New Zealand: A Stunning End to 2024
In the next several paragraphs I’m going to try and capture just how amazing the weeks I had the opportunity to spend in New Zealand truly were. But I already know the pictures and the words won’t be able to do it justice. So take my word for it; go.
The journey to New Zealand started for me way back in 2019 in the pre-Covid era. The 2020 Ironman 70.3 World Championships were slotted to be hosted in Taupo and it was my sole mission for the year to qualify for that race giving me and Herchel a “reason” to go to New Zealand. It’s been so long now that I can’t remember what race I did to qualify, but I got the slot….and then Covid hit. The race was cancelled. In 2023 they announced the race would again take place in Taupo for 2024, and it was again my mission to get that qualifier.
We left cold, dreary Nashville for New Zealand on December 3rd and arrived in Auckland to sunny warmth on December 5th. We spent the first night in Auckland before heading to our first longer destination: the Coromandel Peninsula.
Kuaotunu, Coromandel
Our trip really took off on the drive to Kuaotunu, when we were surrounded by breathtaking views of sea and fields and forests. Around every winding twist in the road we were surprised with yet another stunning view of the landscape. When we finally arrived we couldn’t believe how great our stay was. The Airbnb was on a cliff right above the Pacific Ocean looking out over the water with misty mountains jutting out in the horizon. We literally walked out the back door down to the beach each day. It was magical. The town, if you could even call it that, was tiny. It had a coffee shop (which was amazing), a restuarant (gotta love Luke’s), and an ice cream shop (essentials am I right?!). For the next three days this was home. Because it was leading into the 70.3, we did some training. This included an interesting bike adventure (hello gravel on the TT bike!), a couple dips in the frigid waters of the Pacific Ocean, and a trip down the road to Whitianga for a long run. In the first days we were there we quickly learned there is no flat in New Zealand, it is either up, or down! Our other adventuring in Kuaotunu included some hiking and beach time. From there we made the trek to Rotorua, with a couple quick stops along the way.
Stop one was to Hot Water Beach, where you literally bring a shovel and dig a hole into the sand. It fills with warm water from a spring that bubbles up during low tide.
Stop two was to Whangamata, home of Donut Island. Here, we got to go in kayaks out to Donut Island, a protected island that you can enter into the center via a cave opening. Inside is a magical place of crystal clear water and interesting forestry. The trip out by kayak was intense. The weather was turning that day and the winds were picking up. As we made our way out into the Pacific Ocean the waves were so big! Thankfully we made it out (and there were huge jellyfish in the water so I DID NOT want to capsize!) to the island and back mostly dry.
Rotorua
I feel like Rotorua really kicked off our adventuring. This town was the Chattanooga of New Zealand. It had everything: hiking, lakes and rivers, mountain biking, and more. We were here for three nights and jammed so many non triathlon activities in I’m tired thinking about it! We teamed up with our 70.3 crew so five of us were racing and exploring Rotorua together. Our first full day was packed. To start off the morning we went to Whakarewarewa Forest Park. The forest is filled with Redwood trees and trails that flit in and out of them. So of course we did a trail run through the redwoods. It was glorious. From there we went to downtown Rotorua to find breakfast and coffee. We didn’t have to look too far. Immediately upon coming out of the parking deck the smell of bacon was wafting through the stairwell. We exited and landed right in front of Interval Eatery. A delightful cafe with the most amazing eggs on toast, ginger bar, and latte. It was so good we went back one more time before we left town. That afternoon we took our bikes for a spin then had an amazing meal at our Airbnb on the deck at sunset with a view of the land. *Sigh*
The following day we did so many things it’s hard to keep straight, so here we go. We kicked it off early with whitewater rafting. Yes. 4 days before our 70.3. Would I recommend this normally? Absolutely not. But what happens in New Zealand, stays in New Zealand…k?! Whitewater rafting was definitely one of the highlights. This river has the highest waterfall in the world that you can legally whitewater raft down (7 meters). And we did it. And we all stayed in the raft. Some of us may or may not have felt like we were being waterboarded, but we got it done! And it was only minor scary. After breakfast at yet another amazing cafe, we drove to Blue Lake. A pristine lake with buoys for miles (literally). We took a nice swim in yet another cool body of water. To round out our day we went to a traditional Maori dinner. It was really so interesting. To start the evening they discuss their tradition and way of life as a people. We learned about their land and customs while they prepared our meal in the traditional Maori way (in the earth). The food was so good; it was literally like eating Thanksgiving dinner, complete with stuffing!
To finish out our time in Rotorua we did some trail exploring, saw some geo thermal activity, and grabbed homemade bread to take to our next destination: Taupo and the race venue.
Taupo
Upon entering the city limits, it was time to get semi-serious about the race, which wasn’t too hard to do. We had officially entered the athlete zone. People were everywhere doing swim, bike, run things. We picked up our race packets and got settled at our airbnb. Once that was taken care of we checked out Huka Falls, another amazing waterfall right as you are entering into Taupo.
Our airbnb was yet another awesome location. A short drive out of the city center and situated right on Lake Taupo, we had direct access to the lake and another place to open water swim. Here it was a bit more about final race preparation and pre race items we had to do such as checking in our bikes and run items and working out our race day logistics.
Race day dawned with cool temps to start but, of course, the temps rose to high 70s, low 80s (the warmest it had been ALL trip) for the race. I knew my final weeks hadn’t been ideal training (for example I would never whitewater raft 4 days out from a race, or suggest that to any of my athletes!) so I had no expectations going into this race. This was more of a celebration race for putting in the work over the last year and a half.
My age group started at 7:10 a.m., which I was very thankful for. The swim was wetsuit legal, and the water temp felt great. I had a decent swim because I felt like it was an honest swim course. The conditions were slightly choppy water and sun directly in the eyes the whole swim which made sighting buoys interesting. T1 was a long slog up from the lake. Once onto the bike I was ecstatic. This course was beautiful. It started out uphill and within the first 20 miles or so was a decent bit of climbing. Views for days. Mountains, grassy pastures, geo thermal steam rising, etc. It then settled to a bit more flat in the middle section before heading home and into a headwind with the final climbing. I could tell the temperature was rising toward the end of the bike, but the constant headwind kept a good breeze. My only complaint of the course was the road surface. After 56 miles of chip and seal I don’t think I realized how much extra energy that zapped from my legs. Until I started to run haha! The run was one of survival. I came off the bike and within the first mile I knew my legs were not going to love this. I kept telling myself to enjoy the views and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. The heat crept up and the pace slowed but I somehow managed to keep it going. The course description said flat, but it was anything but. With a few legs zapping punchy climbs lap two was a battle of the mind and legs to keep moving. When I crossed the finish line I was never so happy to finish a race! 39th in my age group (I lost a lot of positions on the run; sad) so I can’t be too upset with that. Now that my race was done, it was time to recover and then cheer on the guys race the following day.
Sunday was filled with a lot of hobbling back and forth around the race course, a lot of cheering, and a bit of shouting at the guys to run faster or finish strong! It was so great to be able to cheer them on instead of race alongside them. That evening we were all able to celebrate together and enjoy our last night as a crew before we all split up and headed different directions.
Matamata & Auckland
Monday morning, after packing up, we all went different ways. I and my husband went to Matamata to tour Hobbiton, which was actually interesting. Before we left town we found another amazing breakfast and coffee place then headed to Wairere Falls, where we hiked up to the tallest waterfall I have ever seen in real life. It was insane. From there we traveled back to Auckland and did an afternoon hike to Karamatura Falls.
The next couple of days were our last in New Zealand and we filled them with exploring as much as possible. This included a day trip to Rangitoto Island to hike to the summit of the lava fields, an exploration of Devonport, a trip to Mount Eden, Albert Park, and the Auckland Zoo (we hadn’t seen a Kiwi yet so had to). We found some great food. My personal favorites were Melba (yum breakfast and coffee), and The Broken Lantern (I could eat those carrots every.single.day.). We celebrated our final night with Duck Island ice cream.
Travel day was a day of sadness. We went to Ozone Coffee for one final parting breakfast and to grab a bag of coffee to bring home. We then spent the next three hours in the airport going through all the international travel things. 26 hours later, we landed back in the frozen tundra that is currently Nashville.
This was truly a trip of a lifetime and this blog can’t even begin to describe just how amazing the trip was. I also got to travel with friends I had never travelled with before and our group was just amazing. I feel like we truly bonded and grew our friendships (I think we all feel this way…ahem!) and through these experiences created memories that will never fade.
If ever you can make it work to go to New Zealand, I 100% recommend!