Cathedral Cove

 On the east coast of the Coramandel Peninsula is a beautiful beach known as Cathedral Cove. Not only the beach but the whole area offers considerable appeal. The views from the trail down to the beach provide stunning vistas, interesting geological formations and evidence of the dramatic sculpting of wind, rain and waves. The hike down from where this picture was taken was approximately 45 minutes with a few side track options for the more adventurous types.

A gorgeous day greeted our early departure from Auckland. We wanted to get ahead of the masses who would no doubt venture out, it being a Saturday, mid summer and a popular  retreat for Kiwis and tourists alike.

One of the first features to attract my attention was the chalk white cliffs which were even more impressive in the morning sun. This rock is known as Ignimbrite. A close up look at the rock reveals an angular shaped blocks of pumice deposited in the form of ash from past cataclysmic

 volcanic explosion(s).  Normally this type of deposit surrounds a caldera.  In this case with upheavals of land and seabed the original structure has long since been deformed and reformed.

New Zealand is a continent in transition.  Since its departure from Gondwanaland 85 million years ago it has undergone constant tectonic restructuring.  Some parts of New Zealand are as much as 450 kilometres from their original locations. Volcanic eruptions have further shifted huge chunks of land vertically in the space of a few minutes, as we observed in Christchurch.

Yet the sculpting influence of wind and water are evident here as well.. This relatively soft rock is subject to the relentless pounding surf, carving arches, shaping rocks, leaving a residue of soft whites sands as evidence of its innate artistic capacity.

 The waters were too warm to resist.
This is the first time I went swimming and wondered what had taken me so long. I swam out to one of the big rocks (not this one here) and climbed on top and dived off. This was a reminder that swimming requires some conditioning and I found my self having to work at it to navigate the surf, swells and effects of tide.  Never the less it was all fun and certainly worth the effort.

 Aptly named Cathedral cove, this archway framed one of the most picturesque views I have seen while here in New Zealand. This proved to be just what I needed to rejuvenate from the emotional demands of the work.  Arendje seems to enjoy it as much as I do, although the treks into some of these places makes her somewhat less excited.

 The appeal of this beach explains the number of people present.  We got here relatively early and a steady stream of trekkers continued to come as we headed back up the trail.

 This view is taken from the trail head overlooking the islands off the coast. The Winters the couple to our left are our regular travelling companions.  The young couple beside them is their daughter and son in law visiting from Salt Lake area.

A number of tourists and locals opt for a kayak or boat tours to the beach, certainly a less arduous way to get there.  I saw a few working there way around this promontory.  In fact in this picture were magfnified you might see them

Wellington by Train

 We decided to take the train to from Auckland to Wellington with the intent of perhaps enjoying a different perspective of the beautiful North Island countryside.  I personally was not disappointed.  Eleven hours all told, with frequent short stops along the way.  The weather was accommodating, the seats comfortable and enough variation to keep it interesting in spite of the extended day.

The topography does not change appreciably over the 649 kilometer trip. Green hills most with of them devoted to sheep and cattle farms.  We navigated some precipitous terrain as well with deep canyons, dense subtropical forests and breathtaking views. During one portion of the trip we had to navigate a rather cirutious route called the Rauimu spiral.  a rather notable engineering feat that rises 139 meters which begins with a horseshoe curve

Legend has it that a train driver once emergency braked his train in the night upon mistaking the light of his last wagon on a nearby part of the spiral as the rear of a different train directly ahead of him.

Our first day in Wellington was spent doing training with the Wellington Mission Zone Leaders and the Sister Training Leaders. The next day we visited various sites.

On the outskirts of Wellington is a site referred to as the Weta Workshop where all the animations and puppets for Lord of the Rings and a host of other movie sets were designed and constructed.

 The incredible attention to detail and life like creations were indeed impressive. A number of tour options were available. We opted to explore the museum and watch a short video presentation of the process of construction involved in making the props and often gruesome characters.

The story behind the development of the Company' from it's humble beginnings speaks to the vision, imagination and creative capacity of these early entrepreneurs. The facilities now encompass acres of land and are devoted to various aspects of set construction and design.






Peter Jackson the Director of Lord of the Rings went to great measures to ensure the depiction of characters was true to the form described in the novel. Being attentive to detail the end products represent works of art, creative adaptions designed to comply with the demands and constraints of the isolated movie sets.


For the tourists bronze figurines were intricately sculpted and on display and the price reflected the creative genius of the artisans. They would be an odd addition to a mantle piece, but would certainly capture the attention and the imagination of the beholder. Although tempted, these were well beyond my budgetary limits, yet still managed to captivate the visual possibilities.


The scope of the Lord of the Rings influence in New Zealand is quite remarkable. In a number of locations Kiwi's have capitalized on the tourist potential of these landmark movies and established venues to showcase New Zealand's diverse topography and capture the mystical elements of this enchanted land portrayed in the trilogy.


From there we took a bus back to Wellington to embark on an up hill adventure.  Wellington is best understood and appreciated when compared to the terrain of another well known tourist city - San Francisco. The train/tram took us on a seemingly impossible

climb to the top of a ridge. At the summit was a botanical garden covering the whole hillside overlooking the city in almost every direction.  The combined visual appeal of the of garden and the vista from the hill proved to be a unique combination.

We proceeded to follow the trails down the hill taking in the colour, fragrances and beauty of the surroundings.  This setting, ideal weather and good company made for a most pleasant afternoon.

Wellington also boasts a world class museum on the water front,  In fact the whole waterfront has been revitalized from an industrial dockyard to a well designed promenade featuring prominent historical landmarks, viewpoints and quaint shops, restaurants and walkways and all easy access from downtown.

Much more time could have been spent here. Whenever I find a place that offers a number amenities I imagine myself living there. Wellington is one of those places I could easily see myself enjoying.

New Zealand South Island - An overview

The south island of New Zealand lies roughly from 41 degrees south latitude to 47 degrees.  It can be described as a cool temperate climate with plentiful rainfall. It does snow at sea level, but more inland and at higher elevations. Extremes of temperature are rare given the moderating effects of the ocean.

Severe weather is not a common concern, although every eight or nine years a cyclone will come through the islands wreaking serious damage.  Flooding landslides and losses of life at sea are the usual result. New Zealand sits on two tectonic plates - the Pacific and Australian and some parts of the South Island while the rest of the South Island sit on the Pacific.  It is seismically active. When we were on the South
Island I felt the effects of one of their frequent earthquakes

Over thousands of years, through the process of subduction, parts of the coastal mountains become submerged, creating impressive sounds and fjords. In Milford Sound we saw a good example of this which I cover in a later post. Needless to say the channels offer some of New Zealand's most picturesque scenery.

We flew, drove and and took bus and boat tours to see the length and breadth of this island.  A week of course is not enough, but it did provide a cross section of what the South Island had to offer. You do not have to go very far before another photo opportunity would present itself.  Unlike the north island, the population density is significantly lower making for frequent and prolonged natural landscapes as we traveled.

The "southern alps' constitute the back bone of the island. Travelling east to west means a mountain pass or two  is required. Glacial fed lakes, impressive mountain vistas and untouched wilderness reminded me of much of British Columbia.  Both share a common heritage as the mountainous terrain represented a daunting obstacle to early road and rail construction.

The last two photos are from the beach of our rental property in Kingston in the interior of the island. This small, rather remote setting was the staging point for our tours and ventures out to points of interest. It served as a peaceful reprieve from the throngs of tourists in the larger centers.