…Play a different course almost every day of a two-week vacation on the Coromandel Peninsula and still have plenty of time to swim, stroll long stretches of soft sand beach and visit the many small towns that dot the 72-kilometre coastal circuit then head south to Rotorua’s really, really hot spots! One of the best experiences in the Rotorua area is a Hangi, a Maori celebration for visitors that dates back many hundreds of years. Greeting rituals, interpretative displays, performances and an excellent banquet cooked traditionally on hot rocks in an earthen oven highlights our evening at Tamaki Maori Village just outside the city. While a less rustic Hangi conducted inside a local hotel is pleasant enough, a forested village setting gives a more realistic view of life in pre-European days…

Another fun activity invented and manufactured at Rotorua is Zorbing. A Zorb, likened to a human-sized hamster ball, is a huge clear plastic air-cushioned orb weighing up to 90 kilograms which reaches speeds of 40 kph while racing downhill — with a person strapped inside. All the violent bouncing is absorbed by the bigger outer transparent ball while you spin like an intoxicated rodent. Adding wet insult to injury, Liquid-Zorbing is all the rage. Two or three buckets of water are introduced to the mix, while the person inside is let loose to tumble out of control. I’d imagine the operators get a release signed before letting innocent victims try that trick.

More akin to our physical abilities, we make lifting an ale a pleasant experience at the Pig & Whistle City Bar. Through the Oink, Oink doors, this is a great place for pub-style gatherings. Although we’ll miss the Friday “Squeeler” for dancing to live music and other entertainments, I enjoy quaffing a halfpint of their Swine Lager and Geoff, a Snout Dark Ale.

Learn more about Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty area in the “Birdies” book

To follow in Chapter Two:

Games Galore on Coromandel…

The Hinterland Wonderland…

The Longest Place Name…

Great Golfers and their Classic Courses

Golf Cluster Courses

Reviewers say the “Birdies” book is a good read filled with suggestions for accommodation, dining and side trips to interest the whole family.

ORDER: Birdies, Bogeys and Kiwis: Golfing Around New Zealand online at www.wildwestcoastpublishing.com or e-mail info@wildwestcoastpublishing.com for special discounts.

And remember, when golfing in New Zealand all distances are in metres, so add ten percent to the metric length then roughly convert to what is still called “yardage.”

The Rogue

Wairakei International Golf Course is the favourite of many golfers around the world. I asked New Zealand Golf Guide Publisher, Richard Frankland why Wairakei is special to him: ”I confess I’m not sure I can tell you why. I’ve only managed to play there a few times, and not very well, but the overall experience seemed very special. Although the weather wasn’t great the first time I played, my overseas client really enjoyed the experience. The next time I played with my wife, Terri. We shared our round with so few other people we had time to appreciate little details like small stone walls and tidy, colourful gardens set in the foreground of a lush landscape. It’s also really good value compared to some of the other top-end courses.  I guess at the end of the day this beautiful and immaculately-maintained course is just my favourite – no real logic.

Another testimonial to Wairakei’s appeal comes from an Australian golfer who won a round following his first-place win at an international tournament:

“The scenery was amazing and the round of golf just disappeared. The ‘Rogue’ (the par five 14th) was my favourite.”

‘The Rogue’ is one of the longest holes in the country at 548 metres/600 yds. According to the Club’s description of the hole, the tee shot needs to be long and straight down a chute that is made narrower on both sides by nasty bunkers. A gigantic 46-metre-/150 ft.-tall pine in the centre of the fairway then obstructs a big hitter’s second shot. Depending on the hole placement, the course guide helps determine whether to play left or right of what looked to me more like a huge Kauri tree standing in the middle of ten sand beaches. Assuming the approach shot lands in a good position on the fairway, the elevated kidney-shaped split-level green now looms above. The left side of the green has a larger landing area but pin placement is the challenge for the ball must be on the same level as the hole – or else! 

Wairakei International Golf Course

Providing all facilities and amenities a roving golfer could want, the Wairakai International clubhouse is open from 8:30 a.m. to dusk. Prices listed are valid through until 30th September 2009:

Green Fees every day: NZ Golf Club members: NZ$100; members of a golf club outside NZ: $150; Nonregistered golfers $200; Juniors under 18: $55.  New Zealand Golf Guide holders save $10.

Equipment: Carts $40; Clubs incl. trundler: $27; Executive set 18 holes incl. trundler $50. All prices include GST. Prior bookings recommended. Proof of membership may be requested.

Dress standards: All players and spectators must be dressed in appropriate golf attire. Neat and tidy at all times with collared shirts, dress trousers or shorts to be worn. No jeans, trackpants, sandals or boots – soft cleats only on the course.

If a 9-hole course suits better, the Bayview Wairakei Resort has its own beautiful and well-manicured course and is only a couple of minutes away from Wairakei International.

Bayview Wairakei 9-hole Course

The approach to the little clubhouse is quite unique. From the far end of the Resort’s parking lot you’ll walk through a tunnel under the main highway, pay an unbelievably low green fee, pick up a trundler (pull cart) and set off for an easy walk in a beautiful setting. All are welcomed here, including young golfers where they’ll get the opportunity to play on one of the finest 9-hole courses in all of New Zealand.

Accommodation at the Bayview Wairakei Resort

The Bayview Wairakei Resort is a fine stop for all including family groups on tour in the Rotorua/Taupo area. In a country estate setting of 169 acres, beautiful garden paths lead to two outdoor heated swimming pools, two restaurants, two bars, two tennis courts and six spa pools. There’s little else one would want at this charming and elegant resort owned and operated by Bayview International Hotels and Resorts - well known for fine facilities throughout the world.

Bayview - A Warm, Welcoming Place

Turning back the clock…

Just 10 minutes north of Lake Taupo, Bayview Wairakei Resort is located in the heart of the geothermal Central North Island.  In the late 1800’s Auckland pioneer Robert Graham obtained a block of geothermal land in this area. Recognizing the tourism potential, he began to build a guesthouse on the site where Bayview Wairakei Resort stands today. After his death in 1885 his wife and sons completed the project and the Geyser House was opened in 1886.

Described as the “True Wonderland of New Zealand,” the original estate of 4,203 acres comprised many amazing geothermal sights attracting visitors from around the world. Ownership changed many times over the years and land was partitioned. In 1946 the New Zealand government’s Tourist Department took over the running of the hotel until 1991 when Bayview International Hotels and Resorts purchased the property. After extensive renovation, redevelopment and expansion of accommodation facilities to 187 charming rooms, the Bayview Wairakei Resort is now the centre of hospitality originally planned by pioneer and visionary – Robert Graham.

To order my “Birdies” book go to www.wildwestcoastpublishing.com and click on “Order Here.” PayPal available.