Travel: Sunshine and Our Very Own Riverside Oasis

See more of our New Zealand Adventures & other travels here!

Our New Zealand trip was definitely a rain-filled one, however, we learnt very quickly that we needed to make the most of every sunny second we had as they didn't last all that long. 

Whilst our last New Zealand post was filled with lots of rain thanks to a freak rainstorm (Crowded House were apparently singing our life story when they sang Everywhere you go, always take the weather, take the weather with you because we seemed to take the rain with us), this one is filled with sunshine!

So let me tell you what we got up to on our next, gloriously sunshine filled, day in New Zealand! >> 

After being cooped up in our little treehouse-like apartment for the afternoon and evening, listening to the sound of the rain teaming down on our rooftop, we woke to glorious sunshine and poor Jesse didn't get a moment to think before I jumped out of bed and proclaimed...

WE'RE GOING FOR A HIKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

You see, the whole time we were in the Coromandel Area, I had the Coromandel Walking Tracks list and brochure up on my phone, ready and waiting for the rain to stop - so when we awoke to sunshine and my weather app told me we'd have a couple of rain-free hours, I knew we had to walk at least one. 

We had to check out of our accommodation at 10am so we had a few hours to spare before we needed to pack up and leave. We decided on the Kauri Block Track and drove out to the Long Bay Motor Camp where the walk started.

The track starts off near the fish cleaning stations at the motor camp and heads up through the native bush on both a dirt and wooden boardwalk track before winding down the gravel road which connects Long Bay and Tucks Bay before looping back to where you started. 

The views along the walk were incredible as we wound our way past the different bays and caught glimpses of the crystal clear water.

Apparently I was too focused on the view and not my husband (or too excited that I was actually MOVING and not sitting inside trying to stay warm and dry) because when I turned around I realised Jesse was lagging behind.

I am a speedy gonzales when it comes to walking whilst Jesse likes to potter along :P 

The walk took us around 1/2 an hour or so (we found out during our time in New Zealand that you can pretty much divide the estimated walking time in half or by thirds to get the "real time" as it was always overestimated) and we had just enough time to check out the view before heading back to our accommodation to pack up and head off on our next adventure. 

We were leaving Coromandel and heading south once again for the next stage of our New Zealand Adventures. This time we were heading to Te Aroha; about a 1 hour and 40 minute drive to a quaint little town with a whole lot of history. 

We'd be staying rich on the Waihou River with the incredible Mount Te Aroha as our backdrop in our own riverside oasis.

Our home for the night was Te Aroha Landing's gorgeous River Chalet. On the banks of the Waihou River it's a tranquil little oasis with a variety of different accommodation options, including two and three bedroom houses and one bedroom studios. 

It's a little touch of luxury with a sustainable feel as the River Chalet shows you how recycled and rustic materials can work in a high-end design. 

The Chalet has a full kitchen, ridiculously spacious bathroom (we have a teeny tiny little bathroom at home so I felt like I had enough room to perform a broadway show :P) and comfy lounge area as well as a private deck with a view of the river.

Unfortunately we just found out that Te Aroha Landing is due to close down in the next couple of days, however, we still wanted to show it to you as we loved this quirky little home away from home and know there's others who would love to have a look at it too!

One thing that Jesse really wanted to show you was the bed and bedside tables in the chalet. All had been created by a local sculptor out of shipping crates and recycled pallets and the bedside tables even had the light switches, USB ports and electrical sockets all neatly hidden away. 

Jesse's now on a mission to recreate this somehow so keep your eyes peeled for a future Southern In Law DIY post, haha!

We spent our afternoon soaking up the gorgeous view and browsing the local antique shops (if you're an antique/secondhand store fan, definitely make sure you stop at Te Aroha as they had so much good stuff!) before the weather decided to turn once again and we headed back to the chalet to enjoy dinner on the deck.

Our evening was spent relaxing, looking at the stars (once the sun finally set properly at 11pm) and playing card games - but I'll have to teach you that card game in another post! 

But tell me, are you a speedy walker or do you like to take it slow?

And where's your ultimate vacation destination? The mountains? The coast? By the river? In a rainforest?

Jesse thinks it's a little odd but I have a bit of a rainforest obsession. If I'm not begging for a rainforest vacation, I'm looking to plan a beachside escape so I guess anywhere that's warm is where I'd rather be! ;)