did a walk at Mount Pirongia....this is the view just from the carpark at the base....wait until i get another 800m above sea level... 

i got to this first trig lookout spot and had planned on stopping here, having taken an hour to get here and a very strenuous uphill climb...then this other tramper told me that the top was only another hour in that direction...i was surprised but thought i've come this far it'd be cool to see the top...so rejuvenated after lunch i continued walking towards the top...only to discover much later that that guy obviously had no idea what he was talking about because i walked so far, very fast and later discovered it is actually an 8-10 hr return walk and most ppl camp overnight...but i'm glad i got so far because i got to do real rock climbing...as you will see 

this was the cliff overhang above the next part of the walk...i had images of those rocks tumbling down on top of me...plus i realised that no one in the whole world knew where i was...so started freaking out! 

i was going to take a summit photo when i triumphantly reached the top...but having decided to turn back i took a 'turning back' photo...don't know i look so happy...i was actually disapointed...but then again the view is so spectacular and the walk is so cool that i couldn't help smiling anyway 

another view 

i could see the ocean in that direction...and the fog and rain slwly coming in...there was blue sky only half an hour earlier 

i think one of those peaks in the background is the top 959m...i got as far as that little knob and then the fog came in and the rain started coming down so i didn't want to risk getting stuck out there by myself...turns out I was probably another 2 hours from the top anyway...oh well all the other people i passed out there had hardcore camping gear and boots etc and were going to stay overngiht at a hut along the way...i guess my little spontaneous 'walk in the park' was a little ambitious... 

i was aiming for somewhere in that direction 

this was the view from halfway up...i could see the kaimai range...where i was last weekend 

i climbed down this wall with only the chain bolted to the rock...it was so fun! 

my shoes tell it all 

went to wairere falls, south of Te Aroha and it was one of the best walks so far... 

wow 

The Kaimai range finishes pretty much Te Aroha with Mt. Kaimai...when i got there i was trying to get all these shots of the mountain cos it looks so cool as a backdrop to the little town, little did i know the more spectacular shots are further where i drove 

kaimai range 

the kaimai range stretching the whole way along this road...wish i could've got some better shots, but was driving but managed to pull over a few times  

it had been pouring down about an hour before and i was hoping the river wouldn't get too high...and it didn't...but was flowing very fast 

i reached the waterfall lookout and was like "whoah" this is cool...plus the sun came out which was woohoo 

i suddenly saw this view from between the trees over the green farmland stretching as far as i could see 

the top of the waterfall...153m up 

the stunning view out over the green farmland of waikato 

I'm getting good at those one-handed shots... 

look i stepped right in a big blob of mud because i wasn't looking where i was going...because the cliff was up ahead 

very mini waterfall 

hmm 

maximum load two persons...i wasn't too sure... 

the river running down from the waterfall 

me being happy because I've almost finished  

this is just near the parking area, i totally missed the biew when i arrived becuase i was too busy arriving! 

you can see the colours just poking out above at the bottom of the hill 

here is a sneak peak at the communtiy theatre...i have to wait for a clear day and go early morning before all the shoppers park their cars in front of my building!  

nothing but hills and ocean for an hour 

missed the mountian but had a spectacular ocean side drive instead 

the mountain i was aiming for but strangely missed 

at raglan 

the track began by walking across this beach...you would have laughed to see me timing my running around these trees while there was momentarily no water...very rude of them to sit right in the middle of the beach like that...there was even a bit of scrambling through the trees when that freezing cold water wouldn't go away 

view across lake taupo from kinloch where the walk started from 

north-west of taupo did the kawakawa bay track from kinloch...it was muddy and cold and i thought i picked a dud track until i got to the views of the lake...it was five degrees and by the time i finshed the walk after several hours i could not move my fingers enought to grip the carkeys! frrrrr 

it was like this for a lot of the way which is why i was going to turn around, good thing i didn't because the views i fianlly got were amazing 

i had to get over that steam somehow and i sure wasn't going to get my feet wet! 

halfway along the track came out at this view, just when i was going to turn around because it was so muddy and cold and monotonous, but this worth it 

i could see water through the trees and wondered where i was 

arriving at kawakawa bay 

wow 

finally got the endpoint of the track and came out of the bush to find this little secluded bay, it was so amazing arriving there...especially because i still thought i had another hour of walking to go... 

hmm 

the rock above the beach 

relaxing on the tiny beach for one 

at kawakawa bay...can you tell i'm freezing my butt off? 

hmm 

you can see how windy it was from those waves...this is just a lake! 

the sun stayed out all day...i think i really would ahve frozen otherwise 

back at the beach at the beginning of the walk 

this was actually the track to get to the walk 

i had to scramble through this tree on the beach in order to not get wet from the waves coming up the beach... 

i just realised at the end of the walk that that thing in the distance is mount ruapehu covered in snow 

back at the beginning 

see mount ruapehu all covered in snow...i was pretty lucky to get this shot - it's usually surrounded by clouds 

it was such a clear day i could see right across the lake taupo to mount ruapehu and other mountians all covered in snow. No wonder i was so cold. 

very fast running water at huku falls 

some random ppl took this photo for me (after i took a photo for them - which they made me do several times because it wasn't quite right!) and the lady was trying to make me laugh - well obviously it worked - anyway this is where the waikato river almost ends at huku falls at taupo 

this is the view on my way home, i usually drive here on my way home from work and it's usually at sunset and i get this really cool view across to those mountains in the distance, i turn left here for my street 

raglan at sunset 

top of the waterfall 

after ruapuke stopped at bridal veil falls 

the view from the top of the water fall at bridal veil falls 

Ruapuke Beach, went there on sunday, also went to Bridal Veil Falls which was wow but haven't got the photos on computer yet...stay tuned for next installment...but for now please see what I've been doing and also have a tour of my new abode 

i want to make a building that looks like this...i see these rusty sheds everywhere here and look at the colours! it's beautiful 

tramping in pueora forest park 

on the long weekend did a tramp at pureora reserve...got the wrong track but it was still great 

hey dad, you know in that book 1421 how he talks about ruapuke beach? well i went there to see if i could see anything...there was almost no one there and it is such a beautiful place 

no hands! (just kidding) 

almost there 

cute little bridge 

the road towards ruapuke beach 

this was a definite photo...just look at the colours 

hey dad I looked everywhere for any evidence or artefacts...but nothing! 

hey they give black sand...just when i'm in the land of the long white cloud...where i see no sun for days on end and cannot be expected to have an inch of tan on me...and so they have to rub it in my face by giving me black sand? geez louise! 

hmmm 

hmm 

my new room...complete with brand new chair (hehehe shhh for those who know!) 

my old place at knox st...where to begin...i came with one suitcase and moved out with a truckload...oopsy just noticed something  

getting ready to move...plus storing the new furniture 

getting there 

almost gone! 

me being semi-sad that I'm leaving Knox street 

my amazingly tidy room...(hey i just moved in, what do you expect?)...also i have a new bed now which is taller than that one, and less fall-apart-y 

the huge shower...well at least i don't have to bend to wash my hair like in Knox street...(the apartments...not the actual street, don't worry) 

upstaurs bathroom 

chris is the one on the left, and that's me...nicky! 

the kitchen, complete with brand new fridge...courtesy of chris 

the kitchen and lounge 

the downstairs bathroom...too detailed? 

"my" beautiful car...(thanks pam!) 

the courtyard with my lovely little herbs 

the staircase...hmm interesting I'm sure 

the lounge room...looking towards the kitchen 

the beginnig of our trip in the south island...from christchurch on the trans-scenic rail to greymouth on the west coast...later on to punakaiki then south to Queenstown (with no snow)...then Fiordland and the very south, then finally Dunedin and back to Christchurch...here are some of the many many pictures : ) 

some random people 

chiristchurch church 

view from inside the cottage at Punakaiki...ahhh 

hmm...more of the pancake rocks 

Otago Uni in Dunedin...cool campus 

cool cafe in christchurch 

Curio Bay in the Catlins...next stop Antarctica! sort of 

Doubtful Sound in Fiordland 

me being an idiot 

Lake Mathieson, with reflections of Mount Cook  

still on the west coast, this could be sometime before humans existed! 

the pancake rocks...it really does (!) 

sun setting into the ocean at punakaiki 

on the west coast, near the pancake rocks, punakaiki 

looking out from the trans-scenic railway 

view of the river in christchurch 

the new art gallery in christchurch, by an australian architect, makes a pretty nice foyer space inside 

hey i've got a sister...! hehe this is a weird photo 

on the way to christchurch from dundedin, stopped at this beach with these huge boulders 

went to bay of islands on easter sunday and stayed till wednesday...it was so packed on sunday that we almost couldn't find somewhere to stay but then found this backpackers place that had some vacancies and it was really cool...anyway i took over a hundred photos but can only fit a couple on here...take a look! 

more blue water

the black rocks 

a little lagoon on this little island somewhere...? 

me running all over the island like a little kid! 

another cool picture...i have too many of them 

i ran as fast as i could because i wanted to make it to the furthest tip of the island before the boat tooted three times, when i got there i took this photo, then ran all the way back and just made it back on to the boat before it left... 

on the island still 

for lunch we arrived at Motorua island and had only an hour and a half to walk around and see the place...this is the shot from the top of the hill looking back towards the boat in the little bay 

cruising around the bay of islands, water was so blue and clear...