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Cindy and Daryl BrownCindy and Daryl Brown
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traveled in 6 countries Read more Victoria, Canada
  • TravelerNew Zealand 2020
    Day 7

    To the North Island

    January 13, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    After an action-packed start to our trip--thanks to Kirsten's superb tour guide services 🙂--we bid farewell to Nelson with a walk along the river on a windy morning.  Short flight to Auckland, we picked up our rental car and started our independent adventure.

    Couple days in Pauanami, on the south end of the Coromandel peninsula.  Timed it just right for the end of typical holiday time for a lot of families over Christmas and summer school break. First golf game in New Zealand today.  Nice course, good and challenging,  with lots of water.  Decent, but not stellar scores...enough good shots to keep us coming back. And we tied!...not that we're super competitive 😉.

    Chicken on the bar-by. Lovely warm weather,  with a nice breeze to keep it comfy.  We're watching the weather back home...drive safely and stay warm!    Read more

  • TravelerNew Zealand 2020
    Day 5

    Check out the area

    January 11, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Start the day at one of New Zealand's best markets. Another beautiful day to sample mini pancakes, check out local produce and crafts, wander around with a coffee.

    Then a drive inland to Moutere. Couple more wineries (nope, not boring yet!), lunch looking out over the hillsides, at the oldest pub in NZ (not sure it's verified by Guinness, but we'll take them at their word!).

    Fabulous dinner experience!! Cod and Lobster is one of the best restaurants we've been to. Gin cocktail to start (next to impossible to choose from the humungous list!). We'll be mixing some at home with a sprig of rosemary 😋. The food, service, attention to detail all exquisite.    Read more

  • TravelerNew Zealand 2020
    Day 4

    Cycling the 'Great Taste Trail'

    January 10, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We love New Zealand. We love cycling.  Add to that... blue skies, wine tasting, cheese factory, ice cream...well, say no more 🤩!

    Fabulous day cycling Tasman's Great Taste Trail.  Along the ocean, through the Waimea estuary (over excellent boardwalks), fertile agriculture plains, vineyards...crazy number of different environments.   

    No lack of wine here! And ice cream made with real fruit blended in right before your eyes. Covered 45 km from Nelson to Rabbit Island (pine forests, beaches that rival Long Beach!). Shuttle ferry to Mapua -- cute with a Capital C!  Boutique gift shops with local wares, cafes, brewery, more ice cream,  recommended fish and chips. We chose the brewery 😋.

    Weather is gorgeous. But as Kirsten says... "It's always nice in Nelson".  With all that fresh air, sleep will not be a problem tonight...😴.    Read more

  • TravelerNew Zealand 2020
    1
    Day 3

    Back to Down Under

    January 9, 2020 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    A long travel day transports us to warm weather, lush vegetation, longer days and hanging with Kirsten!
    Our next New Zealand adventure begins (we could get used to this place!) with a walk and lunch beside Maitai River in Nelson, and a hike up to the Center of New Zealand. What views! Each time we come here we understand more why our daughter chooses this as her home. After a short nap to manage the jet lag, a superb dinner at East Street Cafe...totally funky vegan locale. Day one extraordinaire!Read more

  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    Day 64

    Wrap 'er up!

    March 16, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Rain greeted us to Roratonga and rain sent us away.  And it does know how to rain down here! 

    A wedding on the beach in front of our place got lucky with the sun out just enough.  A palm tree planted by the happy couple to mark the occasion 🌴.

    An inside day...pack up, lunch at a sand floor beach restaurant, cribbage (Daryl the overall holiday winner 😜).

    Happy hour with free beer and wine (can't beat that deal!), dinner at Yellow Hibiscus, then head to the airport for our midnight flight to LAX....nope...now 1 am. Of course that delayed the following flights which made a long travel day even longer. But when you start in the middle of nowhere...

    Many, many thanks for a safe and great adventure. 13 different flights (enough delays but no lost luggage!), too many air miles, 4800 driving kms (on the wrong side of the road!), 250 cycling kms, LOTS of walking.  63 days away, 32 different beds, mucho long blacks and flat whites. Great visit with Kirsten who lives 12,279 kms away. 

    And we've proven yet again... Victoria is one of the best places to be...except for this past February☃️ (hehehe).

    Home you say...what a good idea!    Read more

  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    Day 62

    And on the up side...

    March 14, 2019 in Cook Islands ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Somebody's gotta do it. Here's the drill on Rarotonga.... 

    Wake up. Look out past the palm trees to the ocean...a bit windy today, 40% chance of rain. Buffet brekky at our yellow hibiscus restaurant. Now the decisions... let's start with a paddle...find the turtles who hang out between the shallow and deep water. Big headwind...we can do it in our double kayak!  No luck on the turtles but fun out here tho 😃. Look!  Big blue fish hightailing it somewhere 🐟.  Head back to our beach...easy street going downwind 🌬️. Let's head toward the reef where the waves are breaking...350 m from the beach. Don't go too close!...our paddling not good enough to battle that current!

    Ok...that was fun. Now let's snorkel. Coloured fish on the coral right off our beach. It's shallow for as far as you can go (good and safe for Cindy 🙃) .  Deep blue starfish, angel fish, tiger fish (this is where my aquarium fish come from!), multi-colour fish...easy viewing!  Don't stick your finger in the crevice!

    Shower up...let's go out for lunch today. To the nice place we saw on the hill.  Great ocean views from the lush island interior. Exquisite food...no room for dessert!

    Little rest back at our bungalow...cool down in the air conditioning (not too efficient but better than outside 🤒). Read a book on the deck. Walk on the beach. What d'ya know... happy hour 🍹!

    On the deck...looking out to the sea and sand past the palm trees (there's a memory here!). We last until the bugs figure out the mosquito coil can't really hurt them.

    Check out the sunset at the beach...

    Ok... We'll take one for the team.    Read more

  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    Day 61

    Two sides to every story...

    March 13, 2019 in Cook Islands ⋅ 🌬 29 °C

    So you don't get too jealous, and before you lay down money for your trip to the Cooks...it's only fair you have full information.

    It is beautiful here, mainly off the grid, mostly rustic. There is a but.. 

    Humidity at this time of year.... makes us feel lethargic and uncomfortable 😓. Remedies:  ocean swims, breezes, air conditioning ❄️. Rain also helps.

    Bugs...pretty much need to spray the poison stuff on before we leave the room. Not a fan of that but better than suffering the bites. Open air restaurant for breakfast...with the ants of course 🐜.

    Roosters... doesn't 'dawn' mean anything to these guys??  3.30 am this morning...and 45 minute intervals until daylight, then whenever. There are LOTS of feral chickens everywhere 🐓 so I guess the roosters have to work overtime 😜.  Noise cancelling headphones at the ready tonite!

    Wabi-sabi... must be a challenge to keep up the infrastructure in this moisture and sun...and it adds to the rustic charm of the place. But think it'd be better if we couldn't see the gravel creek bed through the floorboards from inside our bungalow! 😏 Good thing the geckos join us to get the inside bugs.

    It's partly the time of year (wld be better during their winter)...and maybe we're just ready to head home. 

    Still...we're enjoying the last few days of our great holiday. Rarotonga is the largest and most developed of the islands. Basically one road around the outside... holiday villas and hotels, tourist shops, restaurants. A road slightly inland shows the local flavour... mangos, bananas, chickens, local homes, roosters, the odd cow, pig... chickens. We'll pass on the cross island trek up to the 'needle' and stick to the ocean and our books. We're right beside the beach so no complaints there.

    Our adventure may not be over yet...we are currently booked to fly from LA to Vancouver on a Boeing  Max 8. Guess I'll have to detour to Indian Wells to watch the tennis finals while we wait for another flight 😉. Just glad Canada got on board (pardon the pun) with the ban.    Read more

  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    Day 58

    Aitutaki wonder

    March 10, 2019 in Cook Islands ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    OK. So we did find paradise after all.

    The best boat tour to 7 small (tiny!) islands within the lagoon. Palm trees, sandy beaches...just like we pictured them!...warm water, nesting birds. A small boat...9 fellow tourists (They all spoke German but I doubt they were talking about us 🤣). 

    'Captain Fantastic' manouerved around shallow rocks at high speed (not his first rodeo!). Swimming along the way...lovely warm water, sandy beaches. Amazing lunch on ___ island served in large clam shells and palm leaves. Yellow fin tuna bbq'd perfectly. Bread fruit, bbq'd banana, grapefruit salad, etc. etc....  Coconut cracking demonstration (never know when you need to do that).

    Snorkelling got you views of countless colourful fish...all sizes, BIG tuna...who hang around for the feeding... giant clam shells (don't put your finger in 😲). Genuine, authentic locals, beautiful warm day (ok...hot ☀️☀️!), great fellow guests (maybe we'll meet in Munich one day). No touristy vibe (even tho we are they!).  

    This after island nite at Tamanu Beach. Local ukelele/guitar band playing during delicious buffet dinner, followed by dancers, drummers, and fire throwers. All local, all ages. Good fun when they had the tourists join in. Yah...the locals are definitely better!

    Quieter around the place tonite... tourist season waning. No complaints here.  Relax....    Read more

  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    Day 55

    The Cooks!

    March 7, 2019 in Cook Islands ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Kia Orana! Farewell to NZ, hello Cook Islands. South Pacific paradise - here we come!

    Uh...just a sec....  Head down to check out the beach. Water is warm but...black sea slugs everywhere. Hmmm...maybe we'll skip the ocean swim 🤑. Then the scratching starts...dinner time for the bugs..and we're dinner 🕷️ 😫 🐜! Bug spray safely tucked away in our luggage  ...rookies!  

    Admittedly it took a few hours to settle in...blame the early morning and travel day... but with regular application of pest repellent, we're ready to embrace island time on Aitutaki. One of the smaller, outer islands....tourism here since the 70s but local council restricts development so they're keeping what people come for...which is not much! No tour buses here... lots of beaches, palm trees blowing in the breeze 🌴, enough places to eat.

    Scooters all rented out so we take bikes...just as well...who knows where I may have ended up 😜!  speed limit is 40 km on the roads, 20 in 'town'.
    No real town...just a collection of small businesses including bike and scooter rentals, lagoon tours, snorkelling. 

    Our accommodation promotes 'casual luxury'. Cats and chickens keep us company (starting with the rooster at 5:45 this morning 😴😉.  Hammock, dipping pool, nice outside restaurant, great staff.  It's gonna be all right!  We think yet again...we're lucky people!    Read more

  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    Day 52

    Save the best for last?

    March 4, 2019 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Remote, rugged, jaw-dropping. The Catlins lived up to their billing. No large towns hence...no tour buses.  We had to pick our stops...sights missed may well be picked up on our next trip, as Kirsten plans to stay put for awhile in this beautiful country.

    Papatowai...walk along another great beach then through a natural forest.  Must stop for our long black now.  Then Purakaunui falls ...more serene than Niagara and also beautiful!  Picnic lunch in Owaka.. another cute town. 

    Now the topper! Hike to Nugget Point lighthouse...steep drop on all sides into the sea. 'Nuggets' of land just offshore. A sea-lion having lunch far below...not so far that we can't tell he's eating a baby fur seal 😯.  When you can't go to the 4-Square (Save-on at home). Quite amazing. And don't get too

    Back in Dunedin and a farewell dinner with Kirsten. A busy week starting her final year at uni. Add to that a weekend road trip to a concert in Nelson. Plenty to keep her going! Etrusco Italian restaurant... delicious pasta, cool heritage building, fine Otago chardonnay.... memorable final night.    Read more

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