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Around The World Part 2
  • JohnKim Duncan
  • JohnKim Duncan

Around The World Part 2

This is the conclusion of our trip that we started in Nov 2019 that was interrupted in March of 2020 by Covid-19. Read more
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  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    11

    Marlborough Winery Day

    March 10, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We visited 4 local wineries today. The Marlborough Region is world famous for it’s Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Wines. At the first stop, we sampled 6 wines from Hunter’s family winery. We taxied to St Clair winery where we sampled 4 more, & enjoyed a delicious sampling of local foods for lunch. We were a bit leary to try the mussels, but we both enjoyed them. The local olives, & tomatoes were especially good. We walked from St Clair to the Makura Chocolate Factory for some samples. We bought some Macadamia Chocolate Crunch there. From there, we taxied to Cloudy Bay, where we sampled 4 more wines. We stumbled across the road to the Allan Scott winery where we tried 3 more wines. We enjoyed some wines more than others. Our favourites at each Winery were usually their Chardonnays, but we quite enjoyed the award winning Sauvignon Blanc at Cloudy Bay & Allan Scott. We liked the Pinot Gris at Hunters and the Pinot Rose at St Cloud too. All in all, it was an excellent day.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    Our little Suzuki VitaraPrice in $NZ per litre.1Our host raised a Canadian flag for us!

    Drive to Marahau

    March 11, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We rented a car in Blenheim and drove, through the mountains, on the left side of the road, to Marahau, which is the gateway to Abel Tasman Park. The drive was beautiful, but a bit stressful as we haven’t driven on the left side of the road in three years. We made it safely. We are staying 4 nights in a beautiful Airbnb property within walking distance of the ocean, where all of the action is. We’ve booked two hikes in the park. A water taxi will drop us off at a beach inside the park. From there, we will walk on trails to another beach where we meet another water taxi to bring us back to Marahau. One walk is 7.8 km, & the other is 7.1 km. We plan to take our time, and enjoy the scenery along the way. We need to pack our own food, & water. The AM drop off times are booked for Sunday, so we decided to schedule these walks for the Monday and Tuesday. We plan to shop for provisions, & walk locally tomorrow.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    1Variable oyster catcher on Coquille Bay Beach

    Sunday Market, Split Apple Rock

    March 12, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Today, we drove a half hour back towards Nelson to get some groceries & go to the Motueka Sunday Market. The blueberries at the market were especially good. After getting more groceries, we drove back towards Abel Tasman Park & stopped at Split Apple Rock (not sure where it got it’s name) where we walked on a well trodden trail to the beach below. After lunch we headed back out “tramping” again. This time we walked to the entrance of Abel Tasman Park & along another well marked trail to Coquille Bay Beach. On this walk we surpassed 11kms, of the nearly 17kms (23000 steps) we walked today. This makes up for the days we couldn’t walk when we were on the catamaran.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    1

    Abel Tasman - Onetahuti to Awaroa

    March 13, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    This morning we walked to the Water Taxi depot where we climbed into the water taxi which was on a trailer. A tractor pulled us to the boat launch. It was raining pretty hard. The tide was low so he drove us out 500+ metres onto the sand before he had enough water to launch the boat. We sat near the front so the half cover kept us mostly dry. We stopped at several beautiful beaches on the way out before we got to the one we had chosen to get dropped off at. This was Onetahuti Beach. To drop us off, the skipper turned the boat so the motor was facing the shore. About 50m off the beach he started to drop anchor & then backed up as far as the motor would allow. He then lowered a narrow ramp where we walked off. As we got off the boat the sun came out, & we enjoyed our walk through the forest, mostly, to the next beach, Awaroa. We swam & lounged until the taxi came to collect us. Another, great, 20000+ steps, 14km walk day!Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    Turn up the sound!Guess which way I went!!Split Apple Rock - low tide

    Abel Tasman - Torrent Bay to Bark Bay

    March 14, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Today, we took the water taxi to Torrent Bay Beach & walked along the 7.5 km trail to Bark Bay Beach. It was a little more challenging terrain, but not a great deal. Abel Tasman trails are considered the easiest of New Zealand’s Great Walks. It certainly has been an enjoyable three days here. March marks the beginning of the Autumn here, so it isn’t crowded. The beaches are clean & the trails are well maintained. The water taxis are a combination deep v & pontoon hull, making for a rough, but safe ride.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    Marlborough Sounds, Picton, South Island
    Cars on our ferryLeaving PictonKaikoura Pacific CoastlineEntering the Cook Strait from South IslandLeaving Marlborough Sounds, South IslandLeaving Picton

    Marahau to Blueridge Ferry to Wellington

    March 15, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We woke up early this morning to drive back through the mountains to Picton to meet the ferry to take us, as foot passengers, to Wellington, on the North Island. We leave behind Pete, our wonderful Airbnb host in Marahau. Because of his declining health, we were his last guests. It’s too bad because he welcomed us with a beautiful space, great amenities, and a Canadian flag in the driveway. After some difficulty finding the Hertz office in Picton, we dropped off our rental car, because rental cars can’t go across on the ferry. We received an email yesterday that the ferry we had booked, months ago, had changed it’s departure time. We knew we couldn’t make the 10:15 check in. The New Zealand Go-Way rep got us on a 2 pm Blueridge Ferry. We made it in time to drop off our car, eat lunch, & walk the km or so to the Blueridge Ferry Dock. Another email said our departure would be delayed until 3pm. The ferry eventually departed at 3:30, and arrived in Wellington around 7pm & we made our way to our hotel.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    Bee Hive1Waterfall in Botanic Gardens

    Wellington Cable Car - Botanic Gardens

    March 16, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Today, we rode the 5 minute cable car up to the beginning of Wellington’s Botanic Gardens. We walked down to Lambton Quay and Cuba Street in downtown Wellington. We noticed many students on the streets, as this is the first day of the New Zealand wide teachers’ strike. We saw teachers protesting at the Bee Hive (parliament building).Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    Cuba Street, Wellington

    Te Papa Tongarewa Museum - Wellington

    March 17, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    We waited out the rain this morning, then walked to the National Museum of New Zealand, the Te Papa Museum. We saw exhibits entitled Gallipoli : The Scale of Our War, Nature, Blood, Earth, Fire, Passports & Art. The history of colonialism and the traditional Māori culture were well represented.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    The white dots are sheepDepressions are trails made by sheep1

    Wellington to Taihape

    March 18, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    This morning, we rented a small, Nissan, SUV & drove to Taihape, which claims to be the “gumboot capital of the world.” The town holds an annual festival in April to celebrate Rural living & gumboot throwing! The town was booming as a regular train stop in the 1950’s & 60’s but is showing signs of decline since the railway no longer stops here. Population is around 1800, many of whom service the local rural community. We stayed in a nice Airbnb.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    Lake Taupo

    Taihape to Taupo

    March 19, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We left Taihape at 8:30 am & drove two hours to Lake Taupo in the interior of the north island of New Zealand. We passed by some fairly tall mountains with snow on their peaks. We saw Mount Ruapehu, which is one of New Zealand’s most active volcanoes, having erupted 10 times since 1861. The last eruption occurred in Sept of 2007. The other peaks were Mt Ngauruhoe, and Mt Tongario. Sunday is Market Day & we walked around quite an impressive market, with local handicrafts, clothing, etc. We bought a bottle of local Boysenberry Wine, after trying a sample. We walked around the many clothing, & knickknack shops in Taupo, & wandered down to a beach. We were surprised that the lake is so cold, as Autumn is just beginning here. Lake Taupo is the largest lake in New Zealand with a 606 square kilometre area, with a maximum depth of 160m. The lake occupies a collapsed crater & was modified by later eruptions.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    122

    Taupo to Bethlehem

    March 20, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We left our Airbnb in Taupo at around 9am & drove, north, to Tauranga, where we spent some time walking on the beach, near Mt Manganui. At 2, we made our way to our new “home away from home” in a suburb of Tauranga, called Bethlehem, where we’ll spend the next 4 nights. Driving on the highways was easy, despite some early fog. Driving in the city is stressful, as there are lots of roundabouts. We hope to be able to walk to pick up groceries, etc, as our unit is well equipped with cooking, & laundry facilities.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    Mr Seal, sunning himself11

    Mt Maunganui

    March 21, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    This morning, we walked around Mt Maunganui. We took our time & enjoyed the 5km walk. Others were doing the more difficult “summit walk.” They say the view from the summit is spectacular. We’ll take their word for it! We saw some interesting birds, & a seal sunning itself on a rock. Driving in downtown Mt Maunganui & Tauranga is a headache, as it is very busy with cars, pedestrians, roundabouts, one way streets, construction etc, etc. We spent lots of time driving around looking for parking spots. We did manage to find our way to a site called Historic Village, which was mostly closed and underwhelming. There were some local artists set up in various wooden buildings. It was raining, so we made our way back to our lodging to plan for tomorrow.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler

    Te Puna Quarry, Glow Worm Kayak Tour

    March 22, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    This morning, we drove a short distance to Te Puna Quarry Park, which was used as a rock quarry until 1979. In 1993, a group of local volunteers proposed that they could plant native & non native trees, flowers & bushes. It took 3 years to get approval. The Park is totally run by volunteers, who plant & maintain the gardens. 25 years later, the number of volunteers has grown, & the Park continues to evolve. There is a butterfly garden, heritage rose garden, & an orchid garden. There’s a Japanese, South African, Sub tropical, Australian, and Native New Zealand garden. We enjoyed our morning walking around. At dusk, we drove to Waimarino Water & Adventure Park, where we enjoyed a light snack, & were transported to a shoreline where we got into a double kayak to paddle out to see glow worms. From previous experience, we knew they don’t photograph well, so we just enjoyed the after dark paddle & looking at stars & the glow worms.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    1

    Karangahake Gorge, Katikati, Papamoa

    March 23, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    We drove just over an hour to reach Karangahake Gorge. We had planned on hiking one of two trails, which were both blocked off part way along. One trail had a “slip” of a large tree, while the other had a tunnel boarded up. We enjoyed walking along the rapids & learning about the gold & silver that were mined here. We stopped in the town of Katikati on the way back. Katikati is known for the murals painted throughout the town. We spent a few hours on Papamoa Beach this afternoon. This beach is 9kms long & is adjacent to Mt Manganui Beach. There were only a dozen or so people on the entire beach. Dogs & horses are allowed on this beach. This was one of the most pristine beaches we’ve ever seen.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler

    From Tauranga to Rotorua

    March 24, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    This morning, we drove from our VRBO in Tauranga to Rotorua. We drove through a number of gorges, including Gopi Gorge. Rotorua has a population of 77000, which is about half of Tauranga. The road was narrow & winding, in places. We made it safely, and did some shopping. Then we visited Kuirau Park, which has quite a few geothermal pools. We could see the steam from these pools as we drove into town. The whole town smells of sulphur. Many of the pools were bubbling and were over 100 degrees C. The pools were on walking trails set up around the fenced off pools. We sat and soaked our feet in a cement pool with a water temperature closer to 100 degrees F, and were warned against putting our head underwater to prevent possibly being infected by amoebic meningitis.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    15 year old Slinky. Owner of this Airbnb!

    Pasifika, Blue L, Mitai Maori Village

    March 25, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Another day, another scenic hike! But first, we attended the Pasifika Festival on the downtown beachfront of Rotorua, which is the most culturally diverse city in New Zealand. On the outside of the field were many shelters set up with traditional foods from many different South Pacific Islands. There were a few local craft tables as well. A large stage was set up where local schools performed some traditional songs & dances. We stayed for two local schools’ numbers. We left the downtown and drove to Blue Lake, which has a scenic walking path set up completely around the lake. The trail had huge redwood trees, ferns & palm trees. We walked the 6km track in 90 mins. We didn’t know it, but Blue Lake was hosting an “Ocean Swim” event, the only event in the series in fresh water. We watched the swimmers take off in the Legend of the Lake event, which is the longest swim race of the day, a gruelling 3.5 km swim. Earlier in the day they had 100, 200, 500 & 1000m. races. We finished the day at Maitai Māori Village for a dinner & show. The show documented the history of the Māori through songs & dances. The dinner was a traditional, underground cooked Hangi Feast, which included lamb, chicken, potatoes, garlic bread, seafood chowder and salad. Both were fantastic. If my Fitbit is accurate, & I’m sure it is, we have walked just over 296 kms in the 40 days since we left home. That’s nearly 7.5kms per day on average. If we take out the 10 days on the Catamaran, when we only managed an average of 2 kms per day (as much swimming some days I’m sure) we’ve averaged close to 9 kms per day! The 3 days in Abel Tasman Park, we walked more than 15 kms each day.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    Can you see an adult in a white shirt at the bottom right?

    Kerosene Creek, Redwood Forest

    March 26, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We drove a half hour to Kerosene Creek, where a hot spring & freshwater creek meet. When it isn’t raining, the temperature of the water is a comfortable 36C. There’s a 2m tall waterfall, as well as several spots to sit and soak. We were glad we were there early & leaving by 10am, as a couple of families with small kids were coming in as we left. This afternoon, we walked a trail in amongst giant Redwood (Sequoia) trees in the Whakarewarewa Forest that were originally imported from California in the early 1900s to create a lumber source. This 6 ha stand of Redwoods is among the last in New Zealand & the Tree Walk attracts 600000 visitors per year. It turns out the climate is too favourable here & the trees grow too quickly, causing the growth rings to be too far apart, making the wood too soft to use. We had a nice Thai dinner in town on our last night in Rotorua. We won’t miss the sulphur smell.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler

    Rotorua to Hamilton to Albany

    March 27, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    This morning, we set off for our next destination which is Albany, a suburb of Auckland. We stopped in Hamilton to walk around their famous gardens for a couple of hours. As in most places in New Zealand, signage at the entrance to the Gardens was lacking, but otherwise, they were quite impressive. We enjoyed our walk through the many different “themed” gardens, the Herb Garden, Fruit & Vegetable Gardens, & the Rose Garden, in particular. We arrived at our hotel in Albany without incident, despite the left entry & exits off the main highway.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    We don't see these back homeBrown's Bay BeachLong Bay Beach

    Brown’s Bay & Long Bay Beach

    March 28, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We took it easy today, & drove to two different beaches close by. It was a little cool & threatened rain, so both beaches, right in Auckland’s city limits, were very quiet. We walked the full length of both beaches. Brown’s Bay was fairly small, by New Zealand standards, at roughly a half km long. Long Bay was significantly longer.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    View from a shop in Oneroa, Waiheke Is.
    Saying goodbye to our car & driving on the leftA view of Auckland from the ferryLittle Oneroa BeachBeachfront home overlooking Oneroa Beach2Leaving Auckland on the Ferry

    Ferry to Waiheke Island

    March 29, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    We got up early this morning & dropped our rental car at the rental car depot at the Auckland Airport & took the SkyDrive bus to their depot in the Central Business District. We then had to walk with our bags for 20 mins, or so, to the Ferry Terminal. We just missed the 9am Ferry because of traffic coming into the city centre. The 10am Ferry got us to Waiheke Is by 10:40 where we ordered a Ryda car to take us to our accommodation for the next two nights. After talking to our host, we walked along on SW shoreline for a while around Huruhi Bay, then climbed up the hill and walked to our closest two beaches, Onetoa & Little Onetoa beaches. Both were lovely & largely unoccupied. We noticed that houses are not cookie cutter homes anywhere in New Zealand. Each one is unique. We walked back along the main street & had some nice conversations with a couple of shopkeepers. We ate dinner in an Italian restaurant, one of the few eateries in the area.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler

    Wineries & Onetangi Beach

    March 30, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    This morning, we chatted with an Australian couple, & a couple from the UK. at our accommodation, during our continental breakfast. We made the decision to bus back to the ferry terminal & buy a couple of re-loadable bus cards. We then bused to an area of the island with multiple wineries & a brewery. We tasted wines at Wild Estate, Stonyridge Vineyard & Te Matu Vineyard. We ate a late lunch at Heke Brewery & enjoyed their lager. Unlike the Marlborough Region, this area seems to grow more red grapes. We enjoyed eating some freshly harvested Merlot grapes. We both agree that we enjoy Bordeaux blended wines using Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, & Cabernet Franc. After lunch we walked to Onetangi Beach which is the largest beach on Waiheke Island. It was the nicest day we’ve had in a while so the beach was nice. We both enjoyed our swim.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler

    Palm Bay Beach, Wild, Ferry

    March 31, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today, we ate breakfast & checked out of our accommodation on Waiheke Is. We left our backpacks & bused to Palm Beach for a few hours. We swam & soaked up more sun. We made a reservation back at Wild Winery for dinner, because of the food we saw going past us while we tasted their beer & wine yesterday. We bused back to the winery with our backpacks, for dinner, then bused to the Ferry to go back to Auckland.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler
    11

    Last Day in New Zealand

    April 2, 2023 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Today, we visited the Maritime Museum on the waterfront. New Zealand has a long maritime history which was well documented at this museum. Much of New Zealand’s history is tied to the Pacific ocean. We then bused out to one of the many beaches in Auckland. It was a nice Sunday & very few people were on the beach again. We bused back to the hotel, retrieved our bags, Ubered to the SkyDrive station, bused to the airport & are waiting to board our flight to Honolulu. We fly at 10:45 PM (April 2nd) & land in Honolulu, after an 8.5 hour flight, at 9:30 AM (April 2nd), as we cross back over the International Date Line. Good thing we had an extra hour of sleep last night, as we “Fell back” out of Daylight Savings Time, as New Zealand enters Autumn.Read more

  • JohnKim DuncanAround The World Part 2Traveler

    Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Waikiki Beach

    April 3, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    We were picked up at 6:30 at our hotel to tour the Pearl Harbor site, including the USS Arizona Memorial, & the USS Missouri. Some of the Arizona, which was bombed on Dec 7, 1941, is still visible from the Memorial that was constructed. We were ferried out to the site to look around. Our visit was handled by on-duty Naval soldiers & was tightly monitored. We were then bused to board & tour the Missouri, which is set up next to the Arizona Memorial on Ford Island. A bridge was constructed to access the warship on the island. The history of the Missouri is quite interesting. It was commissioned initially in 1942, used in WW2, then again in 1950 in the Korean War. It was decommissioned but was upgraded & recommissioned to serve again in the Gulf War. We stood on the deck where the paperwork of Japanese surrender in WW2 was signed. We also saw the dent in the side of the ship where a Japanese Kamikaze plane, with a bomb on board, clipped the Missouri, but didn’t cause much damage. The 19 year old Japanese pilot was given a military burial at sea. Our tour ended with a mini tour of Honolulu. Our driver pointed out a couple of private high schools where famous people like Barack Obama, golfer Michelle Wie, and actor Dwayne Johnson attended. In front of the courthouse, we saw a statue of the last King of Hawaii, & the Royal Palace across the street. We also saw a tree which puts out roots from it’s branches, and reroots in a different spot. We also saw a military cemetery, nicknamed the Punch Bowl. We took a double decker trolley to Waikiki beach this afternoon but, despite the warmth of the water, we didn’t swim. It was very crowded. We did watch many children playing, surfers surfing, and a multi-person outrigger canoe riding a wave towards the beach. We walked around the International Marketplace for a bit, ate at the Cheesecake Factory, and took the trolley back to our hotel for our last night on Oahu.Read more

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