#Car Rentals in Tauranga

[expressshuttle]

Auckland Hamilton Tauranga Shuttles: A Convenient and Reliable Transportation Option

Introduction to Shuttle Services in New Zealand

Traveling between Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga has become more accessible thanks to the rise of shuttle services. Whether for business, tourism, or simply visiting family and friends, these shuttles provide a stress-free and comfortable option. With a well-established road network connecting these major cities, choosing a shuttle offers an affordable and hassle-free alternative to driving or flying.

Why Choose Shuttle Services Over Other Transportation?

There are several reasons why Express Shuttles Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga shuttles have become a preferred option for many travelers. First, the cost-effectiveness is unmatched, especially when compared to the price of flights or car rentals. With shuttles, you save money on transportation and avoid the cost of fuel, parking fees, and the stress of navigating unfamiliar roads. Shuttle services also offer flexibility, with frequent trips between Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga, making finding a schedule that fits your needs easy.

Comfort and Convenience on the Road

Shuttle services prioritize passenger comfort. Most shuttle vehicles are spacious, air-conditioned, and equipped with amenities like Wi-Fi, allowing passengers to relax or even get some work done during the journey. The door-to-door service is another big advantage, as you can be picked up from your home or hotel and dropped off at your desired destination without needing transfers or additional transportation. This convenience makes shuttles particularly popular for airport transfers and intercity travel.

Safe and Reliable Travel Between Cities

Safety is a top concern for travelers, and shuttle companies pride themselves on maintaining high standards. Professional drivers are familiar with the routes between Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga, ensuring a smooth and safe ride. The vehicles are regularly maintained and undergo strict inspections to ensure reliability. For those who may be unfamiliar with the roads, especially international visitors, using a shuttle service can provide peace of mind.

An Eco-Friendly Choice for Intercity Travel

Another reason to consider shuttle services is their positive environmental impact. By choosing a shuttle over driving your own car, you help reduce the number of vehicles on the road, which in turn lowers carbon emissions. Many shuttle companies are also taking additional steps to make their services more eco-friendly, such as using fuel-efficient vehicles or investing in electric shuttles. This makes it a great option for environmentally conscious travelers.

Ideal for Group Travel and Special Events

Shuttle services aren’t just for individual passengers. They are also ideal for groups traveling together for weddings, corporate events, or even sightseeing tours. Group shuttles can be arranged to accommodate a larger number of passengers, providing a cost-effective and comfortable way to travel together. For families or business teams, this can enhance the travel experience and reduce the stress of coordinating multiple vehicles.

Booking Your Shuttle Is Easy

The booking process for shuttle services between Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga is simple and straightforward. Most shuttle companies offer online booking platforms where you can choose your pickup and drop-off locations, select your preferred travel time, and even make payment in advance. Many services also offer flexible cancellation policies, so if your plans change, you can adjust your booking with minimal hassle.

Conclusion: A Smart Way to Travel

Whether you're commuting for work, heading to the airport, or planning a weekend getaway, Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga shuttles offer a smart and reliable way to travel. With affordable pricing, comfort, safety, and eco-friendliness, shuttle services are the go-to choice for many New Zealanders and visitors alike.

Blog Resources:-https://expressshuttle.blogspot.com/2024/09/auckland-hamilton-tauranga-shuttles.html

[amuseoffyre]

Don’t Tell Mama - #459-461

“Do you get to Tauranga often, auntie?” Stede asked and Ed – tucked in the back seat of their rental – couldn’t keep from smiling at the delight in Stede’s voice.

In the passenger seat, his auntie nodded. “There’s always someone coming or going,” she said. “I used to drive myself, but my eyes aren’t as good as they used to be.” She glanced back at Ed. “You don’t need to stay with me and the girls if you’ve got stuff to do.”

“It’ll be fun,” Ed said, leaning forward as much as his seatbelt would let him. “And I’ll be able to get all the gossip too.”

“Fah!” she waved a hand dismissively. “We don’t gossip.”

“Uh huh.” He grinned. “You just talk about the weather.”

Auntie gave him a prim little smile. “We share important news and significant information.”

“Hey, Stede.” Cupping one hand around his mouth, Ed said in a stage whisper, “That’s auntie-speak for gossip.”

Stede’s shoulders shook with laughter when auntie reached back between the seats to try and rap him on the knee. “You need to respect your elders, Ed.”

“Your man sees how it is,” auntie said with a chuckle.

“My man,” Ed retorted, affectionately nudging the back of Stede’s seat, “likes to make me look bad.”

“You do that very well on your own, darling,” Stede replied serenely.

“Oh fuck off!” Ed slouched back in the seat, fighting the mirth. “I’ll just not talk to any of you.”

“And that,” Stede confided in a lowered voice, “is a lie.”

Auntie gave one of those contagious crackles of laughter and soon the car was full of it.

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[tradeshubs]

Search to find cheap car rentals in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin , Hamilton , Rotorua and Tauranga.

[taurangarentalcar]

Van Hire Tauranga | Car Rental Tauranga  

No additional Credit Card charges for Van hire, Car rental, Car hire in Tauranga from Tauranga Car Rental. You will get great services at Unbeatable Prices. Get in touch with them now. 

https://www.taurangarentalcar.co.nz/

[beenleifhtyreandautocare]

Why You Should Get Auto Repair In Been leigh, Queensland

Want to get to the auto repairs in Beenleigh without having to worry about finding a cab? Want to see how convenient that is? Mitlesh will help you discover other routes or faster routes to Been leigh Tyre and Auto care. Get directions from the website or directions from any of the following sources.

G & V Auto Repairs, based in South Australia, is Australia's largest independent auto body repair shop. They are located at Mt Gambier. This location is open everyday Monday to Sunday. Car owners can drop by and get their vehicle serviced or have it delivered for an appointment. There is also a wide selection of new and used cars for sale.

Boonworth is located at Signal Hill, Australia's most easterly suburb. The area is known for its history and has many attractions including the historic Bell House and historic John James Clark House. Many tourists and locals get pleasure from traveling to Boonworth. It has numerous hotels, resorts, art galleries, and other businesses.

This is located at Signal Hill, Australia's most easterly suburb. The area is known for its history and has many attractions including the historic Bell House and historic John James Clark House. There are a number of tourists who travel to this area to take in the beautiful scenery. Boating is another activity that can be enjoyed here during spring and summer. Car hire in the area is available throughout the year.

This is located in Beenleigh, Queensland. It is an important tourist destination because of its coral reefs. It is the home of Australia's largest aquarium, the Sea Lion Rescue and Research Centre. It also has several attractions, such as Noosa Head holiday park and the John James Clark House. Boating is also an activity that can be enjoyed during spring and summer.

This is a small fishing village located on Hout Bay. It is a popular place to holiday because of its beautiful views of the ocean. It is also a popular location for fishing, boating, swimming, and surfing. Travelers can get a great value in their vacation by booking a room at one of the Holiday Park Hotels. There are many dining options at this location as well.

This is located on the north coast at Southport. It is a popular location for visiting historical sites, such as Stonehenge. A number of visitors choose to stay here for the night and enjoy the beaches, cafes, and restaurants. Motor car rental is available at this location, which makes it easier for people to get their vehicles fixed.

These are just some of the best car getaways available in the world. They offer a wide variety of accommodations to suit every budget and travel need. Many people find they get more pleasure staying at these locations than any other.

The town of Southport is conveniently close to many other attractions. For those on vacation, this is a great destination. It is also close to several popular beach resorts. It is a great place for hiking, golfing, and nature watching.

The resort town of East Boothbay offers excellent getaways. Its location makes it convenient for visiting the nearby towns of Berwick, Queenstown, and Tauranga. It is close to major roadways and has many shops and restaurants. Many people who vacation here choose to stay at one of the accommodations that include nearby resorts.

These are only a few of the many top spots in Berry. Beleigh is an absolutely beautiful place. Anyone who visits will want to return. It has everything from serene beaches to rocky mountains.

The people of this area love to take care of their vehicles. This can be seen in their devotion to fixing up cars and delivering them to their various destinations. With so many amazing things to see and do, there is no reason to leave Beleigh and look for auto repairs. With the drive-in-clinic option, you can get all the treatment you need in one convenient location.

[williamfloodug]

Whangamata NZ - Your Insider New Zealand Holiday and Travel Guide Including Tips For Visitors

New Zealand is an incredible objective for a campervan occasion. New Zealand is known for its staggering view. There are uncontrollably differentiating scenes - from volcanic mountains to ideal sea shores, from ice sheets to mountain lakes, from rich tropical jungle to moving fields and you can get from one to the next moderately effectively by street in a short space of time. In case you're driving, you will encounter the changing scene as you move starting with one staggering zone then onto the next. The fantastic landscape isn't just at the objections yet it's en route also!

Thus, in the event that you're arranging a New Zealand excursion, at that point genuinely consider leasing a campervan/RV/RV to make your own excursion experience.

Picking a Campervan

There are various campervan rental organizations in New Zealand offering a scope of vehicles. Practically all rental campervans in New Zealand can be driven on a typical vehicle permit. There are both programmed and manual vehicles. The streets in New Zealand can be tight and twisting (particularly in a portion of the excellent mountains) so in the event that you are not used to a manual transmission, I would prompt that you search for a programmed vehicle.

When choosing size, initially you need to oblige all your voyaging friends. On the off chance that you are a couple and need to have a perpetual bed, as opposed to making one up each night from the parlor zone, you should consider a 4 billet campervan. Simply recall, however, that bigger vehicles will be less simple to drive and manoeuver.

New Zealand has numerous zones where you can free camp (or opportunity camp, as it is additionally known) - nonetheless, to do so you need an independent campervan, so one with an on-board shower and latrine. If it's not too much trouble familiarize yourself with the New Zealand ecological code on the off chance that you intend to free camp.

On the off chance that you plan to essentially utilize campgrounds, at that point a vehicle that doesn't have an on-board shower and latrine is a decent choice and a few organizations have exceptional vehicles that are very little greater than a vehicle, so are extremely simple to drive.

Arranging Your Itinerary

There are lovely places to visit all over New Zealand. In the event that you just have multi week, at that point I would encourage you to pick a couple of spots on one island.

For instance, in the event that you are in the North Island for seven days, attempt this agenda:

Day 1. Get vehicle in Auckland - investigate the city. Visit the SkyTower or the gallery where you can get extraordinary perspectives just as you sit in the area having a cookout

Day 2. Travel to Coromandel Peninsula - plan to go through a night at one of the excellent harbor towns, for example, whangamata shops

Day 3. Investigate Coromandel's incredible sea shores and visit one of the numerous craftsmanship exhibitions facilitating neighborhood specialists. In the event that you need, drive to Tauranga and invest energy investigating Mount Maunganui

Day 4. Drive to Rotorua. Take a drive up to the Blue and Green Lakes, Lake Tarawera and the Buried Terraces or visit one of the other numerous vacation destinations in this geothermal "hotspot". On the off chance that you haven't encountered a Maori execution, try doing as such here

Day 5. Travel to Napier by means of Taupo. Stop at the Huka Falls in Taupo and afterward stop and have a cookout on the shores of Lake Taupo where on a crisp morning you will have the option to see the pinnacles of Mount Ruapehu and Mount Ngarahoe on the volcanic level,

Day 6. Investigate the craftsmanship deco structures in Napier prior to taking off to Wellington (in the event that you have masterminded drop-off there) or back to Auckland. On the off chance that making a beeline for Auckland, you should go through tonight in Taupo or Hamilton

Day 7. Investigate the city (Wellington) prior to dropping your campervan back. In Wellington visit Te Papa, the public gallery or take the trolley for awesome perspectives on the city and harbor. In the event that you are restoring your vehicle to Auckland, attempt and fit in a visit to Takapuna sea shore on the North Shore today

For a multi week schedule in the South Island that gives you an incredible gander at lovely view, attempt this:

Day 1. Get vehicle in Christchurch - investigate the city. Take a ride on the gondola, or have an excursion around the city on a cable car. The Antarctic Center is additionally worth a visit

Day 2. Head over the Lewis Pass to Westport. Travel through grape plantations, at that point mountain passes to the wild west coast

Day 3. Travel down the coast to Greymouth. This is perhaps the most terrific seaside drives in New Zealand. Stop at Punakaiki to see the world-popular Pancake Rocks

Day 4. Drive south through Hokitika and Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers over staggering Haast Pass to Wanaka - this will require a day in the event that you set aside effort to stop and appreciate the view all the more intently in transit, so have some place in Wanaka booked to remain before you leave

Day 5. Travel to Queenstown, the "adrenaline capital of the world" for experience. On the off chance that you lean toward all the more comfortable exercises, take a diversion through Arrowtown and Lake Hawea or simply peruse the vacationer shops in Queenstown

Day 6. Drive north once more, wanting to stop at Lake Tekapo. On the off chance that you have time, you might have the option to take a drive up to Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's most elevated mountain. When dusks stroll from Lake Tekapo up to the Mount John Observatory to get a stunning perspective on the stars

Day 7. Drive to Christchurch and return your vehicle

In the event that you have fourteen days, at that point you can visit both north and south islands crossing Cook's Strait by means of a 3 hour ship going among Wellington and Picton (around a 4 hour drive north of Christchurch).

Where to Stay

New Zealand has lovely outdoors grounds and campgrounds. There are likewise numerous spots where free outdoors is permitted. Coming up next are possibilities for you for your New Zealand occasion:

Adjusted Campsites, for example, Top 10, Kiwi Holiday Parks and Family Parks - you can get a rebate with Top 10 in the event that you plan utilizing their campgrounds all through your excursion

Provincial Council parks and campgrounds, especially Auckland Regional Parks and Waitaki Lakes - offices are frequently more fundamental than adjusted camping areas, yet a portion of the areas are breathtaking

Division of Conservation (DOC) campgrounds - these are exceptionally fundamental destinations, which is fine in the event that you have an independent campervan, yet frequently they are in the most excellent areas, so worth a visit

Local Parks - you can join for a little charge. Individuals are given various areas where they can camp, including grape plantations and sheep stations

Free outdoors - you should have an independent vehicle to free camp. Not all regions permit free outdoors so you should follow the signs. Nonetheless, you can get very close with some astounding landscape while free outdoors in New Zealand. Ensure you know about the Environmental Code

A campervan occasion is an incredible method to catch the amazingly lovely view that New Zealand has on offer and is world-celebrated for. It is a financially savvy method of seeing the same number of sights as you can in a short space of time, while as yet appreciating a loosening up excursion.

Maud Meates-Dennis and her significant other, George, own New Zealand Campervan Holidays [http://www.new-zealand-campervan-holidays.com] - an extensive online travel asset with all you require to know to take full advantage of your New Zealand campervan/RV occasion, including itineries, spots to see and activities, campgrounds, New Zealand ecological code data, RV essentials for fledglings and considerably more. You can even get a rental statement from one of our favored accomplices.

[ceciliabishop-blog]

With the camper in New Zealand - tips and tricks for preparation and on site

Cheapa Campa's expertise and reliability was therefore also mobilized by Qualmark's independent assessment standards. Here we have collected more tips to make your trip to New Zealand easier.

RV rental in Europe, USA, New Zealand, Australia or Canada

We already mentioned the "CamperMate" app above, it will be essential on your road trip. If you want to be reachable by mobile during your trip, we recommend buying a prepaid SIM card. They are available from numerous providers and are very easy to get. We have had good experiences with Vodafone and Spark.

It is important that our customers adhere to local rules and approach parking spaces that are also advertised for tents. We can rent child seats free of charge on request.

There is an amount per kilometer driven, which you have to buy in advance. With diesel you usually get further with a tank of fuel than with a petrol engine and the engines last longer on average (but there are many petrol engines in New Zealand with high mileage). When it comes to insurance, fuel does not matter in terms of price. Especially if you are interested in campervans, you should take a cheap campervan hire NZ closer look at Travelcars New Zealand. With this type of vehicle, Travelcars offers not only the buy-back guarantee, but also a 30-day money-back guarantee, free help with the organizational steps of a car purchase (you can find out more about this in point 5), a service that is for you the sale of your camper van as well as a large Facebook network that can help you with the self-organized sale.

Would you like to cruise the streets of New Zealand with a camper or camper, along the coast and always towards the sun?

Price reductions are rare.

But also "The Lord of the Rings" - and "The Hobbit" fans languish from one film set to the next.

The country's largest kiwi cultivation areas are located here and in the adjacent regions, and avocados also grow here. By the way, the ascent of Mount Maunganui is very worthwhile, because from above you have a wonderful view over Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty. Lake Taupo is a crater lake and also the largest lake in the country. Be sure to go swimming if the weather permits, because the water is incredibly clear. The well-known Māori rock carvings are located in the western bays of the lake, some of which are several meters high.

RV & Camper rental in Cairns

Go girl! Run! is Germany's largest running blog for women.

Either you hike one of the Great Walks, kayak through the sound or take a boat tour that takes you through this fascinating scenery. One of our absolute favorite cities in New Zealand is definitely Wanaka.

[66rentacar]

Tauranga Airport (TRG) New post talking about: Tauranga Airport (TRG) | Looking for Cheap Car Rental at Tauranga Airport?

[carrentalsdeals]

Tauranga Airport (TRG)

New Post has been published on CarRental.Deals

Tauranga Airport (TRG)

Looking for Cheap Car Rental at Tauranga Airport? Search & Save up to 50% on brands such as AVIS, Budget, Hertz, RaD Car Hire, Thrifty, Europcar, NZ Rent A Car and Pacific Auto Rentals. Tauranga Airport (TRG).

[justtraveleh]

Waiheke & last day in Auckland

February 27th

We left Auckland behind for the day and took a ferry to Waiheke. It’s just a 30 minute trip from downtown Auckland and costs $20.

The ferry got us there at 10:30 am and the bus brought us to Oneroa.

We went on a little hike to Fisherman’s Rock that was supposed to take 45 minutes one way but we could have easily done it in 20 minutes. Could have, cause we got distracted by a swing on the way. Kudos to whoever put the swing there! We had lots of fun.

Fisherman’s Rock was kinda underwhelming; the view the same as along the way. Apparently the spot is good for fishing, though, if one were interested.

Back at Little Oneroa beach we really regretted not having brought our swimwear. The water was so warm! We dipped our feet and collected some seashells and at the end of it all (cause of mishaps and possibly stupidity) we ended up with completely soaked shorts.

Needless to say looking around Oneroa was quite uncomfortable for a while.

Oneroa has a few shops along its main road, not quite our price range, but we did get some ice cream and enjoyed the sun.

At 3.30 pm we took the ferry back to Auckland.

For a somewhat early dinner we had burritos and afterwards, cause for once there was no line, we went to Giapo. It’s an ice cream place pretty much in the building that supposedly is a must do in Auckland.

Giapo is not like a regular ice cream shop; there’s no ice cream displayed that you can choose from. As a first timer you get to sample all the flavors (which were 9) and get some information about each. Afterwards you pick what you liked best. The place is on the more expensive side but the ice cream was really good. I chose ‘“Kiwi as” Afghan Cookies - Cornflakes Chocolate Crunchy Cookies’ and Gitte got the same plus ‘Blackberry&Martini Rosso -Boozy Berry with Botanicals’.

February 28th

The plan was to go to an Outlet mall today. The shuttle was supposed to leave at 9.40 am from just around the corner of where we are staying. Well, 9.40 am rolled around and then it was 10 am and no shuttle had shown up.

We ended up walking around the city some more, along Queen street.

It was just a chill afternoon not doing much. In retrospect, we should have spent less time in Auckland. I do love the city, it’s got a good vibe, but there wasn’t all that much to do for us to fill 4 days.

As planned we got another round of cupcakes before picking up the rental. Which was a bit of a hassle since the pick up location wasn’t at all where google maps said it would be.

Anyway, we found it and got the car. A Suzuki Swift, which Gitte couldn’t have been happier about. Like ecstatic happy. It’s brand new, has a mileage of just about 5000 km. Best thing about it though is the integrated gps! We were covered anyway with Navmii on our phones but it’s cool to have one in the car.

What isn’t cool is that the lever for the turning signal is on the right side of the wheel. I didn’t expect that since in Ireland it was on the left as well. So driving is fine, so far at least, I’ll just need to get used to the turning signal lever being on the right...today, on the very short drive back to the apartment, I kept turning on the windshield-wipers pretty much every time.

After the pick up we stocked up on water (I’ve been drinking so much water it’s not normal) and some other stuff and parked the car at a car park for the night, which is a 1 minute walk from the apartment.

Tomorrow we’re off to Tauranga!

[licencedtoretire]

Earlier in June, I had been through round number 5 of the chemo treatment after which Sarah and I had hoped to get away for a few days. Sadly however I didn’t feel that wonderful, and then the weather packed in, so we never went. Last week we decided that enough of feeling sorry for myself if we didn’t go then we would probably never go. So after doing a quick shop for supplies. We headed out to the farm where the motorhome is stored to load up and head somewhere. We had talked between ourselves but still had no idea where we wanted to go as we pulled out of the farm driveway. One thing we did know was that wherever we went, we would need to fill the fresh water tank. (the storage facility has none).

We talked about heading north, but we almost always do that so time for a different plan. Deciding that we would head south, we talked about doing the first night at Ray’s Rest, but there is no water there, so we detoured from the motorway at Takanini to head for Bruce Pullman park where there is both a double-sided dump station as well as potable water. Water tank full and back on the motorway again heading south we decided that even though Ray’s rest is nice we have been there too many times and it was time to find somewhere new.

Somehow we ended up driving all the way the Waihi Beach. Although it was a little touch and go as we drove through Paeroa where they were stopping traffic. Apparently, there had been a terrible accident on SH2 with the road closed at Aongatete. The person doing the traffic stop didn’t actually know where that was and ended up asking us if that was before or after Waihi. When we told him it was after we were allowed to proceed.

Even though we visited the Park when it opened 2 tears ago we have never stayed. So I guess that counts as something new. After my blog about peoples parking, you might wonder why we have parked between other vans when the other photo shows tons of space. In truth, we parked there for the view, and the sun streaming into the front of the motorhome. Most of the rest of the spots actually filled in with later arrivals anyway.

With blue sky beginning to dominate the black clouds, we decided to stretch the legs and wander down to the beach. The Western Bay of Plenty council has done a fantastic job catering to freedom campers with numerous spots up and down this spectacular beach. Yes, they closed the very popular Anzac Bay, but there are still spots close to the water. Including the freedom camping area next to the beach, 600 metres from the NZMCA Park. The only drawback for us is that at almost 9 metres in length we don’t fit into a standard carpark ruling out spots like this.

Sarah had struck up a conversation with one of the locals who told her that many large logs had been washed up onto the beach over the last couple of days. Not the sort of thing you would want to come across if you were boating but safe on land. We wandered southwards down the beach towards Bowentown, enjoying the walk. Looking west, however, it became apparent that the break in the weather wasn’t going to hold, so we started a retreat back to the motorhome. We probably got no more than 100 metres before the skies opened, just as well we had our raincoats in the backpack. Not quite drenched but not exactly dry we made it back to the motorhome.

After a very wet night, the day dawned with blue skies and the chance to get the bikes out for a ride around the place. Not only is the area well set up for freedom camping complete with an excellent dump station and potable water. But they have also taken the trouble to add cycleways, both on the road and in some of the reserves. Ten out of ten here to the local council. Somehow I didn’t get any photos of this, but I am sure you get the idea.

It really was one of those beautiful winter mornings. Cold but sunny enough to bring people out in force. We found a beachfront cafe that we didn’t frequent, but it certainly had its fair share of people enjoying a morning coffee. Further up at the end of the beach, we found a walk that takes you up and over the headland. While today with the bikes wasn’t the day to do it, it’s one of those things that we will come back for.

Heading back towards the NZMCA Park, there is a cycle trail that takes you along the inside of headland towards Bowentown. It’s a really lovely ride along the water. Once you reach Bowentown the trail finishes but you can without much traffic on the road we carried on to Anzac Bay. Returning to the motorhome, we had covered some 25km’s not having ridden any distance for some time my backside felt every kilometre of that.

We spent another night before moving on. I was a little worried around 8pm when suddenly I started to feel not to good and almost said to Sarah that we needed to head home. In the end, the feeling passed before I said anything, so I didn’t tell her till the following morning. One thing they have added since our last visit here is potable water—a convenient addition to the Park with us filling up before we departed.

So as we headed away, Sarah suggested that we should head back to Anzac bay where she would have a bit of practice driving the van. Sarah has driven heaps of different vehicles during the time we owned the car rental company, so it was really just a matter of getting behind the wheel for her. (and me allowing her) I have enjoyed driving it so much she never gets the chance.

After a couple of times around the parking area, suddenly we were off and up to the lookout carpark. A very narrow road, I am not quite sure what she would have done if we met someone coming the other way. In the end, we made it up and down without incident. Sarah said that she felt very comfortable behind the wheel. I have always been a nervous passenger, but I now realise how silly it is not to have both of us driving. From here we intend to explore a couple of the freedom camping areas on the way through to Tauranga.

☕ If you liked this post (click here) to buy me a cup of coffee and help keep future posts coming ☕ To view the places we have visited click here to see them on Google maps. You can then click the link to read the blog about that area. [cardoza_facebook_like_box] To view our Campground Ratings system, that we have done for places we have stayed click here 

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Waihi Wouldn’t You Be Here? Earlier in June, I had been through round number 5 of the chemo treatment after which Sarah and I had hoped to get away for a few days.

[bporter51317]

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to New Zealand…more LOTR geek touring.

It started when Kathy an I went to Wellington for a day to fail to apply for our visas for French Polynesia. A visit to Weta Studios was always on our bucket list and we couldn’t go to Wellington without making time for it.

The Weta Cave

We had some initial disappointment when we learned that you can’t actually tour the Weta Studios. I guess hey’re always filming movies there and doing actual work. Instead, they’ve set up the Weta Cave tour, which is adjacent to the studios and intersects with some of the buildings.

It’s not a long tour – 45 minutes or so. But it you love movies – and in particular if you’re fond of the Lord of the Rings & Hobbit movies, it’s worth the time to take it.

We had no idea how many movies Weta had been involved with. Turns out I’ve seen over thirty of them.

Unfortunately you can’t take pictures on the tour, but they do provide some photo ops before and after.

      The techniques and detail work they do there is simply amazing.They have the ability to create or re-create almost anything with 3D modelling, composite construction and painstaking painting and fine work. They even have a sword-smith on premises to make perfect swords for closeups.

Of particular interest to us was that both of our children were using some of the same 3D design and modelling tools they use in house – a tool called Rhino. Will uses it almost daily in his yacht design job, and Danielle learned as part of her digital art and 3D modeling course at Bucknell.

The Second Road Trip

With all of our problems with Evenstar and us getting stuck in Tauranga waiting for parts to arrive, we decided to take Danielle and go on a road trip. We were frustrated waiting around AirBnBs and decided to just DO something rather than stew around the house and grumble about UPS and their inability to get a package through customs without punting it.

South to Wellington

Kathy and I spent one day in Wellington, and most of it was ruined by the pall cast over our failure in the French Embassy. We returned there with the boat for a week or so, but we didn’t really get to spend as much time seeing things as we wanted to. We knew Danielle would love Weta, so we decided to press on for Wellington and work our way back. We still had one of our crew members with us (Lauren) but she was departing halfway through.

So we took Danielle to Weta, then explored the town for some locations after an enormous breakfast at Americano’s with one of the best (read only, except for Denny’s) bottomless cups of filter coffee in New Zealand.

Mount Victoria & Flight from the Shire

Many locations around Wellington, both in the city and around it, were used in the LOTR movies (presumably some were used for the Hobbit movies too, but we didn’t much like those). Right smack in the middle of the city is Mount Victoria, a wooded park full of walking paths and trails with a stunning view from the top.

It’s also where they filmed a number of scenes around the flight from the shire, including the road scenes and the terrifying sequence where the Nazgül almost finds the hobbits as they cower and hide under the roots of a large, gnarly tree.

Most of this was filmed in Mt. Victoria park, though the tree was built and later removed so you can’t see the roots. But there still are trees like that along the paths, and you can feel the atmosphere and the lighting from the movie walking through the woods. The topography is obviously the same and  the dappling of the light similar even if it’s not so easy to find the exact spots since props have been removed and scenery restored.

The Hutt River

North of Wellington, the Hutt river was the site of several other scenes. One scene which annoyed purists like me (because it was 100% created for the movie) was when Brego the horse finds a sodden and unconscious Aragorn lying on the banks of the Anduin river. Aragorn dreams of Arwen Evenstar and imagines the horse starts sniffing his face and…

…it didn’t go the way it could have.

Our rental car’s GPS had a number of LOTR movie sites conveniently marked on the map for us. This location was on a very scenic river, with fast moving clear water and smoothed stone beaches.

The exact spot, as always was a little difficult to pinpoint. Rivers run higher and lower, and lever camera angles show you differences. But the GPS doesn’t lie…

Lower Hutt & Rivendell

Outside the town of Lower Hutt lies the Kaitoke regional park where many of the scenes in Rivendell were filmed.

The Greater Wellington Regional Council was wise enough to commemorate the filming and preserve it with several signs and plaques and maps which show where certain scenes were filmed.

The maps and posts and guides are more helpful than many of the locations which are barely visible any more. This one even had Peter Jackson! Even if his face in that kiosk is more evocative of Jack Nicholson coming through the bathroom door in The Shining than any of Jackon’s cameos in the LOTR.

  Many of the scenes like this were filmed on sets built in this area.

After the filming was complete, all of the sets were removed and the sites restored, as they did in every location. The trees are still there though, an someone left a scale model of an arch to leave as a reminder.

  Nerdvana IIa – Confession Time

If you read these posts, you’d think that between our last LOTR and now we’d done no other movie sites. That’s not completely true. In March of 2018 Kathy and I came to New Zealand for a week to clear out visas back in Australia and celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.

While we were there, we visited Arrowtown and the Ford of Bruinen where the Nazgül almost catch an injured Frodo only to be rescued by the combined magics of Arwen (Glordindel, dang it!!) and Gandalf.

We also came really, really close to finding the canyon where the Argnonath was filmed, somewhere near the Kawaru Suspension bridge.

Anyone who has spent any time in New Zealand or around Kiwis wouldn’t be surprised for a second to learn that bungee jumping was basically invented, at least commercially, by jumping off this perfectly nice bridge into a terrifying gorge.

Anyone who has spent any significant time around us wouldn’t be surprised to learn that we never found the Argonath, but we did find Chard Farm winery which was quite delightful and distracted us from the mission at hand.

We don’t know how many more movie sites we’ll be able to take in. We’ve seen many of the ones you can reach without a helicopter. But it’s been a fantastic way to see New Zealand, because every time you look for a movie site you find three other cool things on the way worth seeing.

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Nerdvana III - More Tours of the Rings Just when you thought it was safe to go back to New Zealand...more LOTR geek touring.

[rentersblog]

Myths and Awkward truths about housing in NZ

There are a lot of myths about housing in NZ

we reveal the truth. behind the untrue stories, the false Sound-bites that keep getting repeated but are not truthful. There are a lot of myths about housing in NZ

 As Part of Rentwiz’s commitment to restoring integrity in the rental housing market we’ve been analysing the facts and found some interesting truths.

 the following statements, while often repeated are, in fact totally false.

Myths about  Housing in NZ.

Auckland has a  shortage of rental housing? 

Auckland does NOT have a shortage of rental properties, in Fact, Auckland is the only NZ city with a SURPLUS of rental properties. (Wellington, Queenstown and Tauranga are desperately short of housing stock, but not  Auckland,  Auckland has a surplus of rental stock if you can afford them

. Awkward Truth: There are enough rental homes in Auckland if you can afford to rent them. Auckland does, however, suffer from a big shortage of social housing and emergency housing. 

The cost of a Super-city big cities are fun and have a vibrancy, but  If you want to live in a super-city you have to pay super-city prices Rents might seem high! but if you think Auckland rents are high? Try Sydney, New York, London, Paris Tokyo or any other major city it is a global trend.

.Proof: see my Blog post 

Untruth: Housing un-affordability keeps rising and has increased hugely in the last 9 years.

 while rents have continued to rise, the Proportion (%) of household income spent on Rent has not changed in over  20 years  believe it or not 20 years ago people were paying 20-25% of their household income on housing and its the same today. 

The official measure of Affordability is the Proportion of household income spent on rent.

Awkward Truth: Affordability has NOT changed in over two decades 

Proof: see the Rentwiz Blog post on this.

 Homes are no longer affordable in NZ 

Fact: there are plenty of affordable homes in NZ but not in the major cities. 

 awkward truth: people are trying to live in places they can't afford.

conversely, Auckland businesses are going to have to step up and pay city wage- rates if they want to attract staff. For example, the minimum wage in New York is only  US$10.40/hour ( Plus tips) but most firms have to offer at least  $15-$30/hour to attract unskilled staff.its time for Auckland to step up. The awkward truth: There are still plenty of affordable houses in NZ, but they are outside the popular hotspots. we investigated where the cheapest places to rent in NZ are: see my blog post   Where are the cheapest places to Rent

It's so bad that Families have to live in cars.

It is very sad that some families can’t or won’t relocate and are forced to live in their cars. when there is available housing elsewhere in NZ. There is no homelessness in Taihape, Masterton, Levin or Greymouth.

Young people can't afford to buy a house

it is true that its hard to save the deposit for a home if you are paying high rents.

Awkward truth: Low income people  can afford a home if they are prepared to move and have a plan. see my Blog post " How renters can afford to buy their own home." 

Example: a North Island home recently sold for only  $145k ( That's affordable!) in Shannon, a  rural village in the middle between Levin and Palmerston North. only 15mins from two town centres and a commuter train to Wellington.  so its cheap living, good lifestyle, good facilities and lots of jobs. But it's not in Auckland.

There are also lots of cheaper houses in the South Island. on the Westcoast and Southland. so Home ownership is still possible in NZ. but perhaps not in Auckland.

Who owns NZ?

[wilsonsdoauckland]

Day 159 - Monday

After picking Barbaraa up from the airport Dan and I went off to return the rental car and pickup our RV.

When we arrived we found out we got a free upgrade to the fancy RV. Big win. This one had solar power which not even the RV people knew about. With this...no need to pay for power at the campgrounds. Freedom camping. Freeeeedom

We hit up the pack and save, drove to waihi beach did some yoga had a nap, made lunch then drove to tauranga, we climbed the mountain in downtown taurunga saw parasailers. Did I mention I want to try parasailing?

We happened upon this fantastic outdoor food fair, then left for our next destination and went up to this awesome lookout and finally slept at the orowa beach camp.