Land of the Long White Cloud

The Maori Cultural center

cindya — Sun, 6 Mar 2016 14:18:00 GMT

We finished our 4 days of relaxing by attending a Maori cultural event in Rotorua at Te Puia which is their sacred ground and schooling for weavers, carvers and Maori singers and dancers. Very interersting! The wood carvers come to this school as apprentices for 3 years. They are then supposed to go back to their village and pass on this tradition to the next generation. The weavings are made from NZ flax which is a wide leaved plant that reminded me of our century plants. It is abundant all over both islands. The Maoris used this plant to weave baskets, clothing, furniture and panels inside their sacred buildings called maraes. They are absolutely beautiful. Then they allowed us into the marae where they performed songs and dances in the traditional way including the haka My photos don't do justice to the haka which is their warrior dance but it was great to learn about the gestures, the facial expressions and the whole dance which was used for intimidation as well as welcoming visitors. This was followed by a hangi which is the preparation of food in an outside pit. Food was delicious!

Today we left sunny Whakatane and headed for Auckland but first we accidentlly landed in the Hobbit capital of NZ called Matamata! I have a picture of a hobbit hut somewhere!!

Anyway, this is probably it for my blog! We fly home tomorrow which is Tuesday here in NZ and we get home to the USA on Tuesday! Can't quite figure out the international dateline thing!

The trip has been great! Hope you have enjoyed the blog. It has become agood way for me to keep track on this 3 week advanture!

Photos: Maori cultural event

cindya — Sun, 6 Mar 2016 14:14:00 GMT

North Island

cindya — Sat, 5 Mar 2016 13:28:00 GMT

Hello,

Haven't blogged for a few days! We have travelled from the South Island to the North via Wellington, Napier and we are now in Whakatane (pronounced fokka tar nay). We have 4 nights booked at the Tuscany Villa and so far we have enjoyed finally being tourists and not doing much but going to the beach, enjoying library hour and sampling NZ wines!! Tomorrow our laid back life changes and we go back to Rororua to visit a Maori village and to participate in a hangi (sort of like a luai only Maori)

Photos: north island

cindya — Sat, 5 Mar 2016 13:22:00 GMT

South Island to North Island

cindya — Wed, 2 Mar 2016 16:54:00 GMT

The ferry ride from Picton to Wellington was very beautiful through the Queen Charlotte sound. About 3 hours, cloudy but an easy ride. We picked up our rental Holden Trax and drove maybe 5km to our hotel. That was a nice drive! And we were right across the street from the national museum of New Zealand called Te Papa. We spent a very interesting couple of hours there and one of the pictures shows the impact over the past 100+ years.

Today we drove from Wellington to Napier. Napier is the Art Deco capital in the country and very comfortable with great shopping and lots of history.

Happy Super Tuesday to all of you!!

Photos: Picton to Wellington and beyond

cindya — Wed, 2 Mar 2016 16:50:00 GMT

Abel Tasman NP Eco Tour!!

cindya — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 16:52:00 GMT

We went on an eco boat tour around the Tasman Bay. It was AWESOME and the highlight of our trip so far. He tide was out at the launch at Motahua but that doesn’t slow the water taxis and tour boats. They just hook up their boat to a tractor and the tractor hauls the boat out to where the water is deep enough to launch! We loaded into the boat with 10 other Americans, 1 Brit and the captain who is a transplanted Scot that now calls New Zealand home. He has a marine biology degree and drove the water taxis for several years before launching his own business. He was very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna and the history of the Abel Tasman National Park.

We saw 5 different kinds of shags which are cormorant like birds. Plus, we shagged a King Shag which evidently is very rare (only 600 left in the world) and Stew (the captain) was very excited about spotting this one. We also saw seals, one blue penguin (smallest penguin in New Zealand), sting ray, ducks and lots of other birds. We had morning tea and coffee at a lovely beach, went on a nature walk, had lunch on another lovely beach. Tough day!

Stew was also very much involved in the conservation movement in New Zealand which is quite a daunting task. NZ’s only natural mammal was 2 types of bats. Everything else has been introduced and has created some ecological consequence. When the Scots and Brits first came to this county, the foliage was so lush there wasn’t any way to graze their sheep. So, they burned the areas and lots of native plants and trees were lost. Then they brought in rabbits for fur and meat. Well, we all know what happens with rabbits. They introduced the stoat (weasel) which not only took care of rabbits but went after the land nesting birds including the Kiwi which is endangered here. Rats and mice came on the ships, goats and pigs were introduced by the early explorers and a pair of red deer were brought as gifts. The stoat is a prolific reproducer has no natural predators and is a real menace. To make a 150 year old story short, as the animals were introduced they competed for the same food as the local birds and the bird population suffered.

The conservation movement is all about bringing back the birds, the native trees, getting rid of rats, stoats and controlling the red deer. Volunteers will go onto the islands and trap, bait and eliminate them from the eco cycle. They are making great strides in improving habitat and have some great success stories.

We got back to shore about 3:30, grabbed a bite to eat and then headed for Picton. It was another windy, scenic road through introduced pine forests followed by clear cut areas. They do not hide their clear cuts like they try and do in WA. They are right there in all their glory! The lumber industry is important here and exports go to Korea, Japan, China, etc . We were tired by the time we arrived in Picton!

We have enjoyed our time on the South Island. Hard to believe it has already been 2 weeks. Tomorrow we take a 3 hr ferry ride to Wellington and head out on our North Island adventure!

Photos: Abel Tasman National Park

cindya — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 16:46:00 GMT

Vacation Day

cindya — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 16:44:00 GMT

Hello- I wasn't planning on blogging today as it was our down day, library hour day, vacation day. However, late in the afternoon we discovered the beach at Kaiteriteri just outside of Motueka on the Tasman Bay. It was so beautiful, I had to take a few pictures to share. (Annie- have you and your family been out here??) Bill even let me take his picture thus the Mr. March photos. Check out the coffee cruiser boat!! It was a perfect afternoon!!

Mom asked me about the food and we have had some good meals but tonignt's was really good. We ate at a local Thai restaurant which reminded me of the one we use to frequent in Renton, WA. It was excellent!

We have changed our plans a bit and tomorrow we are going out an Eco Boat Tour of the Tasman Bay. The weather looks good and the trip looks like fun! They launch the boats using tractors. Stay tuned for those pictures!!

Photos: Vacation in Motueka

cindya — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 16:38:00 GMT

Motueka

cindya — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 17:38:00 GMT

Today we woke to torrential rain and thunder where as yesterday evening we were sipping wine on a deck at a local hotel on the Tasman Sea. The weather can change quickly! We had planned that it would take us about 6 hours to travel 200 miles. Once we started inland the weather dried up, the roads remained windy and twisty but the sun did come out! As we got closer to Motueka suddenly we were in orchards – apples, pears, plums, peaches. Certainly the sheep and dairy cows were still prevalent but we were surprised to see how lush and thriving the fruit industry is here on the NW part of the island.

Not a lot of pictures today but there is a little Kiwi humor. Oh, and I think I know why Jeb has had such a hard time gaining traction. There are signs all along the roads in New Zealand that say “!”. I think he has been campaigning in the wrong country!!

Photos: Motueka

cindya — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 17:32:00 GMT

Photos: Franz Josef

cindya — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 17:14:00 GMT

Franz Josef Glacier

cindya — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 13:15:00 GMT

Guess what? The clouds lifted and it was a rather clear day here in Franz Josef so we headed for the glacier!! The first trail said great view of glaciers at Peter's Pool. Well, 60 years ago the glacier was all the way down to the pond. In the picture I took with the reflection on the water, the glacier, in 1954 was right behind this pond. It has now receded several km. My pictures of the glacier are from a trail about 10 minutes from the parking area. Very beautiful day with lots of waterfalls in addition to the great views of the glacier.

We also took a picture from the inside of the car of the one lane bridges that are prevalent here along the coast highway!! Very interesting and some of them you just want to cross in a hurry!!

Today's drive up the coast took us out to the Tasman Sea for views on a sunny day. Then, into Hotikita which is known for it's galleries of jade artists and other Kiwi stuff. We are heading there next for a little shopping.

Bill spoke with some ladies from England and Australia. They all shake their head at Trump and wonder what America is thinking!! Our position in the world is very critical and many of the people we have spoken with have said they are interested in our politics because it affects their countries so much. We play a greater role in world politics than we realize!!

Photos: Aspiring National Park

cindya — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 17:08:00 GMT

Mt. Aspiring National Park

cindya — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 13:11:00 GMT

The internet is a great gift. However, in the mountains last night it was touch and go. I wrote this story 4 times before being able to upload it! So, today we started out across the Southern Alps! The first picture is of a rainbow at the very north end of Lake Wanaka. We could tell that we were driving into weather and boy did we! It rminded me of being in the Puget Sound with lush green, mossy rocks and the rain really made the waterfalls run!! Depending on where you are in this rain forest, they get between 2-4 METERS of rain a year (remember 1 meter = 39 inches!!) So, we didn’t see a mountain peak in Aspiring National Park or a glacier. But, the ride was very pretty!

Kiwi humor as seen on a chalkboarg going into a pub in Haast - Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder!

another long drive

cindya — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 16:31:00 GMT

Today was a longer day than expected! A traffic accident added an hour detour to the drive. A jaunt into Queenstown turned out to be another hour as it was packed with people. Reminded us of driving into Taos last summre - lots of tourists and only one road in! The rest of the day reminded us of driving along the Wasatch front in Utah and driving in Yakima, WA as the area we drove through was filled with Central Otago wineries and vineyards. Roads were narrow and windy and you really can't drive more than 100 km (60mph). We are now safely in Wanaka!

Tomorrow, though, we drive through what looks like beautiful mountatin country through Aspiring National Park on our way to the rugged west coast.

Kiwi philosophy for the day - "Water is the most essential element in life. Without it, we couldn't make coffee!" They love their coffee and make a mean mochachinno!

Fiordland- Ata Whenua (Shadowland)

cindya — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 19:08:00 GMT

Doubtful Sound is a spectacular introduction to the Fiordland National Park. This park is larger than Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks combined and way more remote and inaccessible. My pictures don't really show the scope and the size of the area. We were surprised at the amount of vegetation and how thick the rainforests are in this area. They measure rainfall by the meter not by the millimeter! In some places they receive 30 meters of rain per year!! Some of my pictures show an area that seems to be devoid of trees. This is where a tree avalanche has taken place. There is no topsoil on these slopes so the p\trees, plants and undergrowth have fibrous roots that entangle with each other. When moss builds up on the limbs to the point where it breaks off, the tree heads down the slope and takes everything in its' path. Pretty amazing!!

This tour actually went out to the Tasman Sea which I didn't expect. Out there on the granite rocks were some seals which we got to watch for a while. Then we headed down a different arm and the dolphins showed up!! Evidently, seeing the dolphins is a 1 in 4 chance!

It was a great day on Doubtful Sound!! We finished the day off at a wonderful Italian restaurant with a Central Otago pinot grigio!!

Photos: Ata Whenua (Shadowland) - Fiordland Nat'l Park

cindya — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 19:00:00 GMT

Doubtful Sound

Travel day

cindya — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 18:53:00 GMT

Today we traveled from the Otago Peninsula by Dunedin to Te Anua. We decided not to take the southern route along the coast and opted for the shorter drive through the south central part of the island. It turned out to be very pretty with fields of various colors of green filled with either sheep or dairy cows. And we also came across red deer farms. These deer use to be pests and as best we understand, the Kiwis rounded them up and now raise them commercially and export venison to places such as Germany!

No pictures today but here is the Kiwi humor. On the drive from Dunedin to Te Anua, we passed through a city called Clinton and the next town was called Gore. You guessed it, the sign in Clinton read "Clinton to Gore - the Presidential Highway!: