenery. We were presented with views of water/rocks showing significant mineral deposits, providing lovely color contrasts to the alpine scenery. This was definitely a track to be done in summer weather. We were high enough up that it would get icy in the winter, and some areas were steep and exposed enough that it would be quite a different experience in winter weather. 

When we reached the end of the slip we turned back towards the visitor center. This took us back down to another wooded section. Highlights included a winding staircase, river crossing,  and a swing bridge. Swing bridges are pretty popular on trails here, but this one was not my favorite, it had a bit more 'swing' to it than most, which I found a bit disconcerting. Lived to tell the tale though so I guess nothing to really complain about, ha!

Post-hike we headed to the Stratford side of the mountain, to the the Dawson Falls Mountain Lodge. After a much-needed shower and cup of tea, we relaxed for the remainder of the afternoon before enjoying a lovely dinner with views of the mountain and settling in for the night.

Mt. Karioi Summit Climb

I have little doubt that by the end of 2020 most of us felt the need for a break. I was right there with you, especially as work seemed to get busier the closer we got to the end. I am fortunate to work for a company that closes for a couple of weeks over the holidays. I opted to extend the break a bit and took off a few days early. 

Summer had arrived, flowers were in bloom, the sun was shining and I just felt the need for fresh air. I also wanted to go somewhere I had never been. I settled on venturing towards Raglan, which is a coastal town a couple of hours North of here. It is small and a bit out of the way, and is primarily known for being a fantastic surf destination. I was not the least bit interested in surfing, but figured I could find some alternate outdoor activity. After a bit of digging, I stumble on the Mt. Karioi summit climb. I have a friend that lives in the area who enthusiastically agreed to join me. 

Mt. Karioi is an extinct volcano that is just outside of Raglan. It does not have the traditional cone-shape of a volcano like Mt. Fuji, but was certainly still a challenge to climb! The summit is 750 meters high, and the views were well worth the effort. We opted to do the summit climb from the coastal side and return the same way. The track continues down the other side of the volcano for those who want to carry on but we did not have transport back to our vehicle organized so thought we would save that for next time. 

We were climbing a fairly steep track right from the word go. The first stage was through the back of a farm, so there was a bit of a breeze but the sun was quite warm so the heartrates got up pretty quickly. We persevered though and got into a wooded section after the first half hour. From there it was more up than down but had some flat or slight descending sections. There was one ladder to navigate, and two sections where chains had been installed to allow you to safely get up a bank. Right at the end we found ourselves needing to do a bit of rock climbing to get right to the summit!

The summit featured a helicopter pad, which make an excellent picnic spot for having lunch and re-hydrating. There were also stunning 360 degree views, I'll let the below photos do the telling :)

 

Local Leisure

 One of my favorite things about New Zealand is the annual Christmas shutdown period. I know that not everyone has the luxury of two weeks off but I am always thankful to be someone that does. My company always takes at least a two week period off, and with the public holidays you can enjoy the time off without using up too much leave time.

We often try to travel over the break period but opted to have a stay-cation this year. Troway had to work part of the time (the joys of being the newer employee) so we fit in some relaxation and local exploration around his schedule.

I enjoyed a hike at the Pukeiti rainforest. I have blogged about this a couple of times before, so will not do a play by play. However, I did want to share my success in finally reaching the Pukeiti summit! It is not a huge achievement since it is not a big climb, but it had been on the Taranaki hiking bucketlist for awhile so I was pleased to finally get there. Like many of the high points around the region, there are lovely views of the surrounding farmland and coastline. 

Pukekura Park was another excellent source of fresh air on lazy summer days. The park is one of my favorite summer destinations (think more of an inner-city garden) because there is adequate shade to keep you cool, or sunny spots to get some vitamin D. While Troway was at work one morning I packed up supplies for a picnic and off we went when he finished his client sessions for the day. After lazing in the sun a bit to let the picnic settle, we enjoyed a wander through the park. Ultimately we ended up exploring the fernery  and enjoying the aviary at the small zoo on one end of the park.

Coffee, Crafting & Cats

 After living here for nearly 7 years (yikes!), the initial charm has worn off and New Zealand is just where I live. I still get asked where I am from, and occasionally enjoy the odd looks I get if I say 'New Plymouth.' I still forget that I have the accent but also do not find the New Zealand accent to be foreign anymore. In saying that, I do remember how the first few months here were full of encounters where the laid-back nature of New Zealand felt starkly illuminated.

I got to enjoy re-experiencing one of those moments recently. A friend and I were out adventuring and decided to get a coffee to take with us. We found a coffee cart, which seemed the perfect option as they are usually take-away only. We put in our orders but then realized the barista had picked up lovely china cups to fill with our brew. We told her we were heading out for a hike and requested she use take-away cups instead. She explained that she did not use take-away cups, but was more than happy for us to just take the cups with us and return them later in the day. When we shared that we did not think we could be back before she closed for the day she said 'No problem, just drop them off at the library and I can pick them up tomorrow.' We weren't confident of getting back before the library closed either, so decided we had nothing to lose by enjoying some sunshine for a few minutes and caffeinating right there. In light of how crazy the world feels right now, it was a simple thing that felt like a reminder to slow down and maintain faith in humanity.

On the note of generosity, a friend gave me a fabulous sewing machine awhile back. It is much fancier than any I had used before, so I have enjoyed learning to use it. My recent conquest with it is getting a walking foot to use on quilting projects. I got to try it out on a baby blanket for a friend and it is already worth the money!

I also created what I am calling an 'engagement memory jar.' Troway proposed when we were visiting my family in Little Rock in 2018 (feels like just yesterday but that was almost 3 years ago!). We were fortunate to have an uncle and cousins visiting Little Rock at the same time. As part of the family bonding and good news celebrations,  we visited a local distillery for a tour and tasting. Troway and I brought home a bottle of the divine apple pie liqueur they make. We made it last a long time but finally finished it off at Christmastime. The photo + bottle is a happy memory of the special time shared with family. 

Finally, there is a new addition to our family. Our landlord used to live next door to us, and their cat chose to live in our house instead of theirs. When they sold their house and moved across town they took the cat with them. We missed having one around so got permission to acquire one of our own. Early December we were in town and stumbled on a pop-up shop that was a temporary thrift store and cat adoption place! It had been set up by the local animal trust (think Humane Society) and they were hoping the temporary central location would get the word out so they could find homes for cats and kittens. We adopted a one-year sweetie that we named Dotty. She had been dumped on someone's property and they took her in so she could find a home. She is a happy and well-mannered house cat, albeit a bit shy about being on anyone's lap and loud noises so we think she might have been a lockdown adoption that did not end so well. She is now happily settled in and seems to think she owns the place!