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Middle Earth

It’s been an intense and busy second week in Middle Earth. As we left northlands of the Coromandel Pennisula, we made our way into the heart of the north island. Our first stop was the city of Hamilton, although very little sightseeing was done here as it was an evening arrival and an earlier departure to the Waitomo Caves. Notorious for their glowworms, the depths of the caves are lit up with the thousands of them, transporting you to a world that wouldn’t be out of place in a high budget fantasy film. We opted to see the caves in a slightly more adrenaline filled way than your average visit by embarking on the ‘Black Abyss Tour’. This saw us abseiling down 35 metres into the caves, zip-lining through glowworm filled caves, wading through underground rivers and free climbing waterfalls. An incredible way to experience an incredible place. Unfortunately however, no pictures were allowed, so i’ve stolen one of google to give you an idea.

From there, it was our first chance to experience something from the film that has become synonymous with the country; Lord of the Rings. This came in the form of a trip to the set of the hobbit village used in the films and the subsequent prequel series. The set, which has been perfectly preserved and maintained, offers a look at the extensive work they put into creating the fantasy village and the meticulous detail in which they used bring the set to life. Although the tour only really holds significance for fans of the franchise, the scenery is undeniably stunning regardless of your taste in film.

Next stop was Lake Rotorua. Sitting on top of a geological hotspot, the area is host to various thermal activity. Although the overpowering smell of sulphur in the air gives the area an unappealing quality, the scenery is more than worth it. Our first trip was to Wai-O-Tapu, heralded as a ‘Thermal Wonderland’ the national park is home to some remarkably colourful sites. The chemicals and thermal activity in the park means its various lakes, geysers and hot springs are all dashed with vibrant colours; with the grand finale of the walk round the park being this unbelievably green lake naturally caused by the mix of chemicals in the water.

Our second day in Rotorua saw us head for the nearby Redwood forest, which we had heard was notorious for having some of the best mountain bike trails in the world. So we hired some bikes and gave them a go. Home to over 50 different trails of varying difficulty, we were spoilt for choice, and whilst pushing our limits we experienced some very intense and adrenaline filled trails. Terrifying and insanely fun in equal measure.

Next was the second lake of the week; Lake Taupo. On our way to the lake we stopped of at the remarkably powerful Haku Falls which feeds the lake, before heading further upstream to drop from a 140 foot bunjee swing over the river. To relax after the intensity of our adrenaline filled morning, we took to the near by hot springs. Naturally fed but the warm water of nearby falls, the water mixes with the river, to provide natural hot baths at the riverside.

However, not wanting to let the relaxation set in too much, we decided to jump off a cliff, cause you know, why not. A popular spot for those wanting to experience a more exciting side to the picturesque lake, there are various points where you can leap into the crystal clear waters. Although as inviting as the lake looked at the time, the hot springs do very little to keep the lake anything above insanely cold in the spring, as we subsequently found out.

For our final adventure of the week, we decided to hike Mount Doom, or rather the mountain used to represent Mount Doom in the previously mentioned films. In the real world, the trek is know as the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. A 20km trek up and down the volcanic area between Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe, aka Mount Doom. In the days leading up to the trek, we had been keeping a close eye on the weather, as the trek can only be completed in the right conditions, and despite the predictions looking hopeful for good conditions throughout the week, as the day final dawned, the weather took a turn for the worse. However, the conditions were still considered doable. This left us hiking the mountain in some rather wet and cold weather, with near zero visibility. And whilst the surrounding cloud gave an eerie and otherworldly vibe to the walk, it did lead to less than ideal views. But regardless, the challenge of the trek itself with its steep climbs and even steeper descents and the volcanic environment around still made for a very rewarding and enjoyable trek.

So, yes. A very busy, intense and amazing second week in this beautiful country that continues to surprise me with all it has to offer.

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So the views may have been less than their best, but we only bloody went and hiked Mount Doom didnt we! 🏃🏼🗻🏔🏞 

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Today on, 'Ways To Nearly Kill Yourself', a 140 foot swing over the Waikato River

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‘Would you jump off a cliff if your friend told you to?' - Well yes mum, apparently I would.

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Did some pretty intense mountain bike trails in the Redwood forest today! 🚵‍♂️🌲🏔️

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Exploring the Redwood Forest!

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Some colourful views at the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland 🎨🌋🏞

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Middle Earth bitch!

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Roadtrip Roy and the Backpack Jacks

So it’s been a busy first week in New Zealand and the roadtrip is in full swing! After arriving in Auckland and being reunited with my travel buddy Jack, our first task was to find a trusty stead to get us around over the coming 6 weeks. Despite a long day walking the length of Auckland trying to find one, we finally struck gold with a sturdy little Mitsubishi that an English couple were selling after having completed their own little roadtrip. So after giving the car a little runaround and a once over, we settled on a price and just like that we had our car, which we’ve since given the name Roadtrip Roy. Not bad going for our first day in the country!

Before heading out on the road, we took a day trip to the nearby island of Waiheke, just off the coast of Auckland. Renowned for it’s vineyards and beautiful scenery, it definitely lived up to it’s promise and the perfect weather really put the icing on the cake for an awesome first day exploring New Zealand. We spent the day completing a picturesque coastal walk, visiting a local winery and even getting a tad sunburnt in the unexpected micro-climate of the island.

The next morning, it was time to get on the road. Our first stop was a trip up into the northlands via the Bay of Islands, where we stayed for the night. We then spent the next day exploring the surrounding areas and hiking to various viewpoints overlooking the surrounding islands.

The next day saw us facing a big drive, heading all the way up to the Cape Reinga; the most northerly point of New Zealand. A point it felt apt to reach on our island long road trip. On the way, we stopped off at the Giant Sand Dunes, and whilst the name suggests as such, it could be argued it’s quite an understatement. After hours of driving through the winding roads of the luscious green countryside, out of nowhere we were suddenly faced with a scene out of Lawrence of the Arabia. Giant sand dunes stretched as far as the eye could see, and it was as though we had been transported into the middle of the desert. After a tough climb to the top of the incredibly steep dunes, we tried our hand at some sand boarding and continued on our way.

The cape itself was picturesque but nothing too outstanding, but there was something to be said to reaching the top of the island and making a more momentous start to our journey. One of the coolest features of the cape was the meeting of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean, causing a clash of waves in the middle of the sea which could be seen far out to the horizon.

From there it was back down south, heading for the towns of Whitianga and Hahei. There we found Cathedral Cove, where the harsh winds have formed impressive rock formations far along the coastline, and we definitely got to experience some of the harsh weather conditions in question, but luckily it didn’t take away from the impressive scenery.

We also took a trip to Hot Water Beach, aptly named as the hot springs under the sand means you can dig you very own natural hot tub in the sand, something that was very much appreciated on the wet and windy day we were there. Although we weren’t all too prepared for the task of digging a hole, and it proved somewhat challenging. Luckily, we had a nice hot tub at the end of it to relax in, which worked out nicely.

The main thing that’s stood out to me here in our first week is how quickly and dramatically the scenery and environments change. There is such a mixture of landscapes in such a small area. In only our limited exploration of the north island so far we have already seen cities, rolling green hills, beautiful turquoise seas, expansive deserts, rugged coastlines and tropical rainforests and there’s still plenty more to see!

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The weather may have been wet and windy, but the views are still on point at Cathedral Cove

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Roadtrip Roy and the Backpack Jacks 🚗🏞 What better place to start our roadtrip than the most northerly point of New Zealand! Let's get this show on the road.

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First port of call for New Zealand was a daytrip out to the beautiful Waiheke Island off the coast of Auckland 🍇🏝🏞

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So after living and working in Byron for the last few months its time to say goodbye. And whilst i'm sad to be leaving this amazing place and the amazing people i've met, these have easily been some of the best months of my life. But for now it's on to the next part of my journey. Next stop New Zealand!

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Last week in Byron, going to miss this place.

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Got up nice and early before work for some whale watching this morning, and needless to say I wasn’t disappointed.

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So whilst settled for a few months, I managed to write a couple of songs. And I wanted to try and capture and remember them, so I grabbed a mic and headed to the basement. Although not the most glamorous setting, managed to record a few acoustic demos of my tracks, which are now in the process of being mixed. So the Australia EP is truly underway.

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Exploring around Brunswick