Auckland Endings

Driving in Auckland was white knuckle time. It took us forever to figure out how to get on the road to our hotel going in the correct direction. We had a lot of luggage to unload and we needed to be by the front door. No easy feat. Our hotel was a highrise apartment overlooking the harbor. The views were amazing as you can see from this first image.

We decided to spend our time in Auckland on a walkabout. We toured the harbors and parks and the art museum.This boat is from Wisconsin, a long way from home but then so are we.

Of course we spotted Nike Town, a must for us in any large city. Auckland reminded me of St Louis when I was growing up. It seemed a blast from the past. They were preparing for Christmas but the store windows actually had beautiful window displays instead of gobs of merchandise. I loved this.

For our final evening in New Zealand, we had dinner in the Sky Tower. It's a whole lot like the Space Needle in Seattle. We are really glad we chose to do this as the views of the city were spectacular and so nice to see as the sun set.

New Zealand has been spectacular. So many cities, each with their own unique spin. I think the people of NZ are it's most significant asset. They are kind, they are fun, they are real. New Zealand, we love you and thanks for sharing you space and place with us!!!

Real Sheep Wear Fuschia?

I did not want to leave New Zealand until I had sheared a sheep. Really, that's not so odd. With time to kill because of canceled golf, we discovered Sheep World. Tell me, how could you miss this place with fuschia sheep out front. Talk about colorful marketing! We experienced the entire process. It begins with the dog whose job it is to round up the sheep. He does this without a word or is that a bark. He has good parenting skills. He turns them over to the dog who very noisily corrals the cowering sheep into the corner. Is this dad vs mom?

Then on to the shearing. Seems there is a spot on a sheep's side haunch that lulls him into oblivion. The shearer rotates him into this position and then with six swipes of his shears, the wool is off. No pain. Sheep eat more after they are sheared so, I guess it has its benefits.

Factoid: After the Gulf oil spill, grade B wool (the dirty outer layer) was sold to the clean up crew because sheep wool absorbs oil. Neat fact, HUH? And a good use for something that was not being used and was natural.

We woke up our day to play at Kauri Cliffs, truly one of the golf highlights of the trip, but we could not see the ocean across the street, it was so foggy. What a disappointment. We drove the 45 minutes to the course hoping it would be clearer up higher. Not so and no prediction that the front would move on. Lucky for us, the next morning was free. We changed plans and played the next day in a Portland mist. Bummer! But look at this scenery...oh my!

These trees are called Norfolk Island Pine. The fronds grow out in a star pattern which is so cool. They are found all over New Zealand. Totally, an amazing experience.

Gulf Harbor

Just north of Auckland is this little community. You can take a boat across to Auckland and many commuters do just that. The golf was difficult, a lot of side hill lies but the views were ocean bound and spectacular. The day was glorious.

Next stop on our way north was Paihia, pronounced Pie-hea. Our hotel was very contemporary and right on the coast but the days were so overcast, it was mostly lost for us. We noticed a road stop on the street below. It seems the police were giving a breathalyzer to everyone who passed by. Our driving was so bad and our wine consuption so good, we decided we better walk to dinner. The NZers would probably think we had too much to drink:).

One of the absolute highlights of this trip was this Catamaran ride on Lake Rotoiti. Fred, our host, had asked us what we wanted to do in Rotorua. We were tired and needed some down time. Rotorua is know for its mineral baths. He suggested a friend who runs a boat out to the local baths. He called the Captain and asked if he was running on this day. He said he could... Imagine our surprise when we showed up and we were the only passengers. Captain Matt took care of us. The boat is named Tiu, which means Runs with the Wind. Matt purchased it in the Mediterranean and sailed it across both oceans with a crew of four. What a great story!

Feet up. Oh so relaxed!

Fred shared with us the details of this walk, which we would pass on our home from the Katamaran ride. Imagine a Redwood forest so far from home.

The Rotorua Museum of Art and History wrapped our stay here. It was the right size and mix of NZ artists and culture. Loved it.

Phew! A respite!

Rotorua was a respite point for us. we were sort of tired of sight seeing and needed some down time. We found it here.

This was the hidden treasure. Meeting locals who had invested so much time into the Hamurana Lodge. Fred met us as we pulled in, offered us a glass of wine and shared the story of the lodge. We dined at their place and generally, they just made every arrangement we needed. Fred was the organizer; Alex, the environmentalist. He had the sheep and the organic garden. Fred knew all about the redwood forest and the Tiua...more to come on that one. Equal but complimentary partners in this business of theirs and they had a black lab. What's not to like about that!

They set us up with a dinner and show at the local Maori village. It was fun to learn about the Maori culture and lifestyle. Funny as it was, we sat with a young couple from Sweden. I wish I had taken their picture. There were so many young people traveling the world. They were mostly European.

Taupo on the Lake

We found Talpo with a bit of difficulty but enjoyed it immensely. Laid back but full of street art, I had fun with my camera.

Huka Falls was one of Taupo's claims to fame and so we just had to see it for ourselves. The Waikato River, which is generally 300 feet wide, is forced through a 50 foot chasm, which creates a ranging falls. In addition to producing hydroelectric power, the falls produces a boatload of fun as you can see.