Having lived in NZ for over 30 years now, we had never got to Great Barrier Island.We visited last weekend and loved every minute of it. We took our motorbikes, along with 13 other intrepid souls and had a blast. The weather beamed on us, just a bit gusty.
We tried to find as many gravel roads as we could, although Ray Holmes who led the ride, as well as organising it along with his wife, said last year there were a lot more gravel roads. Get there before they all disappear!
The sealed bits were as much fun though as they are so winding!
Gt Barrier looks like a place for hippies to spend their retirement.
For income the residents do whatever they can; one lady whose place we stayed at, also runs one of the rental car companies. So you keep seeing the same faces, but in lots of different places!
Winter is hard for the inhabitants; one resident said she pops to somewhere like Bali over winter as it can be a bit bleak and boring on the island, she added. When asked what the main source of revenue for the island was, one gentleman agreed marijuana may once have been the main income, but all the growers are now residing behind bars, so he thought the company which maintains the roads around the island employ the largest number of people, with the tourism industry coming second for revenue gathering. Farming apparently comes a long way down that list.
I didn't personally see any sheep, although there were a few cows scattered around. There is no electricity or water supply available, so everyone has their own generators and tanks; keeping the lights off and the showers to a minimum are the main things the tourists need to do to help out the residents. There are numerous walks around the island so a week here wouldn't do it justice.
You need a lot longer.
There are also some hot springs off the beaten track (about an hour's round trip) on the road to Whangaparapara. Of course they are free. They aren't deep, just part of a stream, where someone has dug out little pools for you to sit in.
It's not the cheapest holiday, for us it was $100 per adult return, and $127 return per bike, and $178 for two nights accomodation. We also brought lots of food from home to help keep the holiday a reasonable price.
Come along and visit before the hordes arrive (around Xmas apparently), and before they seal all the roads. It looks like I imagine Waiheke Is did in the early days.
And another thing; if your sea legs aren't what they should be, take some seasick tablets; the wind on our return made for a buffety trip.
A lot of passengers couldn't keep their lunch down which is a sad way to end a lovely weekend!
Linda
