These are a couple of flowering bushes that I liked at our hotel:
We left the hotel and were on our way in a van with a trailer. The van did not have enough room for me to get my legs into the seat, but I was able to sit in the first seat behind the driver (Rod sat in the passenger seat). Unfortunately, at one point the driver took a wrong turn, and in trying to back up, wrapped the hitch on a telephone pole, with the van on one side and the trailer on the other! They wound up getting it sorted out, but that left us with a bit less time at our stops that day.
Our first stop was back at the Hundertwasser Toilets for a “bio-break.” I was sitting with Elizabeth, who was kind enough to duck down so I could take a photo of the “Kawakawa” sign!
shots of the town signtaken over Elizabeth’s backspeeding around the roundabout!
One thing that I likely didn’t mention in the previous post about the toilets was that I hadn’t been able to locate my superglue. I completely emptied my (small) purse – nope. So, I had “affixed” it in the window with toothpaste (yes, really)! I was a little nervous to go in to see if it was still there. While we were driving, I found the superglue – right in the pocket it was supposed to be!! So I went in, and luckily the marble was still there. I “dusted off” the dried toothpaste, applied the superglue, and we were back on the road again! Here are a few more photos from the Toilets:
We stopped for a “coffee stop” in Whangerei. It is a port town, that decided to revamp the entire waterfront. They didn’t have a lot of tourist visitors, and so they decided to put in a Hundertwasser Museum! It opened in 2021. They even had some of his artwork, loaned from Vienna. In the photos below, you can see the museum, a HUGE fig tree out front, some kids doing art in a side room, the uneven floors (Hundertwasser felt that flat floors were not “natural”), some of the tiles and designs (including a black kiwi bird and a seahorse), and then coffee, prosecco, and H (in the glass)!
photo from Cindy 🙂
Here is a posting about the “uneven floors”:
Next, we headed to a small park with Kauri trees. They are now endangered, so you have to spray and wipe your feet before entering. These kauri were not possible to get logged out – so they are some of the most ancient in New Zealand. A lot of the kauri wood was exported to the U.S., and the sap was used for linoleum! Because no gold was found in this area, timber was their export. The first kauri in the photo is the McKinney Kauri – not a great picture, but you can see the dimensions on the sign. It’s 800 years old. The 2nd is the Simpson Kauri, which is 600 years old. The tree ferns were at least 30 feet tall!
this is the sap – it’s used to make linoleum!
Then, off to our final “pub lunch” in New Zealand! I’ve mentioned before that their signs are pretty classic. It is their Voting now (for the next 2 weeks), and there are a lot of Vote signs on the road – my favorite, though was the “No Fart Tax!” sign. (Yes, really, there’s a “fart tax” for the methane made by farm animals.)
Our pub was no different! Here are a few photos not only of the pub (including some photos of the teams that had to drag the kauri from the forest), but also the signs at the pub:
Cindi and the gigantic burger!yep – brasread the “Dog Found” all the way to the bottom…
Then, we were off to Auckland Airport. Air New Zealand has a thing called “OneUp.” When you choose your seat, you can choose to enter basically a “silent raffle” to the next higher tier. As Lynn and I were in Premium Economy, that would mean Upper Class. The minimum that you can “bid” is $500, so I bid $501. And I got it! So I was able to have a lie-flat seat, etc. on the way home. (P.S. – Lynn tried to do it at the airport, but they wouldn’t. And there were at least 6 seats empty in Upper Class, plus she said only about 15 people total in Premium Economy.)
Unfortunately, as we were waiting for the plane in the Priority Pass lounge, I just started feeling “Not Right.” I thought it was a migraine, which I get on occasion. I hadn’t been drinking that much water that day, so tried to “load up” on water while waiting. The lovely free food/beverages/etc. just looked nauseating.
It got worse as we boarded. I turned down dinner, and asked for a cup of “hot white sweet tea” instead. Then I asked the flight attendant to fold the seat down.
I told them not to wake me up for breakfast, so I was lying down/sleeping for the bulk of the flight. I did have another “hot sweet white tea” about 30 minutes before landing, and took some Tylenol.
Global Entry was easy peasy – my update came the day before we were to fly out! (My Global Entry had expired in 2020.) Melissa picked us up, and Lynn was able to “re-jigger” the things we had put in her bag v. my bag for ease of transport.
And – yes – you guessed it. I had worn my mask assiduously on the plane out to New Zealand, but hadn’t worn it there, or on the way back. And the little “T” lit up on the COVID test! I guess I am no longer in the ever-dwindling cadre of NOvid folks! Melissa is off to Tahoe, luckily, so basically I’m lying around feeling crappy. I did get Paxlovid, but I can’t really make it down the driveway much less feel confident in the car, so my poor Mom is going to pick it up for me. Well – back to bed! There you have it – the trip to New Zealand!!!
As I believe I mentioned last post, it was pouring yesterday, which basically belayed what we were supposed to do on that day. But our Fearless Guide Rod was able to “smoosh” it all into one day – today!
Pohutukawa – New Zealand “Christmas bush” because it blooms usually around Christmas. (We were way up North = warmer)A Tui eating nectar from the Pohutukawa. They have a huge vocal range and Maori used to teach them to speak (a la a magpie)
We walked from the hotel over to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. First, we visited the museum.
One of the most interesting “juxtapositions” was the “non-Māori” history, and the Māori history of New Zealand, side by side.
For example, above is Abel Tasman, the “discoverer” of New Zealand. He was Dutch, hence naming it after Holland’s coastal province (“Nieuw Zeeland”). Of course, he never actually landed on the shores (talked about that already). In juxtaposition, here is Kupe – Māori tradition is that Kupe and his people voyaged from Hawaiki, their homeland in Eastern Polynesia. Aotearoa, the country’s Māori name, is said to come from Kupe’s wife, Kuramarotini, when she first saw land. Apparently she cried: “He ao, he ao tea, he ao tea roa!” (“A cloud, a white cloud, a long white cloud!)
Here is another “juxtaposition.” This is Captain Cook. On the right is Te Koukou. The land that the Europeans “discovered” was occupied by many independent tribes. Every part was under the mana (authority) of a particular group, led by their rangatira (remember what that means? Tribal leader). The people identified themselves by the names of their hapu (extended kin groups). Contact with outsiders led them to define themselves collectively as “Māori,” from the term “tangata māori,” meaning “an ordinary person.”
The above explains how things got off on the wrong foot. Not only did the “invaders” use trumpet calls that were interpreted as challenges, but they also paid zero attention to the Māori traditions of Tapu (“taboo”) such as areas that were not to be walked on, etc. This shows a Māori putatara at the left.
Once the bumbling Europeans (who said that?) started to somewhat integrate, as mentioned in a previous post. the Māori realized that they could be traders; they could also charge “license fees” for ships at anchor. (NOTE: Once they signed the Treaty, the ships stated that they paid this fee to the CROWN, not to the Māori. The tribes were VERY confused – as that was not how their version of the Treaty was written. More on that later!)
We had learned about trading during our tour the day before, but we uncovered at the museum that the biggest item of trade was Rope. The Europeans had an unending need for rope on their ships. One large naval ship might have 40 kilometers of rope rigging that would need to be replaced.
Philip King, Governor of the Norfolk Island prison colony, wanted the convicts to make rope from the flax growing there. He knew that the Māori had great expertise in this area. So – instead of paying the Maori to make the rope – you guessed it – he abducted two young Māori men.
Unfortunately, they didn’t know a thing about making rope, as it was “women’s work.” Interestingly though, King kept them on as they were hard workers, and ultimately they came home with pigs, potatoes, and vegetable seeds for their community – who shared with the next – and so on and so on.
how the Māori “divided” the North Island into various whanau, each headed by a rangatira.
Quick learners, the Maori started to have ships of their own (built in New Zealand to the “European” style). Unfortunately, they sailed one to Australia, and it was either blown out of the water or it was confiscated, because it wasn’t flying “a national flag.” That is what led to what is now called the “United Tribes of New Zealand” flag. (Remember, this was well before the Treaty of Waitangi).
There was a lot in the museum about the colonizers – French, English, etc. The U.S. sent a lot of trading ships to New Zealand, and they (of course, only a few years from their own independence) were very skeptical of discussions about whether New Zealand should be a colony. The English “promised” the indigenous tribes that they would protect them from the French, who were in “colonization” mode then as well. Apparently, the English made the better argument.
After visiting the museum, we were hooked up with our guide. The first thing he showed us was an enormous war canoe. It was taken out in 1983 when Prince Charles and Diana visited New Zealand to return the rangatira cape that had been presented to Queen Victoria. It is taken out once a year to celebrate the Treaty (don’t worry – it’s on tracks to get it down to the water!).
The warship was made of three enormous trees. The middle tree’s stump was still in evidence – Mark was kind enough to “model” how large around it was. The canoe is 84 meters (276 feet) long.
next to a “standard-sized” warshipCoxswain seat (the rounded seatback is in front of this carving). The cox basically pounds a big stick, and says a chant, that you repeat to stay in time. At the other end is the guy with the rudder.
The “topknot” on a totem is very important. As Māori believe that the spirit enters through the fontanel, it represents the “silver thread” between Heaven and the individual. The head is the biggest portion of the totem because it’s the most important – all the senses “live” there.
We also learned about the “tongues” of totems. If the tongue is sticking out straight, it can be a “true teller,” but it can also be a challenge (like in the haka, where both men and women bug their eyes out; women jut their chin whereas men stick out their tongue). If the tongue is right facing, that represents more of a “spiritual” totem – left facing represents more of a “business” totem (can also be warlike). If the tongue is split it’s a liar OR . . . politician!
From here we headed up to the top of the hill – where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. We passed a tree that Queen Elizabeth had planted in 1953.
From here, we (and a gaggle of other tourists) were invited into the Māori marae, similar to what had happened when we had our “day in the Māori life” a week or so ago. The greeting was very similar, with a woman representing the “priestess” coming out, and a woman representing “us” introducing us to the priestess. Then, a “rangatira” was chosen from the audience, to represent our “whanau” (remember: pronounced FAH-now; extended family). He was presented a branch from one of the men, who came out and did what he hoped was an imposing “haka.” Interestingly, our Rangatira – Joe – was standing right in the middle, and was Māori! He picked up the branch the “peaceful” way, which we had learned about at our other marae experience, and then we were invited in the marae after taking off our shoes.
lintel of the marae
We were then treated to a singing/”dancing” show; however, the “dancing” was really based on stretches, warmups, and then practicing done with different weapons. There were three women and two men. As you can see, Rangatira Joe had to get up and stand very still while they practiced “around” him!
One thing we learned from our guide is that in 2008, the U.K. wanted to “re-ratify” the Treaty of Waitangi. However, as I’ve mentioned before, the English version and the Māori version were different. In the museum, they had copies of the original version, the Māori version, and what the English translation of the Māori version really means. When the Māori were gathered for the “ceremony,” the British just wanted them to sign “as they had before.” The British stated that this was just “ceremonial” for the anniversary of the signing. They said that Māori had already “agreed to” the English version. (They were all to sign the original English version of the Treaty this time.)
The head of the Māori delegation said two words: “Prove it.” The critical part? The Māori had signed the Māori version of the Treaty oh so many decades before – not the English version. Therefore – under English Common Law – the portions of the contract that were “different” would be “stricken”. . . which of course were the portions stating that they agreed Britain owned their land, the Queen could use Eminent Domain to do what she wanted, and the like (versus their version, which said the Queen was basically a rangatira who would protect them from harm and honor their land ownership and rangatira status; that their relationship would be a mutually beneficial partnership).
Many in our group had actually been to New Zealand before – and were very surprised at how much Māori language was included on everything – street signs, directions, historical markers, etc. We wondered if this change had happened around the time that it was “discovered” that “under English Common Law,” in actual fact, the portions that had been “mis-translated” in the Māori version (which the rangatira all signed) would not be binding.
One thing our guide had discussed with us was that the Māori had beaten the British via “trench warfare” (I discussed this yesterday). He said that they took the idea from eels – that when you hunt eels, they come out of a very small hole, but it digs down and ultimately there is a large compartment were all the eels are. He said that once the Māori and British were “friendly,” the Māori explained how they had dug the trench around their village and “tunnels” between the houses, etc. The guide stated that this is where the idea of trench warfare came from, that was incorporated into the British “war machine” from then on. Thank you, eels. 🙂
We went back to the museum – there was quite a moving section that had to do with all the Māori who had fought in various battles. Here is a video I sent to my “Whanau.” Unfortunately I only captured 24 seconds, but you get the idea. It was an enormous crescent that was supposed to represent a lei. The black dots were Māori who served in the British Army in all wars from 1840 to World War I, the blue were those who served in World War I, the green World War II, and the grey all the wars after WW2. The red “dot” on any of those colors represents that the person had died in the war.
After leaving the museum, I think we grabbed lunch, but we were very soon in the van to head to the boat to take us out to the “Hole in the Rock.” This was where Lynn had wanted to leave her second one of Jim’s marbles, because he was a “water baby” and they hadn’t been able to get out there on their honeymoon. (If you like the idea of “cremarbles,” check out Public Glass.)
We passed “black rock” cliffs (basalt), a few beautiful beaches, and the Cape Bret lighthouse up on the hill and lighthouse keeper’s house below. The day before (when we were supposed to take this trip), the waves/water were awful, but luckily the day was beautiful.
On the way back, the boat docked at Otehei Bay. I pointed out as we were coming in what looked like a floating yurt – and it was! HERE is their Instagram 🙂 Otehei Bay was a beautiful area, where you can stay in a small cabin overnight. They have one restaurant – no WiFi as you can see from the sign below! The oddest thing was that they had no rubbish bins. When Don asked about it, he was told that stopped people from throwing things away . . . UNLESS they just left their debris on the beach, where the staff had to go pick it up. (??) Unclear on the concept?? It was low tide, and you could see what “used to be” oysters – that the birds had eaten up!!
We headed back to Russell when the ferry returned, and had our Farewell Dinner at the Duke of Marlborough (remember the story from our Russell tour?) This was one of the fishies in the bar:
Late day – time to pack for an early departure back to the Auckland airport! (Quite a ways away)
If you want $100 off, call OAT at 1-800-955-1925 and request a catalog, tell them you were referred by Sandy Shepard, customer number 3087257, and get $100 off your first trip!
This is a “Waratah” – New South Wales, Australia’s flower. We drove past it in the van in Russell and Chris, our van driver and tour guide (originally from Scotland) told us about it. I thought it was really interesting looking!
The Bay of Islands is made up of 144 islands. We are staying in Waitangi, and were driven this morning over to Paihia to meet the ferry to Russell. Paihia is a touristy little town – though of course, we’re out of the tourist season, so it was mainly touristy shops without a lot of people!
I did find another shirt for my daughter in case the first one doesn’t fit (and some cute socks), and some “stocking stuffers” for my grandboys. I also bought a fridge magnet for my daughter’s manicurist, who had done my “Māori-style” nails that are getting a lot of Ooos and Aaaahs from local staff. It is a green “arrow” like they have on their highway exit signs, and says “Middle Earth” (with the arrow). She’s a big Lord of the Rings fan, and I hope will like it. At the Paihia Dollar Store, I also bought Marilyn (of Jim and Marilyn – she’s the only Marilyn left now) a pack that had dice and some playing cards in it, because she said that, what with the weather, “of all trips,” she couldn’t believe she hadn’t brought her playing cards (dot dot dot).
The weather was very blustery and rainy when we headed out to Paihia, and it continued on the ferry to Russell. You needed “sea legs” to get off the ferry and onto the land, as the dock was heaving up and down. And it was a big dock, too!
We met with Chris, a spry 80 year old, at the dock with his van. Rod stayed behind to try to figure out what was up with the weather, our remaining tours, etc. He is certainly earning his salary these past few days! Chris was Scottish, so had a bit of a lilt in his voice. He was wearing shorts – which made me cold just to look at! – but he said it was that or a kilt, and the kilt “kep’ blowin’ up in da wind…” 😉
So here are some tidbits about what we learned on our trip around the island, plus some photos (not that many). As I type this, I’ve decided not to head out to the dinner tonight in Paihia. Though it sounds like a great restaurant (The Swordfish Club), it’s a “pay your own way” dinner and I’m a little bit exhausted/want to keep the blog updated/want to just be quiet. So – here we go, with “tidbits” and photos 🙂
In Russell, like on Waireke Island, a number of the homes were shipped over “whole” from the mainland. It’s less expensive than building them! Also like Waireke Island, the island doesn’t have water – each house has a rainwater catchment system.
Zane Grey (yes, that Zane Grey, the writer of “potboiler” Westerns), per Chris, “single-handedly” put New Zealand on the map for big fish sport fishing. Here is a bit about him:
In addition to his 57 Westerns, Grey also released 8 books about fishing throughout his career. One of these, the beautifully-written Tales of the Angler’s Eldorado, was penned in 1926 about his time in New Zealand. He tells of some of his best catches in the region, described his saltwater and freshwater fishing experiences, and detailed many of New Zealand’s uniquely wonderful environmental and geographical characteristics.
He also wrote many articles for international sporting magazines over the years, which described New Zealand, and in particular the Bay of Islands, as a world class game fishing region. He is widely credited today with playing a huge part in the foundations of New Zealand’s modern fishing industry.
In Tales of the Angler’s Eldorado, Grey said, “The New Zealand coast is destined to become the most famous of all fishing waters. It will bring the best anglers from all over the world.”
Well, we can’t really argue with that.
A plaque indicating that “History is memorialized by the Victors”…
In showing us around the island, Chris explained that houses like the 2-story stucco one he lived in, which we drove past, can’t be built any more in Russell unless they fit within the “historical template.” In showing us what that looked like, he drove us past homes with copper gutters, and foundations made of crushed whale bones – ! These homes also are built from Kauri wood, which is endangered now. The “historical accuracy folks” just mean to make it fit within the “template” – not actually use the materials – so I think the Kauri and whales are safe 🙂
We drive past a Māori meeting house. This is the flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand, a/k/a the Māori flag. I believe that we will find out more about it tomorrow, when we learn more about the Treaty of Waitangi. We heard a bit about this in Auckland, but Waitangi (where our hotel is located) was where the treaty was actually signed.
a mailbox in Russell
But let’s go back in Time, a bit before the Treaty. As we drove around the beautiful island, we learned a good bit about New Zealand history, presented in a very engaging fashion.
Russell was the first capital of New Zealand (for 18 months). Then it moved to Auckland. This upset the Māori, who suddenly had to pay tax on items for “export” to the capital. Then, when the South Island was settled, the capital was moved to Wellington, which is more central.
We have heard a few times now that Tasman was the first to “discover” New Zealand, but Chris explained that he really only circumnavigated it. When Tasman came close to land, Māori gathered on the beaches, doing the haka (remember the war dance from a blog post before?) So, he decided to just move on . . .
Captain Cook was next, then ultimately 50 white folks decided to emigrate. They were met by 120 Māori on the beach doing the haka . . . but of course, the white folks just kept coming, and ultimately Russell got its nickname as the “Hell Hole of the Pacific.” This small town in the early 1800s had 17 grog shop/brothels! The whaling ships would use it as a port of call due to the deep water areas (and women willing to enter into “three week marriages”); even convicts on their way to Australia would jump ship in Russell to escape. The area didn’t have any police force until the 1830s, but even after, they weren’t particularly effective to stem the tide of licentiousness.
Christ Church in Russell is New Zealand’s first church. One of the first donations for its construction came from Charles Darwin, who could not believe the “very refuse of society” that he saw in Russell. The cemetery includes headstones for Tamati Waka Nene, who was one of the first chiefs to sign the Treaty of Waitangi (and sided with the British during the Battle of Kororareka). Also there is Hannah King Letheridge, the first white woman born in NZ, and graves of some of those who fell in the Battle of Kororareka. (More on that later.) The Church still shows the scars of the Battle of Kororareka, with musket holes clearly evident.
However, to give services at Christ Church, the Anglican missionaries would row over from Paihia. They had no intent of living over in Russell. In other words, these missionaries stayed on the mainland (Heaven) and wouldn’t come to Russell (Hell). However (per Chris), Catholic missionaries came out, and “bypassed Heaven, going straight to Hell.” They founded the Catholic church, and built some of the first industry in New Zealand (e.g., a bookbindery and hide tannery for making books).
kauri tree (about 80 years old) – ignore van window reflection!
In the beginning when the white folks were mainly whalers (and the people that serviced them), the Māori were fairly happy to co-exist with the whites, trading kaori trees (for masts), guiding, information, women, etc. for white “stuff” (such as guns, alcohol, shovels, etc.) However, ultimately, England sent “settlers” to “tame the land,” and this was a problem, since these settlers wanted to be the “traders,” they didn’t want to trade with the Māori.
As we’ve heard before, ultimately this lead to the Treaty of Waitangi to get things sorted out. The Treaty had two versions to sign – one in English, one in Māori. The English version made it clear that the Māori were agreeing that they would be subservient to Queen Victoria and her governor. The same paragraph in the Māori version stated that “All people would be equal.”
Of course, once it was signed, Māori were forbidden from owning or purchasing shovels, guns, alcohol, or anything that could be used as a weapon. They were also forbidden from entering the schools. They had been promised (when they sold the land for the churches) that Māori and Pākehā (non-Māori) had the same right to burial in consecrated ground. Of course, after the Treaty – Nope.
Hōne Heke, who had been a signatory on the Treaty, ultimately ran up Flagstaff Hill and chopped down the Union Jack, telling the then-current governor that the Treaty was over, it was not as had been portrayed. The British put the flagpole back up – Hōne went back and cut it back down. I believe four times. The English had 1,500 soldiers, and Hōne Heke gathered 850 Māori tribesmen, all from different tribes, which was unheard of. (They were used to fighting each other, not presenting a united front.) The Māori defeated the English, who complained that the Māori “didn’t fight properly.” They didn’t fight in formation, carry a battle flag, regiment in straight lines, etc. (Sounds like the British v. that other rambunctious colony in the 1700s, eh?)
Ultimately Hōne Heke blew up the British munitions dump, and all the whites retreated to the Navy ships in the harbor. While they tried to attack the Māori from the sea, Hōne Heke’s folks destroyed everything down to the ground, except for the churches. This was because Hōne Heke was a “very Christian man” – so much so that he had been baptized Catholic, then Anglican, then Methodist!
I’m sure that we will learn a lot more about this period of history tomorrow.
As I mentioned, we learned a “scatter gun” of Russell history from Chris. There are 73 children in the school now – from kindergarten through “when their parents decide to send them to the Mainland.” (I’m guessing 8th grade? I didn’t ask.)
There were a few more signs that I wasn’t able to take photos of out of the van, such as the “Naughty Penguin” restaurant and “Hell Hole” Coffee. Caught this one though:
But back to the “Hell Hole.” In 1841, “Johnny Johnston’s Grog Shop and Brothel” got the first liquor license in New Zealand; he changed its name to The Duke of Marlborough to be more respectable. HERE is a bit about its history, which actually gives a very concise history about the island! We will be having our farewell dinner (for the 11 of us left on the tour) tomorrow night. (WOW, already?)
Chris described Russell of the 1800s as “A huge, steaming, bawdy town of whalers, grog shops, and brothels.”
There are kiwi signs all over the islands. You can’t have your dog off leash, etc. because kiwis still nest here, so the Bay of Islands area is a Kiwi Preserve. I might have mentioned this before, but I tend to like to leave the “Do Not Disturb” on the door, so that they won’t make up the room. I make my own bed, and don’t really need towels every day, etc. (And Lynn has been willing to humor me.) Some hotels have gotten in on the act and give you credits to your “loyalty card” if you do this. At our hotel here, they take the $ that it would take to clean your room, and give it to the Save The Kiwis Foundation, which is resettling kiwis on their island. (I wonder if it’s tied into the Kiwi Hatchery that we visited last week?)
Back to bits and pieces of what we learned. The Eagles Nest is one of the most exclusive hotels in all of New Zealand. The most expensive room is $20,000NZ a night – the “least expensive” is $3,000NZ per night. The hotel owns “from the hill to the sea” in this area. We went up above it and took some photos in the serious wind! Here are a few (including the mosaic up at the top – brrrr!)
The island is a dolphin, whale, and seal sanctuary (as well as the kiwi). It has a very hilly terrain, with mainly forest inside the hills.
There are many, many multi-million dollar homes. The one above looks out on the most amazing view (same as the Eagles’ Nest!) It was built by two Americans, who have never actually been on the island. The building was finished right before COVID started – now the house is done, but no one has set foot in it. 60% of the homes on the island are Holiday Homes; the “new millionaires” are the locals in the trades (building, plumbing, etc.)
The above is Long Beach, a lovely, sheltered cove on the ocean side of Russell. Off to the left of the first picture (don’t mind the van mirror) is the deep water port, where the cruise ships come in and dock, sending their people onto the land via tenders. It increases the “population” of the islands by 400-500% for a few days! This has been difficult post-COVID, as many people who used to work in hospitality in New Zealand were kicked out – then haven’t come back.
In 1963, Queen Elizabeth commented about the view from this hill – which is now called Queen’s View Road.
Well, that’s about all the notes I have from today. As I type this, it’s lovely and sunny outside the sliding door of our ground floor room. It has a glassed-in lanai sitting area looking out on the garden and (to the far right) the tennis court. Of course, when I started typing, it was hailing!
Tomorrow – the Treaty, a Māori celebration (I’m guessing that a haka will be involved), a boat trip to the Hole In The Wall (where Lynn plans to leave her marble), and (maybe?) a trip to the Hundertwasser Museum. That seems like a lot – I really really hope the Museum doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. Our plane doesn’t leave until quite late, so maybe the idea was to visit on the way back to the Auckland Airport! Wow – we’re already leaving – ????
If you want $100 off, call OAT at 1-800-955-1925 and request a catalog, tell them you were referred by Sandy Shepard, customer number 3087257, and get $100 off your first trip!
As you may recall, the day started for our guide, Rod, at 4:00 a.m. with notification that our flight had been cancelled. He jumped on things, however, and was able to get us on the next flight from Queenstown to Auckland. Good thing, too, since the flight after that flight went awry as well!
Lynn and I were both surprised that somehow he had managed to get us all aisle seats! Queenstown airport is small enough that you don’t get screened and then go to gates – you are screened right before you go to your gate. There was some hassle with both Lynn and my carry-ons, but we finally got through screening after they took our bags apart. Funnily enough, my issue was a lighter that I carry in a bag with other “I might need these some time” things. They said I could carry it on – in my pocket! I thought that was odd until Lynn pointed out that if it started a fire in my pocket, I would be quicker to address it than if it did it in my backpack up in the baggage compartment!
Unfortunately, Rod said that while trying to “can the worms” “released” due to our flight cancellation, we weren’t going to be able to make the glowworm caves. He’d tried to get everything else re-arranged, but because of timing, that one bit the dust.
It was raining by the time we got to Auckland, but we were hurried into a van with a trailer for our luggage. Unfortunately, the seats were too close together for moi, so I was sitting with the top 1/2 of my body facing forward, and my legs out to the side into the aisle. David noticed my position after a couple hours like that and had me trade with him. He has always taken the farthest back “bench” seat, in the middle. There is no one in front of that seat – so no issue with my legs. Success!
There are some fun signs in New Zealand – I’ve mentioned this before. Here are a couple others:
Mark was kind enough to share his winnings (Whitaker’s chocolate) from answering the most questions correctly on Rod’s New Zealand quiz. This was a very nice one!
We drove and drove. And drove and drove and drove. Finally we got to Kawakawa – which was supposed to be a 10 minute “bio-break” but it was the Hundertwasser Toilets, which I had basically chosen this trip to see.
I had decided to place H’s last marble for this trip in the Toilets in some position or another.
I found a spot in a window on the Women’s side.
I think he would enjoy getting to see women come and go (as it were – ha ha) all day.
I took lots and lots of photos 🙂
There were also Hundertwasser columns, walls, planters, a lamppost, etc. in various other parts of the little town, but there wasn’t time for exploring. I did take some long-range shots with my trusty cell phone!
I have to say, seeing all the architecture made me a bit maudlin. Herbert just loved Hundertwasser’s work and had been so excited to visit New Zealand to see where Hundertwasser had done the final works of his life.
Also, the countryside looks so much like home! So, lots of memories and all that . . .
Don and I talked some at dinner about Linda and Herbert. I like hearing stories about how people meet, their backstory, etc. How he and Linda originally met (in junior high) was a good one. 🙂
Tomorrow – The Hole In The Rock, where Lynn gives Jim’s final marble she brought the “heave ho.” Unlike Herbert, who was not a great swimmer though he could snorkel for hours, Jim was a “water baby” and so Lynn feels this will be a great spot for him. The weather isn’t supposed to be great, so fingers crossed that we get out there in the boat!
If you want $100 off, call OAT at 1-800-955-1925 and request a catalog, tell them you were referred by Sandy Shepard, customer number 3087257, and get $100 off your first trip!
Elizabeth and David are a couple on our trip. They came to New Zealand for their 25th anniversary (late ’80s I believe), but Elizabeth didn’t “get to” bungee jump. So she was going to do it this time around.
They went when we did the Dart Jet Boat – Elizabeth wished she could have “done it all” but time didn’t permit.
David was born in 1935 – Elizabeth in 1942. They’ve been together for a long time, and are quite a couple. (David is our “Rangatira,” you might remember.)
David shared the photos of Elizabeth’s jump – so I thought I’d share with you. Look at that joy!
Today we took a trip out to Arrowtown. It is a picturesque mining town about a half hour bus ride from Queenstown.
Rod did an orientation walk, and then Lynn (who leads Chinatown Tours in San Francisco and worked the Immigration Station on Angel Island) headed over to what had been the Chinese portion of the town (basically gone now).
One thing that was different than the San Francisco Chinese “experience” is that there wasn’t violence against the people – though there was just as much prejudice.
Chinese men from Guangdong (formerly Canton) had come out to work in the gold fields. Once the gold petered out, they turned into the main farmers for the area, and faced a lot less prejudice because the “white folk” didn’t consider them to be competition.
Dave, um, “posing” at the open pit toiletinside the home – quite amazing dry-laid stoneMark shows how short the doors were! (Mark is 5’7″)
Lynn had been looking for “just the right” pounamu necklace. Part of what I’ve done is scout out different shops while she’s been doing something else. I found three in Arrowtown, but one had great promise. And – yay! – she found a wonderful one. I found one too. Can you see me shaking my head at myself?
After the shopping, we headed to the “bakery on the corner” for hand pies. Lynn got a spicy chicken (which was very spicy) – I got a steak and mushroom. They were DE-licious!
We took them to The Winery, not knowing that they had cheese boards and tapas . . . but they let us sit outside and eat our pies with their wine! It was a gorgeous day so that was great.
The Winery is a genius idea. You turn in your credit card, and they give you a card with a chip in it. You insert the chip above a bottle of wine that you want to try, and choose if you want a “tasting pour,” a “half pour,” or a “full pour.” I tried out a tasting pour for a few reds (one a different Bordeaux blend from my New Favorite Winery, Man O’War!). When it was getting close to the time to catch the bus back to Queenstown, I spied an Arrowtown “dessert wine” made from quince in the “whisky room” that contained a good 15 whiskies, a gin, and a few dessert wines “on tap.”
The “Broken Heart” (quince liqueur) smelled like honey and cinnamon (very “Christmassy”), but upon sipping it was not the super sweet, viscous wine that I was expecting. It was definitely “on the sweet side,” but it had a dry finish. It tasted of sort of an apple/pear/tropical combination – delicious! If I had an extra pound in my luggage and a way to wrap it, I was tempted to bring a bottle home. It was so different. But in reality, Herbert was the one who loved dessert wines, and I’m not sure I would actually open it. I can definitely recommend though if you like something other than your standard port or madeira after a meal.
I’ll just add a quick note about the space-age public toilets in Arrowtown. You press a button to be let in, and it not only talks to you, but everything is automated inside. The funniest part? You’re locked in, until you washed your hands OR wait 10 minutes!! (I imagine that any “non-hand-washers” might just have done it to get let out!)
Tonight we go on the steamer Earnslaw (mentioned in the previous post). It will take us to a dinner on the other side of the lake, at a large sheep station. It’s our Farewell Dinner, as five of our “merry band” are heading off. The rest of us will be heading to the Bay of Islands, including glowworms, some other things Rod mentioned and – of course – the Hundertwasser Toilets!!!!!
UPDATE: The steamer was great – Don went down and talked with the engineer, who was ecstatic to talk to someone who could really appreciate the “workings” of what he did. Don took the photo and video below. You can see the feet of the guy who is shoveling coal in the still photo! I’ll also include a photo of the sheep station from the boat.
“workings” of the Earnslaw – very “steamy”!!!
After a delicious dinner, we had a “farm demonstration” from the shepherd. She ran her “eye dogs” (border collies), and her huntaway for us. Her huntaway was part Labrador, part English pointer, and part “barky dog.” Yes, a mélange! The shepherd said that she was the “ideal dog” because she could be taken hunting and used as a huntaway to drive the sheep.
Rabbits have overrun the South Island as pests, so they are hunted, as are some of the other “varmints” like possum and stoats. When she takes her dog out for hunting, the lab and pointer kicks in – silent, plus helps to point out the game and fetch it back! When she is running sheep, the “barky dog” comes out, and the dog works to move the sheep by barking at them from behind (I talked about this more in depth on the post where we met with Chris the shepherd up North). Very versatile and useful dog!
We were in an open amphitheater for the demonstration, which is quite cold. We all thought we were just going to the dinner inside, so were not prepared for the “nip” outside! Gluten-free Marilyn and Jan – both of whom were raised on farms – stayed in the lounge of the restaurant, because they said “they knew” what “farming was all about” and “it’s just cold and miserable to do this after dinner in the dark.” It led to a very funny interchange – they said that “Farm” was a “4 letter word that started with F” to which Lynn and I said we would try to replace our “usual” “4 letter word that started with F” with it. As in “It’s farming cold out there!” “What the farm is going on?” (Reminds me of when Herbert was watching Battlestar Galactica and replaced that “4 letter F word” with “Frack,” their made-up swear word of the same usage!)
We got back to the hotel, and had some hugs and farewells to the five that are not going to the Bay of Islands. Gluten free Marilyn gave me the sweetest thank you card for making her the hat! I hope that I can stay in touch with her and Jan. They travel together a lot and are really great. It might be fun to try to be on a new trip with them. Actually everyone was really super. I think that Jim and Marilyn, and Don, are going in June on a trip that includes Paris and Italy. It got us into a discussion of whether the part of Notre Dame that is being touted as “to be open” for the Olympics (in July/August of next year) will really make it. I watched a fascinating documentary on everything that they’re doing to fix it. Jim said no way would it be open at all – I just said that the “plan” was to have the apse open – we’ll see!
I’ve been hearing about the potentiality of the House ReTrumplicans holding the government funding hostage, which would lead to a government shut down back home, which could lead to flight cancellations. I’m hoping that won’t be the case for us, as we go straight from Auckland to San Francisco. If we had had a stop in LAX (like on the way out), I think we might be more likely to run into trouble. However, we received the following this morning:
Good morning all: At 4.04am this morning I received notification that our Flt NZ614 to Auckland was cancelled. The only alternative for us was NZ616 departing Queenstown at 11.55 am a delay of 2.15hrs. We will now depart the hotel for the airport at 9.45am so please have a long breakfast and suitcases out at at 9.00am for the porter. This will impact my plan for the day however don’t worry I’m working on another plan. So sorry about this. Rod
We were already up early to get our bags out for the flight we thought that we were going to be on, so didn’t quite get the extra sleep we might have, but at least I got a bit more time to update the blog! With that said – here’s hoping that’s our only “hiccup” and everything else goes perfectly!
If you want $100 off, call OAT at 1-800-955-1925 and request a catalog, tell them you were referred by Sandy Shepard, customer number 3087257, and get $100 off your first trip!
After breakfast at our hotel, we were given a “Bee” pass. You swipe this as you get on public transportation and again when you get off. It allowed us to use a bus to get down from our hotel (which is on a hill to the side of town) and – perhaps more importantly – back.
Rod walked us around Queenstown to give us our bearings. This first photo is from the description of the steamer that will take us tomorrow night to our “farewell dinner” across the lake. It was built the same year as the Titanic and has had many jobs. This photo shows when it would go from sheep station to sheep station, gathering up sheep.
Here is a life sized moa (now extinct) with Dawn, and a cute tea house near the Botanic Gardens.
We had read about “Fergburger,” which was just as busy as the “best burger in New Zealand” has a right to be. Lynn and I hit it early – at 11:00 – and split a venison “Bambi burger” and fries, plus had a glass of wine (of course we did). The line wasn’t terrible and – more importantly – we were able to snag two seats at a table outside. (Seats are really at a premium – most people sit on a wall out front.) When I ordered the wine, I was told that I “couldn’t take it outside” (all the inside tables were obviously packed), but I pointed out the “server window” to where Lynn was sitting. The cashier told me that was the only outside table that was allowed wine, as it was “under and awning” and so still “counted” as being “inside.” (Right when we were about to leave, Cindy and Toshiko were in line – Cindy had gotten a “Fergpie” from the bakery next door, so she took my seat, and held the other for Toshiko, who was getting a burger. Great timing!)
Afterwards, we headed to Patagonia (no, not the clothing shop) to have gelato for dessert. Check out these treats! And – need a job?
Patagonia is known for its ‘world famous’ hot chocolate, but we were too stuffed to think about it.
There are a lot of restaurants in New Zealand with names that makes you smile. (This one is a Mexican restaurant):
it’s a chocolate-dipped churro. what were YOU thinking?
After our walk around Queenstown and lunch, it was time for our jet boat adventure on the Dart. The jet boats skim over the water, which can be as shallow as four inches! It was quite a long drive to get there – about 45 minutes on a winding road. We made it though, and were outfitted in long water-proof, warm jackets plus life preservers. Gluten-free Marilyn was kind enough to “pose” in what we were calling our “penguin getup.”
It was definitely nippy, but turns out that the railings that you can hold onto in the jet boat have hot water running through them to warm your hands. Genius!
I have some shots of the beautifulness:
The guide showed us all the various spots where parts of The Hobbit were filmed – it wasn’t until the middle of the last one that I realized I should be doing a Marco Polo to Leann about these, as she has a friend that’s a Lord of the Rings nut. Missed opportunity!
Here are some shots that the boat driver took of our “merry band”:
A couple of panoramas:
And finally, a video of what the adventure was like! This is 5 minutes long, so it might take a bit to load . . . but I was determined to keep filming until the driver did a 360* turn in the river! (If you forward to about 4:30 you get the idea.)
Lynn and I eschewed heading to town for dinner, opting instead to head back to the hotel to catch our blogs up! Tomorrow is a trip to Arrowtown, which is apparently a mining town, and then our trip on the steamer and Farewell Dinner. Jan and Gluten-Free Marilyn are heading to Tasmania, and Toshiko, Bev and Jim are also not doing the post-trip to the Bay of Islands.
In the meantime, I’m trying to get the photos to load (it’s been SO TEDIOUS) and we’re swapping some things around to try to get our suitcases to 50 pounds and 15 pounds for the trip from here to Auckland. 🙂 (Lynn arrived with less “weight” than I had, but we have both been buying presents which doesn’t do much for the weight situation. We’re wearing our heavy boots on the plane!)
If you want $100 off, call OAT at 1-800-955-1925 and request a catalog, tell them you were referred by Sandy Shepard, customer number 3087257, and get $100 off your first trip!
We woke up on the boat and headed up to breakfast – then the boat took us from our mooring out on the Tasman Sea. Whew, the boat was really thrown around! You could see, however, how Captain Cook just saw what was actually the opening to the sound as a “shallow cove” – the opening hooks around, so it’s completely impossible to see from the Tasman Sea.
I mentioned the forest penguins in my last post – we saw more as we headed out to the Tasman Sea. We also were told about the study center that you see in the picture below. They are studying the black coral of the Sound. The coral itself is actually white, but its backbone is black. Birch/beech trees apparently lay a slick on the edge of the water, and the coral “thinks” that it is deeper than it is. This means that the coral is only a few meters under water, which makes them very easy to study.
scratching his back. penguin yoga?the study centerthis rock formation is called The Turtlescoming in from the Tasman Sea, rounding the corner, et voila!a gigantic tree fern on the hillwaterfalls and….….waterfallsa final look back at Milford Sound
After bidding Adieu to the Milford Mariner, we were back on the road, it was drive-drive-drive-drive-drive.
Once we got out of the tunnel on the other side, it was quite foggy again. We stopped for a quick break at a rest stop, then back on the road!
Cindy’s jacket makes a colorful addition
I finished the white wool portion of the scarf for dad, and so planned to see if I could find some wool in Ti Anau, where we would stop for lunch.
*gigantic* nephrite/greenstone/pounamu in Ti Anau
Stopped in Ti Anau, and while most everyone went to the “Pie Shop” (hand pies – mostly savory, some sweet), I tried to find a wool shop. Unfortunately, the actual “sewing shop” had a sign on it that said “Gone to Italy.” (Oooookay then!) I walked a couple of stores down the main street, and saw two knitting needles and a skein of yarn on a chair outside the Art Gallery, and a sign that said “Sit and knit a bit.” So, in I went.
Hand spun yarn – spun by the artist right there! (No photos) I picked out two skeins of brown wool, which I thought would go nicely with the white. So the scarf would be 1/2 white, 1/2 brown!
I also saw some very cute and affordable ceramic containers. I have a ceramic sculpture that I purchased from the Sausalito Art Festival of two women laughing. One’s black, one’s white, and they’re just having a marvelous chat about something. Any time I find a tiny ceramic “vessel” that looks like it could be theirs (they came with 2 vessels) I buy it, so that they have lots of choices.
As I was buying the wee vessel, the artist came out from the back! He wasn’t shy about photos, and wanted to show me his studio. He apparently teaches classes for many of the townspeople, and he showed me a lot of their work, waiting to be fired or glazed. Then he punched some clay for the photo 🙂
Back on the road, to the Ti Anau Bird Sanctuary!
Having a bit of fun with Rod, our Guide:
They have Takahe – which are the largest flightless bird in New Zealand. They were thought to be extinct, until some were found in the depths of a forest. They are very well protected here and they are trying to breed them, then release them in areas that are free of rats, possums, stoats, etc. There is one island that we heard about that is nearly clear, and the plan is to reinstate Takahe and Kiwi there. (You can’t really tell how big the bird is from the photo – or how thick and big his legs and feet are!)
The next bird that we saw was the Kākā, which is a local parrot-like bird. There were two – a young 5 year old male and a 25 year old female. The male showed off for us, doing things like opening a spigot to sip some water, then turn it off, and flying and whistling from end to end of his enclosure. It was a bit hard to take photos, as they were through the fencing.
hard to see, but turning on spigot…and off again (spigot is brass, top of his head is white, cheeks yellow for reference)so colorful!
This is what they call a parakeet – pretty big for a parakeet!
A very pretty duck. Cindy took this photo.
Aaaaaaand, on the road again! Sheep and mountains:
“The Remarkables,” a mountain range outside Queenstown, and grass-fed, farmed venison on the hoof:
We have approached Queenstown with a bit of trepidation, because they’ve had a serious outbreak of Cryptosporidium. This is a very nasty bug. Lynn, in fact, caught it on a trip some time ago, and though she took the outrageously expensive pills to “cure” it, it still flares. That’s not something that I want to deal with, certainly! We were given one bottle of water by the hotel to use in tooth brushing, etc., but Lynn and I each picked up another at the grocery store (and another bottle of wine, of course!)
Tomorrow, an orientation walk around Queenstown, and then the jet boat on the Dart River!
If you want $100 off, call OAT at 1-800-955-1925 and request a catalog, tell them you were referred by Sandy Shepard, customer number 3087257, and get $100 off your first trip!
I’m filling in Day 11 and Day 12 on the evening of Day 12, because our boat in Milford Sound did not have Wi-Fi. So, these two posts are going to be more “impressions and pictures” than a lot of words.
The first thing that we had to do was figure out what to bring aboard the Milford Mariner overnight . . . because we were only allowed a backpack! The evening before involved a lot of “this and that” – as in “Do I need this? Do I need that?”
After breakfast at the hotel, we were on our way. We had a really heavy mist that morning. This shot isn’t the best, as we were speeding by, but you can see the mist on the river.
One of the towns that we drove through was Balclutha. Balclutha is, of course, the masted ship docked at Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco (right next to the SERC docks). The ship’s, and the town’s, name is derived from a township that spans the Clutha River; “Clutha” is the Gaelic name for the River Clyde in Scotland. (The Māori name for it is Iwikatea: iwi: bones; katea: whitened – refers to a battle which left human bones strewn over the ground.) Balclutha (the ship) was the last to fly the flag of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
We drove through the town of Clinton – the next town was Gore (pronounced Gorrrre) – Didn’t have my camera out to take a photo of the “Clinton/Gore” highway sign. I wonder what these towns thought of that match-up in American politics and if that sign had a lot of Americans pose by it “back in the day”!
This is a photo of the Creamota factory – I believe that our guide said that it is closed now. “Sargeant Dan” was their spokesman for kids to eat more oat/wheat hot cereal:
The gigantic rainbow trout from Gorrrrre:
We stopped in Gore for a “bio-break” – and amazing pastries! I asked the gal who was serving the coffee whether they were made locally . . . and she said “Yes indeed – by me!” Her daughter had the store “Floral Victoria” next door, and there were some beautiful bouquets and floral arrangements in the coffee shop!
In this area of New Zealand, you are expected to have a “chocolate fish” after your breakfast. They are chocolate covered . . . well . . . sort of minty marshmallow candies.
I asked the woman how many “flat whites” (like a latte without foam) it would take to fill up my Thermos, and she said two. So that’s what I got, filled right into my Thermos so I didn’t have to use a “to go” cup:
I managed to miss the Gore “Wool and Haberdashery” unfortunately! I decided that the perfect present for my Dad would be to take the wool that I had gotten from the sheep station and make him a scarf like I made “gluten-free Marilyn” the hat. I knew that I likely didn’t have enough wool to make a full scarf . . . if I had seen the “Wool and Haberdashery” I could have supplemented my “stash,” but no such luck.
Here is the “Red Tussock” conservation area (and our first view of the Alps):
Some lamb and venison “on the hoof”:
I can’t quite remember the name of this town. Maybe it was Gore? In any case, we took a quick stop. Note how the recent rains had swollen the river enough that the picnic table is in the river!
We hit the town of Ti Anau for lunch. This sign in front of the restaurant made me laugh!! Also, some photographs of an Australian magpie, which is a bit like a mockingbird. It sings all sorts of different birds’ songs.
this sign at the pub cracked me upAustralian magpie in a cherry treeAustralian magpie
The next few photos are taken between Ti Anau and Milford Sound. There is 4,800 square miles of “Fiordland National Park.” It is very rugged country, and the largest in New Zealand. We saw the “remainder” of the Elizabeth Glacier (pronounced: GLASS-ear) – in 1975, New Zealand had 4,100 glaciers that were over one hectare. Now, there are 3,900.
Again, on our way to Milford Sound, this is the Eglinton Valley. The “scar” on the side of the hill is from a tree falling off the top, and taking all the trees below with it.
see the scar?
Then we stopped at Mirror Lakes. It’s a World Heritage Area as the longest continuous inland waterway from North to South, which is especially important for indigenous fauna. Check out these trout! They were easily two pounders. The water was so clear I was able to photograph them!
Mirror Lakes (taken by Cindy while I was taking trout photos!)
We kept driving, driving – from our first “big” waterfall, to a stop to see if we could spot the kea (New Zealand parrots) that frequent the area. We sure could! The one below was quite intrepid. He had probably been fed at this rest stop (verboten, but you know how it goes). Since we were warned not to feed him . . . he headed for the bus!! He even took a chunk out of the first stair! There is a close up in his nest with his mate.
our first big waterfall
keathis photo looks weird – he was shaking his wings – you can see the red underwing thoughGot Treats?husband and wifedoes Toshiko have treats for me?
Another glacier (GLASS-ear) on the road, and then the tunnel to Milford Sound. It was a bit less than a mile, but only one car could go at a time. Sometimes apparently the kea hitch a ride on cars, so that they don’t have to fly up and over the mountain!!
Once we got on the Milford Mariner and stowed our backpacks in our rooms, we were off. The Māori word for Milford Sound is “Piopiotahi” (pron: Pippy-oh-tah-hee) – which means “a single piopio.” What’s a piopio? It’s a now-extinct bird, that was done in by ship rats. 🙁
The first thing that we saw was the “Fairy Waterfall” from which you can always get rainbows in the mist:
Mo’waterfalls again – if you look closely, there is a 2nd rainbow mirroring the first, on the outside:
see the 2nd rainbow on the outside, mirror-image?
Here’s Lynn getting ready for our ride out in the Zodiac (we opted for that versus the kayaks):
The Zodiac gang:
me, Bev, Jan, Cindy, Toshiko, Jim (Marilyn’s Jim not Bev’s Jim, who took the picture), and the side of Jim’s Marilyn’s face
The Milford Mariner:
Penguin shots from the Zodiac! It was SO far away but I did my best! (With the cell phone!). This is the only forest-dwelling penguin. They can actually climb, and make their nests up on the cliffs. The name of this penguin in Māori hearkens to their God of Thunder (a la Thor), because the yellow feathers that extend from behind the eyes back look like lightening.
see the “lightening bolts” on his head?
We did see another penguin on the next day (which I will talk about in the next post). We have a widower on our trip, Don. He’s not only very handsome (looks like Daniel Craig, about 20 years older), but he had a wonderful situation with his wife. They got together in junior high school! So they were together 58 years! She passed away suddenly about 5 years ago from a quick-onset brain aneurysm.
Anyway, he takes a lot of photos, but every time we would compare notes, he would have a rock (and I would have the same rock), but somehow, the penguin, or bird, or rainbow, or what-have-you that I had in my photo was missing from his photo. It got to be so comical! He’s been super nice to me and it’s nice to have someone like that on the trip. He’s traveling with Jim and Marilyn, as the four of them used to do trips together. They come from Arizona, though he’s originally from Pennsylvania. Think I mentioned before, he went to Penn State, where an ex-boyfriend of mine went. He’s a big fan, with lots of logo things, and even Nittany Lions in his garden LOL!
After dinner, the crew asked if anyone wanted to “take a dip.” Well, I had brought my bathing suit, and thought I’d surprise everyone and do it! I certainly did surprise them! Our guide said that in all his time with OAT no one had ever taken the crew up on it. I was the only one on the whole boat (we weren’t the only passengers). WHEW it was cold!
When I was climbing down to the fantail to get in the water I realized, first, I had my room key, which I stuffed in Don’s breast pocket as I went past. I might have said something like it was his responsibility, if I died, to take care of Lynn! Then I realized I still had on my necklace and ring, which I gave to Bev from our group. She said she was glad I got back out – but kind of sad that the necklace wasn’t going to be hers (ha ha!) My plan had been to swim around the boat, but I only swam about 20 meters or so away from the boat and the water got precipitously colder. I guess that the engines had somehow warmed the water some? (I went off the back deck.) Once I was back out of the water, I ran down and changed into lots of clothes, and Rod even kept my hands in his to try to warm them up – and bought me another glass of wine for my bravery 🙂 (Toshiko said: “Sugoi!!!”)
realizing “DANG it’s cold in here!”heading back in!getting key from don’s pocket to get a HOT shower (Lynn waiting with my wine to left!)
Rumor had it that you could see the Milky and possibly the “Southern Lights’ if you stayed up, but I was exhausted. I did go up to the very top deck (where the Bridge is) and lie on one of the big wooden benches. I did get to see the Southern Cross – and three satellites! – and then Orion’s Belt.
Southern CrossOrion’s upside-down belt – can you see it between the wires?
When Herbert would be traveling on business, we would always go out and look at Orion’s Belt before going to sleep, me from home, he from wherever he was. When I saw the three stars of the belt, I had to smile. But they “looked different” and I couldn’t figure out why – until l saw the two stars that make up the “sword” going upwards from the belt! Of course! We are in the Southern Hemisphere – the belt is tilted in the opposite direction (why it “looked weird”) – and the sword is “pointing up!”
If you want $100 off, call OAT at 1-800-955-1925 and request a catalog, tell them you were referred by Sandy Shepard, customer number 3087257, and get $100 off your first trip!
Our hotel in Dunedin is the former Main Post Office. They had some fun with it. Their restaurant is accessed through the “Parcels” doorway – hence, it is “Parcels Restaurant.”
They also made small private dining areas out of the former vaults! (That was my favorite).
And below is an old picture of the queue outside the Post Office for Christmas parcels.
This morning was a bit of a rough one. The clocks had “Sprung Forward,” giving us one hour’s less sleep. I suppose the “good” part of it was that, instead of waking up at 4:00 a.m. as seems to be my schedule in New Zealand, I was up at 5:00 a.m. The “bad” part was that I got to sleep at what would have been 11:00 p.m. the night before!
A friend send me THIS ARTICLE, which I found fascinating, when she found out I was “down South” (laugh!) It’s about New Zealand being left off many world maps.
Did I tell you about Man’O’War winery Bordeaux blend called “Ironclad”? It’s a Waiheke Island wine and it is the best Bordeaux blend I have had in memory. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Gorgeous deep dark color – huge voluminous nose. Complex palate – brambles, blackberry, cassis, exotic spice, graphite, and little “salty” deliciousness. Lynn and I had a bottle last night with a steak. NOM NOM.
This morning I reached for a cereal bowl and taking it off the pile disrupted the bowl underneath, which shattered with a great crash. The breakfast room fell silent and what could I do but shout “Ooopah!” Jim, Marilyn and Don delivered a piece to me later that had not been swept up, as a “memento.” I thought it made a perfect hat.
After breakfast, we were off to Larnach Castle. It is now privately owned by the Barker family. When they purchased it in 1967, it was empty and in a very sad state of repair, with many leaks, etc. They slowly re-gathered the furnishings from the surrounding town, as most of the original pieces hadn’t “gone far.” HERE is a link to their website, including a bit about the history.
Driving to Larnach Castle:
Larnach Castle
china set for tea
We started out in the Ballroom, which had a fire going, and tables set up for tea.
The first owner was originally in banking, and then started an import-export company.
The “ballast” on the ships were items for his home . . .
. . . such as ceiling beams, double-paned glass, and three enormous alabaster bathtubs, only one of which was able to make it into the house!
(The others wound up in the garden!)
Well – I shouldn’t say we started in the Ballroom. Actually, we started in the Castle Shop, because we had to wait out another tour group. I found another present for my Mom. This is unprecedented. Well, “unprecedented” unless the present is a tribal necklace! I purchased another coffee cup for myself, and am thinking I should let Dad choose one of them for himself (Hi Dad!).
After we had looked at the Ballroom (and stood a bit in front of the roaring fire!), we moved to the Music Room.
The beams in the ceiling were Douglas fir shipped from America.
the original local stoneLoved this lamp of an angel hugging an eagle. Just couldn’t get it focused.See the gecko? (He looks like a “C”)servants’ “mirror”
The “servants’ mirror” was fascinating. The dining room wasn’t all that big. You, of course, needed your servants to be there to attend to your every whim; however, in such a small room, you didn’t want them “hovering” or – Goddess forfend! – looking at you! Et voila, the servants’ mirror. The servants would stand with their backs to the table, watching in the servants’ mirror on the wall. If someone at the table needed anything, they would be able to attend to it.
I thought the tile behind the grate was lovely. See the handle on the wall to the right? You’d wind it around, and it would call a servant. All the bells were down in one room that was monitored constantly.
In the Dining Room, the English oak panels in the ceiling were adorned with flowers, birds and butterflies carved from mahogany and applied. Mr. Larnach imported two Italian plasterers for the sculptural work of grapes and vines to the sides of the ceiling. When he had the first two shipped in from Italy the ship delivering them went through Sydney – and they were having such a good time in Sydney that they decided not to leave! So he had to ship in two more! Three people spent six-and-a-half years carving the ceiling in the Main Foyer alone. The gecko you see in the photos above was the trademark of Louis Godfrey, who was contracted for wood carving at the Castle for 12 years.
In the Main Foyer, hand-etched Venetian glass represents the rose of England, the shamrock of Ireland, the silver fern of New Zealand, and the Scottish thistle. Scottish wild cats hold the Larnach motto “Sans Peur” (without fear). Of course, it’s a play on words too – Without (“Sans”) Purr 🙂 “The Camp” in the floor mosaic is what Mr. Larnach called the property.
The meaning of “Nemo Me Impune Lacessit” is “No one attacks me with impunity” – motto of Scotland and the Order of the Thistle.
The Staircase is a so-called Georgian “hanging” staircase. It is the only one in the Southern Hemisphere. The balusters are of mahogany and the handrail is not steam bent, but carved from solid kauri. It’s called a “hanging” staircase because it doesn’t have a central pillar around which the stairs curve.
embroidered “3d” foxglove/digitalis……on a room dividerMr. Larnach’s roomview through the curtains
Mr. Larnach married his first wife – who died at 38 after having 6 kids. Then his second wife also died at 38. He married his third wife, Constance, at 37 – maybe she didn’t know of the curse of marrying Mr. Larnach? He was far older than she was, and while he was away on business, she took up with his son. Ultimately she and her sister “went away to England for 10 months” (hmmmmmm). When they returned, it was such a scandal that Mr. Larnach, who was a member of Parliament, shot himself during a recess in session.
The above photos are from Constance’s room: The photos show her wedding dress, a close-up of its lace lily-of-the-valley pattern, and then her mourning dress. The “flying” woman might depict the ghost of the first wife – or might just be showing guests the Victorian undies. 🙂
One of the parts of a house that would break – and was difficult to then repair – were the cords that raised and lowered sash windows. Mr. Larnach found a far stronger solution – he replaced the rope cords with bicycle chains!
After exhausting the rooms of the castle, up we went a steep, narrow stone staircase to reach the battlements. From 320m above the sea, the view commands a panorama from Dunedin, down the harbor past Port Chalmers to the Heads, and then along the coast.
The Harbor Cone is an extinct volcano and is the cone-shaped hill you can see through the crenellations in the photo below at the far right, and in the larger panorama below. At the Heads is the only accessible albatross colony in the world, and penguins nest along some of the beaches.
After finishing with main house, we were off into the gardens.
The stable is now lodging, as is Camp Estate and Larnach Lodge. There are a lot of “Alice In Wonderland” tributes in and around the garden.
stables
To the left is actually the methane “factory.”
Mr. Larnach would have all the excrement gathered up that was “produced” on the estate, and then piled up in here. The methane coming off the “poop” powered the gal lights, etc. (Yes, really!)
dry-laid wall
Lynn decided on a spot to leave one of Jim’s cremarbles.
(She followed my “Celebration of Life” idea and had some of his ashes made into marbles.)
The spot is a nice place to rest and watch the ocean.
Jim’s marbles are larger, and blue. I tried to take a photo of it in the actual spot, but it was pretty dark in there! (In the big photo below, look for what look like white ‘sparkles’ to the right side of the hole, then you can make out the blue marble around them.)
The below is from a casino boat (though not the legs). You can see the size courtesy of Betsy my model ;-). In the close-up of the glass, you can see that it has opium poppies in the design, at the bottom!
A few photos from the “Native plant” garden. Mr. Larnach had had all the trees/plants cut down while he built the castle. After it was finished, however, he researched and had Natives re-planted (in the “correct” garden, of course!)
I have mentioned it before, but the enormous camelia, rhododendron, peony, etc. trees (yes, trees) throughout the area have been absolutely stunning.
After leaving Larnach Castle, we took a wee nap (1/2 hour) then headed out for a tour of Dunedin with Rod. We saw the churches, Robbie Burns statue (his nephew was somehow involved with Dunedin), and random penguin statues that were tied to local businesses.
frieze above a store – see the kiwi?Nittany Lion?Rod and RobbieCindy + penguinrailway station in the backgroundThe Dunedin Railway Station receives a huge number of visitors, 2nd only to the Sydney Opera House in the Southern Hemisphere.railway station garden……cabbages featuring prominently!
inside the Railway Station:
stairslooking down on the imported tileslocomotive stained glass
My foot was about ready to call it a night, but I had spied a “Rock Shop” on the main street and headed in to see if there was something special for Melissa. And, why, there sure was! I’m super pleased with myself. I’m having some good luck with presents.
Though the “gang” was at a pub down in town, Lynn and I opted to stay in the hotel and eat at Parcels. (In fact, our waitress was the one who showed us the “private vaults.”) We are now packing and re-packing and re-organizing, because we are only allowed to bring a small bag (a la a knapsack) onto the boat we will be living on in Milford Sound. I think that we’re nearly set – but if it’s super warm down there, we are going to be in trouble!
My knapsack right now holds silk underwear (top and bottom), meds, extra button-down shirt (I’m wearing a cashmere tank and button-down shirt, this is another one that goes with the tank), extra socks/undies, a bathing suit (unlikely, but I do have it), waterproof pants, PJs, a bottle of wine (hey now, don’t judge), a hokey pokey bar (yes, I know, bad . . . ), my “Whisper” (personal tour guide listening device), sunglasses, passport, money, a Henley that can go over the whole mess, hot/cold Thermos hanging on a clip to the side. Then, on top, H’s ditty bag pared down to brush, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, hair clip, face lotion, meds, sunscreen, NED Mellö Magnesium (use discount code JOY and please one of my clients LOL). I will also be wearing a down vest, flannel hat, gloves, and a raincoat. Once I finish this blog, the computer and power source will go in there – tomorrow, the cell phone 🙂 But as you can see, if it’s actually warm down there, I’m in trouble, ha ha. (It’s supposed to be between 9-16C or about 48-62F.)
If you want $100 off, call OAT at 1-800-955-1925 and request a catalog, tell them you were referred by Sandy Shepard, customer number 3087257, and get $100 off your first trip!
