March 2, 2026
Love the unexpected, along the road, sights we get to see and discover. Along the way from Hobbiton to Rotorua we came across these three unique large buildings. I believe the town was Tirau and lots of cars and buses were stopping to observe the buildings, use the public restrooms, (which are housed in one of them) and grab some snacks, gas and / or souvenirs.
On the road back from Rotorua to Tauranga we got an education on the kiwi fruit industry from our very knowledgable and extrememly helpful, jovial and accomodating tour operator, from Shore Tours and Excursions, Ian Holroyd.
Behind these tall hedges, all along the road are
Kiwi fruit
plantations or groves. Kiwis which originated from
chinese gooseberries grows on a vine, similar to grapes. The farmers prop up the new years growth ( seen here at the peaks) which bears no fruit on top of the prior years vines, to allow sunlight and air to get down to vines laden with fruit. Shown here is the golden kiwi, that have a gold colored fruit and a thin smooth skin, that you also eat for nutrients. This is just one of 60 different variations of kiwis around the world. The high hedges keep the breezes out. It takes 5 years to produce any fruit, when just starting a grove, but they have a very long plant life. Startup cost can be significant, over 1M for land and plants and preventative measures, but yields can be large as long as frost and hail storms are at a minimum. They will use helicopters to pass over the fields to keep frost from damaging vines.
Zespri
is the largest exporter in New Zealnd.
