Te Kopia Scenic Reserve

Te Kopia Road

Our friends Kathy & Neville invited us to their weekend retreat by Lake Ohakuri for the day. We followed them south from Tauranga passing through Rotorua then another half hour drive through Te Kopia Scenic Reserve.  We stopped at Tikiroa O Paeroa which is a thermal area overlooking the bubbling mud pools. With recent rains the water appeared milky instead of the brown mud - however it facinated us watching the mud boil and also seeing all the steam coming out of the mountain range.

Te Kopia Scenic Reserve

Tikiroa O Paeroa thermal area

We drove onto Rotota where they have an onsite caravan which overlooks Lake Ohakuri. Before lunch we had a nice walk around the area, stopping for a sit in the hot tub which is fed by natural thermal water from Lake Ohakuri. From the hot tub you have a fantastic view of the lake and surrounding mountains. Timed it nicely as was back having lunch when a thunder storm came over.  We left around 4.30pm when the air was starting to get chilly and had a great drive home as the steam was quite prominent pouring out from the Range, and driving through the gorges with low cloud created an erie atmosphere.

Lake Ohakuri

The Strand and Jazz Festival

For a few days we were housebound as Cylone Cook paid a visit to NZ (this cyclone travelled down from Fiji), and caused some damage to the already soaked land, in particular land slips and trees down.  Luckily we were in a sheltered area so only experienced winds and rain. We had the outdoor settings safely stored although the predicted 150km winds did not occur - gusts of 85km being recorded in Tauranga. Cyclone Cook was quite fast moving and the calmness after the storm was quite unsettling.

Over Easter Tauranga hosts a Jazz Festival and with the sun out we decided to go in for a look.  Around 5 stages are set up along The Strand where different musicians perform and restaurants/bars set up with outdoor/indoor seating opposite the stages makes a great atmosphere. Donation is a gold coin so many people were out enjoying the performances.  We stayed for a couple of hours before a huge black cloud came over and the rain started - luckily we were in the car when it rained the heaviest!

Some wall art on the Strand #lovedowntowntauranga

The crowd along The Strand for the Jazz Festival

One of the 5 stages for the Jazz musicians to perform. These we opposite the restaurants and bars so you could sit and have a drink while listening to the performances.

I enjoyed a beer from a local brewery call "Good George Brewing Co" I thought it could have been named after a friend back in Oz.

The Strand over looks the harbour with a rail line running parallel with the road and harbour. There is a nice walkway along the harbour which has a playground and a series of Hairy Maclary bronze statues. The small jetty saw lots of teenagers jumping in for a swim. They have also recently opened a large concrete tiered area entering the water allowing for the change in tide.

The harbour bridge from the Strand after the rain with a double rainbow 

Some of the bronze Hairy Maclary statues strong enough to allow the childern and others to play on!!

My favourite statue

The tiered area for swimming or just watching. 

Some of the 7 carvings, by James Tapiata, representing the stars of Matariki - the Pleiades - whose arrival marks the Maori new year.