Thursday, Mar 7th, Taupo, New Zealand

Greetings!

The Mine Bay Maori Rock Carvings were the gift of a young local and his friends, upon their graduation from the teachings of their tribal elders.  They are best reached by kayak, but our skipper, (David) took us there in his thirty-year old, restored 36-foot Herreshoff ketch.  A great group came with us (mostly English), including a young couple from Malibu (doctor and budding screenwriter).  We shared travel stories and advice, and frustrations concerning mastering turn signals.

With hardly any wind, we motored out and back, and were treated to the steerage of a most-capable three-year old Australian who took the wheel several times, including bringing us into our berth at the dock. 

But the highlight was the visit to the carvings, which took four years to finish, and are still being touched up.  A labor of love, and some local bar donations, they were first seen as graffiti.  But then, most great public art takes a while to find an audience.

After a short lunch at the Licorice Cafe, we drove out to the three famous volcanos overlooking the region: Mount Tongariro, Mount Ruapehu, and Mount Ngauruhoe.  The views from the sides are well-worth the long drive, and provide a geological exclamation point to the lake and thermals in the Northland.

To see the rest of the photos taken today, click on: Thursday, Mar 7th, Taupo, New Zealand.

Wednesday, Mar 6th, Taupo, New Zealand

Greetings!

In AD 180, the largest and most violent eruption in recorded history destroyed every living thing in New Zealand.  There were reports of an unusually red summer in Rome and China.

Left today is a very large lake formed from the crator's rim almost 20 miles wide.  And for 50 miles in all directions, the searing heat of the sub-surface magma provides geothermal hot springs that tourists like us come to hike into.

Kudos a'plenty to the New Zealand Department of Conservation for building and maintaining the infrastructure necessary to keep us safe while doing it.  I know how hard it is to keep up trails in California parks, and can appreciate the even more difficult task of replacing wooden walkways (832 stairs) eaten by sulphuric acid and steam.

To see the remaining photos we took today, click on: Wednesday, Mar 6th, Taupo, New Zealand.

Tuesday, Mar 5th, Rotorua, New Zealand

Greetings!

Sitting on top of a thin layer of the hot mantle of the earth, where the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates meet, it is strange to be counting the seconds between eruptions of steaming hot water vapor shooting up between the cracks.  The ground is sometimes too hot to stand on, and the benches provided are a welcome relief.

Animals and trees adapt well to the environment, so we decided to learn more about New Zealand farming by taking in the very popular AgriDome Show nearby.  Nineteen different kinds of sheep, how to shear them, get them home from the meadows, cow-milking, and sheep dog trials were demonstrated for a crowd of 100 of us in a large barn and grounds.  A really great performance of staff and animals, and an audience from all over the world.

But the topper of the day was the visit to a 5600 hectare Whakarewarewa Forest, containing California Coastal Redwood trees.  Planted in the late 1800s,  and not enjoying coastal fog to raise them to California heights (nor cause them to have shallow roots), these giants nevertheless were impressive.

Surrounded by huge tree ferns, the atmosphere was much more like that which probably existed 100 million years ago in California.  Pre-cutting, the trees stand straight and tall, and the sunlight creates a kaleidoscope of shadows on the trails.

The forest is also home to a treewalk and world-class mountain biking.  The deep-rooted trees allow seriously hardened paths and trails, and plenty of other water-competing species close to the routes.

The one last special contribution which my friends who believe in public restrooms will enjoy is the Shroud Art - Toilets.  Art and function combined very creatively.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on: Tuesday, Mar 5th, Rotorua, New Zealand.

Monday, Mar 4th, Rotorua, New Zealand

Greetings!

Rotorua (or "Rotten-Rua" for its distinctive sulphur smell) sits atop a huge thermal resource, and geysers, mud pools, and thermal hot springs dot the area.   It was named after the second of two great lakes discovered by a Maori explorer (Kahumatamomoe) in the 14th century.   

On the site of a large number of geysers near our hotel, we joined one of his descendants to learn how the tribes are continuing to maintain the skills necessary to keep the old traditions alive.

Te Puia, an impressive complex of buildings and land hosts a school to preserve carving, weaving, and other traditional arts.  It also seeks to preserve Maori Kiwis, architecture, and the lives of 16% of the island's population.

To see the other photos we took today, click on: Monday, Mar 4th, Rotorua, New Zealand.

Sunday, Mar 3rd, Whitianga, New Zealand

Greetings!

New Zealand does water in all forms well.  You'd be a little strange if you didn't expect to get wet.  It's an island about two-thirds the size of California, surrounded by bays and beaches.  Even so, they do play up some beaches, and some features of some beaches for the tourists. 

Like Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove.  The last time Pat came here, there were very few tourists.  She, and her friend Anne, got to sit in their own hole in a desolate stretch of sand and enjoy the hot springs which flow just under the beach.  Now, the parking is tight, and the beach is tighter.  The store sells shovels, and the early birds get the choice spots.  If you are too close to the thermal streams, you cook.  Too far away, you can hardly tell the difference between the ocean temperature.  And when the tide comes in, you lose your hole.  And we pay for this?

There's a shuttle from the Cathedral Cove Parking lot, which takes you out to the Point above the beach.  The driver told our group "Take plenty of water, sun screen, and go slowly.  I'll keep coming until 6pm".  The Trail down to the Cove has signs periodically which let you know how much time it should take for you to get there.  I think it's measured in the strides of a New Zealand twenty-year old park ranger.  Fortunately, there are plenty of trees to lean on along the way, and many tourists coming back to encourage you to keep going.  The 45-minute walk easily lasts an hour. 

But if you'll be staying more than a week in NZ, you'll probably get to beaches that are more fun to be on, and a lot less work  to get to.  To see the other few photos we took today, click on: Sunday, Mar 3rd, Whitianga, New Zealand.

Saturday, Mar 2nd, Whitianga, New Zealand

Greetings!

Leaving our idyllic B&B this morning, we said goodbye to Don and Deb Bloodworth (Okura River Estate), and headed for the Beachside Resort in Whitianga where we'll stay over the weekend. 

I told Don that I'm starting a travel contest on one of Google's community travel blogs for the best B&B view from the toilet seat.  Rules are the photo has to be taken from eye level, and no selphie sticks.  Here's my entry for Don's guest bathroom.

It's not hard to find a beautiful garden in New Zealand, but you should go out of your way to visit Rapaura Gardens.  Just outside of Thames, it's water features are really well done.  Would have been better if the water lilies had been in full bloom.  My only advice to the gardens is to mark the distance at the beginning of the walk up to the seven cascading waterfalls.  It's too long for the casual garden viewer, and you should know what you're in for when you choose it.

 To see the remaining few photos (of the garden) we took today, click on: Saturday, Mar 2nd, Whitianga, New Zealand.

Friday, Mar 1st, Okura, New Zealand

Greetings!

The little town of Matakohe has quite an impressive tree museum.  It is dedicated to the Kauri, which has been responsible for providing the worklife of almost everyone living in Northland for over a hundred years.  From the Gum-diggers, swamp trunk-finders, cutters, planers, and furniture makers, the long slow death of the Kauri tree is well worth a museum.  And by the way, those circles in this photo represent verified tree diameters up to nine meters.

On our way to where we're staying tonight, we drove a long and treacherously curvy road to the Goat Island Marine Reserve   The timing wasn't perfect (five minutes before closing time), but we did find the beach and entrance lagoons one of the best invitations to see and experience marine wildlife yet.

But today and tomorrow are mostly driving days between the Northland and the part of the island south of Auckland.  We've got a little over two weeks left, and there is a lot of territory to cover.

So forgive us if the photos and comments are sparse.  We've just about mastered the driving-on-the-left part, if we can just remember o use the right hand for the turn signals.

To see the remaining few photos taken today, click on: Friday, Mar 1st, Okura, New Zealand.