WW: The Three Sisters and the Elephant Rock

The Three Sisters and the Elephant

One of the highlights of our sweet escapade to New Plymouth and Lake Taupo areas here in New Zealand. 

right on sunset..

As I shared previously in Escapade to New Plymouth and Lake Taupo (Part 1) , we stopped by at the Three Sisters and the Elephant Rock. Check out some photos we took here in this area.

And welcome to the Three Sisters and the Elephant Rock.

The area is also known as Tongapōrutu, which in Maori means the three sisters. As you can see, the rock formation here is grouped into three distinct shapes standing close to one another like the three sisters. 

In order to arrive in this very spot, we have to walk from the nearby beach and parking lot during the low tide. It is quite a walk and the beach can be slippery as well. We literally walked down here barefooted as it felt a lot safer. After about 15 minutes walk, we finally saw the three sisters and the elephant.

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Escapade to New Plymouth and Lake Taupo (Part 1)

Escapade to New Plymouth and Lake Taupo

During the Lebaran or Eid Al Fitr break, we had an impromptu holiday to New Plymouth and Lake Taupo area.

Since we celebrated the Victory Day on Tuesday, we then had some times around the week before the office started again. We decided to take a short trip,- which then became extended one, to New Plymouth and Lake Taupo areas. And not only us, but 3 other families as well. so in total it was 13 of us!

cheers..

The plan is to see the famous Mount Taranaki and its reflection, visit the Three Sisters and the Elephants, then explore Lake Taupo, including the Huka Falls and the Huka Prawns before heading back to Wellington. Well, We still had time but I was planning to have an open house for Eid Al Fitr on Sunday so we had to be back to Wellington on Saturday.

Our first stop was the city called Foxton.

welcome to Foxton!

We stopped at Cafe de Mollen although unfortunately the cafe was closed. 

We still enjoyed the lunch break here on the picnic table in front of the cafe and the mollen, or the wind mill. 

We bought some souvenirs as well and tried the Foxton Fizz in raspberries. Delicious indeed and we got some home as well.

the Foxton Fizz is...

We then continued our trip to Mt Taranaki area but apparently we were too late and it was too cold already so we didn't get a glimpse of it. We then went straight to the beach area, the Three Sisters and the Elephant. Lucky us we arrived on time as the sunset was beautifully starting. We walked barefoot from the parking lot to the wonderful arrays of rocks, beach and brilliant sky. It was magical!

Then after a good rest in Coronation Court Motel in New Plymouth, we explored the surrounding areas in the morning before heading to Taupo. 

the top of Mt. Taranaki from afar

We went to the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge and Fitzroy Beach. The bridge was under renovation but we still managed to enjoy the beautiful view and pathway in this area.

the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge

As it's winter, we certainly did not go to the water LOL. But it was not less fun as we took so many photos here. We finally had a glimpse of Mt. Taranaki here.

the bridge and Mt. Taranaki a far

On the way to Lake Taupo, we took the State Highway 43 or the Forgotten World Highway. 

welcome to the Forgotten World Highway

Although the road was very challenging, the view is so beautiful and at some points it reminded us to Palisades highway back in New York. We stopped by and took more photos in some spots that have autumn signs like those beautiful  foliage trees and deserted roads. Here are the photos we have.

cheers...

Well, that's the first part of our little Escapade to New Plymouth and Lake Taupo this year. Wait for more story and adventures yaaaa.

WW: The Endless Charm of Napier, the Art Deco Capital of New Zealand

Come join me and enjoy the endless charm of Napier, the Art Deco Capital of New Zealand, or probably even the world!

I was lucky enough to go back to Napier area in Hawke's Bay for the second time this year. History said after the earthquake in 1931, the City of Napier got the chance to rebuild their city anew. The art deco theme is their choice and seems like it's the best decision taken. Look at this vibrant city now!

Napier, the Art Deco Capital of New Zealand

We had series of meetings and events in Napier and we spent 3 days, 2 nights in the area. We drove from Wellington to Napier, taking around 5-hour drive with some short breaks in between.      

We stay at the Nautilus hotel this time, just beside Restaurant Indonesia, our favorite restaurant in Napier. I have shared about our dinner here before.  

READ: Restaurant Indonesia, Napier, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

We met the Mayor and some of the councillors of the city of Napier. We also met with Indonesian migrant workers here in the aria and KAMIBAY, the Indonesian association for Hawke's Bay region. 

As the meetings are well scheduled, I had the time to actually stroll around the area for some times and here are some photos I took. I mainly strolled in the area in front of the Nautilus Hotel or the Marine Parade as well as the city center.  Come and join me..

love this building!

one of my favorite corners in Napier

So, what do you think? Such a lovely city, right? For sure, Napier has a lot to offer and I will definitely share more stories about my trip here, including the one to the Vintage and Antique stores. Will be right back!

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Wonderful Wednesday with My Purple World, Oh My Heartsie Girls and Friends

 

It has been a busy week for me and my family.

After receiving our sea cargo from Indonesia, it took days for us to check and get all the items out of the boxes. It has been awfully long as we sent the items since November 2021 and they arrived in the beginning of March 2022. Surely it's one of the longest cargo shipments I had since Melbourne, Geneva and New York! Apparently the combination of COVID-19, lack of shipment heading to New Zealand and the Pacific areas as well as long procedures made us wait too long for our items. 

Unfortunately, the liftvan we had was somehow broken on its way here and some boxes got dampen from water. I was so sad to see some hand woven items, shoes and clothes were either broken or very moldy due to this. I have one of my tenun bags being demolished with the mold and my purple Gucci bag got some patches of mold as well. Not to mention some other bags and shoes. We also have to wash and dry clean so many items from the boxes as they have this unpleasant aroma. It was quite a I am calculating all these damages and will definitely claim for the insurance.

On the bright sight, I had the chance to visit more cities in the North Island, namely Hastings, Napier and Hawke's Bay. We had series of meetings with the Mayor of Hastings, as well as business associates and Indonesian communities based in this area. It's always interesting to see the new places and learn more about its history as well as its ties with my country and my people. Too bad it was raining when we were there and we were not at the liberty to explore this charming city on foot. but for sure I am more than happy to go back there again.

Beautiful painting depicting New Zealand typical landscape

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Enjoying Christchurch Tram City Tour

A visit to Christchurch, one the biggest city in the South Island of New Zealand, will not be complete without taking the tramway.

Enjoying Christchurch Tram City Tour 

I have been enjoying tramway and cable cars whenever I can find them. So on my last visit to Christchurch in December 2021,  I took the chance to enjoy the trip together with the team, headed by Ambassador Tantowi Yahya, to enjoy Christchurch Tram City Tour. This is obviously one of the landmarks of the city and of people's favorite too.

We went to the Tram station and buy the ticket which costs you NZD 30 per adults and up to 3 kids can come for free. Additional kids will have to pay for NZD 5. 

Since we visited during the pandemic, we followed the health protocol by scanning the QR code, wearing masks, cleaning our hands frequently, and keeping the safe distance.

the details of the heritage tram

Once the tram arrived we hopped on and took our seats. It didn't take long to wait until the tram started to move. We were so excited indeed.

My Ambassador waiting for the tram

There are many spots you can enjoy while taking this Tram City Tour and since it is hop - on - hop - off system, you can definitely stop in one of the places and hop on again for the next destination. During our trip, it was raining cats and dogs so we chose to stay inside the tram all the way from the beginning till the end of the tour.

so, where are we going to stop now?

The tram stops at 17 spots, including the Canterbury Museum and Botanic Gardens, The Cathedral, the Riverside Market, Art Center and New Regent Street, which is packed with wonderful cafes, stores and eateries. So many choices to stop by and you will definitely enjoy the trip.

the sign of the tram stop

After the trip for about 40 minutes, we were back to the station again and decided to go to the nearby cafe, waiting for the rain to stop and getting ready for our next meeting.

So,