Last time I wrote i believe I was on 'Holiday High'...which I believe lasted about 3 days from when we returned from Hawaii. As soon as we returned from our vacation our lives have gone into a vortex, and now it is December...well...in 2 days it will be December. Speaking about that vortex...I can tell you that many things have transpired. But, at one point I was feeling so torn between my home country and this new country I could not tell you where I felt like home, was home. It is really a whole new thought process. Waiting, waiting, and waiting for INZ ( Immigration New Zealand) to let us know if our Residency Process would be accepted. If you are like me...you just want to know...but...they make you wait. And, so we have.
Rob has been so busy I can not even begin to remember where he has been or what he is doing! Sometimes I am amazed that we are home together...enjoying a dinner alone. I have just finished volunteering at the Ficino School as a reading tutor for Year 2 students. And, as soon as the school volunteerism has faded, a new volunteer project has surfaced. I have recently been inducted into Tourism Auckland's program called 'Wise Guides'. So, I am working to promote tourism in Auckland by directing tourists to experences here in the Auckland area. So, once or twice a week I go out onto the streets of the Central Business District (CBD) and hopefully help the confused tourists as they try to sort out what they want to do for the day.
I am also spending every Friday on the amazing Island, Tiritiri Matangi Island, giving guided walks to tourists and school groups. This Island is full of rare birds and amazing plants. As soon as the guided walk is over, I have the remainder of my day to walk about the Island on my own. In October, I was asked to help out a DOC Ranger in releasing a very rare bird onto the Island. It was a truly amazing moment in my life! I was able to help release a very rare bird...the Kokako. It was such an exciting moment...to see a bird that was being translocated from a very familiar setting to a very new setting. I keep going back to bush # 21 to see if I can spot my Kokako friend...but I have not been successful. One day, recently, we arrived back at the ferry to see that pod of dolphins was swimming around the ferry. As we left the Island, the dolphins rode our wake all the way to Gulf Harbour, where the Ferry stops to let the first guests off the Ferry. I have never experienced Dolphins jumping out in front of a boat, and delighting in the wake of the boat!! If only I had remembered my camera! Every Friday I give thanks to a higher power that I am able to be here on this Island that feels like a slice of Heaven in a world so full of stress. Being on Tiri is like a tonic to balance your life...
I have also hooked up with my tramping group...Women's Outdor Pursuits...WOPS. We have been hiking high and low, and then back low and high...ugh! I have even asked if we are in training for the Marine's!! However, last week I chose to meet up with the group that goes on the same day, but with a little less umph in their step. I kind of liked their pace...not so serious about being first to the top! I have had a hiatus from this group as the 3rd hike of the first session in February found me hard smacked on my bum, injuring my tailbone hugely. After 4 months of vigorous physio therapy, I was able to walk without extereme pain. Then it was Winter, and who in their right mind would sign up willingly to hike here? NOT ME!!! And then I came back to the USA for a month...and why would I sign up to walk with a group if I was going to miss 5 of the 8 weeks that the defines a term? So here came the Fall term, and I was finally able to join up again! We have been through some amazing bush...but as I stated before...WOPS really hikes!!
As I titled this post...Summer Is On It's Way...Finally we are having some weather that signifies Summer weather!! All of September, October and more that half of November have been very winter-like, full of rain, wind, and more rain & wind. There is really no Spring here...except for fleeting moments. December first will be the beginning of Summer...and I am looking forard to warm, beautiful weather for a few months.
And...now that Thanksgiving is over in the USA...the rest of the world is on super speed to Christmas...so Merry Christmas to all!! And..to all...peace.
xoxoxox, ~Skye
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
California, Hawaii, and Back to NZ
My long awaited trip back home to California came and went just like a whirlwind weather pattern. There was so much to do to prepare for being gone for a month...like move everything back into our apartment after having the carpet replaced. Throw into the mix a huge rotten hole in the floor that had spread to the wall and the joists...just a little bit of drama on this end to get to the point of packing for my month long journey. Amazing miracles happened, and the tradesmen that were scheduled to complete the job, showed up, and I was able to move our possesions back into our little nest above the Auckland Harbour. Then I had to quickly pack before Rob dropped me off at the ferry building. I had no idea what to pack...but I managed to pack an empty duffel bag into my suitcase so I could bring back all sorts of treasures from the USA. One thing I do know...it is very expensive to shop in NZ...they do not have discount stores here, or if they do, I have not found them.
Rob came home early to take me to the ferry building, as it was raining sideways, and a usual 5 minute walk to the ferry would have seen me drenched like a wet rat. I convinced him that the smartest way to get to the airport would be for me to take the Airbus, as they can utilize the bus lane during the commute hours. Rob would have been in the car for hours if he would have driven me...literally. We have had the experience of trying to get to the airport at that time before, and with heavy rain, it could have been a complete nightmare. So off on the ferry, and then right outside the ferry building, the bus. I arrived at AKL with plenty of time to check in and get sorted through two very high security check points. Not fun going to the USA anymore...they really doublecheck everything, and I must fit some profile that needs to be scrutinized. You really want to say "are you kidding me?'...but that is not what you do...you do what they ask...empty your carry on, empty your purse, let them check you for explosives...ugh...it gets really tedious. Finally, I was through, and all of a sudden it was time to board. On to the plane to be like a sardine for the next 13-14 hours...oh joy! NZ is too far away for me to get excited about flying...a 3 hour flight is lovely...but that doesn't get you anywhere but above the ocean.
Surprisingly, we landed earlier that the scheduled time. My sister, Anne was due to collect me & then we were to meet up with Ross at his cottage in Alameda. I finally got through customs, and scanned the crowd over and over again, to see if I could find Anne. Just like looking for Waldo...Hmmmn...no sighting of Anne, and I had no cell phone. Have you recently needed to use a pay phone in this modern age? Well...good luck...it is close to impossible to find a working pay phone. And, once you do, get ready to be robbed of all your coins...cha ching! Thank you, Ma Bell! Through a number of calls on said phone, I finally contacted Anne, and changed our meeting place to the outside arrival area. What entertainment! I have never witnessed such a stressed out traffic officer in all my life. His face was purple-red as he shouted in his bull horn to innocent drivers who were picking up their loved ones. At one point I thought the little hair he had on his head might blow off...eek! I could not imagine having him come home to me everynight. He wrote 6 tickets in the space of 20 minutes. Talk about a heart attack waiting to happen! Coming from slow, mellow, little NZ this experience was like being put in a stress pot! Man was I ever glad to get out of there!
Anne picked me up, and I jumped quickly into her car to escape that madness. We had a nice visit as we drove toward Ross' place across the Bay Bridge. More stress when some very rageful driver decided that Anne had cut him off when she changed lanes. It got a little hairy there for a while, and thankfully that carload of raging men turned off on another street. I was actually thinking horrible things could have happened to us...and I am so grateful that their car went another route.
Finally, we were at Ross' cottage. What a darling little cottage it was...and what a great big hug I got from my son! I knew that I needed to stay awake, so I could get on the CA time zone, but I wanted to lay down and crash into dreamland so badly. Anne decided to get out of the East Bay before the traffic got worse, so off she went. Ross & I had a lovely walk around the Marina near his place, and then he took me to his office to show me his workplace. Later on, we met up with Kev, Roz, Amber & Pete and I got my wish for Mexican Food!! What a great visit we all had! Thanks to Kev, Roz, Amber & Pete for coming out to Alameda.
I think I slept like a brick that night...I was so exhausted! Leaving on a Friday evening from Auckland, and arriving in SF earlier than you left on the same day...and then staying up until 11:30 with the youngsters...enough said. 7 am Saturday morning, and I was as good as new! Off to Sacramento with Ross to meet up with Christopher & Emily. We had a lot on our adgenda for the weekend. Lots of good stuff! It was so great to be back with our kids! It might sounds so great to you all that we are way far away here in NZ...sounds like we are on holiday or something...but what you might not realize is...we miss our kids heaps. So...to have time with them is truly a gift. There is this very special electricity in the air when we are all together.
Saturday, the four of us did some bargain shopping, as I had packed my empty duffel bag in my luggage to be filled to take back to AKL. I had also done some catalog shopping, and had it delivered to Emmy & Chris'. We did some more shopping, and then it was...more mexican food for lunch. :) We really do not have mexican food in Auckland, so I was in heaven. I think I could eat mexican food every day...fish tacos...chile rellanos...YUM!! The boys were not interested in looking for mother of the bride dresses, so Emmy & I dropped them off back at the house. We only got to Macy's to try on possible dresses...what fun we had!! We were hysterical in that dressing room! We laughed ourselves to tears. Obviously...we did not find anything suitable...however, we did narrow the field of what did not work for me. Hmmmmmnnn. There were heaps on that list.
That night, we had a great BBQ at Chris & Emmy's. Got to meet some of the bride's maids, and the kids cooked a great dinner. Had fun getting to know Tracy & Leanna, and then drove to the Sac Airport with Emmy to pick up her friend Megan at 11 pm. It felt like I was back in time driving the girls to soccer games...except that I was not driving...I was in the backseat listening to them. Two beautiful young women...friends from childhood...bubbling on about life. That was precious! Another late night, and I felt one with the futon that I had to sleep on.
Sunday...what a special day for sure! Chris' parents came up to Sacramento with his sister, Sharna, and her adorable son, Jackson. Chris' friend Josh also came along to help with the truck. The boys were going to work on Chris' truck, and the girls were going to see some dresses Emily had selected. We had an appointment at the wedding dress shop, and Emmy had the most amazing lady assisting her. Emily had been out with some of her bridesmaids & Denise, Christopher's mother, to try on dresses rior to my arrival in California. I had seen many photos of Emmy in all sorts of dresses. We were really looking to see if the 'one' was really the 'one'. It certainly was!! It was one of those moments that you get when goosebumps and tears (happy) rifle through your entire being. Both Denise & I were awestruck...this dress fit Emmy like it was meant to be! Jackson, who will be the ring bearer whispered to Emmy that she was beautiful, and she looked like a princess. When Emmy changed out of the dress and back into her clothes, he exclaimed, " Auntie Em, you're not a princess anymore!" It was pretty precious to hear that...but what was more amazing was to share that moment with Emmy. Got to check that off the list of to do's for the wedding. It was truly a special time!
Both Denise & I had a poke around the wedding shop for dresses...but we both decided to wait to purchase until closer to the date. And....wedding shop + mother of the bride/groom dresses = expensive. Better to go to a nice department store and find something you might get to wear again. I have never seen so many beaded, sequined dresses in my life. Somehow that style does not appeal to my body type. So the hunt goes on.
Sunday afternoon, Ross, Megan & I left Sacramento for Sonoma...well, actually Cordelia Junction. My friend, Anne drove to Cordelia and met us...Ross carried on to Alameda, and Megan & I went on to Sonoma with Anne. We dropped Meg off at her parent's house, and Anne & I went on to her little place. Anne & I gabbed on and on until the wee hours, before we both just had to get some sleep. Anne left for work on Monday, and I set off to do as much business as I could get done with just a short amount of time in Sonoma. All sorts of things from meeting with banker's to insurance people, to partners in investments...and try to meet up with as many family and friends as possible before Friday when more wedding planning appointments were set. What a week it was! Obviously not enough time to see everyone...but for those of you who I did get to see, it was great fun!
I had a special time in SF with my mum and all of my sisters...again at a mexican restaurant in the Embarcadero. Wow, Alicia, that was an awesome place for our get together! And, I was fortunate to have arranged a reunion among some childhood girlfriends in Sausalito. It was like we were back in Inverness running around the town, building cool forts, and telling each other our deepest secrets. It was such a heartwarming time, and I am ever so grateful to Brahna, Nichola, Lisa, Kelly, Cece & little Beau. What a great time to keep in my memory bank! I also had a great time at the Sonoma Farmer's Market...but yeeesh! It could have been a little cooler! All too soon, that week was over, and I was at SFO picking up Rob and our NZ mates, Chris & Janine. The next day, Rob & I had more meetings and signings and stuff to deal with in person. We had an amazing dinner at Mary & Greg's with Mickey,Gemma & Siena and the next morning we were on a plane headed for Kauai.
Vacation at last! We had organized with our dear friends, Jerry & Paula that we would stay with them at their timeshare for a few days, and then they would stay at our timeshare for the end of their stay after our kids went back to the mainland. So...at 6 am we left Glen Ellen and started our vacation journey. We had a big surprise at SFO when Robs sister, Amy showed up on the same flight. So...now there were 5 of us starting off...and 3 days later Ross, Emmy & Chris flew over. We had some magical times together! We had some amazing hikes, snorkeling, swimming with sea turtles, relaxing on the beach, walking, exploring new areas,cooking, bbqing, playing dice, and mai tais at sunset. Actually...Mai tais are only good in Hawaii...they just don't taste right anywhere else I have ever been. The day the kids left I tried so hard to be stoic...but as Ross put it..."Here come the tear bombs"...it was a very painful time. I really do not like goodbyes. Just reflecting on our time in Hawaii makes me wish more of life was slow and sweet like Hawaii.
On the 20th of September we landed in Auckland at 5 am. The weather was anything but balmy and tropical! Winds were gailing, and rain was lashing down, and it was cold! I had to put clothes on for the first time in weeks! In Hawaii, I only wore a swimsuit & shorts for most of the time. All the holiday clothes went back to the closet. Rob had a short nap, and off he went to work. He had a busy week back, and then back to the USA for him on Sunday, as he is currently attending an electrical segment leadership meeting in Wisconsin. I left on Saturday morning for a program on Tiritiri Matangi for the weekend, and stayed on at the Island volunteering as a guide. It was thankfully a good weather weekend. And...I saw a little, brown spotted Kiwi for the first time ever!! This week has been a continuation of catch up with business/investment affairs, and I am looking forward to Sunday once again, when I can get back to the Island for more incredible bird sightings and peaceful hiking. Tiritiri is a place like I imagine heaven to be. Robbie will be back in NZ on Tuesday morning at o'dark hundred, and I plan to pick him up at AKL. Hopefully, the roads won't be closed for road works this time...detours at 4:30 in the morning are a bit of a pain!
Weather tomorrow is meant to be gorgeous! We are in the middle of spring, and hopefully the wet, grey, windy weather will blow off! Missing those Sonoma Fall days!
thanks again to everyone who I was able to see when I was home! Cheers!
PS...It was also soooo great to meet our great neice, Jasmine! What a dolly! :)
Rob came home early to take me to the ferry building, as it was raining sideways, and a usual 5 minute walk to the ferry would have seen me drenched like a wet rat. I convinced him that the smartest way to get to the airport would be for me to take the Airbus, as they can utilize the bus lane during the commute hours. Rob would have been in the car for hours if he would have driven me...literally. We have had the experience of trying to get to the airport at that time before, and with heavy rain, it could have been a complete nightmare. So off on the ferry, and then right outside the ferry building, the bus. I arrived at AKL with plenty of time to check in and get sorted through two very high security check points. Not fun going to the USA anymore...they really doublecheck everything, and I must fit some profile that needs to be scrutinized. You really want to say "are you kidding me?'...but that is not what you do...you do what they ask...empty your carry on, empty your purse, let them check you for explosives...ugh...it gets really tedious. Finally, I was through, and all of a sudden it was time to board. On to the plane to be like a sardine for the next 13-14 hours...oh joy! NZ is too far away for me to get excited about flying...a 3 hour flight is lovely...but that doesn't get you anywhere but above the ocean.
Surprisingly, we landed earlier that the scheduled time. My sister, Anne was due to collect me & then we were to meet up with Ross at his cottage in Alameda. I finally got through customs, and scanned the crowd over and over again, to see if I could find Anne. Just like looking for Waldo...Hmmmn...no sighting of Anne, and I had no cell phone. Have you recently needed to use a pay phone in this modern age? Well...good luck...it is close to impossible to find a working pay phone. And, once you do, get ready to be robbed of all your coins...cha ching! Thank you, Ma Bell! Through a number of calls on said phone, I finally contacted Anne, and changed our meeting place to the outside arrival area. What entertainment! I have never witnessed such a stressed out traffic officer in all my life. His face was purple-red as he shouted in his bull horn to innocent drivers who were picking up their loved ones. At one point I thought the little hair he had on his head might blow off...eek! I could not imagine having him come home to me everynight. He wrote 6 tickets in the space of 20 minutes. Talk about a heart attack waiting to happen! Coming from slow, mellow, little NZ this experience was like being put in a stress pot! Man was I ever glad to get out of there!
Anne picked me up, and I jumped quickly into her car to escape that madness. We had a nice visit as we drove toward Ross' place across the Bay Bridge. More stress when some very rageful driver decided that Anne had cut him off when she changed lanes. It got a little hairy there for a while, and thankfully that carload of raging men turned off on another street. I was actually thinking horrible things could have happened to us...and I am so grateful that their car went another route.
Finally, we were at Ross' cottage. What a darling little cottage it was...and what a great big hug I got from my son! I knew that I needed to stay awake, so I could get on the CA time zone, but I wanted to lay down and crash into dreamland so badly. Anne decided to get out of the East Bay before the traffic got worse, so off she went. Ross & I had a lovely walk around the Marina near his place, and then he took me to his office to show me his workplace. Later on, we met up with Kev, Roz, Amber & Pete and I got my wish for Mexican Food!! What a great visit we all had! Thanks to Kev, Roz, Amber & Pete for coming out to Alameda.
I think I slept like a brick that night...I was so exhausted! Leaving on a Friday evening from Auckland, and arriving in SF earlier than you left on the same day...and then staying up until 11:30 with the youngsters...enough said. 7 am Saturday morning, and I was as good as new! Off to Sacramento with Ross to meet up with Christopher & Emily. We had a lot on our adgenda for the weekend. Lots of good stuff! It was so great to be back with our kids! It might sounds so great to you all that we are way far away here in NZ...sounds like we are on holiday or something...but what you might not realize is...we miss our kids heaps. So...to have time with them is truly a gift. There is this very special electricity in the air when we are all together.
Saturday, the four of us did some bargain shopping, as I had packed my empty duffel bag in my luggage to be filled to take back to AKL. I had also done some catalog shopping, and had it delivered to Emmy & Chris'. We did some more shopping, and then it was...more mexican food for lunch. :) We really do not have mexican food in Auckland, so I was in heaven. I think I could eat mexican food every day...fish tacos...chile rellanos...YUM!! The boys were not interested in looking for mother of the bride dresses, so Emmy & I dropped them off back at the house. We only got to Macy's to try on possible dresses...what fun we had!! We were hysterical in that dressing room! We laughed ourselves to tears. Obviously...we did not find anything suitable...however, we did narrow the field of what did not work for me. Hmmmmmnnn. There were heaps on that list.
That night, we had a great BBQ at Chris & Emmy's. Got to meet some of the bride's maids, and the kids cooked a great dinner. Had fun getting to know Tracy & Leanna, and then drove to the Sac Airport with Emmy to pick up her friend Megan at 11 pm. It felt like I was back in time driving the girls to soccer games...except that I was not driving...I was in the backseat listening to them. Two beautiful young women...friends from childhood...bubbling on about life. That was precious! Another late night, and I felt one with the futon that I had to sleep on.
Sunday...what a special day for sure! Chris' parents came up to Sacramento with his sister, Sharna, and her adorable son, Jackson. Chris' friend Josh also came along to help with the truck. The boys were going to work on Chris' truck, and the girls were going to see some dresses Emily had selected. We had an appointment at the wedding dress shop, and Emmy had the most amazing lady assisting her. Emily had been out with some of her bridesmaids & Denise, Christopher's mother, to try on dresses rior to my arrival in California. I had seen many photos of Emmy in all sorts of dresses. We were really looking to see if the 'one' was really the 'one'. It certainly was!! It was one of those moments that you get when goosebumps and tears (happy) rifle through your entire being. Both Denise & I were awestruck...this dress fit Emmy like it was meant to be! Jackson, who will be the ring bearer whispered to Emmy that she was beautiful, and she looked like a princess. When Emmy changed out of the dress and back into her clothes, he exclaimed, " Auntie Em, you're not a princess anymore!" It was pretty precious to hear that...but what was more amazing was to share that moment with Emmy. Got to check that off the list of to do's for the wedding. It was truly a special time!
Both Denise & I had a poke around the wedding shop for dresses...but we both decided to wait to purchase until closer to the date. And....wedding shop + mother of the bride/groom dresses = expensive. Better to go to a nice department store and find something you might get to wear again. I have never seen so many beaded, sequined dresses in my life. Somehow that style does not appeal to my body type. So the hunt goes on.
Sunday afternoon, Ross, Megan & I left Sacramento for Sonoma...well, actually Cordelia Junction. My friend, Anne drove to Cordelia and met us...Ross carried on to Alameda, and Megan & I went on to Sonoma with Anne. We dropped Meg off at her parent's house, and Anne & I went on to her little place. Anne & I gabbed on and on until the wee hours, before we both just had to get some sleep. Anne left for work on Monday, and I set off to do as much business as I could get done with just a short amount of time in Sonoma. All sorts of things from meeting with banker's to insurance people, to partners in investments...and try to meet up with as many family and friends as possible before Friday when more wedding planning appointments were set. What a week it was! Obviously not enough time to see everyone...but for those of you who I did get to see, it was great fun!
I had a special time in SF with my mum and all of my sisters...again at a mexican restaurant in the Embarcadero. Wow, Alicia, that was an awesome place for our get together! And, I was fortunate to have arranged a reunion among some childhood girlfriends in Sausalito. It was like we were back in Inverness running around the town, building cool forts, and telling each other our deepest secrets. It was such a heartwarming time, and I am ever so grateful to Brahna, Nichola, Lisa, Kelly, Cece & little Beau. What a great time to keep in my memory bank! I also had a great time at the Sonoma Farmer's Market...but yeeesh! It could have been a little cooler! All too soon, that week was over, and I was at SFO picking up Rob and our NZ mates, Chris & Janine. The next day, Rob & I had more meetings and signings and stuff to deal with in person. We had an amazing dinner at Mary & Greg's with Mickey,Gemma & Siena and the next morning we were on a plane headed for Kauai.
Vacation at last! We had organized with our dear friends, Jerry & Paula that we would stay with them at their timeshare for a few days, and then they would stay at our timeshare for the end of their stay after our kids went back to the mainland. So...at 6 am we left Glen Ellen and started our vacation journey. We had a big surprise at SFO when Robs sister, Amy showed up on the same flight. So...now there were 5 of us starting off...and 3 days later Ross, Emmy & Chris flew over. We had some magical times together! We had some amazing hikes, snorkeling, swimming with sea turtles, relaxing on the beach, walking, exploring new areas,cooking, bbqing, playing dice, and mai tais at sunset. Actually...Mai tais are only good in Hawaii...they just don't taste right anywhere else I have ever been. The day the kids left I tried so hard to be stoic...but as Ross put it..."Here come the tear bombs"...it was a very painful time. I really do not like goodbyes. Just reflecting on our time in Hawaii makes me wish more of life was slow and sweet like Hawaii.
On the 20th of September we landed in Auckland at 5 am. The weather was anything but balmy and tropical! Winds were gailing, and rain was lashing down, and it was cold! I had to put clothes on for the first time in weeks! In Hawaii, I only wore a swimsuit & shorts for most of the time. All the holiday clothes went back to the closet. Rob had a short nap, and off he went to work. He had a busy week back, and then back to the USA for him on Sunday, as he is currently attending an electrical segment leadership meeting in Wisconsin. I left on Saturday morning for a program on Tiritiri Matangi for the weekend, and stayed on at the Island volunteering as a guide. It was thankfully a good weather weekend. And...I saw a little, brown spotted Kiwi for the first time ever!! This week has been a continuation of catch up with business/investment affairs, and I am looking forward to Sunday once again, when I can get back to the Island for more incredible bird sightings and peaceful hiking. Tiritiri is a place like I imagine heaven to be. Robbie will be back in NZ on Tuesday morning at o'dark hundred, and I plan to pick him up at AKL. Hopefully, the roads won't be closed for road works this time...detours at 4:30 in the morning are a bit of a pain!
Weather tomorrow is meant to be gorgeous! We are in the middle of spring, and hopefully the wet, grey, windy weather will blow off! Missing those Sonoma Fall days!
thanks again to everyone who I was able to see when I was home! Cheers!
PS...It was also soooo great to meet our great neice, Jasmine! What a dolly! :)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Australia!
A few weeks ago I got a call from Rob. He was making final plans for a business trip to Sydney. He asked if i wanted to go along and explore Sydney while he was at the Boat Show. I don't normally accompany him on his business trips because boat shows start in the morning, and then the guys are always out late with vendors and customers until way past my pillow time. However, when he mentioned Sydney, I was all over going, as we had met some very fun people on our Milford Track trek last December who hailed from Sydney. A quick call to Galini and Charles to confirm that they would be available to get together was all it took for m to get online and book my ticket. Also...I had never been to Australia, and the relatively short flight across the ditch seemed much more appealing than the long haul it is when we go back to the states.
So what is it about leaving to go on a trip...why am I always up later than the stars to make sure everything is in order? One good way to make sure the house gets cleaned...plan a trip. We left Devonport at a respectable time thinking that we would miss the morning commute...we must not have gotten the memo from theroadworks that they had closed down two of the four lanes on the Harbour Bridge and were mucking up traffic all the way through Victoria Park. So...a slow start to get out to the airport.After parking out as far away from the airport as we could find, Rob mentioned that he hoped it wouldn't be raining when we got back late on Sunday night. Hmmmn...well it is winter, and it does do that thing called rain...
The flight was easy as...I nodded off with my head rolling around...wish I would have brought my trusty flight pillow...it keeps my neck from strain. The landing was a bit rough as we reached Sydney...the rain was bucketing here. It was hard to make out much on the way from the airport as the taxi was so steamed up from the condensation on our wet clothes. We shared a taxi with two guys that work with Rob, and off we were to Darling Harbour. Our hotel was located just three block from the Convention Center so it was a quick walk for Rob to the show.
Thursday morning I woke up early and made my way down to the gym...and the pool! They had a salt water pool, and I was thrilled. It could have been longer, but hey, I was not complaining. Swimming in a salt water pool is such a gift to me. I get the opportunity in Auckland every so often to join my girlfriend, Beth, in the salt water pool in her apartment building.Lucky me! After my swim and workout in the small gym, I joined Rob for breakfast and a cuppa. Cuppa = tea/coffee. Then I walked him down to the Convention Center and bid him a good day. Now I was off on my own, exploring the city. My goal for the morning was to walk to the Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Galini was trying to convince me that I must do the walk over the bridge...it looked a little too high for my noodle knees, so I just enjoyed the view from underneath. I wove my way through the hustle and bustle on the streets. This city is huge in comparisson to little Auckland. There were masses of people on every street...I had to walk strategically along the street to avoid being bumped into. Finally, I made it to Circular Quay and had my first sight of the brige and the Opera House. The Ferry Wharf was there along with the train station, and a huge bus terminal. Great public transport here! The weather was actually quite nice as it was not raining...overcast, but a pleasant temperature. I had made plans to meet up with my friend Jeanette back at the hotel, so I started heading back in that direction. Good thing I had my reading glasses and a map...just a map would have been impossible for me. My eyes can not read the fine print anymore without my powerful lenses. Scary. It took a while for me to connect with Jeanette due to cell phone failures, but eventually we met in Darling Harbour. Jeanette had discovered the Monorail, and had purchased a day pass. She wanted to take the Monorail to a special market called Paddy's Market. I was game, so off to the Monorail we went. Paid for a ticket, got on, and waited, and waited and waited. Finally the ticket agent came to our car, and told us that due to someone who was about to jump off a bridge near the Monorail line, the Monorail could not proceed until the police had cleared the area. Hmmmn...so now I had a Monorail ticket, and if I wanted a refund I would have to stand in a long queque. We decided to walk to this market. We arrived around 4:45, and Jeanette found the things she was looking for. There were aisles and aisles of the same sort of things...just different vendors...and it was all very cheap. I am not much of a shopper, so i was just fine when the doors closed at 5pm. We had an hour to kill before Galini & Charles were going to meet us at the hotel...so we decided to ride the Monorail, as the earlier problem had been sussed out. Not sure if the jumper jumped, but the Monorail was running. So we went around the whole track thattook us through the Sydney CBD. We barely made it back to the hotel before meeting up with our mates from OZ.
It was so great to meet up again with Charles an Galini! It was like we were on the Milford track again...literally, as it was raining once again. Brought back some fond memories of the real meaning of being wet...as in saturated. Now, we had the locals taking us out...and boy were we lucky! They took us to lovely Chinese restaurant called the Golden Century. I have not had any Chinese food here in NZ, as it tends to react badly with my stomach. this food was beautiful, and fresh! The company was the best as well, and after dinner, Charles took us on a tour of Chinatown. We parted around 9pm, as Jeanette and her partner, Chris were heading out to Vietnam early the next day. I was set up to meet Galini the next day for a tour of Bondi Beach to Coogie Bay.
Friday morning was gorgeous weather...at least there was a little blue sky peeking through the clouds. Rob was able to work until the afternoon, and come along with me & Galini for a tour of the bays/beaches outside of the central city. It was a great tour of Watson's bay, Bondi, Bronte, Coogie Bay, and other bays and beaches. We were hoping to walk this stretch as it is well known for it's footpath, but Galini was not able to join us as she was recovering from knee surgery. Oh, how I know that pain! We thought we would makle it back out that way before we left on Sunday, but there were other things to see and do. We met up with Charles and his partner, Grant back at the hotel, and then headed off to North Sydney for dinner. It was such a gorgeous night! We were at a restaurant right under the Harbour Bridge looking across to the Opera House with the city skyline behind it. Wow! What a colourful sight! The restaurant was also right next to a place called Luna Park...reminded me and Rob of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk...
Saturday morning we met up with Charles, and he gave us an amazing walking tour of historical buildings in Downtown Sydney. We went through the Queen Victoria Building that had thankfully been sved from demolition, and renovated beautifully. The Post Office was still original, with a modern Westin Hotel connected to it. He took us out to the Art Museum, and then we walked along the outside of the Botanical Gardens out to the Harbour, and the Opera House. We met Galini at the Opera Bar, and she took over the touring for the day as Charles had a birthday party to attend. Galini took us out to Manly, on the Manly Ferry, from Circular Quay. You can drive out to Manly, but it is much more beautiful to get there by ferry. Once we got to Manly, we found a really great spot to share some yummy pizza. It wasn't quite as good as The Red Grape, but it was the closest so far! We strolled out to Manly Beach and walked along the Esplanade. The ocean was flat as, and the light was changing from daylight to dusk. On the ferry back we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset behind the Harbour Bridge. When we got back to Circular Quay, we hopped on a bus out to Newtown to met up with Charles and Grant. Another great meal at an authentic Thai Restaurant with our great hosts, Charles, Galini and Grant. We capped off the evening strolling around Newtown, and stopping for an amazing raspberry sorbet.
Sunday we had to pack up and check out. Because our flight was not until 6:30pm, the hotel kept our luggage so we could go out and explore. We had come across St. Mary's Cathedral earlier in the week, so I decided to attend 7am mass there. It was a cool, crisp morning...and thankfully it was sunny again. As it was 7am, the Cathedral was not very full. It was quite peaceful and beautiful being there. Brought me back to the days of going to mass at the Grace Cathedral in San Francisco as a child. After mass I made my way back to the hotel to meet up with Rob. We packed, and checked out, and went off to find some hot coffee. Then, we walked to the Botanical Gardens. We had walked around the Botanical gardens with Charles, but I wanted to go inside and have a look around. we were on a path in the Australian Rainforest part of the park when we heard this shrieking sound. When we looked up, there were heaps of bats hanging upside down in the tree above us. We thought that was a rarity...but very soon we would see tree loads of them. They were fruit bats, and it appeared that there was some mating going on...baby fruit bats on the way! When you look at the photos, I have included a photo of the bats in one of the trees. The plants/flowers in the gardens were all so gorgeous! Rob got some nice shots. We had a nice picnic looking out to the Harbour, and then we walked, and walked, and walked along the waterfront all the way back to Darling Harbour. We met up again with Galini, who kindly drove us out to the airport. As it was...we could have been late to the airport because our flight came into Sydney from Auckland late. Then the weather mucked everything up, and by the time we were on the plane, the pilot informed us that they would only be using one runway, so we were 20th in the queque. Another hour on the tarmack...and then I think we got off the ground. And...just like Rob had predicted...we were met with hosing down rain when we got out of customs. Needless to say, we were very, very wet by the time we searched out the parking lot for the car. Another fogged up trip home...and on the pillow by 2:30am. That alarm clock was not welcome on Monday morning!
Well...it is now Sunday, and we are seeing some sun today, so I must sign off and sieze the sunny moment! Cheers to you all!! :)
So what is it about leaving to go on a trip...why am I always up later than the stars to make sure everything is in order? One good way to make sure the house gets cleaned...plan a trip. We left Devonport at a respectable time thinking that we would miss the morning commute...we must not have gotten the memo from theroadworks that they had closed down two of the four lanes on the Harbour Bridge and were mucking up traffic all the way through Victoria Park. So...a slow start to get out to the airport.After parking out as far away from the airport as we could find, Rob mentioned that he hoped it wouldn't be raining when we got back late on Sunday night. Hmmmn...well it is winter, and it does do that thing called rain...
The flight was easy as...I nodded off with my head rolling around...wish I would have brought my trusty flight pillow...it keeps my neck from strain. The landing was a bit rough as we reached Sydney...the rain was bucketing here. It was hard to make out much on the way from the airport as the taxi was so steamed up from the condensation on our wet clothes. We shared a taxi with two guys that work with Rob, and off we were to Darling Harbour. Our hotel was located just three block from the Convention Center so it was a quick walk for Rob to the show.
Thursday morning I woke up early and made my way down to the gym...and the pool! They had a salt water pool, and I was thrilled. It could have been longer, but hey, I was not complaining. Swimming in a salt water pool is such a gift to me. I get the opportunity in Auckland every so often to join my girlfriend, Beth, in the salt water pool in her apartment building.Lucky me! After my swim and workout in the small gym, I joined Rob for breakfast and a cuppa. Cuppa = tea/coffee. Then I walked him down to the Convention Center and bid him a good day. Now I was off on my own, exploring the city. My goal for the morning was to walk to the Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Galini was trying to convince me that I must do the walk over the bridge...it looked a little too high for my noodle knees, so I just enjoyed the view from underneath. I wove my way through the hustle and bustle on the streets. This city is huge in comparisson to little Auckland. There were masses of people on every street...I had to walk strategically along the street to avoid being bumped into. Finally, I made it to Circular Quay and had my first sight of the brige and the Opera House. The Ferry Wharf was there along with the train station, and a huge bus terminal. Great public transport here! The weather was actually quite nice as it was not raining...overcast, but a pleasant temperature. I had made plans to meet up with my friend Jeanette back at the hotel, so I started heading back in that direction. Good thing I had my reading glasses and a map...just a map would have been impossible for me. My eyes can not read the fine print anymore without my powerful lenses. Scary. It took a while for me to connect with Jeanette due to cell phone failures, but eventually we met in Darling Harbour. Jeanette had discovered the Monorail, and had purchased a day pass. She wanted to take the Monorail to a special market called Paddy's Market. I was game, so off to the Monorail we went. Paid for a ticket, got on, and waited, and waited and waited. Finally the ticket agent came to our car, and told us that due to someone who was about to jump off a bridge near the Monorail line, the Monorail could not proceed until the police had cleared the area. Hmmmn...so now I had a Monorail ticket, and if I wanted a refund I would have to stand in a long queque. We decided to walk to this market. We arrived around 4:45, and Jeanette found the things she was looking for. There were aisles and aisles of the same sort of things...just different vendors...and it was all very cheap. I am not much of a shopper, so i was just fine when the doors closed at 5pm. We had an hour to kill before Galini & Charles were going to meet us at the hotel...so we decided to ride the Monorail, as the earlier problem had been sussed out. Not sure if the jumper jumped, but the Monorail was running. So we went around the whole track thattook us through the Sydney CBD. We barely made it back to the hotel before meeting up with our mates from OZ.
It was so great to meet up again with Charles an Galini! It was like we were on the Milford track again...literally, as it was raining once again. Brought back some fond memories of the real meaning of being wet...as in saturated. Now, we had the locals taking us out...and boy were we lucky! They took us to lovely Chinese restaurant called the Golden Century. I have not had any Chinese food here in NZ, as it tends to react badly with my stomach. this food was beautiful, and fresh! The company was the best as well, and after dinner, Charles took us on a tour of Chinatown. We parted around 9pm, as Jeanette and her partner, Chris were heading out to Vietnam early the next day. I was set up to meet Galini the next day for a tour of Bondi Beach to Coogie Bay.
Friday morning was gorgeous weather...at least there was a little blue sky peeking through the clouds. Rob was able to work until the afternoon, and come along with me & Galini for a tour of the bays/beaches outside of the central city. It was a great tour of Watson's bay, Bondi, Bronte, Coogie Bay, and other bays and beaches. We were hoping to walk this stretch as it is well known for it's footpath, but Galini was not able to join us as she was recovering from knee surgery. Oh, how I know that pain! We thought we would makle it back out that way before we left on Sunday, but there were other things to see and do. We met up with Charles and his partner, Grant back at the hotel, and then headed off to North Sydney for dinner. It was such a gorgeous night! We were at a restaurant right under the Harbour Bridge looking across to the Opera House with the city skyline behind it. Wow! What a colourful sight! The restaurant was also right next to a place called Luna Park...reminded me and Rob of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk...
Saturday morning we met up with Charles, and he gave us an amazing walking tour of historical buildings in Downtown Sydney. We went through the Queen Victoria Building that had thankfully been sved from demolition, and renovated beautifully. The Post Office was still original, with a modern Westin Hotel connected to it. He took us out to the Art Museum, and then we walked along the outside of the Botanical Gardens out to the Harbour, and the Opera House. We met Galini at the Opera Bar, and she took over the touring for the day as Charles had a birthday party to attend. Galini took us out to Manly, on the Manly Ferry, from Circular Quay. You can drive out to Manly, but it is much more beautiful to get there by ferry. Once we got to Manly, we found a really great spot to share some yummy pizza. It wasn't quite as good as The Red Grape, but it was the closest so far! We strolled out to Manly Beach and walked along the Esplanade. The ocean was flat as, and the light was changing from daylight to dusk. On the ferry back we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset behind the Harbour Bridge. When we got back to Circular Quay, we hopped on a bus out to Newtown to met up with Charles and Grant. Another great meal at an authentic Thai Restaurant with our great hosts, Charles, Galini and Grant. We capped off the evening strolling around Newtown, and stopping for an amazing raspberry sorbet.
Sunday we had to pack up and check out. Because our flight was not until 6:30pm, the hotel kept our luggage so we could go out and explore. We had come across St. Mary's Cathedral earlier in the week, so I decided to attend 7am mass there. It was a cool, crisp morning...and thankfully it was sunny again. As it was 7am, the Cathedral was not very full. It was quite peaceful and beautiful being there. Brought me back to the days of going to mass at the Grace Cathedral in San Francisco as a child. After mass I made my way back to the hotel to meet up with Rob. We packed, and checked out, and went off to find some hot coffee. Then, we walked to the Botanical Gardens. We had walked around the Botanical gardens with Charles, but I wanted to go inside and have a look around. we were on a path in the Australian Rainforest part of the park when we heard this shrieking sound. When we looked up, there were heaps of bats hanging upside down in the tree above us. We thought that was a rarity...but very soon we would see tree loads of them. They were fruit bats, and it appeared that there was some mating going on...baby fruit bats on the way! When you look at the photos, I have included a photo of the bats in one of the trees. The plants/flowers in the gardens were all so gorgeous! Rob got some nice shots. We had a nice picnic looking out to the Harbour, and then we walked, and walked, and walked along the waterfront all the way back to Darling Harbour. We met up again with Galini, who kindly drove us out to the airport. As it was...we could have been late to the airport because our flight came into Sydney from Auckland late. Then the weather mucked everything up, and by the time we were on the plane, the pilot informed us that they would only be using one runway, so we were 20th in the queque. Another hour on the tarmack...and then I think we got off the ground. And...just like Rob had predicted...we were met with hosing down rain when we got out of customs. Needless to say, we were very, very wet by the time we searched out the parking lot for the car. Another fogged up trip home...and on the pillow by 2:30am. That alarm clock was not welcome on Monday morning!
Well...it is now Sunday, and we are seeing some sun today, so I must sign off and sieze the sunny moment! Cheers to you all!! :)
Friday, July 23, 2010
The Immigration Process and Other Things...
It is August...and our Visa's are due to expire in October. In order to extend our Visa we must convince the NZ Immigration officials that we are not felons from the USA, that we are upstanding citizens, that Rob & I have a genuine and loving relationship, and a heap of other documents that attest who we are , and our intentions for beng here, in NZ. It is quite an exasperating experience. And today...I have achieved completing all of the documents. YAHOOO!!! And...by all of the documents,I mean more paperwork than I can imagine. It almost makes us want to just apply for an extension to our Visas...but then it will have to be done again, and quite frankly, we are so over this kind of processing for the 2nd time. It is like having someone attached to you at all times making sure you live properly, and you would make a good Kiwi...er... citizen. I actually take this process very seriously, and I find it very difficult to go through. Like being under a hypersensitive microscope.
You should have been at my medical interview...when the doctor asked me if I exercised...I asked her.."what time of day are we talking?" I do not have a car...I walk everywhere I need to be, unless it involves a ferry or a bus. I swim, cycle, walk and go to the gym on a regular basis. Rob & I tramp almost every weekend to destinations that are very physically challenging. Most of the time I can not believe that I am crossing rushing rivers without being drawn downstream, and tramping on with wet boots...not complaining. You just do it...you know...just do it??...the Nike jingle. I think all the Kiwi's have the 'Just Do It' attitude as they are constantly out in the bucketing rain getting in their compulsory 10K's. Even the grandmas are out there!! No whimping out in the rain! The point is...although I may not be a skinny minny...I am very fit and able to conquer physical challenges. It just ires me to the core when I am under the microscope!!
Oh dear...you could really get me going here...
Last week I was scheduled to go out to Tiritiri Matangi Island to do my volunteer guiding that I do every week. Well...Thursday night there was this crazy, intense storm, and I thought for sure they would call off the trip out to the Island. However, when I called the hotline to see if we were going or not...we were scheduled to go. So, off to Auckland City on the Ferry I went. By the time I reached Auckland City, the rain was so heavy that I was seriously questioning why we would be going out on the sea to Tiri. There were only a handful of passengers that had signed up for a guided walk, and 5 guides. Thank goodness that I had packed all of my 'what if' kind of clothing and accessories. It was a full on hosing as we reached the Island, and with trepidition, we left the warmth and dryness of the ferry. We were assigned our groups and off we went. It so happens that there was a bird afficionado in my group, and she was very anxious to see a rare and endangered bird ... the Kokako. There must have been a God out there as we took off from the wharf...because in 2 minutes, there they were...2 Kokako munching on seeds from a Kowhai tree. I could not have planned this tour any better as we managed to see almost every rare and endangered bird on the Island. Only the nocturnal birds were not viewed. Needless to say, she was quite pleased with the tour that I provided. Thankfully, all of the others in the group were estatic to see all of the birds we saw as well. They have always touted that the best time to really see all the birds is in the Winter. However, we did arrive at the visitor's center completly saturated. I was secretly wishing that there was a hot shower and clean, dry clothes...but that would have meant that I was a complainer...and here in Kiwiville...you nevah compain! Just so you know that I am being toughened up here!
So...if you didn't get the fact that the seasons are all jumbled up here...I really mean in my head...we are in the heart of Winter. It is so strange to be having Winter in June, July & August while you all are basking in the summer sun...and some of you are broiling in high temperatures. I am not sure when it will be normal for me to celebrate Christmas in the Summer...or have my June birthday in the Winter. Aaakkk! Too hard for me to compute.
On a brighter note...Rob & I continue to explore the Auckland area, and have recently discovered a goldmine of tramping trails in the Waitakere Ranges. We had a very brisk, and spectacular tramp out at Fairy Falls a few weeks ago. Then we went back to a favorite spot on the East Coast for a cliff walk along the Hauraki Gulf, and last weekend we discovered a new area across the Waitemata Harbour in Glendowie, at a reserve close to some friend's house. So...within one hour of our home, we are able to access so many amazing places. This is truly a place of wonder.
Even though we are cold and shivvering wet...I hope you are all warm and enjoying your Summer.
xoxox, ~~Skye
PS Thank you so much to Mandi...your card brought tears to my eyes...you are right...although we are separated by a huge ocean...we are very close in heart. Thank you, my friend, for putting that in words. :)
You should have been at my medical interview...when the doctor asked me if I exercised...I asked her.."what time of day are we talking?" I do not have a car...I walk everywhere I need to be, unless it involves a ferry or a bus. I swim, cycle, walk and go to the gym on a regular basis. Rob & I tramp almost every weekend to destinations that are very physically challenging. Most of the time I can not believe that I am crossing rushing rivers without being drawn downstream, and tramping on with wet boots...not complaining. You just do it...you know...just do it??...the Nike jingle. I think all the Kiwi's have the 'Just Do It' attitude as they are constantly out in the bucketing rain getting in their compulsory 10K's. Even the grandmas are out there!! No whimping out in the rain! The point is...although I may not be a skinny minny...I am very fit and able to conquer physical challenges. It just ires me to the core when I am under the microscope!!
Oh dear...you could really get me going here...
Last week I was scheduled to go out to Tiritiri Matangi Island to do my volunteer guiding that I do every week. Well...Thursday night there was this crazy, intense storm, and I thought for sure they would call off the trip out to the Island. However, when I called the hotline to see if we were going or not...we were scheduled to go. So, off to Auckland City on the Ferry I went. By the time I reached Auckland City, the rain was so heavy that I was seriously questioning why we would be going out on the sea to Tiri. There were only a handful of passengers that had signed up for a guided walk, and 5 guides. Thank goodness that I had packed all of my 'what if' kind of clothing and accessories. It was a full on hosing as we reached the Island, and with trepidition, we left the warmth and dryness of the ferry. We were assigned our groups and off we went. It so happens that there was a bird afficionado in my group, and she was very anxious to see a rare and endangered bird ... the Kokako. There must have been a God out there as we took off from the wharf...because in 2 minutes, there they were...2 Kokako munching on seeds from a Kowhai tree. I could not have planned this tour any better as we managed to see almost every rare and endangered bird on the Island. Only the nocturnal birds were not viewed. Needless to say, she was quite pleased with the tour that I provided. Thankfully, all of the others in the group were estatic to see all of the birds we saw as well. They have always touted that the best time to really see all the birds is in the Winter. However, we did arrive at the visitor's center completly saturated. I was secretly wishing that there was a hot shower and clean, dry clothes...but that would have meant that I was a complainer...and here in Kiwiville...you nevah compain! Just so you know that I am being toughened up here!
So...if you didn't get the fact that the seasons are all jumbled up here...I really mean in my head...we are in the heart of Winter. It is so strange to be having Winter in June, July & August while you all are basking in the summer sun...and some of you are broiling in high temperatures. I am not sure when it will be normal for me to celebrate Christmas in the Summer...or have my June birthday in the Winter. Aaakkk! Too hard for me to compute.
On a brighter note...Rob & I continue to explore the Auckland area, and have recently discovered a goldmine of tramping trails in the Waitakere Ranges. We had a very brisk, and spectacular tramp out at Fairy Falls a few weeks ago. Then we went back to a favorite spot on the East Coast for a cliff walk along the Hauraki Gulf, and last weekend we discovered a new area across the Waitemata Harbour in Glendowie, at a reserve close to some friend's house. So...within one hour of our home, we are able to access so many amazing places. This is truly a place of wonder.
Even though we are cold and shivvering wet...I hope you are all warm and enjoying your Summer.
xoxox, ~~Skye
PS Thank you so much to Mandi...your card brought tears to my eyes...you are right...although we are separated by a huge ocean...we are very close in heart. Thank you, my friend, for putting that in words. :)
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tongariro National Park
Vacation in Central North Island
Friday, June 4, 2010 Rob & packed up our little car and set off for the Central North Island to Turangi, a very small town at the southern end of Lake Taupo. We had a timeshare week that needed to be used, or it would expire, so we booked the only available unit in the whole of New Zealand. We had previously been to Lake Taupo, and once through Turangi on our way to Mt. Ruapehu. Turangi is the trout fishing capital of the world…or at least that what it says on the town’s welcome sign. So, Friday, we drove and drove and drove…our start was very slow through the horrible Auckland traffic, caused by road works on SH1, down Hwy 2 through the Waikato, stopping at KaiMai Cheese factory in a town we could not pronounce, along a short bit of SH1, then cut over to Hwy 32, and around the western side of Lake Taupo. We had amazing, clear, sunny, weather the whole way.
We found the Turangi Leisure Lodge right around 4:30, and were greeted by our very hospitable host, Lois. She made sure we would be at “The Get Together”, on Saturday morning between 9 & 10 to meet the other guests and hear all about the varied activities available. It was a complimentary “sausage sizzle”, which is a very kiwi thing to go to. As promised, we arrived at the “sausage sizzle” just as she was introducing the various guides from the area. There was a fellow who would take you fly fishing in the morning, and golfing in the afternoon…a river rafting outfit that also hired out mountain bikes…a guided walk company that had various walks to offer, complete with pick up/drop off and lunch… a pilot with Mountain Air that flew scenic flights over Mt. Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe, and Mt. Tongariro, and …a healing massage therapist. It was actually the best welcome meeting we had ever attended…perhaps because we missed the first bit about how we too could own this timeshare…
At the local i-site (information site) we were able to see the live web cam of the mountains, and although it was thick fog in Turangi, the mountains were clear as. We decided to check out the Mt. Air scenic flight as well as do a tramp to Taranaki Falls, just past the Whakapapa Visitors Center on Mt. Ruapehu. It was so beautiful when we arrived, and the mountains were visible, so we decided on taking the flight first. Our pilot, James, gave us a complete history of all three volcanoes, and was very excited to show us where some of the filming of the Lord of the Rings took place. I have to say I was surprisingly calm on this flight until it was time to land and it looked like we were headed straight for a fence before the grassy landing strip. Funny how your heart feels as if it is going to explode at times like that. Unbelievably…I remained silent, and Rob had no clue how terrified I was…but it took my heart a few minutes to get back down to a normal beat. Overall…minus the landing part, it was a spectacular flight, and Rob got heaps of photos.
Our next adventure was pretty tame in comparison…a two hour tramp to Taranaki Falls. Even though it was sunny out, it did not mean that it was warm…I think when we started it was only 4 degrees. Eventually, we began to feel warm as we climbed up and down through bush and shrubs toward the falls. It was a lovely loop trail that gave us the feeling like we had done a few hours of exercise for the day.
We were very happy that we took advantage of Saturday’s nice weather, because Saturday night a big, bad storm blew in and rained buckets over our little chalet roof. One thing we have learnt from the Kiwis…you never let a little rain keep you from your activities…so we ventured out to the National Trout Center and walked around the grounds there. The Trout Center was having a kids fishing contest, where guides were teaching kids, aged from 6-12, to fly fish and catch a trout. It was pouring rain, and the kids were having the best time…so proud of the trout that they caught. The funniest thing was watching the kids try to whack the fish on the head…the guide would tell them to give it a good whack, and the kid would give it a tap on the head. Finally, after 3 or 4 attempts, the kid would give it a good whack, and the fish would quit flopping.
The rain was not going to stop, so we decided that we would explore the Turangi area, and venture out in the elements to walk the Tongariro River Walk. We were able to leave our car at our chalet and head off to find the starting point. We started up near the Bridge Pool, climbed up the cliff side, and eventually came down again alongside the river. We were planning to go further than the Major Jones Bridge, but we were both soaked, and decided a nice, warm, hot tub sounded better than getting any wetter and colder. All along the river there were heaps of fishermen wading in the river fly fishing, even though it was freezing cold and wet, Rob told me that their waders are insulated and they stay warm. He really wanted me to hire a guide and have a lesson in fly fishing. Although, it looked like such a Zen-like activity, I was not so sure about how warm I would have been. And, I was not sure about having to release a flopping fish off of hook. The hot tub sure was nice!
On Monday, we decided to stay close to Turangi again as the weather was so yuck again. We decided on a tramping spot called Lake Rotopounamu aka Greenstone Lake. However, by the time we got to the car park it was hosing down rain. Hmmmn…change of plans as there was a possibility of some clearing in the afternoon. So, plan B was to drive north to Lake Taupo. We thought it might be nice to poke around the shops and maybe grab a warm lunch. Taupo was quite crowded, and shopping was not actually what we wanted to do. Back to our little car to return to our tramping spot at Lake Rotopounamu. Rob had thoughtfully packed a delicious picnic, and we pulled off to a beautiful pull out looking over Lake Taupo. There was still a few hours of daylight left when we returned to the trailhead for Lake Rotopounamu, to give this tramp a go. As soon as we left the car park we were in dense, green bush. It took about 20 minutes to get up the hill to the track that circled the lake. The sun filtered through the bush at times, and the colors were amazing! So many shades of green on this hike! It took us about an hour and a half with a pretty good pace to complete the track. Luckily for us…we reached the car just as another downpour started.
Another shabby weather day on Tuesday…we decided to do a drive that circled the National Park, starting here, in Turangi and going south to Ohakune. The main highway, SH1, was closed when we left Turangi, so we weren’t sure if we could actually complete the circle. The mountains were completely under clouds as we passed the western side of the park. As we got closer to Ohakune we had a few rays of sun, and the rain had stopped. Here, we decided to do a few walks as they were not terribly long. Just enough of a stretch to make it easier to get back in the car for the return trip. And, by the time we had reached Ohakune they had opened up SH1 so we could complete our circle. So we did the Rimu walk, and the Mangawhero Forest walk. Again…two tracks that are set in the dense bush, and were both so enchanting. Seriously…the colors of green were amazing! On our drive back, we got into some heavy snow on the pass… ZER0 degrees and blustery as ever up there. BRRR!
Wednesday we drove back up to the mountain for another tramp that we had read about in our tramping guide. We decided to do the Silica Rapids walk as it was only a two hour hike. We encountered quite a bit of snow on the track, and powered through some very windy areas. It was zero degrees as we set off from the Whakapapa Visitor’s Center. BRRRR! The color contrasts on this hike were so amazing! Bright blue sky, snow white mountains, green, green bush, red, iron stones in the river, and yellowish/white striations in the river bed where the silica rapids were. There were a few dicey…I mean icy spots on the track, but I managed to make it all the way without slipping and causing injury. The only downfall to this tramp was that you had to walk out the last 2.5 kilometers on the road, going back down to the visitor’s center. We had an amazing view of Mt. Ngauruhoe as we ate our lunch in our toasty warm car.
Thursday morning we decided that we would begin to make our way back north as neither of us wanted to get stuck in Friday afternoon Auckland traffic. We also had heard that the weather was going to be back to winter conditions in the afternoon. Before we packed up our chalet, we went out to Lake Rotopounamu once again for another look at that beautiful lake. We were actually the only people on the track…birds were singing, the lake was like a mirror, and the bush was magnificent! Our long drive home began at around 2pm…went to Raglan thinking we would stay there for the night, and decided that 2 more hours were not too far to go for our own bed. So, another fantastic trip to a beautiful area! Next time maybe I will hire a guide to learn the art of Fly Fishing!
I am hoping to attach pictures to this blog…but I may need to send the link separately. Sending heaps of hugs to you all!
Friday, June 4, 2010 Rob & packed up our little car and set off for the Central North Island to Turangi, a very small town at the southern end of Lake Taupo. We had a timeshare week that needed to be used, or it would expire, so we booked the only available unit in the whole of New Zealand. We had previously been to Lake Taupo, and once through Turangi on our way to Mt. Ruapehu. Turangi is the trout fishing capital of the world…or at least that what it says on the town’s welcome sign. So, Friday, we drove and drove and drove…our start was very slow through the horrible Auckland traffic, caused by road works on SH1, down Hwy 2 through the Waikato, stopping at KaiMai Cheese factory in a town we could not pronounce, along a short bit of SH1, then cut over to Hwy 32, and around the western side of Lake Taupo. We had amazing, clear, sunny, weather the whole way.
We found the Turangi Leisure Lodge right around 4:30, and were greeted by our very hospitable host, Lois. She made sure we would be at “The Get Together”, on Saturday morning between 9 & 10 to meet the other guests and hear all about the varied activities available. It was a complimentary “sausage sizzle”, which is a very kiwi thing to go to. As promised, we arrived at the “sausage sizzle” just as she was introducing the various guides from the area. There was a fellow who would take you fly fishing in the morning, and golfing in the afternoon…a river rafting outfit that also hired out mountain bikes…a guided walk company that had various walks to offer, complete with pick up/drop off and lunch… a pilot with Mountain Air that flew scenic flights over Mt. Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe, and Mt. Tongariro, and …a healing massage therapist. It was actually the best welcome meeting we had ever attended…perhaps because we missed the first bit about how we too could own this timeshare…
At the local i-site (information site) we were able to see the live web cam of the mountains, and although it was thick fog in Turangi, the mountains were clear as. We decided to check out the Mt. Air scenic flight as well as do a tramp to Taranaki Falls, just past the Whakapapa Visitors Center on Mt. Ruapehu. It was so beautiful when we arrived, and the mountains were visible, so we decided on taking the flight first. Our pilot, James, gave us a complete history of all three volcanoes, and was very excited to show us where some of the filming of the Lord of the Rings took place. I have to say I was surprisingly calm on this flight until it was time to land and it looked like we were headed straight for a fence before the grassy landing strip. Funny how your heart feels as if it is going to explode at times like that. Unbelievably…I remained silent, and Rob had no clue how terrified I was…but it took my heart a few minutes to get back down to a normal beat. Overall…minus the landing part, it was a spectacular flight, and Rob got heaps of photos.
Our next adventure was pretty tame in comparison…a two hour tramp to Taranaki Falls. Even though it was sunny out, it did not mean that it was warm…I think when we started it was only 4 degrees. Eventually, we began to feel warm as we climbed up and down through bush and shrubs toward the falls. It was a lovely loop trail that gave us the feeling like we had done a few hours of exercise for the day.
We were very happy that we took advantage of Saturday’s nice weather, because Saturday night a big, bad storm blew in and rained buckets over our little chalet roof. One thing we have learnt from the Kiwis…you never let a little rain keep you from your activities…so we ventured out to the National Trout Center and walked around the grounds there. The Trout Center was having a kids fishing contest, where guides were teaching kids, aged from 6-12, to fly fish and catch a trout. It was pouring rain, and the kids were having the best time…so proud of the trout that they caught. The funniest thing was watching the kids try to whack the fish on the head…the guide would tell them to give it a good whack, and the kid would give it a tap on the head. Finally, after 3 or 4 attempts, the kid would give it a good whack, and the fish would quit flopping.
The rain was not going to stop, so we decided that we would explore the Turangi area, and venture out in the elements to walk the Tongariro River Walk. We were able to leave our car at our chalet and head off to find the starting point. We started up near the Bridge Pool, climbed up the cliff side, and eventually came down again alongside the river. We were planning to go further than the Major Jones Bridge, but we were both soaked, and decided a nice, warm, hot tub sounded better than getting any wetter and colder. All along the river there were heaps of fishermen wading in the river fly fishing, even though it was freezing cold and wet, Rob told me that their waders are insulated and they stay warm. He really wanted me to hire a guide and have a lesson in fly fishing. Although, it looked like such a Zen-like activity, I was not so sure about how warm I would have been. And, I was not sure about having to release a flopping fish off of hook. The hot tub sure was nice!
On Monday, we decided to stay close to Turangi again as the weather was so yuck again. We decided on a tramping spot called Lake Rotopounamu aka Greenstone Lake. However, by the time we got to the car park it was hosing down rain. Hmmmn…change of plans as there was a possibility of some clearing in the afternoon. So, plan B was to drive north to Lake Taupo. We thought it might be nice to poke around the shops and maybe grab a warm lunch. Taupo was quite crowded, and shopping was not actually what we wanted to do. Back to our little car to return to our tramping spot at Lake Rotopounamu. Rob had thoughtfully packed a delicious picnic, and we pulled off to a beautiful pull out looking over Lake Taupo. There was still a few hours of daylight left when we returned to the trailhead for Lake Rotopounamu, to give this tramp a go. As soon as we left the car park we were in dense, green bush. It took about 20 minutes to get up the hill to the track that circled the lake. The sun filtered through the bush at times, and the colors were amazing! So many shades of green on this hike! It took us about an hour and a half with a pretty good pace to complete the track. Luckily for us…we reached the car just as another downpour started.
Another shabby weather day on Tuesday…we decided to do a drive that circled the National Park, starting here, in Turangi and going south to Ohakune. The main highway, SH1, was closed when we left Turangi, so we weren’t sure if we could actually complete the circle. The mountains were completely under clouds as we passed the western side of the park. As we got closer to Ohakune we had a few rays of sun, and the rain had stopped. Here, we decided to do a few walks as they were not terribly long. Just enough of a stretch to make it easier to get back in the car for the return trip. And, by the time we had reached Ohakune they had opened up SH1 so we could complete our circle. So we did the Rimu walk, and the Mangawhero Forest walk. Again…two tracks that are set in the dense bush, and were both so enchanting. Seriously…the colors of green were amazing! On our drive back, we got into some heavy snow on the pass… ZER0 degrees and blustery as ever up there. BRRR!
Wednesday we drove back up to the mountain for another tramp that we had read about in our tramping guide. We decided to do the Silica Rapids walk as it was only a two hour hike. We encountered quite a bit of snow on the track, and powered through some very windy areas. It was zero degrees as we set off from the Whakapapa Visitor’s Center. BRRRR! The color contrasts on this hike were so amazing! Bright blue sky, snow white mountains, green, green bush, red, iron stones in the river, and yellowish/white striations in the river bed where the silica rapids were. There were a few dicey…I mean icy spots on the track, but I managed to make it all the way without slipping and causing injury. The only downfall to this tramp was that you had to walk out the last 2.5 kilometers on the road, going back down to the visitor’s center. We had an amazing view of Mt. Ngauruhoe as we ate our lunch in our toasty warm car.
Thursday morning we decided that we would begin to make our way back north as neither of us wanted to get stuck in Friday afternoon Auckland traffic. We also had heard that the weather was going to be back to winter conditions in the afternoon. Before we packed up our chalet, we went out to Lake Rotopounamu once again for another look at that beautiful lake. We were actually the only people on the track…birds were singing, the lake was like a mirror, and the bush was magnificent! Our long drive home began at around 2pm…went to Raglan thinking we would stay there for the night, and decided that 2 more hours were not too far to go for our own bed. So, another fantastic trip to a beautiful area! Next time maybe I will hire a guide to learn the art of Fly Fishing!
I am hoping to attach pictures to this blog…but I may need to send the link separately. Sending heaps of hugs to you all!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Being Sick...
On April 1, 2010 I set out for my volunteer job at Tiritiri Matangi Island. The water was like glass on the harbour as we left Auckland City for the trip to Gulf Harbour and then Tiritiri. As a guide, everytime I visit the Island I experience so many new and different things.It is amazing how much I have learned just on observation alone. This day, there were too many guides, and I was asked to buddy up with another guide who had a rather large group. A perfect scenario for me, as I was keen to hear about this guides perspective, and learn a few tips from him. We took the longer track (the Kawerau Track) with our group. The tide was high, water was clear, but there was a briskness to the air. I felt a bit chilly, so I pulled my sweatshirt on, and then my wind jacket. About half way through the walk I felt an intense pain in my head shoot through just like a spear. I wasn't quite sure what was going on, but now I was also hot as ever...could it be those hot flashes? I am not one to get headaches..but this pain just kept getting worse. Luckily I had some tylenol, so I popped a few with some water, and continued on thinking I was just fine. But...I was not. By the time I got to the Lighthouse where we excuse the visitors to do their own exploring, I was shivering, and the pain was getting worse.
I decided to take a very slow walk back to where we meet the boat, resting along the way, drinking more water, taking more tylenol. I did see some amazing bird action as I sat on the benches along the way. By the time I made it to the boat, they were boarding, so I took my seat. Unfortunately, The wind had come up in the Gulf, and the water was not at all calm for the ride home. I have gotten better everytime I venture out on a long boat ride, but this ride home was less than smooth. As we departed the ferry in Auckland City, I had to catch another ferry to Devonport. My feet felt like lead, but I made it to the right pier just in time. I am always doing the 'ferry run' so it felt good that I didn't have to run this time. Sometimes...they pull away just as you get to the gate...and I wasn't going to have that happen. By the time I got home I was completely out of it. Rob called and said he was needing to work late on a project with one of his employees. That gave me time to take a shower, and try to lay down. Thankfully, I had already made dinner, so I could lay down. My head hit the pillow, and 4 days later I finally woke without a throbbing headache, and achy muscles. I thought I was over this thing...but Monday night came, and the headache came back only worse, and now a very harsh cough came along. The cough kept getting worse, and the more I coughed the worse my head felt...not a good way to spend your days. Finally, after 12 days of this ridiculous nonesense I went to the doctor. She determined that I started out with a flu bug...still waiting to determine if it was the H1N1 virus as she took all sorts of blood. But then I got a secondary infection in my lungs. Lucky me...I think Rob should get a medal for having to listen to me hack my lungs out all night long. Neither of us is sleeping very well. I am now taking an antibiotic that I hope blows this crud out of me. The only reason to share this with you is...if you get that nasty headache...go to your doctor...do not wait as long as I did. I have been quarantined for too long...and I pray to the gods that Rob stears clear of this nasty virus. And now the big rains are due tomorrow... :( Bugger!
I decided to take a very slow walk back to where we meet the boat, resting along the way, drinking more water, taking more tylenol. I did see some amazing bird action as I sat on the benches along the way. By the time I made it to the boat, they were boarding, so I took my seat. Unfortunately, The wind had come up in the Gulf, and the water was not at all calm for the ride home. I have gotten better everytime I venture out on a long boat ride, but this ride home was less than smooth. As we departed the ferry in Auckland City, I had to catch another ferry to Devonport. My feet felt like lead, but I made it to the right pier just in time. I am always doing the 'ferry run' so it felt good that I didn't have to run this time. Sometimes...they pull away just as you get to the gate...and I wasn't going to have that happen. By the time I got home I was completely out of it. Rob called and said he was needing to work late on a project with one of his employees. That gave me time to take a shower, and try to lay down. Thankfully, I had already made dinner, so I could lay down. My head hit the pillow, and 4 days later I finally woke without a throbbing headache, and achy muscles. I thought I was over this thing...but Monday night came, and the headache came back only worse, and now a very harsh cough came along. The cough kept getting worse, and the more I coughed the worse my head felt...not a good way to spend your days. Finally, after 12 days of this ridiculous nonesense I went to the doctor. She determined that I started out with a flu bug...still waiting to determine if it was the H1N1 virus as she took all sorts of blood. But then I got a secondary infection in my lungs. Lucky me...I think Rob should get a medal for having to listen to me hack my lungs out all night long. Neither of us is sleeping very well. I am now taking an antibiotic that I hope blows this crud out of me. The only reason to share this with you is...if you get that nasty headache...go to your doctor...do not wait as long as I did. I have been quarantined for too long...and I pray to the gods that Rob stears clear of this nasty virus. And now the big rains are due tomorrow... :( Bugger!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Another Season has Come to Auckland
Days are getting shorter, and infact the time is changing at midnight on Saturday...so the dark days of Fall/Winter will begin. It is so hard to believe that Summer just roared past, and Easter is in just a few short days. I have completed my training at Tiritiri Matangi Island and now I lead walks on the Island once a week, sharing this very special place with people from all over the globe. It is such a rewarding volunteer position to hold. Everytime I see and learn new things, meet extraordinary people, and have a truly fantastic experience. (Well...one time I had a rough group of 15-16 year old girls who did not want to be there...but that was only once).
I am also volunteering at our neighbor, Margaret's school as a reading tutor for her year 2 students. I ride the ferry and then a bus out to Mt. Eden every Monday, and spend the morning working with small groups of students. I have had to learn a different pronunciation of the vowels...not allowed to teach them the American way. Hmmmn...I have to constantly practice this new way with words.The kids are really precious, and I enjoy spending my time with them.
Our very good friend, Anne and her partner Ed have visited since I last wrote. I picked them up at AKL at 5:20 am on Friday, March 26th. We had a nice walk about Devonport after we unloaded their luggage. They napped for a wee bit, and then Rob, Anne, Ed & me took the ferry over to the city to have a nice lunch at the Viaduct Basin. It was early to bed for all of us as they were needing sleep to catch up from the jet lag, and I was needing sleep to catch up from getting up so early. Going to the airport at such a early, dark time for the second time in a row was a challenge as there was yet another detour that I encountered. Luckily, I followed a taxi as I thought surely he would lead me out of this maze and to the proper route...it paid off. I can not wait for the road detours to the airport to stop!
Saturday, we got up and packed our car for a tiki tour of the Northland. We drove the scenic route to Paihia, stopping off in Mangawhai Heaeds and Lang's Beach before we arrived in Whangerei to pick up the keys to the bach we rented in Paihia. We had a lovely picnic at Whanerei Falls, and spent some time walking on the short track before getting back in the car for the final leg of our journey. We arrived in Paihia around 4:30...found the Crow's Nest, and were blown away by the views from our bach. (Bach = Cabin or Holiday Home).
We knew we wanted to get out on the water in the Bay of Islands on Sunday, but we hadn't a clue as to what kind of boat we wanted to take so off to the i-site (information booth) we went. We finally decided to do a 4 hour boat tour out to Hole in the Rock, that also stopped for an hour at an Island called Urupukapuka Island.We were guaranteed that we would also see dolphins. On Sunday morning the Bay of Islands was as smooth as a mirror, so we decided to take the boat ride in the morning, as calm waters generally are easier on those of us with sensitivity to sea sickness. It was such a pristine ride...and we did see dolphins!! We also saw heaps and heaps of fish out by hole in the Wall and the Cape Brett lighthouse. I don't know if we could have planned our trip any better!
After the boat ride we returned to Paihia and drove a short distance to Waitangi to see the Treaty of Waitangi, and look around the grounds and museum. It was all very impressive, however, it might have been better had we not been so exhausted from the boat ride...somewhere a nap was missed. Right...that is what I did during the 20 minute movie... :)And, I do not think I was the only one of us napping.
After the boys had a nap back at the bach, we caught the 6:00 Ferry over to Russell and walked around that tiny town before settling down for a beautiful dinner at Kamakura. Rob & I had been here with Ross & Emily when we took them to Russell after Christmas '08, so we knew this would be a great place to eat. The sun set over the water just as we were sitting down...no need for jackets as the weather was just perfect! It was just like Indian Summer back in Ca.
Monday we woke up, packed up our bags, and headed west to see the mighty Tane Mahuta. The largest known Kauri Tree in NZ. Wow!! It was so impressive...so huge! We also did a bush walk to see the grandfather tree, and the four sisters. The grandfather tree seemed bigger than Tane Mahuta...but only in girth. Tane Mahuta was taller. We drove, and we drove, and we drove, until we came to the Kauri Museum. Unfortunately, we needed 6-8 hours to really enjoy this museum, and we only had 1/2 an hour. It was incredible how much they had in that museum...amazing furniture, and amazing collections of the time period. Next time we will remember to allow more time to see this museum.
Before we arrived home to Devonport, Rob took a detour to show Anne and Ed the Mauhurangi Harbour. We had discovered this gorgeous piece of coastline after Christmas, and have made a few trips back to enjoy the gorgeous beach at Sullivan's Bay. As we arrived in Devonport, Rob took us up Mt. Victoria for an amazing view of the sunset.
Tuesday, Rob had to return to work, and Anne, Ed and I went off to Auckland City by ferry. We went to the top of the Sky Tower for some amazing views of the Auckland area. Anne & Ed were leaving on Wednesday, so they wanted to look around Auckland City & Devonport. We had a fantastic walk after dinner under the full moon out to Cheltenham Beach. It is so beautiful to walk here after dinner...and a special treat when it is clear and there is a full moon.
Wednesday morning...I sent Anne & Ed off on the ferry to catch the Airport Express bus, as they were flying to Queenstown for a little South Island adventure. Even though our visit was short...it was so great to have Anne and Ed stay with us. I'm gonna miss my friend tho...
So, today is Good Friday, and all businesses close as it is a major holiday here. Not even the grocery stores are open. Tomorrow stores will be open, and then closed again for Easter. We don't have any plans for Easter except to try to check out a west coast beach that we have never been to. Karekare Beach. Anne said it was the beach tha was filmed in the movie 'The Piano'...so maybe we'll rent the movie before we check out the beach.
Sunday there will be a five hour difference for us to the west coast of the US...so it will be harder to reach you by Skype...I'll just have to schedule my calls early in order to get through...Happy Easter to all of you!! I hope your Spring is gorgeous!
I am also volunteering at our neighbor, Margaret's school as a reading tutor for her year 2 students. I ride the ferry and then a bus out to Mt. Eden every Monday, and spend the morning working with small groups of students. I have had to learn a different pronunciation of the vowels...not allowed to teach them the American way. Hmmmn...I have to constantly practice this new way with words.The kids are really precious, and I enjoy spending my time with them.
Our very good friend, Anne and her partner Ed have visited since I last wrote. I picked them up at AKL at 5:20 am on Friday, March 26th. We had a nice walk about Devonport after we unloaded their luggage. They napped for a wee bit, and then Rob, Anne, Ed & me took the ferry over to the city to have a nice lunch at the Viaduct Basin. It was early to bed for all of us as they were needing sleep to catch up from the jet lag, and I was needing sleep to catch up from getting up so early. Going to the airport at such a early, dark time for the second time in a row was a challenge as there was yet another detour that I encountered. Luckily, I followed a taxi as I thought surely he would lead me out of this maze and to the proper route...it paid off. I can not wait for the road detours to the airport to stop!
Saturday, we got up and packed our car for a tiki tour of the Northland. We drove the scenic route to Paihia, stopping off in Mangawhai Heaeds and Lang's Beach before we arrived in Whangerei to pick up the keys to the bach we rented in Paihia. We had a lovely picnic at Whanerei Falls, and spent some time walking on the short track before getting back in the car for the final leg of our journey. We arrived in Paihia around 4:30...found the Crow's Nest, and were blown away by the views from our bach. (Bach = Cabin or Holiday Home).
We knew we wanted to get out on the water in the Bay of Islands on Sunday, but we hadn't a clue as to what kind of boat we wanted to take so off to the i-site (information booth) we went. We finally decided to do a 4 hour boat tour out to Hole in the Rock, that also stopped for an hour at an Island called Urupukapuka Island.We were guaranteed that we would also see dolphins. On Sunday morning the Bay of Islands was as smooth as a mirror, so we decided to take the boat ride in the morning, as calm waters generally are easier on those of us with sensitivity to sea sickness. It was such a pristine ride...and we did see dolphins!! We also saw heaps and heaps of fish out by hole in the Wall and the Cape Brett lighthouse. I don't know if we could have planned our trip any better!
After the boat ride we returned to Paihia and drove a short distance to Waitangi to see the Treaty of Waitangi, and look around the grounds and museum. It was all very impressive, however, it might have been better had we not been so exhausted from the boat ride...somewhere a nap was missed. Right...that is what I did during the 20 minute movie... :)And, I do not think I was the only one of us napping.
After the boys had a nap back at the bach, we caught the 6:00 Ferry over to Russell and walked around that tiny town before settling down for a beautiful dinner at Kamakura. Rob & I had been here with Ross & Emily when we took them to Russell after Christmas '08, so we knew this would be a great place to eat. The sun set over the water just as we were sitting down...no need for jackets as the weather was just perfect! It was just like Indian Summer back in Ca.
Monday we woke up, packed up our bags, and headed west to see the mighty Tane Mahuta. The largest known Kauri Tree in NZ. Wow!! It was so impressive...so huge! We also did a bush walk to see the grandfather tree, and the four sisters. The grandfather tree seemed bigger than Tane Mahuta...but only in girth. Tane Mahuta was taller. We drove, and we drove, and we drove, until we came to the Kauri Museum. Unfortunately, we needed 6-8 hours to really enjoy this museum, and we only had 1/2 an hour. It was incredible how much they had in that museum...amazing furniture, and amazing collections of the time period. Next time we will remember to allow more time to see this museum.
Before we arrived home to Devonport, Rob took a detour to show Anne and Ed the Mauhurangi Harbour. We had discovered this gorgeous piece of coastline after Christmas, and have made a few trips back to enjoy the gorgeous beach at Sullivan's Bay. As we arrived in Devonport, Rob took us up Mt. Victoria for an amazing view of the sunset.
Tuesday, Rob had to return to work, and Anne, Ed and I went off to Auckland City by ferry. We went to the top of the Sky Tower for some amazing views of the Auckland area. Anne & Ed were leaving on Wednesday, so they wanted to look around Auckland City & Devonport. We had a fantastic walk after dinner under the full moon out to Cheltenham Beach. It is so beautiful to walk here after dinner...and a special treat when it is clear and there is a full moon.
Wednesday morning...I sent Anne & Ed off on the ferry to catch the Airport Express bus, as they were flying to Queenstown for a little South Island adventure. Even though our visit was short...it was so great to have Anne and Ed stay with us. I'm gonna miss my friend tho...
So, today is Good Friday, and all businesses close as it is a major holiday here. Not even the grocery stores are open. Tomorrow stores will be open, and then closed again for Easter. We don't have any plans for Easter except to try to check out a west coast beach that we have never been to. Karekare Beach. Anne said it was the beach tha was filmed in the movie 'The Piano'...so maybe we'll rent the movie before we check out the beach.
Sunday there will be a five hour difference for us to the west coast of the US...so it will be harder to reach you by Skype...I'll just have to schedule my calls early in order to get through...Happy Easter to all of you!! I hope your Spring is gorgeous!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
January...Chock Full of Visitors...
After we returned from our Tiki Tour of the Northern most part of the North Island, we have had a flurry of visitors. Ross arrived in late December, and we took off to explore the Northern tip of the North Island. Cape Reinga was way out there, but really a beautiful place to see if you have never done so. We especially enjoyed the beach at Spirit's Bay. The sand had a pink hue to it, as there were absolutely heaps of pink shells that were ground down by the ocean to produce a very fine sand. We took note that there is a nice DOC (Dept. of Conservation) camping area there as well. Now that we have our tent & camp stove here we are planning some camping adventures. Just need to suss out some sleeping bags, and cooking equiptment to get rolling! Thanks to Amy for hauling our tent over when she came to visit!! Sorry about the delay through customs...forgot about all that biohazard checking.
On January 12, Rob's mom, Mickey, & his sister, Amy, came for a visit. We picked them up at AKL at o'dark thirty and took them on a little tour around Devonport. They both wanted to settle in a bit, so we dropped them off at the Peace and Plenty Inn, where they had made their booking. After settling, they joined us at our house, and we set out for lunch at a local restaurant that had recently opened near our house. Our visitors were still feeling a bit in need of rest, so we came back to our perch above the harbour and had a relaxing, restful afternoon.
Early mornings I had Amy, my best walking partner to walk around Devonport with. So, before anyone would even think of waking, we were out walking around the area, enjoying each other's company. One great thing about having your old friend come to visit...you can easily catch up to what ever is going on in each other's lives...like no time has passed. A special quality in our friendship that I treasure.
While Mickey, Amy & Ross were with us we adventured out to Muriwai Beach to see the Gannet colony, and do some wine tasting in the Kumeu Valley. We also took the ferry over to the city to celebrate Rob & Amy's birthdays at Mikano...a flash restaurant on the waterfront. It was one of those hot, humid days...not at all like the hot, dry, California weather we are used to. Humidity has a way of making you feel that there is no need to shower because you will need one ten minutes after you get out of it. Nevermind about trying to do anything with your hair! I guess that is what hats are for...limp hair days...Friday, we visited Tiritiri Matangi, an open bird sanctuary Island in the Hauraki Gulf. Again, it was humid, but we were rewarded with a most amazing swim at the end of our hike. The water was like the blue lagoon! Mickey was able to join us, as the Island ranger transported her up to the visitors center, and back down to the ferry at the end of the day. We packed a picnic, and joined Mickey for lunch before we set off to continue our hike.
On Saturday, the 16th Emmy & Chris arrived at the same o'dark hundred hour that the flight from SFO arrives at AKL. So...back to the airport we went to welcome Emmy & Chris. It was so fantastic to have them here! Hugs and hugs...and more hugs were had. Back in Devonport we went to breakfast at our favorite breakfast spot since it opened in December...Platters. We had a nice walk about Devonport, and then the inevitable crash down for a nap occurred for Chris & Emmy. I had an errand in Mairangi Bay to do, so I took Mickey on a little tour of the North Shore via East Coast Bays Rd. We picked up the portrait that our neighbor had drawn of Emmy & Ross, and went back to Devo to join the others who were getting ready to have a little beach time at Cheltenham Beach. Because Ross was leaving on Sunday, we decided to celebrate Rob & Amy's birthdays on Saturday night with the whole clan. A great celebration ensued, although it was baking hot in the restaurant.
Sunday was a lazy, slow day as Ross packed up his belonings. Rob loaded all of Ross' luggage into the car, and drove Mickey over to the city. Too many people to all go in the car, so Amy, Chris, Emmy, Ross & myself headed for the ferry. We met Rob & Mickey at the Sky Tower and had a farewell lunch for Ross. Kind of an emotional time...had some tears when it was time to say goodbye. Ross was heading back to California to move from Chico to Alameda where he has a job...and a new place to live! Rob & I are feeling so good that both Ross and Emily are doing well, and are happy.
Speaking of happy...the big news is that Christopher proposed to Emily at Tarwharanui Beach on Monday, January 18, 2010! It was a total surprise for Emily...but we knew he was planning on proposing as he had asked Rob for permission. So sweet of Chris to do that. I was sworn to secrecy that I could not breathe a word to anyone...and especially not Emily! So...I passed the keep a secret test...:) By now, of course you all know that this has happened, but I thought I would point it out again. We are delighted to welcome Christopher into our family!
On Rob's actual birthday, Chris, Emily, Rob & Amy took a trip south to go cave exploring at Green Glow Caves. They left Devonport before the sun came up, and made it to their destination around 8:30. They had a private tour of the Green Glow Caves which were close to Waitomo Caves. They spent the whole day rock climbing, abseiling, and exploring the depths of the caves. A great adventure was had by all! Amy & Rob drove back to Auckland, and Chris & Emily went off to Rotorua and the Coromandel Peninsula for a few days to do some exploring on their own. They were basking in the glow of their engagement.
Another trip to the airport on Wednesday to drop off Amy & Mickey. We could have been in the airport taxi sevice. Before we left for the airport we had a nice lunch with Mickey & Amy. Rob & I got home and it was sooo quiet. Emily & Chris were still on their tour, so we had a night alone.
Emily & Chris came back from the Coromandel just bubbling about all of their adventures on Thursday evening. Friday, we took Emmy & Chris to do the Okura Bush Walk, and to Long Bay Beach. And Saturday, we took a drive out to the Kumeu Valley for some wine tasting and walk out to see the gannet colony at Muriwai Beach. It was hard to believe that Sunday we had to say goodbye. We had a nice, quiet day around Devonport, packed up the car with the luggage and drove to the ferry building. Rob & I helped Emmy & Chris with their luggage on to the ferry, and got them sorted on the otherside with the Airbus. Driving on the motorway at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon to the airport was not going to be easy, so they agreed to take the express bus. Another difficult time saying goodbye...that is the hard part of living so far away.
So, now it is the middle of February and the pace of life has picked up around here. When we were on Tiritiri Matangi with Ross, Mickey & Amy, I signed up to become a volunteer guide on the Island. I have just completed my training, and have also had my first guided trip last Friday. I had 5 trainings with other guides throughout the past few weeks...and have I ever learned a lot about birds, flora and fauna! I have heaps more to learn...and as a fellow guide said to me yesterday...you continue to learn more and more...so the learning will continue on...as in life. I have also started volunteering as a reading tutor in our neighbor, Margaret's year 2 classroom. I work with reading groups...ages 6&7...soooo adorable! And, the term for the Women's Outdoor Pursuits has started again, so every Thursday I am out tramping with my WOPS group. Blink, blink and the week is done!
Rob & I adventured out to a new park on Sunday called Wenderholm Regional Park. There, we took a perimeter track, and another track through the bush. We had an outstanding view of the Islands around the Mauharangi Harbour. I will put links to picasa photo albums for all of the places I have mentioned. NZ really is spectacular, and for us to be able to find all of this beauty in our back yard is phenomenal! Looking forward to seeing Wayne & Annie Stewart next week, after they return from a tour of the South Island. And, at the end of March we have Anne Estes and her partner, Ed coming to see us. Yay!! Thinking of all of you, and wishing you all well! Cheers! <3 ~Skye
On January 12, Rob's mom, Mickey, & his sister, Amy, came for a visit. We picked them up at AKL at o'dark thirty and took them on a little tour around Devonport. They both wanted to settle in a bit, so we dropped them off at the Peace and Plenty Inn, where they had made their booking. After settling, they joined us at our house, and we set out for lunch at a local restaurant that had recently opened near our house. Our visitors were still feeling a bit in need of rest, so we came back to our perch above the harbour and had a relaxing, restful afternoon.
Early mornings I had Amy, my best walking partner to walk around Devonport with. So, before anyone would even think of waking, we were out walking around the area, enjoying each other's company. One great thing about having your old friend come to visit...you can easily catch up to what ever is going on in each other's lives...like no time has passed. A special quality in our friendship that I treasure.
While Mickey, Amy & Ross were with us we adventured out to Muriwai Beach to see the Gannet colony, and do some wine tasting in the Kumeu Valley. We also took the ferry over to the city to celebrate Rob & Amy's birthdays at Mikano...a flash restaurant on the waterfront. It was one of those hot, humid days...not at all like the hot, dry, California weather we are used to. Humidity has a way of making you feel that there is no need to shower because you will need one ten minutes after you get out of it. Nevermind about trying to do anything with your hair! I guess that is what hats are for...limp hair days...Friday, we visited Tiritiri Matangi, an open bird sanctuary Island in the Hauraki Gulf. Again, it was humid, but we were rewarded with a most amazing swim at the end of our hike. The water was like the blue lagoon! Mickey was able to join us, as the Island ranger transported her up to the visitors center, and back down to the ferry at the end of the day. We packed a picnic, and joined Mickey for lunch before we set off to continue our hike.
On Saturday, the 16th Emmy & Chris arrived at the same o'dark hundred hour that the flight from SFO arrives at AKL. So...back to the airport we went to welcome Emmy & Chris. It was so fantastic to have them here! Hugs and hugs...and more hugs were had. Back in Devonport we went to breakfast at our favorite breakfast spot since it opened in December...Platters. We had a nice walk about Devonport, and then the inevitable crash down for a nap occurred for Chris & Emmy. I had an errand in Mairangi Bay to do, so I took Mickey on a little tour of the North Shore via East Coast Bays Rd. We picked up the portrait that our neighbor had drawn of Emmy & Ross, and went back to Devo to join the others who were getting ready to have a little beach time at Cheltenham Beach. Because Ross was leaving on Sunday, we decided to celebrate Rob & Amy's birthdays on Saturday night with the whole clan. A great celebration ensued, although it was baking hot in the restaurant.
Sunday was a lazy, slow day as Ross packed up his belonings. Rob loaded all of Ross' luggage into the car, and drove Mickey over to the city. Too many people to all go in the car, so Amy, Chris, Emmy, Ross & myself headed for the ferry. We met Rob & Mickey at the Sky Tower and had a farewell lunch for Ross. Kind of an emotional time...had some tears when it was time to say goodbye. Ross was heading back to California to move from Chico to Alameda where he has a job...and a new place to live! Rob & I are feeling so good that both Ross and Emily are doing well, and are happy.
Speaking of happy...the big news is that Christopher proposed to Emily at Tarwharanui Beach on Monday, January 18, 2010! It was a total surprise for Emily...but we knew he was planning on proposing as he had asked Rob for permission. So sweet of Chris to do that. I was sworn to secrecy that I could not breathe a word to anyone...and especially not Emily! So...I passed the keep a secret test...:) By now, of course you all know that this has happened, but I thought I would point it out again. We are delighted to welcome Christopher into our family!
On Rob's actual birthday, Chris, Emily, Rob & Amy took a trip south to go cave exploring at Green Glow Caves. They left Devonport before the sun came up, and made it to their destination around 8:30. They had a private tour of the Green Glow Caves which were close to Waitomo Caves. They spent the whole day rock climbing, abseiling, and exploring the depths of the caves. A great adventure was had by all! Amy & Rob drove back to Auckland, and Chris & Emily went off to Rotorua and the Coromandel Peninsula for a few days to do some exploring on their own. They were basking in the glow of their engagement.
Another trip to the airport on Wednesday to drop off Amy & Mickey. We could have been in the airport taxi sevice. Before we left for the airport we had a nice lunch with Mickey & Amy. Rob & I got home and it was sooo quiet. Emily & Chris were still on their tour, so we had a night alone.
Emily & Chris came back from the Coromandel just bubbling about all of their adventures on Thursday evening. Friday, we took Emmy & Chris to do the Okura Bush Walk, and to Long Bay Beach. And Saturday, we took a drive out to the Kumeu Valley for some wine tasting and walk out to see the gannet colony at Muriwai Beach. It was hard to believe that Sunday we had to say goodbye. We had a nice, quiet day around Devonport, packed up the car with the luggage and drove to the ferry building. Rob & I helped Emmy & Chris with their luggage on to the ferry, and got them sorted on the otherside with the Airbus. Driving on the motorway at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon to the airport was not going to be easy, so they agreed to take the express bus. Another difficult time saying goodbye...that is the hard part of living so far away.
So, now it is the middle of February and the pace of life has picked up around here. When we were on Tiritiri Matangi with Ross, Mickey & Amy, I signed up to become a volunteer guide on the Island. I have just completed my training, and have also had my first guided trip last Friday. I had 5 trainings with other guides throughout the past few weeks...and have I ever learned a lot about birds, flora and fauna! I have heaps more to learn...and as a fellow guide said to me yesterday...you continue to learn more and more...so the learning will continue on...as in life. I have also started volunteering as a reading tutor in our neighbor, Margaret's year 2 classroom. I work with reading groups...ages 6&7...soooo adorable! And, the term for the Women's Outdoor Pursuits has started again, so every Thursday I am out tramping with my WOPS group. Blink, blink and the week is done!
Rob & I adventured out to a new park on Sunday called Wenderholm Regional Park. There, we took a perimeter track, and another track through the bush. We had an outstanding view of the Islands around the Mauharangi Harbour. I will put links to picasa photo albums for all of the places I have mentioned. NZ really is spectacular, and for us to be able to find all of this beauty in our back yard is phenomenal! Looking forward to seeing Wayne & Annie Stewart next week, after they return from a tour of the South Island. And, at the end of March we have Anne Estes and her partner, Ed coming to see us. Yay!! Thinking of all of you, and wishing you all well! Cheers! <3 ~Skye
Friday, January 1, 2010
Christmas in Kiwi Land
Since we returned from the Milford Track it has been all about Christmas here in the land of the Kiwi. Kiwi's take Christmas very seriously! Most business' shut down from the 24th of December through the 5th of January. The amount of boats leaving the harbour on December 23rd and days following create a massive parade of entertainment for us in our perch above the harbour. Rob & I had a very, very quiet Christmas as Ross & Emmy spent Christmas back home at their Aunt Sheila & Uncle Weez' this year.
We managed to borrow the BEP Christmas tree again...although this year the tree had a difficult time staying upright as one of the legs had been reconstructed to replaced the leg that mysteriously disappeared. After we set it up with all the decorations it just toppled over without warning, crashing into the window. It had a few other crashes along the way...this was the tree that only lasted four days. The night before Ross arrived, I decided that we really needed to take it down and let it rest for another year. Also, after Christmas we purchased a new tree for next year...50% off...so no more borrowing the BEP tree.
Christmas Eve we had our neighbors, Paul & Margaret for a very fun & festive celebration. They have been such generous, and fun hosts for Rob & me as we have gotten acclimated to the Kiwi lifestyle. Really...we are so blessed to have found this living situation. We even squeezed a friendly game of petanque in before dessert...Margaret ran away with the win. More petanque games will follow, as the weather is finally to the gorgeous state.
Rob & I have also finally done some swimming! The water is very cold at first...but so clear and amazing once you have gotten over the shock. Christmas day we spent at Torpedo Bay with our chairs and umbrella...cooling off with a swim when it got too hot. The sun is so intense here that you literally will fry if you do not protect yourself in the shade and with the proper level of sunscreen. On the radio you hear the announcer say "it's another day for slip, slap, slop"! Which translates to: slip on your jandals, slap on your hat, and slop on your sunscreen....kind of a cheeky way to remind people of the hole in the ozone here.
On Boxing Day we ferried over to the city to see what kind of deals we could find. Not many shops were even open, so it was not a lengthy shopping trip. Kind of a dud, in fact. We should have gone back to the beach.
Sunday, after Christmas, we decided to go for a tramp in the bush, as it would at least be in the shade. For some time we have been passing an area when we travel up north...Pohuehue Track. I have always wanted to stop and check this track out. Unfortunately, not all of the Kiwi's had gone off on holiday before Christmas, and as we got to the tunnel...traffic turned into a nightmare. Thankfully, the Pohuehue Track was not far past the tunnel. What a relief to be out of the traffic and into the bush! We took a loop track that passed a nice little waterfall. I say little, because the waterfalls we encountered on the Milford track were massive in comparison. The only thing we thought would make this track better would for it to be farther away from the road, and traffic noises. But, once you got deep into the track it was void of traffic sounds and quite pretty. We saw some plants that we had never seen before...hopefully I will get one of our friends to help me identify them.
On our way home we decided to take a tiki tour out to another area that we have passed along the motorway...Mahaurangi Regional Park. It was only 7 kms. off the motorway, so we made a go of it. The colors of the water were amazing blues and greens. Sailboats and motorboats dotted the harbour, and heaps of campers in tents lined the shore. The harbour was flat calm at the bay we parked at. It was an idyllic area to boat and camp. We will definitely return to this new found area!
The 28th of December we awoke at 4am to pick up Ross from AKL. He had had quite the travel time, as he had to return to Chico from the Bay Area to retrieve his passport before he got on the plane to NZ. Luckily, he realized this fact with enough time to make the journey to and from Chico. We had a walk about Devonport, Ross got settled...and then he crashed into his pillow for a nap. When Ross came back to life, we took him up to one of our favorite beaches...Long Bay. Long Bay was packed, but the tide was out and we ventured around to Grannie Bay where there were very few people. Again...the water was gorgeous so we found a nice, sandy entry into the water.
Our plan was to take a road trip up to Cape Reinga...the northern most point of NZ accessible by car. To break up the trip a bit, we stopped in at Langs Beach and stayed with our neighbors at a family bach. (Bach = Holiday Home). We turned off the northern motorway at Mangawhai and drove out to the coast. We took a short walk up to a view of Mangawhai, and Mangawhai Heads, and journeyed over the hill to Langs Beach. The Hen & Chicken Islands were in full view. Paul & Margaret met us at the bach, and we enjoyed a moonlit dinner on the deck, followed by a beautiful beach walk in the moonlight.
Off to Whangaroa on Wednesday. Not such a bad trip as we had broken it up with our stop at Langs Beach. We found Chris & Jeanette's place in Whangaroa without any difficulty. The only difficulty we had was getting up their incredibly, steep driveway...it took 3 attempts! The house is still under construction, but Chris made sure there was electricity, running water, and a functioning bathroom. We were priviledged to be put up on the top floor with an outstanding view. Well...anywhere in this house has an incredible view. The Whangaroa Harbour is right in front of their house, and a high rock outcropping called St. Paul's is to the right. Whangaroa Harbour has very steep hills/cliffs surrounding it. Very dramatic landscape. Chris gave us a tour of the sights in the area that afternoon..which included the beautiful Mataturi Bay. It seemed to me that every bay/cove we saw was more incredible that the last.
New Year's Eve, and we took off from Whangaroa to see the sights of Cape Reinga. Along the way we had breakfast and coffee in a nice little town called Mangonui. Mangonui is situated on Doubtless Bay...another gorgeos area! We thought about driving on Ninety Mile Beach...but that was as far as we got...just thinking about it. Instead, we drove straight up to the Cape. It just boggles my mind that the road is nicely sealed all along the way...except the last 20 kilometers. It was incredibly dusty going that last 20 k's. At the end, there is a lighthouse to walk down to, and a very clear view of where the mighty Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman Sea. This was the spot where all of the tourists were swarming, so we decided to get away from that element and explore a place called Spirits Bay.
After the first 20 Kms. of dirt, we got another 15 kms. of more dirt...Yay! NOT! I am not a fan of dirty, dusty roads. However, Spirits Bay was one of the most amazing beaches I have ever seen. The sand was soft as silk, and there were pockets of pink hued shells broken down along the beach. There were also piles if beautiful shells. The beach was shaped like a half moon with gorgeous blue and green waters. You could see all the way back out to the tip of Cape Reinga...but it was too hazy to see the Three King's Islands. We had our picnic here, and explored the beach & tidepools, collected our sample of sand/shells for our ever growing collection. Another place that we are lucky to have visited!
We arrived back in Whangaroa around 5:30, made a very delish dinner, and settled into New Year's Eve among good friends. Jeanette had received a Play Station game called Mr. Buzz, so we played as teams. Having never played a video game before you can imagine that I was extremely handicapped...and very hopeless when it came to pressing the correct button. Forget about being quick! I was the loser...and the slowest responder. But...who cares...we had peals of laughter at the game show host who continued to diss me throughout the game. It was a fun, and clever quiz night! Midnight arrived...we all wished each other a Happy New Year, and most of us went off to bed. Chris, Rob & Ross sat out the window on the top floor overlooking the harbour telling stories and looking at the blue moon until...??? I was dead asleep when they all went to bed.
Back in Devo...had no traffic on the way home. So...we will remember that New Year's Day is a good day to travel!
Wishing you all a happy, healthy New Year filled with fun, laughter and goodness! Cheers to you all!
We managed to borrow the BEP Christmas tree again...although this year the tree had a difficult time staying upright as one of the legs had been reconstructed to replaced the leg that mysteriously disappeared. After we set it up with all the decorations it just toppled over without warning, crashing into the window. It had a few other crashes along the way...this was the tree that only lasted four days. The night before Ross arrived, I decided that we really needed to take it down and let it rest for another year. Also, after Christmas we purchased a new tree for next year...50% off...so no more borrowing the BEP tree.
Christmas Eve we had our neighbors, Paul & Margaret for a very fun & festive celebration. They have been such generous, and fun hosts for Rob & me as we have gotten acclimated to the Kiwi lifestyle. Really...we are so blessed to have found this living situation. We even squeezed a friendly game of petanque in before dessert...Margaret ran away with the win. More petanque games will follow, as the weather is finally to the gorgeous state.
Rob & I have also finally done some swimming! The water is very cold at first...but so clear and amazing once you have gotten over the shock. Christmas day we spent at Torpedo Bay with our chairs and umbrella...cooling off with a swim when it got too hot. The sun is so intense here that you literally will fry if you do not protect yourself in the shade and with the proper level of sunscreen. On the radio you hear the announcer say "it's another day for slip, slap, slop"! Which translates to: slip on your jandals, slap on your hat, and slop on your sunscreen....kind of a cheeky way to remind people of the hole in the ozone here.
On Boxing Day we ferried over to the city to see what kind of deals we could find. Not many shops were even open, so it was not a lengthy shopping trip. Kind of a dud, in fact. We should have gone back to the beach.
Sunday, after Christmas, we decided to go for a tramp in the bush, as it would at least be in the shade. For some time we have been passing an area when we travel up north...Pohuehue Track. I have always wanted to stop and check this track out. Unfortunately, not all of the Kiwi's had gone off on holiday before Christmas, and as we got to the tunnel...traffic turned into a nightmare. Thankfully, the Pohuehue Track was not far past the tunnel. What a relief to be out of the traffic and into the bush! We took a loop track that passed a nice little waterfall. I say little, because the waterfalls we encountered on the Milford track were massive in comparison. The only thing we thought would make this track better would for it to be farther away from the road, and traffic noises. But, once you got deep into the track it was void of traffic sounds and quite pretty. We saw some plants that we had never seen before...hopefully I will get one of our friends to help me identify them.
On our way home we decided to take a tiki tour out to another area that we have passed along the motorway...Mahaurangi Regional Park. It was only 7 kms. off the motorway, so we made a go of it. The colors of the water were amazing blues and greens. Sailboats and motorboats dotted the harbour, and heaps of campers in tents lined the shore. The harbour was flat calm at the bay we parked at. It was an idyllic area to boat and camp. We will definitely return to this new found area!
The 28th of December we awoke at 4am to pick up Ross from AKL. He had had quite the travel time, as he had to return to Chico from the Bay Area to retrieve his passport before he got on the plane to NZ. Luckily, he realized this fact with enough time to make the journey to and from Chico. We had a walk about Devonport, Ross got settled...and then he crashed into his pillow for a nap. When Ross came back to life, we took him up to one of our favorite beaches...Long Bay. Long Bay was packed, but the tide was out and we ventured around to Grannie Bay where there were very few people. Again...the water was gorgeous so we found a nice, sandy entry into the water.
Our plan was to take a road trip up to Cape Reinga...the northern most point of NZ accessible by car. To break up the trip a bit, we stopped in at Langs Beach and stayed with our neighbors at a family bach. (Bach = Holiday Home). We turned off the northern motorway at Mangawhai and drove out to the coast. We took a short walk up to a view of Mangawhai, and Mangawhai Heads, and journeyed over the hill to Langs Beach. The Hen & Chicken Islands were in full view. Paul & Margaret met us at the bach, and we enjoyed a moonlit dinner on the deck, followed by a beautiful beach walk in the moonlight.
Off to Whangaroa on Wednesday. Not such a bad trip as we had broken it up with our stop at Langs Beach. We found Chris & Jeanette's place in Whangaroa without any difficulty. The only difficulty we had was getting up their incredibly, steep driveway...it took 3 attempts! The house is still under construction, but Chris made sure there was electricity, running water, and a functioning bathroom. We were priviledged to be put up on the top floor with an outstanding view. Well...anywhere in this house has an incredible view. The Whangaroa Harbour is right in front of their house, and a high rock outcropping called St. Paul's is to the right. Whangaroa Harbour has very steep hills/cliffs surrounding it. Very dramatic landscape. Chris gave us a tour of the sights in the area that afternoon..which included the beautiful Mataturi Bay. It seemed to me that every bay/cove we saw was more incredible that the last.
New Year's Eve, and we took off from Whangaroa to see the sights of Cape Reinga. Along the way we had breakfast and coffee in a nice little town called Mangonui. Mangonui is situated on Doubtless Bay...another gorgeos area! We thought about driving on Ninety Mile Beach...but that was as far as we got...just thinking about it. Instead, we drove straight up to the Cape. It just boggles my mind that the road is nicely sealed all along the way...except the last 20 kilometers. It was incredibly dusty going that last 20 k's. At the end, there is a lighthouse to walk down to, and a very clear view of where the mighty Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman Sea. This was the spot where all of the tourists were swarming, so we decided to get away from that element and explore a place called Spirits Bay.
After the first 20 Kms. of dirt, we got another 15 kms. of more dirt...Yay! NOT! I am not a fan of dirty, dusty roads. However, Spirits Bay was one of the most amazing beaches I have ever seen. The sand was soft as silk, and there were pockets of pink hued shells broken down along the beach. There were also piles if beautiful shells. The beach was shaped like a half moon with gorgeous blue and green waters. You could see all the way back out to the tip of Cape Reinga...but it was too hazy to see the Three King's Islands. We had our picnic here, and explored the beach & tidepools, collected our sample of sand/shells for our ever growing collection. Another place that we are lucky to have visited!
We arrived back in Whangaroa around 5:30, made a very delish dinner, and settled into New Year's Eve among good friends. Jeanette had received a Play Station game called Mr. Buzz, so we played as teams. Having never played a video game before you can imagine that I was extremely handicapped...and very hopeless when it came to pressing the correct button. Forget about being quick! I was the loser...and the slowest responder. But...who cares...we had peals of laughter at the game show host who continued to diss me throughout the game. It was a fun, and clever quiz night! Midnight arrived...we all wished each other a Happy New Year, and most of us went off to bed. Chris, Rob & Ross sat out the window on the top floor overlooking the harbour telling stories and looking at the blue moon until...??? I was dead asleep when they all went to bed.
Back in Devo...had no traffic on the way home. So...we will remember that New Year's Day is a good day to travel!
Wishing you all a happy, healthy New Year filled with fun, laughter and goodness! Cheers to you all!
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