The Destination

Air New Zealand - Click for larger

That's the fun part. I love planning trips and actually being at the destination experiencing the new place. Getting there and back is not as much fun. I was a little concerned when we were waiting in the Auckland, NZ departure lounge. Sports teams. 10-year old boys… frightful! I think I would rather fly in turbulence than a group of 30 or so ten-year old boys. They were excited to be going to Vancouver for a hockey tournament. Yes New Zealanders play hockey. Who knew? The boys didn’t sleep a wink. They were great kids, just so many of them were running around all night. Some of them however did not move that much except to grab another vomit bag. One poor kid across from me had a stack of 10 or more bags. He used them all and still was covered in it. Sigh. Needless to say it was a long flight. Makes me think that my mother is a saint. She had four boys in one house (five if you count Dad who was the biggest kid of all). I’m not sure how she put up with it for all those years. I had trouble with 12 hours.

On a positive note, we had a wonderful tour of a glowworm cave in Waitomo.

Footwhistle Cave, Waitomo, New Zealand - Click for larger

This was our last real day before we headed back to Auckland to return home. We booked the 9 am, one hour tour hoping it would not be too busy. It turned out to be just Lori and me. Our Maori guide was great. He did not rush us at all. I could shoot as many photos as I wanted whenever I wanted. Once we got to the end of the cave, we sat in an area called the cathedral and talked. We talked about life, history and about our cultures. This was truly one of the best experiences we had on the island. A real Kiwi experience.

Glowworms in a Waitomo Cave, New Zealand - Click for larger

After 2 hours, we headed back and started driving toward Auckland.

Auckland, New Zealand - Click for larger

We are home now. Still a bit jet lagged but grateful for our own bed and a pillow that doesn’t collapse into nothing when you lay your head on it. We are not in a hurry to go anywhere for a while. Although, Ireland might be fun in June!

The Home Stretch

Just 2 more days till we are back in Auckland. We fly to Vancouver on Wednesday and back to Toronto on Thursday. Our time here has flown by. We have slowed down the last week. It’s nice to linger and get off the beaten path a bit. We have traveled through some very rural areas where the tourists don’t usually venture. We have also been through some very busy areas. Both have been enjoyable.

Herding Sheep in New Zealand - Click for larger

Marlborough, NZ Vineyards - Click for larger

Church of the Good Shepherd, NZ - Click for larger

We had a chance to tour through the New Plymouth Prison which is New Zealand’s oldest prison. This Victoria (1870’s) era jail had just closed days before and still had some of the bedding from recent residents. The cells were very small, just 7 X 10 feet. It must have been a very unpleasant place for the prisoners.

New Plymouth Prison, NZ - Click for larger

New Plymouth Prison, NZ - Click for larger

New Plymouth Prison Window, NZ - Click for larger

We are at the Waitomo caves area tonight. This afternoon we did a hike through some caves.

Waitomo Caves, New Zealand - Click for larger

Tomorrow we have a guided tour booked through a larger cave system to see glowworms. We will then head a bit closer to Auckland.

Away from Home

Fiordland National Park, New Zealand - Click for larger

It’s a funny feeling to be so far from home. No matter how often we travel there are times when you long for your own bed. The New Zealand experience has been interesting. It certainly is a very different culture. I find some of the locals very charming and welcoming. Others are short with us and make me feel very unwelcome, like we are in the way or somehow invading their space. For a country that depends on tourism, it puzzles me when I see someone in the service industry that clearly does not like people. That can’t be good for business. Of course we run into this kind of thing travelling in our country too. Especially when we say where we are from. You can see our fellow Canadians’ backs go up the moment we mention Toronto.

Curio Bay, New Zealand - Click for larger

One thing for sure, New Zealand is a beautiful place.

Sandfly Bay, New Zealand - Click for larger

Haast Beach Sunrise, New Zealand - Click for larger