Category Archives: New Zealand

Jan262015

Posted in Travel • New Zealand • Wonders of Nature

MOERAKI BOULDERS NEW ZEALAND

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Moeraki Boulders 

Huge concrete eggs on the beach. Updated May 2023.

Moeraki Boulders

At Moeraki, a small fishing village near Otago, there is something you should be sure to include in your visit to New Zealand.  The beach is strewn with huge, mysterious, naturally created concrete balls.

Moeraki Boulders
Moeraki Boulders

  

So pack a lunch and head to Otago.  Even without the boulders, it is a great place to spend a few hours at the beach if the weather is nice.

What are the Mueraki Boulders?

Moeraki Boulders

The Moeraki Boulders are known as concretions, a type of naturally formed concrete.  They formed about 60 million years ago and have spent most of the time since then buried under sand and water.  In more recent times, they have become exposed due to erosion.  However, some are only half exposed, with the lower half still buried in the sand.  The boulders took about five million years to form.

Moeraki Boulders

The Moeraki Boulders are scattered along the beach.  Some alone and others in groups.   They are of various sizes.  Some are  0.5 to 1.0 metre (1.6 to 3.3 ft) in diameter, but the larger ones weigh several tons and are almost three metres (9.8 feet).

The boulders were formed with mud, sand and clay and coated with calcite.  The calcite was initially soft but hardened over time.  If you want to see how this works, put a drop of glue into a box of sand.  Shift the sand bank and forth, representing the waves of the sea, and then let the glue harden.  You should end up with a hard ball of glue with a soft, sandy centre.

Moeraki Boulders

Some of the boulders have cracked open over time, and the soft centre has washed away, leaving the outer shell.  These boulders remind me of broken and empty chicken eggs left over after

breakfast.

So, for some fun, get your photo taken as you hatch from an egg.

If you are taking a driving tour of New Zealand, be sure to take the time to stop and see the Moeraki Boulders.   While on the beach, watch for seals and dolphins that frequent the area.

Camping on the beach is not permitted, and there is no on-site accommodation.  There are campgrounds at Hampden, Moeraki and Trotters Gorge.  Moeraki village has some private accommodations.

Oct222014

Posted in History • Travel • New Zealand

Oamaru New Zealand

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Oamaru

A Victorian era town in a time warp. Updated May 2023.

Oamaru
Oamaru NZ

  

Oamaru is a lovely Victorian town that has been preserved by accident.  The first inhabitants settled here in 1853.  The town served as a port and service hub for the surrounding farmers.  It was from Oamaru that the first overseas shipment of lamb was made.  The town boomed, and soon huge, fancy buildings were being constructed.

But in the depression years of the early 1900s, the boom ended.  The prices for commodities collapsed.  The town was deeply in debt for its building spree.  When the economy started to pick up again, it was too late for Oamaru.  Newer and bigger ships needed deeper harbours and went to other cities.  It was a bad time for the town but a good thing in the long run.  If the boom had continued, most old buildings would have been torn down to make way for more modern structures.  Today Oamaru looks like a town from Victorian England with a few buildings from ancient Greece mixed in.  The town had stood still in time while others prospered.  The economic downturn saved the wonderful old buildings, and now the town is proud of them.

Thames and Itchen Streets

Oamaru
Oamaru

Left: St Luke’s Anglican Church.   Right:  The AMP building.

The first building we came to was St. Luke’s Anglican church, located on the intersection of Thames and Itchen, the town’s two main streets.  The church was built in stages.  Work started in 1866 and completed in 1922.

Across the street from St. Luke’s is the AMP building, which stands for the Australian Mutual Protection Society (an insurance company).  The building was initially built in 1871 for the Hood and Shennan Drapery but was remodelled for the AMP society in 1886.  Today the upstairs belongs to the North Otago Club, and downstairs is Annie’s Victorian Tea Room, which looks like a tearoom from Victorian England, including the people’s costumes inside.  Some people walk around the town in Victorian costumes or ride penny-farthing bicycles.

Oamaru

On the opposite corner from St. Luke’s is the building that once belonged to the Bank of New Zealand. It is now the visitor’s centre.

The fourth corner of the intersection is a lovely garden.

Thames Street

Walking down Thames Street, one may wonder about the width of the street.  It is more than double the width of the main street in most old towns.  It is this wide so that teams of ox carts could make a U-turn.  Today there is a row of trees down the middle.

Oamaru
Oamaru

  

Left: the “new” post office built in 1883.  Right: the old post office built in 1864.

You will come to the magnificent post office, a short walk from the intersection, built in 1883.  The 28-metre clock tower was added in 1903.  Today the post office has moved elsewhere, and the building is now the home of the district council.  Just to the left of the post office is the original one built in 1864.  It is now a pub called the Last Post.  It is Oamaru’s oldest surviving building.

Oamaru
Oamaru

  

Left: Greek-style bank buildings.  Right:  The Opera House.

Across the street from the Post Office are two more banks.  The number of huge bank buildings shows how prosperous the town was.  The Bank of New South Wales, built in 1883 now an art gallery.  Next door, is the Bank of Otago, built in 1871.  The Bank of Otago merged with the National Bank in 1875 and remains the National Bank today.

Further down Thames Street on the left is the beautiful old opera house, which opened in 1907.  The big circle in the upper centre was a space for a clock that was never installed.

Oamaru

At the next intersection is the Boar War Memorial. There is a separate memorial for subsequent wars.

OamaruItchen Street

Returning to Itchen Street and turning toward the water, you will find the Criterion Hotel, built in 1877.  It closed in 1906 during the prohibition era and reopened in 1998.  Many interesting shops are on the ground floor selling antique clothing, books, etc.

Not far from the Criterion is the train station where an old steam train still runs once a week, on Sundays, to take tourists for a ride.

Industrial & Dock Area

Oamaru

Beyond the Criterion and the train station was the industrial part of town.  The buildings in this area are not as fancy but are still wonderful old buildings.  There were wool warehouses, livery stables, bicycle repair shops, etc.  The bicycle shop is still producing penny-farthing bicycles.  Most buildings are now tourist-related stores but are not the ordinary ones you find in other towns.  One shop was selling books and other articles about Antarctica, which is not that far from New Zealand.

The livery stable no longer rents spaces for horses for the night but still sells saddles and other horse-related materials.  The sign outside says, “Oamaru Livery Stable and Forge, Cabs and Royal Mail coaches.”

Oamaru

I have described less than half of the old buildings in Oamaru.  I could easily spend a week here exploring all of them and riding on the steam train, but I allowed myself only one day.  There is much to see and do in New Zealand, and time marches on.

For the icing on the cake, visit the nearby Little Penguin colony, where you can view the penguins returning each evening from the sea.  Oamaru is a great place; a tour of New Zealand would not be complete without a visit here.

Apr32014

Posted in Travel • Canada • Mexico • New Zealand • U.S.A. • Vehicles

BUYING VEHICLE CANADA-USA

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Buy a vehicle for your time in Canada and sell it when you leave. Updated Jun 2022.

If you stay in a country for three months or more, the most economical way to travel is to purchase a vehicle and sell it again when you leave. I have done this three times, and it has worked good. A few years ago, I bought a camper van in New Zealand, travelled around the country for five months, then sold it and got most of my money back. Of course, mechanical problems are always possible, but even with that included, it would probably still be much cheaper than renting. I did not pay for any hotels and very few restaurants. New Zealand is very expensive, but I managed to have a reasonably inexpensive holiday there.

I am Canadian, so I can purchase a vehicle in Canada without any problems. This article is intended for foreign tourists who wish to buy a vehicle in Canada or the United States of America.

The New Zealand Example

But first, the New Zealand example. Buying a vehicle in NZ is simple. You pay your money, fill out a change-of-owner form at the nearest post office, and drive away. It’s that easy. You don’t need licence plates. Licence plates are put on the vehicle when it is imported into the country, and they stay there for the life of the vehicle. They do not change when the vehicle has a new owner. Incredibly, automobile insurance is not mandatory. However, it is not very smart to drive without it. Your foreign driver’s licence will be good for one year, so you do not need an international or NZ driver’s license.

In Europe

Getting a vehicle in Europe, on the other hand, is very difficult. Anyone can purchase a vehicle, but, in most cases, you need to be a European resident to register and legally operate it. You do not have to be a citizen but must prove that you own or rent accommodation in the country for at least one year. Not sure if this applies in every country in Europe, but I have checked in Germany and Spain.

Buying Vehicle Canada-USA

Buying a vehicle in Canada

Canada, the USA, Mexico, Australia and other countries, unlike New Zealand, are divided into states and provinces, each with its own driving rules and regulations. Therefore, there are no all-Canadian or all-American vehicle registrations.

Anyone can purchase a vehicle in Canada, or the USA, provided they purchase automobile insurance first.

You will need an address. You do not have to live there, but they require an address to send you any speeding or parking tickets and inform you when your licence or insurance will expire or if there are any changes to your policy. A friend’s address will do or rent a mailbox at the post office.

Some tips:

Arrange to have the vehicle checked by a garage for its mechanical condition. Preferably one of your choice and not one picked out by the seller. (Unless you are mechanically inclined and can do this yourself).

Check with the province or state to ensure that the vehicle has not been stolen or that it does not have a lien on it. (you can use a program on the internet called Carfax. The price ranges from $40 to $80 depending on whether the vehicle was registered in more than one province in the past and whether you are a car dealer. Of course, dealers get a better rate. Sometimes the dealer will pay for this. It doesn’t hurt to ask.)

Driver’s Licence

In Alberta, you may drive with a foreign driver’s licence for up to 90 days.   In the province of Quebec, you will have six months. Check where you purchase the vehicle for the amount of time you are allowed in that province or state.

Better yet, purchase an international driver’s licence before you leave home. International driver’s licences are not valid in the country where you purchase them. So if you buy one in Canada, it will not be valid in Canada. Some states require that you have an English-language copy of your licence. An international driver’s licence is in several languages.

Driving to other countries

Any vehicle from Canada or the United States may enter each other’s country without problems, provided you have permission to enter the country. No additional insurance is required.

Driving to Mexico

Vehicles from Canada or the USA may be driven in Mexico. However, your auto insurance will not be valid. Therefore, you must purchase Mexican auto insurance before entering the country. There are many insurance companies near the border crossings that sell Mexican insurance.

You will also need a vehicle entry permit unless you stay near the American border or in the Baja California peninsula. This is a simple form to fill out and, of course, pay the appropriate fee.

Selling the vehicle

Make sure you allow sufficient time to sell the vehicle before you leave. Don’t plan to sell the vehicle in a different country than where you purchased it. This involves a complicated vehicle importation procedure that is difficult even for North American residents. Instead, sell the vehicle in the same country where you bought it.

Ensure when you sell the vehicle that the new owner registers it. Take your licence plates off. Keep them for a souvenir. If you leave it on the vehicle when you sell it, and the new owner does not register it in their name, you might still be responsible if the vehicle is caught speeding or involved in an accident.

Driving in Quebec

In Canada, it is permissible to make a right turn on a red light after coming to a complete stop and checking to see if it is safe to do so. This is allowed in every Canadian province except Quebec.

Be aware that there are limited government services in English in Quebec. A driver’s licence in French is not mandatory, but you may encounter an officer who does not speak or read English. Especially in small towns away from Montreal or the border with Ontario. An international licence in several languages is not required but might be worth the price if you plan to dive in Quebec.

Tax

Another thing to check is how much tax you will have to pay. All Canadian provinces have sales tax except Alberta. There is also a federal tax called GST. These two taxes might add up to about 13%, depending on the province. For example, in Alberta, you will have to pay 5% GST if you purchase a vehicle from an auto dealer. On the other hand, there is no tax on private sales—something to consider.

In the United States, tax rules vary widely. Check with the state where you want to buy a vehicle about how much tax you will have to pay.

Camping

I like camping vehicles, but they are pretty expensive. On the other hand, they retain their value, and you should be able to get all or most of your money back. If you don’t mind sleeping in a tent, an old but reliable car should do you, and these can be purchased very cheaply.

The information in this article was correct at the time of writing, but rules change often. Check with the motor vehicle department of the province or state where you wish to buy a vehicle for the latest regulations.

Buying a vehicle in New Zealand

Buying a vehicle in Australia

Feb12014

Posted in Travel • New Zealand • Birds

AUSTRALASIAN GANNET Opportunity to study an Australasian Gannet colony

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Australasian Gannet

Australasian Gannet   Australasian Gannet

Muriwai Beach

Australasian Gannet   Australasian Gannet

There are few places to observe a gannet colony without going to some remote island or paying a lot of money for a tour guide.  The Australasian Gannet colony at Muriwai Beach in northern New Zealand is one such place.  There are 28 colonies in New Zealand but 25 of them are on remote islands.  The other two are in remote parts of the main islands and you will probably need to go on a guided tour to get there.

At Muriwai Beach, there is a campground within walking distance of the gannet colony.  I spent three days there last winter observing the gannets.   When not gannet watching, it is fun to watch the surfers, which is the reason for most people to go to Muriwai Beach.  The Australasian Gannet colony here has a population of about 1,500 birds.

Australasian Gannet

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most Australasian Gannet colonies are on offshore islands like this.

Gannets in Love

Australasian Gannet   Australasian Gannet

After the chick hatches, they care for it for a further six weeks, keeping it warm and feeding it.  When the chicks fledge and are able to fly well enough, they leave on a 2,000 km journey to Australia.  The babies are white, but by the time they fledge they are a speckled brown colour.

Too much Makeup

The gannets remain in Australia for five years until they become adults. The parents do not go.  During this time, they turn white with black along the edges of the wings.  The top of their heads and nape are a golden-brown colour.  They have black around the eyes and strange-looking green toes.  It looks like they are wearing too much eyeshadow and green polish on their toes.

Australasian Gannet   What bird has green toes?

After five years, they become breeding adults and they return to New Zealand to mate and never make the trip to Australia again.

Should be NZ’s National Bird

Perhaps the Australasian Gannet should be New Zealand’s national bird instead of the kiwi.  Many young New Zealanders take off when they are old enough, to live and work in Australia for several years.  They eventually return, find a spouse, buy a house and spend the remainder of their lives in New Zealand.  Just like the Gannets.

Muriwai Beach is a great place to observe an Australasian Gannet Colony.  The Northern Gannet is very similar to the Australasian Gannet and can be found in eastern Canada, Iceland and northern Europe.

 

 

Little Penguins climb a hill in New Zealand">March of the Little Penguin

Jan52014

Posted in Australia • New Zealand • Birds • Penguins

MARCH OF THE LITTLE PENGUINS Little Penguins climb a hill in New Zealand

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March of the Little Penguin

The Little Penguins

Here are a few movies of hundreds of Little Penguins as they return from spending the day fishing at sea. (photo of a Little Penguin taken at sea).

Otago New Zealand

These tiny penguins have to climb over a bunch of large rocks and then climb up a huge hill to get their burrows where they spend the night.  So they must have amazing endurance.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/RE5X25SAs4s[/youtube]

Phillip Island, Australia

A place to view the penguins on a nice, sandy beach is as Phillip Island, Australia.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXS2VyFtheM[/youtube]

 

The Noisy Penguin

Perhaps the Little Penguin should be called the Noisy Penguin.  Here are some of the sounds that they make.  There is nothing to see in these movies as I made them in total darkness just to record their calls.  Listen!

[youtube]http://youtu.be/FilH5NYqaHw[/youtube]

[youtube]http://youtu.be/nzPNFSX5Q4s[/youtube]

Go Visit Them

If you are planning a trip to Australia or New Zealand, I highly recommend that you include a visit to a Little Penguin colony in your itinerary.    These amazing birds are fantastic to see and well worth the time and effort on your part.

For more information on New Zealand penguins, click here.

Do you know where to find Penguins around the world?  Take the Penguin Quiz.

Dec142013

Posted in Travel • New Zealand • Vehicles

SELLING YOUR VEHICLE IN NEW ZEALAND How to sell your vehicle in New Zealand

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Selling your vehicle in New Zealand

van 009

There is a lot of information on the internet about buying a vehicle, but not as much about selling your vehicle in New Zealand.  You have three options:

Dealer Buyback.  With this method, you get the dealer to give you a written guarantee that they will repurchase the vehicle from you when you want to sell it.  The significant advantage to this is that you don’t have to worry about how to sell the vehicle.  You can keep it until the last few days of your trip.  The disadvantage is that you will get only about 50% of what you paid for it.

Sell it Yourself.   Put an ad in the local newspaper or on the internet and sell the vehicle yourself.   This method can get good results but is more time-consuming than other ways of selling.

The Ellerslie Car Fair.   This place is not as well known to foreigners as the other places listed above.  However, is the best place to sell your vehicle if you are not using a dealer buyback.  It is merely a parking lot.   You rent a spot which costs $35.00 and people go there to buy a vehicle.  It is open only Sunday mornings from 9 to 12 (8 a.m. for sellers).  There are mechanics on hand to do vehicle inspections and people to help you with the change of ownership and other details.

It is located near the Ellerslie Race Course on Green Lane in Auckland.  I had set aside the last three weeks of my trip to sell my vehicle, but it took me a total of three hours to sell it at the Ellerslie Car Fair.  I actually had other buyers waiting in line to buy it if the first deal fell through.  If you don’t sell your vehicle at the Ellerslie Car Fair, your price is too high.  Lower the cost and try again next week.   It is also an excellent place to shop for vehicles, but I didn’t know about it when I was looking for mine.

Buying a Vehicle in New Zealand

If you have not yet purchased a vehicle, click here.

 

Dec132013

Posted in Travel • New Zealand • Vehicles

BUYING A VEHICLE IN NEW ZEALAND How to purchase a vehicle in New Zealand

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Travel New Zealand

So you are going on vacation in New Zealand!   How are you going to travel around and where will you sleep?  You have several options:
•Rent a car, sleep in hotels, eat in restaurants (costly)
•Travel by bus and sleep in hostels (cheap but inconvenient)
•Rent a camper van (very expensive)
•Purchase a car with campground, hotel or hostel accommodations (you could buy a very inexpensive car for a few hundred dollars and hope that you don’t have any mechanical problems with it.  Many people do this, and most are ok, but you could have bad luck.  Anyways, you won’t have a significant investment to lose.)
•Purchase a camper van

Which of these options you choose will depend on how much time you will be spending in the country and your budget.  Buying a vehicle is a great option if you have three months or more.  I purchased a camper van in New Zealand, travelled around the country for five months, then sold the vehicle and got most of my money back.  It worked out great for me, and I had no problems.

van 013

Camping or Hotel?

There are advantages and disadvantages to all these options.  Staying in hotels and eating in restaurants is nice but expensive, especially in New Zealand.  I prefer camping for several reasons:
•It is cheaper than hotels; your vehicle is your home
•You can cook your meals and avoid expensive restaurants
•Meet more people, both local and international travellers
•See more of the outdoors than city life.

Buying a Vehicle in New Zealand

So how do you go about buying a vehicle in New Zealand?  Here are the things you need to do:
•Make sure the vehicle is in excellent mechanical condition.  Have it inspected at a garage.  This should cost you about $150 and is well worth it.  Buying a vehicle has some risk.  You might get a lemon and have many expensive repairs or worse, the engine or transmission could die and need to be replaced.  Choose your garage; not one recommended by the seller.  Ask for a record of past maintenance.

•You will need a Warrant of Fitness (WOF).  This is a sticker that goes on your vehicle to prove that it is roadworthy.  You can get this done at the same time as the mechanical inspection.  The WOF includes safety items such as brakes and lights but not the quality of the engine or other parts.  The seller should pay for this, but you will pay for the extra mechanical inspection.

•Change the Licence and Registration over to your name.  You have seven days to do this at any post office for a small fee.

•Are any Road User Charges (RUC) are owed?  RUC is a road tax on diesel vehicles.  If your purchase is diesel powered, you must pay this, but you don’t want to pay for past use.  Check if any is owing.  There should be a sticker for this on the windshield, but you can verify the data at any post office.  You also pay these fees there if you need to.  Gasoline (called petrol in NZ) does not have road tax but is much more expensive than diesel fuel.

•I was shocked to learn that automobile insurance is not mandatory in NZ.  I wonder how many people are driving around without it.  If you cause an accident and do not have insurance, you are responsible for paying for the damages.  Although it is not required by law, I think you would be foolish to drive without it.  Get at least third party insurance for other vehicles.  I did not bother getting insurance on my vehicle and took a chance with that.

•Check to make sure there are no outstanding debts on the vehicle and that it has not been stolen.  Ask at the post office about this.

•A Warrant of Electrical Fitness (WOEF) for camper vans.   The electrical outlets in campgrounds in NZ are not the same as those in a building.  You need a special cable and a WOEF.  Using electricity in a campground is illegal without this.  The seller should pay for it.  I did not know about this when I bought my vehicle and ended up paying for it myself as well as some minor electrical repairs.

•Your driver’s licence from your country is good for one year in NZ, so you don’t have to worry about that.

If you are buying the vehicle from a dealer, they will be able to help you with these things or even do them for you.

Where to Purchase a Vehicle in Auckland

Check local auto and RV dealers and the newspapers for vehicles for sale.  Some places to search on the internet are:

Bedmobiles  http://www.bedmobils.com

Travel Cars NZ   http://travelcarsnz.com/

Trademe http://www.trademe.co.nz Trademe is something like eBay but you have to be a NZ resident in order to buy or sell anything.  So you can’t buy a vehicle on there but it is a great place to look to see what is available and the prices.

Backpacker’s Car World   http://www.backpackercarworld.com/  This is where I bought my vehicle

Ellerslie Car Fair

Don’t worry about buying a vehicle before you go.   There is no shortage of used cars and campers for sale.  But it is a good idea to study the websites and get a general idea of what to buy, how much to pay and where to buy it.

Selling Your Vehicle

When it comes time to sell the vehicle you have two options: sell it yourself or sell it back to the dealer.  Dealer buybacks are very convenient, but you only get about 50% back of what you paid.  Selling it yourself will get you a lot more money but takes time.   I allowed three weeks to sell my vehicle and then sold it by noon on the first day.  This left me without transportation for my last three weeks in NZ.  But you never know how long it will take and don’t want to get stuck with it on the day of your flight out.  If you are selling back to the dealer you bought it from, you can keep it to the last couple of days.

See my post on Selling a Vehicle in New Zealand

Toyota Hiace

The type of vehicle that I recommend is a Toyota Hiace.  This is an excellent little van.  The configuration inside could be anything from bare walls with a mattress on the floor to one with custom camping furniture installed.  Try to get one with a tall roof so that you can stand up in it without being bent over and also for more storage space.  We kept our suitcases up there.  The photos are of the one I purchased in New Zealand.  Average price for a decent one is about $10,000 NZ dollars.

I bought a vehicle in a foreign country three times now without any problems (in Germany and Australia as well as NZ).  It is my preferred method of travel.

Happy Trails.