New Zealand reflections 2015

Reflections on New Zealand 2015 Today we have come across the high and winding Arthur's Pass which goes from the west coast to the east coast, our final destination Christchurch. Staying at an alpaca farm . the weather has not cooperated and it is raining heavily, severely hampering communing with the alpacas which wait outside in the sodden field. New Zealand has been a revelation in many ways. we have met and spoken with many who have moved here for a better life. they all agree they have found it here. high prices aside there is little crime, a laid back life style, good infrastructure. people generally seem to get along and there are few rules . Very appealing . The biggest problem I have encountered are the sand flies. I was bitten a few days ago while on my penguin encounter and my hands and ankles have many welts. I have attempted to rip my skin off several times since then. Nothing seems to ease the itching . I know it sounds silly but really .... tomorrow we start the very long way home. Christchurch to Auckland with a 10 hour layover. nine hour flight to Honolulu with a 5 hour layover. them to Dallas and then on to Boston. so about 2 days with about 22 hours in the air. Is is worth it? You bet! Sent from my iPa🐪

Haast Franz Joseph and Hokitika NZ Feb 6-8 ,2015

Haast, Franz Joseph Glacier and Hokitika Feb 6-8.2015 So now we are touring the west coast of the South Island. this is called the wild country. Virtually no one lives here and there are few roads. The landscape is mostly rainforest and high mountains with thundering waterfalls and so many paths to walk. We have walked miles and miles every day through the forests and hills. We have found abandoned gold mines high up in the mountains , walked across scary rope bridges. The absolutely most exciting thing happened to me on a short walk at the end of the road in Jackson . As I was strolling across a short rainforest boardwalk ,a fat little fjord crested penguin popped on in front of me. We just looked at each other for about 15 seconds as I quietly fumbled for my camera . too late, he hopped off into the bush. However I was thrilled as they are very rare. Even the lady in the visitor center 50 miles away was impressed. In Franz Joseph we hiked to see the glacier, nothing special, maybe a little whiter than the glaciers in Alaska. One cool place was Hokitika . A small beach town , there was crazy drift wood all along the beach and the locals have used it to fashion wonderful sculptures such as dragons, the 4 images of the evolution of man, a giant bed , to name a few. At 10 at night,when it was dark,we drove to the glow worm dell at the edge of town. You walk in pitch dark into a sort of cave~grotto and at the back ,on the walls,are hundreds of tiny larvae that glow, looking like a starry night. They are sort of like our fireflies but they do not fly or blink on and off. It was magical and a little eerie. Sent from my iPa🐪

Queenstown. NZ Feb 4-6,2015

Queenstown, New Zealand Feb 4-6,2015 This town located at the foot of several mountains and on a large lake is the adrenalin capital of a country obsessed with crazy sports. bungee jumping originated here and the guy who invented it, AJ Hackett, is a local. The town is filled with backpackers and sporty typed people who look as healthy as you would imagine. We had a 1 bedroom condo located about 120 feet up a extremely steep hill, think 45 degrees and we walked up it several times. however the views over the town to the mountains and lake were astounding. I could have just sat at the picture window watching the weather change constantly all day. In fact it got downright cold. It literally snowed and the mountain tops turned white. We happened to be here for Waitangi Day. this is equivalent to our 4 th of July for New Zealand and is 175 years since they joined the Commonwealth. to commemorate this special day organizers sponsored a Running of the Wool, as in the olden days. Basically this meant that they blocked off the streets for a few hours and for around 20 minutes sent 500 sheep charging along the route. Think Pamplona but with sheep instead of bulls. was pretty funny as the sheep were leaping in the air as they ran. For our full day we did a loop tour of the valley nearby. this included watching the jet boats run the Shotover River and the buggy jumpers at the gorge. Wee also drove to the top of the nearby ski slope where we got the snow but could see for many many miles through the valleys. Most interesting was a stop in Arrowtown a former gold mining town. Many preserved buildings giving it an old west flavor though they now house ice cream venues and clothing shops selling woolen items. the best area was the preserved Chinese settlement. When gold was discovered in the 1860s many Chinese immigrants from the Canton area made their way here to better their lives. they were discriminated against and given the worst jobs and places to live and most returned home. some stayed though and eventually integrated into the community. the shacks they lived in as well as their store are still existent. Very interesting. Sent from my iPa🐪

Gore, Te Anau Milford Sound Feb 1-3,2015

Gore, Te Anau, Milford Sound NZ Feb 1-3,2015 We bid a reluctant good bye to Shona and Brian McLennan at Hokonui B and B and headed west. After 10 miles we came upon a flying center which specializes in restoring Tiger Moth biplanes . After a tour with Laurie of the restoration shed , Bert decided he wanted a ride and off he went for a joyride with Ben. He was outfitted with head gear and jacket and strapped into the front seat of this 1930 open air cockpit. they flew for 10 minutes and landed on the grass airfield in a light rain. very cool. the Kiwis are so laid back about things like this. Bert didn't have to sign his life away, or sit through a class. Just get in the plane and hand over the $95 NZD. Wish I had gone as well. After checking into the Parkland Motel in Te Anau we hit the supermarket and did wash in preparation for the next day which was a drive through the fjord lands and mountains to Milford Sound one of the highlights of any trip to NZ. It is 120 KIlometers through pristine landscape. first the meadow and lakes with sheep and dairy cows. then the mountains start to rise on either side. Then snow appears . The Homer tunnel is a hand dug 1 lane cut through a huge mountain about 70 years ago. It also has a 10% grade and goes 1 km. You takes turns at a traffic light on each side. The terminus of the road is a fjord which is magnificent. We booked the 9am Miter Peak boat for a 2 hour tour through the fjord all the way to the end which is the Tasman Sea. Only 9 of us on the boat which holds 75 so it was awesome . We passed innumerable waterfalls , hundreds and hundreds of them all falling from 500 to 1000 feet almost straight down. Our small boat could maneuver right under them and we got soaked a few times. We also saw fur seals lazing away on the rocks. Wonderful experience. On the way back out of the gorge we took several hikes to smaller falls and gorges. We even drove a dirt road to an old miners camp. Called Gunn's Camp , it is not really restored and those who pay the $65 a night live in tiny ancient cabins with coal stoves as in the 1930s. Not for me! Tried to find the Kea parrots but no luck. tonight I,just walked all over Te Anau. It is a hikers town , beside an enormous lake surrounded on all sides by high mountains. It would be hard to find a more magnificent setting. This has to be the cleanest country I have ever seen. When you look into a stream or lake , it is absolutely clear and works as a mirror when trying to take a picture of it. A very appealing country. Sent from my iPa🐪

South Island New Zealand Jan 30-Feb 1, 2015

South Island, NZ Jan 30-Feb 1,2015 Wee are now on the South Island of NZ after a glorious day hiking through the 100 year old redwood forest. the trails go for miles and the trees are already over 200 feet tall and many feet wide. The silence is magnificent and the scent from the many ferns and plants intoxicating. that evening we drove back to Auckland and flew AirNZ for an hour to Christchurch , a very British city on the South Island which was virtually destroyed a few years ago by 2 major earthquakes. Was interesting talking to the locals about that time. In the AM we set out south in a 2014 Toyota Yaris for Oamauru , a gorgeous little town home to 2 different species of penguins,We spotted the rare yellow eyed ones but not the blue fairy kind. would have loved to see a blue penguin. did spot a fur seal on the beach though. this little town was so cool. the buildings were very grandiose , made of a local white rock and carved into Greek columns, an opera house, grand theaters and banks . the Main Street was about 100 feet wide. Laid out 100 years ago to the width it would take to turn around a team of 12 oxen attached to a cart. we stayed at an old converted flour mill with 3 menacing chickens which pecked at my door this morning waking me. The owner told me they are rescue chickens, rescued from a factory where they were being brutalized . first time I ever met a rescue chicken! during today we continued south first stopping at the Moeraki Boulders. These giant completely round boulders up to 7 feet in diameter occur only here on this particular beach. Not rounded by the ocean rather they are formed somehow in the high cliffs adjacent and when the 75 ft cliffs are eroded the stone falls-to the ground. they are like giant geodes. really cool and there are dozens of them scattered on the wide beach at low tide. Next stop after a scenic tour a Ong the ocean was Dunedin with its Flemish neo-Classic train station and then the settlers museum which contained artifacts from the last 200 years. Sadly my iPod which is one of the originals was on display. At last we landed in Gore where we have been staying with a lovely NZ couple , Brian and Shona who have a small farm with 6 horses and 50 sheep and a gorgeous modern house with a view overlooking at least 30 miles of hills covered with sheep and cattle and ... Well pictures wouldn't do it justice. We shared our supper with them and after a tour outside to meet the animals are happily ensconced for the night. Sent from my iPa🐪

Rotorua New Zealand January 29,2015

Rotorua, New Zealand , January 29.2015 After the last 3 days of the cruise which were spent in French Polynesia , we reluctantly left the Ocean Princess. This was probably our favorite cruise so far primarily due to the crew and intimate size of the ship. but all good things come to an end and we flew on to Auckland, New Zealand. whenever I have asked frequent travelers which country was their favorite the most frequent response is NZ. now we will see why.It was a 6 hour flight from Papeete Tahiti on Air New Zealand. Quick overnight and car pick up the next day. It is a little disorienting as we lost a whole day crossing the international dateline. Get it back on the way home. NZ is composed of 2 large sized islands. The north island is the warmer one and gets cooler as you go south. Auckland is the largest city and pretty far north . It has about 1 million of the 3 million who live on the North Island. More or less skipped this to drive 3 hours south to Rotorua which is the geothermal center of the country. You can tell you are near as the sulfur smell is pervasive.The city itself is charming, clean, wide streets with little traffic. Except for the smell ,very livable with one big caveat; they literally live above a volcano. So many areas have steam vents erupting with sulfurous clouds of gas. We walked for miles from the government park with its old sanatorium and thermal baths ,now museum ,to the Maori village next to Rotorua Lake. These Maori people literally live on top of active vents. Steam come out of sewers, holes in the ground, even tombstones in their village. So strange to see and think about. The Maoris, the indigenous people,are seen everywhere and their language is used extensively. Driving is on the left side of the road so a little disconcerting but easy enough after last year in England. First overall impression is that this is a special place. Tomorrow we will tour the redwoods forest and drive back to Auckland for a flight to the South Island and Christchurch. Sent from my iPa🐪

Easter Island Jan 18,2015

Easter Island , Chile January 18,2015 Well we made it! It was a close call as the waves were pretty choppy and the tender boats were difficult to get onto. They were flying up and down as we tried to jump aboard. The Suzuki Jimmy that I had rented from Akuakuturismo was there on the dock waiting for us. We added Sue and Ed from Casa Grande AZ to the back seat and we were off. Easter Island with a population of about 3500 is in the shape of a triangle. Hanga Roa,the very laid back capital and only village with virtually the whole population living within its environs , reminds me of a Kauii village. Our first stop was Rana Rua which is the south western volcano. you can drive right to the rim and look down on a series of puddles, rocks and wild flowers. Next to it between the rim and the sea is the remains of Orongo the ancient capital and site of the annual birdman festival. A reenactment each July whereby a person from each family or former village or tribe climbs down the 1000 sheer cliff and then swims to a nearby isle to gather a bird egg. The first guy back was the king for the year and his village was the top one. Our next stop was the quarry from which the famous moai were carved. It is on the side of the southeastern volcano and there are hundreds of these famous statues in various stages on the hillside. Aku Tonakiki with its 15 moai overlooking the bay is the iconic image seen in many posters of Rapa Nui (Easter Island). I really had been looking forward to seeing them and they did not disappoint. Standing beneath these 30 foot high guys I finally believed I was really here. I can literally remember when I learned about the moai. It was a book I had when I was 7, a paperback about 8 by 11 which had these stamps with pictures of the various wonders of the world. I would separate out the 2 by 3 inch stamp and paste it on the appropriate page. This book has been the basis for so many of the items on my bucket list. The Taj, Great Wall, Pyramids, so many more and now the Moai of Easter Island. Fabulous! I am such a lucky person. For the rest of our tour we drove the triangle of the islands passing herds and herds of wild horses, literally hundreds of them and of course cows. they all roam free. Nearly the entire island is unspoiled . I never saw a store nor home or sign of civilization until returning to Hanga Roa. We also saw the Aku Akivi which are the only moai which face the sea. you see all the moai were erected it is thought as protection to the inhabitants of Rapa Nui so they face inward toward the island with their backs to the sea. we ended the day with a trip to the market for wine (of course) and a visit to the town moai which has coral eyes . the tender trip back to the mother ship was rough but everyone had a smile. Easter Island was much more beautiful than I had expected. the juxtaposition of the black volcanic rocks with the green grasses and many hills and valleys sporting some of the more than 800 moai surpassed any pictures I have seen. Did I mention that in the AM as we were sailing towards the island still uncertain as to whether we could go ashore, I stood alone on the 11 deck and a rainbow appeared for about 15 seconds and then was gone just as quickly as it came. Well I knew we were going to make it. Sent from my iPa🐪