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2020 New Zealand & Tahiti
  • Maureen's Travels
Jan. – Feb. 2020

2020 New Zealand & Tahiti

Time to explore more of the beautiful Pacific with a 3-week coach tour of New Zealand and a 1-week cruise around the islands of Tahiti/French Polynesia. Weiterlesen
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  • Beginn der Reise
    22. Januar 2020
    Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    Route that our coach tour will take - so much to see!
    Today's Selfie of the Day comes to you from Pearson Airport!

    Jan 22 - Off for another adventure!

    22. Januar 2020 in Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C

    It's time for Doug and myself to set off on another adventure. We leave Jan 22 and return Feb 24. First stop - New Zealand. After a 3-week coach tour (see photo), we will go to Tahiti for a few days. Then we will explore Tahiti and the Society Islands on a one-week cruise. Glad to have you along for the trip!!

    If you are interested, there are four other trips on this site that we have taken - Australia 2016, Middle East 2018, Italy 2019 and Europe/River Cruise 2019. They are public and can be read by anyone. Click "Maureen's Travels" and then click the icon that has a squiggle with 5 trips underneath it. Maybe one of them will spawn travel plans for you!!

    And so the adventure has begun. Up at 6:30 a.m. Out the door at 7:30 a.m. We were like a well-oiled machine - we should be. We’ve done this many times before. Left the car at the Skypark Valet parking lot. I got a great deal on parking for 34 days with my Winter Special coupon. It’s worth the short van ride to the airport for those great prices. Easy check in - Air Canada agent Derek helped us with printing the baggage tags. Flashed our NEXUS cards (which classify us as trusted travellers in Canada and the U.S. - worth every penny of the $100 we each spent for a 10-year card) to go to the short security line and then we did the customs check in. Ooooops - got to go and visit the Agricultural Products Officer. We had packed our own lunch to bypass paying the exorbitant airport food costs. We intended to eat before getting on the plane - peanut butter sandwiches, carrots and apples. Discovered that the U.S. part of the airport is considered to be the U.S. where the import of fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers, meats, etc. is prohibited - like on the TV show Border Patrol. The carrots passed the test because the bag showed they were a product of Canada. I always take the stickers off fruit so we couldn’t prove their origin to be Canada or the U.S., so our two lovely Honey Crisp apples hit the garbage bin. Lesson learned. Hope that’s the biggest speed bump we hit on this trip.

    We had lots of time to sit. First of all, I got the "selfie of the day" out of the way. You'll be seeing our smiling mugs a LOT. Then I binge-watched “Blue Murder” on BritBox. Great police drama series. Doug read the morning papers. Our flight for Chicago left at 12:25 p.m. on the button. The flight was smooth on this calm, sunny day. With no internet, I watched “Silent Witness” from Hoopla (free downloadable movies with my library card) - another excellent British series. We got into Chicago right on time and then we took the shuttle to the International Terminal. We are now hunkered down for about five hours until our flight at 7:15 p.m. to Auckland. Colette, our experienced travel agent, had advised us to build extra time in between the flight from Toronto and the flight to Auckland just in case there was a delay with the Toronto flight (snow/rain/ice/wind). Our flight to Auckland is 16 hours long - eat, sleep, watch movies, repeat. This will be the longest flight we have ever done. Sprang the extra $$ for Premium Economy seats that are wider and have a lot more leg room. I'm going back to binge-watching crime dramas. There won't be a post for Jan 23 because we will lose the day when we cross the international date line during the flight.

    Here's some information about New Zealand to prime the pump. I will continue (shamelessly) to draw heavily from Wikipedia.

    New Zealand is a sovereign island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country has two main landmasses—the North Island and the South Island and around 600 smaller islands. It has a total land area of 268,000 square kilometres (103,500 sq mi). New Zealand is about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal, and plant life. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions.

    Sometime between 1250 and 1300, Polynesians settled in the islands and developed a distinctive Māori culture. In 1642, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight New Zealand. In 1840, representatives of the United Kingdom and Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which declared British sovereignty over the islands. In 1841, New Zealand became a colony within the British Empire and in 1907 it became a dominion; it gained full statutory independence in 1947 and the British monarch remained the head of state. Today, the majority of New Zealand's population of 4.9 million is of European descent; the indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders. Reflecting this, New Zealand's culture is mainly derived from Māori and early British settlers, with recent broadening arising from increased immigration. The official languages are English, Māori, and New Zealand Sign Language, with English being very dominant.

    The largest city is Auckland at about 1.6 million. Wellington, the capital, has a population of about 425,000 - it is located on the southern tip of the North Island.

    New Zealand is heavily dependent on international trade, particularly in agricultural products. Major exports are food products and wood. Major trading partners are China, Australia, the European Union, the United States and Japan. Major market sectors are services, manufacturing and construction, farming and raw material extraction. Tourism comprises over 5% of the GDP. Wool used to be a major export but plummeting world prices have made it unprofitable. Dairy farming has increased dramatically with dairy products now accounting for almost 20% of total exports. The wine industry has doubled its number of vineyards in the last decade.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    Today's selfie comes to you from the Auckland Harbour
    Auckland Harbour BridgeShipping container cranes dominate the harbourSailing is very popular in AucklandBlacketts Building from 1878Cork hats for HOT weather!Fabulous shopping arcade built in 1929Ferry Building built in 1912Auckland Sky Tower lit up at night.

    Jan 24 - Safely in Auckland

    24. Januar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We are now safe and sound in Auckland. Our 16-hour flight from Chicago left on time at 7:30 p.m. Movie, dinner, movie, put the eye shade on. I must have slept some, because when the lights came on, there were only two hours left in the flight. Breakfast and a movie and time to land. Although we had had a couple of episodes of mild turbulence during the night, Doug’s Gravol kept him intact. For those of you who haven’t followed us on our travels, you should know that Doug is very, very prone to motion sickness so planes, boats and buses and anything else that he is not driving are his nemesis. There are going to be a few challenges on this trip. We’ve got one of the big ones behind us thankfully.

    The International Date Line is roughly based at the 180° line of longitude and roughly down the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We passed over that line in the middle of the night, so we arrived in New Zealand on Friday, January 24 at 6:30 a.m. New Zealand is currently 18 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time because they are on daylight savings time. After passing through passport control and customs, we rendezvoused with our driver - just like in the movies, he had a sign (actually an iPad) with our names on it. He apologized profusely for the light mist of rain and then for the morning rush hour traffic, neither of which was terrible. We are staying right downtown at the Crowne Plaza Hotel which is actually an upscale Holiday Inn.

    We had every intention of freshening up and then going out to explore the city, but by 10:00 a.m., we were both flagging. We crawled into bed and had a 4-hour nap. Much refreshed, we set out to enjoy the day where the rain had disappeared and the sun was shining brightly - temperature 26°C - sweet. The concierge had pointed us to a nearby grocery store where we got water, yogurt, sandwiches and cookies. (Eating at grocery stores is one of our favourite cost-cutting measures when travelling. We carry our own cutlery to aid us.) We walked down Queen Street, the main shopping street of Auckland, towards the harbour. We passed lots of high-end stores (many with line ups for controlled access) - Dior, Gucci, Michael Kors, and so on. We finally reached the harbour. It was hard to actually get to the water because the area is dominated by shipping terminals and warehouses and ferry docks. There is construction everywhere to put in a subway system and to reclaim parts of the waterfront for people. We found a bench and enjoyed our lunch with very envious birds giving us the stink eye. We walked all along the harbour front and finally found a place where we could actually see the harbour. At that point, we decided we’d be wise to get our pasty-white Canadian skin out of the strong sun. We headed back along Queen Street, but on the other side of the street. Auckland,unfortunately, has a big homeless problem, so there are people begging all along the street.

    We’re back in the hotel now - Doug is watching the Australian Open Tennis tournament. 8th-seed Serena Williams just went down to defeat at the hands of the 27th seed.

    We were both conking out again at 8:00 p.m. Knowing that going to bed at that hour would be a bad idea, we went out for another walk. We headed the other direction on Queen Street and watched lots of young people enjoy the lovely summer weather. We picked up more yogurt and some muesli for breakfast tomorrow morning and then finally called it a night. We walked 14,700 steps for a total of 6.7 miles in the day.

    Here’s some information about Auckland:

    Auckland lies between the Hauraki Gulf of the Pacific Ocean to the east, the low Hunua Ranges to the south-east, the Manukau Harbour to the south-west, and the Waitakere Ranges and smaller ranges to the west and north-west. The surrounding hills are covered in rainforest and the landscape is dotted with dozens of dormantvolcanic cones. The central part of the urban area occupies a narrow isthmus between the Manukau Harbour on the Tasman Sea and the Waitematā Harbour on the Pacific Ocean. Auckland is one of the few cities in the world to have a harbour on each of two separate major bodies of water.

    The isthmus on which Auckland resides was first settled around 1350 and was valued for its rich and fertile land. The Māori population in the area is estimated to have peaked at 20,000 before the arrival of Europeans. After a British colony was established in 1840, William Hobson, then Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand, chose the area as his new capital. He named the area for George Eden, Earl of Auckland, British First Lord of the Admiralty. Māori–European conflict over land in the region led to war in the mid-19th century. Auckland was replaced as the capital in 1865 by Wellington, but the influx of immigration stayed strong, and it has remained the nation's largest city. Today, Auckland's central business district is New Zealand's leading economic hub.

    Despite being one of the most expensive cities in the world, Auckland is recognised as one of the world's most liveable cities, ranked third in the 2019 Mercer Quality of Living Survey.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    Cricket pitch in the Auckland Domain
    New Zealand War MemorialAuckland War Memorial Museum with "Lest We Forget" water featureSpectacular stained glass ceiling in War MuseumDuck pond in Auckland DomainCourtyard of WintergardensTemperate GreenhouseGlorious colours in the Temperate GreenhousePitcher plants in the Tropical GreenhouseLily pond in the Tropical Greenhouse

    Jan 25 - Exploring Auckland

    25. Januar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We were both awake at 6:00 a.m. but lolly gagged in bed until 7:00 a.m. We had yogurt and muesli and grapes for breakfast, and I had a coffee. The hot breakfast buffet here in the hotel would have been $34 each (about $30 CAD). Just a continental breakfast would have been $28 ($24 CAD). Our little repast didn’t cost that much. The tour picks up breakfast on Monday morning so we’ll get to see what $30 CAD gets you. While he ate, Doug watched sports on TV - a lot of North American sports are shown live during the day here. He’s honing his skills at understanding cricket too. I read yesterday’s papers on-line. I see there is more snow coming. So sad for you.....

    It’s another warm, clear day with a high of about 24°C forecast. We set out about 9:00 a.m. with our destination being the Auckland Domain, Auckland’s oldest park. The park contains the explosion crater and the surrounding ring of the extinct volcano Pukekawa. Our first stop was the cricket stadium where we watched young lads being timed running 22 yards - the length of the wicket. Apparently, 4 seconds is a good time. There are six cricket fields in the park - what a beehive of activity it must be in the height of cricket season.

    From there, we went to the the Auckland War Memorial Museum which sits on the ring of the volcano. The New Zealand War Memorial sits in the courtyard facing the museum. We didn’t tour the museum - we simply admired the spectacular stained glass lead light ceiling in the lobby. It displays the coat of arms of all the British Dominions and Colonies during the First World War. Canada is shown in one coat of arms. Newfoundland is shown in a separate one as it had not joined Canada yet.

    Next stop was the Domain Wintergardens - they consist of two lovely, old glass greenhouses - one is a non-heated temperate climate, the other is heated to a tropical climate. In between the two glasshouses there is an ornate courtyard with several neoclassical statues and a sunken pond in the centre. We could have used a garden expert in the greenhouses to help us identify the many colourful plants. We could identify only petunias, geraniums and alyssum.

    We found a Subway store and had lunch. That hit the spot. More on the day in the next footprint.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    1Today's mug shot comes to you from the Sky Tower!
    Busy shipping port with cranes to move containersView of Mount Eden from Sky TowerOne of several yacht clubs in AucklandStately Harbour BridgeFour tallest buildings in the worldHarbour Bridge lit up ready for its light show!Video of the light show on the Harbour Bridge

    Jan 25 - Sky Tower & Harbour Bridge Show

    25. Januar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    From there, we wandered back towards downtown. Since it was a clear day, we decided to go up the Sky Tower - height 328 meters. It’s like the CN Tower, just shorter. The CN Tower (553 meters) is now the 4th tallest building in the world. The tallest is the Burj Khalifa (828 meters) that we saw in Dubai in 2018. The views were glorious. We were able to trace the routes that we had taken yesterday - we covered a LOT of ground. We graciously declined the expensive opportunity to bungee jump or to walk outside on the skinny ledge. Not happening....

    We were at the 8 mile mark, so we went back to the hotel, via the grocery store. Doug got a cold beer and we restocked our ginger snap cookie supply. He’s watching the All-Star Hockey Skills Competition now.

    We hope to go to a light show at the Harbour Bridge tonight - we picked our viewing spot while we were up at the top of the Sky Tower. The temperature will be about 20°C. Perfect!

    We had pizza for supper at Sal's Authentic New York Wood Fired Pizzeria. We've both had better pizza.

    We did get up the energy to head back to the waterfront for 9:00 p.m., and yes, as my research had shown, there was a 15-minute light show on the Harbour Bridge. Very cool.

    We're done for today - 23,600 steps = 11 miles. This tourist thing takes a lot of walking!    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    Beautiful altar of St. Patrick's and St. Joseph's Cathedral
    I found PENGUINS!!Lovely underwater coral coloursGiant sea turtleShark Alert!!!Giant hermit crabGiant lobsterBallet motions of octopus are mesmerizingGiant sea horsesElectric blue fish swimming in a coral reef

    Jan 26 - Sea Life Aquarium

    26. Januar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    This morning was a repeat of yesterday - sleep until 6:00 a.m., doze until 7:00 a.m. and then have breakfast - same menu. Our plan was to go to mass at 11:00 a.m. at the nearby Cathedral of St. Patrick and St. Joseph, so we watched videos until then. Felt a tad sacrilegious….. Today will be the last of the lazy mornings for a couple of weeks - we will be on the bus at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow.

    It’s another beautiful, sunny day here. There are warnings about the very high UV index, so we’ll have to be careful with our still pasty-white skin.

    Mass was lovely with songs that I knew, so I belted them out vigorously. To sing is to pray twice!! The priest had a lovely sense of humour. He mentioned that tomorrow is his birthday, and as a result, he was giving everyone a day off. Bah ha ha. Tomorrow is already a holiday - Auckland Anniversary Day - a New Zealand national holiday. It commemorates the day on which explorer and first governor of New Zealand William Hobson first sighted North Island at the Bay of Islands. In 1840, Hobson arrived in New Zealand and quickly signed a treaty with the Maori, the Treaty of Waitangi, that led to New Zealand becoming a new British colony. It was on 18 September of 1840 that Hobson founded Auckland and made it the capital city of New Zealand. And that very year, a small regatta was held at Auckland in Waitemata Harbour, involving only three races In 1850, the status of 29 January as Auckland Anniversary Day (now celebrated on the Monday on or before to give a 3-day weekend) and the tradition of the Auckland Regatta became official. In these early days, Maori canoes, local fishing boats, and whaling boats took part, adding much excitement. Yachts, sailboats, and even seaplane races were added over the years. Today the regatta is the largest one-day event of its kind in the world and is the central attraction of Auckland Anniversary Day. It’s one of the reasons Auckland is known as the City of Sails.

    After mass, we picked up sandwiches at the grocery store, packed a lunch back at the hotel room and ordered an Uber with our destination being Sea Life - a huge aquarium about 6-7 kilometres from downtown. We ate lunch in the shade so as not to get burned in the strong sun, and then toured the aquarium. I had a 20% off coupon which even applied to the senior rate. Sweet. This being old thing has a few perks. (Got the senior rate at Sky Tower yesterday too.)

    The first display was about Robert Scott’s expeditions to the Antarctic. The photographer he had along was fearless and inventive - many of his photographs and films survived the brutal conditions.

    The next display was my favourite - penguins!! Sea Life is home to New Zealand’s only colony of Sub-Antarctic penguins - it was fascinating to see the magnificent birds up close in their icy world. There was one penguin sleeping standing up. Methinks it was a teenager.

    We took a moving sidewalk through a tunnel with sharks and manta rays and hundreds of fish swimming beside and above us. Very cool. In other displays, we saw sea turtles and huge lobsters and giant sea horses and ugly eels and jelly fish and so much more.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    See - we don't always wear hats!!!
    Long pier across from Sea Life AquariumPerfect sailing weather - glorious blue skies and blue-green water1I think I might like to move here.....Mesmerizing water in the harbour

    Jan 26 - The View from the Pier

    26. Januar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We discovered a long pier right outside the aquarium, so walked to the end of it to enjoy the spectacular views of the blue-green water and the clear blue skies. The pier is a very popular fishing spot - Doug is now best friends with one of the fishermen.

    I summoned another Uber to take us back to the hotel. We’ve got a bit of time before we have to meet our fellow travellers downstairs for drinks at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7:00 p.m.

    Back from dinner. There will be 18 of us on the trip. Had dinner with two retired police officers from England. Wake up call at 6:00 a.m. so enough for today!    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    Our chariot for the next 19 days!
    We are traveling in luxury!The McKinney Kauri TreeBeautiful furniture made from KauriExquisite burling in the kauri wood of this chest of drawers7-ft band saw to cut huge kauri logsDoug loves all things mechanical!75-ft slab cut from the Balderston Kauri which was killed by lightningGiant butter churn made from kauriKauri gum samples

    Jan 27 - And We're Off!!

    27. Januar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    First of all, KIA ORA!!! Pronounced KEY OR AH - it means, “Hello” in Maori.

    Up at 6:00 a.m. Breakfast at 6:30 a.m. It was a really nice, extensive breakfast buffet, but I still choke at paying $30 CAD for breakfast.

    Our coach is LOVELY!!! Check out the pictures - it even has Wifi! Our tour director is Linda - she is a wealth of information and is a very smooth driver.

    We left promptly at 8:00 a.m. on another warm, sunny, clear day. We did a short drive around Auckland, but not the downtown area - the massive construction project for the subway system has made most of the streets impassable for the bus. We drove out to the Auckland Domain where we had gone on Saturday. Then we headed to a suburb called Parnell, named after Samuel Parnell who advocated for and won the 40-hour work week for workers in New Zealand. Parnell is now a very ritzy and desirable place to live. Then we drove out along the shore on Tamaki Drive - the same route that we took yesterday to go to the aquarium. The view is simply mesmerizing. What a beautiful day all the sailors got for the massive annual regatta. We saw the huge shipping docks again. There is a proposal to move the entire shipping enterprise 2.5 hours north of the city to allow more of the harbour to be repatriated for enjoyment. The cost of the proposal is billions of dollars and will need a huge investment in roads and railways. The north of the country is the most economically challenged so residents there are rooting for the move so they can enjoy the good jobs that will follow.

    It was time to head north. We crossed the Harbour Bridge, the one where the light show had been on Saturday night. I found out later that we could have streamed accompanying music on my phone. Maybe next time!! The number of lanes of the Harbour Bridge was doubled a number of years ago - the work was done by Nippon who built “clip on” sections that were bolted to the original structure. Yup - they are called “Nippon Clip Ons!"

    Many people say that New Zealand looks like Canada - and I have to agree, it does. We passed drove through low rolling hills with lots of farms (beef, sheep) and lots and lots of trees. It’s been very dry here, so many the fields were brown and withered.

    Our first stop was in Parry Kauri Park near Warkworth to see the McKinney Kauri. Kauri is a coniferous tree that covered huge swaths of the North Island. Second only in size to the sequoia tree, kauri was valued for shipbuilding, furniture making and bracing for mines and tunnels. The forests were decimated by over harvesting, leaving only a very few pockets of growth today that are highly protected. The majestic McKinney Kauri at an estimated 800 years old has a girth of 25 feet.

    Our next stop was the Kauri Museum in Matakohe. This museum tells the story of the harvesting of the kauri tree and its gum that was used to make varnishes. They have a replica steam sawmill so Doug was in mechanical heaven. The gum solidifies and looks like amber - there was a huge display of carved pieces - fascinating to see. Learned something important at the museum - that New Zealand women were the first in the world to vote - 1893!!!    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    Flag pole marks the spot where the Waiting Treaty was singed
    Waitangi Treaty HouseInterior of the Waitangi Treaty HouseIntricately-woven panels in Treaty HouseFine carvings line the Treaty HouseCeremonial Canoe - paddled by 80-120 men!!Smiling after a successful Day 1 of the tour!

    Jan 27 - The Waitangi Treaty Grounds

    27. Januar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We had a bite of lunch at the Gumdiggers Café and then set off for the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. It was here in 1840 that the Maori Chiefs signed a treaty with the British Crown. It has become a document of central importance to the history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand, and has played a major role in framing the political relations between New Zealand's government and the Māori population, especially from the late-20th century. We learned about the treaty and its many pitfalls and saw the fabulous meeting house that is used by the Maori for celebrations and conferences. Our guide finished the tour by giving us a beautiful Maori blessing that wished us safe travels here and abroad. It was a lovely finish to a fascinating day.

    From there, it was a short drive to our hotel in Paihia on the beautiful Bay of Islands. We had dinner at the hotel with lots of laughs and are tucked up for the night. Tomorrow is a free day - stay tuned to see how we spend it!    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    Zane Grey fished for striped marlin like this one
    The beautiful harbour at RussellStunning views from Flagstaff HillToday's selfie comes to you from Flagstaff Hill!!Gorgeous views all around from on Flagstaff HillThe famous flagstaff that spawned the Flagstaff WarsMesmerizing views.....Two Cranes!Typical house construction - with whalebone foundation!A very old Norfolk Pine

    Jan 28 - Exploring Russell/Kororareka

    28. Januar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Kia ora!!

    We slept like logs in our fluffy, soft bed after our very busy first day of this tour. It’s a free day to do as we wish so there was no 6:00 a.m. wake up call. There will be one tomorrow. Linda, our tour director, is on a 24-hour break which will allow her to stay within her driving hour limit for the next leg of the trip.

    We had breakfast with Gaynor and Bob who live just north of London, England. They too are going to be first-time grandparents in May. The hotel had designated tables for us - it appears that each tour group is assigned its own tables. Some breakfast observations: streaky bacon = regular bacon; middle bacon = back bacon; thin milk = 1% milk. I’m going to see if that thin milk really does make me thin….

    Our mission for today is to go to explore Russell, the little town across the Bay of Islands from Paihia (pronounced Pie-ee-ah) where we are staying. Doug was a little leery about taking a ferry there and back, but when he saw how calm the waters were yesterday, he decided to chance it. And what a good chance it was - we had a great time over there.

    First some background about Russell courtesy of our friends at Wikipedia. Russell was known as Kororareka which means “how sweet is the penguin”, a line uttered by an ailing Maoria chief after he sipped broth made from the blue penguin which used to frequent the bay. In the early 19th century, Russell/Kororareka was the first permanent European settlement and seaport in New Zealand. It is situated in the Bay of Islands, in the far north of the North Island. The town has a population of only about 1000 permanent residents along with many, many tourists and vacationers. European and American ships began visiting New Zealand in the early 1800s. The Bay of Islands offered safe anchorage. Whaling and sealing were huge industries in the area at that time. The Maori of the Bay of Islands saw the many advantages to be had by trading with these strangers. They supplied food and timber, and in return, got firearms, alcohol and other European goods. They didn’t get the respect that they felt that they were earning. The little village became known as “The Hell Hole of the Pacific” with its many brothels and grog (liquor) stores and general lawlessness. European law had no influence and Maori law was rarely enforced. Kororareka was by this time a vital supply port and supported a thriving mercantile industry, but due to its bad reputation, it was not chosen to be the capital of the Colony of New Zealand. The town was renamed Russell in honour of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord John Russell. Auckland was chosen as the capital, and the importance of Russell declined rapidly. In the 1920s, the American writer, Zane Grey who wrote adventure novels and Westerns visited Russell and fell in love with its blue waters and fabulous sport fishing. He returned many times and the area quickly became a popular destination for the rich and famous. Tourism and sport fishing are now the two major industries of the area.

    We rode over on the ferry with Gaynor and Bob, and with Shannon and Tony. Tony is a retired cardiologist who knew my uncle, J.K. Wilson very well. Tony was instrumental in getting the bust made of J.K. that is at St. Mike’s Hospital in Toronto. J.K. was one of the pioneers of the heart transplant program there. Small world.

    The ferry ride of about 15 minutes was smooth on this, yes, another lovely, warm, sunny day. We had signed up to do a mini-bus tour at 11:00 a.m. We asked at the ticket office where the bus would be parked and were told that it was parked right outside and that we could take the 10:00 a.m. tour if we liked. Turns out we were the ONLY ones on the 10:00 a.m. tour. Our guide and driver, Kelly, was terrific. She gave us the history of Russell and pointed out all the major sights - the oldest store in New Zealand, the oldest church in New Zealand, lovely little cottages with foundations made out of ground-up whale bones, and on and on. We then drove up to a place called Flagstaff Hill. It was here that the British flew the Union Jack during the 1840s. The Maori resented the British sovereignty, so they chopped down the flagstaff three times. The town of Kororareka/Russell was sacked by Hōne Heke, a Maori chief, after diversionary raids drew away the British defenders. The flagstaff was felled for the fourth time at the commencement of the Battle of Kororareka, and the inhabitants fled aboard British ships, which then shelled and destroyed most of the houses. The views from up there were spectacular. You need more than one set of eyes to truly drink in the beauty of this country. The most expensive holiday accommodation in all of New Zealand, the Eagles Nest, is close by there - each night is a mere $2000 NZD. Maybe we’ll book it next time……

    After our tour, we had ice cream, because being a tourist is a hungry job and we wanted to support the local dairy industry. A favourite flavour of ice cream here is Hoki Poki - vanilla with lumps of honeycomb toffee. The stuff is deadly delicious.

    We walked and walked and walked all over the town. We visited the very good Russell Museum. They have a one-fifth scale model of Captain James Cook’s ship Endeavour. Cook was the first to circumnavigate New Zealand and prove that it was not attached to Australia.

    We found a lovely little bakery and had a ham and cheese croissant followed by ginger cookies. I washed it all down with Bundaberg lemonade from Australia - we drove very close to Bundaberg when we visited Australia in 2016. Yum.

    We sat by the water’s edge for a while, watching people enjoy the sunshine and the water, and watching teenager sea gulls giving their mother a hard time. She took off. You go girl. Good entertainment while we waited for the 2:00 p.m. ferry. Another smooth crossing brought us back to Paihia.

    We found the grocery store and picked up sandwiches for dinner and some granola bars for tomorrow morning. Lunch is going to be very late tomorrow so the bars should tide us over. We have found that NZ is NOT a salad country. We usually exist on pre-made salads when we travel. Not here - have only found one salad so far and it wouldn’t have fed a baby rabbit. The favourite vegetable here is kumara - sweet potatoes. Can’t believe I’m craving green vegetables and going to the gym……

    We headed home as we felt it prudent to get out of the sun even though we had slathered on sun screen today - twice.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    We went from #1 (bottom left) to #14 (top right corner)
    Motuarohia - also known as Robertson IslandMoturua - how's that for a holiday home?Twin lagoons almost bisect MoturuaHeading out into the Pacific OceanThe Hole in the RockDolphins near the Hole in the Rock!!!The Lighthouse on the point of Cape Brett PeninsulaBeautiful Otehei Bay - see why Zane Grey came here?The view from the hill over Otehei Bay - pardon my finger.....

    Jan 29 - The Hole in the Rock

    29. Januar 2020, Tasman Sea ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    6-7-8 - it’s become our mantra for busy mornings. Wakeup call at 6:00 a.m. Breakfast at 7:00 a.m. On the bus at 8:00 a.m.

    It was a warm but overcast morning, which actually turned out to be a bit of a blessing. We travelled down to the pier and got on a big catamaran to go out to the furthest island of the 144 islands of the Bay of Islands. We sat up top - yes, Doug was along - he chanced this boat ride which was included in our package. The sun would have been unbearable up there, so the clouds were quite welcome.

    We made a quick stop in Russell to pick up a few passengers and then headed out. There was no wind so that made the waters very calm. The boat captain kept up a steady commentary - he had a wonderful sense of humour. Once he picked up speed, he told us to hang onto our favourite things - hats, wigs, toupees and spouses!!

    We passed Motuarohia (sometimes called Robertson Island) and Moturua, two of the seven islands in the ambitious Project Island Song project. Some of the lands here are privately-owned with fabulous vacation homes on them. One of them has its own helicopter pad. Captain James Cook anchored his ship the Endeavour off Motuarohia when he explored the Bay of Islands in 1769. It’s a beautiful island with twin lagoons.

    Before man came to the Bay of Islands, the islands were home to millions of birds; most nested on the ground; and many of them flightless because they didn’t have to forage for food on the verdant land. The islands were loud with song of birds. The birds had no natural predators. The Maori unfortunately introduced rats (unintentionally) and dogs both of which were bird-hunters. The Maori cleared land for farming sweet potatoes. Europeans cut down the kauri tree for ship masts and spars and cleared the land for sheep and dairy farming. More pests arrived - two more types of rats, the stoat and the house mouse. The bird population was decimated by all of these factors.

    In 2005, Project Island Song was established - it is a cross-functional effort dedicated to bringing the song of birds back to the islands - one sweet note at a time. The seven main islands in the eastern Bay of Islands have been pest mammal (rats, stoat, mice) free since 2009, and the natural eco-systems are being restored. The birds are thriving. On-going pest control is taking place - there is a 1-800-I-SAW-A-RAT hot line which will bring out rat sniffer dogs. Thousands of trees have been planted, and five rare and endangered species have been reintroduced. Many more species are planned. This wildlife sanctuary is now home to some of the world’s most fascinating and rare wildlife. A massive education program is helping to promote the importance of biosecurity to all those visiting the islands.

    From Moturua, we headed out in the open Pacific - next stop if we had kept on going would have been South America. The waters got rougher and Doug got green and then greener. The waves were just too much for the Gravol to handle. He “fed the fish” a couple of times. Travel has its good, bad and ugly moments.

    Our destination was Motukokako - better know to tourists as the Hole in the Rock. The island is of great cultural significance to the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe), and was historically associated with a range of sacred customary activities. The 60-foot hole at sea level was created over centuries by wind and waves making it one of the most naturally beautiful sites in New Zealand. It is probably the most important island in the Bay of Islands in conservation terms, being in near pristine condition, with no evidence of introduced animals.

    The tides cooperated and we passed successfully through the hole - it’s a tight fit. On the other side, were were treated to one of those marvellous moments of travel serendipity. A pod of dolphins came our way and treated us to one of their ballet shows of diving and jumping and swimming in tandem. What a great memory!

    Just past there we passed the tip of the Cape Brett Peninsula where a lighthouse stands. In no longer is working, but is a reminder of how things used to be. In its heyday, it supported three lighthouse keepers, their wives and a total of 15 children - all on a scruffy outcrop of land with supplies arriving only every three months.

    From there we travelled along the edge of the Cape Brett Peninsula to the island of Urupukapuka into Otehei Bay. It was here that Zane Grey built his fishing lodge that drew thousands to the area. We docked and had a change to stretch our legs. Doug sat and hoped for the day to be over. I climbed to the top of one of the hills to burn off some of the twitchiness that hits me when Doug is feeling rotten. I was rewarded with glorious 360°views of the bay.

    The return trip was in the protected bay so the waters were quite calm. But the damage was done - Doug was feeling miserable. Just a few minutes from Paihai, the clouds opened up and we had 5 minutes of rain. We had seen the darkening skies and scuttled down below just in time to escape the deluge. We got back to the bus about 12:30 to begin the ~4 hour drive to Auckland. The drive turned out to be a bit longer because we had to stop for Doug a couple of times. Blessedly, everyone was very considerate. We were in the front seats on Monday. Today we had to rotate seats which put us halfway back. Doug opted for the jump seat in the very front beside Linda. Marianne graciously traded places with me so that I could hop out and help Doug.

    We’re now back in Auckland at the same hotel and in the same room. Doug is down for the count. I’ll be dining with my fellow travellers downstairs in the hotel restaurant. Doug is going to need his complimentary drink tickets. I’ll be giving those away.

    Tomorrow we are off to Rotorua.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    Engine Ww 480 - ready to take us on a ride
    Beautifully restored interior of coach carMichael (age 14) - apprentice train conductorWait - it's coming!!! Have the sound on....The soft rolling hills of the countrysideCows, sheep and llamas in one paddock!A Crane on a train!Morning tea after a long train rideMounds dot the scenery - made by ancient volcanic actionThe information bureau in Matamata - aka Hobbiton

    Jan 30 - Glenbrook Vintage Railway

    30. Januar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Status update: Doug slept for 12 hours last night, but even so, the short walk to breakfast left him dizzy, lightheaded and weak. He would not have been able to make the trip today and he certainly would not have been able to drive should we have opted to hire a car and follow the bus. With many more days of hilly, windy, twisting roads ahead of us, we made a tough decision. Doug chose to leave the tour and stay in Auckland for the next two weeks. We will rendezvous at the airport here when I fly back in from Christchurch on Feb 13 and go from Auckland to Tahiti. This is one of the very low points in our extensive travel history. Read the blog about the trip to the Middle East for the other low point.

    With incredible support from our travel agent, Colette, Doug has relocated to another hotel and will be going to a walk-in medical clinic. We have both medical and cancellation insurance, so don’t worry about us. Doug is going to become an expert on Auckland in the next two weeks.

    So, I and my 16 fellow travellers left at 8:00 a.m., heading south. The city of Auckland covers a huge area - over 425 square miles. To drive for one end of it to the other is a full 60 miles. The emphasis is now on building up instead of out to preserve the surrounding countryside. The countryside is soft, rolling hills with lots of healthy-looking farms, although things are very brown right now because of the lack of rain. We saw lots and lots of cows and sheep. Farming is a huge part of the New Zealand economy, with dairy farming comprising the largest sector. Fully 95% of all dairy products are exported. Potatoes, onions and kiwi fruit are major crops.

    We also passed through several areas where thoroughbred breeding and racing are major economic drivers. There is actually a position in the government called Minister for Racing. Sweet job….

    Linda’s excellent commentary told us about some of the environmental disasters that have taken place in New Zealand. The possum/ferret was brought here from Australia to establish a fur trade. Eight breeding pairs failed to breed in captivity and so were released into the wild. At one point, 90 million of them roamed the forests, stripping the foliage, eating bird eggs and spreading bovine tuberculosis. Extensive trapping and baiting has driven the number down to 35-40 million - they are still New Zealand’s most problematic invasive species. No one is sad to see possum road kill - referred to as “squashums”.

    Our first stop was Glenbrook Vintage Railway run largely by volunteers (Railway Enthusiasts Society) dedicated to preserving the history of New Zealand’s rail industry. The engine on our trained was used for many years to haul coal to steel mills on the west coast of the South Island. We were the only passengers aboard. We travelled 7.5 kms through beautiful countryside to the town of Waiuku on the Manukau Harbour. There, we disembarked while engine shunted to another track and was positioned to make the return trip. Some lucky people got to be in the engine while it was operating. Along the way, we stopped at the Engineering Workshops where the volunteers maintain and refurbish the rolling stock. Having some MacGyver skills must be a real asset there. Partway back to home base, we disembarked again, the train backed up around a corner and then came towards us a full steam. What a great photographic moment!! Back at the station, we enjoyed tea and morning nibbles before climbing aboard our chariot once again.

    Our next stop a lunch break in Matamata. Just southwest of the town is where the Hobbiton Movie Set was created for Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. People stream here in droves to tour the sets. Hobbit tourism now makes up a huge part of the tourism income of New Zealand. The place has 44 hobbit holes and Bag’s End (Bilbo’s home) which explains why the information bureau looks like a hobbit house.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    A great travel team - just missing Doug!!
    Pounamu Touchstone - touch it for good luck!Flax grows everywhere - used to make rope, baskets, even capesTuatara - like an iguanaGiant California Redwoods grow much faster hereJenny the Kea - an endangered alpine parrotSilver fern - used by the Maori to mark pathwaysRainbow trout can swim from here to Lake RotoruaThe hatching of a kiwiModels of kiwis

    Jan 30 - Rainbow Springs Nature Park

    30. Januar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    Our next stop was at the Rainbow Springs Nature Park, home of the National Kiwi Hatchery. This is the world’s leading kiwi conservation centre. The recovery efforts here are helping New Zealand’s national icon to be pulled back from the brink of extinction. Before we saw the hatchery, we explored the rainbow trout ponds, saw flax (used for making rope, baskets, mats), silver ferns (a noted national symbol of New Zealand), kea (birds) and lots of tuatara (like iguanas). The hatchery tour was fascinating. A kiwi egg has only a 5% chance of surviving in the wild because of the invasive predator species introduced. Operation One Nest The efforts here have a 95% hatchery success rate - when strong enough to stoat-proof weight, the kiwis are released back into pest-free areas. Over 2000 chicks have been successfully released. A female kiwi has two ovaries - she produces two huge eggs. It would be like a human woman giving birth to a pair of 4-year old twins. Ouch!!!

    We did a quick tour of Rotorua where we will be staying for two nights. Then we did a quick group shot and then settled in at the hotel. The food here is lovely and beautifully presented. Not sure what I ate for dinner but it was delicious.

    It’s a 7:00 a.m. wakeup call tomorrow to be followed by a big adventure!!

    Top Row: Fred Pincock, David Marquardt, Richard Pike, Tony Graham, Peter Nancollis, Linda Cruikshank (driver), Bob Hall, Henry Skrobalak, Ian Arnold

    Bottom Row: Pat Pincock, Jennifer Marquardt, Marianne Franklin, Shannon Graham, Jenny Craig, Maureen Crane, Gaynor Hall, Irene Skrobakak, Carol Poole    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    Cable car ride to the top for breakfast
    Deer grazing below the cable carHow's that for a breakfast view?No comment required!She's at the starting gate!!Look at me go!!Peaceful ride back up for luge run #2!!!

    Jan 31 - Brekkie & a Luge Run

    31. Januar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    What decadence! The wakeup call wasn’t until 7:00 a.m. I slept like a log from 10:30 p.m. until 6:59 a.m. Perfect. Only Doug could have made that a better sleep. Less than two weeks until we fix that.

    We climbed on the bus at 7:45 a.m. and headed to a nearby mountain (hill if you live near the Rockies) and took a gondola car up to the top. Below us was a mountain-biking course with jumps and hills and ramps. I think being an orthopaedic surgeon in Rotorua would be a good career choice. There is also zip lining and tree canopy walks too. This is the land of enjoying the outdoors. We saw beautiful little Bambi-like deer amidst all the mountain biking tracks. Man and nature living in harmony.

    At the top of the hill/mountain, we had a sumptuous breakfast while enjoying the glorious views out to Lake Rotorua. I had pancakes with what labelled as maple syrup. This girl from Lanark County, the maple syrup capital of Canada, can attest that it definitely was NOT maple syrup. Decent coffee for once. I’ve learned to scout out the big mugs so I can dose it with lots of thin milk which, incidentally, is NOT making me thin. Sigh….

    Fed and watered, it was time for some excitement - luging!!! Most of use tackled the Scenic Route - long and not too winding. The steering is like a bicycle and the braking is easy - pull towards you. It was a great long (uneventful) run. Back to the top on a chair lift. Loved it so much, I splurged for a second ticket and took the Intermediate run - more curves and corners with a couple of nice long stretches where I let it rip. Doug, you would have been SO proud of me being a speed demon!

    Back on the bus and off to our next adventure - see the next footprint!    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    A young dog being trained to herd sheep
    Video of sheep herding - have the sound onA she and two sheep!!!19 different kinds of sheep!!!Sheep shearingYoungsters feeding lambsDemo of how dogs run over the back of sheep to control them

    Jan 31 - The Agrodome

    31. Januar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Our next stop was nearby at the Agrodome. It's a farm-based attraction that helps to educate visitors on farming, especially sheep farming, in New Zealand. GPT knows how to time things. We arrived just in time to catch the sheep herding demonstration. Despite the valiant efforts by a very quick and smart dog, the four sheep managed to evade the pen, despite all four looking as dumb as stumps. It's fascinating to hear the handler use different whistle sounds to direct the dog - the whistles all sounded the same to these human ears.

    Next, was the star attraction - a sheep show. There were 19 sheep on display - each a different breed. The host explained the characteristics of each. King of the castle is the Merino sheep with its long, silky wool that is used to make high-end, incredibly soft clothing. The host sheared a Romney sheep right in front of our eyes - Linda had told us where the prime seats were located. Kids got to bottle-feed baby lambs and a trainee dog got to herd a couple of geese. Three lucky visitors got to try their hand at milking a cow. Then three other dogs came out and demonstrated how they actually climb over the backs of sheep in large herds to control them. I'd never seen that done before. The whole show was really entertaining and very educational. There was a nursery nearby with baby rabbits, lambs and pigs. There was a lot of cooing in that room.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    The Duck Boat - a WWII amphibious landing craft
    Our "Conducktor" NickBeautiful Lake RotoruaBlue-green waters of Lake TikitapuLake TikitapuExpensive holiday homes on Lake OkarekaPeaceful Lake OkarekaOur smooth exit from Lake OkarekaOne of the many beautiful forests near Rotorua

    Jan 31 - The Duck Boat

    31. Januar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    We had just enough time to get some cabinet food (pre-made sandwiches) before our next adventure. Eleven of us had opted for a ride in a Duck Boat. The Duck Boat is an amphibious WWII landing craft that holds 20 passengers, each equipped with a bright yellow duck call. Ours was driven by our "conducktor" Nick who kept up a steady banter of stories, history-telling and bad jokes. We toured around Rotorua, quacking at anyone and everyone. We stopped at Lake Rotorua and heard the legend of the princess and the warrior who her father considered not good enough for his precious daughter. But love conquered all and their devotion to each other eventually convinced the father to give his blessing to the relationship. Ahhhhh......

    We headed out of town to picturesque Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) for the our first splashdown. The theme from Jaws heralded our successful launching. The water in the lake is blue, blue, blue because of the type of rock at the bottom that refracts the blue part of the prism. The water is so clean that you can drink it. The theme from Raiders of the Lost Ark celebrated our successful return to dry land. Interestingly, Nick's supervisor, Josh, checked all around the vehicle before proceeding for any kind of plant material to ensure that plants are not transported to other lakes where they could proliferate and choke off the fish and natural habitat plants.

    Our next stop was Lake Okareka for our second splashdown - Mission Impossible this time. There is a guest house there that has seen the likes of Tom Cruise and Shania Twain. The place is yours for about $5000/night/per bedroom!!! Maybe next time.... The theme from James Bond accompanied our exit from the lake.

    We headed back into town past wonderful forests. About 75% of all the trees found in New Zealand are found no where else in the world. These islands truly are special biospheres.

    On our way back to the hotel, we serenaded all those within earshot with Neil Diamond's song Sweet Caroline. The duh-duh-duh part was replaced with loud duck calls. Crazy fun on a lovely, sunny Friday afternoon.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    Geothermal geyser
    Geysers dancing in the sunGeothermal pool with very hot waterOur incredibly knowledgable guideHot mud pools used to treat arthritisCarvings done at the national training schoolThis carving is my favourite - short and fierce, just like me!!One of the traditional designs that the students must learn to carveThe beautiful Marae - meeting houseOpening up the hangi where our dinner has been cooking for hours

    Jan 31 - Te Puai

    31. Januar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Our 4th and thankfully, final stop for the day was at Te Puai. This is at the centre for Maori culture and geothermal wonders. We climbed on a people mover with our guide who is a Maori native. Her people are from this area and fully 80% of the employees can trace their lineage back to a famous chief who led the tribe hundreds of years ago.

    Our first stop was to Pōhutu, a huge hot water geyser that spews boiling water out of the rock with the plumes reaching heights of 100 feet. These are the largest geysers in the southern hemisphere. Yellowstone in the U.S. and Geysir in Iceland are the biggest in the northern hemisphere. The geysers "play" about twice an hour - they must have known were coming because they put on a superb show. Our guides people still use the hot water from these geysers for cooking and cleaning and bathing.

    Next stop - the mud pits where black mud continually bubbles up out of the ground like in some sort of primordial swamp. Apparently the hot mud helps to relieve muscle aches and pains and the miseries of arthritis. Don't need that mud quite yet.

    Next stop -the Kiwi Conservation Centre. Kiwi used to number 70 million in New Zealand. The number is now about 80,000 and that is only because of concerted protection programs such as this one and the one we saw yesterday. In a very dark room (kiwi are nocturnal creatures) we actually were able to see one of the three kiwi that live here. Here the staff do captive breeding, advocacy sessions and dog aversion training that discourage dogs from attacking the kiwi.

    We then saw the Marae, the Maori meeting house with its intricate carvings and complex woven materials. Then we got to see NZMACI - the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute that is dedicated to ensuring the survival and growth of traditional Maori carving and weaving and other art forms. In the 1920s the Maori culture and traditions were in danger of being lost. The visionary Māori politician, Sir Apirana Ngata, believed that material culture – particularly wood carving – held the key to cultural preservation. His efforts saw the first Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, established in 1926. This helped revive traditional Māori arts and crafts and laid solid foundations for the New Zealand Māori Arts and Craft Institute at Te Puia today.

    Wood carving of traditional designs are taught by master carvers to young trainees. At the National Stone and Bone Carving School students learn the revered tradition of carving pounamu (New Zealand greenstone), bone and stone. At the national weaving school students learn the ancient art of Māori weaving. Flax, the plant that we have seen growing everywhere, is the fibre used for clothing, mats, rope, baskets and nets. There is even a part of the school where traditional tā moko (Māori tattooing ) is taught.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    Women swinging poi

    Jan 31 - Hangi and Haka

    31. Januar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Our day wasn't done yet. We gathered outside the Marae meeting house, and watched as a group of Maori men and women welcomed us and a warrior offered a symbol of peace (silver fern) to one of three "chiefs" - one being Bob from our group. I wonder how he got chosen???

    With all being well with the warrior, we entered the meeting house and were treated to a show of Maori culture - song, dance, swinging poi and weaponry, and of course, haka - the routine the the All Blacks NZ rugby team is famous for doing. The entire show was spell-binding,

    Finally, it was time for dinner. We had seen the hangi earlier - it's a method of cooking food in the ground over hot rocks. The smell when the workers lifted the lid on the huge steel vessel was heavenly.

    We had a fabulous dinner buffet, with hangi-cooked lamb, pork and chicken, kumara (sweet pototoes) and regular potatoes. There was a massive salad bar with salmon and prawns and shrimp and and fabulous dessert bar. I put a major dent in the vat of warm vanilla custard. I like to think I was actively supporting the New Zealand daily economy.

    It was a FULL day. We are off to Wellington tomorrow.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    Huka Falls
    200,000 litres of water crash through the narrow opening every secondSnow-capped mountains in the middle of summerMountain created by volcanic actionRestored tram car from 1920sWe made it to the Tasman Sea!!Model of double-decker tram carsThe view from my hotel room!!!

    Feb 1 - Heading south, way south!

    1. Februar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    We were on the bus and heading south by 7:30 a.m. today. We had a lot of ground to cover. Our destination was Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. I got a takeout coffee to drink on the bus. I perked up after that.

    As we drove, Linda kept us spellbound with her seemingly limitless knowledge of geography, geology, history, culture, Maori legends, flora, fauna, the timber industry, sheep and cattle and dairy farming and a hundred other topics, all while driving a full-sized bus. This lady really, really knows how to multi-task.

    Our first stop was at the spectacular Huka Falls on the Waikato River (New Zealand’s longest river) that drains Lake Taupo. A few hundred metres upstream from the Huka Falls, the Waikato River narrows from approximately 100 metres across into a canyon of hard volcanic rock only 15 metres across. This causes the beautiful blue-green water to thunder through the opening with enormous force - we got to witness over 200,000 litres of water per second barrelling over the 11 meters high waterfall. The effect is nature's large-scale equivalent of a fire hose feeding into a very fine nozzle.

    At 10:30 a.m., we stopped in the lakeside town o Taupo for morning coffee and tea. We have discovered Richard Harris Cafés and are now determined to work our way through their entire fabulous bakery selection. I enjoyed a ginger loaf in the glorious sunshine of another warm New Zealand day.

    Watered and fuelled, we pressed on, learning more about volcanic action and shifting of tectonic plates than we ever thought we would need. This country must truly be a geologist’s dreamland. We stopped for lunch in Taihape, an entirely forgettable little town, except for one thing - it is the self-declared Gumboot Capital of the world. Now for those of you who don’t know what gumboots are, they are the tall black rubber boots, often with orange toes, favoured by farmers near and far. They are also known as wellies or Cape Breton sneakers. In bucolic Taihape at the Gumboot Festival, you can do gumboot racing, gumboot flower arranging, gumboot decorating and of course, gumboot tossing - aka wellie whanging. The garbage cans in town have wellies on them; even the signs on the public washrooms are in the shape of gumboots. Visitors are greeted as they come into town with an enormous wellie sculpture made of corrugated steel. Being a career steelworker, that makes me very, very happy. Alas, the Quilted Gumboot fabric store has closed down. I would have liked to add to my enormous fabric stash from there.

    Back on the bus. We passed lots of farms and went through several small towns. By favourite was Bulls were the police station is Const-A-Bull; the library is Read-A-Bull; the café is Delect-A-Bull; the public parking is Park-A-Bull; and the public toilets are Relieve-A-Bull. You get the drift. There is some seriously good humour in New Zealand.

    We made a quick comfort stop in Levin and pressed on to the Kapiti Coast Electric Tramway. There, we enjoyed a nostalgic trip on one of the original trams that served Wellington City. We rode the tram down almost to the shore passing a touching memorial to the 10 US Marines that drowned in an accident whlle stationed here during WWII. After a quick hike to the beach, we were rewarded with glorious views of the Tasman Sea. That’s the body of water that separates Australia and New Zealand. The area had been awash in activity for the day because there had been triathlons and duathlons and mountain bike races all day. After our trip on the tram, we enjoyed tea/coffee/juice and sweet treats. The volunteers at the museum are passionate about preserving Wellington’s tramway history and they are doing a spectacular job of it. They display the same ardour as their counterparts at the steam railway that we visited earlier in the week.

    Finally, after a long, but very interesting day, we arrived at the hotel. As always, the staff were there to unload our luggage and our room keys were ready for us. We get treated like VIPs at each location - GPT has this tour business down to a science. There is a very scary thing in the bathroom here - a set of scales. I am NOT going anywhere near those things. I’ve had enough psychological trauma in my life recently.

    We had a lovely dinner in the hotel restaurant. Beef tenderloin. Yum. Jenny and I ordered different desserts and swapped half way through. Both choices were fabulous. I’m going to live at the gym full time when I get home.

    We had hope to go to fireworks down on the quay at 9:30 being put on for the Chinese New Year, but alas, the winds (for which Wellington is very well know) were blowing too hard - I have a corner room - I can hear the wind and almost feel the wind howling out there. The organizers will try again tomorrow. We are here for two nights, so maybe we will be available. Let’s hope for calmer weather.

    I video chatted with Doug tonight. He’s still not back to 100%, but feeling better each day. He’s going to go to the Military Museum in Auckland tomorrow - the one where we admired the wonderful stain glass in the ceiling of the lobby - seems like weeks and weeks ago.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    The Beehive - third ugliest building in the world
    Parliament HouseParliamentary Library with beautiful rose gardensLt. Spencer Westmacott - 2.5 times life-size models done with incredible detailMedical staff worked under impossible conditionsAn extremely good demonstration of the ebbs and flows of this futile campaignPrivate Jack Dunn - fell asleep at his post and was sentenced to deathNurses like Lottie Le Gallais played a major role in the Battle of GallipoliBraveryChilling numbers

    Feb 2 - Exploring Wellington

    2. Februar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    We started the morning with a quick tour around Wellington. A huge issue here is making earthquake resistant. Some older buildings that do not meet current standards are sitting empty awaiting engineering decisions - retrofit or raze and rebuild.

    Wellington is the capital of New Zealand, so we stopped to look at the Parliament Buildings that had absolutely no security in sight. There are three main buildings - the Beehive that houses offices - voted the third ugliest building in the world; the actual Parliament Building; and the Parliamentary Library.

    Our next stop was the Museum of New Zealand - Te Papa Tongarewa, usually referred to simply as Te Papa. GPT had arranged for us to access the premier exhibit before the general public so we could study it in relative calm. The exhibit was about the Battle of Gallipoli, a campaign of the First World War that took place on the Gallipoli peninsula (Gelibolu in modern Turkey), from 17 February 1915 to 9 January 1916. The Entente powers, Britain, France and the Russian Empire, sought to weaken the Ottoman Empire, one of the Central Powers, by taking control of the straits that provided a supply route to Russia. The Allies' attack on Ottoman forts at the entrance of the Dardanelles in February 1915 failed and was followed by an amphibious landing on the Gallipoli peninsula in April 1915 to capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople (Istanbul).

    In January 1916, after eight months' fighting, with approximately 250,000 casualties on each side, the land campaign was abandoned and the invasion force withdrawn. It was a costly defeat for the Allies and for the sponsors, especially First Lord of the Admiralty (1911–1915), Winston Churchill.

    The campaign is often considered to be the beginning of Australian and New Zealand national consciousness; 25 April, the anniversary of the landings, is known as ANZAC Day, the most significant commemoration of military casualties and veterans in the two countries, surpassing Remembrance Day (Armistice Day)

    The exhibit was, without a doubt, the best museum exhibit I have ever seen. There were models of actual people - the models were 2.5 times life size and were made by the studios here in New Zealand that did the work for the Lord of the Rings. The attention to detail was uncanny - right down to the beads of sweat on the foreheads of the soldiers.

    The animations of the surges and the retreats of the forces were extremely well-done, showing the struggle by the ANZAC forces to stay perched on the side of steep cliffs in vile conditions. it was truly a poignant reminder of both man's courage and man's stupidity.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    View of Wellington from Mount Victoria
    Another view from Mount VictoriaMe and the harbour of WellingtonFabulous old architecture in WellingtonMore fabulous architectureView over WellingtonHouses cling to the side of every hill - what glorious views they have!The Wellington Cable Car whisks travellers to the top of the hill for great viewsSt. Mary of the Angels Catholic ChurchEarthquake-proof device on each pew, unless it's an ejector seat......

    Feb 2 - An afternoon to myself!!

    2. Februar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    After the museum, we drove along the water’s edge. Wellington is built on hills that butt right up to the shore. Houses hang off the sides of the hills everywhere. Because many of these houses are not accessible by road, people have put in private cable car systems. That’s a good way to get your groceries up and your geriatric dog down. Ingenious.

    We went up to the top of Mount Victoria which is 196 metres high. From there, we enjoyed panoramic views of the city. But boy, was it windy!!

    We had the afternoon and evening to ourselves. I hoofed to the grocery store and got broccoli salad, a sandwich and some fruit salad for lunch, and yogurt with granola and coleslaw for dinner. After lunch Chez Hotel Room, I headed out. First stop, St. Mary of the Angels Church where I wanted to go to mass at 5:00 p.m. Once I knew where it was, I could then spend time exploring. Jenny and I went up a funicular to the top of another hill where I enjoyed more glorious views and learned a few more things about trams at the little tram museum.

    I came back down the tram and walked along the waterfront which is full of shops and cafés and a big place that was celebrating the Chinese New Year. By then it was time to head to mass. It was really nice - we said some of the responses in Maori using the words projected on a screen. Very cool.

    It was time to call it a day. Doug and I were able to video chat. He went to the military museum today (the one with the great stain glass in the lobby) and then discovered young men playing cricket on the nearby pitches. By the end of the match, he was their official manager. He now knows a lot more about cricket and he cadged dinner out of the guys too. The concierge at the hotel is working on finding rugby for him to watch. Tomorrow’s treat for him - watching the Super Bowl at noon. He’s still not 100%, but we’ve come to know that the last 10% recovery for him takes a long time.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    Morning tea - a date scone with butter, jam and whipped cream. Yum!!!
    Gorgeous colours on the ferry crossingThe Interislander FerryBeautiful scenery on the crossing from North Island to South IslandThe beautiful harbour of Picton and me!Picton Harbour - the view I enjoyed during lunchCanada needs these everywhere - free public toilets!I love the NZ sense of humour!Wonderful vineyards stretching as far as the eye can seeThe rugged Pacific coastline

    Feb 3 - South via Ferry, Train & Coach

    3. Februar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Will post the pictures for this footprint later today.....

    We were on the bus at 7:30 a.m. A few minutes later, we were at the ferry terminal. We had to be there good and early so that Linda could a prime parking spot for the bus close to the exit ramp. We climbed on as foot passengers (a regulation) but were able to board the coach for disembarkation.

    Our destination was Picton on the South Island travelling via ferry across the Cook Strait that separates the North Island and the South Island. In true GPT fashion, we had a lounge area all to ourselves. We promptly started spreading our paperwork out as we had to choose our excursions for the middle of the week. Linda helped us each to make our choices. Stay tuned to see what I chose. Hint - at least one is an activity that Doug would NEVER do.

    The crossing on the Interislander Ferry was 3.5 hours and today, despite the windy conditions in Wellington, was extremely smooth. About halfway through, a cart came around serving warm scones with butter, jam and whipped cream. This travelling thing can make a girl peckish, so I downed one and then helped Jenny to finish up the other half of hers. That thin milk better start working soon. I spent some time on the side deck for a while to enjoy the panoramic views through the Marlborough Sounds. Winston Churchill’s family were Marlboroughs. He was born at Blenheim Palace (Doug and I have been there) - there is a town of Blenheim along the train route that we are going to take. Somebody who named places around here liked that family.

    We arrived right on schedule in Picton on another warm, sunny day. I changed into a t-shirt and shorts from the warm clothes that I had expected I would need on the ferry. We had about an hour for lunch so I found the grocery store and got caramel yogurt and Bundaberg lemonade so I could support the NZ dairy industry and a longterm Australian company. I found a spot by the water and soaked in the sunshine while giving the lurking sea gulls and geese the evil eye.

    Picton has something that I've seen in a lot of other NZ locations - free public toilets. These ones are self-contained units - toilet, sink and hand dryer. A lovely voice tells you that you have 10 minutes to do your stuff. Then elevator music plays to disguise the sound of whatever you are doing. Canada - lets get these!!!

    About 2:00 p.m., we boarded the train in Picton to enjoy the Coastal Pacific, a spectacular rail journey that follows a thin wedge of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Kaikoura Ranges. Linda will meet us in Kaikoura and we’ll continue from there to Christchurch. We felt like a bunch of rookies being allowed to solo for the first time!

    The countryside that the train is travelling though is hilly with lots of forests. There is evidence of clearcutting on one side. We are passing farms too - just like in the North Island, things are pretty brown because of the prolong dry spell. We have headsets and occasionally there are commentaries about each area - people who shaped the area, geological events, the local industries and Maori legends that explain the topography.

    The train does go all the way to Christchurch but it would get us in very, very late. GPT has found that going as far as Kaikoura by train and continuing on by coach lets us enjoy the most scenic partsof the trip but gets us into Christchurch at a more reasonable hour. Out dinner has been all prearranged for us - we made our menu choices a few days ago. GPT knows how to make effective use of our time.

    We passed Lake Grassmere, which more a lagoon than a lake. Close to the sea, it has a high salinity. Along with the high winds and the strong sun, the area is ideal for salt extraction. A large range of salts with slightly different chemical compositions, grain sizes and shapes are produced at Lake Grassmere. All table salt produced in New Zealand is solar salt, and both iodised and non-iodised table salt are available.

    An unexpected sight that wasn’t on the GPT agenda - four guys mooned us!

    We saw huge vineyards as we passed through the premier grape growing region of New Zealand. Olive growing is now big business here too. The vineyards are enormous in comparison to the smaller, more boutique-style wineries that dominate the Niagara area.

    The train began to run right alongside the water’s edge - the South Pacific Ocean - if you looked really, really carefully, you could see the next land mass - Chile - only 9000 kms away! The water was a soft emerald green, in contrast to the very green and sometimes very brown steep hills on the other side of the tracks.

    A devastating earthquake in November of 2016 badly damaged this rail line and road that parallels it. In an incredible feat of engineering fortitude, the first train travelled on the rebuilt line just 10 months later. Repair/reinforcement work is still going on as a result of that earthquake.

    Kaikoura used to be a thriving whaling centre. When the whaling industry declined, so did the town. But then the whales came back and Kaikoura is now a major centre for whale watching expeditions.

    The views along the coastline were delightful as were wound our way along, sometimes passing underneath hills/mountains via narrow tunnels. Along the water’s edge, we got to see seals sunning themselves on the rocks. Seals like to just eat and sleep. Me too.

    We go to the hotel just after 8:00 a.m. - a long day of travel by coach, ferry and train, but a very enjoyable one that has my mind bumming with wonderful images of this gorgeous country.

    We had just enough time to tidy up before dinner. We ate in a solarium that we had all to ourselves. The food was superb and the company, as always, interesting and entertaining.

    The bathroom in my room has a heated towel rack and a heated floor. Pretty classy place - it’s a sister hotel to the one we stayed at in Rotorua, but with less bling.

    Doug and I video chatted again. He went to the gym and then watched the Super Bowl (KC beat SF much to the delight of some of my fellow travellers). We’re both counting down the days until next Thursday when there is going to be a tearful reunion at the Auckland airport.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    A Hägglund vehicle - practical transport in the Antarctic
    Great outfit for braving cold temperatures!Rescued little blue penguinsThe holes and little houses where the little blue penguins nestLindsay, our enthusiastic, extremely knowledgeable guideThe male penguinsThe female penguinsA rescue Husky DogMore wry New Zealand toilet humour!

    Feb 4 - The Antarctic Exhibit

    3. Februar 2020 in Deutschland ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

    No wakeup call this morning!! Rats, I was awake at 6:06 a.m. I was the first of our group down for breakfast - I ate in the lovely solarium where we dined last night.

    We have to be on the bus by 9:30 a.m. I got a load of washing in before we left - there are free laundry facilities here. More hotels need that feature.

    Our stop for this morning was the Antarctic Centre. Christchurch is one of five gateway cities for Antarctic expeditions . Lindsay was our guide.

    Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent. It contains the geographic South Pole and is situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. At 14,200,000 square kilometres (5,500,000 square miles), it is the fifth-largest continent and nearly twice the size of Australia. About 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice that averages 1.9 km (1.2 mi; 6,200 ft) in thickness, which extends to all but the northernmost reaches of the Antarctic Peninsula.

    Antarctica, on average, is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and has the highest average elevation of all the continents. Most of Antarctica is a polar desert, with annual precipitation of 200 mm (7.9 in) along the coast and far less inland; there has been no rain there for almost 2 million years, yet 80% of the world freshwater reserves are stored there. The temperature in Antarctica has reached −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F), though the average for the third quarter (the coldest part of the year) is −63 °C (−81 °F). Anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 people reside throughout the year at research stations scattered across the continent. Organisms native to Antarctica include many types of algae, bacteria, fungi, plants, protista, and certain animals, such as mites, nematodes, penguins, seals and tardigrades. Vegetation, where it occurs, is tundra. Ongoing experiments are conducted by more than 4,000 scientists from many nations.

    Our first activity was a ride in a Hägglund, a tracked all-terrain amphibious Antarctic vehicle that’s been built to conquer the rough terrain on the ice. These vehicles were originally developed by Hägglunds in 1974 for the Swedish Army. We bumped and swayed over an obstacle course designed to simulate Antarctic conditions - steep hills, boulders, crevasses, and corduroy roads. Great fun, but definitely not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach.

    Inside the building, we suited up in parkas and booties for a session in the Blizzard Room. Now, for a Canadian girl, standing in -8 deg C with a windchill factor of -18 deg C isn't exactly a new experience. Can't say I've stood around in those temps in shorts before, though. The point of it all was to show the effect that the ferocious winds in the Antarctic have on the temperatures. Lindsay must have no nerve endings in his arms because he stood there with us in short sleeves.

    Our next stop was to see a 4-D movie which is a 3-D movie with special effects like shaking chairs, water spray and fake snow. The photography in the movie of the Antarctic was fabulous.

    Our next stop was to see the little blue penguins. The are birds at this facility are ones that have been injured by getting caught in fishing nets or attacked by animals or even by humans. They are generally nocturnal creatures, so they were pretty placid.

    We are all now much more knowledgeable about this huge continent that serves to keep our planet rotating properly on its axis.

    For all you animals lovers that are following along, there was a Husky Dog exhibit outside. The story of exploration in Antarctica is the story of the husky. When the bitter cold and brutal conditions proved unsuitable for horses, explorers looked for a tough, intelligent and hardworking travelling companion. Huskies stepped up to the job and provided the main form of transport, pulling sleds for teams right up until 1994.    Weiterlesen

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  • Maureen's Travels2020 New Zealand & TahitiReisender
    Christ Church Cathedral
    The Chalice - representing the flora of New ZealandBeautiful old building shored up after the earthquakeLovely old architecture in ChristchurchStone building with vertical bracingScaffolding is everywhere in this cityWar memorial arch in ChristchurchThe Avon flows gently through the cityA street with Spanish-influenced architectureThe new convention centre being built

    Feb 4 - Tram ride in Christchurch

    4. Februar 2020 in Neuseeland ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Jenny and I decided to get lunch together and then ride the tram for which Linda had given us all tickets. After a nice lunch, we hopped on the tram to see the sights, some of which Linda had pointed out to us when we had taken the long route back from the Antarctic Exhibit.

    Christchurch, with a population of just under 400,000 is the largest city on the South Island and is the seat of the Canterbury Region (like a province or state).

    The city suffered a series of earthquakes between September 2010 and January 2012, with the most destructive of them occurring at 12.51 p.m. on Tuesday, 22 February 2011, in which 185 people were killed and thousands of buildings across the city collapsed or suffered severe damage. By late 2013, 1,500 buildings in the city had been demolished, leading to an ongoing recovery and rebuilding project.

    Evidence of the devastation is still starkly evident everywhere. The saddest example is Christ Church Cathedral which sits almost as it was on nearly 9 years ago. There are huge areas where buildings used to stand; there is one area where rare birds are now nesting on the stubs of concrete pillars with rebar sticking out of them; there is a touching memorial of 185 white chairs honouring the 185 victims; there is scaffolding everywhere. The city, with tremendous grit and resilience, has risen above the horror and carnage of that fateful day and is about 75% finished rebuilding. Building standards have changed dramatically to try to ensure that future events do not cause as much damage. The city is being reorganized into "precincts" with like services grouped together - emergency, law and order, entertainment, retail and so on. It would be interesting to visit here in 10 years to to see the completed city. Such an undertaking must require enormous amounts of patience, logistical smarts, fortitude, and of course, money.

    One building that I didn't get a picture of is the Cardboard Cathedral, formerly known as the Transitional Cathedral. This is a temporary cathedral built to replace Christ Church Cathedral until repairs could be done to that venerable old building. The Cardboard Cathedral is an A-frame structure made of 60-centimetre (24 in)-diameter cardboard tubes, timber and steel. The roof is of polycarbon with eight shipping containers forming the walls. The foundation is concrete slab. The front of the building is decorated with triangular pieces of stained glass. The building can seat 700 people for services and for concerts and meetings. An ingenious solution to a huge problem.

    Several of us trundled down the street to "The Bog", an Irish restaurant recommended by Linda. There was a Irish band playing there that night so the place was almost fully blocked off with reservations. We managed to snag one of the few remaining tables. The food was great; the laughs were many; the music was fun; and the singing was loud. We had a really nice evening.

    Early wake up tomorrow - time for more adventures.    Weiterlesen

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