I landed in Auckland, New Zealand Tuesday, April 10. The weather was nice and I grabbed my rental vehicle the next day. With petrol at ~$8.31 a gallon equivalent, I'm driving a very small and much more fuel efficient car than I used in AU. I also pick up a GPS unit to make getting where I'm going in the cities much easier. I'm off to Hamilton to meet Lyn and her husband Gavin and stay the night. Lyn has known my friend Betsy since High School days when she was an exchange student and lived w/ Betsy's family in Connecticut. After trying to make the connections w/ a cell phone that's somewhat temperamental, they call me and I get their home address and I'm there in no time. Lyn and Gavin and there son Brad(home from university for a few weeks) greet me and we share a very pleasant evening, going out for a great dinner and they giving me advice about the rest of my time in NZ. They offer to let me stay in their other home in Taupo where I'm planning to be in a few days. After a good nights rest I'm off to Rotorura to see some Maori culture as well as the results of geological forces that have shaped this part of NZ for thousands of years. The Maori are native people who sailed around 700 years ago from Hawaii and landed in New Zealand. Much like the sad story of native American Indians, they were subjected to British colonialism in the 19th century and wars were fought to preserve their way of life and their ancestral lands. A treaty was signed in 1840 but was not fully adhered to by the British. New Zealander's have worked over the years trying to assimilate the Maori Culture with their Euro-centric one and from what I've seen there seems to be a cultural acceptance of the Maori people by Kiwi's w/ European ancestry.
One of the things I planned to do was to hike the Tongariro Crossing, a 19KM hike (called tramping on a track here). Lousy knees and all, the weather is just perfect. I decide to hike up to the Mt. Tongariro Summit which added ~ 3 KM. Knees felt good till the descent and the last 7 KM were tough. It's a great hike as you hike through a volcanic crater, past other craters, past a relatively active volcano, Mt. Ngauruhoe (Mt. Doom for you Lord of the Ring fans), past blue and greenish colored lakes and surrounded by mountains off in the distance. The interestingly shaped volcanic rock is a sight to see. Well worth the sore knees!
The next day I head south for Wellington, the capitol city of NZ. The weather is nice and sunny as I travel through a semi arid climate south of Tongariro National Park. It reminds me of states I've been through in the western US. Mainly tussock grass and small shrubs, few tall trees.
Wellington looks similar to Melbourne, AU, though a much smaller version nestled at the bottom of a pretty steep mountain. The flat part of the city was actually built on fill placed in the bay over the years. I spend half a day at the National Museum of NZ also called by its Maori name, Te Papa. The design of the modern building is visually stimulating though not as over the top as some of the Melbourne, AU buildings I saw.
There is a extensive Maori Culture exhibit as well as modern art paintings and sculpture. Overall it is well worth the time spent visiting Te Papa.
I'm off on the Interislander Ferry the following day to travel to the south island. It's a three and a half hour long trip and the weather is mostly cloudy leaving Wellington but the clouds start to break up as we get closer to the south island and Marlborough Sound. Really looking forward to the scenery on the south island.
