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 Beach

At the end of the road at the top of the south island we have a campsite that is about a 20-minute walk from one of the most spectacular beaches in the world. Wharariki Beach is wild and pristine yet the trail starts in a field of grazing sheep.

Wharariki Beach, New Zealand - Click for larger

Photographer on Wharariki Beach, New Zealand - Click for larger

Low tide was at 7 pm last night, which was perfect for photographing the arches and caves dotted along the coast. The Farewell Spit to the north is a sand spit that juts out into the ocean and can only be walked for about 4 kilometers. From there you need to ride a horse or go with an eco-tour operator to get to the tip. I think we will spend our time at Wharariki beach. It’s located about 5 km south of the spit.

Variable Oystercatcher - Click for larger

This beach was on my “must photograph” list. It was difficult to photograph here though. The wind last night was so strong I had to hold onto the camera and tripod to keep it from blowing over. The strong gusts of wind mixed with sand and sea spray is tough on cameras. From here we will make our way down the west coast to Milford Sound.