Length of stay: 2 days
Visited: May 2025
Five weeks ago we flew into Auckland and embarked on a road trip across the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Our trip was quickly coming to an end so we were making our way back to where we started. But first we had a day to spend in Thames, located at the southwestern end of the Coromandel Peninsula.
Day 1: Waiomu Kauri Grove Walk
One of the reasons we visited Thames was to see Cathedral Cove, a picturesque archway on a beautiful sandy beach. It’s accessible on foot and there’s a short hiking trail that’s part of Te Whanganui-o-Hei Marine Reserve. Except part of the trail was closed, including most of the viewpoints. We contemplated making the one hour drive to get there, but in the end decided to stay nearby as our little one was getting sick of her car seat.
We settled on the Waiomu Kauri Grove Walk (5.5km, rated easy). Getting to the trailhead involved driving through a river crossing, which was rather interesting. There was a stick in the water to indicate the danger level. The water level was at the top of the green zone, so we figured it was passable and decided to give it a whirl. Shortly after crossing the river there was a small parking lot with a sign to say that there was no parking beyond this point.
So we got out on foot. The path follows a gravel road for a few hundred meters before reaching the official trailhead. And then we had to tackle another stream crossing. On foot this time. Sure, our hikers were waterproof, but the water level looked a little high, at least higher than the top of our boots. So we took our shoes and socks off and waded across with our bare feet. The water was chilly.
After passing a shoe washing station, the path narrows and weaves deeper through the forest. We first followed along the river. There’s a turnoff for the Battery, which leads to the old Monowai Goldmine battery site. But this required crossing the river and the water levels here were much higher. And the water was moving fast. So that was a hard pass. We continued on the main path.
The trail leads to the Waiomu Kauri Grove, which is reputed to be one of the finest remaining kauri stands of the Coromandel Peninsula. This section contained a narrow boardwalk, along with several stairs up.
There was a sign to indicate that the trail continues onward to a lookout in 750 metres. So we kept hiking, which involved climbing up more and more steps. The stairs gave way to a narrow gravel path. But after a hundred meters the path narrows even more to the point where we were questioning whether this was even the trail anymore. We continued on a bit further, but ended up turning around. Maybe the viewpoint was of the kauri grove from further up above?
So we walked down all the stairs and back through the kauri grove. From there it was a relatively gentle hike through the forest. Shortly after returning to the car, we noticed darker clouds were rolling in and it started to lightly rain. Perfect timing. And perfect timing for M’s nap as well. Minutes after we started driving, she fell asleep.
We figured we might as well explore part of the coastline around the peninsula. The road was very twisty and turny and offered nice views of the coastal scenery. Too bad it was raining. After an hour we turned around and headed back to Thames.
We took everything out of the car. This was our final night in New Zealand so it was time to properly pack our suitcases one last time before heading home. We took it easy for the rest of the afternoon and even went for a soak in the hot tub on site.
Day 2: Auckland Once More
The other main reason for visiting Thames was to stay at Grafton Cottages – a place that Allan (from Picture This) raved about. They also have exceptional reviews on Booking.com. It ended up being one of our favourite places that we stayed at. Overlooking the Thames, our cozy room provided everything we needed, including a beautiful view of the surrounding area. And this morning we got to enjoy the views as the skies were clear and the sun was shining.
We had a late breakfast and made something to take with us for lunch. We took our time getting ready in the morning. Our flight wasn’t until 8pm so we had the whole day ahead of us. We couldn’t do much hiking as I packed our hiking boots and the baby carrier backpack in the suitcase. So we headed to Auckland to visit the Highwic.
The Highwic is a heritage house that is rare example of Carpenter Gothic architecture commonly found along the east coast in the United States. It’s characterized by steep gables, arch windows and board-and-batten siding. It was built in 1862 for Alfred Buckland, a wealthy colonial settler and landowner, and his large family, which included 21 children. It stayed within the family for 116 years before becoming a historic house museum. It’s been furnished with period pieces from the 1880s, many of which were from the Buckland family.
We paid a modest entry fee, received an overview of the family and house, and were then free to explore the rooms at our own pace. The main floor was elaborately furnished and decorated and contained a sitting room, dining room, drawing room, kitchen, morning room and primary bedroom. The upstairs was more plain and contained more bedrooms, two servant rooms and a play area.
We ate a quick bite to eat then drove further into Auckland, stopping at a local store to pick up the most adorable handmade kiwis from salvaged wool blankets. When we were at Pancake Rocks along the West Coast on the South Island we ran into a lady that had one of these woollen kiwis. After telling us where she got it, we knew we had to make a stop here on the way to the airport. While traffic was awful, it was well worth the detour. We picked up four of them (and would have gotten more if we had more space).
We then headed to the Auckland Botanic Garden. We started our trip here and it seemed fitting to return as our last activity in New Zealand. Plus it gave us an opportunity to stretch our legs before embarking on a long flight home. We arrived late in the day and it was pretty busy for a Saturday afternoon. We walked around until closing.
It was then time to head to the airport. We had no issues returning our car rental, checking in or going through security. Despite not getting a proper nap in, baby M was in a good mood. We boarded at 7:30pm. Our flight was much fuller this time. I’m glad we paid a bit more for the seats with extra legroom. We were a bit delayed as a few people didn’t show up and they needed to remove their luggage from the plane before taking off (how does that even happen!?). Dinner was served an hour after takeoff. And shortly after that, M fell asleep on my lap and surprisingly slept for most of the 14 hour flight.
We landed in Vancouver at 2:30pm. And then it was a lot of waiting to retrieve our luggage, get our rental car and then drive to North Vancouver. We planned to spend the next few days visiting K’s aunt and uncle before heading home. We had plans to see more of Vancouver, which looked beautiful as all the spring flowers were in bloom, but ended up hanging out with family instead, which was really nice.
L
What an amazing trip Linda. I remember staying along the Curomandel Peninsula many years ago. Those woollen kiwis are ever so cute and a lovely souvenir from your epic trip. I wonder where you might be heading this year?
We had such a fabulous time in NZ and could get used to taking longer trips … if we only had more vacation days! It’ll be a tough trip to beat. I regret not getting more of those woollen kiwis. They are super adorable.
We’re still finalizing our travel plans for this year. I think we’re going to try to explore more of Canada though and head out east this summer.
You certainly made the most of this trip to New Zealand! Thanks for sharing it with us. I loved all of your pictures. Those woollen kiwis are delightful. ❤️❤️
This was by far the longest trip we’ve ever taken. And you know what, it went by way too quickly! Living out of a suitcase for five weeks and packing up every couple of nights didn’t actually get old. We could have stayed for longer!! Thanks for reading and following along on our adventures. Those woollen kiwis are super cute. I regret not buying more!
The spillway looks so inviting, Linda, as well as the trail path with stairs. How beautiful! The photo with the ocean below looks like a painting. It’s a blessing and comforting to know that baby M enjoyed sleeping while you take the very long flight. I’m excited about the Vancouver stroll next time. Stay safe always, Linda with your lovely family. Keep warm these winter time.
Thanks for your lovely comment Hazel. Our last couple of days in New Zealand were pretty relaxing. And I’m glad we didn’t do much driving. It worked out well that M slept for most of the flight and that we had a smooth day of travelling. While we had plans to explore more of Vancouver, I’m happy that we ended up spending that time with family instead. I’m sure there will be a next time. Have a wonderful weekend.
Spending time with the family is always worthwhile. My pleasure, Linda and gratitude as well.
Absolutely!! We don’t see them often as they live on the other side of the country, so it was nice to have that extra time together.
What an amazing trip Linda! Love the woollen kiwis and how you got to walk in the water, albeit a bit chilly. Great photos!
Thanks! We had a such a lovely time in NZ. And I’m so glad the timing worked out and we were able to find those woollen kiwis in Auckland. They are too cute.
They really are 🙂
I wish we bought more of them!!
Great adventure very well described!
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. We had a wonderful time exploring New Zealand and wish we could have stayed longer.
Wow a lot of that area looks like places I’ve hiked before but there are differencea, too. Beautiful photos. I love seeing the world through your lens. The trees look different though, almost tropical . It’s so neat. Yeah, I definitely wouldn’t cross an area where the water is rushing. Rushing water scares me a little bit. I think you guys made a good call. I think it’s neat that they have it measured out where the water is at. That’s a smart way to measure how safe it is.
Thanks for your kind words. The trees definitely look more tropical on the North Island of NZ. It was also much warmer there too in comparison to the South Island. The river crossings were pretty adventurous, but I’m glad we skipped that last one where the water was moving fast and the water levels were pretty high. Even if we didn’t have our little one with us, I doubt we would have done that detour!
Wow that sounds deep. I wouldn’t have crossed it either. Water is a powerful and scary at times.
For sure. It started to rain shortly after we returned to our car which reinforced that we totally made the right decision!
The little kiwis are adorable! I’m not surprised you made time to find them. It looks like your last couple of days went reasonably well except for the confusion around the Kauri Grove hike. I first learned of Patricia Lake Bungalows at Jasper from Allan and we really enjoyed our stay there last spring (if you have the opportunity it’s fantastic); he gives good suggestions. 😊 Thanks for taking us along on your NZ trip. It was very enjoyable. Cheers.
We have also stayed there at Patricia Lake Bungalows on Allan’s recommendation! He should get a commission!
Agreed! We loved it.🙂
No kidding! The next time we visit Jasper we’ll plan to stay at PLB. I’m worried we’ll never go back to sleeping in a tent again though!
There comes a time when you decide not to and are okay with that.
Sensational trip. Well shared:)))
Thanks so much for your lovely comment. We had such a fantastic time exploring New Zealand. Five weeks was not long enough!
Try 6 weeks next time:)
Or 6 months! That would be nice! 😊
👍
What a wonderful trip!
We had a fabulous time in New Zealand. If it wasn’t so far from family, we would totally consider moving there. Perhaps someday.
Wow that’s cool! Yes, perhaps someday!
It’s always good to dream 🙂
A great ending to a great trip Linda. Too bad about all the rain. The ford at Waiomu Kauri walk was dry when we did it in October. Which cottage did you stay in at Grafton? Due to our delay in arrival, we had to stay in Rose Cottage, with a much less panoramic view, but we were happy. Good call on getting those kiwis. They are way too cute. My posts on Thames and Grafton start dropping tomorrow, so readers will get a good overview of the place. Have a wonderful day. Allan
We were in the Rose Room as well! I’m such a fan of that style of accommodations that come with a small kitchenette. It’s nice to have that option of being able to make some of your own meals while travelling. Having a nice view from your room is also great too! Looking forward to seeing more of your NZ posts. I just wrapped up my NZ series and you’re just getting started on yours. I love it (and I love NZ)!
Twenty one children! I can’t even imagine…those kiwis are amazing and I am now obsessed with them. SOunds like a perfect ending for an epic trip!
I have one child! I can’t even imagine having 21 either!! But if we did have 21 children, we would have had to have bought each of them their own woollen kiwi! They are so adorable.
You certainly had a great journey through New Zealand. Thanks for taking us along. (Suzanne)
It was such an amazing trip! We could have easily stayed for another five weeks! Thanks for following along on our adventures. Cheers. Linda
It looks like you made the most of your time in New Zealand, dear Linda. I would not be able to pass on handmade kiwis either, as they are just too cute to leave behind. I could easily spend ages at the kauri grove, taking pictures of the enormous trees from every possible angle, and zooming in on the forest surrounding the trees. I very much enjoyed your New Zealand posts. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
We certainly did. It was such an amazing trip and I’m glad we got to share the experience with our little one. We had so many wonderful hiking adventures and the scenery was stunning. You’re right, those handmade kiwis were too cute to leave behind. I wish I picked up a few more! Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of the week. Linda
🥰🥰🥰
I have thoroughly enjoyed travelling with you. Thank you for taking the time to document each day. J
Thanks so much for your lovely comment and for following along on our adventures. NZ is such a beautiful country and I’m glad we had the opportunity to visit for five weeks. We could have easily stayed longer.
Sounds like a bit of a challenging walk through the waterways, but how nice there’s a shoe washing station. Love the kiwis!
The worst was having to put socks back on our wet feet! I’m glad we didn’t let the river crossings deter us though as this ended up being a very lovely hike.
😄
Don’t you just hate when you can’t tell if you are actually on the hiking trail or not?? Makes one slightly nervous about proceeding and with a wee one you made the wise choice as with the river crossing. Even that “stream” one looked like it would be slippery underneath. I absolutely adore that countryside picture with the rain and the green rolling hills. Those Kiwis are so beautiful. And wow that M slept for most of the flight. But then you couldn’t move! Bernie
Definitely! And that’s happened to us a few times where we think we’re on the right trail, but it’s not entirely clear. You can’t really enjoy the moment and our surroundings if you’re worried that you’re lost or going to get lost!! In the end, I’m happy with our decision to abandon the lookout and just turn around and head back. And it turned out to be the right call as it started to rain shortly after we returned to the parking lot.
The kiwis are very adorable. And you’re right, if M slept for most of the flight, it meant I was trapped in my seat and that I didn’t get much sleep. I ended up rewatching the LOTR!
A nice end to the trip. I was worried you were going to say the river level rose and you were stuck after the hike, but thankfully, no such ending. I remember Allan’s pictures for the hotel over the Thames, looks like an amazing spot to stay. Maggie
Thank goodness we made it back to our car before the rain! I wouldn’t want to cross the river if the water level was any higher up on that stick! Grafton Cottages was one of our favourite spots that we stayed. Allan always has such good suggestions.
That hiking trail looked pretty adventurous! I love ending your trip where it all began at the botanical garden. We always try to savor the last night of our trip too. That is great M slept for most of that flight!!
It was the first time we’ve ever had to drive across a stream to get to the trailhead. I’m so glad we completed our hike before the rain otherwise getting back might have been a bit dodgy! And yes, it was nice to return to the Auckland Botanic Garden, especially on a beautiful day. I’m sure all that fresh air was exactly what our little one needed before a long flight back to Vancouver. She did so well on the flight!
The end of a trip is always ambivalent. You feel worn out but also feel that there a few more places that you need to go and see. You had quite an adventure in New Zealand. I wonder when we can go there?
Oddly enough, after living out of a suitcase for the past five weeks and moving from one place to the next every 1-3 days, we weren’t quite tired and sick of it and probably could have kept going if we had more time. NZ is that special. I hope you’re able to visit someday. You’d love it there.
That’s great! I’m looking forward to visiting NZ. Especially when my sister, who lives in Australia, wants to do it with us.
That’s awesome! All the more reason to visit! We initially thought we could see NZ and Australia on our trip, but soon decided against it given how much there is to do. Each of those countries is pretty big and deserves their own trip!
Wow, this is so different from everything else so far. Not just the water crossings, but also the rainforest environment and the ferns! Also, those kiwis are so cute!
It’s pretty amazing how varied the landscape is in New Zealand. It was hard to believe it was so lush considering we were visiting late in the fall. It was a lovely last hike before we packed away our stuff. And glad we managed to squeeze a few of those kiwis into our suitcases as well!
Such a cute spot! Thames looks like a perfect easygoing stop — loved the seaside vibe and those little local details. Great pics too 🇳🇿✨
Thanks! The town definitely had a laid back vibe. Low season was approaching and there weren’t many tourists around, which is more our preference anyway.
What a wonderful trip with so many extraordinary experiences. The kiwis are adorable. I hope you enjoyed your time with family while in BC. I’m looking forward to reading about your next adventures!
We had such amazing time exploring NZ. Those woollen kiwis were the perfect souvenir to take home. Spring was in full swing when we returned to Vancouver and the weather was perfect. It was really nice to spend a few days visiting family and getting over the jet lag.
Thank you so much for taking us along on this fantastic trip! The Grove Walk had me holding my breath for you in spots where the road and path were covered with running water. Thames seems like the perfect spot to stay with its views.
Thanks for your lovely comment Rose. Thankfully there was that stick in the river to help us assess whether we should continue onward. Green seemed safe so we gave it a whirl. But I’m glad we made it back to our car in time before the rain otherwise we might have been stuck!
Gorgeous photos! Love the little stuffed birds and that safety stick is most helpful, isn’t it. Reminds me of a beautiful trail in Tucson called Sabino Canyon. There’s a similar spot that can be unsafe to cross after monsoon storms.
Thanks Michele! The safety stick was definitely helpful as I don’t think we would have attempted to cross the river otherwise. It added an extra thrill to our hike that we weren’t expecting. We came across a few washes and roads like that in southern Utah as well where there were warning signs indicating the dangers of crossing during heavy rains.
You’re very welcome. Safety first! 👍🏻
You bet! It’s something we prioritize a lot more now that we’re getting older (and have a toddler travelling with us)!
I like The Highwic heritage house, and the few photos show the commitment to preserving its character.
Thanks! I’ve always enjoyed visiting historic houses and trying to imagine what life was like then. It was neat to hear that many of the furnishings and decor were from the family.
I remember the kauri trees from one of your earlier posts from the New Zealand series. It’s nice that you got to see them again towards the end of your trip, and what a beautiful sunny day it was in Auckland! Visiting the city’s botanic garden before heading to the airport sounds like a really great decision. But those handmade kiwis really are the icing on the cake!
That’s right. We saw a bunch of kauri trees near the start of our trip as we travelled through the Northland. It felt like we were coming full circle at the end, especially since we ended up back at the Auckland Botanic Garden, which is the first place we visited when we landed. Those kiwis are very cute. I could have easily bought more (I actually wish I bought more)!
Thanks for sharing your trip to Thames, Linda! I loved hearing about your two days there, especially the Waiomu Kauri Grove walk and how you made the best of your time despite a few trail challenges. Your photos are beautiful and this looks like the perfect way to soak up those those last moments of New Zealand before heading home. Sounds like a lovely mix of adventure and relaxation!
Thanks for your lovely comment. I’m glad we decided to stay nearby as the hike through the Kauri grove was beautiful. It was nice to stretch our legs one last time before heading home. It was such a wonderful trip overall and left us wanting to return for more.
The Highwic heritage house is wonderful, and these images beautifully demonstrate the dedication that’s gone into keeping its original charm intact.
Thanks for your kind words. It was neat to catch a glimpse into the past by visiting the Highwic house. It reminded me of the style of houses along the east coast of the US. It was very charming.
Oh Linda, I’m sad to see your New Zealand trip come to an end. What an adventure the three of you experienced together and I love that you bookended it with the same activity – you sure pack it right up to the flight. That’s masterclass planning. So many photos and notes – and I wonder what M will think of it all one day.
The 4 kiwis are cute. I would suggest, if you have no plans for them, that you can turn them into Christmas tree ornaments and remember your trip fondly during the holidays!
It only took me like half a year to finish writing about all our adventures in NZ! I’m sad to wrap up the series. It was an incredible amount of planning that went into this trip and I’m glad we all had a wonderful time, even our little M. She won’t remember any of it, but at least we have pictures and my travel journal to document the memories.
The kiwis are actually pretty big. Way too big for ornaments (or maybe I just need to get a bigger tree). But I do like the idea of collecting ornaments from the places we visited!!
I’m picturing you three already on your next big adventure and that we’ll read about them in a year. 😆 M might surprise you. T surprises us with what he remembers from his toddler years.
That is true. And speaking of our next big adventure, we hit a snag in our trip planning along the Whale Route. The ferry we wanted to take from Quebec to Labrador has a 3 year waiting list for a cabin. So we’ve been forced to pivot. We’re thinking Gaspe Peninsula and New Brunswick instead. The Parks Canada camping reservation window opens for Quebec this morning at 8am so I’ve been frantically trying to put together an itinerary and a lot of it now hinges on booking some campsites (or rather oTENTiks)! Wish me luck!
And agreed, kids are pretty amazing with all the random stuff they remember. Even now M surprises us with words we didn’t even think she knew or understood.
At least you know what you’re doing in 3 years! 🤣 Gaspe and NB sound like fine alternatives and I bet it’s going to be an amazing time. Funnily, we were eyeing Gaspe too – if we don’t end up going overseas (which is unlikely now) – as one of our potential summer trips. It’ll be fun if we end up there at the same time!
Good luck with your planning!
Very true! And hey, that would be awesome if you end up taking a road trip to the Gaspe Peninsula too (although bummer that a trip overseas isn’t looking likely now). We’ll be there from Aug 1-12 before heading to NB for another week. I managed to book our site at Forillon yesterday so I’m pretty happy about that!
We may very well intersect as we always do our NB roadtrip first 2 weeks of August. 😊
It would be fun to meet up and maybe do a hike or beach activity together! I’ll share my itinerary once we finalize our plans. The NB portion of our trip hinges on Parks Canada campsite availability now. The reservation window opens tomorrow morning.
Sounds good. More importantly, we should meet up in the city. I’m in the office T-W-T and am generally flexible for lunch! 😊
Yes, please!! I’m typically in the office Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. So it looks like Thursday is our day of overlap. I’ll shoot you an email shortly so we can work out the details! 🙂
Those kiwis are adorable! A perfect souvenir. Looking forward to your next trip!
Oh I know! I wish I bought more! They’re very adorable and we’ve gotten a lot of compliments from them. They really are the perfect souvenir from such an amazing trip!
Looks wonderful, I love picturesque places like this😍
Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. New Zealand is such an enchanting country. We had a wonderful time exploring the landscape and enjoying the scenery.
Your New Zealand series has been excellent!!Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for your kind words. We had such a wonderful time visiting NZ and were sad to head back home. We could have easily stayed another 5 weeks (or more)!
Cathedral Cove was one of the first places we visited during our trip to NZ, and the hiking trail to the Waiomu Kauri Grove looks so familiar – I think somewhere on our blog there’s a photo of me and Berto standing next to a very old kauri tree. Love the handmade kiwis (wish I had known about them when we were there). Wow, what an incredible time you three had in NZ – thanks for the memories, but also for the places we didn’t visit. I really enjoyed your posts!
Thanks for your lovely comment. It would have been nice to see Cathedral Cove, but part of the trail was closed. We didn’t want want to make the drive out there for nothing. And given that we had a long day of travel ahead of us, we decided to stay closer to town so we could get a proper hike in. The Waiomu Kauri Grove was a nice alternative. I’m not surprised to hear that you and Berto hiked it too. Great minds think alike! Those handmade kiwis are precious. I just wish I got a few more!
What a beautiful journey.
God’s creation is breathtaking, and your photos are amazing, so detailed and wonderful.
Safe travels and rich memories. 🙏
Thanks for your lovely comment. We had such an amazing time visiting NZ. It really was a trip of a lifetime.
I enjoyed that last hike, even though it wasn’t exactly what you expected, Linda. Wading with a little one on your back is a tricky business. Your photos are lovely and it’s plain you enjoyed the experience. Here’s to more adventures this year xx
I’d say it worked out rather well. Despite the river crossing, it ended up being a very lovely hike. It was exactly what we needed before a long day of travelling. And yes, here’s hoping for more walks, hikes and fun adventures in 2026!
So beautiful! I love the towering trees and rolling hills. What a fantastic series this has been to follow along with you to New Zealand!
I’ve enjoyed following along on your adventures in New Zealand! It’s a beautiful country and it sounds as though you had a lovely end to your trip. I love the kiwis, they’re so cute! I don’t blame you for going out of your way to find them 🙂
Thanks! We had a wonderful time exploring New Zealand. It’s a very beautiful country and the people are so friendly. The kiwis were the perfect souvenir to take home. I just wish we had room for a few more!
What a great adventure you had.
Oh I know. It was a trip of a lifetime! I’m so thankful I was able to take that amount of time off work and spend five weeks in New Zealand.
The Grove Walk looks like such a beautiful hiking area!
It was our final hike in NZ and I’m glad it was a good one! The lush landscape and tall trees were beautiful. It was all very peaceful.