Day 12 Whirlwind to Tauranga

Day 12  Whirlwind to Tauranga

The days isn’t too bad other than this time being overcast and that does mean when I do walk with the bag on my back like a turtle I wont get stuck and sweat in the heat too much. On checking out I found the mine I wanted a tour on was not reliable with their opening times as the town of Thames is becoming embarrassed to even promote them. That does tell you alot and I had missed another stamper battery mine in my wanderings, but I vow I will be back in Thames as I really do like the town and I have seen some of the tourist sights already, but not all. The town did start off as little towns like Grahams town, but grew with the gold being discovered.

The walk wasn’t too bad really. I thought it would be a hard slog through the streets and I did partially pass through the markets. I didn’t mind the walk at all and had plenty of time to have a coffee and pie before heading back out to catch the bus to Tauranga. The trip to the city was interesting and the views were pretty good. Refreshment stop was at Paeroa, which is famous for the drink L&P, which is made out of their water or something like that. I did wander and find a working pump that I think is to show how they got water out of the ground. I did see rail trails people were riding their bikes on and thought I would have to try them out sometime as some of the sights on the other side of the river had my interest. I think i would have seen more mining towns than I had thought I would have.

Once we arrived in Tauranga I found it pretty easy finding my way to the hostel. At first I thought I was lost and realised I had turned myself around, but was off in the right direction. My street directory did help with getting me around as it was easy to follow to the hostel and I had it marked on the map from the information centre as well, so I could choose the right path I wanted. Once at the hostel I had found they had not everything cleaned just yet as it was only midday. Also I could lock up my stuff and come back later and I was promised that I would have a washing machine free to wash my stuff as I was out of clothes. My plan after sorting everything out and getting my own locker was to head into Mt Maunganui  for the kiwiRail 150 year exhibition and I was limited for time. The map I had been given was only good for the city and there was no ideas to if I could cross the bridge. I did take a punt and walk along the main highway to the bridge where it ended up being a little confusing as I was twisted around different streets though I could have taken a direct route if I had come from another direction. I did stop at what I thought might be the location of a mission cemetery, which is the oldest in Tauranga and missing some graves as it was part of some mission and has monuments to some of the local maori. I did look at this once I had been on my return trip.

The walk to the kiwi rail thing was longer than I thought it was and on the way I did see a bike just like mine stop at traffic lights. Another can am Spyder with passenger. I did have doubts that I had the wrong location to the exhibition and I had missed lunch as well in my haste to get to see what the 150 years of rail was like. I did find the exhibition alright and I found they had actual train and carriages too. The carriages were the usual ones you see when you end up on the rail journeys and they had four others that showed you different areas like the history of different trains, safety around the tracks and different locations the lines went to. I did have something to eat and bought a train calendar for next year. I was allowed to sit inside the drivers seat of a train too and it was very comfortable. They have all sorts of technology from esky, microwave and somewhere to store your coffee too and it was really quiet inside as the engines were running. When I did leave a security lady was laughing at my shirt since I was wearing my God’s busy can I help shirt. She was going hes evil and I like the shirt. Hehehe.

The walk back was a little brisk and I was running out of energy and had to stop when I had reached the cemetery, I read a book for around 10 minutes and had a good drink too. I think the heat got to me especially when I was wearing trousers. I did take the walk through the cemetery while keeping an eye on the sky as in the distance it looked as though it was going to rain. I took another direction to the hostel as I was wondering about the ferry times and I actually found no ferry. I don’t know why they were advertised in certain places other than water tours. I did find my way to the hostel and spent time there doing the washing I had to do. I was able to check in and I could get 48 hours of internet that will last me until I leave Tauranga for Hamilton. I am also going to catch the bus in the morning to head into town so I don’t have to do so much walking. Maybe that will help me. I am hoping it is not going to be raining.

Day 11 whirlwind through Thames and burning feet issues

Day 11 whirlwind through Thames

Today is different and not sunny at all, but overcast and coldish. I wore my jumper for most of the day while I am outside as I was nearly going to leave without it and my wet gear too thinking nope I wont need it. Then I looked outside and reconsidered my thought. I knew what would happen if I didn’t take my stuff with me and that might mean I get wet and caught in the open. Something I don’t want to happen.

I still didn’t know exactly how far the hostel was from the information centre and thought I better get out there and find out. I had breakfast on my way and realised the information centre was further than I thought it was. It has to be at least a kilometre from where I am at Sunkist hostel. Not the ideal of walks and that could be similar to what can happen to myself in Tauranga. Lets hope it is not like that and I can survive.  I did take some more wanders down that side of town including finding a monument to the miners that was erected during the 1960s. After visiting the information centre and avoiding several bookstores on the way towards the museum of local history I passed several older churches and the Thames library that had free wifi, also the library had a nice stained glass window I found interesting. I seen the museum of technology in the distance and it is an old pumphouse, so that changed my direction of travel though its only behind the local museum. I stopped when I seen it was only open on the weekend. I walked to the museum only to find that opened at 1pm and it was before 10am. The school of mines museum opened at 11am. I decided to stop where I was and read a book to fill in time.

The Thames School of mines was open by the time I rocked up at the door. I was able to get a tour through the old buildings that were part of the school. What was amazing was that the buildings once the school had been closed no one vandalised or even broke into them while they were abandoned. The council never thought to clear the land either, which is pretty good for an old town. People could go to school 6 days a week including night school. They did get certificates so the students could go and work in various positions within the mines.The classrooms actually had gas lighting that were no longer hooked up and also a lab that had all the items still in the room from the people who left. There was even an Assay house where the minerals from the various mines were sorted out to see what amount could be gotten out of them.  I was shown a map of where all the tunnels and their names were located. Some had interesting names and you could tell there were some in one area that were from Scotland like Duke of Edinburgh or Highland Chief. There were other inventive names and boring ones too like Number 1. Half the tunnels ran and crisscrossed under a few of the streets in Thames. I would love to have a map of these mines compared to the street level. The lady who took me on the tour couldn’t take me into the room where the battery was as its unsafe and I was actually the only one getting the tour. The lady did have information on her to help her remember as she had only done the tour around 7 times and she also didn’t have another volunteer with her to keep the main building open, so she had to lock it up. The lady was really helpful with advice for other museums too and I was giving her advice about several museums too. The tour also meant I could get a discount when I visit the historical museum.

I had time to visit the Historical museum though I did need some lunch and I did stop off at the hostel to download my photos and a quick rest. I was then off to the Thames Historical museum, where I found the discount was $4 when the full adult price was $5, but I was a little unsure if I should get the discount. I did donate several dollars to the museum as I thought it was the right thing to do. There were several different rooms named after the mines in the local area. These were Kuranui, Moanatataiari, Albernia and Caledonia. They all showed different parts of Thames from the mining and milling to streetscapes including an iron lung. I did find the hostel I am staying in is actually an old hotel that was called Wharf hotel and then Lady Bowen, which would explain the front door and did close in the 1950s. Someone had made wooden sculptures of the buildings in town and explained a little about the facades in the main street.

I was wondering if the mining experience was actually open as I had spoken to two museum people who were convincing that since it was holidays it should be open. So I decided to walk and upon inspection nope it was closed for maintenance. I decided to then walk to the town of Tararu as there was a cemetery nearby. I walked as far as I could go into the town as there was no footpaths and I wasn’t walking on the side of roads that are windey in case a car decides I am target practise. I couldn’t go any further so I plonked my bum and rested with my book again. On my way back I stopped for ice cream and I was getting worried about the weather as I walked back to town. It was starting to spit while I was walking, but never went any further. I did see other mineshafts behind peoples homes though I think they were covered in so no one could go wandering. When I got into my room and sat out on the balcony the sun decided to come out and blind me so like a vampire I had to escape back inside.

Tomorrow I am off to my next place and that is Tauranga. I hope my trip will be an uneventful one to another historic town though it looks like a city. I will suffer a long walk to town to catch a bus, but I don’t think it will be that bad.

Day 10 Whirlwind to Thames via Whitianga

Day 10 Whirlwind to Thames via Whitianga

Today the weather is still beautiful in Coromandel Town and I will be off to Thames where I do hope it will be just as interesting as Coromandel. I hope the wifi sheep are nice to me as well. They should be helpful while in Thames for two nights. I am wondering what Thames is actually like and it does look bigger than Coromandel Town actually is. I just found they have a station over here called igloo. Dont ask its something like sky.

I had a lamb mint pie with my coffee since the cafe I found the night before didn’t open until 9am and I didn’t want to wait that long even though it was half hour. I think the ladies would think I am stalking them. Only because I like their food. I had some American tourists asking me where I got my coffee and I somehow got them lost and they really didn’t follow my directions. Not my fault and they might not have done the same during Normandy or where ever they got lost. I made some youtube videos just to see if I could do them and they do seem to work, but I will have to do them from my netbook . I was happy to be gone and I was worried about the bus as it might not stop for me. I was hoping i would and when it did finally arrive it did stop exactly where I wanted it too.

The ride to Whitianga was windy nearly all the way to the town. I did like the scenery as we went up and down the hills. I was enjoying the look out the window and I was nearly at the front of the bus, so could take photos from the seat out the windscreen. The driver did stop right out front of the hostels and the YHA was a little out of town, so I might have to stay somewhere closer in town unless I look at the map. I did snort when the driver asked if anyone was going to Cats in pyjamas hostel. I could stay there just to see if its any good. I did once stay in a hostel called Oops so that would be interesting. Once the bus dropped me off to the information centre I went to find the bank and I had food on me that was my lunch. I found some places of interest on my short wander while waiting for the bus though what I did find out was that it was the same bus and the same driver. I never knew the mistake and the driver had missed it in his log. I think it does happen to many people and he did say that it shouldn’t come as two separate trips. Thats life though and another hour or so I was dropped at the front of the hostel as the only person. I don’t know why we started talking about trains I didn’t mean to do that though it was because I was going to see the exhibition in Tauranga if I don’t miss it.

Sunkist hostel is very interesting and large building. The beds are huge and the top bunk is well over my head. I have never seen beds that high up and pretty different. The rooms are really roomy and country as it also has a fake fireplace. I get free coffee and that is something, though food and drinks are not allowed in the rooms at all. I was armed with a mud map that the hostel drew up and they showed me the different walks I could go on in town. I wanted to see the war memorial as it did have some good sights from the top o the town. I got confused by the map, but I was actually on the right track and right where I wanted to be. I couldn’t find the track I was supposed to take up the hill, so followed the road up as it didn’t have the footpath at all. The way down wasn’t any better as I found a track, but it ended up not really going anywhere and I actually think it as a drain of some sort behind some houses. I had to go back up as I wouldn’t have walked down, but fallen down the hill. Once down the bottom I headed to the mine museum as I wanted to see the time it opened, but apparently its closed until December. I did wander on private property. *whistles* I hoped a big dog didn’t run out at me, but no such luck and the gate was open. I did see some mine shafts and even walked up some vacant track with nothing that could hurt me. I found a hole in the hill.

After finding holes in the hills and wandering to a local park, I decided to do the seaside walk to get that out of the way and to see what was around. I had heard about a fish ad chip shop on the other end of the town on the town wharf. I found a small kiddie railway that was open on weekends and the sun was going down, which had me hurrying with my dinner as I had walked around 3 and half kms according to the area map that was on the walkway. I even seen doggie bags for dogs to be placed in the bin. I was getting worried about it getting dark and really didn’t want to be stuck in town once the sun went down as I didn’t actually know where exactly the hostel was. I did find several museums that I will visit during the day tomorrow, but in that twilight period with the sun just about gone and there was plenty of light to take good pictures of old buildings like a motel that was built of kauri. I found the hostel again and I do have a query about the gutters some of them are really steep and deep. You do have to be careful and I am not sure if it was old mining town style or more of modern Thames type gutters, but if they are full of water you could be wet to the knee.

I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I do know it will be another beautiful day and one full day in Thames that I will want to spend my time in. Hopefully I will get everything done. Tv show of the night is an interesting one that I have never seen before, but only heard of and that is Californicaton. I should look up some stuff towards the museums like School of mines and museum of technology too. Think it was a 200 photo type of day.

Day 9 Whirlwind tour in Coromandel Town

Day 9 Whirlwind tour in Coromandel Town

    I did get some decent sleep the night before and was up bright and early to make the only full day of Coromandel Town.  The day was spectacular as there was very little in the way of cloud cover and I was up around 730 in the morning ready to walk into town and see the sights. I was off and one before my roommates were even awake. My first port of call was to have breakfast and I found that to be very satisfying, bacon and eggs with a coffee that would set me up for some of the day. By the time I ate I was rearing to go and hit the road with enthusiasm. The fuel cells had been filled and I was wanting to make my way to the Driving Creek Railway, which was hand built. More on that later..

I was still taking photos of the landscape that was Coromandel Town. It wasn’t much to see, but she is a pretty little town and I think I was up and moving before many of the tourists thought to unlock their car doors and take sleepy driving tours missing the unusual tourist attraction to their destinations. I was following some of the history to Coromandel as I was taking pictures of the older buildings in town on my way to the trainline. I did find some sheep that I was calling wifi sheep for the internet as a joke, because I was having so much trouble in Auckland with the internet as it kept cutting me off. That is my reason and I’m sticking to it. I like saying I found internet sheep that give us all internet signals. I was following my guide that I had picked up once I had eventually found the information centre. I had to pass most of the historic buildings on my way to the railway.

Some of the buildings I had walked past the day before including the Masonic lodge. I don’t care what people think about them as they were big deal in New Zealands past and you can find headstones all over the country with their symbol somewhere. People can give you conspiracy theories and all that, but I digress. I did find out that I was thinking the wrong thing when I seen a rusty sign for Fir Lawn House. I thought it meant the house had burnt and no entry. You couldn’t tell it was a historic house as the lawn was over grown, but today I did see the house, but it looked like it was falling apart and according to the guide fire damaged. The house was owned by a wealthy man called Frederick Wooliams in 1874. The Masonic house was built in 1898, which is Lodge 17 of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand. I am only going to list some of the locations not all as my fingers would be tired. St Andrews Presbyterian Church was built in 1873 and the first one in the area of that denomination. I was fascinated by the former Coromandel Hospital as t was such a large building. It had been built in 1898 and closed in 1994, also for several years from the beginning staffed by the Sisters of Mercy. Outside of James Homestead I was nearly hit by a kid on a pushbike while I was looking in the guide and about to take a photo. All I was doing was standing in the one spot and I think I taught the kid a new word when he missed me my millimeters. I was angry at the kid for a couple of minutes before I let that go while wandering. The James Homestead had been built in the 1890s. Another thing I found was a drinking trough, which marked the site of the Tramways Hotel during the 1870s.

I found the pottery and trainline after I wandered up the Driving Creek Road. By this time I had walked pretty far and there would be plenty more walking in my day, but this wouldn’t be walking. I would be taking the train up the hill that was privately owned and had been worked on since the 1970s. The train would take you to a lookout that was called the Eyefull tower, which I later found I couldn’t walk to anymore from the bottom. The main function was to get the clay for the pottery stuff and was still being made today from the hills. I think its the only narrow gauge line in New Zealand and the lines were bought off the government, but now have to come from South Korea. The train takes you on a magical tour and is wonderful as you can see tunnels and sculptures made by potters who have visited. The Eyefull Tower does command really good views of Coromandel Town and the water. We did find out the owner had to open the line to the public through the bank orders as he had a little money issue he needed to sort out. The Coromandel ranges had been plentiful with Kauri and other trees in the 1800s, but logging and farming had wiped it all out including the native animals. Now it had been replanted with native plants, well the area owned by the pottery place.  The only problem now is its got a pest problem with possums and stoats, which is why there are no birdlife sounds. There are down the bottom in an enclosed area, but that is it. It was a great train ride especially when you find they make the trains as well and there were two trains running at the same time. The driver had to change the tracks himself, which shows the trans were not that big at all. Afterwards I decided to call into a cafe that was just down the road from the Driving Creek Railway for lunch and another coffee. I got free wifi too, which I took advantage of to see what was happening online.

After lunch, I headed to the one place I was wanting o visit and that was the Gold Stamper Battery. I knew you could get tours of the place and I turned up within the time frame for them to begin. Sadly I was the only one who was there and they were not going to do the tour with one person, but if there were several more they would. I got a talk about the mine and the mines in the area. I was surprised that the walk I had taken yesterday had man mines located throughout the area and was riddled with tunnels. One of the mines was where they dumped the waste into the sea, but half the gold went there too, so the group is going to be looking there soon. Gold mining between Australia and New Zealand began within a year or so of each other and the locations for gold being found that are marked happen to be in the wrong locations including at the Gold Stamper in Buffalo Road. I was told the storm the week before had flushed the rivers and you could still find little bits of gold and it was sill being found as there was something like 3 billion worth of gold in the area to be dug up. I did try my hand at panning for gold and only tried for near an hour before thinking I had seen too many rocks, though i could have seen gold and I think I seen specks, I don’t know what to do with it. I went down the hill wandering the cemetery though many others I have had more enjoyment out of it though I think the day was slowly getting to me. I didn’t find too much in the cemetery, but I didn’t mind it.

Off I went with the plan to head back into town and to the caravan park to get my clothes washed as I thought I would need them done before I left the next day. I wasn’t sure of what time I was getting the bus, but thought I better get breakfast from the supermarket just in case I would starve. I was following my map and seen a trail nearby called the Success Track. I thought this was pretty cool to walk up the track that I could make names out of Success and that was exactly what it was. I was going to join up with another track instead of ending up in the Coromandel Ranges. That never happened as I had some planning issues. I had missed the off shoot of the other train and ended up unwittingly following the Kaipawa track that would take me to Driving Creek Road near the railway. A 2 hour walk one way that I was taking and had my ipod for company too. The track wasn’t all smooth sailing as I did find several parts slippery especially with it going green and one part was partly washed out. I did get spectacular views of the coast and also ducking under fallen trees too. I found a strange sight, a tractor had been left up the hill and plants had grown around it though not far away where I was huffing and puffing I found a huge landslip that had taken the path away. This meant I had to turn around and go down the hill. Something I didn’t want to do, but had no choice. I kept on having small slips on the smooth clay, but as generally alright. I knew I had only a limited amount of time before I would have very little light left as it was late afternoon. I didn’t want to get stuck at night on the hill with no idea of whats in front of me other than trees. I did make it down though I was texting a friend back home telling them I was on the path to success. Its a slippery slope when you are on the path to success and your way may have obstacles and dead ends. I do like that one myself. I can be quite random in my aimless wanderings and can sometimes be out of my depth and dont even know it. I I had someone with me then I might not have made it as far as I had and they would have told me to go back

 I was happy once I got to the bottom, but I had no water left either so I might not have gone near the Ranges with its lack of birdcalls for a wander. I think it was well worth the trek though and by this time it was nearly 6pm at night and I was getting hungry. I stopped off for a sirloin steak for dinner as I wanted steak and had a beer with my dinner. I was chatting to the server lady about my walk and the landfall. She told me I should see the info centre, but she will anyway the next day as she is a regular to that track. She said I could have been the first one to walk it since the storms of last week. I did see some footprints in the mud that looked fresh, but might not have been. It was pointed out that there was another path and you would miss it if you were not looking. I had missed it and found it on my way down the hill. Its alright as I have been getting plenty of trekking done and I am not that healthy either.

The washing is done, I have been showered and wont be leaving for Thames until 11am tomorrow. I will be stopping at Whitianga for a little while for the next bus. I wonder if that will drop me off at the hostel? I think I am very lucky I never booked the hostel for the usual full two days as I think I would be hanging for one day and there are no ATMs for me to get cash. Not everyone here takes a credit card. I want o stay in Whitianga next time for several days just to do the touristy stuff like Cathedral Rock tour by boat. I thought it was funny to be talking to a bloke who liked my marine rescue hat, while waiting for the train. He was impressed I am a marine rescue person in their 10^th year of service. I am also alone in my room for the night, woohoo no one else other than a cold bed that will be heated up anyway.