A Holiday in Taumarunui and Mount Ruapehu - The Heart of North Island, New Zealand

A hot Auckland December yearned for a cooler Christmas getaway. Everyone including our chocolate Labrador, Acamo, deserved a good break from a year long routine of Auckland city air, cars and work. Deciding we would make this vacation a little holiday for every member of the family, we went off to search for a good holiday accommodation that was clean, green and most importantly pet friendly.

As you would imagine, most hotels and lodges in New Zealand that we found were wonderful with everything we were looking for, except a place for our beloved dog. Determined to find the ultimate holiday destination, we surfed through the internet and came upon the perfect place -  Taumarunui Holiday Park! A gushing Whanganui River along the north and lush green woods flanking its south-east border, Taumarunui Holiday Park offers a quaint holiday destination perfect for families, backpackers, couples and pets! Yes, you read it right - pets are allowed - as a matter of fact, they have a friendly dog of their own on the premises!

 

To top it off, as Taumarunui Holiday Park is located in the breathtaking Central Plateau of the North Island of New Zealand, many family friendly outdoor activities are in close proximity - riding the Forgotten World Adventures Rail Carts, canoeing or kayaking down the mighty Whanganui River; walking through wooded bush walks and the must-do Tongariro Alpine Crossing, hiking or cycling through the ancient forested Timber Trail, fresh water fishing, mountain and motor bike riding with friends and family, and so much more. Driving southward for under an hour, you will meet the Tongariro National Park and the beautiful Whakapapa Snow fields on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu. A one and a half hour drive toward the east would take you to the junction of Ferry Road and Lake Terrace where you are greeted by the calm and sparkling clear waters of the majestic Lake Taupo. Whatever activity excites your wild side, you will definitely find it at your finger tips here!

Besides the natural features, varied attractions and activities within a stone's throw of each other, Taumarunui Holiday Park offers shaded camping grounds and many cheap accommodation spots (with or without electric power) to choose from. It offers affordable stand-alone wooden cabins a few steps away from shared toilets and showers, free parking, a large common kitchen and an outdoor BBQ cooking area. These separate cabin units are designed to suit all sorts of travellers, from parties of singles, doubles to three or more. And for those holidaymakers who wish for a more private accommodation, the park offers a self-contained holiday cottage, by far the most popular choice for a family with children. Being just two adults with one dog and a small budget, my husband and I immediately booked a standard stand-alone cabin with a double bed for two nights over the Christmas period at the Taumarunui Holiday Park.

A four hour drive from Auckland city via State Highway 1 and 4, through green hills and plains, we arrived on Christmas Eve to be greeted by the friendly owners and a clean little cabin-for-two at the quiet Eastern border of Taumarunui Holiday Park. Once settled in, we drove to buy meat, vegetables and supplies from the local supermarket about fifteen minutes away for a delicious Christmas Eve barbecue dinner back at the Taumarunui Holiday Park. Our Christmas morning started under warm bed sheets and a cool crisp morning. A brisk walk through the wooded bush to refresh the senses ended at the banks of the Whanganui River where Acamo enjoyed a morning swim in the cold clear running water with the owner's dog. Acamo spent the rest of the day at the Holiday Park, while we drove to the grassy plains of the Tongariro National Park and took in the vast openness of the reserve. The day took us to the rocky slopes of Mount Ruapehu where we rode the scenic chairlifts to the top to tumble and play in the snow. After a scrumptious lunch at one of New Zealand's highest cafes, Knoll Ridge Cafe, we headed back to Taumarunui Holiday Park to spend a quiet restful evening by ourselves. The next morning, after a light breakfast and a hearty conversation with friendly European backpackers in the common kitchen, we packed our bags, said goodbye to our little cabin and set out to a crystal clear Lake Taupo where we enjoyed a refreshing swim in one of the best fresh water lakes in New Zealand.

The short getaway wouldn't have been a success had it not been for the affordable accommodation we booked; this enabled us to prioritise our expenditure and really spoil ourselves! In our opinion, Taumarunui Holiday Park provided everything it promises and our stay was inexpensive in comparison to the great service we received, the friendliness of the owners, the cleanliness of the facilities, the proximity to such great activities, and most of all, the fun our chocolate Labrador had swimming and playing with the owner's frisky pet dog!

Written by: Simone Garcia

Photography by: Simone Garcia

Edited by: Miguel Garcia

Planning a trip around North Island, New Zealand? Here's some more information to help you out:

We always find honest reviews and affordable booking prices on TripAdvisor, and therefore recommend their site to family and close friends.

Taumarunui Holiday Park

487 Totara Street, Manunui, Taumarunui, North Island, New Zealand

Click to read reviews and book your stay at Taumarunui Holiday Park through TripAdvisor.

Forgotten World Adventures Rail Carts

9 Hakiaha Street, Taumarunui, North Island, New Zealand

Click to read reviews and more information on Forgotten World Adventures Rail Carts.

Canoe Hire for Kayaking or Canoeing on Whanganui River

292 Hikumutu Road, Taumarunui, North Island, New Zealand

Click to read reviews on Taumarunui Canoe Hire and Jet Boat Tours.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Tongariro National Park, North Island, New Zealand

Click to read reviews and book a Tongariro Alpine Crossing hike.

The Timber Trail

198 Barryville Road, Pureora Village, Pureora Forest Park, North Island, New Zealand

Click to read reviews on The Timber Trail.

Seriously Outdoors - Freshwater Fishing

89 Hakiaha Sreet, Taumarunui, North Island, New Zealand

Click to view more information on freshwater fishing with Seriously Outdoors.

Tongariro National Park

Visitor Centre: Whakapapa Village, State Highway 48, Mount Ruapehu

Click to read more information on Tongariro National Park from the Department of Conservation, New Zealand.

Ski and Board Station - Ski and Snowboard Hire

Now associated with SLR Ski Rentals at Ohakune Shopping Centre, 17-19 Goldfinch Street, Ohakune, North Island, New Zealand

Click to read reviews on Ski and Board Station.

Knoll Ridge Cafe

Along the chairlift ride to the top of Mount Ruapehu

Click to read more reviews on Knoll Ridge Cafe and Mount Ruapehu.

Planning an International trip to New Zealand? Here's some useful tips to plan your overseas holidays:  

Air Flights to and from New Zealand
We use TripAdvisor because we often find good flight deals that suit our budget. You can click to Search Flights on TripAdvisor to check out various air flight options.

Tour Options for Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands

If you are someone who likes their holiday planned for them, you can click to check out tour packages around Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands through TourRadar.

Travel Insurance
It's a good idea to have travel insurance in case something goes wrong. World Nomads provide travel insurance for travellers from over 140 countries, backed by reputable insurers and 24 hour assistance providers. You can click on Travel Insurance from World Nomads to get a quote. Please read the policy details to ensure that it's right for you.

Transport Rentals
Jucy Rentals has got some great options to rent a car, campervan or motor home in New Zealand. Click to get a quote to rent a vehicle with Jucy Rentals. If you plan on renting transport in New Zealand, please check out the rules on Driving on New Zealand Roads from the NZ Transport Agency.

If you found this article interesting and helpful, please comment below and share this link with friends and family! Thank you :)!

A Honeymoon in Rarotonga, The Cook Islands - South Pacific Paradise!

Warm sunny days, clear, blue skies, creamy sands and tranquil, inviting crystal waters - such phrases evoke images of unspoiled, tropical paradises; the kind where you can look for miles in either direction and still see the same breathtaking beauty, without meeting another soul; inviting peaceful locations where one can find complete privacy to enjoy a relaxed afternoon with your loved ones. We have found this haven; a truly untouched corner of the South Pacific, a place where warm, kindred spirits can relax, refresh and recharge. On behalf of the Cook Islands, we extend a hearty Kia Orana to our readers. Welcome to Paradise!

The Cook Islands are a group of 15 islands, scattered like frangipani petals across the vast South Pacific Ocean. Roughly a four-hour flight north-east of New Zealand, the Islands are a true tropical get-away. Rarely will one find any nook of the globe unspoiled by major commercialization and development, fast food chains and shopping malls. The Cook Islands is one such place. The largest island, Rarotonga, thirty-two kilometer in circumference, is the most populated in the Cooks, yet one will never find, on the mere forty minutes it takes to drive around the island, a single KFC, Mc Donald's or Wendy’s. This is a place where the locals will greet you with a warm Kia Orana – “May you live long”, which commonly doubles as “Hello, how are you?” a greeting that is normally returned in kind. Walking around under a warm tropical sun, listening to swaying palm trees in the wind, feeling the warm breeze on your skin and the ocean sprays on the coast, and breathing in the fragrances of vanilla nut trees mixed with a melange of coconut and tropical flora... If this sounds delectable to you, then the Cook Islands are a must-go destination!

Our first day in Rarotonga brought with it many exotic smells and sights; by scents from rich coconut, vibrant hibiscus flowers, tangy pineapples and sweet pawpaw, beneath the warm sunlight pouring through a cloudless blue sky, the Cook Islands both indulged and excited all our senses. For the avid explorer, the forested mountainous interior of Rarotonga is sure to thrill. With jagged soaring peaks and dense thick jungle (the trails range from beginner level to extremely challenging, and are commonly marked with orange arrows tacked to trees a few meters apart), one can experience the challenge of mountain climbing, rappelling or just hiking through the dense foliage. 

The clean cream-colored sands and warm crystal-blue waters encircling the island of Rarotonga are equally enticing. Stepping into Muri and Black Rock lagoons are like stepping into an enormous tropical aquarium. A myriad of colorful tropical fish including, angelfish, triggerfish, fusiliers and wrasse play and dart in and around the expansive coral gardens, while elusive moray eels hide in coral grottoes and crevices. Further out, the marine life gets much larger and collective, and one can often swim among marauding trevally, tuna, pufferfish, bream, large snapper and even the occasional sea turtle. Sharks in Rarotonga are few and far between, for none can get through the coral reef barrier which surrounds the island's extents, preserving the ideal shallow, sheltered, warm lagoons all around Rarotonga's coastline.  

At low tide, (especially at Muri beach, often regarded as Rarotonga's best beach), one can wade across the tidal flats, toward the three exposed sand atolls with their wild coconut groves just off the shore, and at the same time may be treated to a spectacular display of natural aquatic predation. Giant and Bluefin trevally, like the two we saw at Muri beach one afternoon, often harass schools of bait fish during low tides. The two large predators somehow maneuvered their bulk and weight in water a foot deep, slicing and curving the water in their attempt to capture their midday meal. An impressive and wonderful sight!

Rarotonga is also an angler's paradise. Torpedo – like Wahoo, razor toothed Dog tooth tuna, rainbow colored Mahi Mahi, schools of Bonito, Skipjack, majestic Sailfish, and the giant's of the ocean: the Blue Marlin, are all the avid angler's targets in these bountiful waters. The fish come and go with the seasons, each present during their own season of the year. On hiring a charter, it only takes ten minutes from Avatiu Harbor to reach the fishing grounds. This is due to the deep trenches encircling the entire island for miles around. Outside its sheltered blue lagoons, the water depth plummets to more than three hundred meter in some places. Providing the perfect hunting ground for these oceanic predators.

For the avid foodies and cultural buffs, one never needs to stroll far at all to hear cultural Cook Island drums rapidly proclaiming their beat in a social fest, or the melodic Imene, chants and songs, so common in Rarotongan villages. As is so often with Rarontogan festivals, there is always food involved and lots of it! A favorite of course is seafood. Local dishes such as Ika Mata, raw fish seasoned with chili's, soaked in vinegar and coconut cream is an absolute must-have. Any deep-water fish sprinkled with a dash of Cook Island lime, salt, pepper, garlic, a slice of chili and onions over a hot grill is a deliciously healthy afternoon lunch. Rarotonga also has the exotic Rukau, taro leaves steamed in coconut cream, and this is often served along with boiled Taro root and a hefty portion of meat. For the very hungry, Rarotonga never disappoints –  from the locally famous 24 hour Raro Fried Chicken joint and Palace One Takeaway at the town corners, to a variety of cafes and bars, up to the posh restaurants like the Tamarind House and the Hidden Spirit, that boast world class beach views, al fresco dining under the stars, and expansive tropical garden walks.

  

The ever popular Umu Kai or 'earth oven-cooked food', consists of chicken, pork, beef, taro and rukau leaves steamed for hours in their own juices over volcanic stones in an underground earthen pit. These traditional foods are often served in gargantuan portions, as these were commonly served as a meal to feed the entire community.

For a cultural feast, head over to Te Vara Nui Village, down at Muri, for a fantastic over-the-water show of traditional Cook Island dancing, drumming performance as well as a delicious Polynesian buffet style feast. One can also climb upward to Highland Paradise – a  restaurant situated on what was once a thriving traditional Rarotongan village –  to be treated to a tour of the ancient marae and the remnants of a tribal lifestyle, followed by a scrumptious Umu Kai feast served while enjoying cultural dance performances as well as a hilarious narrative on the 'one hundred uses of a coconut', by the village chief.

Feeling relaxed and laid back? Take your time on Island Time: rent a car, a scooter or for the adventurous, a bicycle, from the many available options, and drive leisurely around the slow-paced inner island roads, passing friendly faces and banana fields. On a weekend the island is more laid back than usual. Drop by the little local market and shop among the many colorful island-made fabrics, trinkets, arts and crafts. Come and enjoy the Islanders sing in the old Christian churches, that were once established with the stones of ancient marae by visiting missionaries in the 1800's. Visit the Whale Museum, a little shack with an extensive collection of old whaling gear, giant whale bones and majestic skulls, and treat the kids to a educational movie on the history and banning of whaling to preserve the ecology in the Cook Islands. They have also got their own resident giant coconut crabs!

After a long day of exploration and fun, one needs to relax. Indulge yourself in the many spas and massage services around Rarotonga, from friendly massage parlors to luxury spas and resorts. A hot water bath topped with a plethora of floating tropical flowers followed by a rejuvenating full body massage is never hard to find. The Rarotongan Resort and Spa, along with several other high end resorts around Muri Beach provide most of these services.

If you are anything like us and prefer a quieter, more secluded Polynesian getaway, without the hustle and bustle of modern resorts and tourists, you can always stay at the many lodges which dot the island. These are always locally managed and owned, and visitors very often end up staying in independent cozy wooden houses, hidden amid a tropical garden setting. Some of the experiences you may encounter here are the ones that stay with you when you leave – Polynesian paintings hung on the wall and woven mats on the floor, the odd roosters crowing at dawn, a friendly dog or two coming in now and then to say hello. The warm smile and laugh of the lodge hostess, coming to share a bowl of sweet papaya and starfruit in the morning, all the while recounting stories of her island days gone by, sharing where to find the best local produce, the best places to swim, to explore and to discover, and also the best way to open a coconut –  is always the real Polynesian experience, and at the most affordable rates. We highly recommend Mount View Lodges, in O'oa village, for this amazing experience.

So, for a warm slice of an untouched Polynesian haven – a wonderful family getaway or a romantic paradise for two – come to Rarotonga, The Cook Islands, where locals greet you with a kind Kia Orana under the  warmth of a Polynesian sun!

Kia Orana, Turou e to te Kuki Airani -  Turou e to te Rarotonga: Welcome to the Cook Islands – Welcome to Rarotonga.

Written by: Miguel Garcia

Photography by: Simone Garcia

Planning your holiday in the Cook Islands? Here's some more useful information: 

Air Flights to and from the Cook Islands.

We use TripAdvisor because we often find good flight deals that suit our budget. You can click to search for cheap air flights to and from the Cook Islands on TripAdvisor.

Travel Insurance

It's a good idea to have travel insurance in case something goes wrong. World Nomads provide travel insurance for travellers from over 140 countries, backed by reputable insurers and 24 hour assistance providers. You can click on Travel Insurance from World Nomads to get a quote. Please read the policy details to ensure that it's right for you.

Tour Options for Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands

If you are someone who likes their holiday planned for them, you can click to check out tour packages around Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands through TourRadar.

Wahoo Fishing Charters.

Address: Avatiu Harbor, Cook Islands

Phone number: +682 28 291

Click to read reviews on Wahoo Fishing Charters.

Palace One Takeaway.

Address: Avatiu Harbor, Cook Islands

Click to view Palace One Takeaway - Facebook Page.

Tamarind House Restaurant.

Address: Tupapa Village, Cook Islands

Phone number: +682 26 487

Click to read reviews on Tamarind House Retaurant.

The Hidden Spirit Cafe and Grill.

Address: Titikavaka, Cook Islands

Phone number: +682 22 796

Click to read reviews on The Hidden Spirit Cafe and Grill.

Te Vara Nui Village.

Address: Ara Tapu, Cook Islands

Phone number: +682 24 006

Click to read reviews on Te Vara Nui Village - Buffet and Entertainment.

The Cook Islands Whale and Wildlife Centre.

Address: Avatiu Harbor, Cook Islands

Phone number: +682 21 666

Click to read reviews on The Cook Islands Whale and Wildlife Centre.

The Rarotongan Beach Resort and Spa.

Address: Aroa Beach, Cook Islands

Phone number: +682 25 800

Click to read reviews and book a room at The Rarotongan Beach Resort and Spa.

Mount View Lodges.

Address: O'oa village, Cook Islands

Phone number: +682 29 491

Click to read reviews on Mount View Lodges.

Click to check out Mount View Lodges website.

Car and Bike Rentals

Polynesian Car and Bike Rentals have a lot of affordable transport options and they are based in many locations around Rarotonga. Click to check out Polynesian Car and Bike Rental's website. 

Visitor Information, Visas and Entry Rules in the Cook Islands

Click to read important information from the Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration.

If you like this article, or have any suggestions for us, we'd love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below.