The Bay of Plenty: April 2007

In our last issue, we found out what Ray had been up to since his arrival in New Zealand and despatched our guest correspondent, Ma Orihaka, to Auckland to follow him as he made his way up to Cape Reinga and the Bay of Islands, in the 'Northlands' region. If you missed it, you can read it now at: 'Auckland and the Northlands'.

In our second issue of the Daily Explorer, Ma follows Ray to the 'Bay of Plenty', for a re-union with his friend Kathy in Tauranga, and witnesses his first ever tandem skydive! She also gives us an idea of what Ray got up to in the Coromandel Peninsula, one of the most beautiful places on the north island. And last but not least, 'Lord of the Rings' fans can read about Ray's visit to the 'Hobbiton' film set in Matamata, where 'The Shire' scenes were filmed.

Tauranga has the fastest growing population in New Zealand, with around 110,000 people and is the ninth largest city (by area) in the country, and the centre of the sixth largest urban area. It is expected to be the fifth largest within a few years, overtaking Dunedin (on the south island). "The only reason that I have heard of it is because I met someone travelling last year who is from there" Ray told me. "When I met Kathy in Thailand, I promised her that if I was ever in New Zealand, I would visither,although I did not think that was likely tohappen so soon" admitted Ray. "However, I was very excited about seeing her and getting a glimpse of her life here" he added.

Above: Kathy Jensen (left), who Ray met whilst travelling in Thailand in 2005, lives in Mount Maunganui - a suburb of Tauranga. The map (right) shows where the city is located

Within the greater Tauranga area is a smaller, coastal suburb called Mount Maunganui, where Ray's friend Kathy lives and works. 'The Mount' as it is colloquially known, is located on a peninsula to the north of the city, and north west of fellow suburb Papamoa. It is also the name of the extinct volcanic cone which rises above the town.

The town itself is located on top of a sand bar that connects the Mount to the mainland, a geographical formation known as a tombolo. Because of this formation, the residents of Mount Maunganui are lucky enough to have both a harbour beach (Pilot Bay) and an ocean beach to take advantage of, within a short distance. "Kathy told me that she lived in a beautiful place, but that was an understatement" said Ray, as he arrived. "When I caught my first glimpse of the place, I thought it was about as close as you could get to heaven without dying" he chuckled. 

Above: The spectacular Mount Maunganui, the name given to the volcanic cone in the picture and the suburb itelf, is a sight that locals are used to because they see it everyday - "I was blown away, as it is so stunning - I can see why Kathy, who is originally from Auckland, has wanted to stay here" said Ray

Below: The magnificent Pilot Bay

Kathy has lived in Mount Maunganui for seven years and works part time as a massage therapist, teaches English at the local University and also teaches Yoga. "The last time I saw her, in November 2005, she was in hospital in Ko Samui, having her appendix out" said Ray. "She has definitely made a full recovery and the first thing I was invited to do on my arrival was to join her on a brisk walk to the top of the Mount" added Ray. "Through doing this a few times during my stay, and after numerous conversations with Kathy about life in this part of the world, I really started to appreciate how fortunate people are here to live in such a beautiful environment, and how this is reflected in their happy demeanour and spirit" he told me. "It is quite different to the very uptight, narrow minded attitude you see a lot of in London" added Ray.

Above: Kathy, like many of the residents in Mount Maunganui, makes the most of her opportunity for exercise with regular walks or runs to the top of the mount - "If I lived here, I would want to come up here everyday just for the view, let alone the exercise" said Ray

"Kathy was very kind to me when I visited her" said Ray. "Both her and her flatmate Richard invited me to stay with them for a couple of days and she made sure that I saw the best of the places and things the area had to offer" said a very appreciative Ray. "At the time I was leaving, she was planning an imminent move back to Auckland, although I think it won't be very long before the 'travel bug' kicks in and she'll be off somewhere" Ray told me.

Did Ray get Kathy to give him one of her famous massages that the towns residents have been enjoying for the past couple of years? "I never got to experience a massage from Kathy" said a disappointed Ray, "but then again, I could see she was working pretty hard whilst I was around and it didn't seem right for her to be giving me a treatment in her time off" said Ray, as he tried to console himself!

Above: The Bay of Plenty is well known for it's Kiwi fruit industry. The farms are enormous and many travellers take seasonal jobs as pickers and packers

As he was leaving the picturesque Tauranga, I asked Ray where he was heading. "I am going to Lake Taupo, for a couple of reasons" he told me. "Firstly, it is an area of great natural beauty, an the lake is the largest (by surface area) in the whole of New Zealand" he informed me. "Second, I have heard it is one of the best places for tandem skydiving, so I am going to find out if I can do my jump there, and last but not least, it is also a possible base for the world famous 'Tongariro Crossing', which is one of the best one day hikes in the country and one of the top three one day walks in the world!" added Ray.

Above: Lake Taupo, situated near to the centre of the north island

Below: The 'Tongariro Crossing' - one of New Zealand's most spectacular tramping tracks, is situated in the Taupo Volcani Zone. It was one of Ray's 'definites' to do whilst visiting. You can find out how he got on in our next issue, which will be online in a couple of weeks

Travelling south on Highway 5, the route to Lake Taupo passes Wai-O-Tapu, which in Māori means 'Sacred Waters'. It is an active geothermal area in the Taupo Volcanic Zone of New Zealand. "It was created during the eruption of Mt. Tarawera in 1886, so it is young in geological terms"Raytold me. The area has many hot springs, noted for their colourful appearance, in addition to the Lady Knox Geyser."I was mesmerised by pictures seen in books and had to see it for myself" said a very excited Ray.

Above: One of the many hot, bubbling mud pools at Wai-O-Tapu. If you would like to see a short video clip, watch the 'Mud Pools'

The Wai-O-Tapu thermal area contains a variety of craters. "They are like nothing I have seen before" recalled Ray. "Some of these crater pools are up to 50 metres in diameter and up to 20 metres deep and they are extremely hot" he added.

The 'Champagne Pool' is unique in the world - a fifth of a hectare of bubbling, hissing water. With a beautful ochre coloured petrified edge, the pool is 65 metres in diameter and 62 metres deep. Its surface temperature is 74 degrees centigrade (very hot)! The bubbles in the water are due to carbon dioxide" said Ray. "Minerals contained in the water include gold, silver, mercury, sulphur, arsenic, thallium, and antimony. These are deposited in the surrounding sinter ledge" said our well informed traveller.

Above: The Champagne Pool is unique and the central attraction at Wai-O-Tapu

Below: An aerial shot of The Champagne Pool gives you a better idea how big it is...

Below: This mustard colured crater lake is known as 'The Artist's Palette'

For those readers that are interested in finding out more about these natural wonders, there are some great 'virtual tours' at the Wai-O-Tapu park official web site. Visit Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland.

The Lake Taupo volcanic region is still active, with Mt. Ruapehu exploding in 1995. Today, the 606 square kilometre lake is serene enough to be the world's trout fishing capital. "it's such a shame I am not into angling" mused Ray.

Although he was interested to get more information about skydiving, Ray made sure that he spent some time appreciating some more of nature's gifts. "One of the best hikes was along the banks of the Waikato River to Huka Falls" he told me. "It takes about an hour and a half each way and is fairly demanding, although not as hard as some other treks I have done - nonetheless, it was very worthwhile as the falls are very impressive" added Ray.

Above: The Huka Falls - the depth of the river at the top of the picture is about 2-3 metres, and it then flows into a narrow, 15 metre deep channel, where the immense force of the water is constantly eroding the rock. If you would like to see for yourself how the water enters the gorge and what happens as it exits, then watch these two short video clips: Huka Falls (1) and Huka Falls (2)

Although Taupo turned out to be the perfect location for a tandem skydive and a good base for the Tongariro Crossing, bad weather scupperred Ray's carefully laid plans. "My intention was to set everything up over the weekend and then call Jenny, a resident of Auckland who I met a few days earlier. She was going to come to Taupo to do the skydive at the same time as me" explained Ray. "Unfortunately, the weather was appalling with thick, grey clouds and high winds - not at all suitable for skydiving, and the outlook was pretty bad for three or four days" he told me. "So we switched to Plan B and I made my way back to Auckland to do the dive there, as the weather forecast was much better in that area" said a frustrated Ray.

On the way to Auckland, Ray discovered that his route passed fairly close to the famous 'Glow-Worm Caves' at Waitomo, so decided to go and explore them. On the way to Waitomo, he made a surprise, unscheduled stop. "One of the things I was interested to see in New Zealand was sheep being sheared by professionals, as I have only ever seen this on TV" said Ray. "I couldn't believe my luck when I passed a sign by the roadside on my way to Waitomo, announcing that the 21st National Sheep Shearing Championships were being held in a tiny town called Te Kuiti, which I was driving right through - the timing was perfect" said Ray.

Above: Te Kuiti is the home of the National Sheep Shearing Championship of New Zealand and is west of Lake Taupo - "It is sort of on the way to Auckland, if you are visiting the glow worm caves at Waitomo!" said our excited traveller

In New Zealand, there are 39 million sheep nationwide (which is just under 10 sheep per person). New Zealand produces 13% of the total world wool production. "The 21st New Zealand Sheep Shearing Championships were being held in the Civic Centre, which for the people taking part is like Wembley Stadium for English football teams" said Ray.

Previously a place that was virtually unknown, Te Kuiti is now recognised as the 'shearing capital' of the world. "The small rural town hit the global map last year with its inaugural 'Running of the Sheep', which I discovered is a bit like the annual Bull Run in Pamplona, Spain" said Ray. "I quickly entered the arena to watch the proceedings and sat next to one of the contestants, who explained the rules of the shearing contest to me" he said.

Above: Contestants have to shear five sheep in each of their heats and the people with the slowest times are eliminated until a winner eventually emerges - "The guy I talked to explained that the judges watch you as you shear, and award penalty points if you leave any little tufts of wool or make cuts in the animals skin. They have to complete five sheep in the fastest time they can - watching it is thrilling" said Ray

You can learn a lot about shearing contest by talking to people taking part. "I discovered that there are two big competitions in New Zealand - this one and 'The Golden Shears', but the most prestigious is the one in Te Kuiti" said Ray. "When I asked why, I was suprised" he added. "Oh, it's because of the prize money" said one of the contestants. "The Golden Shears pays out $2,000 to the winner but if I win this contest, I get $16,000 and a motor bike" said the very determined contestant!  

Above: These guys are really fast! - "I was told that the best of the best can shear upwards of 700 ewes in a nine hour period - that's more than one a minute" said an astonished Ray. If you would like to see a short video clip to get an impression of the atmosphere, watch The 2007 New Zealand Shearing Championship

After the unexpected yet welcome diversion in Te Kuiti, Ray continued on to Waitomo. "The glow-worm caves are on a lot of travellers 'must see' list, including mine" said Ray. "They are really spectacular and the forty five minute tour takes you way down into the belly of the caves where the glow-worms live" added Ray.

When I asked Ray what he had found out about the glow-worm life cycle, I had to admit I was fascinated. "The cycle starts when the female lays about 120 eggs, which hatch after 20 days producing small larvae. The young larvae build a nest, put down 'lines' and feed. They are less than 3mm long and emit a visible light, slowly growing over nine months to the size of a matchstick. The larvae then spend 13 days in a pupa (cocoon) and emerge as an adult fly, which looks a bit like a mosquito. They have no mouth, so cannot feed. Their only function is to reproduce. The males wait for the females to emerge from their pupa, mate and die after a few days and so the cycle continues" explained a very bemused Ray. "I guess its just one of those things that doesnt make a lot of sense at first, but is probably a vital part of the ecology" added Ray.

Above and below: Visitors are prohibited from taking their own photographs at Waitomo - we found these pictures on the Internet and it gives you an idea of what the glow-worms look like in the dark caves. The sticky 'lines' hanging down trap insects for the larvae to feed on - the bright flourescent glow makes it impossible for insects to see the lines in the dark caves and once they stick to them, they are trapped

Above: Ray scanned this postcard for us so that we could show you what the glow-worms look like, as visitors pass through the labyrinth of caves. For those readers that are interested in seeing a short video about the caves, there is a good clip at the Discover Waitomo web site

The day Ray chose to travel to Auckland for his skydive seemed destined to be full of nice surprises. "When I was waiting at the entrance to the glow-worm caves for our tour guide to arrive, I heard the familiar voices of some people talking" he recalled. "I waited for a couple of minutes and then approached them" said Ray. "Aren't you the couple that Nikki and I spent the day with last year on the boat near Cat Ba Island in Vietnam?" he asked. "Oh my Gosh! Yes we are!" came the excited reply as Paul and Jackie recalled the day. "I never thought I would bump into them here, of all places - it was so good to see them, as they have been travelling for several months and been to a lot of the same places as me" added Ray.

Above: Surprise, Surprise! It's Paul and Jackie, from Manchester in England, who just happen to be visiting the Waitomo caves at the same time as our solo traveller

Fuelled with excitement from this chance encounter, Ray made his way to Auckland to team up with newly made friend, Jenny, who had entered into a pact with him to do a tandem skydive at the same time. "It's something I had always wanted to do but never got around to" said Jenny, when I called her. "When he mentioned that he was going for it, I told him it was one of my goals and we agreed there and then to do it together" she explained. "There is a jump school about 40 kilometres south of Auckland at Mercer, so it was not the end of the world that the weather was awful in Taupo" added Jenny.

Above: A very excited Jenny collects her new Mazda car from her local dealership so she can drive it to Mercer to fulfil her sky-diving pact with Ray

Ray and Jenny's decision to move the venue for the much anticipated skydive was a good one as the weather in Mercer was almost perfect. "It took us about an hour and a half to get to the airfield and we were watching the clouds all the way - at least I was, as Jenny was (quite approriately) fascinated by her shiny new motor!" said Ray. "Once we made it to the airfield, I really needed some breakfast to prepare myself, but the last thing Jenny wanted to do was eat anything" added Ray. "There was no way I was going to put anything in my stomach until the jump was over" said a slightly queasy Jenny.

Above: No nerves, Ray? - "Who, me? Naahhh!" he says, full of his usual confidence....

Below: ..... whilst Jenny appears to be having her arm twisted behind her back!

Soon enough, after watching a few jumps from the comfort of their seats on the ground, Ray and Jenny got the call to get their jump suits on and prepare for their big experience. "I chose the highest jump available, which was 16,000 feet, so that I could enjoy an extended freefall of about 80 seconds" said a very excited Ray.

Both of our jumpers were introduced to their tandem partners, who carefully guided them as they put their suits on, and made sure their harnesses were properly fitted. "My jump partner was a very friendly, laid back guy called Won, who helped Jenny and me get ready" explained Ray.

Above: Ray's tandem jump partner, Won, helps Jenny with her suit and harness

Below: Won talks to Jenny, carefully describing what is going to happen when they go up in the aircraft and how to get ready to exit at their jump height

Above: Ray gets more excited by the minute as he practises the exit position in the fuselage mock-up on the ground

Below: All aboard! The waiting is nearly over as the aircraft lands and our brave jumpers get ready for their big moment

The climb to the jump height takes about 15 minutes in the high powered, gas turbine aircraft. "That journey seemed like an eternity" said Ray, as his nerves started to kick in. "Throughout that time, Won was tightening and checking all of the straps that held me to him and making sure I was comfortable, although the noise inside the aircraft is pretty loud so you can't really talk" recalled Ray. "I must admit that a few minutes prior to our exit, I was getting very nervous - my mouth was dry and my adrenalin was flowing, and I was starting to think that this was a really bad idea" he told me.

Above: Only a few minutes to go - for Won, its business as usual and he is as cool as a cucumber, while Ray's smile for the camera masks the growing feeling of terror that he is expriencing! (Editors Note: We love the hat, Ray!)

Below: Jenny gazes out of the window and contemplates her decision to go, whilst the other (more experienced) jumpers behind her relax and wait their turn

Jenny exited the aircraft first, at 14,000 feet, closely followed by a few of the other jumpers in the aircaft. "She exited with her jump partner really fast - he just tumbled out on his back with her facing upwards - it must have been quite disorienting for her but it looked very thrilling too" observed Ray. "After a couple more minutes, the aircraft reached 16,000 feet, the signal light inside the cabin changed from red to green and Won manouvered himself, with me strapped to him to the wide open door" recalled Ray. "The next thing I knew, we were tumbling through the air, spinning for a second or two until we stabilised in the freefall position, with arms out wide in a star shape, facing downwards" said Ray.

"It was an amazing experience, free falling through the air, and I was glad I was able to just 'lay back' and enjoy it, with Won taking control of everything" added Ray. "He was so cool - after he pulled the chute, he even managed to take my camera from me and take the photograph below! The speed in the freefall was so fast, it made my ears hurt from the wind and the changes in pressure and when the canopy opened, the roaring wind noise turned to absolute silence. It was like floating in the air and felt quite surreal" recalled a very satisfied Ray as he completed his tandem skydive.

Above: Smile for the camera! Won gets Ray to pose just minutes before the descent is over and preparation for their landing commences

Below: Been there, done that! Ray proudly receives his certificate back on the ground

Meeting up with Jenny on the ground, they gave each other a big pat on the back and shared their experiences as they headed back to Auckland in the car. "It was a great thing to do, but even better because we did it together" said Ray. "I think Jenny was very courageous and she deserves to be congratulated" he added.

After the elation of the skydive, it was back to 'travelling as usual' for Ray, who made his way to the Coromandel Peninsula. At its broadest point, it is 40 kilometres wide, with a hilly, forested and rugged landscape and is clearly visible from Auckland in fine winter weather. "It is very beautiful and blissfully quiet, with many hiking trails on offer" Ray told me. "Some of the more remote communities in these parts are still accessed by gravel roads" he told me. "Much of the coast is still as it was when Captain Cook sailed by in the late 18th century" added Ray.

Above: This map shows where the Coromandel Peninsula is.....

Below: ....while this one shows the area in a bit more detail

"When I arrived in the Coromandel area, I decided to stop in Thames (see map) to get some up to date information, then essentially decided to go round clockwise, heading for the town of Coromandel as my base" explained Ray. "Once I was settled, I jumped in the car and headed further north, to the tiny town of Coville, where I discovered a Buddhist retreat!" said a somewhat surprised Ray.

Above: You'd buddha believe it! Looking like something that would be more at home in Thailand, Ray discovers the peaceful Mahamudra Centre retreat in New Zealand's back of beyond. The lady walking aorund the Stupa is the resident Buddhist nun

Stepping inside to find out more, Ray received a very warm welcome. "The place was almost entirely staffed by volunteers who were very kind and invited me in for a cup of tea" said Ray. "There was a really peaceful, calm atmosphere and it took me back to my experiences last year at the silent retreat in Suan Mokkh, in Thailand" recalled Ray. "I have let go of regularly practising meditation but my visit to the Mahamudra Centre inspired me to start it again" said Ray.

As most techno travellers know, one of the greatest challenges in New Zealand is finding places to connect to the Internet. "I can't believe how difficult this is" said Ray. "Most hostels have one or two PC's between hundreds of backpackers, there are very few Internet Cafes - the ones I have found all shut at around 5pm" said a frustrated Ray. "However, in Coromandel, I found a brilliant little place called the Driving Creek Cafe, which has a wireless network, serves great organic food and has really great people running the place".

Whilst he was there eating breakfast and surfing the net, Ray got talking to one of the volunteers there. "Colleen was from the USA and was working and travelling in New Zealand. She mentioned she was looking to do a hike that afternoon so I offered to go with her" Ray told me. "We found a great track in a local guide book and went off to complete the three hour journey, or so we thought" added Ray.

"We actually got really lost and eventually managed to scramble our way out of the forest to a muddy track road as it started to get dark" recalled Ray. "You are about 20 kilometres away from where you want to be" said a passing motorist, when Ray flagged him down for help. "We were not too worried as this is a very friendly country and although we were in a remote area, we knew if we started walking that someone would be bound to drive past and give us a lift" said Ray. "Well, about one hour and 5 kilometres later, we got our lift so at least it saved us walking a further 15 kilometres in the dark!" said our thankful traveller.

Above: Ray's trekking companion, Colleen from the USA, enjoys the views over the Coromandel. This was before she realised that Ray didn't really know about orienteering and their hike went horribly wrong - although it turned out OK in the end!

Tired and hungry after his ordeal, Ray returned to his backpacker hostel to recover. "I met a chap called Don Armitage that evening and told him about our little ordeal" said Ray. "He was very sympathetic and confirmed that if you were going to get lost, New Zealand was probably the safest place in the world to do it, there being no 'nasties' in the forest, and he was not surprised that a local resident came to our rescue" said Ray.

Don was in Coromandel doing some research for a future book on the largest wooden sailing ship ever built in New Zealand (at Great Barrier Island), the 409 ton barque 'Stirlingshire'. He has already edited a guide to the Great Barrier Island, which lies off the north coast of the peninsula. "As I listened to him talk about his work on the guide, I realised how much effort went into producing this book, which has sold well in many countries around the world" said Ray. "Don has lived on the island for many years and was not surprised that it was chosen as the location to film 'Castaway', the TV programme" added Ray.

Above: Don Armitage, who edits the 'Great Barrier Island' guide, which is currently being revised

Don was very helpful in passing on his knowledge of the local area. "It is always great when I meet people who know about the region I am in" said Ray. "As a result of meeting Don, I was able to make a plan for the next couple of days and choose to visit the places which sounded most interesting to me" added Ray.

One of these was the 'Hot Water Beach' near Whitianga (see map above). "This is a curious place" Ray told me. "At low tide, people rock up with their little shovels and dig their own bath sized holes in the sand, which fill with steaming hot water running under the surface, creating your own mini hot spa bath" he told me. "The water was much hotter than I was expecting and I couldn't touch it for a while until it cooled down a little" said Ray.

Above and below: The Hot Water Beach draws lots of visitors who go there to take advantage of the 'free' spa facilities

Near to Hot Water Beach is another of the Coromandel's 'jewels', the amazing rock formation at Cathedral Cove. "New Zealand is crammed with wonderful feats of nature" said Ray. "It makes me wonder how there could be so many natural wonders packed into such a small area - it certainly seems to have more than it's fair share" said Ray.

Above: The sight that greets visitors as they arrive at Cathedral Cove - "Breath-taking" was the way Ray described this part of the Coromandel coastline

Below: Looking slightly similar to the 'Hole in the Rock', the bay's name is inspired by the cathedral like arch in the cliffs overhanging the beach

The final stop on Ray's visit to the Coromandel was the trek to 'The Pinnacles', which is accessed from the town of Thames (see map above). "This is a challenging 3-4 hour hike to the summit, at 759 metres" said Ray. "The walk takes you through the Kauarenga Valley, which is full of old kauri dams, waterfalls and creeks - very beautiful scenery indeed" he told me. "I checked in early at the visitor centre and set off for the top, reaching it in about two and a half hours". Ray described the views from the summit as 'out of this world'.

Above: The Pinnacles, at 759 metres presents 'trampers' with a challenging, but wonderful hiking opportunity

Below: Looking down from the top - the winding grey path is the final section of the track that leads to the summit

Above: At 759 metres, Ray manages to get his head in the clouds...

When I talked to Ray about his trek, he struggled to articulate his experiences. "Sometimes, I find it quite hard to convey how satisfying it is to complete a trek like this - it is tiring, and the sensation of feeling my body working well, breathing the cool, fresh, mountain air, feeling the sun on my face and the sense of total isolation brings an overall feeling of complete freedom which is hard to beat" said Ray.

Above: This picture, of the Mount in Tairua on the east coast of the Peninsula, was taken by Ray from the roadside the day before he clmbed the Pinnacles.....

Below: .... and this one was taken the day after. Look closely in the centre of the picture and you will see what the Mount above looks like from the summit (it is much smaller from a distance, but is still recognisable)

Leaving the Coromandel Peninsula meant Ray passing through the tiny town of Waihi. "There was not that much to see there, except for a large open pit goldmine in the centre of the town, which was quite intriguing, so I decided to go and take a closer look" said an inquisitive Ray.

Above: The map shows the location of Waihi, just south-east of the Coromandel Peninsula

Below: Waihi is typical of many small towns around New Zealand - "Very laid back, very slow and very pretty, with not much going on" said Ray

Only metres from the centre of town, you can walk right to the edge of Waihi`s huge 'Martha' open pit gold mine. "The Mine has a really interesting history that spans three centuries" said Ray. "John McCombie and Robert Lee first discovered gold on Pukewa (Martha Hill) in 1878. Martha Mine quickly became one of the most important gold mines in the world. By 1952, when the mighty Martha Mine closed, 174,160kg of gold and 1,193,180kg of silver had been extracted" said our well informed traveller.

When it was in full swing, the deepest vertical shaft plunged 600 metres from the surface. Radiating from the seven vertical shafts, a 175 kilometre long network of tunnels was opened on 15 horizontal levels. About 600 men usually worked the mine but in 1909, when gold production peaked, 1,500 people worked between the mine and its stamper battery at Waikino.

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Above: Martha Mine is literally huge! The small white workmens hut on the ledge halfway down gives some idea of the scale.....

Below: .... and you can see how large it is compared to the overall size of the town - "It is simply impossible to see anything like this in Engalnd, and that makes me appreciate travelling even more" said Ray

Following the resurgence of the gold mining industry in New Zealand in the late 1970's, the new Martha project was the first major hard rock mining operation to be commissioned. Opening in 1987, the open pit was extended in 1997 and an underground operation on the outskirts of town also began operation in 2006. An average of around 100,000 ounces of gold and 700,000 ounces of silver have been produced annually since 1988 by the mines 250 staff and contractors.

If any of our readers are interested in the geology at the mine, the web site at www.mindat.org gives a detailed breakdown of the minerals that can be found there.

Above: Ray looks tiny as he stands in front of one of the dumper trucks used at Martha Mine

From Martha Mine, to 'Middle Earth', as Ray made tracks for 'Hobbiton' in Matamata - the film set used to film 'The Shire' scenes from the immensely popular Lord of the Rings trilogy. "I I only just watched the first two parts while I was here" admitted Ray. "I still have yet to see the thrid film, but the first two movies were brilliant and have left me on tenterhooks waiting to find out what happens" he added.

On his way to Matamata, a brief stop was required in Te Aroha, to get a quick glimpse of the world's only hot soda water geyser. "No one really knows when these geysers are going to 'blow off', and it is mostly a case of hoping you don't have to wait too long" said Ray. "I was very lucky and only had to wait about twenty minutes before the gurgling noises, which signal the start of the geyser spouting, were audible" he told me.

Above and below: The Mokena Geyser at Te Aroha is the world's only hot water soda geyser - and it decided to 'blow' whilst Ray was there! If you would like to see a short video clip of the geyser as it shoots hot soda water into the air, watch "There she blows!"

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The Lord of the Rings film set in Matamata was one of the highlights of Ray's tour of the north island. 'Hobbiton' will be recalled by fans of the Peter Jackson trilogy as the home of Frodo and Sam of The Shire. Hobbiton was the start of their epic journey to banish the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, Mordor, where it was forged.

"There is only one way of seeing the film set, which is to take the Rings Scenic Tour" said Ray. "It lasts about two hours and the guides provide a really interesting commentary and insight into the story of how the film was made" said our travelling movie buff.

I asked Ray to tell me a bit more about the background to the making of the movies. "In September 1998, Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema discovered the Alexander family farm during an aerial search for suitable film sites. The fantastic views and rolling country side of the Alexander farm closely resembled that of Middle Earth as described by The Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien. The farm was perfect. The large established pine tree, later to become known as the "party tree'' was already perfectly placed in front of the lake. The surrounding rolling farmland was untouched by the 20th century clutter such as roads, buildings or powerlines" he told me, obviouslywellinformedfromhisrecenttour.

The Alexander family has lived on the 500 hectare property since 1978. The land supports a thriving sheep and beef cattle business. The Alexander farm runs 100 beef cattle and more than 12,000 of New Zealand’s famous sheep on the lush, rolling hills.

Above: The Alexander farm was the perfect location for filming. The 'party tree', to the right of the sign, was perfectly placed in front of the lake and the whole area cannot be seen from any of the surrounding roads, which was critical as confidentiality was a key consideration when filming was underway

Site construction started in March 1999. Initially this involved heavy earth-moving machinery provided by the New Zealand Army. It took nine months to prepare the set for filming. Barberry hedges and trees were brought in and gardens were nurtured throughout winter. Thirty seven hobbit holes were created with untreated timber, plywood and polystyrene. A 26 tonne oak tree overlooking Bag End was cut down and brought from nearby Matamata and each branch was numbered and chopped for transportation - then it was reconstructed on the set, with articificial leaves from Taiwan being individually wired on to the dead tree. Throughout construction and filming, all activity on the site was kept under strict security due to commercial restraints by the movie company.

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Above: The 'Hobbit Holes' as they are today.... after de-construction of the original set. The holes were only designed to last 6-9 months and were made of very flimsy materials

Below: One of the hobbit holes, as it appeared in the movie

Filming of The Lord of the Rings trilogy commenced in December 1999 and continued for three months. At its peak, 400 people were working on site, including director Peter Jackson, Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen), Frodo (Elijah Wood), Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) and Sam (Sean Astin).

Above and below: Director Peter Jackson loved the fact that these trees were already in place, and both were used for filming scenes in 'Middle Earth'. Fans will remember the scene when Bilbo Baggins disappeared from in front of the party tree (below) at his 111th birthday party

Above: Ray tries to re-create the 'disappearing' scene in front of the party tree. Fortunately for Daily Explorer readers, he was unsuccessful!

Ray was very impressed at how knowledgeable the guides were. "Right from the start, they told us loads and loads of detailed facts in their stories about the filming which brough the whole place to life" said Ray. "For example, we heard how the stone bridge and the mill house were constructed from polystyrene and painted to look like stone. Also, in the opening scene, Frodo Baggins is reading a book under a tree, (which was actually filmed in Wellington), and when he jumps down from the tree to the road to meet Gandalf (which was filmed here), he makes the longest ever jump in cinema history!" said an amused Ray.

Above: The lake on the Alexander Farm, as it was before filming and is today...

Below: ....and how it looked in 1999 when the set was constructed for the movie

Above: The home of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins in The Shire, as it is today....

Below: .... and how Lord of the Rings fans will remember it from the films

Above: No interiors were constructed in any of the hobbit holes, which were only made for exterior shots. All interior scenes were filmed in a studio in Wellington

Below: A poster for the film, showing the 'stone' bridge, which was actually made of plywood and polystyrene

On completion of the tour, I asked Ray his thoughts. "I am very impressed" he said. "Coming here has really inspired me to watch the films again and also reminded me that creating something special like this trilogy requires massive determination and perseverance - Peter Jackson first had the vision for the movies when he read the book on a train journey, and that day occurred 17 years before he finally started filming - it took him that long to align everyone and everything required to make it happen, but we now know it was definitely worth it" said Ray.

The visit to Hobbiton marked the end of Ray's visit to this part of the north island. There was one final rendezvous for Ray before he left to go east and another example of how 'small' the world can be sometimes. "When I was in Chiangmai in Thailand last year, I met a couple called Chris and Lou Martin (no relation!)" said Ray. "They are also travelling around the world, and we got on really well, so kept in touch by email" Ray told me. "It seemed that I was more or less following their route as they travelled across Australia and New Zealand, so I always hoped I might catch up with them at some point, and eventually did in Rotorua. It was great to see them both - especially as they were able to tell me loads about places I have not yet visited and help me with my planning" added Ray.

Above: It's a small world - Chris (right) and Lou (left) are from Chippenham in the UK and have been travelling for the last few months - "We had a great evening in a pub called 'The Pig and Whistle', which used to be the police station in Rotorua!" said Ray

Editors Note: Thanks Ma for another sensational article! In our next issue, Ma will be bringing you more stories and pictures about Ray as he heads for the East Cape and Maori country, including his visit to Gisborne and Napier - the 'Art Deco' capital of the north island. And she will also be telling us about his return to Taupo to take on the amazing 'Tongariro Crossing'. Look out for our announcement in the next few days.

If you would like to ensure you always know when new issues are published online, then send an email to me at thedailyexplorer@gmail.com and we will add you to our automatic updates list.

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Its All in the Name

This is one of the features that readers of our sister publication, The Daily Lama, have enjoyed. So by popular demand, we have decided to continue with it here. From time to time, we will publish photographs of different places or things that Ray comes across on his travels. If the name of the place or thing in the photograph matches with your name, you are invited to send us an email at thedailyexplorer@gmail.com  telling us, and we will include your name in a prize draw to be made at the end of the year, in our final issue of 2007! Here is the picture for this issue:

Above: Vesey's restaurant, in Te Puke, on the northern coast of the North Island

MOZZIE BYTE

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