Susan's Travel Sagas

Day 29 - Oamaru to Lake Tekapo

momsadoc — Sun, 6 Dec 2009 23:00:00 GMT

12-6-2009
Slept ok and had a nice breakfast this AM. Had scrambled eggs with a small side of tomato and mushrooms in addition to the usual NZ breakfast. Weather was not good - overcast and sort of raining. I really enjoyed talking with Jay and Austen and didn’t have much incentive to leave. I was tired, weather was poor!
However, I finally pulled out of there around 10 AM, got some gas and headed off in the direction of Mt. Cook. Oamaru has some really beautiful old Victorian buildings and what is supposed to be a good small museum, the North Otago museum as well as the very famous Whitestone Cheese company. I missed all of these - it was Sunday and I just couldn’t stay there, but wish I had had more time there and had left Dunedin a lot earlier. I heard stories at breakfast about the penguins and how they sometimes just walk down the street in town. Once, the McMillans had gone out for dinner and there was a penguin standing at the entrance to the restaurant as if the maitre’d and another time two were walking down the street together as if they were going out to the movies.

In the drizzle, I made a few stops/side trips. Saw the Maraewhenua Maori rock paintings on some cliff walls in two different places. In the second the quality was really diminished by the graffiti and more modern carvings into the rocks. Then I drove down a side road to see the Elephant Rocks, giant limestone boulders in a sheep paddock, that look like (per Lonely Planet Guide) “slumbering, mutant monsters (or possibly elephants). Per that same guide these rocks were in the movie Narnia, filmed in 2005. I passed through the small town of Omarama (population 360) which is an area where a number of major hydroelectric dams have been built. I chose not to visit the dams, but did take a side trip off on a gravel road for about 10 km to see the Clay Cliffs. It was raining, and (per Lonely Planet) are the result of two million years of erosion on layers of silt and gravel that were exposed on the active Osler fault line. They are on private land. They are impressive and the opportunity was there (which I did not take) to hike all the way up to them.)

I continued on to Mt. Cook in the rain and on the approach could see the snow capped mountains in that area with large clouds obscuring their summits. Reportedly, the approach is supposed to be beautiful on a clear sunny day with Mt. Cook and the others reflected in the large Lake Punakiki that one drives next to for about 20 miles or so. Once at the Mt. Cook National Park area, I went to the Visitor Center and then to the Edmund Hilary Alpine Center. There were some interesting exhibits and videos at the mountaineering center focusing on how to survive in the Alpine. I chose not to see any movies, etc. at the Edmund Hilary Center because I had little time and thought even with the rain it would be best to get back outdoors and see what I could.

I drove to Tasman Valley with the turnoff just down the road and set off on the 15-20 minute trail to see the Blue Pools, three small lakes/pools that apparently are very blue when the sky is clear (no luck for me - they were sort of greenish) with the rain. After getting to the third pool which involved clambering over rocks that had slid and obscured the trail I came out on a road. Two people were hiking and told me it went back to the car park. I decided to hike up it and see where it went. Well it just kept going up the valley at the base of glacial moraines, over some dirty ice at one point. I know I hiked at least a mile and then decided to turn around. Fortunately the way back was downhill. Once back I saw the sign for the trail to view the Tasman Glacier (which I thought was near the Blue Pools). Turns out I had to climb back up the same mountain that went off the Blue Pools and then continue up. There were some steps, some very rocky areas, etc. It amazed that some fairly elderly people who appeared to not be in the greatest shape were doing this trail. However, once at the top, there was a vies of the large lake which was over the lower end of the glacier and had some icebergs in it. Further up the valley, one could see the main part of the glacier. It is the largest glacier in NZ. By this time, the rain had gone away, the sky was blue with some clouds, and it was much warmer. I was glad I had seen the glacier and there were even some helicopters then flying over. A very nice German woman offered to take my picture.

Back down and to the car. I thought I would go to the other nearby valley, Hooker Valley. I had read that doing the first part of the trail there to the first suspension bridge which took about 30 minutes was good. Well, when I arrived in Hooker Valley ( about 1 mile away from where I had been), the sun went away and I was back in a rainstorm. I did the walk which went to a lookout over a suspension bridge. I took some pictures, but not without difficulty as at the lookout a fierce wind came up. So I had the camera in my homemade plastic bag covering with holes for the lens and viewfinder and was trying to keep the water off the lens by balancing the umbrella which kept getting blown inside out. It was truly a challenge and probably looked very comical from afar. I got a couple of pictures, went back to the car, and set off for Lake Tekapo.

When I arrived at the Freda du Faur (name of the first woman to climb Mt. Cook), the hosts, Dawn and Barry Clark, were just about to leave for a birthday celebration. However, I was greeted warmly and shown my room and the house. Before bringing anything in, I then decided to go get something to eat as I would need to come back and rest and change before my next activity for the evening. As there are several salmon farms in the area and salmon was recommended to me, I chose salmon at the McKenzie Bar and Grill. (The area is named for Jack McKenzie who, as it turns out had as his claim to fame stealing and reselling sheep.) The salmon was good, served with a sort of puree/mash of cauliflower although it took a while to get it. I had a glass of sauvignon blanc; the waitress did not speak English very well and, perhaps had difficulty with my accent, because she asked me if it was red or white.

Back to the B&B, hopefully to rest a bit. However, as I walked up the walkway I was greeted by Sharon from Winnipeg, another guest there. I don’t think she knew I had already been there because she told me Dawn and Barry were out. Rather than rest, I sat in the living room and chatted with her and her husband Ray. This was really the first time at a B&B I had other guests to speak converse with. As the time drew near for me to leave (tour at 10:15 PM, arrive at 10:00 PM), I got ready for that night’s adventure and put all my many layers back on (which served me well this time.) This night was the Earth and Sky Tour, a trip to the St. John Observatory. It is at about 1400 meters elevation with skies with almost no pollution. It was originally supported by the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Canterbury and still functions as a working observatory. Since light interferes with the real work, when we got about 2/3 of the way there, the buses turned off their lights and we completed the trip in the dark. The observatory is on the top of a mountain requiring something of a winding mountain road to get there, so this seemed to be a difficult and somewhat scary undertaking.

We were given an extra warm parka to wear which I had on over my two layers of thermal underwear, turtleneck, sweat shirt, and warm jacket with fleece. The extra jacket was a necessity. We were introduced to some basic concepts of distance in the skies and then given a “tour” of what we were seeing. This included the Southern Cross, the star alpha centauri, six of the astrological constellations including Taurus, (Sagittarius had already set), Orion, Jupiter, and the Pleides (seven sisters). There were three telescopes outside to use and a big indoor one that I saw Jupiter and its moons through. Frazer was the resident photography expert who had a mount with his camera on it and space for three more cameras. It was attached to a motor that moved the mount in accordance with the movement of the stars. Fortunately, there were only three of us there with cameras so he mounted and adjusted their settings and took some nice star pictures. Unfortunately, there was some group filming in the town below, so their big spotlight was shining directly up at the observatory and causing some problems. One of the other people there with a camera was a woman attorney from Amsterdam who works with music copyrights. She and her boyfriend were then coming to the U.S., including LA, but that is as far as we got. After a warm cup of hot chocolate, we got back in the buses for the ride down and then back to the B&B.

Day 28 - Dunedin to Oamaru

momsadoc — Sat, 5 Dec 2009 23:00:00 GMT

12-5-2009

Woke up to a sunny and cloudless day. Put on a short sleeved T-shirt for the second time. Ate breakfast alone; they was one other guest(s?) but they had already eaten. Krissie, the B&B hostess was not home, but she had told me she had a booth at the Farmers’ Market selling some kind of roasted seeds. So her husband tended breakfast. Just as his wife had done the day before, he came in (did introduce himself after I introduced myself) and asked if I wanted tea or coffee. He brought the coffee back and left, closing the door and just leaving me there alone. He came back one more time to find out if I wanted toast and that was the extent of the conversation. It was very uncomfortable - worse that being in a restaurant even. He didn’t know how to check me out with the credit card machine, so his daughter helped - never introduced herself at all. When I left I chose to tell him that this B&B was the coldest and most unfriendly place I had stayed in during my month in NZ. I told him I read the guest book and it seemed all the comments addressed the comfort of the beds and the views, not the hospitality.

I drove in to Dunedin and walked over the Farmer’s Market which it took me about 10-15 minutes to go through. I did pass Krissie quickly, not sure if she saw or recognized me, but I chose not to speak to her. I took a few pictures and then went to the Octagon, the town center, where a 9:30 AM 1 hour walking tour was to begin (from the brochure I picked up at the B&B). When I arrived there seemed to be no tour. I found the I-site (tourist information office) and learned the 9:30 AM tours no longer occurred and the brochure I had was out of date. I was offered a 2 hour tour at 11 AM or a trip on double decker bus. I declined both and for $.50 got a map with a self-guided walking tour. So I walked around and looked at various old Victorian buildings and then went to Cadbury Chocolate for the 10:30 tour there (an abbreviated tour since the factory was not in operation on Saturdays.) This included a trip to the gift ship (only accessible with a tour ticket) so they could sell the participants candy, a brief DVD show and a walk into the purple tower to see 1 ton of liquid chocolate fall down. We did get to taste warm liquid milk chocolate and got a few free candy bars as well as extras if we could answer the tour guide’s questions. It was interesting. I spoke with a young woman who was there with her mother, both from Australia, although she is starting here second year at the university. She took off five years and was living in South Africa working at a cheetah preserve, studying there behavior, raising cheetahs for zoos, and ministering to the ill at the cheetah hospital. That was really interesting.

After I walked over to look into the train station and ran into this man John that had been on the Monarch Cruise yesterday ( the math professor) who was looking for Maori artwork. Not much in Dunedin although he had just come out of a gallery that I then went in that had about as good a selection as any of some of the better Maori artwork to be found. I stopped in the free Otago Settler’s Museum and then back to the car. I decided to try to find the “steepest street in the world” which I think I saw from a distance, but never actually got to. At that point I was anxious to get out of Dunedin and got sort of lost because I couldn’t find the sign to direct me where to go. Circled the town once (passed some U of Otago graduates in cap and gown as today was graduation) and then onto the highway.

I drove straight through to Moeraki, a little fishing town. I found Fleur’s Place on the water. No tables so I was given the choice of eating outside (windy) or at the bar (chose the latter). Fortunately a couple who had been seated at a table decided to leave and no one else was waiting so I got the table. I ordered perch and asparagus with hollandaise sauce and new potatoes. The fish was really fresh, but a bit salty. Otherwise, the food was good. I saw that there was a book/cookbook about the restaurant that looked really interesting so decided to buy it. I spoke to the server and he arranged for Fleur to come over to sign it. She sat at the table and we had a quite a talk about the challenges or running a restaurant, her pesonal challenges in battling colon cancer, etc. She was really nice and that was really special. There was an older man playing guitar next to me with great old songs like Margaretaville, etc. and it was a really wonderful experience.

Then down the road to the Moeraki Boulders. I had to walk about 300 meters down the beach to see them. They are these big round boulders sitting on the beach. What was also interesting was that all the waves that were coming in were leaving rims of bubbles on the beach, like soap bubbles. I have no idea why and have never seen anything like that before. From there I drove straight to Oamaru. There is a several block area of old Victorian stone buildings with some galleries, but as I arrived just before 5:00 everything was either closed or closing. Saw two wedding parties out having pictures taken - I guess since this is Spring, this is a big wedding time of year (like June in the USA). Then walked around the Botanical Gardens and took some pictures of some flowers before driving to the Oamaru Creek Bed and Breakfast.

I was greeted by Austen, the host, who seems like a very laid back but nice man. I did meet his wife Jay who had been out in the garden and their youngest daughter who took off a year after high school and is now waiting to hear about college. She wants to attend Auckland University and study planning - urban and environmental. I had a cup of tea with the three of them and learned a bit about college admissions and tuition in New Zealand. Austen lent me a pair of binoculars and then they took off for a picnic on the beach. I was given the run of the common area of the house and had some time to myself before I bundled up in warm clothes to go to watch the blue penguins.

I just returned from that. We sat in bleachers and washed the penguins come ashore and go to there nests. The nests look like those of the yellow eyed penguins, but interestingly these penguins seem to operate more in groups. Large groups come ashore together and they seem to spend time ashore in small groups more than the yellow eyed which seemed to be more independent. They make a honking duck like sound.There was a large group of people and we all sat in covered bleachers. The penguins came ashore over the next several hours and up a ramp among some rocks. They came in groups, stood around for awhile with some appearing to be “grooming” - getting oil from a special gland at the base of their tales to apply to their feathers to make them waterproof. Eventually they would disperse and go to their nests. Sometimes the penguin “at home” would be out waiting or even calling. Some of the penguins would stand around in groups. It was all very entertaining and too bad no photos could be taken. The penguins’ eyes are very light sensitive and they need their vision to catch fish, so there is concern, I guess, about the possible use of flash. Before the viewing was over, we were told 151 had come ashore. No pictures or videos, so it is all a great memory.

Now back at the B&B and time for bed.

Day 24 - Milford Sound

momsadoc — Tue, 1 Dec 2009 23:00:00 GMT

12-1-2009

Awoke to an overcast day, low clouds obscured part of the mountains. No other guests at breakfast and had the usual with a fried egg. The option was there for a full English breakfast, but that didn’t really appeal to me. I got my things together and departed for the drive to Milford Sound. It was supposed to be a two hour drive, but really could be done in less time except for the fact that one has to go through Homer Tunnel which is only one way at a time and the direction changes only every 15 minutes. I stopped for a few photo ops along the way. At the first, a view scene, as I got back into the car I could see a tractor coming down the road behind me with a flashing light. Behind it was this huge herd of sheep. I took a quick picture and took off because I preferred to be in front of the sheep, not behind them. As recommended by Merle, the B&B hostess, I stopped at Mirror Lakes. She said much better to do so in the morning because there is less wind and the reflections are better.

I arrived at Milford Sound with about ten minutes to spare by the time I walked the 10-15 minutes from the car park to the station where all the boats left from. It was fairly windy and overcast for all the ride with some very brief episodes of drizzle. There were a number of nice high waterfalls. The only animals seen were some fur seals. I talked for some time with a couple from the UK who sat at my table - Bill and his wife, (she was originally from Romania.) They were very nice - he runs an employment agency and she is involved in something to do with hospitality and tourism. On the way back the boat stopped and I realized it was my time to get off as I was going to the underwater observatory. I only had time to verbally give them my e-mail - would be nice to stay in touch.

The underwater observatory was quite interesting. There were viewing windows to ledges outside where all we saw was natural. There were fish, sea anemones, coral, sea stars, etc. Most of the people who got off the boat with me spoke German, so I asked the observatory man for a tour in English which he kindly gave, He was from the UK, but came a number of years ago and stayed as a scuba instructor. At the end, he got me a book about the observatory (which I think had a cost) and just gave it to me. A different boat came and picked us up for the short ride back.

I then did the drive back with some side trips and short walks. Took a longer drive down a gravel road and then a 15-20 minute hike up to see the very high Humboldt Falls. I thought no one would be there, but met a young Dutch couple who quit their jobs in April and were sort of traveling around the world. Walked to another “rapids” called Gantry which was part of a trail to a more distant lake and met an older Israeli man as I was taking a picture. He was part of two couples traveling together, so we spoke briefly.

As I approached Te Anau, it began to rain. When I got in town, I called the Redcliff Café where I had wanted to eat the night before, and they were able to take me right away. I had a really good dinner of wild hare which I had never eaten before. It is not like rabbit (which is like chicken), but more like a game meat. Then back to the House of Wood B&B.

Day 23 - Queenstown to Te Anau

momsadoc — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:00:00 GMT

11-30-2009

Woke this AM to an overcast sky with the Remarkables totally gone. Had breakfast - no other guests present. No special plans for the day. Put the laundry away and got ready to go. Visited Arrowtown about 20 minutes away, nice shops with nice clothing and a few nice galleries. Small, but good museum about the gold mining history of the area, very similar to the California Gold Rush. Walked through the nearby remains of the Chinese community and then left. Decided to drive a little further out and visit a few wineries. Stopped at Amisfield on the way to the main highway. The fellow serving the wine was from Chicago - worked at one time at the Hyde Park Co-op which he told me is now closed. Then went on and came upon a bungee jumping center. Stopped and as I walked up to view it, a woman was being secured for the jump. As she stood on the ledge, she refused to move, but after an arm around her shoulder and much coaxing she finally jumped. I guess this is the only jump where one actually touches the water below. She ended up upside down swinging in the air and was then “rescued” by a small raft. Nothing I would ever do! Walked out on the walkway to the jump platform and met some Israelis - first I’ve run into here.

Went to the winery associated with this place and tasted some wines there including Freefall wine. Interesting to compare three different pinot noirs, two were the same but different years, and two pinot gris. A man came in from The Cheesery down the road to discuss his project to put together a cheese-wine tasting menu and wondered if the winery might be interested. I listened in and then left and drove down to the The Cheesery, also associated with a winery. I sampled some cheeses and then ordered a cheese board which served as my lunch as I had only eaten an apple. I really liked the Kumaru blue cheese, a very light blue cheese. They make a sheep’s milk pecorino, a very hard cheese, a Cheddar style, and a Havarti style cheese. I had the blue, the Cheddar, the Havarti, with a few fruits and some quince chutney. Quite nice.

When finished I decided to head to Te Anau. The drive took about 1 12/ hours south and then west. I checked in at The House of Wood and set out for some dinner. Ate at The Olive Tree Caf� and had a wonderful chunky tomato soup. The “mains” was the absolutely worst meal I have eaten here, a chicken satay that was essentially a big bowl of mush with some oily peanut sauce on it. Yuk! - couldn’t eat it, told the waitress how bad it was, she said she would tell the chef, but that was about it. Had to pay for the whole disgusting dish. Then went to the supermarket to pick up a few lunch items, some fruit, yogurt, some trail mix bars. Back to the B&B and time for bed.

Day 22 - Queenstown

momsadoc — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:00:00 GMT

11-29-2009

Woke to a sunny day, but more clouds in the sky and more breeze. Had the usual NZ breakfast, no other guests to talk with. There was a couple from S. Africa there, but the man only emerged to ask for an iron. I had forgotten to confirm my Skipper’s Canyon Adventure until around 10 PM the night before and ended up changing the plan as I was the only one booked on the trip with the 4 wheel drive and gold mining museum tour. So I was able to leave a little later (8:15 AM), do the trip with some other people on a bus, and save about $50. The trip was really fun, a bus ride on this gravel road cut into the mountain that to the area that was in the 1800’s and early 1900’s a major gold mining area and where gold was discovered in NZ. We saw the site of the first bungy jump, closed because a higher one was opened. Then we arrived far back in the canyon and went on a jet boat ride. That was great fun, first upstream and then down at about 80 km/hour, filled with 360 degree spins and near misses from overhanging rocks. Then back to Queenstown and I was dropped off at the B&B.

I was speaking with Leslie about something and the topic of laundry came up. She said I could do the laundry there for $6 which was fine with me. So I gathered my clothes together and put them in the washer. She said she would put them in the dryer and remove them for me. Then off to Queenstown. I walked through the gardens, discovered a rose named Hayley Westenra, the same name as the singer of the CD I had been listening to and admiring at breakfast. She was a NZ star at age 18, sings something like Charlotte Church. Then I walked to look at the shops, found Patagonia, a gourmet chocolate and ice cream shop. For the second day in a row, I decided to indulge in ice cream. This was some of the best ice cream I have ever had, served in big waffle cones. I splurged and had a double scoop, dark chocolate with macademia nuts and tramontano which is a cream base with dulce de leche and butterscotch balls coated in chocolate. It was to die for! That served as lunch. I continued wandering through some shops, then got very tired, so went back to the car to rest before the evening event.

Had to be at the steamship dock at 5:40 for the steamboat cruise across the lake, dinner and farm tour at the Earmslaw high country farm. The boat was interesting and the ride was nice, but nothing too spectacular. Sat with some Australians who had come here for their son/brother’s wedding. The dining room at the farm was pretty, wood paneled, formal place settings, replete with a live piano player. The tour group people sat in the large room, and we independent travelers were in a smaller dining room. I had to eat alone at a small table. Dinner was a buffet with salads, some different meats, and desserts. I had prime rib which wasn’t that great accompanied by a glass of wine which helped. Then we went for the “farm tour” which consisted of watching a dog round up some sheep and sheep shearing. This was much hokier and much less informative that the “hokey” show I saw in Waitomo. In retrospect, this whole event I could have done without.

Now back to the B&B.

Day 21 - Glacier to Queenstown drive

momsadoc — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:00:00 GMT

11-28-2009
Woke to a rainy morning with fog so dense that I could not see the mountains. This seemed to portend that the helihike would be canceled. However, since I had been told the night before that no final decision would be made until the actual departure time, I dressed with three of the recommended five layers (five would have been too much to eat breakfast in) and joined Sandra and Hak. They suggested I call the company again and explain that if the helihike really was to be cancelled it would be pointless for me to drive there since would need to return to Okarito. So I did call and was told no guarantee it would be cancelled, but as I pressed for more information and explained my predicament, the woman I was speaking with spoke to the pilot who said most likely it would be canceled. I asked if that meant about 95% chance and she said “Yes.” So I canceled my reservation and told her I would stop by on my was through Fox Glacier.

I packed up after breakfast, took a picture of Sandra and Hak, and headed back to Okarito. There was my watch on the counter. I thanked Richard and told him to thank Sean who had found it. I quickly got back in the car to head back the way I had come and then go on to Fox Glacier. The 20 km drive, as it turns out, was not a quick one. There was a section of mountain twists and turns and some road construction as well. I guess I arrived there a little after 10 AM. I took care of the refund, got an Americano coffee to go (more expensive if it is to go because you have to pay for the paper cup?), and filled up with gas. Gas there was twenty cents a gallon more than anywhere else I had been ($1.86/liter), but I really had no choice since gas stations are few and far between. I left Fox Glacier around 10:30. It is a smaller town than Franz Josef, with just a couple of cafes, a few stores, and the activities headquarters. Once on the road and away from the glacier area (like within a half hour), the rain and mist and fog disappeared and the sky was blue and there was sunshine (all for the rest of the day.)

In retrospect, it was good that I had more time to do the drive. Had I done the helihike I would really have been pushing things. I stopped at Knight’s Point, the famous place to view the coast. Then I passed Bruce’s Bay, a place where the road was right next to the beach. I saw these interesting rock formations next to the road stretching the length of the beach, so stopped and looked. They were all made by people who had stacked rocks in different formations, some with driftwood, some with names and an inscription on a rock. There were even some formations on logs down on the beach. It was really interesting and very artistic. Then on to the next stop at Ship Creek. I did a walk for about twenty minutes that went through some rain forest area to overlook a lake with reeds growing in it and to see the beach and small sand dunes. There was another track that went away from the beach into the forest swamp, that I walked on for about five minutes. It ran parallel to a river going to the sea and had more of the rain forest flora, at least in that area. Then back in the car and on to Haast, the next town and point where the road leaves the sea to climb over Haast Pass. I stopped there for something to eat and got a white bait sandwich which seemed to be a local favorite. The tiny fish, smaller than sardines, were breaded and fried and made into sort of a patty and then put between two pieces of bread. When I was inquiring to find out what a white bait burger was in the first place and asked if you put any sauce, like tarter sauce, etc. on it, I was given the oddest look and told you can do it if you like, but… (that is not the way we do it here.)

From Haast, the road turned inland and paralled the Haast river and a glacial moraine. It steadily climbed. I stopped at recommended stops to see waterfalls and good views, with some occasional short walks from the car. Once over the pass, the road descended and paralleled a very large lake, Lake Hawea, south of Wanaka. In appearance it reminded me of the lake at Hoover Dam, The mountains are brown with not much vegetation, much more similar to southern California. The road then paralleled Lake Wanaka (which runs parallel to Lake Hawea) and went into the town of Wanaka. I had heard this was a nice place and a center for many activities. I drove through the center and found myself down by the lakefront. There were a few blocks of shops and cafes. I saw one that was an ice cream shop and given that it was sunny and clear and warm, this seemed like an ideal destination (double scoop of coffee and walnut and sort of a rocky road. Walked around a bit then back to the car to head over the Crown Mountain Range into Queenstown.

The mountains are brown without much vegetation as well. However, the views coming into Queestown are spectacular with a fairly steep descent down. I found Larch Hill bed and breakfast which is about 3 km away from the center on the side that I was coming into. What a lovely place. It is a home on a hill with a beautiful view of lake below and the mountains across (The Remarkables). The sky was blue and the view was breathtaking. Most of Queenstown is built on hills and it seems as if just about every building has some sort of amazing view. I checked in. This was a very lovely home with some amazing carvings and masks (I was told from New Guinea), other nice pieces of art, many books. Leslie Matthews, the hostess, was in a long skirt and nice top, one of the first women in NZ I have seen dressed that way. She told me husband was away in Australia for a week; he is a lawyer.

I then went into town with some restaurant recommendations and ate at a small French restaurant, Salerno Vino, and had a very nice lamb dish. Turns out another couple there spotted me and said hello. I had met them on the water taxi in Abel Tasman - from Minnesota. She was due to go home soon and her husband Russ was staying to fish. So we talked for a few minutes which was nice. After dinner I walked and looked at a few shops. The tourist oriented shops were all open and it was after 9:30 PM - very different than the rest of NZ. Then back to the B&B, caught up on little e-mail, watched some TV and time for bed.

Day 20 - Glacier Country

momsadoc — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:00:00 GMT

11-27-2009

I started the day with the usual NZ breakfast - juice, museli, toast, marmelade, and coffee which I ate with
Sandra. We spoke about her children, two daughters one of whom lives in Calgary, Canada, and the other about 30 km away. She shared, as ell, the story of her son, Glenn, who drowned at age 16 while catching white bait near Okarito where I was to go to shortly. Sandra used to work as a the chief housekeeper at a motel in town, but not any longer. She took up wool spinning and dying after her son died.

While feeling sad from hearing this story, I set out for Okarito, about half an hour drive. Once there, it seemed chilly and was overcast and I wasn’t sure I would go. Richard asked me to decide since a large group was coming soon. With that, I put on my kayaking shorts over my swim suit, donned my new polypro shirt and rain jacket, and got ready. I was given the usual safety instructions as well as information about the route I was to take and a laminated map and bird guide by Sean, a college student working there for the summer. I had my backpack ready to stow, but was told I didn’t need to take it. At the last minute I thought I should remove my watch from the backpack and put it in the dry bag in case I needed to know the time.

I set out on paddling, initially a bit chilly, but eventually I got warmer and removed the jacket. After I left I could tell there were sand flies trapped under the kayak skirt because I could feel them biting my legs, but there was nothing I could do about that except suffer. I didn’t see many birds, but did see some herons and got a great video of a tui pollinating recently bloomed flax flowers. It was calm and peaceful to be alone on the lagoon. I paddled into the side river, sort of like being in a swamp. The other group eventually caught up which was fortunate because there was one area to portage the kayaks and the guides helped me. (We were all portaged in the kayaks.) I had some help on the return as well. The other group, an American group bicycling through New Zealand went much faster than I, but eventually I made it back. All in all kayaked for about three hours. I was tired, but happy to get the free cup of coffee welcoming me at the end of the trip. I changed my clothes, spoke some with Edwina, Richard’s wife, who knew the Tiniraus and said to say hello to them. I drove down to look at the beach about two blocks and realized I didn’t have my watch, so stopped back at the office. It wasn’t in any of the dry bags, nor in the tub of water they wash them with. I retraced my footsteps back to where I brought the kayak ashore, but no watch. I was upset, but left my cell phone number with Richard in case it turned up.

I drove back to Franz Josef, looked in some of the shops, and had my first NZ cheeseburger for lunch. Interesting that in addition to lettuce and tomato, they also put a piece of pickled beet on the bun. I then headed to the glacier with the plan being to do the walk up to the face of the glacier. As I arrived at the parking area, it started to rain. Undaunted, I pulled out the rain jacket and headed out. I had envision the hike (tramp) as being through forest or wooded areas. It was for only a short bit, but then crossed the large glacial moraine, flat and rocky. There were a number of very high waterfalls coming down the mountains on the sides. It was interesting to see the glacier. Those who went on guided trips got to climb up high and get closer, but I was completely content doing a walk that, for once, was almost completely flat. There was a poster where the trail entered the moraine that showed how much the glacier had receded over the past few hundred years.

Once back, I decided to go see the heimax movie, a 25 minute movie shot entirely from a helicopter. I had a bit to wait for the next showing so wondered through the few shops again, then sat and read. The movie was impressive, showing the high country, scenes of a man parachuting off an incredibly high cliff.

Then across the street to Beeches for dinner, had carrot and cumin soup and a Caesar salad with barbecued steak. I had no idea the salad included little pieces of ham, but it did. The soup was good, the salad was ok. Then back to the B&B. As I walked in Sandra and Hak were watching some kind of culinary show on TV. They invited me to join them which I did - the show was the final episode of an Australian show to pick the first “master” chef - a competition among amateur chefs who worked with professional chefs and had various challenges. When I came in the two contestants were trying to identify ingredients in a boeuf borugignon, then they had to prepare a dish using a whole chicken, and finally they had to recreate a chocolate dessert made by an Australian chef from Aria. Once the show was over, I chatted with Sandra and Hak and shared tea and carrot cake with them. They told me about some of their experiences living in India and Australia where Hak had gone for his work as a coal mining engineer and Hak shared some of his experiences related to being Maori and the impact of the Catholic church on the Maori. It was then time to go to bed. I was concerned about the next morning’s plan for the heli-hike as it was continuing to rain. I was also upset about my lost watch. Once in the room, I checked the cell phone and Richard had left a message that Sean had actually found the watch down by the water’s edge! I was amazed - when I couldn’t find it, I figured it had flipped out of the dry bag when I removed the camera and was lost somewhere in the bottom of the lagoon. So then I was facing the dilemma of how to retrieve it the next day. If the helihike was on that would mean an early morning drive ½ hour south, the helihike and then a one hour drive back to Okarito and one hour south again + the six hour drive to Queenstown. This did not sound like fun. Time to sleep on this!

Day 19 - To New Zealand Glacier Country

momsadoc — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Overcast and cool this A.M. Had a bowl of muesli and cup of tea in the little kitchen here (wasan’t going to deal with the little packages of instant coffee.) Visited the botanical gardens, drove to what looked like the entrance on my map which was at the top of the Wellington cable car. There were no available brochures to carry with me, but I thought I could walk down and take the cable car back up. Turns out when I got to the bottom I found some brochures at that entrance and I was nowhere near the lower stop for the cable car, so I had to (again) walk back up a big mountain. The botanical gardens were large with meandering paths, an area with some large sculptures, and small gardens - herbs, camellias, begonias, etc. At the very bottom was a large formal rose garden that I never quite got to because it would have meant climbing down part or the mountain I had just climbed back up and I didn’t want to do that.

Once back to the car I drove into the city, parked, and walked up Cuba Street to Te Papa, the national museum. Saw the town hall and the conference center. the museum was impressive, with exhibits about so many aspects of NZ life, the Maoris, the immigrants, the animals, the plants, the land. The largest squid in captivity is preserved and on display with a movie explaining how it was caught by accident in Antarctica. Another short film was about a man who enjoyed getting out in the very remote country; it showed him free falling off an incredibly high cliff, with a parachute that you couldn’t see deployed at just the last moment.

I attended a free concert performed by the NZ String Quartet with compositions by contemporary NZ composers. Two of the composers were present and spoke briefly about their pieces. It was a pleasant interlude and change of pace and so nice to enjoy a part of kiwi culture without climbing a mountain or even being on my feet.

After leaving the museum, explored the shopping areas of Wellington on foot, then drove to view the government buildings including the Beehive. An older local woman standing on the sidewalk while I was taking pictures offered some commentary. She told me the Parliament was only half built which appears to be true and instead of finishing the other half of the building, the “Beehive” was built. When Queen Elizabeth came to commemorate the opening, she commented that she hoped there would not be too many drones in the building.

I then took a drive to Mt. Victoria to get a panoramic view of the city and nearly got blown away. I think it would have been much more enjoyable and impressive were the sun out. Then back down the mountain to find a place to park for dinner at Logan Brown, one of NZ’s best restaurants. As I was eating early I had the option of the full a la carte menu or the prix fixe bistro menu (chose the latter) with half glass wine tasting. Dinner was very nice with an entrée of cold salmon with potato, a “mains” of turkey confit with cranberry and pumpkin puree (the closest I will get to Thanksgiving) and a fresh green dinner salad, then a raisin pie, followed by a decaf cappucino.

Now I am catching up on e-mail on this unsecured network I found.

Day 18 - More kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park

momsadoc — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:00:00 GMT

(cormorants) - black and grey. we just floated along for a while - it was such an incredible experience, so peaceful and such a connection with nature. We had to leave just as another large group was coming in. Then we headed south to Anchorage, our pickup point.

We boarded the water taxi, with some kayaks loaded behind. I was speaking to an older woman sitting behind me who was from Scotland. Turns out many years ago she had trained as a pediatric nurse in London at Great Ormond Street Hospital and worked in Edinburgh as a pediatric nurse until she had her family. We compared notes about how hard it is to spend time in such a children’s hospital with so many sick children and lose sight of the fact that most children really are healthy.

Once back at the office, I got a ride back to the B&B, freshened up (like a hot shower) and then joined Laura for dinner. One of the options at the B&B was to have a home cooked Italian meal (for an extra charge). I thought that would be nice to day and it gave me an opportunity to have someone I sort of knew to eat dinner with. The meal was good, a pasta dish from southern Italy with vegetables, a little spicy with some chilis in it, asparagus with a saffron sauce and a torte, and then an almond pudding with homemade cherry syrup and cherries on it. All was quite nice. Sandor came home just as we were finishing dinner; he had been teaching an Italian class in Nelson that evening.

Day 17 - Kayak and Tramp in Abel Tasman National Park

momsadoc — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:00:00 GMT

After a muesli breakfast I arrived in Marahua for today’s sea kayak adventure at 8:15. After instruction in how to get in and out of the kayak, how to paddle, how to put on the skirt and life jacket, and how to stow things in and on the kayak, we walked down to the beach. The leader was Hamish and we were a group of seven. I was partnered with Hamish.

The kayak trip began in Marahua and we then paddled north to the Abel Tasman Park entrance. As we rounded the point to enter the Astrolab area, an area of sheltered coves and beaches, the wind came up blowing into us. The wind added to the work of kayaking, but I knew I had a good deal sharing the kayak with the guide. This area was named after the ship of the Frenchman Duval who came to this area to track the planet Venue and then developed the southern hemisphere latitude and longitude system. The large island outside the coast, Adele Island, was named after this wife. One of the beaches passes was named Observation Beach because that is where he set up his equipment to do his astronomical observations. After several hours of kayaking we pulled ashore at a small beach, Watering Cove, for lunch. We shared the beach with other kayak groups.

The water was beautiful blue with shades varying with depth and the contents of the sea floor. Closer to the beach it was a light icy green color. The beaches were of light golden sand with high green backdrops made up of tree ferns and New Zealand trees such as birch, manuka, and kanuka. Between the beaches the coast was rugged rock with some rock outcroppings a bit off shore. Off to our right was Adele Island.

As we neared the end of the time paddling and the wind became a bit stronger, fog literally rolled over a mountainous point and came down and settled on the water and floated around Adele Island.

Once finished we lunch (this trip was named the “Gourmet Platter” we were taken further into the park by aqua taxi and dropped off at Bark Bay. From there we were to tramp (hike) back to Torrent Bay to meet the aqua taxi to return us to Marahua at 4:00. As usual, the track (trail) started off going uphill. I began with a young couple from Birmingham (she a pediatric audiologist and he a software developer), but it became clear that our paces were not matched. (His plan was to do the Tongairo Crossing, a 19 km mountain tramp across the highest areas of the North Island mountains south of Taupo, in 2 days.) So I continued on my own as they moved ahead, making way up to the top and then heading downhill. At the amazing suspension bridge (only 5 allowed on at a time and no room for persons going in opposite directions to cross) I met some backpacking women from Dunedin who so kindly took my picture. The bridge is suspended over what appears to be river, slow flowing, clear with a greenish appearance reflecting light from all the green trees above. It was amazing and then some kayakers came floating by down below.

I made my way on, stopping every so often when a photo op arose. I came across a group of eight people who appeared to be in their 60’s and 70’s who were traveling together from the New Orleans area. Every so often one of us or the other would catch up and then we would converse about something. The track did turn downhill and I made my way back to the pickup point with about 10 minutes to spare. The Aqua Taxi ride was a bit of a thrill, seemed like it took a long time to get back, lots of water spray.

Once back, I headed back toward Motueka, but this time through Keriterikeri. This was a small beach town with a beautiful beach, a couple of restaurants and shops, a large campground for RVs/campervans, and an adjoining neighborhood that appeared to have many multimillion dollar homes with amazing beach views. I stopped there and spent about an hour on the beach, sitting, walking, collecting shells, and taking some photos. Dinner was across the street at the Shoreline Restaurant. I sat outside on the front patio. Table was a half hewn log and I was directly facing the beach. Dinner was the daily special of seafood pasta which was ok but way too much. Conversed with a couple at the next table from Florida who were staying in this town at a place with a hot tub (which sounded very inviting). Once finished, back to Mokutueka with a stop at the internet store to use the computer to get a few things taken care of and do a brief e-mail check.

Then back to the Grey Heron for a warm shower and some sleep.

Day 16 - Ferry Crossing and on to Motueka

momsadoc — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Up early to be at the ferry departure point by 7 AM. Started boarding the ferry around 7:30. The campers and large trucks (semi-trailers) were already on board. After the cars boarded the foot passengers came aboard. The ferry had two levels for passengers - on the lower level was a café, some lounge seating, and two side areas with seats that looked sort of like airplane seating. That is where the free movie was shown. (I opted out - the movie - “Get Smart.) On the upper level was the bar, and many cabins. Some were labeled that were strictly to be used by commercial truck drivers and others seemed available to the public. The doors were open and I could see a number of people alseep in them. There were outdoor decks on each level. The weather was overcast and windy although the ride was smooth.

I spoke for a while to a kiwi couple in their 70’s who were taking the RV to the South Island to go to a wedding. I first saw them asleep on one of the lounge settees, holding hands, she with her head on his shoulder and he with his arm around her. I learned they had been married 47 years, had had a large farm, primarily cattle, but were now retired and had only a few animals left. They told me that in the past they had come to the South Island to buy cattle; as the conversation progressed I then understood why when I went out on the back deck of the lower level, there was a distinct and very unpleasant odor. They asked if I noticed the containers which were then empty down below the deck and told me those containers were used to transport the cattle and retained their distinct odor. The ride in through Charlotte Sound was scenic with many islands, but I think diminshed due to the gloomy nature of the weather.

I spent no time in Pictron where the ferrty landed, but drove out of town on Queen Charlotte Road which afforded some views of other areas of the sound that were nicer in some ways than those from the boat. . Just out of town was the section of the port where all the lumber wss brought to be shipped out. I stopped in Havekock along that road. the town is the green mussel capital of the world. I ate a lunch of steamed mussels in a bleu cheese, parsley, and wine broth at the Mussel Café. Specific instructions were posted on the wall about how to get the mussels out of the shell (first one with your fingers and then the rest by using the empty shell as a tweezers) with large letters instructing “No Forks.” Stopped at a scenic overlook which afforded the first view of distant snow of the southern Alps and spoke with a German woman that I had briefly encountered on the ferry.

Then on the Nelso. Wasn’t feeling so good as the drive continued and was very tired. Pulled off the road for a short catnap and then continued into the city. The city was described as one with many artisans and craftspeople. At least where I was in the center I didn’t see much of that at all. It was a typical NZ town, bigger than some. I visited the regional museum which was nicely done with information about the history of the area. Sir Ernest Rutherford, earlty 20th century Nobel prize winner, was from Nelson. Stopped in a café for a mocha, saw the Catholic Cathedral on the hill, and walked over to a neaby street that had preserved homes form the early settlement days. Then back to the car to head out of town to Motueka, my destination for the night.

Apparaently I made a wrong turn at a roundabout because almost 20 km later I discovered I had gone around in a big circle and was coming back into Nelson from a different direction. By then I was in the “rush hour traffic” and really irritated that I had wasted the time (45 minutes). After I got back to where I had made the wrong turn I did not repeat my error and headed out of town. While driving to Motueeka it appeared there were some small more interesting little towns along the way. My time would have been better served skipping Nelson, but by then I just wanted to get where I was going so I didn’t veer from the path to my destination.

The Grey Heron Italian Organic B&B is quite nice. I am the only guest here. Sandor and I had a discussion about how he will never visit the US because the one time he had to pass through immigration on a trip he was treated very badly by the U.S. Immigration people and refuses to be treated that way again. I also learned that he would like to be a jazz drummer and has taught Italian cooking. Taking to heart the advice that restaurants don’t stay open late in the area, I went into town, had a smoked chicken, cashew, and strawberry salad and returned for the night.

Day 15 - Wellington

momsadoc — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:20:00 GMT

11-22-2009

Overcast and cool this A.M. Had a bowl of muesli and cup of tea in the little kitchen here (wasan’t going to deal with the little packages of instant coffee.) Visited the botanical gardens, drove to what looked like the entrance on my map which was at the top of the Wellington cable car. There were no available brochures to carry with me, but I thought I could walk down and take the cable car back up. Turns out when I got to the bottom I found some brochures at that entrance and I was nowhere near the lower stop for the cable car, so I had to (again) walk back up a big mountain. The botanical gardens were large with meandering paths, an area with some large sculptures, and small gardens - herbs, camellias, begonias, etc. At the very bottom was a large formal rose garden that I never quite got to because it would have meant climbing down part or the mountain I had just climbed back up and I didn’t want to do that.

Once back to the car I drove into the city, parked, and walked up Cuba Street to Te Papa, the national museum. Saw the town hall and the conference center. the museum was impressive, with exhibits about so many aspects of NZ life, the Maoris, the immigrants, the animals, the plants, the land. The largest squid in captivity is preserved and on display with a movie explaining how it was caught by accident in Antarctica. Another short film was about a man who enjoyed getting out in the very remote country; it showed him free falling off an incredibly high cliff, with a parachute that you couldn’t see deployed at just the last moment.

I attended a free concert performed by the NZ String Quartet with compositions by contemporary NZ composers. Two of the composers were present and spoke briefly about their pieces. It was a pleasant interlude and change of pace and so nice to enjoy a part of kiwi culture without climbing a mountain or even being on my feet.

After leaving the museum, explored the shopping areas of Wellington on foot, then drove to view the government buildings including the Beehive. An older local woman standing on the sidewalk while I was taking pictures offered some commentary. She told me the Parliament was only half built which appears to be true and instead of finishing the other half of the building, the “Beehive” was built. When Queen Elizabeth came to commemorate the opening, she commented that she hoped there would not be too many drones in the building.

I then took a drive to Mt. Victoria to get a panoramic view of the city and nearly got blown away. I think it would have been much more enjoyable and impressive were the sun out. Then back down the mountain to find a place to park for dinner at Logan Brown, one of NZ’s best restaurants. As I was eating early I had the option of the full a la carte menu or the prix fixe bistro menu (chose the latter) with half glass wine tasting. Dinner was very nice with an entrée of cold salmon with potato, a “mains” of turkey confit with cranberry and pumpkin puree (the closest I will get to Thanksgiving) and a fresh green dinner salad, then a raisin pie, followed by a decaf cappuccino. Chatted with an American couple at the next table who had relocated from Hermosa Beach to Wellington for work (she works for a merino wool clothing company.)

Now I am catching up on e-mail on this unsecured network I found.

Day 13 - Napier and the Gannets

momsadoc — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:38:00 GMT

Woke this AM realizing that I and my garments still smelled of sulfur. Took another shower and think it improved, but not totally. Had my breakfast of instant Oatmores and yoghurt and packed up. Saw Kiri and ended up speaking with her and Martin for about a half an hour and got some tips on which geothermal areas would be best to visit as I left Rotorua (Waitopu). We each took some pictures and I parted to head off to Waitopu. I think it was the best geothermal area of all with the most variety in one place. I chose not to drive off to see Lady Knox geyser go off (goes off regularly at 10:15 after some organic soap is sprinkled in to make it go off. I’ve seen geysers and preferred to spend my time seeing the sights in the park. Sun was out much of the time which was nice. There are pools of water there with amazing colors, either

Left about 11:30 to head to Taupo. Stopped off just north of Taupo at the Volcanic Activity Center, a small but interesting center explaining the volcanoes of NZ and the recent eruptions with some short films. Then went to the Prawn nearby and had lunch there, some filo wrapped prawns with some dipping sauce and a desperately needed cup of coffee. Chose not to go prawn fishing or take a tour of the prawn farm. Next door was the Huka Falls Jet Boat Center and saw a few boats return, doing some 360°’s as they approached the landing dock.

Drove down to Huka Falls which was magnificent with turquoise blue water and amazing force. I could have watched for a very long time, but was then distracted by a jet boat approaching. After taking the requisite pictures and some short videos I headed into Taupo. It is quite a large city built on Lake Taupo which is a volcano crater. The area near the waterfront looked very tourist friendly with lots of cafes and shops. There are many motels, even a Hilton there. Taupo is mainly a center for various adventure activities, so no real reason to stop there. Passed through town and then on to Napier on the east coast. The drive was pretty, through mountains. Lots of road construction going on with a few stops as the road was down to one lane. Saw areas of extensive logging, but also areas, for the first time, of reforestation.

Stopped at Esk Valley Winery to sample a few wines on the way into Napier, then into central Napier. As the art museum is open late on Thursdays, I had planned to go there. It is small, but had some interesting Maori art, an exhibit of several 20th century artists who did wood block, linoblocks, and lithographs. Napier was devastated by an earthquake in 1931 and there was an interesting an exihibit about that as well. Then saw a bit of the town, some of the art deco buildings, and then to the B&B. Realizing I did not have the confirmation with me, I stopped in an internet café hoping to go online to retrieve the information, but got it for free from the proprieter, The B&B is not far from downtown up in a nice area called Hospital Hill. Driving through the residential area reminds me very much of being in L.A. residential areas such as in the Hollywood Hills or Studio City. Had a lovely chat with my hostess, made arrangements to get laundry done in the AM, and realize I have the entire first floor of the house to myself.

Set off for dinner, following a recommendation in Lonely Planet, only to find the restaurant space vacant. So I headed out to the beach area which seemed to be where most restaurants are. Ate at Milk and Honey and had a lovely meal of John Dory, rocket salad, and a wonderful dessert of semifreddo with figs poached in wine. The two woman servers there were very nice to me. One, Pauline, chatted with me about her book club (since I was reading while waiting for my meal) and recommended a very nice wine, Vidal viognier from Marlborough. After leaving I had no idea of where I had actually ended up, but with the aid of the trusty map made it back to the B&B, got the laundry together, and wrote this.

Day 12 - Drive to Napier

momsadoc — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Day 11 - Rotorua

momsadoc — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Woke to a gloomy rainy day. Ate my breakfast of Oatmores and yoghurt and drove into Rotorua. Since the White Island trip had been cancelled, I had not really planned for today,. Not much to do when it is raining and I had already been to the museum, so I had a latte in The Fat Dog Café, finished reading The Nineteent Wife, and then walked around and went into lots of souvenir shops. Saw some contemporary Maori wood carvings that I liked and hadn’t seen before, but wasn’t sure if I wanted to buy one. After the souvenir shops, I decided to drive out of town to Mamaka, a blueberry winery. A woman in one of the souvenir shops told me she had heard that there were really good blueberry pancakes there. I was the only one there, although a few others came in as I was leaving. I samples some blueberry and gooseberry jams, jellies, and chutneys and then decided to stay for lunch. I did have the blueberry pancakes which were very good. Three pancakes with blueberries and blueberry syrup layered between and on top were accompanied by a cup of blueberry tea. After lunch I sampled some blueberry wine and blueberry liqueur, all of which were good, but none that I had any interest in buying. It was raining really hard while I was eating, but by the time I left seemed to be lightening up.

As I headed back toward Rotarua around the north side of the lake, it cleared up so I decided to go to Hell’s Gate which would have been the end of the trip to White Island. More geotheramal attractions which are always interesting, but then I treated myself and my sore and tired legs to the spa. Had a 20 minute soak in the mud bath, then time in the hot sulphur pool, and a 30 minute massage. I felt much better when I left, although I didn’t realize how much I and my clothes smelled like sulphur. Back into Rotorua and got back to the store with the Maori art before it closed (amazingly it was open after 5 PM) and bought the piece I had first been attracted to - a rendition of a fish hook with inlaid puau (abalone shell). Then I walked up and down the street reading restaurant menus and ended up at an Indian restaurant, I wasn’t too hungry and didn’t want to spend a lot of money. That was my day.

Day 10 - Rotorua

momsadoc — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:00:00 GMT

11-17-2009

After waking up, I collected all my laundry off the wall heaters, showered, and got dressed. As breakfast had not been offered, only tea or coffee, I made some instant coffee (the only option) with enough for my travel mug. It was really awful. I set off for Waimangu (prebooked), Rotorua’s newest geothermal site. While geothermal activity previously existed there with what were known as the “eighth wonder of the world: in the mid to late 1800s, the “pink and white terraces,” the whole area was redefined by the eruption of Mt. Tarawera in 1886, The pink and white terraces were destroyed and what was a small lakem Lake Rotomahana, became twenty times larger.

As I had had no breakfast and did not want to spend a half an hour waiting in the café for a cooked breakfast, I bought an egg salad sort of sandwich. My plan was to do the hike about ¾ of the way to the lake, catch the shuttle to the lake, and then take the boat trip around the lake. The woman at the information desk said I could either do the hike that paralleled the road or the “nature hike”. I chose the later and like everything in New Zealand involved climbing straight up a mountain to view a nearby lake and then coming back down. The geothermal sites were interesting, but at the end I was “sweating it” because if I missed the shuttle bus to the lake, I would miss the boat and then would have to wait another hour.

Everything worked out time wise, and I was the only person on the boat, so I had my own personal tour around the lake. Then the bus took me back to the beginning with other hikers. I drove back into Rotorua with the afternoon plan to explore the city. I walked around, saw a Maori settlement, the Government Gardens, visited to Rotorua Museum and checked out the shops. The museum was in what used to be the bath house and included a visit to the basement to see the plumbing and to the roof to see the views. There was a movie there that simulated in the theater the ground shaking with a volcanic eruption, a bit unnerving.

Once finished with my activities I sought a place for dinner. I walked up and down the street reading menus and finally settled on an Indian restaurant with a deal on free biryani if one ordered a curry. The food was ok (the server told me all the Indian tour groups ate there). Then back to my Rotorua lodgings. No one was around when I got in, so I just went to my room.

Day 9 - Caves

momsadoc — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Started the day with the ostrich egg omelet, more yellow than a chicken egg omelet, but otherwise, no real difference. Then off to Waitomo Adventures for the Tumu Tumu Toobing Adventure, described as a walking, wading, swimming and tubing adventure. It was that and more, like slithering and squeezing as well. There is a table in the office with a tunnel in it so people who are "large" can do a test run to see if they will fit in the tight places.

We drove about twenty minutes to the changing shed. The surrounding hills are studded with sink holes that could collapse into the cave at any time. We changed into wet suits and gum boots and set off to hike to the cave entrance. The first thing to so was to squeeze and slither through a very narrow space to get into the cave. We did all of the above, culminated by floating on our backs in inner tubes in almost complete darkness except for the glowworms on the ceiling. So amazing!

Glowworms are larva that are suspended from the ceiling of the cave in a little mucous sling and then make these sticky strings that hang down to capture any insects that may come by so they can eat them. They have no way to rid their bodies of the waste products; these mix with some chemical and then fluoresce in the dark, attracting the insects. After some months, they spin a cocoon and then emerge as an adult gnat that loses its digestive system and develops a reproductive system. These gnats spend the next three days procreating and then die!

After the tubing, I got to be the leader to lead us over sharp edged rocks and into deep pools until we arrived at the Hard Rock Cafe where we were served a hot lemon drink and Chocolate Fish candy bars. Then on the end of the trip and out of the cave, ready to hike back and climb up a steep set of stairs cut into the hillside, while wearing our "wet" wet suits and gum boots. That about did me in! We were able to shower before changing back into our clothes and driving back. As no cameras were allowed, we then were able to purchase the pictures the guides took while we were in the cave. Definitely the high point of the trip so far!

From there I went to Billy Black's Kiwi Culture show for an hour. It was a bit hokey, but I learned about sheep shearing and some other farm things and saw various animals parade about on stage -sheep, a steer, dogs, a donkey, etc.

Finished up the day with the Ruakiri Cave Walk, much more sedate than the morning adventure on constructed walkways with artificial lights. Nothing really new, but I did have the opportunity to take some pictures and see a different cave.

Then into the car for the drive to Rotorua. Stopped in Te Kuiti for gas, the sheep shearing capital of the world with the world's largest sheep shearer. The drive was pretty and uneventful. Arrived in Rotorua around 8 PM.

This is the place where I found a free place to stay through the Hospitality Club, figuring if it didn't work out I could check into a motel. As it turns out this is a Maori couple with an 18 year old boy, Layton, son of some friends living with them. Layton was making dinner and I was invited to join them and graciously accepted. We had eggs and sausages for dinner. Layton is quite bright and very interesting. Kiri, the woman with whom I had corresponded is a teacher, currently not working. She taught home economics, hospitality and cooking, to the Maori. Martin, her second husband, and she are developing a finance consulting business. Kiri was conversant, but Martin had nothing to say at dinner at all, strange.

I have room to sleep in, share the bath. Toilet is some distance away near the laundry room. One very nice thing is that I was offered the use of the washing machine. They have these radiant heaters powered by the local steam which I was able to hang my clothes on for drying. So there in the main hall of the house are all my clothes (except I chose to hang the underwear on the heater in the bedroom). We'll see if it is dry in the A.M.

Day 8 - South to Waitomo

momsadoc — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:00:00 GMT

I had a much better experience in the AM eating breakfast with Allison and Rodney. We conversed, and I learned about their travels, mostly independent or with the low budget Intrepid Travels. I also learned a bit more about the challenges of raising sheep in that area and the destiny of the cattle that were in the field just across from the patio outside (hamburger somewhere).

I headed off and had to stop in Auckland to do a few errands. Changed money at the same bank I had been at the week before (open on Sunday) and had to get a new filter for my camera. Once those errands were done I left Auckland ( would not have liked to have had to drive in the city on a workday) and it started to rain. I had made many attempts to contact Gail whom I had met in the LA airport and who had invited me to stop by her farm. It would have worked out fine, but I had difficulty with phone service and the one time I got through she wasn't there. I didn't hear back from her the whole day. So I had a rather dreary drive in the rain, took a detour around Hamilton and thought I would see Cambridge, which is the horse capital of NZ. The town was nothing special, maybe a bit more British in flavor, with signs to several horse arenas. I stopped at The Warehouse, a discount outfit and bought a beach towel for $4. Then continued south and stopped in Otorhango and spent about an hour at the Kiwi House Native Bird Park. It was educational about many different NZ birds. Then to continue by "bird" experience I continued on to Bid Bird B&B at Waitomo, my resting place for the night.

The market for ostrich meat did not catch on in NZ, but Ann and Ross Barnes still have some ostriches for show. Two other men were there (one from San Jose and the other from Taiwan) and we got to meet the ostriches. We learned they have the biggest eyes of any animal and, for their size, a very tiny brain. One, Victoria, was the most friendly to people. She had laid an egg in the morning and we were offered an ostrich egg omelet for breakfast which we all decided to have. Oscar, the male was having a testosterone surge (beaks and legs were red) and at one point I thought he was going to bite me. I guess they don't do that, but can use their claw as a weapon - it is sharp enough to disembowel a lion we were told. These animals are also very fast - up to 70 km/hr sustained for 30 minutes. After our time with the ostriches we saw the small group of calves that had been watching us. The Barnes buy the calves and raise them until they are 100 kg and then sell them and they go elsewhere for fattening before going off to the meat market. We got to see the calves being fed which was interesting - this plastic semicircular device with false teats on it and a container on top to pour milk in. Like a great big artificial breast.

For dinner I went down to the Waitomo center, just a few buildings devoted to cave activities, a bar, a motel, etc. However, there was one very good restaurant, the HuHu. Promotional literature said it was supposed to be one of the top 100 in NZ - I am not sure, but I had a nice dinner of duck with kumara (sweet potato) mash and salad.

Then back to the B&B and time for sleep.

Day 7 - Leaving Northland

momsadoc — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Started the day chatting with the two Alans at breakfast. One of the Alans is an academic neurologist in Auckland so had the opportunity to learn a bit about NZ healthcare. They were off to Cape Reinga while I was packing up. First stop was the Northland A & P show, sort of a county fair type of event. All sorts of farm equipment was for sale and even cars from the local Honda, Nissan, and Toyota showrooms. Competitions were to be held all day long. I saw part of the dressage on horses. But what was really great was seeing the children with their lambs. At the lamb calling contest a child, probably between 5 and 7, would stand on one side of a ring and call his/her lamb. The lamb was supposed to go to the child. Out of five, only one made a straight beeline the boy who called him. The others, despite much prodding from the rear, never quite got the idea. I saw part of the wood chopping contest Savouring the Source was an exhibit of a variety of culinary products including a number of wines, olive oil, avocado oil, jams, and spices. There were cooking demos from the NZ Culinary Institute and food for sale. I had an early lunch - lamb in pita and then had to leave. Would have been fun to have spent more time there.

Headed west across Northland to the west side. Read about the Waiere boulders in Lonely Planet so decided to visit After several kilometers on a gravel round, I found the place and parked next to a little cabin. One other car was there. As I got out of the car this bearded white haired NZ countryman came down the hill, the caretaker of the place. He collected the money, explained the site, and gave me a map. I didn't realize I would have to spend almost an hour walking around the place,but since I had arrived decided to see what was there. The boulders are large basalt rocks in a river bed, interesting. There were explanatory signs around and about the boulders and the kauri tree, NZ' pride and joy (the largest tree in NZ, but most have been cut down.) The sun was out and it was a nice walk - then back out the other way down an even longer gravel road to the highway.

Arrived at the coast at the outlet of Hotianga Harbor which was magnificent. This huge giant sand dune on one side of the entrance, sunshine and beautiful water. Stopped and took a short walk to view the magnifenct coast. Then back in the car heading south through the famous Kauri forest. No time to stop (which would have meant some extended hike). I was behind schedule so just kept going. Had intended to stop in Dargaville and go to the museum, but chose to skip it and head to the Kauri Museum further down the coast. Nick at the B&B and Lonely Planet both gave it8 great reviews. I arrived 30 minutes before closing. Not enough time to do it justice, but quite a good museum about the tree, the logging industry, and the uses of the wood.

Then on to the next B&B, about 45 minutes from there at Snells Beach, about 70 km north of Auckland. Hosted by Allison and Rodney, a well traveled couple in their 70's. No sooner had I entered their home than I was invited to join them and their friends for dinner and fireworks viewing from the upstairs window for Guy Fawkes Day. I accepted. Two other couples came, former rugby players with Rodney. Interestingly Rodney and George dominated the conversation; I learned a lot about their youth, sheep shearing, problems getting local water, and a bit about the "leaky home" problem due to poor construction that I had heard about on the news. The woman at the table had little to say and no one invited me into the conversation at all or seemed interested in knowing anything at all about me. The fireworks were nice (our USA 4th of July fireworks are much better.)

Day 6 - The Bay of Islands on land

momsadoc — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Chatted with Nick at breakfast and then off to the Waitangi Treaty Ground where the Maori signed the treaty with the British in the 1840's. Learned more about the Maori culture and history. Visited a nearby town Kerikeri with some New Zealand history, few art studios, chocolate store with free samples, and then back to catch the ferry to Russell, NZ's first city, across the bay. A very small quiet place with a few very nice art/craft galleries. The sun came out, like for the first time since I have been here, as I was climbing up this mountain (named Flagstaff Hill). Met a couple on the top who I had seen driving up in their Land Rover. We chatted, I learned that "wh" in Maori words is pronounced "f", and then they drvoe me back down. No sooner did I get to the bottom then this dark cloud and big wind came in for about 20 minutes. As quickly as it came, it went away. Back on the ferry to Paihia, had some seafood, salad, and apple strudel at the Swiss Chalet, and now back to the B&B to wind down.

Some impressions of NZ - driving on the left (just backwards of driving on the right) and much saner here than in the UK, toilets with a double flush system (figure that one out), smallest coin is ten cents, but some things cost $5.05, great fresh produce, good food, no tipping in the restaurants, friendly and helpful people, ethnically very diverse Auckland.