tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38741094769805104132024-03-13T22:52:29.282-07:00New Zealand AdventuresUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-41594516990637149162012-02-11T12:45:00.000-08:002012-02-11T12:45:49.605-08:00Back to Where It All Began<br />
Saturday, February 11, 2012<br />
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Today we completed the circle by returning to Auckland and the Airport Motor Inn Motel where we stayed in our first night in New Zealand nearly a month ago. We think we are even back in the same room. This time we are on our way home. Tomorrow we check in at the airport and head for Tahiti for a couple of days. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvB96GljoDiSVrR7zeb8Y8ueWekgx9QoBZUzQNZGAkug6PQNVJeF5IjK1y61bd8DC4uNwEheob18y0ATzegfR65_BTDm-rHMuASmOF7oLJ1PIkYKSdnVDs24SDnaQuon6RjKXMzBVc6sqo/s1600/IMG_3552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvB96GljoDiSVrR7zeb8Y8ueWekgx9QoBZUzQNZGAkug6PQNVJeF5IjK1y61bd8DC4uNwEheob18y0ATzegfR65_BTDm-rHMuASmOF7oLJ1PIkYKSdnVDs24SDnaQuon6RjKXMzBVc6sqo/s320/IMG_3552.JPG" width="320" /></a>We departed Paihia with some instructions from the motel lady. “Don’t stop in Kaikohe - it’s not a very nice town.” We wanted to see the western side of the peninsula on our return trip to Auckland and there are two routes to accomodate travelers. They are called “twin discovery” routes. We found the western route the more scenic and the less traveled. That meant not as many cars trying to pass those of us who were enjoying the scenery, fewer big trucks and of course, the usual cows and sheep grazing contentedly on the green hillsides.</div>
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Kaikohe lived up to the predictions. People didn’t look very pleasant and perhaps the reason for the reputation has some ethnic overtones. Most of the people we saw appeared to be of Maori descent. There may be some pent-up animosity for Europeans, tourists, Caucasians and other “outsiders.” We kept driving. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmtXBuf8vxTi2bL_CJd6Jpfp5bQPa2_MMKGlbXMDdO0jg8r7xKbbGBIiaZ56zJFE1BdunuYhTAHKaUSRdchgqOg1eqe3axPtfHhVqyDNXW1Nc7G5lg3arbLsnh3IUcmOLtVHJQWpTkufR/s1600/IMG_3579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmtXBuf8vxTi2bL_CJd6Jpfp5bQPa2_MMKGlbXMDdO0jg8r7xKbbGBIiaZ56zJFE1BdunuYhTAHKaUSRdchgqOg1eqe3axPtfHhVqyDNXW1Nc7G5lg3arbLsnh3IUcmOLtVHJQWpTkufR/s320/IMG_3579.JPG" width="320" /></a>We came within sight of the west coast and the road turned south towards a low mountain region and the Waipoua Forest. Along the way in our travels around both islands of this great country we had seen large stumps and the remains of what must have been large trees. What happened? Although today, there are many forests and logging continues to be a significant industry, many of those early giant trees are now history. </div>
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Kauri trees once grew all over these islands and became “the backbone of the country’s timber industry.” It was at one stage New Zealand’s greatest export. Lumber mills proliferated along the west coast and port cities like Dargaville boomed. By 1900 only 10 percent of the kauri forests remained. Today the number is down to four percent.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKB9-96slac5on7XZhULMj84-umR0uDwGJPEgJ1zBuaU4NhXARPmtzQjljqezWjoL1R9w4xn_YOr-ZUClVCAAPkKU1YhovqPop8VGrbPmthC4RjGwnRTAtZybwkPCbMIRoFTpB77EDF3N/s1600/IMG_3555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKB9-96slac5on7XZhULMj84-umR0uDwGJPEgJ1zBuaU4NhXARPmtzQjljqezWjoL1R9w4xn_YOr-ZUClVCAAPkKU1YhovqPop8VGrbPmthC4RjGwnRTAtZybwkPCbMIRoFTpB77EDF3N/s320/IMG_3555.JPG" width="320" /></a>The kauri is a giant tree. The sequoia may be taller and older, but for sheer wooden bulk, the kauri has no equal. Growing up to 2,000 years, the trunks can reach a diameter of 16 feet and soar to a height of 160 feet. The trunks don’t taper until they are up about 65 feet, providing huge cylinders of straight-grained wood. No wonder the trees were logged and the wood sent around the world. </div>
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What remains are a few select trees in various places around the country. There are no doubt large stumps remaining as well. We saw one of those stumps fashioned into a sofa and on sale in a store in Paihia for $22,000. The resin from these trees was also valuable and used as a base in varnish. Pockets of this sap were located and exported as kauri gum back in the 19th century. </div>
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Four of these giant trees remain in the Waipoua forest and one of them, named Tane Mahuta (the god of the forest) by Maori is the largest kauri in New Zealand. We stopped for a look. The tree is 168 feet high, measures 46 feet around, and sits five minutes from the main road. It is massive and well worth the stop. One of the websites I consulted in planning this trip was Trip Advisor. They have a list of “101 kiwi favorites” or something like that. The #1 place on the list was this tree. Apparently, there are night-time tours which take you into the forest and you experience some spiritual connections with the trees and the birds which populate this place. Hmmm. . .</div>
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We commenced to experience a bit of drama for the next 30 miles or so. I was so intent on finding the tree that I neglected to watch the gas gauge and we were down to empty. This warning light came on. Could we make it to the next town? Where was the next town and how far away was it? The suspense began. Should we let those cars pass or should we count on them to rescue us when we run out of gas? Can we make it to the top of that hill and then coast down? Where are the farms and farmers who might help us? When will we get out of this forest? Should we drive slowly to conserve fuel? How much gas is left when you see the warning light?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the god of the forest</td></tr>
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We kept driving. Finally, we got back to some civilization and the sign “17 km to G.A.S. Station” gave us an indication of where we had to go. More hills to climb, but now there were farms and a road construction crew. We kept going. Finally, there it was and we left $40 in trade for a quarter tank of petrol. The car rental people advised us to “run it dry” since we were paying them for a tankful when we brought the car back, but this was carrying it to the extreme. </div>
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That drama behind us, we looked for lodging and found it at the Mangawhai Retreat. For what seemed like a low overnight cost we got a well-equipped little 2-bedroom cottage (he called it a villa), high on a hill looking out at farmland, deep valleys and off in the distance the South Pacific Ocean. Add a full moon and the place had a lot of romance for our last night before returning to Auckland. We enjoyed a couple games of Skip-Bo before retiring for the evening. </div>
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Today we completed the journey by driving the relative short distance from Wellsford to Auckland by way of scenic highway 16 which ultimately connected back with highway 1 in the big city. Along the way we passed the Mt. Auckland walkway and wondered what kind of mountain that might be. Some other day. We found a small vegetable stand on the side of the road, enjoyed some pleasant conversation with the proprietor and bought two of his huge “free range chicken eggs” for a dollar each. That will be breakfast tomorrow morning at our motel. Seems like free range chickens are pretty desireable.</div>
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So this will conclude a marvelous adventure. We’ve wondered how to respond when people ask, as they will, “How was your trip?” It will be difficult, if not impossible, to boil it down to 25 words or less. That’s one of the purposes of this blog. If you want to longer version, look over these pages. If you want the shortened version, we could boil it down to one word we heard frequently and said with proper British accent:</div>
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“Fantastic!”</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the national rugby team</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-4792122362427912522012-02-10T21:23:00.000-08:002012-02-10T21:23:44.007-08:00Swimming with Dolphins, Almost<br />
Friday, February 10, 2012<br />
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First, let me say that I did not do it, but I was there when others did and I recorded it on my camcorder. So if you want to just skip this article, go ahead - I won’t be offended.<br />
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Dolphins of several different species live in the wild in and near the Bay of Islands in northern New Zealand. The water is warm and the food supply keeps them healthy. The apparently also don’t mind interacting with humans as it stimulates their native intellect. It’s for that reason that dolphins have been taken captive and swim in the pools and ponds of resorts in Hawaii, Mexico, Florida and other locations. We heard from people here that dolphins in captivity only live an average of 6 years from the time they are captured and one of the reasons is that living in a pool is not very stimulating.<br />
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So how do dolphins spend their time in the wild? Twenty percent of the time they are feeding, twenty percent of the time they are sleeping and the other sixty percent is devoted to frolicing with dolphins of the opposite sex. Females can store sperm and can choose which sperm they wish to have impregnate themselves. Pretty good birth control, huh?<br />
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Several cruise companies advertise “swim with dolphin adventures” in Paihia. We chose Dolphin Adventures and reserved a spot on the afternoon adventure. The big yellow boat had seventeen passengers and three crew aboard. Of the seventeen paying customers, two were over the age of 25 and their last name was Seim. The skipper piloted the boat, his co-captain was in charge of assisting passengers and the ever-present photographer was snapping photos which he hoped to sell back to the passengers at the end of the cruise.<br />
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There are some 140 islands in the Bay of Islands and we headed out to the most remote of them, a little triangular rock they called Ninepin because it looked like a pin and it was nine miles out from Paihia. Up close it was fairly large and populated by migratory birds who coated the rock in white you-know-what.<br />
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Beyond Ninepin we were in open waters of the blue Pacific looking for dolphins. We were encouraged to help the crew scour the horizon but warned that if our dolphin turned out to be a piece of driftwood, there could be some recourse to our continuing as a passenger. It was advised with tongue-in-cheek by the skipper.<br />
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There were a couple other boats out there scouring the same seas and the captains had radio contact with them to share information. We were told that if we failed to see a dolphin or whale we were to be given another free cruise. Dolphin viewing, guaranteed. Within a few minutes of spotting other ships it was announced that dolphins were just ahead. Prepare to swim! Sure enough, there they were, cavorting in the water. They swam up close to our boat and we kind of spun around in the water so the best views were from the back of the ship where swimmers were to enter the water.<br />
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We were told that the crew needed to check out the pod of dolphins first before swimmers could jump in to make sure there were no juveniles in the group of dolphins. Swimming around them would disrupt their nursing, which happens every twenty minutes for a young dolphin. I guess the crew saw no juveniles because they began handing out swim masks, frog fins, and snorkel tubes to those who wished to swim, advising them to assemble on the rear deck. They lowered a platform and gave some last minute instructions in English, which many of them probably didn’t understand since they were from other countries.<br />
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“Make a lot of noise in the water. Splash around to keep the dolphins’ attention! Swim right towards them. Look down in the water to see them. Stay out there and keep swimming around.” Into the water went fifteen white bodies, flailing away at the water. The dolphins swam away. Another group out there seemed more interesting. “Come back to the boat,” the skipper commanded. “We’ll try again.”<br />
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Fifteen swimmers returned to the platform, huffing and puffing. They pulled themselves up on the boat, walking backwards because of the fins on their feet. The boat did a few circles in the water and then headed off in a new direction where more dolphins were spotted jumping around in the water. Instructions were repeated and this time thirteen bodies went into the water. There were now four of us watchers, two commanders and one photographer taking it all in. The group was more successful this time in engaging the dolphins rather than scaring them away. Again they returned to the boat, out of breath from treading water.<br />
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The third time most of the swimmers went back into the water and were joined by the photographer who took his underwater camera along. One guy did a good job by swimming around freestyle and creating enough commotion in the water that the dolphin was entertained. The photographer was the last one back on the boat and he set to work downloading his photos and burning DVD’s for those who wanted to spend an addition $62 to see themselves. The boat went back to cruising towards a nearby island where the tour operators had established a little bar/cafe. We were given a half hour to enjoy sitting on the beach and consuming $7.50/bottle beer. Then it was back in the boat and we headed to our port-of-call, Paihia. Another hard day of vacation behind us but one we will remember thanks to the video, the photos and the credit card bill.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-36259961040396627892012-02-09T23:28:00.000-08:002012-02-10T21:34:57.926-08:00Russell TransformedOne of my goals in coming to New Zealand was to spend some time, if possible, talking education with educators or at least visiting a school in session. That turned out to be a bit tricky since this is summer and summer vacation includes most of the month of January. This week I was able to visit a school, albeit for just a brief time.<br />
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Here's what one website said about New Zealand's world leadership in teaching literacy:<br />
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In the past two decades, New Zealand has achieved international renown for the high quality of its literacy education. Despite increased immigration and the numbers of families living in poverty, as well as relatively low teacher salaries, New Zealand has one the highest literacy rates in the industrialized world (see the summary of New Zealand’s results from the Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA], 2000). Its reputation as a nation of readers has intrigued researchers and classroom-based educators alike. </blockquote>
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Curiosity about how New Zealand has accomplished its success led a group of 50 U.S. educators, including the first, second, and fourth authors of this article, to visit the country during the summer of 2000 to observe firsthand the literacy practices used in primary classrooms. Our purpose was to learn as much as we could about New Zealand’s unique educational system.<br />
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We were fortunate to meet a number of key players in literacy education as we toured around New Zealand. We began our journey by visiting the Auckland College of Education, where we met with professionals from the Centre for Literacy and Languages, Enterprise Development, and Research. Here we learned about teacher education in New Zealand, the New Zealand Curriculum Framework, the structure and governance of public schools, school funding, and the school calendar. </blockquote>
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While in Auckland, we were delighted to have a meeting with Dame Marie Clay, the founder of the very successful Reading Recovery program. Dame Marie was very generous with her time, and told us everything we wanted to know about Reading Recovery. We also met with regional representatives from the Books in Homes program, which promotes family literacy. To complement what we had learned, we met with officials at the New Zealand Education Review Office, who explained the evaluation process all educational institutions that receive government funding must undergo.<br />
Now we felt equipped and ready to visit classrooms and learn even more. </blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQBjIGap_3IEFZIuSwhYpqnk3ebGWr2xKPwQoaS9rBQaJjZs-OvCwsyh6WlhmEh2im4WkKCEt0r3Anq2wbt6AgYWfcHobyerWI3KxzySDCjEy3Fwawo_CUxuvRamo8h3ve53hZXBoJBLM/s1600/IMG_3488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQBjIGap_3IEFZIuSwhYpqnk3ebGWr2xKPwQoaS9rBQaJjZs-OvCwsyh6WlhmEh2im4WkKCEt0r3Anq2wbt6AgYWfcHobyerWI3KxzySDCjEy3Fwawo_CUxuvRamo8h3ve53hZXBoJBLM/s320/IMG_3488.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.readingonline.org/international/inter_index.asp?HREF=/international/king/">What follows is a summary of what we saw and heard about literacy education in New Zealand.</a> Check out this website to hear what one group of educators saw and experienced on their trip here to visit schools. Schools here have a unique approach to making sure that children learn to read. Terms like "guided reading" and "reading recovery" originated here in New Zealand and have been copied in other parts of the world, including the U.S.<br />
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So I wasn't sure what I would ask or what I would want to see if I visited a school. I thought that meeting with the principal, asking for a brief tour of the school and perhaps checking out technology might give me some kind of feel for what is happening here.<br />
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My first real opportunity came at Paihia. However, I got to the school too late in the afternoon to catch the principal. The secretary invited me to return the next day after morning tea when the principal would have some time. We elected to go across the Bay to see Russell the next morning. It was a good experience.<br />
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To get to Russell from Paihia you board the passenger ferry after paying your $7 fee. It's about a 10 minute trip across blue waters to the dock. Russell is pretty laid back and quite different from the 1800's when it was called the "hellhole of the Pacific." Back then it was a hangout for gamblers, murderers, thieves, philanderers and crooks of all descriptions. Lawlessness was the norm. When the Treaty was signed, Russell was designated as the capital city of New Zealand but that only lasted for several months. Russell was too wild to be capital of the new country. Eventually, Auckland won that honor. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Church and Cemetery</td></tr>
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Russell was the trading post established by Europeans to trade guns, ammunition, and liquor for lumber and other goods controlled by the Maori. When the Maori saw that they were being swindled unfairly, they took out their wrath on Russell, burning the town to the ground. Only Christ Church and one other building remained standing. We saw holes in the siding of the church left by Maori musket balls in one of the confrontations. <br />
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Russell eventually rebuilt and tamed its image, catering to travelers, tourists and vacationers. Some of the community buildings opened along with vacation homes, cafes, and small businesses. Today, the mood is very laid back. Several historical sites retell some of the history. There are a couple of museums and Christ Church remains as the oldest functioning church in New Zealand. Much can be learned just by visiting the church cemetery. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the Russell Street School</td></tr>
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We wandered the streets and saw the church before deciding to see the school next door to Christ Church. The school is one main building, some modular classrooms and a meeting building on a three acre campus. It is named <a href="http://www.russellst.school.nz/">Russell Street School</a>. There is a green play field, some play structures, and other trappings which tell you this is a school. We came at recess time and one of the first things I noticed was children running around the campus barefoot. I wondered if that was the norm for inside wear as well. <br />
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I was greeted warmly by the secretary and invited to come down the hall to meet the faculty, who were having tea in the faculty room. Again, I was welcomed and met the principal, David xxxxxx. We exchanged pleasantries, compared experiences, and he jokingly referred to the school secretary as the person who ran the school. I agreed, based on some of my experiences. <br />
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I asked some quick questions about New Zealand schools and the literacy leadership they have earned over the years. They all seemed to pretty much take it for granted and didn't really offer much in the way of specifics. I suppose that could have come from more in-depth discussions. I was invited to walk the halls, look at classrooms and stay around if I wished. <br />
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The school custodian escorted us around the building and we saw rather typical classrooms, good art work, lots of backpacks, and the Reading Recovery Room. There was also a library, although the custodian said it didn't get much use. They were thinking of remodeling the building to make it more accessible. They teach cooking and some classes are apparently done in Maori. I spotted one eMac computer in the library. I also noticed that each classroom had a wood burning stove. The custodian's job is to light a fire, secure firewood and make sure stoves warm up classrooms on cool mornings. Wow, what a job that must be!<br />
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It was a rewarding, reassuring and interesting visit. Not much depth, but enough to give a feel for what goes on here. The custodian's words and the school's website, reinforced one of the tenets observed at Russell Street School and applicable everywhere, "If children can't read, they can't learn."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shops and restaurants now line the two main streets of Russell</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reminder of bygone days</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtUcfiqd9rOGI9lna8hREBKicU-HTh3NNoZBtVjqFeUtR3wsiHdgFzg1_tXS-Y0OKfssAQBeSrt28l_XwfugAUhCFPyokNKPFSrP8LJdDnDPhBJ9NjdTlzzl3XfitVbS1witKC-Bn1klY/s1600/IMG_3485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtUcfiqd9rOGI9lna8hREBKicU-HTh3NNoZBtVjqFeUtR3wsiHdgFzg1_tXS-Y0OKfssAQBeSrt28l_XwfugAUhCFPyokNKPFSrP8LJdDnDPhBJ9NjdTlzzl3XfitVbS1witKC-Bn1klY/s320/IMG_3485.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WWII plaque</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WWI involved more Kiwis</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the needlework on the cushions in the church</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">School Entry</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reminders of a battle on the church siding</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-62713587238769462942012-02-09T02:34:00.000-08:002012-02-09T02:34:04.204-08:00Honoring History at Waitangi<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Thursday, February 8, 2012</div>
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How did New Zealand come to be? What happened to the Maori people who first settled these islands? How did this become a British colony? What is the <a href="http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/category/tid/133">Waitangi Treaty</a> and why was it so important?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRKQHkeIbhD-5fgoQW0OkmEZfb__Ufr6T7r97MplWu_SGKxF1PZIrvlM9nCYg9OW-e2DR-UP9UnjP6IjsCctbcE5drlmPYIk1ncGYurWFvbSEgtd2C3i9xXIDP8pmgFaNfoQCu8PLnVEb/s1600/IMG_3466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRKQHkeIbhD-5fgoQW0OkmEZfb__Ufr6T7r97MplWu_SGKxF1PZIrvlM9nCYg9OW-e2DR-UP9UnjP6IjsCctbcE5drlmPYIk1ncGYurWFvbSEgtd2C3i9xXIDP8pmgFaNfoQCu8PLnVEb/s320/IMG_3466.JPG" width="320" /></a>There is lots to this story and others can tell it better than I. If anyone is interested, click on the link above and there will be much information, good photos and more links to tell the complete story. Last night we went to the <a href="http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/category/tid/133">Treaty Grounds</a> just down the road from where we are staying to participate in a dramatic presentation about New Zealand's colourful history. We were a small audience of 17 people who bought tickets for the performance, which was held in an ornately carved meeting house on the Treaty Grounds. We walked past the Busby Treaty House and the flag pole which was the scene of the signing back in 1840. Our sponsor, who was also the producer of the drama, introduced himself and set the scene for what would happen next. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandfather and grandson on the right</td></tr>
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He first asked for and chose 3 men from the audience to serve as "warriors" in approaching the meeting house. I was one of the three. After we rounded the corner we were to be confronted by 3 Maori warriors who would question our worthiness. One by one, they would throw down and item in front of us. We were to look them in the eyes, not smile, reach down and pick up the item and then stand there without backing up. If they perceived us to be worthy, we would all be invited into the meeting house for the performance. We all three passed the test.</div>
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At the meeting house, we reverently removed our shoes before entering, filed in and took our seats. We all sat in one row of chairs. The performers, 4 men and 4 women, came out dressed in native costume. One by one, the 3 of us warriors were called forward to shake hands and touch noses with two of the performers. That was confirmation of our acceptance. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRw4pRkmGu7HE9CTXH0rAiQKGTnN7JE-d4NSiXoZlw3CJTat9fqSKKfgGKUgL9v7_5OMFTVNHYjjsjPa3Ak6vw4f2zIGt2bqt-d2BW7V6GxXZ1k39HeikFmZFyADL25NNNx9YO-efmPcw/s1600/IMG_3469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRw4pRkmGu7HE9CTXH0rAiQKGTnN7JE-d4NSiXoZlw3CJTat9fqSKKfgGKUgL9v7_5OMFTVNHYjjsjPa3Ak6vw4f2zIGt2bqt-d2BW7V6GxXZ1k39HeikFmZFyADL25NNNx9YO-efmPcw/s320/IMG_3469.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The story of the early history of this land was told by a grandfather to his grandson, who asked questions about life back then among the Maori people. His answers were supplemented by dances and songs by the performers. It was historically accurate and done very professionally by actors, singers and dancers. </div>
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The British came to the islands thanks to Captain James Cook, who claimed the place for the British and began trade with the Maori. This led to settlers moving to the islands from Europe and Australia. Some had good intentions and others were here to take advantage of the lawlessness of the land. There was continuing conflict over whose land was whose and this led to Missionary James Busby arriving at Watiangi to begin talking peace. A treaty was written, approved by Maori chieftains and prepared for signatures. It was presented and signed on February 6, 1840 at the flagpole on the Treaty Grounds. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting the cast after the performance</td></tr>
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That was not the end of the conflict. Russell, across the bay from Paihia was to be the capital city. It was known by some as "the hellhole of the Pacific." Many of the Maori were upset with some of the European disregard for provisions of the treaty and they went on a rampage. They attacked the church (we saw the bullet holes), burned down most of the buildings in Russell, and tore down the flag at the Treaty Grounds. This conflict continued back and forth for many years after the signing.</div>
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Wikipedia has these comments about the treaty:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flag pole where treaty was signed</td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">"Today it is generally considered the founding document of New Zealand as a nation. Despite this, the Treaty is often the subject of heated debate. Many Māori feel that the Crown did not fulfill its obligations under the Treaty, and have presented evidence of this before sittings of the Tribunal. Some non-Māori New Zealanders have suggested that Māori may be abusing the Treaty in order to claim "special privileges".[6] [7]The Crown, in most cases, is not obliged to act on the recommendations of the Tribunal but nonetheless in many instances has accepted that it breached the Treaty and its principles. Settlements to date have consisted of hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and assets, as well as apologies."</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVv2QoDC-cADiHyQtZ1DOtIdsocisHqq6QELI_4vWy_XR5mYLPqQvmUt59qdJJ0eGGBrao6nPyWqUBJugDPf7xSJmzXwNFzbpVOlJlLL24sts2aw2lnbV7ASK8ROqd_ANjeupch76_EbQ8/s1600/IMG_3474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVv2QoDC-cADiHyQtZ1DOtIdsocisHqq6QELI_4vWy_XR5mYLPqQvmUt59qdJJ0eGGBrao6nPyWqUBJugDPf7xSJmzXwNFzbpVOlJlLL24sts2aw2lnbV7ASK8ROqd_ANjeupch76_EbQ8/s320/IMG_3474.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ornately carved Maori Meeting House</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-906285305736209312012-02-09T01:58:00.000-08:002012-02-09T01:58:32.333-08:00Big City and Beyond to Northland<br />
Tuesday, February 7, 2012<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YfbXw34nbzmmPiQkGPj5-HPvJ2Wnq8xRq6ayo8pSvQoL6yyQH-7lX2wQcS7GqJ4bHLpzlOlPlmLKd_0fpc92-Km0pWlieVjM_ZxDRf2yAIIic2RLP7-LBU6DshQohSFfg5yPztlP36yk/s1600/IMG_3344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YfbXw34nbzmmPiQkGPj5-HPvJ2Wnq8xRq6ayo8pSvQoL6yyQH-7lX2wQcS7GqJ4bHLpzlOlPlmLKd_0fpc92-Km0pWlieVjM_ZxDRf2yAIIic2RLP7-LBU6DshQohSFfg5yPztlP36yk/s200/IMG_3344.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down at the Firth of Thames</td></tr>
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One guy told us that he has lived his whole life on the North Island, but has never visited Auckland. He avoids it at all costs. And he says he can tell if someone is a resident of this largest city in the country. They have a different attitude about them. <br />
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So on this day, we intended to get through Auckland on our way to the Bay of Islands. There is no other way to drive there without passing through the metropolis. It was hard to tell from some of the roadways that we were getting close. We came down the west side of the Coromandel Peninsula and experienced more hills, sheep and wildness. We took a shortcut, according to the map, and ended up on a gravel road on which we passed only 15 cars in about 25 miles. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYjQChNq51EQ-Iv7xfuKBr-odADNJLpGPnwCYnmMj6e1fDvRKo9moweGu1hPafu7rt1sCuOtTkNo0AChHHbYEbNU8YfpdAxN5j7RCukzeL2Z_OOuJZtwzFDsAWc-6EPaX8yaqpTtJ9Gwe/s1600/IMG_3363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYjQChNq51EQ-Iv7xfuKBr-odADNJLpGPnwCYnmMj6e1fDvRKo9moweGu1hPafu7rt1sCuOtTkNo0AChHHbYEbNU8YfpdAxN5j7RCukzeL2Z_OOuJZtwzFDsAWc-6EPaX8yaqpTtJ9Gwe/s200/IMG_3363.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Auckland Sky Tower</td></tr>
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The western side of ths Coromandel is bounded by the Firth of Thames. “Firth” - what could that be? Thames sounded British and a “firth” is defined as “a narrow inlet of the sea” but I don’t guess we have any in the U.S. Thames is a cute little town where we stopped to cash some traveler’s checks (cheques) at the post shop (office). No fees are charged here. <br />
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From Thames, we journeyed westward towards Auckland, which is up and over some hills and squeezed between several bays, firths, rivers and oceans. At some point the highways fork and one road leads south to Hamilton and the other north to Auckland and the Northland. (You can tell you are headed north if the signs direct to Cape Reinga, the northernmost outpost in the country.) From there the highway turns into a freeway, expressway or motorway with exits, medians, lots of signs, big trucks and multiple lanes. Before long we passed the airport exits and came in sight of the Sky Tower, a landmark for the central city. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZE7J1oA9iwlp-XNwTVg3S-zF9gHms8thZua58xezrIOMjW6esdy_TbjxJozQsTyQCVRv69lOeJfz0We1vtjHdZd-Mwzzhm2H7OnFoWgUROEOreJ_GzSVI91ZM6x1uF0eCf2HO8pwnv-Z/s1600/IMG_3378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZE7J1oA9iwlp-XNwTVg3S-zF9gHms8thZua58xezrIOMjW6esdy_TbjxJozQsTyQCVRv69lOeJfz0We1vtjHdZd-Mwzzhm2H7OnFoWgUROEOreJ_GzSVI91ZM6x1uF0eCf2HO8pwnv-Z/s200/IMG_3378.JPG" width="200" /></a>The highway goes up and over a major water body, probably an access to the port of Auckland, and continues to the northern suburbs. We feared another Seattle of congestion, but were pleasantly surprised to get through the city unscathed. Another 20 km or so and we were back to a two lane highway with occasional three lanes for passing, and beautiful hills with sheep, cattle and flowers. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4x36AvDPYq-VEsNFoWSuuPAOMwJEyKWma1X8pZO1knQbEn13tVCK5jHrmY8jfLcBTQIJrBocba1l5sXTs1A_ZAi5MibYlqQOW_ePkc9jSuQHsgsuYzQ1XX9xjPNNtTafNMUEM5OLZGBlB/s1600/IMG_3382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4x36AvDPYq-VEsNFoWSuuPAOMwJEyKWma1X8pZO1knQbEn13tVCK5jHrmY8jfLcBTQIJrBocba1l5sXTs1A_ZAi5MibYlqQOW_ePkc9jSuQHsgsuYzQ1XX9xjPNNtTafNMUEM5OLZGBlB/s200/IMG_3382.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scandrett homestead concrete house</td></tr>
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We’ve noticed signs and offices designated as iSites. Every city and town seems to have one and many of them also advertise public toilets. The offices are staffed with helpful people who answer questions about the area, recommend accommodations and attractions and also make bookings if necessary. We pulled into a town named Warkworth and dropped in to the iSite office to ask about accomodations. Not only did the lady recommend a motel, she also booked a room for us and accepted a 10% deposit. (I assume that was her “finder fee” for booking the room. So we headed for Snells Beach, a 10-minute drive to the east, where we were told we would have a view of the sea from the Snells Beach Motel.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAj3u0BFmGqROrzviDtRq_UsU10ZLw9LOUjtwFi6_N3bdxuARXM6wGvAvgyHcNQfunBb0MZl4NFUsT9ttldWJ4hVWsOEzYj2cwFzGJc85HnDIob_kt0vfpPSW4ABDsDrpcWVp0eoEuSCRz/s1600/IMG_3383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAj3u0BFmGqROrzviDtRq_UsU10ZLw9LOUjtwFi6_N3bdxuARXM6wGvAvgyHcNQfunBb0MZl4NFUsT9ttldWJ4hVWsOEzYj2cwFzGJc85HnDIob_kt0vfpPSW4ABDsDrpcWVp0eoEuSCRz/s200/IMG_3383.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farm buildings</td></tr>
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Snells Beach was named for the Snell family who settled here some years ago. One of their family is Peter Snell, an athlete of some sort, who now lives in the U.S. It appears to be a bedroom community with modest homes and small shops along the highway. <br />
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We were greeted by a friendly lady, whom I think is one of the owners. She was sad to hear that we were only there for the night because there was much to see in the area. The next morning, her husband, the other owner recommended three places to visit before we left town. One was Scott’s landing, a boat launch site at the very tip of a long peninsula of land which stretches out into the sea. The second was an historic farm which is now a regional park. We found it to be very fascinating.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cC6c8bneNn4gXKPBwPHKbWHv1dum9xGZagJ-o4Nh-cal97NsFC07xbHGf55BQQKegaeqyHTOMWYUqQLqxDnAr-hbAVc2rDiUwIePIrb7K2sxY3ChUce9ugeuNj-PZtqat8cIDN9h3ZdH/s1600/IMG_3385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cC6c8bneNn4gXKPBwPHKbWHv1dum9xGZagJ-o4Nh-cal97NsFC07xbHGf55BQQKegaeqyHTOMWYUqQLqxDnAr-hbAVc2rDiUwIePIrb7K2sxY3ChUce9ugeuNj-PZtqat8cIDN9h3ZdH/s200/IMG_3385.JPG" width="200" /></a>George Scandrett arrived from Ireland in 1863 and began farming at this remote spot at Mullet Point which looks out over Kawau Bay. It was a land of steep hills, a beautiful waterfront, and a place to farm and raise a family. The family carried on farming here for the next 140 years. In the process, they built an unusual farmhouse out of concrete, and then added other farm buildings for cows, sheep, chickens, farm implements and the family boats. Transport back then was by water and the boatshed was equipped with a winch and rails on which the boat could be moved easily to the water. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwnBgJ54OnBgftto0DK0urgP5ecr2smYKvR5Sk5obdNNMedzwG5fLimqqe6c2IYfTJCTJU5gdQFFYPr7TDyb3fvItA9e4ClO8vLXMwytI-fKSGRvvK1c5Jnr1pjHpJHWMkUO-rPpalo98/s1600/IMG_3451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwnBgJ54OnBgftto0DK0urgP5ecr2smYKvR5Sk5obdNNMedzwG5fLimqqe6c2IYfTJCTJU5gdQFFYPr7TDyb3fvItA9e4ClO8vLXMwytI-fKSGRvvK1c5Jnr1pjHpJHWMkUO-rPpalo98/s200/IMG_3451.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Public toilets</td></tr>
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All of these buildings have been preserved and can be seen by visitors to the Scandrett Regional Park. Several houses on the property can be rented as vacation homes. There is a campground for campers and RV’s. It’s fun to think about life and its challenges back in those days. There were no doubt times when the beautiful scenery was forgotten when compared to the daily rigors of life on the farm.<br />
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We enjoyed another sheep stop and Sheep World. No show this time, but we found a couple of gifts in the gift store, a bowl of clam chowder and hokey pokey ice cream in the cafe. And then it was on to Kawakawa and the Hundertwasser’s Toilets.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_Ovq5WDNxZrqlabOYVbiH9RU3J38o9VYIRcDkLa0H80I07c3UYqDeoJ_zMIle3Ie2caXzNef7grKDsFXW2yeBFP5U0yQ4qn5qHaCt795SpN9IiM9JDk0ZvJHyIVkxoA8h85gV1X-Ojpq/s1600/IMG_3453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_Ovq5WDNxZrqlabOYVbiH9RU3J38o9VYIRcDkLa0H80I07c3UYqDeoJ_zMIle3Ie2caXzNef7grKDsFXW2yeBFP5U0yQ4qn5qHaCt795SpN9IiM9JDk0ZvJHyIVkxoA8h85gV1X-Ojpq/s200/IMG_3453.jpg" width="150" /></a>There is much to be said about Friedensreich Undertwasser, a 25-year resident of Kawakawa. He was a noted architect and ecologist who moved to New Zealand and bought a farm near Kawakawa in 1975. In 1997 he was commissioned to design and build public toilets on the main street of his adopted city. The brochure describes his final work:<br />
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“The Kawakawa toilet block with its ceramic columns, garden roof and curving, colourful exuberance has put the Northland town of Kawakawa on the international tourist route and travelers from around the world pay homage to the man and his unique, architectural charm.”<br />
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I admit that using a public toilet has not been so enjoyable for a long time. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzjSe-yrgD4MlDxu_avPdhrAUTamOas9GepdsBrHjMdbbRj_OIAU1vJrU95PWLU0tqF_E8OGHKHFNZVT-EaHnGvwpxMEWGub0ue_-0-QOgDHLoiaT-bmIIpwdTjxBkCIirdE_4WKUpI4X/s1600/IMG_3454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzjSe-yrgD4MlDxu_avPdhrAUTamOas9GepdsBrHjMdbbRj_OIAU1vJrU95PWLU0tqF_E8OGHKHFNZVT-EaHnGvwpxMEWGub0ue_-0-QOgDHLoiaT-bmIIpwdTjxBkCIirdE_4WKUpI4X/s320/IMG_3454.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">School kids made the tiles</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-65116731571083217702012-02-09T01:47:00.000-08:002012-02-17T11:40:36.429-08:00Waitangi Day at the Beach(es)<br />
Monday, February 6, 2012<br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/L7Y4r8FMahM">See the video we took here.</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVr77GKTHWDTr9oDkdPSftDwjOLW2G3hj95a6vKMBUcRZ3ffQVeu8l2B28nMUzV0uA0dkBOWVQFBi8nfaCIFAHAgP00u1-rutfoYAvaYoLfOo_yBq37uVoaSsxvKsvokzqbkVoVBk7fUa/s1600/IMG_3298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVr77GKTHWDTr9oDkdPSftDwjOLW2G3hj95a6vKMBUcRZ3ffQVeu8l2B28nMUzV0uA0dkBOWVQFBi8nfaCIFAHAgP00u1-rutfoYAvaYoLfOo_yBq37uVoaSsxvKsvokzqbkVoVBk7fUa/s200/IMG_3298.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our guest cottage at Hahei</td></tr>
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Today is the New Zealand equivalent of the 4th of July. It appears that they don’t do much with fireworks, hot dogs and parades but it is a holiday and people will be going places out of the ordinary.<br />
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One of those “out of the ordinary” places is <a href="http://mercurybay.co.nz/activities/hotwaterbeach.php">Hot Water Beach</a> and that’s on our list of places to see on this day. The Coromandel Peninsula is also one of those special places in New Zealand that is on the “must see” list. If you look at a map, it is the stubby finger of land on the right or eastern side of the North Island. It begins after passing through the port city of Tauranga. We were looking for a place to stay in the town of Hahei so we called a lodge called <a href="http://thechurchhahei.co.nz/">The Church</a>. (sounded ominous) We eventually connected with Richard Agnew, the manager who was attending a birthday party. He said the lodge was full and he thought finding a place in Hahei would be difficult because of the holiday weekend. As an afterthought he asked if we would consider staying in a little cottage next to his house which he rented to friends. Wow! It turned out to be a great little place.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7pBRzhUu7GwIeQV5C55mvAKSv0GTtWuVxACazUy3jnBSNNb9pcXNmR3v9yzGBxo0Cu6sPy15ZDYGXXkd1i97Afd0yf-HzBA4AdusnM0JcUseEevUDt6dHty9TYh_CDicWoyBMmuPmY8v/s1600/IMG_3270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7pBRzhUu7GwIeQV5C55mvAKSv0GTtWuVxACazUy3jnBSNNb9pcXNmR3v9yzGBxo0Cu6sPy15ZDYGXXkd1i97Afd0yf-HzBA4AdusnM0JcUseEevUDt6dHty9TYh_CDicWoyBMmuPmY8v/s200/IMG_3270.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not many here yet</td></tr>
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So we headed for Hahei. The Coromandel is hilly so the road winds around with hairpin turns, narrow, one land bridges and scenic views in all directions. It’s a little hard to take in if you are behind the wheel. There are small towns along the way and once in a while you will catch a glimpse of the blue Pacific, but the beaches are pretty secluded. The peninsula was popularized back in the 1970’s when young twenty-somethings discovered it was a good place to be to “get away from it all.” They needed some kind of livelihood so they made pottery and did other crafts to sell to tourists. There are also sheep and dairy farms in the area. Picture postcards would show a herd of black and white cows grazing on a green hill dotted with tall trees and sprinkled with flowers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWKmJbHKdfDg2bm0kwB6pU-sU068y87UcFuKvaQWdrj8fSTCvxHxZpkIdna5xre7ommVF1Mq0sLd_FBM6K8TXSXFwOO6C4jHVyUMYNVO1lX-oL5d4evDKvFomeizvH3u_NW-CbuREmfwC/s1600/IMG_3276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWKmJbHKdfDg2bm0kwB6pU-sU068y87UcFuKvaQWdrj8fSTCvxHxZpkIdna5xre7ommVF1Mq0sLd_FBM6K8TXSXFwOO6C4jHVyUMYNVO1lX-oL5d4evDKvFomeizvH3u_NW-CbuREmfwC/s320/IMG_3276.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crowd is gathering</td></tr>
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The turn off to Hahei also listed two other attractions: Hot Water Beach and <a href="http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/coromandel/coromandel/cathedral-cove-walk/">Cathedral Cove</a>. The road winds around for about 10 km and then you enter town. Guidebooks say the population is 270 in the winter and about 7000 in the summer. There is a general store and a few small shops and signs indicating B & B’s, homestays, cottages and a few motels. There is lots of activity at the General Store which is also a Takeaway burger stand and the town’s post office (post shop). <br />
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We went to The Church and got directions to Richard’s place, which was up a steep hill and about a mile from town. There were private resiidences or retreats on both sides of the gravel road as we approached his place. It sits on about 5 acres of land against the side of the hill and the little cottage is next door. Quite a place. The Church must be doing well. (It’s called that because the restaurant is an old Methodist church that he moved to Hahei from some other place.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6kh4chgDYWbM9-_CX93aBI1O98_hI_f4AFuBENUmDAAB3ccDfWUMlyCBBnfwBERAtNAiPnq4KgBoCR5luEqUc_CTUEP8SxxULF5hI3m3evYkjprsCy9K1eW3iclA1JDzeSN9NCcWZQ99/s1600/IMG_3279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6kh4chgDYWbM9-_CX93aBI1O98_hI_f4AFuBENUmDAAB3ccDfWUMlyCBBnfwBERAtNAiPnq4KgBoCR5luEqUc_CTUEP8SxxULF5hI3m3evYkjprsCy9K1eW3iclA1JDzeSN9NCcWZQ99/s320/IMG_3279.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is it hot yet?</td></tr>
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So today we wanted to see two beaches in the area and ended up at three. Low tide was set for 12:22 pm, just after Noon and we were advised to show up at Hot Water Beach two hours before that to dig our “spa” on the beach. We borrowed a spade from The Church and got to the beach before 10:00 am. We weren’t the first. It was cloudy, windy and the water was turbulent. No surfers here today. Several were standing on the beach and others were starting to dig. We joined the diggers but the water that came up was cold. A young lady pointed out that we needed to dig in just the right place to find hot water. Since no one else was doing any digging, we stood around getting chilled by the wind coming off the ocean.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRQT9ej6cRdERMo7cy6HYkmxTl4Fn5XIWnH3uSK7e5SBWTaA1HL0454O8hN4OzZoEWme77c2BKWR7nCz_w1IVmVtYVn28aW4XjlJobhlHaDTt4Wr04EVXL9_AGINHfW8m-mjJFeYliGbs/s1600/IMG_3309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRQT9ej6cRdERMo7cy6HYkmxTl4Fn5XIWnH3uSK7e5SBWTaA1HL0454O8hN4OzZoEWme77c2BKWR7nCz_w1IVmVtYVn28aW4XjlJobhlHaDTt4Wr04EVXL9_AGINHfW8m-mjJFeYliGbs/s320/IMG_3309.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral Cove on the other side . . .</td></tr>
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We decided to give up our prime parking place and come back later. So we drove down the road and found another parking lot. By the time we got out to the beach it was around 10:30 am and we noticed quite a crowd had gathered at the “hot water spot” we had vacated. As we walked toward it, we saw more and more coming from the opposite direction. Some were starting to dig and others just standing around. By the time we got there, we sensed some excitement. Some had struck paydirt or was it hot water?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60mxyY9JKiRIlriPXJId3HwpuY3D8hWMaB89fCVOj12MpCoFAinBPnIimBxW8I3UqU_LVfT2yOFUCa979wSk5ZQ1_e_kgqZIekuvMLwpOHGID1hP1OxpEJm7ssgI41jE-N76h7NfF6MdZ/s1600/IMG_3338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60mxyY9JKiRIlriPXJId3HwpuY3D8hWMaB89fCVOj12MpCoFAinBPnIimBxW8I3UqU_LVfT2yOFUCa979wSk5ZQ1_e_kgqZIekuvMLwpOHGID1hP1OxpEJm7ssgI41jE-N76h7NfF6MdZ/s320/IMG_3338.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down from the trail (track)</td></tr>
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From the signs posted by the DOC, we learned that there are some thermally heated rocks below the surface at this spot. When the tide goes out, the water that seeps down through the sand hits these rocks and because it is warmed, it rises coming up through the sand in whatever pools are created for it. The locals apparently know just where these underground hot spots are located and dig accordingly. Quite a group was congregating in one spot. We enjoyed being spectators and we could cross this one off our list of “must do’s.”<br />
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The other beach in the area that is popular is Cathedral Cove, but this being a holiday we thought it might be better to go after the crowds have thinned. So we drove to overlook <a href="http://www.whitianga.co.nz/cooks.html">Cook’s Beach</a>, named after Capt. James Cook, who anchored in waters out in the bay back in 1769. While anchored there he view the passing of the planet Mercury overhead and named the location Mercury Bay. Locals call in “Merc Bay.” Closer to Cooks Beach is Lonely Bay and on this day it was indeed just that.<br />
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Back to Hahei, and turn left at the General Store to head for Cathedral Cove. We bought some fish and chips at the Store (not recommended) ate them in our car and felt ready for a 45-minute hike to the Cove. We arrived at the carpark and noted that most people were home eating their fish and chips. The sun was dropping in the sky, the moon was coming up and so was the tide. There are three coves in a row, the third being Cathedral, which is only accessible by walking through a hole in a large rock when the tide is just right. Thus, the name Cathedral. <br />
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The hike took us up and down and around and included 157 steps, created just for the throngs of people who have popularized this spot. It was also one of the scenes in the movie “Prince Caspian,” one of the Narnia series. It was indeed a beautiful place. We walked up and down the beach, took photos, and wished we had arrived earlier. The high tide prevented us from going through the rock to Cathedral Cove. But we can go home and watch the movie instead.<br />
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On this day we did little to celebrate Waitangi Day. That would come in a couple more days.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-50845254398702815392012-02-08T01:44:00.000-08:002012-02-08T01:44:16.535-08:00"Where two or three are gathered . . ."Sunday, February 5, 2012<br />
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It's Sunday morning in New Zealand but only Saturday in the U. S. That means that over here, people won't be able to watch the Super Bowl because it won't be on TV until Monday. Strange, huh? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvibBJB8YUS1Lj8AmvrUUQn6KPqsQxt8bZ1LdDzt2fo_roIRAtToxMFfgvSIgv4eu4zdGonkU4KXvgaxbU88_HSBNs3s8_uSA-gqsPsPNv3FOrT07T0pmuE0SkQUkHnaHFn4MOKXrt5S0/s1600/IMG_3168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvibBJB8YUS1Lj8AmvrUUQn6KPqsQxt8bZ1LdDzt2fo_roIRAtToxMFfgvSIgv4eu4zdGonkU4KXvgaxbU88_HSBNs3s8_uSA-gqsPsPNv3FOrT07T0pmuE0SkQUkHnaHFn4MOKXrt5S0/s320/IMG_3168.JPG" width="320" /></a>But it's Sunday morning for us in Whakatane, and we've decided to check out the local Lutheran church. We haven't been in a town that had a Lutheran church on a Sunday morning since we've been here, so this will be a new experience. The church here is <a href="http://www.lutheran.org.nz/c06.php?info_id=1">Whakatane Lutheran Church</a> and it was easy to find it from our motel, where we checked out. Unfortunately, not too many people were finding the church with us today. The last time this happened, Sandra wanted to just keep on driving around the block. But today, I pulled into the small parking lot at 9:25 am, walked to the door and found the pianist and guitarist rehearsing some songs. There was no one else there and they assured me that church would begin in a few minutes. <br />
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Whakatane is what might be called a "tripleparish." The main church is in Hamilton and two other churches are partnered with it and served by one pastor. He comes out to the two smaller places once a month. On the other Sundays, worship is led by a layperson. At about 9:28 am the lay leader walked in with his wife and by that time three others had also joined us. We began the service. It was Lutheran, just like home. There was a printed liturgy in a booklet which included confession, absolution, prayers, creed, Scripture readings, sermon and hymns. The hymns were projected on a screen and brought back memories of the 70's. I hadn't sung "It only takes a spark to get a fire going" for a long time. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicglldmCPxNJ6m3QGYROZe8ulmQJYuqxHhpl6jjMcRkz6_rRsLs6MtT4GpyiZwHfqNgLnWBx3HjVJAUm4tzKzVCz_H2BUgMnOap4fa6yNp9rYv2UdCdsAyQLbv2KH8Zcq4RrUTWJAyC98-/s1600/IMG_3167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicglldmCPxNJ6m3QGYROZe8ulmQJYuqxHhpl6jjMcRkz6_rRsLs6MtT4GpyiZwHfqNgLnWBx3HjVJAUm4tzKzVCz_H2BUgMnOap4fa6yNp9rYv2UdCdsAyQLbv2KH8Zcq4RrUTWJAyC98-/s320/IMG_3167.JPG" width="320" /></a>The sermon was pretty much a reading. I was told later that lay leaders choose sermons written by pastors from some kind of resource. The guitarist, a man named Tony, put together the worship guide and chose the hymns. He was formerly a missionary with the Salvation Army, but joined the Lutheran church because he kept hearing the bell on Sunday morning from his house down the street. On this Sunday, the sermon was based on Isaiah's verse about "flying like eagles." A good job with Law and Gospel properly distinguished.<br />
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The Lutheran Church of New Zealand has about 13 congregations. Most are in or near larger cities and were begun when there were Lutheran immigrants moving to those communities. The 13 congregations form a "district" and are officially part of the Lutheran Church of Australia. They are served by a full-time president, who is going to be installed into his office this next Sunday. <br />
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Apparently Whakatane Lutheran is content to be a small little group of Lutheran Christians. There would seem to be much potential for outreach and growth. There were other churches in town, but there are also probably many who no little about Lutherans and even less about the Gospel. We wondered what we might add to this little group if we were members here. We do know that true to His promise, Jesus was there in our midst that morning as promised.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-19941935366239014462012-02-06T23:49:00.000-08:002012-02-17T11:11:30.461-08:00Fire and BrimstoneSaturday, February 4, 2012<br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/7UB47TQ1gu0">Watch our video here.</a><br />
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A couple of weeks ago, we sat next to a New Zealand tour guide who works for Black Sheep Tours. Her company escorts Americans around New Zealand, taking them to pristine beaches, up and over mountains and onto glaciers and similar natural wonders. We asked her for some recommendations of things to see on the North Island. She listed three top “must sees”:<br />
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1. White Island<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsH0tRZbWJZ5aeDTnHzzZoyldtQ01Uz7JrCps_my9x-galUqKCp8moXH0iVXwe41sL1JIrtbATbkt2NX1sDpXUjWpDJruM1fC_dYvS0KIxZfdb5z0QjDY41daPlND3q0PBBZRY6raiCYRw/s1600/IMG_3111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsH0tRZbWJZ5aeDTnHzzZoyldtQ01Uz7JrCps_my9x-galUqKCp8moXH0iVXwe41sL1JIrtbATbkt2NX1sDpXUjWpDJruM1fC_dYvS0KIxZfdb5z0QjDY41daPlND3q0PBBZRY6raiCYRw/s200/IMG_3111.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
2. Cathedral Cove<br />
3. Bay of Islands<br />
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We took her recommendations to heart and headed for Whakatane where Pee Jay sat in the harbour ready to take us and about 50 others out to White Island. What wonders awaited us on this sunny Saturday!<br />
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White Island sits about 60 miles east of Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty. You can make it out just above the horizon as you gaze eastward. It is the northernmost extension of a volcanic rift zone which cuts through the North Island from north to south. At the southern end of this zone sits Mt. Ruapehu, the imposing active volcano, that we climbed past on our trip through Tongariro National Park. Rotorua and Taupo are in the same path and there are many more examples of thermal activity in and around those towns.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Dp2Z0QC4rmMpD9etlMdH_fdV9gNo-94Y1au13Qbe61IkU9OECZyHBqj-ODsjoIEqhO7BflKmuHEdfwwZBO62l1HKjMeQTCJPuKWWU2qAJIcBwkfxw2YPLY6Azk4DzkmxaehyphenhyphenEfHnDQ7p/s1600/IMG_3364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Dp2Z0QC4rmMpD9etlMdH_fdV9gNo-94Y1au13Qbe61IkU9OECZyHBqj-ODsjoIEqhO7BflKmuHEdfwwZBO62l1HKjMeQTCJPuKWWU2qAJIcBwkfxw2YPLY6Azk4DzkmxaehyphenhyphenEfHnDQ7p/s200/IMG_3364.JPG" width="200" /></a>White Island is really the top of a marine volcano whose base is submerged on the bottom of the Pacific. It is the second active volcano in New Zealand. It has blown debris on several occasions in the last century, the most recent in 2006. What makes it more interesting is that it is the scene of a once-active sulphur mining operation that was closed down once when all of the miners were killed by a volcanic landslide which swept them into the sea. The only survivor was a tomcat named Peter, who went on to be known as Peter the Great.<br />
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We recorded much of the tour in a video which is linked to this blog and will give a better feel for the island. It was an experience that touched every one of the senses. There was obviously much to see - steam coming up from vents, yellow sulphur outcroppings and fountains, stark landscape where plants do not grow, rivulets and streams of warm water, and nesting birds oblivious to the volcano which they consider home.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jxcaAju-JcExkCUBBrNO87EMLJXJOj2vhwUG_vYJoH8ISHR-p6Q4bRRMaGBC70O9Sw62scwO1LbvSfwcLp-bdk3OK1P6F1erWjT4NuicmAKDFfPD6r_XX-r9ZTIQ7Z3Uq3IzbzXV8L3H/s1600/IMG_3366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jxcaAju-JcExkCUBBrNO87EMLJXJOj2vhwUG_vYJoH8ISHR-p6Q4bRRMaGBC70O9Sw62scwO1LbvSfwcLp-bdk3OK1P6F1erWjT4NuicmAKDFfPD6r_XX-r9ZTIQ7Z3Uq3IzbzXV8L3H/s200/IMG_3366.JPG" width="200" /></a>We could hear the power of molten magma changing water to gas and sending it out of narrow openings. We could smell the strong smell of rotten eggs which at one point was so strong that the gas masks we were issued on the boat enabled us to continue breathing. Sulphur is not harmful, but it is irritating to the nose and throat. We would taste the dryness in the back of the throat and the guide offered us hard candy to keep the saliva flowing. The heat was intense and it could be felt. The temperature of the steam is twice as hot as boiling water, indicating just how how molten rock must be. It is just below the surface and monitors watch it carefully to know just how close another eruption might be. We wore hard hats just in case rocks might rain down upon us as we ran back to our waiting boat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKagM2ojpxKiFs-5vW7HR1cZuIxMFW7o3AE0DV14jqfGru82W4GGrAMgXb5p5s2Tz41hZPy-h-QvN4WtKmhKY6hY4_WDxBmGupEgiNy-MwbagFa7uNEkHSV5qEFiB7GUfKy9QQUsySHJb/s1600/IMG_3371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKagM2ojpxKiFs-5vW7HR1cZuIxMFW7o3AE0DV14jqfGru82W4GGrAMgXb5p5s2Tz41hZPy-h-QvN4WtKmhKY6hY4_WDxBmGupEgiNy-MwbagFa7uNEkHSV5qEFiB7GUfKy9QQUsySHJb/s200/IMG_3371.JPG" width="200" /></a>To think that men worked in close proximity to the opening of a volcano is incomprehensible. The mine was last active in 1933 at the height of the Great Depression which affected much of the world. They had little difficulty attracting workers to come and work the mine. They stayed in barracks and all of their food and water was brought to them by boat. After the first destructive event, the mine reopened but the living quarters were moved to the safer side of the island. Apparently, they even had a library where they could spend time after hours. To get to work, they walked a path or rowed a boat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIs4aNuQcVhfz_P9Le8LhtvUqXATCA4nptmEeSRZvclpXbvb34T4ejnRU_PY53DRi69LYa8Yjd8y8ld6nm9P24kqM_URUklwli6ParOhH2aMwmY8-JF-NrMO8GNgRYE-h-2cu3fk44EyR/s1600/IMG_3387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIs4aNuQcVhfz_P9Le8LhtvUqXATCA4nptmEeSRZvclpXbvb34T4ejnRU_PY53DRi69LYa8Yjd8y8ld6nm9P24kqM_URUklwli6ParOhH2aMwmY8-JF-NrMO8GNgRYE-h-2cu3fk44EyR/s320/IMG_3387.JPG" width="320" /></a>At one time, the factory separated the sulphur from the surrounding rock, but a blow-up in the factory caused the company to change the process. The miners simply loaded the ore onto boats after the accident and the separation happened at another location away from White Island. This proved to be economically costly and the ability to mine sulphur more cheaply in other locations eventually cause the mine to be abandoned in 1933, after about 10 years of operations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtddbKQn_MkKjX0TvAbyBw0nVXyXAv3jvNczmQ24ISprpbH3hCW1T-ODUcn8u-EbQsamf3gwPsSzWfocOEckhAcgt0tFoH9g0X-fr1tv4Yg-VWUUm-iMnL5yYUgZZEmqm5EAVJLOsmAlC/s1600/IMG_3418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtddbKQn_MkKjX0TvAbyBw0nVXyXAv3jvNczmQ24ISprpbH3hCW1T-ODUcn8u-EbQsamf3gwPsSzWfocOEckhAcgt0tFoH9g0X-fr1tv4Yg-VWUUm-iMnL5yYUgZZEmqm5EAVJLOsmAlC/s200/IMG_3418.JPG" width="200" /></a>What remains of the factory is pretty stark. Machinery is rusting badly. Wooden timbers which supported the roof were imported from Oregon, and are still in pretty good condition. But the evidence of sulphur in the air and on the ground is pretty apparent. It makes the place inhospitable and we were relieved to be back on the boat and headed for more friendly places. Junior dolphins escorted us for a time. It was a day to remember.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-19148047969459844922012-02-03T00:35:00.000-08:002012-02-03T00:57:12.918-08:00Sheep, Steam and SeacoastFriday, February 3, 2012<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7hsrxxBJCqJUksn2P4OS_0cWazOwp8s3VrSNALRhu9uCsPiNHYefvBW6KWm7_TNWMCSkrtOUYlr4G2p9jIQw7gqvdrLprTB02VBJvOYte0ONrFpT2-FbfRycJ_dwOv9PR4q_glwMy5Fz/s1600/IMG_2962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7hsrxxBJCqJUksn2P4OS_0cWazOwp8s3VrSNALRhu9uCsPiNHYefvBW6KWm7_TNWMCSkrtOUYlr4G2p9jIQw7gqvdrLprTB02VBJvOYte0ONrFpT2-FbfRycJ_dwOv9PR4q_glwMy5Fz/s200/IMG_2962.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huka Falls leaving Lake Taupo</td></tr>
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bid farewell to Turangi this morning, heading north along the eastern shore of <a href="http://www.ilec.or.jp/database/oce/oce-01.html">Lake Taupo</a>. It is one long lake! Our big regret was that it was so clouded over we couldn't see the mountains on the western side of the lake. We know they are there, because we were standing on them just a couple days ago. The lake is huge! Click on the link if you want details, but it took us about 45 minutes to drive from the south end of the lake to the north, where the city of Taupo is situated. <br />
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At Taupo we took a side trip to see Huka Falls. Wow! This is the one outlet for Lake Taupo (at least that I know of) and it forms the Waikato River, which flows north to its terminus in the Tasman Sea south of Auckland. The river has carved and is still carving a canyon through volcanic rock. We were told that at some time of the year they allow kayakers to go down the canyon and over the falls at the bottom. That must be a sight and an experience. We saw some jet and excursion boats come upriver to the falls, take in a little spray and then turn around. As usual, Sandra took some great photos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQZpf2DvbPtVR0wmIU-UKMtjWou-k58WabggWqyRYPxaToG_slt0rTaWlPzmtygTcptx9Sgczc7woUD7vG-BJzNs3k-lUHijLJvZYzND6nOssmpdkEv08F3v0-BlWkerLbeviKRa8idN_/s1600/IMG_2961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQZpf2DvbPtVR0wmIU-UKMtjWou-k58WabggWqyRYPxaToG_slt0rTaWlPzmtygTcptx9Sgczc7woUD7vG-BJzNs3k-lUHijLJvZYzND6nOssmpdkEv08F3v0-BlWkerLbeviKRa8idN_/s200/IMG_2961.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huka Falls</td></tr>
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From Taupo we continued on the "thermal highway" to Rotorua, which is probably the thermal capital of New Zealand (my own description). It is also a fairly large city which can be judged by the number of American fast food places in town. We saw Subway, McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, KFC, Domino's, and Pizza Hut. There were probably more.<br />
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There are lots of things to see and do in the area and most are related to thermal activity. Steam is venting out of the ground in countless places and there are hot pools, boiling mud and other attractions. Most require the purchase of tickets and offer some kind of guided tour. We didn't want to spend the time so we picked up some postcards and moved on to the <a href="http://www.agrodome.co.nz/Agrodome/Welcome_IDL=7_IDT=1053_ID=23471_.html">Agrodome</a>, a somewhat uniquely New Zealand experience. The complex has expanded across the road to include a buggy jump, a big maze, a high swing and some other thrills, but we were there to see the <a href="http://www.agrodome.co.nz/Agrodome/Sheep-Show_IDL=1_IDT=1055_ID=7900_.html">Sheep Show.</a> You can get something of a feel by clicking on the link, but being there in person was pretty cool.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwnN7gaG21MbgJynx4PfyOUHKJlqnq0Dnbukm6krNcuRDEBNdQ951eM3kuSoJh91gPZcT9d8PnNDHQelu3Shyphenhyphena_SxocTGuf5u-GSD1AQfb_04flJUC4hU7-JzwNAbEsS97OzUT-Ixuxfc/s1600/IMG_2963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwnN7gaG21MbgJynx4PfyOUHKJlqnq0Dnbukm6krNcuRDEBNdQ951eM3kuSoJh91gPZcT9d8PnNDHQelu3Shyphenhyphena_SxocTGuf5u-GSD1AQfb_04flJUC4hU7-JzwNAbEsS97OzUT-Ixuxfc/s200/IMG_2963.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jet boat meets the falls</td></tr>
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There are millions of sheep in this country as everyone knows, but I didn't know there were so many breeds. They were all on display. Even Romney was represented, right next to Merino. The animals were used to being in the show as was obvious from some of their stunts. The host brought out another volunteer sheep and sheared him on stage and then handed out the wool to the audience. He brought a cow out and volunteers from the audience came up to milk her. He summoned well-trained dogs who came up and jump up and over and on the backs of all the sheep, who stood there with bored expressions on their faces. <br />
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The show ended after an hour with audience members coming up on stage to take photos of the sheep with family members. Once again, the sheep just stood there posing. Being there gave us the full effect - sight, sound, smell and feel. We were impressed with the mix of people in attendance. Lots of Koreans, many Europeans, a few from Australia, a handful of Americans, some from India, and I think one person bravely said she was from New Zealand.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NRZqj2ufZU3_HN1fC4SR2QN6cgAvBrUGiKozRIVgdMfUs-Dg0H6nKgvUNa16DbMVpg3UCDphTzLtv6QhFDvOX8We7fUkMKdBtjCSw91_O6NuM1twM-_OrHWmpeuYXk3HFqf9FR1lJret/s1600/IMG_2964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NRZqj2ufZU3_HN1fC4SR2QN6cgAvBrUGiKozRIVgdMfUs-Dg0H6nKgvUNa16DbMVpg3UCDphTzLtv6QhFDvOX8We7fUkMKdBtjCSw91_O6NuM1twM-_OrHWmpeuYXk3HFqf9FR1lJret/s200/IMG_2964.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excursion boat</td></tr>
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We spent another hour in the gift store where New Zealand woolen products were on sale. We spent a few more dollars and we're hoping our family members will be appreciative. (Some of them requested swords and Lord of the Rings stuff - they might be disappointed with a pair of woolen socks. Sorry!)<br />
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We hit to road heading east to the eastern shore of New Zealand and the town of Whakatane. A word about Maori words and their pronunciation. It seems that most place names on the North Island have a Maori origin. Many begin with W and end with a vowel. We've learned that many are tongue twisters and that some letter combinations are pronounced unexpectedly for us Americans. So in New Zealand, WH is pronounced with a soft F sound (whatever soft means). All vowels are pronounced as in Hawaii. So this town is pronounced something like this, Fah-kah-tah-nay. Be careful how you say it. <br />
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Anyway, we are hoping to participate in a most unusual experience tomorrow and that will be the subject of another post. Stay tuned.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You have bad breath!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally, up close and personal</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The world's record is 45 sec/sheep</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, there is a Romney breed of sheep!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy's horns were impressive (the one on the left)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Island Rendevous, Whatakane</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-65013834418361340862012-02-01T17:18:00.000-08:002012-02-01T22:16:45.493-08:00Over the TopThursday, February 2, 2012<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGtsBbdNJYyMTZS0BHfnmnqxrNJEzPb3VIlRfoJ4B1GuyLjR2vqepXKOHJVDTd-3iVJ8Ot2rHb0yBLvwlp8GeKjQJ4TUwViZ8IlAxNz0Fi8crXT1vz8GnebZLdx5dHaejffGwREEtTfeO/s1600/IMG_2827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGtsBbdNJYyMTZS0BHfnmnqxrNJEzPb3VIlRfoJ4B1GuyLjR2vqepXKOHJVDTd-3iVJ8Ot2rHb0yBLvwlp8GeKjQJ4TUwViZ8IlAxNz0Fi8crXT1vz8GnebZLdx5dHaejffGwREEtTfeO/s320/IMG_2827.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Doom</td></tr>
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There are lots of tourist attractions vying for your attention (and US dollars) over here in NZ where tourism is the #1 industry. We attended an orientation session at our lodge last Saturday morning and several groups came and told us about themselves. One of them was Terry Blumhardt, the owner and chief guide for <a href="http://www.walkingplaces.co.nz/">Walking Places</a>. We were impressed with him and his service, even though the prospect of an all day hike up over a mountain was a bit daunting. And just what would Terry add to the hike that we couldn't learn ahead of time by a little reading and research?<br />
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We committed and the hike was set for yesterday, the 1st of February. I'm happy to say today that we are alive and well and in recovery.<br />
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The hike was described in Terry's brochure as the <i>Tongariro Alpine Crossing</i>. The length was a full day, the difficulty, "challenging" and the distance, 20 km. (That translates to 12.5 miles.) The brochure goes on to describe the walk: "Find out why this walk is often described as the best one day walk in the world, with a guide who really knows the secrets of this stunning area. Enjoy an unhurried experience over Tongariro that avoids the crowds."<br />
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It turned out to be all of that and more. The <i>Crossing</i> is a popular hike. Sometimes 500 people are on the trail at one time. They are bussed in at 6:00 am, hit the trail and are told they need to be at the end of the trail at 3:00 pm to meet the bus. Basically, it's a one-way track with all of the traffic moving in the same direction. The hikers include school groups, foreign tourists and local kiwis out to "make the crossing."<br />
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Terry's idea is to start later and avoid the crowds. We began the walk at around 9:30 am and Roger, Terry's associate, agreed to meet us in the parking lot when Terry summoned him back by cell phone. Our group included Kim, a local Turangi lady who had never made the trip, Bill & Christine from San Francisco, and Sandra and me. Bill is an attorney and Christine is a physician so we had all the bases covered. <br />
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There were others on the trail. A group of high school students passed us. School has just begun after the summer break and this was their introduction to the geography class. We didn't seem them after about the halfway point of the hike. There were other individuals passing us from time to time, but the big rush of people must have been on their way well before we were.<br />
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The trail was every bit of challenge the brochure promised, especially to two over-60 grandparents, whose preparation had been a stroll up and down the nearby river. We ascended about 3500 feet and then had to descend the same. There were steps to climb - I wish I knew how many, but they were usually flights of no more than 13 steps at a time and they went on and on. That was no doubt an improvement over the rocky trail of the past. There were also rocky places where you had to pick your way over fairly large volcanic rocks. Much had been done to improve the trail with boardwalks, non-skid netting, and the endless steps. <br />
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By about Noon, we were high enough to look back on the parking lot (carpark the call it here) which was not but a speck in the distance. The trek took us up to the area where the big 3 volcanoes exist: Mt. Tongariro, Mt. Ngauruhoe (Mt. Doom in Lord of the Rings) and Mt. Ruapehu. We crossed over between the first two and saw the third off in the distance. Actually, we crossed down through the crater of Mt. Tongariro. (also the place where we ate the lunch Terry had prepared for us)<br />
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We dressed with layers. I wore shorts and in a couple of places regretted that decision. As we reached the higher saddles, the cold wind became stronger, sometimes hitting over 50 mph. Terry had equipped us with warm hats, gloves, raincoat and rain pants. Fortunately, we felt rain only once and it was coming at us horizontally. Once over the top and down in the crater, things settled down and we could focus on putting one foot in front of the other. <br />
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The Department of Conservation maintains the trail and Terry told us they've spent millions to make improvements over the years. They also fly helicopters up there to pump out the toilets. There are four of them along the route, counting the beginning and the end of the trail. They need it. You supply your own paper, thanks again to Terry.<br />
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Sandra wore hiking boots which Terry supplied. He had no size 13's for me, so I wore my Dr. Scholl's $30 walking shoes. By about the 6th mile, Sandra's boots were pretty heavy. Terry also provided walking sticks which took off some of the strain, especially on the downward part of the trail. <br />
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The halfway point came at around 1:00 pm and shortly thereafter, we also began the long descent. It took us on a winding switchback of trail with some improved track and the beginning of countless steps. The steps take you down in a hurry, but they are also hard on ankles, knees and hips. Especially those over 60 years in age. Toward the end, Sandra was doing one step at a time with support from her walking sticks. I was close behind to protect her from marauding mountain lions and bears. (just kidding - only wildlife we experienced were singing birds)<br />
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Finally, around 4:30 pm we were down at the last toilet stop. It's also a hut for overnighters who go on extended hikes lasting days. According to the sign we were an hour and a half from the carpark. We got there at around 7:30 pm which is an indication of our condition near the end of the hike. Terry was there with us to the end, patiently assisting as needed, encouraging with this words and optimistic that we would make it to the end, which was always just ahead. <br />
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We made it. In the process, we learned much about volcanoes, but we also learned much about ourselves. The biggest challenge we faced was the mental one which at times was telling the physical part of us that we wouldn't be able to do it. "Bring in the helicopter," I thought about saying more than once, after Terry related several incidents of people needing to be rescued for various reasons. He said there was no cost for these emergencies to the victim but the citizens of NZ paid the bill. But hearing him reassure us that we could do was enough to keep going and prove that it was possible for two over-60's to make it. Our training and preparation were minimal. We got ready by going up and down a nearby river. If we can do it, others can follow.<br />
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It feels good to sit down today, but it sure is hard to get up and walk around.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down at the point of departure</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sulphur Creek</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUa7fnPiTeJU6_BxEyThj0qTpMGpIfqAgsPQSVgivqK0jTH9GImCCiKx4jRxXTqmLi0rveIqi2XbmjMmmTTNRLG5JSI2IsOY7J3jIIRCkPnkZVmThMOvM-po5qlqiS7WWFTpnEhmWCvLz/s1600/IMG_2826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUa7fnPiTeJU6_BxEyThj0qTpMGpIfqAgsPQSVgivqK0jTH9GImCCiKx4jRxXTqmLi0rveIqi2XbmjMmmTTNRLG5JSI2IsOY7J3jIIRCkPnkZVmThMOvM-po5qlqiS7WWFTpnEhmWCvLz/s320/IMG_2826.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toward Lake Taupo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doom in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Red Crater up close</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 Emerald Lakes with high school hikers resting nearby</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two weary trekkers</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're 5 hours into the hike at this point</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stairway to the stars</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEz4_e9Wl349EzCuRT-cjmmdJFM25uFGAtjrc83RjFleIHSoITgxFHFg3RpQGgfo6QCiyXyq5KHAUAXRELH2ixk8OVWpQYeAYvvAM0vQIlIbDYq6mi-CNqa3llopYYjiEYBN9a9l51PUA1/s1600/IMG_2929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEz4_e9Wl349EzCuRT-cjmmdJFM25uFGAtjrc83RjFleIHSoITgxFHFg3RpQGgfo6QCiyXyq5KHAUAXRELH2ixk8OVWpQYeAYvvAM0vQIlIbDYq6mi-CNqa3llopYYjiEYBN9a9l51PUA1/s320/IMG_2929.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Somehow these little plants find a way to grow</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-26353855876338909322012-01-30T22:27:00.000-08:002012-01-30T22:27:34.099-08:00White Water TongariroThe last (and only) time I remember rafting down a river was the Sandy River in Oregon. It was a quiet Sunday afternoon and I think we were in some kind of canoe. Since then, I've wondered what rafting a little wilder river might be like. Today, my wondering was answered.<br />
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We booked with <a href="http://www.trr.co.nz/">Tongariro River Rafting</a>, an outfit that's been in business for about 20 years here in Turangi. They definitely knew what they were doing. They picked us up at our lodge, greeted us warmly, outfitted us with wetsuits, boots and helmets and then made the rest of the day good wet fun.<br />
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After dressing up, we boarded their van and drove about 15 minutes to the launch point on the Tongariro River. The 40 or so rapids we went through over a course of 12 km were rated no higher than a 3 on the 5 point scale. That means no one fell into the river and no rapids were extreme. We did hit the bank several times and did some spin arounds but we also had good wet fun. And we were always safe.<br />
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The biggest challenge we faced was getting hung up on rocks several times. Most of the time we could rock ourselves free; however, once "Mad Dog Mike" our guide was forced to get out of the boat to rock us free. It was lots of fun.<br />
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Sandra and Rachel "volunteered" to be in front of the boat. It's good it was them as they ended up flying around back on several occasions. Better them than one of us guys. Two in our party were Aussies, our guide and Peter are Kiwi's and there were us two Yanks. <br />
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The canyon we came down was gorgeous. Steep cliffs, evidence of volcanic activity, trees, beautifully clear and pure water - it was New Zealand at its finest. We enjoyed three hours of fun, challenge, some physical activity, photo ops, and good fellowship at the end. To top it off, they presented us with photos we took along the way and some taken by our driver, who happened to come along in time for the last big rapids.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 1st task: hauling the raft to the river</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We launched!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy sailors!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQHTn6yNSJKdzoCnx4FR_FaofVFJ3ziZpjzWy8y9U355cWg8XyxMfnRBHQwjWoyScvt61h_1z12cE5WxrxcDRwvUBCXry-eieF3RhJuz9yjEVJfBW8rXizJzQRkeJQ9Es4I5s55C24Op_/s1600/IMG_6651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQHTn6yNSJKdzoCnx4FR_FaofVFJ3ziZpjzWy8y9U355cWg8XyxMfnRBHQwjWoyScvt61h_1z12cE5WxrxcDRwvUBCXry-eieF3RhJuz9yjEVJfBW8rXizJzQRkeJQ9Es4I5s55C24Op_/s320/IMG_6651.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smile and look brave for the camera!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEaVCL0DydwL5bW4gnjKWy3gkgCa9QtpWTYxNHWKiKS-nZZOonwQmts_mdJnKFyQS-MJrw2BfEkgxLuWMfTf45onrXkUIQNyrG7plcpTBbllKZPZiVRhUw4II0X4UYgOJx9TPjeDxPbJp/s1600/IMG_6676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEaVCL0DydwL5bW4gnjKWy3gkgCa9QtpWTYxNHWKiKS-nZZOonwQmts_mdJnKFyQS-MJrw2BfEkgxLuWMfTf45onrXkUIQNyrG7plcpTBbllKZPZiVRhUw4II0X4UYgOJx9TPjeDxPbJp/s320/IMG_6676.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The final spas!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJO2FYDmvmQB_fioYRfGwLQvrOwYqc2Nh5hZ_-1zOqJE139ykde7urZeczuTV-vp18L63yQtqlGwTTIMo3hd-9nQS2E44nkR8ToAaalCTx0jYGDzaI9teNoM-7oLSgXACLIh_ZIKqxv_v/s1600/IMG_6684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJO2FYDmvmQB_fioYRfGwLQvrOwYqc2Nh5hZ_-1zOqJE139ykde7urZeczuTV-vp18L63yQtqlGwTTIMo3hd-9nQS2E44nkR8ToAaalCTx0jYGDzaI9teNoM-7oLSgXACLIh_ZIKqxv_v/s320/IMG_6684.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of each: Yanks, Aussies, Kiwis</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-65369641560950894122012-01-30T21:57:00.000-08:002012-01-30T22:00:57.706-08:00Four Wheelin' in the BushMonday, January 30, 2012<br />
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As part of my research on what to see and do in New Zealand, I connected with Trip Advisor of New Zealand, a website outfit which sorts out various places and makes recommendations based on user feedback and reviews. I was looking at activities near Turangi, where we are staying for a week. Near the top of the list in recommendations was <a href="http://www.tongariroquads.com/">Tongariro Quads</a>. They were rated second by reviewers to an ancient tree somewhere north of Auckland. (The tree is the largest and one of the oldest in NZ and apparently there are moonlight hikes out to see it.)<br />
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So we made a date with the Quads online and yesterday the date came up. We can now commend it to others. <br />
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We drove about 30 km out from Turangi, headed into the Tongariro National Park. Our drive took us up to a viewpoint where we got a look at Lake Taupo and the surrounding territory. As they frequently say here, “Fantastic!” (In the U.S. they would probably say “Amazing!”) The accompanying photo gives some idea of the volcanic nature of this area of the island.<br />
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We arrived at a rural school and drove around to the back where Malcolm and Jason greeted us. Four others signed up for the trek and 8 Honda Four Wheel Quads (that’s redundant, I know) were lined up and ready to go. After introductions and a safety talk from Malcolm, we donned our helmets, revved up the motors (basically turned them on) and set out like baby ducklings following single file behind their mother. Jason brought up the rear, somewhere back behind me. (We were advised not to turn around and look behind us because that would throw off steering our own vehicle.)<br />
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Things started out pretty calm on a gravel road and I practiced shifting up and down the range of five gears. We were told that we could probably drive without ever using the handbrakes if we learned to downshift properly. I found that to be pretty accurate. Otherwise, driving was pretty much like a motorcycle or a moped which Danny and I used to drive around Wahiawa delivering newspapers. <br />
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The difference in terrain soon made quad-riding more challenging. Malcolm led his ducklings into the bush. The area we traversed had been logged many years ago and the trails were old logging roads, now overgrown with low bushes and small trees. It was now a narrow path worn down regularly by Tongariro Quads. There were various trails leading off the main one but Malcolm dropped cones to keep us on the right path. We also tried to keep up with the person in front of us. Guess who I was following? You got it, and she was tough to follow. Many times I lost sight of her red Honda as she blazed through the bush.<br />
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The fun came as we negotiated various streams and mudholes along the path. Several times one or more of the quads got stuck and needed either Malcolm or Jason or both of them to rock and roll and push the quad out of the muck. Then the next guy had a better idea of where to drive his rig to avoid the same plight. <br />
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There were also some obstacles in the path. Downed trees, major roots, rocks and deep ruts in the trail made things interesting. The trail was often sloped one way or the other and we were told to shift our bodies to remain upright and keep control. Malcolm had advised us not to stick out our foot and if all else failed to jump off the quad. On this day, no one resorted to that. I do remember watching Sandra’s quad catch some air once as she flew over a big bump in the trail. <br />
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We were equipped with helmets and I can see why. There were low hanging tree limbs and I was constantly ducking to stay beneath them. We went to through marshy areas where tufted grasses grow and the fronds overhung the trail. Bugs, flying insects, and even honeybees weren’t much of a problem as we breezed past. <br />
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We rode around for about four hours and somewhere at about the three hour mark we stopped for tea, coffee and milo along with some muffins and cookies. Malcolm provided and we enjoyed. He told us about some of his unappreciative clients, others whose expectations were not met, and a few funny stories about ladies falling or jumping off. Tourism is down in NZ and people are spending less money on adventures such as his, so things are tough. He takes groups out all year long and needs about 12 customers per week to make it. Had it not been for the World Rugby Championship last year, he might have gone under. His Trip Advisor ratings have also given him a boost.<br />
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Our trip back to camp took us through another stream and past the honeybee hives. This rider didn’t get his feet wet and didn’t get stuck in any mud hole. Those who did returned with wet shoes, pants and more. I guess I was in the right position to learn from their mistakes. <br />
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A fun day and one more adventure checked off the list!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8deV6AxF2GE9IdwvvSJZCLw7go8cwpnuLoDJNPaj7dIBTozAisVMllfxkHqZH1-1LWA4QJu-O7IPjn8F-vXH2KykDc-I0Xu6jER7dBRkKBJdxo8Qfcs_EjSVC6rMjHE8kxQXJCqvwxxh/s1600/IMG_2750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8deV6AxF2GE9IdwvvSJZCLw7go8cwpnuLoDJNPaj7dIBTozAisVMllfxkHqZH1-1LWA4QJu-O7IPjn8F-vXH2KykDc-I0Xu6jER7dBRkKBJdxo8Qfcs_EjSVC6rMjHE8kxQXJCqvwxxh/s320/IMG_2750.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Taupo in the distance</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's get ready to rumble.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplZotYUbke6-DWccWZtlTy05DMNO-sVMG0Ju_s-A_AqgTtmBK6YTVFcSgYSPCQlIkySszszABOILL2iAARMMyWfNAvMxemIVnCUsyYiPAil6LOVwiVNTt85lWU9NFA9pKwqWSDi2CFbCM/s1600/IMG_2753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplZotYUbke6-DWccWZtlTy05DMNO-sVMG0Ju_s-A_AqgTtmBK6YTVFcSgYSPCQlIkySszszABOILL2iAARMMyWfNAvMxemIVnCUsyYiPAil6LOVwiVNTt85lWU9NFA9pKwqWSDi2CFbCM/s320/IMG_2753.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm supposed to drive where?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhau6wHL-6Ytw5Ma0GUI2Gopt5fUd1DeRhA9TRIneOQFghZd_47gjVaYuwxeXxf6rL2XyWms9c-tx7qO5LxTyfBs9X6obk08gVR4RWELAikUOBZZYVOLwFaie6tu1JUzgjXMmA0Ev-K1Cns/s1600/IMG_2755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhau6wHL-6Ytw5Ma0GUI2Gopt5fUd1DeRhA9TRIneOQFghZd_47gjVaYuwxeXxf6rL2XyWms9c-tx7qO5LxTyfBs9X6obk08gVR4RWELAikUOBZZYVOLwFaie6tu1JUzgjXMmA0Ev-K1Cns/s320/IMG_2755.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smile now - it won't last long.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORoHzRSHEnq1bbQw3sIKUCSrh37wEd-R62eCNHnAqyKFbiYuQvB5SwRdv2LyqX2o9kWkT_Bd-cjJY-Rw8UDzqufrDO9IsHnsCbBQtwDN-_q7KgqVcnGUa2BtohLT_NLP9-vqDsJYToD5q/s1600/IMG_2756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORoHzRSHEnq1bbQw3sIKUCSrh37wEd-R62eCNHnAqyKFbiYuQvB5SwRdv2LyqX2o9kWkT_Bd-cjJY-Rw8UDzqufrDO9IsHnsCbBQtwDN-_q7KgqVcnGUa2BtohLT_NLP9-vqDsJYToD5q/s320/IMG_2756.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malcolm giving instructions at a river crossing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcGlv34WYlZd4xCG4HJ2vjGBE8CbzxBfeOGFxEiD3A668AML4eTW0QLJNp-OLcoLmnMNOmj8uheRQtMyRTB1B0sIM1WPhSg0__TsZwdYwCTJv813K873irHxu9T54gZCy2DdemQ_S3GX3/s1600/IMG_2757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcGlv34WYlZd4xCG4HJ2vjGBE8CbzxBfeOGFxEiD3A668AML4eTW0QLJNp-OLcoLmnMNOmj8uheRQtMyRTB1B0sIM1WPhSg0__TsZwdYwCTJv813K873irHxu9T54gZCy2DdemQ_S3GX3/s320/IMG_2757.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You go first, Dan</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feet up - got to protect my Dr. Scholl's shoes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The water feels good on my feet</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A volcanic peak with cloud cover</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ewww - the water is brown</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feet up!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just jump off if it feels like you're going to tip over</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new shoes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our sponsors</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm glad there are no alligators in NZ</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One more river to cross.</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-91218585774553552492012-01-29T02:20:00.001-08:002012-01-29T12:19:16.041-08:00Hello, North IslandSunday, January 29, 2012<br />
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About 1.3 million people live in Auckland and surrounding suburbs. That's about 1/3 of the country. Another 1/3 of the people live on the North Island. That leaves 1/3 of the country's people living on the South Island. So we knew we would see more activity, more traffic, more towns and cities as we continued to the North Island.<br />
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We flew out of Queenstown on Friday morning, arriving in Auckland about two hours later. The evidence of more people was readily apparent as we waited for the rental car van to pick us up. We missed it the first time around and waited another half hour as he came around again. Then we waited another hour to finalize arrangements for our car. In Queenstown, the whole process took about 10 minutes.
Driving out of the airport, we were greeted by a freeway leading south to Hamilton. Another evidence of a big city was heavy traffic, police pullovers, and big trucks. I think we experienced one freeway on the South Island just outside of Dunedin.<br />
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The North Island is greener and from Hamilton south we saw lush dairy and horse farms. We're still wondering where and how the farmers milk their cows. There are no big barns, but I suppose modern milking operations don't need big areas. We were told that many of them operate lazy Susan style.<br />
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Our destination on Friday was Turangi which is in the center of the North Island and about four hours driving time from Auckland. Turangi sits on the south end of Lake Taupo which is the crater of a major volcanic eruption dating back to 186 AD. It was so major that ash was distributed as far away as China. Lake Taupo is the largest in New Zealand. We caught a glimpse of it off in the distance as we drove down from the west. We'll probably see more of it when we leave here in a week.<br />
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Turangi was more populated in the past when construction of a hydro power plant was in the works. Since it was completed, the town has shrunk in size, down to 3900 or so today. It proclaims itself as the "trout fishing capital of the world." Since I don't do much fishing, I'm not sure where all the activity is, but there are many nearby rivers feeding the big lake. We met a man named Ian, who for a fee, will take you out somewhere and get you started fishing. We met someone else in church this morning who asked if we were here to fish. He reported that "there are some other Americans out at the lake fishing."<br />
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Church was a different experience. There are only three of them listed for the town. One is Catholic, another is a combination of Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist, and the third is the Turangi Evangelical Church. We chose it but had a few reservations when we noted only two cars in the lot five minutes before the service was to begin at 10:45 this morning. We went anyway and were not disappointed.
The pastor, John Campbell, greeted us and gave us the bulletin. His wife was playing the piano. There were maybe a dozen others in attendance. The service was a mix of easy traditional hymns, a Scripture reading, a couple of prayers, a 45-minute sermon and some warm welcomes at the end.<br />
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There were more visitors than members. We learned that there are only about 5 families in membership which is down considerable from the 60 or so at one time. This is probably a reflection on the times and the downturn in the size of the community. The Gospel was certainly preached and we as Lutherans appreciated that. I had a great conversation with a couple of friendly guys after the service, one of whom was a pastor from Wellington here for a holiday.
A further evidence of friendliness came from the pastor's wife who invited us over to lunch. We politely declined, knowing that we have food that needs to be consumed before we hit the road on Friday.<br />
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This afternoon we took a walk along a local "track" that took us over the Tongariro River and up the opposited side to a highway bridge. We are getting ready for a major hike on Wednesday. More about that later. Suffice it to say that we have some work to do in preparation.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-79778016635202575572012-01-27T17:55:00.000-08:002012-01-27T18:23:11.300-08:00Voyage to Walter PeakThursday, January 26, 2012<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We returned to Queenstown today and after checking in at the Pounamu Apartments for the evening, we drove downtown in time to catch a ride across Lake Wakatipu on the TSS Earnslaw.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">There is a whole bunch of history wrapped up in that first sentence. Allow me to unpack a few things before describing the trip.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">First, <a href="http://www.queenstownnz.co.nz/" target="_blank">Queenstown</a>, is the #1 travel destination in New Zealand. The name originated as the town prepared for a visit from Queen Victoria many years ago. They wanted the city to be "fit for a queen" so in her honor that gave it the name <i>Queenstown</i>.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.artworksnz.co.nz/greenstone-nephrite-jade.html" target="_blank">Pounamu</a> is the Maori word for greenstone, a type of jade that was found in this region and brought much commerce to the area. An appropriate word for these apartments. Smartly furnished right out of an Ikea catalog.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><a href="http://experiencequeenstown.com/lake-wakatipu/" target="_blank">Lake Wakatipu</a></i> is a large, beautiful lake, next to which Queenstown sits. It is 98% pure, according to one local, who said you could drink from its waters with no fear. At one time, it was major means of transportation and that leads to the steamer, the <a href="http://www.realjourneys.co.nz/Main/TSSEarnslaw/" target="_blank">TSS Earnslaw</a>, which now makes frequent daily trips from one end of the lake to the other.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Years ago, there were farmers homesteading land on the shores of the lake. They needed supplies and a means of transporting goods to market. To meet the demand, a steamship line was created and a steamship built and outfitted for the lake. The "twin screw steamer" was built in Dunedin and then taken apart for transport by train to Kingston, a small town on Lake Wakatipu. There it was reassembled and commissioned the TSS Earnslaw. Its maiden voyage was in October, 1912 and almost 100 years later, it is still making trips daily.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">These days the ship is run by <i>Real Journeys, </i>a tourism outfit. Today the boat hauls people to want to visit the Walter Peak Farm. Back then, the ship would haul everything from sheep to construction equipment.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Today the boat departed in a rainstorm that didn't let up the whole time. We were issued umbrellas at the farm, where we did a Homestead tour. A couple ladies told us the history of the place, showed us photos of the McKenzie family who brought it into existence, and then we sampled wine and indulged in small talk with fellow tourists. I wondered just who this<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lake_Wakatipu_(Walter_Peak).jpg" target="_blank"> Walter Peak</a> person was. There was no answer forthcoming from the guides.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Our visit was over in about an hour and we returned to Queenstown on the Earnslaw as the rain continued. What made the return trip enjoyable was sitting around a grand piano on the lower deck and singing some old time sing-alongs with a bunch of folks from the UK. They were loud and rousing when it came to songs like "You take the high road and I'll take the low road," but we also sang "The Yellow Rose of Texas" and they did well with that one also.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">So who was Walter Peak, I wondered. Further thought and research led me to the answer. One of the original settlers decided to name the mountain which is the back drop for the farm. He chose the name Walter to honor his son and the mountain was named Walter Peak. Hmm. Isn't there a similar place in Colorado?</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fPAYvabdQmG9T2MdXfyoroZ9sUWcmndSfmo6MZjujKh1DDn9JRG5VSfmEj5C8hJr3V8aSNwSU8hX1Vfd3zJGtHW8oKzIXmLQIhUtT-mGg9QZm1SClAhXE9Nv8DSLGuMpJ1ZVRzziT0nd/s1600/IMG_2658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fPAYvabdQmG9T2MdXfyoroZ9sUWcmndSfmo6MZjujKh1DDn9JRG5VSfmEj5C8hJr3V8aSNwSU8hX1Vfd3zJGtHW8oKzIXmLQIhUtT-mGg9QZm1SClAhXE9Nv8DSLGuMpJ1ZVRzziT0nd/s320/IMG_2658.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The TSS Earnslaw coming to share at Queenstown</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizXP9smh0r5PYxRAH6BJbUD4_TsAd0HF-dijYnAGsTUtyzY0-3s-dVbIraigGLdj5wCMws4mcCqIkwPb8AdlxAFJtKuyhDCX14BhleZWqtbCDQ0eb91CCvEn2zsv5wlXADxJWeAGTieFM/s1600/IMG_2648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizXP9smh0r5PYxRAH6BJbUD4_TsAd0HF-dijYnAGsTUtyzY0-3s-dVbIraigGLdj5wCMws4mcCqIkwPb8AdlxAFJtKuyhDCX14BhleZWqtbCDQ0eb91CCvEn2zsv5wlXADxJWeAGTieFM/s320/IMG_2648.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walter Peak High Country Farm</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM063R14_ooo3uCJewX3ksHBvs2LscpREOQ-n1f0A4Xp2a2Od8kHJA8Lj_9otIihdL9DPBFz4kseh7_YuHgxe80NglLm5axfkAfG0qtDar2SUM-d2mi_qQqHYUIexB3z1nY5eYRjgEV4ss/s1600/IMG_2651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM063R14_ooo3uCJewX3ksHBvs2LscpREOQ-n1f0A4Xp2a2Od8kHJA8Lj_9otIihdL9DPBFz4kseh7_YuHgxe80NglLm5axfkAfG0qtDar2SUM-d2mi_qQqHYUIexB3z1nY5eYRjgEV4ss/s320/IMG_2651.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hostess and guide</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original farmhouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers grow here in abundance</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down at the steam engines on the Earnslaw</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our pianist and song leader on the return trip</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two old guys - one from Somerset, UK and the other?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-81945951248489489292012-01-25T16:20:00.000-08:002012-01-26T01:03:11.534-08:00The 8th Wonder of the WorldWednesday, January 25, 2012<br />
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As with most countries of the world, there are places labeled as "must sees" by both the locals and the visitors. In New Zealand there is a list of "101 must-do's for New Zealanders" and #16 and #26 both are in Fjordland. After the last two days, we can see why these places are on the list. <br />
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Fjordland is the southwestern corner of the South Island and is now a national park. It is remote and rugged but visited by thousands who come by bus, car, plane, boat and on foot to see the wonders of this place. It's ironic that Captain James Cook had a chance to become one of the first outsiders to Milford Sound, but he didn't see the opening from out there on the Tasman Sea and boated on by. He is credited with seeing the beauty of the place back in 1770 on one of his voyages of discovery. <br />
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Maori legend says that the gods carved out deep canyons into the coastal mountains, beginning to the south and moving northward. There are 14 such fjords over a space of 200 km of coastline. That's over 100 miles of coast and the sheer granite mountains rise straight up from the sea to a height of some 2700 meters (almost 9,000 feet). The total area is nearly 3 million acres, making it a little larger than Yellowstone Park in the U.S. By the time whoever was doing the carving got to the north end of the area they were getting to be real creative and the northernmost fjord, today known as Milford, turned out to be the most beautiful. Today it is also the most popular when it comes to visitors.<br />
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So we decided many months ago, this was one place we didn't want to miss. The question was not 'if' but 'how' and 'when.' Those who walk to Milford spend three or four days getting there, staying overnight in "huts" maintained by the park service. You can drive your car and there is lodging at the end of the road, but it is a one-way road and very few services at the end. Most come in by tour bus and we were among those who booked a tour out of TeAnau, the nearest city. Sitting in a bus was a new experience for me, after sitting behind the driver's wheel for over a week. The driver was informative and the bus was not crowded. We stopped several times along the four hour drive, with great views of streams, mountains and rainforest. The final descent took us through a tunnel and down to the Sound.<br />
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The driver pointed out that the word "sound" is really a misnomer. It should be called Milford Fjord, since it is a deep canyon carved by glaciers and the water is saltwater from the sea. We arrived at around 4:00 pm and boarded our overnight cruise ship a half hour later. There were about 50 of us booked on "The Mariner" and another 30 or so rode on a sister ship, "The Wanderer."<br />
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After getting oriented to the ship and safety procedures, we set off on an hour-long cruise towards the Tasman. It's easy to see who Milford Sound is so popular. There were people on board from many countries and all were awed by the scenes which unfolded before us. Mitre Peak is the icon - a tall mountain shaped like a bishop's headgear jutted up from the water. Beyond were snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps and countless waterfalls cascading over cliffs and downward. The sights are too numerous to describe with words. Hopefully, there will be photos and videos added to this page to give better meaning. <br />
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We anchored in a small protected bay and then were given opportunity to get out into the Sea either individually in kayaks or in small groups in 12-person motor craft. We opted for the latter and saw seals, fishing boats, and imagined looking across the Tasman Sea to Sydney, Australia, a thousand miles away. <br />
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We returned to The Mariner in time for a great buffet dinner, some light entertainment and then settling in for the night in our cabin. The water was very calm and the only annoyance was the engine room next door to us where a motor hummed all night to keep the generators working. The next morning it was more great food for breakfast and the ship made a quick trip out to deeper waters before turning around and heading back to port. Along the way we waved at occupants of two large ocean-going cruise ships which had also spent the night in the Sound. We got back to the dock at around 9:30 am.<br />
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Most of those on board returned to either Queenstown or TeAnau by bus. We elected to fly back to TeAnau in a small five seater Cessna operated by Fjordland Airlines. The flight was s stunning finale as we flew past some of the peaks we had seen from sea level. Our pilot was a young Amelia Earhart, who skillfully took us up and up and then gently down to TeAnau International. She tied the plane down (literally) and drove us back to town in her company station wagon. <br />
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If you are coming to New Zealand, Milford will be here waiting for you.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready to board . . .</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our vessel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Skipper</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPF9XcnSumN5_2Ie6Y7SxS5gzUqw-_Q-69c-48daiWByZ_CkQlwn8Ra5DdlpBDQAmWpifvok-LSmkqcszqlwLmIpscZeSxiHRXYcSRbCjjJmlsBzYI261tAw8Xt9gvsmElPNGH4nnTIAI-/s1600/IMG_2388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPF9XcnSumN5_2Ie6Y7SxS5gzUqw-_Q-69c-48daiWByZ_CkQlwn8Ra5DdlpBDQAmWpifvok-LSmkqcszqlwLmIpscZeSxiHRXYcSRbCjjJmlsBzYI261tAw8Xt9gvsmElPNGH4nnTIAI-/s320/IMG_2388.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our suite, room 19</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIukGlZ6K7G7OIGJMEDY97LsYQnpv1Q4Fzdi6_tzaUIFO0ZLhU5iuqVtPEYJaeIq2lWiPK_dyfBrfnaN78N5yKKvGsPgltTPzIk7djeMm0DkviqT7i8QpaO_oIdOxTrMXnzQs3UdV48lP/s1600/IMG_2389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIukGlZ6K7G7OIGJMEDY97LsYQnpv1Q4Fzdi6_tzaUIFO0ZLhU5iuqVtPEYJaeIq2lWiPK_dyfBrfnaN78N5yKKvGsPgltTPzIk7djeMm0DkviqT7i8QpaO_oIdOxTrMXnzQs3UdV48lP/s320/IMG_2389.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading out in a smaller boat to see the Sound up close</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peacefully anchored for the night</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJdnhnnMYZCt9a2SdoyrHuABXq-jkvTlFl9rd1m-f02DlkFmKeGjUDelhO_yOyt328fmqWKgz1z3qPtEy33yu4PaBrynzP27Kd-Mbiqw4JbKjE-YvHUJH8Xf_53E7-b7dnqhi8wFw_z1K/s1600/IMG_2435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJdnhnnMYZCt9a2SdoyrHuABXq-jkvTlFl9rd1m-f02DlkFmKeGjUDelhO_yOyt328fmqWKgz1z3qPtEy33yu4PaBrynzP27Kd-Mbiqw4JbKjE-YvHUJH8Xf_53E7-b7dnqhi8wFw_z1K/s320/IMG_2435.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cruise ship #1</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cruise Ship #2</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1S-D9M9CBAYiYR7InfkQYejor6Wdl_KOz8hbpmmXa1N65eLbC1BZnslzEEbqJaJwcQAEtFJFOglOTKmVgLRgAlE2vY4bUIx67cVd4F-8tyo177IFcBe33sKRLm2VxzRhw8jeuKPT-naH/s1600/IMG_2459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1S-D9M9CBAYiYR7InfkQYejor6Wdl_KOz8hbpmmXa1N65eLbC1BZnslzEEbqJaJwcQAEtFJFOglOTKmVgLRgAlE2vY4bUIx67cVd4F-8tyo177IFcBe33sKRLm2VxzRhw8jeuKPT-naH/s320/IMG_2459.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">up in the clouds out of Milford</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKp7mIoEGTB_X_yWxDeEU6y1L8YUu4XweSJ2HmCPNC2P0ltRdKZzowMH9rF4quyF6Kqu2QEzyQPso5aKEVG3o7XR5fKnqFERa1ZnnEF5rJycqjCs52I3eEyCH4uRLk3760e4DHzNSQWpL/s1600/IMG_2505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKp7mIoEGTB_X_yWxDeEU6y1L8YUu4XweSJ2HmCPNC2P0ltRdKZzowMH9rF4quyF6Kqu2QEzyQPso5aKEVG3o7XR5fKnqFERa1ZnnEF5rJycqjCs52I3eEyCH4uRLk3760e4DHzNSQWpL/s320/IMG_2505.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOTjmtG3jM6X7XTILaVUOumEWtp6K0KheerWDDia1NE8x0Q0tW6QCyizxsfkfDBfjoZwNNocGoxbWR_hGA22anf80TeXgKlmEZMX4ZHqzJXyT2_PSin2_GG5AfSTmIGN-f2kWtJUsKXsz/s1600/IMG_2506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOTjmtG3jM6X7XTILaVUOumEWtp6K0KheerWDDia1NE8x0Q0tW6QCyizxsfkfDBfjoZwNNocGoxbWR_hGA22anf80TeXgKlmEZMX4ZHqzJXyT2_PSin2_GG5AfSTmIGN-f2kWtJUsKXsz/s320/IMG_2506.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SsWsfr_Qzk3hav1hdxag77uE3iWxsQKkeo0m8Sbte9IvrqbijVZD3mVm1jKQoMJxDeMYCdmLy6zADPM7F7FvvFGqAD0VndiAtDatyrRaxGouZrIR8TAUznVMeSFiozGe9v-VN6xoqPqe/s1600/IMG_2549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SsWsfr_Qzk3hav1hdxag77uE3iWxsQKkeo0m8Sbte9IvrqbijVZD3mVm1jKQoMJxDeMYCdmLy6zADPM7F7FvvFGqAD0VndiAtDatyrRaxGouZrIR8TAUznVMeSFiozGe9v-VN6xoqPqe/s320/IMG_2549.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Cessna brought us out of the fjords</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgsmSC-MERBaCOiRkp3EzAq3WuOfRfIqc9JGctnlPlcPxPLdz_MnP-5jpvrxEpkCF96qLlHgs47tnneExE9oDA-W1a_WcWtQ0SfFuhQ9YlqaTUMcg38hSrRqZgvlMtKAp_yZ4YZ5usHEH/s1600/IMG_2566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgsmSC-MERBaCOiRkp3EzAq3WuOfRfIqc9JGctnlPlcPxPLdz_MnP-5jpvrxEpkCF96qLlHgs47tnneExE9oDA-W1a_WcWtQ0SfFuhQ9YlqaTUMcg38hSrRqZgvlMtKAp_yZ4YZ5usHEH/s320/IMG_2566.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back on Lake TeAnau from our private observation area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-52650825814614929262012-01-23T01:40:00.000-08:002012-01-26T00:47:03.173-08:00More than a Bed & Breakfast<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Sunday, January 22, 2012</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">Angela Tidey was looking for a change of occupation and explored various options. She settled on the hospitality industry and began looking for opportunities somewhere in New Zealand where she could invest the equity she had earned in her home. Over a two year period several opportunities came along to buy a hotel, a restaurant or something similar. An old house was for sale in Dunedin (roughly translated, Little Edinburgh) at the opposite end of the country and she decided she would make a move.</span></div></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">The house had been built in 1908. It was a single story home with an Edwardian (1901-1910) flavor. When she found it, college students were sharing the many bedrooms but they had taken surprisingly good care of things. Tin-pressed ceilings, wide wood trim and plaster walls were in good shape. The old doors could be refinished and the outside siding was still intact. She took on many of the restoration tasks singlehandedly, hiring an electrician and a plumber to do more specialized work. Within four months, back in 2007, she had rooms ready to rent as a Bed & Breakfast. She named her home <a href="http://www.atouchofelegance.co.nz/" target="_blank">Bygone Era Bed & Breakfast</a>. It fit in well in a city that prided itself for it Scottish connections. </span></div></div></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Back in 2007 Angela had a list of 500 things that needed attention, expense and energy. Five years later, the list is down to to 250 or so. Carpeting has been cleaned, walls are freshly painted in Edwardian hues, walls and ceilings are insulated for the first time, and plumbing and electricity are updated. There are now seven bedrooms and five full baths in the house. Baths are modern, clean and tidy. A wood burning stove heats the entire house in the winter with supplemental heat from electric space heaters in each room. All beds have electric blankets. Art work from local artists hang in every room and in the spacious main hallway. A living room which all share has a TV, piano and reading materials. There was tea and coffee available at all hours and even a supply of fresh cookies.</span></div></div></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Add to all of this Angela’s congenial personality, eagerness to share her story and her genuine interest in people and you have a wonderful guest experience. She also has cooking skill and demonstrated it with a sumptuous breakfast. Sandra chose scrambled eggs which were the fluffiest she had ever experienced. I had French toast, which Angela served on her “pretty plate.” Both of us had thick pieces of delicious bacon. While we waited for the main course, we enjoyed pieces of toast served with homemade jams a friend had recently delivered. Her eggs come from free range chickens raised by a 12-year old girl who personally delivers fresh eggs as needed. Tea, coffee and juice accompanied the meal and Angela also sat down for a time to answer our many questions. </span></div></div></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">This was our first B & B experience and it was wonderful. If you are coming to New Zealand, there is much to see and do in Dunedin. You could occupy several days soaking up the history and culture of the area. It’s also a vibrant university town with about 25,000 people connected to South Otago University as students, faculty and staff. But make sure you consider spending at least a night at the Bygone Era Bed & Breakfast. You will be blessed and impressed.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan hard at work in the living room at Bygone Era B & B</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out the pressed tin ceilings!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entry hallway</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our bath</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready for breakfast</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a menu of choices!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With hostess Angela</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the most photographed buildings in NZ - the Dunedin Railway Station</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All aboard!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's Cadbury not Gadbury</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Railway Station window</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ornate stairs in Railway Station, Dunedin</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vertical housing, Dunedin, NZ</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-60325650904091159062012-01-22T11:41:00.000-08:002012-01-23T01:53:26.057-08:00Weather or NotAt Christchurch we were eagerly anticipating a trip <a href="http://www.ballooning.co.nz/" target="_blank">Up Up and Away</a> in a hot air balloon. Yes, there was a recent tragedy with a balloon on the North Island, but we were undaunted. We checked in with the people as we arrived and were advised to call back in the morning at 4:00 am to learn whether things would go as planned. We would be picked up at 4:30 am in front of our motel and taken to the site. If all things went as planned our trip would take us up and over the Canterbury Plain at sunrise and we'd be afforded views of the farmland the seacoast, Christchurch and the distant mountains of the Southern Alps. Sleeping was difficult, waiting for the coming dawn and hoping not to miss the 4:00 wake-up alarm.<br />
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At 4:00 the alarms went off and we made the phone call. "I am sorry to advise you," the recorded message intoned, "but today's flights have been cancelled due to unstable weather on the Canterbury Plains. Please call our office number if you wish to reschedule." Disappointment. Sadness. But, on the other hand, relief that they don't simply go ahead with things and face consequences later. So we went back to sleep for a few more hours and contemplated the drive to Dunedin.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cookie Time Factory south of Christchurch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Christchurch is the largest city on the North Island and the center of commerce, religion, agriculture and trade. There is some kind of training center there for people exploring Antartica and it is the jumping off point for trips headed south. While it has the look and feel of British influence, there are nearby towns such as Akaroa that were settled by the French. That little village would be worth exploring someday. It sits in a protected harbor out on the Banks peninsula, which is that little piece of land projecting out to the east of Christchurch as you look at a map of the island.<br />
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Our host in Dunedin recommended three stops along the way and we took her advice. It was raining steadily as we left town and we could see why the flight was cancelled. Our first stop was unscheduled but unresistable. The <a href="http://www.cookietime.co.nz/" target="_blank">Cookie Time Factory</a> jumped out at us, begging a stop, even though it was Sunday. That reminds me that we did skip church on this Lord's Day, but we caught a couple of worship services on TV from the motel. One of them was a commemorative "Praise Be" program recorded in various churches affected by the earthquake. Very inspirational to see and hear people singing from their churches which are now out of operation.<br />
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The Cookie Time Factory store sells broken pieces and irregulars from the factory next door. Good deals on quantities since the cookies they sell in small "dairy stores" along the way are those big cookies you see packaged one per pack and selling for $1.00 each. Here they were selling them in a bag for about 50 cents each. We gave in and bought a their apricot/chocolate chip something-or-others.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newly restored buildings of Oamaru stone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>On to Dunedin. Place #1 on our stop-and-see list was a town called <a href="http://home.xtra.co.nz/hosts/oamaru/7HistoricPrecinct.html" target="_blank">Oamaru</a>. It is on the coast and was established back in 1860-1870 as a British port, probably as a place to export sheep and other agricultural goods. Now they are doing restoration work on old buildings near the harbor. The buildings are constructed of Oamaru stone, which apparently was quarried in the area. Check out their website for more details. We drove through a Sandra jumped out for some photos. <br />
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The #2 place on the list was down the road a few kilometers at <a href="http://www.moerakiboulders.com/" target="_blank">Moeraki Boulders</a>. If I were better versed in New Zealand history, I might have a little more appreciation for some big round boulders sitting on the beach. But there were many people stopping to look, take the trek down to the beach, and then browse through the gift shop back up the trail. They did have restrooms which are always necessary.<br />
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A few more kilometers down highway 1 we came to <a href="http://www.panoramicearth.com/1581/North_Otago/Shag_Points" target="_blank">Shag Point</a>, which juts out into the Pacific and reminded me in many ways of the Oregon Coast. Seals come to these rocks to rest and sunbathe. They are joined by shags, a black and white sea bird and albatross. At another point here, the smallest penguins in the world come home nightly to rest from the rigors of swimming in the ocean. They are the "yellow-eyed penguins" or hoiho penguins. We didn't see any from the observation point but we googled a photo to make it look like we did. <br />
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From there we made it to Dunedin in time for dinner and a great introduction to our B & B for the night. More on that later.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What makes these boulders special?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleep is good for you!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9Hw4_1es9dBKaeYRL0l4ALO_rXM2-qqClHNnNmsAkShimfmdNxbCyil_5cdBJmgCbGDACgfBEccYBM5Zxi_-3eCURlhs6Fyr5TVCZ7nMF7hMTjH1kiLU96qdtE5W-dpo5xdcS3ec0D3x/s1600/penguin-otago.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9Hw4_1es9dBKaeYRL0l4ALO_rXM2-qqClHNnNmsAkShimfmdNxbCyil_5cdBJmgCbGDACgfBEccYBM5Zxi_-3eCURlhs6Fyr5TVCZ7nMF7hMTjH1kiLU96qdtE5W-dpo5xdcS3ec0D3x/s320/penguin-otago.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A yellow-eyed penguin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-22044606587845127092012-01-21T01:08:00.000-08:002012-01-21T01:08:02.860-08:00Devastation in ChristchurchSaturday, January 21, 2012<br />
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We have all probably read about major earthquakes in many parts of the world. We may have seen the videos or watched movies depicting them. Some of us may have experienced them first hand. They strike with little warning, wreak havoc, and the world moves on. There are after effects, aftershocks and some send tsunamis across miles of water creating more devastation. <br />
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Some of that happened here in Christchurch, New Zealand back on February 22, 2011. There had been warnings and smaller quakes in the year before, but the big 8.3 quake hit on that afternoon and left 182 people dead. There was destruction and disruption for all who live in this town of several hundred thousand, the largest city on the South Island, and the Garden City of New Zealand. <br />
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Today, nearly a year later, the recovery continues. The receptionist at our motel told us about the "demolition zone" we would find downtown and the chain link fence that keeps people out of the central business district, which was the center of the quake. We drove to the area out of curiosity and came away touched with the power of natural forces created by an Almighty Creator. Many of the buildings have been torn down and many more will be removed in the months to come. It looks like it will be a long time before normalcy is restored. It is hard to imagine how many people, businesses and other organizations have been relocated, disrupted or simply eliminated.<br />
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The photos we took don't tell the whole story, but they give an idea of what happens to people in these kind of events. These are people just like us, whose whole existence has now changed. Life is a precious thing. We are blessed to live our lives in pretty normal circumstances. I thank God for that privilege. My prayers are with these people whom I don't know, but who face some difficult times in a most beautiful corner of the world. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTiWaHMVYRQ7YFlSvTbYFX9q6ArpMzGiljZUqJEGThLy-VK1zLaWDloZr6b0Od2LTBfaxI8IuCsnNdpW9t3nzgCcBbKIujOlHA0QDKMLFQUlLo9LvZI5UETAfKHdZcQwt1xj5Y2qCk1Mjt/s1600/IMG_2058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTiWaHMVYRQ7YFlSvTbYFX9q6ArpMzGiljZUqJEGThLy-VK1zLaWDloZr6b0Od2LTBfaxI8IuCsnNdpW9t3nzgCcBbKIujOlHA0QDKMLFQUlLo9LvZI5UETAfKHdZcQwt1xj5Y2qCk1Mjt/s320/IMG_2058.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The central business district is about 100 blocks square</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyb_9WOvSiySyToAFfspIVSzG0TpG3kdL1VTxAspbMVam3nhn8a_ZCXBwiHO-5vAbeP_zfD_uDA1YNGLZ-vclvnGj424AouG-SWSXGlOtwRANIIR9nJzpYM8QGJNDLQRGc44mYAcyirnrj/s1600/IMG_2059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyb_9WOvSiySyToAFfspIVSzG0TpG3kdL1VTxAspbMVam3nhn8a_ZCXBwiHO-5vAbeP_zfD_uDA1YNGLZ-vclvnGj424AouG-SWSXGlOtwRANIIR9nJzpYM8QGJNDLQRGc44mYAcyirnrj/s320/IMG_2059.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some buildings were not built to withstand quakes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a hotel in this location.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQa3NtUElfplDhj2-Zih_2Rc2Bje4S7vjTYqpz7scNS4kQkoActT86iAQNSFVzeDv20pfVxtC76Azybxq_AM4IC-y3XC5cX4cM2MwpJanxBECYS-aySur2vUneNtkbcRcs-yA2bT8w8IT/s1600/IMG_2065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQa3NtUElfplDhj2-Zih_2Rc2Bje4S7vjTYqpz7scNS4kQkoActT86iAQNSFVzeDv20pfVxtC76Azybxq_AM4IC-y3XC5cX4cM2MwpJanxBECYS-aySur2vUneNtkbcRcs-yA2bT8w8IT/s320/IMG_2065.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The skeleton seems secure but there's lots of damage.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIIXDj8SBZ_-EZDMutRcD8h0EToYCsE1NXhDcA5RAgCV7BL6TLmMLrILoGaosA0aRoYfywLpufGBkGqV7_M7bhbx00sFADQm03LRPrOA0gbWa8jQvuQmA9Z9UmfnLKdabDyo9xFkJ3JJp/s1600/IMG_2066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIIXDj8SBZ_-EZDMutRcD8h0EToYCsE1NXhDcA5RAgCV7BL6TLmMLrILoGaosA0aRoYfywLpufGBkGqV7_M7bhbx00sFADQm03LRPrOA0gbWa8jQvuQmA9Z9UmfnLKdabDyo9xFkJ3JJp/s320/IMG_2066.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No more Hotel Latimer</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWn2uYoDPGXdJss9MPdBD_wbCY5WUiM2hObLN0HUqdv8okq1XsEhoNIx_H7kgSfk4sUUnohBs3i1pMcv6aWFjLaCz7riZXzQIl1Gda7jA6rd0zCp4TOBa09ia2kF7G1i_ZMfHukyeF63J/s1600/IMG_2068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWn2uYoDPGXdJss9MPdBD_wbCY5WUiM2hObLN0HUqdv8okq1XsEhoNIx_H7kgSfk4sUUnohBs3i1pMcv6aWFjLaCz7riZXzQIl1Gda7jA6rd0zCp4TOBa09ia2kF7G1i_ZMfHukyeF63J/s320/IMG_2068.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These guys are survivors!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the split in the building!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This looks like a new tower for a church building.</td></tr>
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<br />
Our time in Wanaka came to an end this morning and we loaded up our rental car and headed out of town, bound for the little town of Twizel, which is near Aoraki/Mt. Cook in the middle of the South Island. The drive was very scenic, with terrain that reminded us of Eastern Oregon, Wyoming and Montana. It was a winding two-lane road with moderate traffic going in both directions. We took our time, which meant we kept it under 80 km/hour, and just about everyone passed us going much faster. <br />
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Along the way we saw the herds of sheep that we've come to associate with New Zealand (there are 8 sheep for every human), herds of cattle, wildflowers and farmland. For the first time we saw the big motorized sprinkling rigs that are pretty common in Colorado and Nebraska. Irrigation water comes from the many lakes and rivers that are fed by glaciers. Those same rivers provide hydroelectric power to the country. <br />
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As we got closer to Twizel, we saw glacier-fed lakes with water that was a green-blue or aqua color. At one of them there was a sign for "fresh salmon." We pulled in to the parking lot and walked out to the holding ponds where they were raising salmon. Sandra couldn't resist and bought 1 filet, 4 pieces, amounting to half the fish for $14.00. We brought it back to our "chalet" and she fried it with some vegetables for dinner.<br />
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Keep in mind this is the woman who spent most of her life in Alaska and was accustomed to the finest salmon possible, usually caught in the wild, cold rivers that provided spawning grounds for the fish. So these didn't measure up. The water was warm, the meat was very soft and the flavor was not even close. But it was a salmon and we ate and pretended. <br />
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We checked in at the Mountain Chalets Motel and then got back in the car for a trip up to Mt. Cook which also goes by its Maori name Aoraki. It's the highest point in New Zealand. At its base is the Sir Edmund Hilary Visitor Center. This is where he did some of his training before he set out for Antarctica and following his successful climb up Mt. Everest. Pretty impressive. Lots of photos and displays and of course lots of stuff for sale in the gift shop. How about a Merino sweater or shirt for only $284? We almost bought a postcard, but resisted. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ubiquitous sheep</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Pukaki</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Mountain Chalets, Twizel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Cook/Aoraki, New Zealand's highest point</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Enjoy the photos!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-70392763573859322462012-01-18T18:34:00.000-08:002012-01-18T18:34:33.247-08:00Eco-friendly Zip through the ForestWednesday, January 18, 2012<div><br />
</div><div>Zipping through the woods, across a river or down a mountain has been on my mind for some years. My father-in-law, Fredric Rhode, and I used to talk about the possibility of a zip line (we didn't call it that then) running down from a hill and across the stream at his cabin near Boulder, Colorado. He had the cable from an old mining operation. All we needed was some way of attaching it. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Then after being in Alaska for a couple of summers, I thought about the same possibility at our cabin on the Goodpaster River. A zip line running across the river - wouldn't that be cool? </div><div><br />
</div><div>Then there's our house in Oregon. We're up on a hill - a zip line would be a fun way to go down the hill and into the woods. The only challenge would be braking to a stop at the bottom and then having to hike back up the hill through the poison oak.</div><div><br />
</div><div>So when it came to choosing an activity yesterday, the Ecotour Ziptrek sounded like fun. The tour was eco-friendly and the young guides gave us some background on Queenstown and a message for sustainability, along with a very safe trip through four short trips between tree houses. We also learned how to zip along with no hands or even upside down. The four zips were rather short. By the time we got through we had also lost some elevation going down the mountain and we had to make up for it with a long climb back up to retrieve our stuff. Good exercise, I guess. </div><div><br />
</div><div>The other rather comical event came as I tried to videotape the trip through the woods. The first two times I turned on the video camera, which was attached to my harness, but it was pointed down instead of up. I got good audio but no video, unless you count the blackness of my shirt. I corrected my error the third time, but somehow it didn't record. So the 4th time, everything was set and ready. However, I wanted to try riding upside down and consequently, the camera flipped over and recorded where I had been, upside down. It's pretty comical, all right.</div><div><br />
</div><div>It was interesting to note that the forest was Douglas fir trees imported from the Pacific Northwest. The mountain was once bare and they wanted something fast growing to prevent flooding. The firs did the job, however, now they would like to replace them with beech, which is more native to New Zealand. The firs are tall, messy and grow like crazy. We've heard more than one story like that since we arrived. Look up <i>moa</i> in Wikipedia and see what you learn about sustainability.</div><div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice how you step off into space</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The leaders with yellow hats</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKxh5LinbCsHVe4k7_pniuCPulVF-FcHJQPVTevFccItHfdaCIzj0WQPt1lf2ROZ97VqsECQwFWB5HDd1aRcQIvJrAwg7vuCpTdoHmMdTA-GkkcoNxYt2IfX0yMPLQLc5PP_v2JgPa1Rm/s1600/sandra.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKxh5LinbCsHVe4k7_pniuCPulVF-FcHJQPVTevFccItHfdaCIzj0WQPt1lf2ROZ97VqsECQwFWB5HDd1aRcQIvJrAwg7vuCpTdoHmMdTA-GkkcoNxYt2IfX0yMPLQLc5PP_v2JgPa1Rm/s320/sandra.tiff" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandra zipping off into the woods</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div>Enjoy the photos!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-44200463214394755242012-01-18T01:37:00.000-08:002012-01-18T02:03:50.236-08:00Wet and Wild!Wednesday, January 18, 2012<br />
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What has 500 hp, goes up to 85 km/hr, carries 14 people, and is one of the most popular attractions in Queenstown, NZ? It's the Shotover River Jet Boat ride! More than 3 million people will attest to it and today we joined them. You can see what it's like in the video, so we'll let the movie tell the story:<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8FSxR-uWgw&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Shotover Jet Boat</a><br />
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Suffice it to say, it was an exciting ride. Sandra says it was more thrilling than a bungy jump because it lasted 25 minutes. We came away with wet hair and some new ideas for making the ride to our cabin in Alaska a little more thrilling.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBtb8t9ZwOucOSTF33lWm3fv6jZDS_3soAgoR72LffW7u-bDfzEqhsR-fZr0L8FvfoujdwG9-DtjPAaLaviI441OWp4l3RYJh2vunoac3t4crpCJr-PMchqOOzlZvkc4Et4iG95DpQ3fY/s1600/IMG_1925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBtb8t9ZwOucOSTF33lWm3fv6jZDS_3soAgoR72LffW7u-bDfzEqhsR-fZr0L8FvfoujdwG9-DtjPAaLaviI441OWp4l3RYJh2vunoac3t4crpCJr-PMchqOOzlZvkc4Et4iG95DpQ3fY/s320/IMG_1925.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Third row back on the right</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the ride</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37Uw4urrCfvHzafaWUHUQ-paoA1S6aqWfNGrJfGMK8-BxMK9-RZgBmINv8WpJRE97CAij5pRo8NjWOZKepBm4Z6NLpg_3m7eCS5VrI90cl2-AaEzq54_iZO2GihkyCigVjiJH5_iEd8Ar/s1600/IMG_1928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37Uw4urrCfvHzafaWUHUQ-paoA1S6aqWfNGrJfGMK8-BxMK9-RZgBmINv8WpJRE97CAij5pRo8NjWOZKepBm4Z6NLpg_3m7eCS5VrI90cl2-AaEzq54_iZO2GihkyCigVjiJH5_iEd8Ar/s320/IMG_1928.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome control in a narrow canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-43633554881039125762012-01-17T14:15:00.000-08:002012-01-18T15:53:08.650-08:00Sandra's Bungy Jump at KawarauTuesday, January 17, 2012<br />
<br />
Following the helicopter adventure, we took a different route toward Queenstown, this time driving through Cromwell and then down through the Kawarau Gorge. The Cromwell area seems to be very agricultural with many fruit trees and vegetable farms. Cherries are in season here so we stopped at a farmhouse that had a sign out on the road. We noticed that the orchards are covered with black netting so we asked the lady why. "It's the birds," she said. "They would take all of the cherries if we didn't cover the trees. They gorge themselves to the point that they can barely fly. Our neighbor lost his whole crop in one night a few years back."<br />
<br />
We could understand why the birds liked the cherries. They were red, plump and sweetly delicious. Also a bit expensive. We paid $10 for about a quart of the treats. We are trying to hang on to them for more than a day. Down the road we stopped at another market that sold all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables plus lots of dried fruits. They had kiwis in many different forms - there's even a chocolate bar laced with bits of kiwis. One dried fruit roll-up sold for $3.50. We tasted some free samples of various items and window shopped the rest.<br />
<br />
An hour later we pulled into an historic site - the A.J. Hackett Bungy Jump on the Kawarau Bridge. Back in 1988, Hackett and his buddy Henry Van Asch came up with the idea after seeing something similar in Vanuatu. The first commercial jump was set up at this spot here just out of Queenstown. The bridge is about 145 feet above the river and now, 25 years later it's pretty organized and commercialized. There is a special building, video cameras all over, a snack bar, and lots of viewing areas. (I wonder if they still use the bridge for anything else.)<br />
<br />
These guys have obviously done well as a result of this first venture. They have expanded to several other sites and introduced some new thrills at another location where they have "the world's highest and longest swing." There are now jumps in Auckland off the Sky Tower. If they were in Seattle, they would be doing it off the Space Needle. There is a large crew at Kawarau. Several people indoors to take your money, fill out forms, sell videos. More outdoors to hook you up (and push you off). A couple more down below in the river to reel you in. No wonder a jump costs $180. But there was a line of people waiting to pay and experience 5 seconds of rushing adrenaline. The oldest person to jump here was 90 years old and the youngest was 10. Even paraplegics have done it. <br />
<br />
On this day it was Sandra Seim who would go through the process. She said it was worth it. Once she convinced herself to proceed, she just did it. There was no pain and no regret. "The hardest part was the walk back up from the river." Lots of steps to climb and she was out of breath when she got back. They rewarded her with a T-shirt and a certificate. I was tempted to buy a shirt that read, "I was too chicken to do it" but I may yet change my mind.<br />
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Here's the video: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lWOfhOBE34&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Sandra's Bungy Jump</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready - smile for the camera</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Are you going to push me?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No push - just fall over</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQetCVF92ILw9FUiyN2g0aGd19xxOjeXMDTvQ4qMdMJmNMEGK2GUXSDKSULobXqMlC3gtPhAox7Wckv-daXRF1ydwP8lZfT43Kf-m9WMaMx-PXvkt4FSYTVvtT75Olb5G5jxYxDMfTS_jt/s1600/IMG_1874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQetCVF92ILw9FUiyN2g0aGd19xxOjeXMDTvQ4qMdMJmNMEGK2GUXSDKSULobXqMlC3gtPhAox7Wckv-daXRF1ydwP8lZfT43Kf-m9WMaMx-PXvkt4FSYTVvtT75Olb5G5jxYxDMfTS_jt/s320/IMG_1874.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzla3-t5aBmRinIWap7YQel_DpVYuu4eCfjLC-9SQTILSTptDfExN6Gw2ub7zs_OV2QOhqkwEqDuXHrjYOi5CXbIlmIWX1hqXXb8L7aYyyEONJCD6oNXUwF6Ni0TuC_0nQ8t9I4Eyi24j/s1600/IMG_1877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzla3-t5aBmRinIWap7YQel_DpVYuu4eCfjLC-9SQTILSTptDfExN6Gw2ub7zs_OV2QOhqkwEqDuXHrjYOi5CXbIlmIWX1hqXXb8L7aYyyEONJCD6oNXUwF6Ni0TuC_0nQ8t9I4Eyi24j/s320/IMG_1877.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmo7PWnzEc42xdhEro8sfowhYFUtJW5LStaSCRv6pSByoUUsvb0lSvM3J2jCuKTAmnIeDgULAIn15Nl36t0ZAh8hlbiIeBf9xE0l2Z_KgivZnelYfYPWt-fUGDe27im3Ergg409fPaFk4p/s1600/IMG_1878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmo7PWnzEc42xdhEro8sfowhYFUtJW5LStaSCRv6pSByoUUsvb0lSvM3J2jCuKTAmnIeDgULAIn15Nl36t0ZAh8hlbiIeBf9xE0l2Z_KgivZnelYfYPWt-fUGDe27im3Ergg409fPaFk4p/s320/IMG_1878.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's easy, Dan!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating with a Steinlager</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYw9gyTLp9Td0cYzk3dtOmg_xoPjdUV0v0UEMpOWrYZDS0uPufDmRmyL9M0oU-02lUT2nR7AsIqKbFMhutDyW57aNsISfcqilFVvDY6YrUuML3TlrOaVnH3w21q46IKCKax-r3w-AgkgU/s1600/IMG_1857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYw9gyTLp9Td0cYzk3dtOmg_xoPjdUV0v0UEMpOWrYZDS0uPufDmRmyL9M0oU-02lUT2nR7AsIqKbFMhutDyW57aNsISfcqilFVvDY6YrUuML3TlrOaVnH3w21q46IKCKax-r3w-AgkgU/s320/IMG_1857.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And here's the certificate to prove I'm a jumper!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-84421139311780722582012-01-17T12:21:00.000-08:002012-01-17T13:39:16.817-08:00Chopper Hopping around Mt. AspiringTuesday, January 17, 2012<br />
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Mt. Aspiring is the 3rd tallest peak in New Zealand and sits within view of the tallest peak, Mt. Cook (named for the famous explorer). It is surrounded by a national park and is a popular mountain to climb in the summer months. Since the climb would take 4-5 days, we elected to fly up by helicopter. We had a number of choices flying out of Wanaka and chose Alpine Air. Our pilot was Nick, who welcomed us at the office, and cheerily informed us that this was also his first flight in a helicopter. He invited us to take care of the pleasantries (pay the bill) and we would be off.<br />
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The chopper was a 4-passenger model and Sandra sat in the back for the trip up. In a matter of minutes, Nick had the bird fired up and we were off. Looking down on Lake Wanaka and the surrounding hills, valleys, mountains and farms gives a whole new perspective to the magnificence of God's creation and to this place in particular. From the air it seems like you are creeping along. But as we got close to mountains we could see that was not the case. He brought us in for a landing on a brownish peak which I think he said was Mt. Alda. From there we could easily see Mt. Aspiring, Mt. Cook, and more. <br />
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Large weather fronts move eastward from Australia and across the Tasman Sea towards the west coast of New Zealand. These moisure-laden fronts dump lots of rain on that side of the island. When they hit the mountains, the moisture becomes snow at the higher elevations where it is normally colder, especially in the winter. They may get 300 inches of snow up there, which then packs down and becomes glacial ice. At this time of year that ices is melting and moving. Because of the cold, the highest peaks have snow year-round, much like Mt. Hood.<br />
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He took us up over the edge of the Alps and we looped around down the sides of Aspiring, gazing at the beautiful waterfalls, snow fields, crevasses, mountain lakes and rivers. It's conceivable that these are only seen from the air. I can't imagine climbing up into these areas. The sights were spectacular, to say the least. Sandra was busing shooting photos from her vantage point in the back seat and I had the video camera running from mine. We'll hope to post links to YouTube when the video is ready for viewing. <br />
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We marveled at Nick's skill in getting us up close to the mountain walls and down to almost touching the snow and ice. He told us that landing on a glacier at this time of year is dangerous. You would need crampons on your boots to keep from falling and the instability of the ice could result in shifting under the weight of the helicopter. So they do glacier landings only in the winter months when the snow is deeper. Deep crevasses lined the ice fields. They would also be hazardous for hiking. We did a second landing on the way back east and Sandra and I switched seats for the return to the Wanaka airport. The round trip lasted but an hour.<br />
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What an experience! Words are not able to convey the wonder. Hopefully, these photos will help. Click on a photo to enlarge.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landing #1 on Mt. Alda</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQokXeCd0CEV-E4mVykyvbOsIeZBbNbV0LkZ0AnLAyxz9hs4GicC4BRHysP9w8klf8Jp1NrUNGo_If_X5DWyoH-tpVF2tfnLNAi6UOOXdLg-SVkevec69gPABVR7HEHfmJc9aFEKjU8ppp/s1600/IMG_1781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQokXeCd0CEV-E4mVykyvbOsIeZBbNbV0LkZ0AnLAyxz9hs4GicC4BRHysP9w8klf8Jp1NrUNGo_If_X5DWyoH-tpVF2tfnLNAi6UOOXdLg-SVkevec69gPABVR7HEHfmJc9aFEKjU8ppp/s320/IMG_1781.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Aspiring, a pyrimad-shaped peak in the Southern Alps</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZ9NMd1Xvp8vlxmGou3O89HGw_XNHu8eI1Q9P4Gi4eVAoDZ2D4yiPgQ5iO_PZuiriozQmBNXtccUJn_y1d1nvS-G8e_feuZ0g9OxDEbGoNkR_frkv1AIBedkrsLskmlm6977ZSkqqRSm3/s1600/IMG_1816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZ9NMd1Xvp8vlxmGou3O89HGw_XNHu8eI1Q9P4Gi4eVAoDZ2D4yiPgQ5iO_PZuiriozQmBNXtccUJn_y1d1nvS-G8e_feuZ0g9OxDEbGoNkR_frkv1AIBedkrsLskmlm6977ZSkqqRSm3/s320/IMG_1816.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cascading waterfalls from the melting ice</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanqbd20zKDbaZOaU1_LWywpDoFxCbU01CR0XEmT_K76SI2or7j86Auw3iIzFnNaLzB03bbI6onxqa4uB6CimM5mcCRDqa8Lmf_0IhmO_6J60SxZSO42kamvY3peeEMg6ghZ2NlCrV25uS/s1600/IMG_1806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanqbd20zKDbaZOaU1_LWywpDoFxCbU01CR0XEmT_K76SI2or7j86Auw3iIzFnNaLzB03bbI6onxqa4uB6CimM5mcCRDqa8Lmf_0IhmO_6J60SxZSO42kamvY3peeEMg6ghZ2NlCrV25uS/s320/IMG_1806.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deep snow and ice</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVTV7wmKvQaZeG7rdyPp4rJPU1C5LtPUXE3fvWH2yR8H0GLfHu4AaxnUumHrpuYYhP9-oEExlWQSkznev91EHCDD8b1alkEaeWcwgwRR7MXFPM_qQWrDXqgYGXAQG8nLB68pJinQL6ySi/s1600/IMG_1822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVTV7wmKvQaZeG7rdyPp4rJPU1C5LtPUXE3fvWH2yR8H0GLfHu4AaxnUumHrpuYYhP9-oEExlWQSkznev91EHCDD8b1alkEaeWcwgwRR7MXFPM_qQWrDXqgYGXAQG8nLB68pJinQL6ySi/s320/IMG_1822.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Over the top and to the east</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_1og4fnE1Nzg6APQR4-EBmQzBCm21L-7I7-9lJYRoUBw9eCsmFBaUy0_laPWvdmARW5c8pbO91Yr_vBpBH8DCsXpPTqBdP0iKRcio3bn2Nswe0r2sj5gcF7V7atZhwrhWY5zwoJNUEg9/s1600/IMG_1823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_1og4fnE1Nzg6APQR4-EBmQzBCm21L-7I7-9lJYRoUBw9eCsmFBaUy0_laPWvdmARW5c8pbO91Yr_vBpBH8DCsXpPTqBdP0iKRcio3bn2Nswe0r2sj5gcF7V7atZhwrhWY5zwoJNUEg9/s320/IMG_1823.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rivers feed the many lakes to the east of the mountains</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMgHMUGyiNnWJZY6XyoJlXhdNqPtBx7hKFRSbuxAZ_z7973GpBSiwXJfTNt4-morN6hX0ZqYo89AYj2l5ggEjhDZckRjOn7E6xlkTuQTzVYzhfowae_hwqeK__11NRKtT5mEe8v48AAkr/s1600/IMG_1830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMgHMUGyiNnWJZY6XyoJlXhdNqPtBx7hKFRSbuxAZ_z7973GpBSiwXJfTNt4-morN6hX0ZqYo89AYj2l5ggEjhDZckRjOn7E6xlkTuQTzVYzhfowae_hwqeK__11NRKtT5mEe8v48AAkr/s320/IMG_1830.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only wildlife we saw - a scared little chamois, relative of the antelope</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDbvDSu3pDUF-bRMvsggYBJLwwmDupDmbAPMiMeSZ6ksOVWYFq0AIClk1zQkyRfQld9OwZpTydahx1XtMc3BDl3F-64UUSVU90fnyGeZe-D46Mp8vwl7N4YsSlkPV7rI9diiJfvG797MD/s1600/IMG_1831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDbvDSu3pDUF-bRMvsggYBJLwwmDupDmbAPMiMeSZ6ksOVWYFq0AIClk1zQkyRfQld9OwZpTydahx1XtMc3BDl3F-64UUSVU90fnyGeZe-D46Mp8vwl7N4YsSlkPV7rI9diiJfvG797MD/s320/IMG_1831.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Wanaka</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-18848885949478106692012-01-16T03:28:00.000-08:002012-01-16T03:28:25.357-08:00Exploring Middle EarthWe watched each of the three <i>Lord of the Rings</i> films with a bit less enthusiasm than our children and grandchildren at the time they were released and shown in theaters. It was intriguing to see the spectacular scenery that formed the backdrops to the films and wonder if one day we might visit this enchanted land called Middle Earth. Today we wished that we had paid better attention to the films or that our grandchildren might have been here with us to satisfy their hunger for <i>Lord of the Rings</i> things.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRIUepFXmippw2JaSLfjG7NdAsxWUWlHE9fl5Wnd4Xtkjzn6oKD6gyQMz7MTOVKVn5Xk9Ji5N6aRa72W8t45V-t1lH5lOcohUBenY5BXaZ46bGVLHTgfKprIn4OyKXO8On8nMT8EUF4lB/s1600/IMG_1669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRIUepFXmippw2JaSLfjG7NdAsxWUWlHE9fl5Wnd4Xtkjzn6oKD6gyQMz7MTOVKVn5Xk9Ji5N6aRa72W8t45V-t1lH5lOcohUBenY5BXaZ46bGVLHTgfKprIn4OyKXO8On8nMT8EUF4lB/s200/IMG_1669.JPG" width="200" /></a>Briefly, there were three films in the trilogy: <i>Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, </i>and <i>Return of the King</i>. The films are based on books of the same name by J. R. Tolkien. In the late '90s screenplays were written and Peter Jackson was hired to direct the films. Filming took place in New Zealand, Jackson's home and the entire cast and support crews were Kiwis. All three of the films were filmed simultaneously but released in sequence. There were elaborate costumes, sets, special effects and the usual of digital imagery helping the films to win numerous awards for direction, cinematography, and art work. You can read a better history elsewhere.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cyH1vLsIkdfN55RWdmblk1Y4Ll4_9gyRzZuLbtLv4Wd0TA6z8UsPHwH2MxDiVX6mtDqHdXiH4Wl5KCt2w2r_-9nWaKeZFFECr5P0DspQUYxzcb51TGuLqf1uPN81YOStfcw2wij2XOGA/s1600/IMG_1671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cyH1vLsIkdfN55RWdmblk1Y4Ll4_9gyRzZuLbtLv4Wd0TA6z8UsPHwH2MxDiVX6mtDqHdXiH4Wl5KCt2w2r_-9nWaKeZFFECr5P0DspQUYxzcb51TGuLqf1uPN81YOStfcw2wij2XOGA/s200/IMG_1671.JPG" width="200" /></a>The films had a great impact on tourism here in New Zealand. More recently, filming continues on two films billed as "prequels" to the LOTR trilogy focusing on the Hobbits and Hobbiton. A trailer has been released and the first of the films is to be released in December, 2012. The second will follow a year later. There's more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit_(2012_film)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJTmlssXFVbKcMELDG99yjyvDa8VH4U1paTdjbsDvxKFtHPBRpv7uPxQ3ToIXSAHWS1cycsP0gDCQD4CKBxJBbN6RpsHdB5GVr3LYYFsszaHJc77faWWUvILe4ay944JbMcuEeFQaDo-b/s1600/IMG_1673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJTmlssXFVbKcMELDG99yjyvDa8VH4U1paTdjbsDvxKFtHPBRpv7uPxQ3ToIXSAHWS1cycsP0gDCQD4CKBxJBbN6RpsHdB5GVr3LYYFsszaHJc77faWWUvILe4ay944JbMcuEeFQaDo-b/s200/IMG_1673.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUC9RdokXjPth4Iz2vLhN5ndfOH1GZ-EgwS7kDwMfDjNd1YXeTSyF8GnNQRx0QeEsRDhwwePsbohvnInaWL31FkVXayCWa3L33nXeLrZE38QX4OoKRFVnOcey4HecdfhkzBRjUzTXv_XqE/s1600/IMG_1672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUC9RdokXjPth4Iz2vLhN5ndfOH1GZ-EgwS7kDwMfDjNd1YXeTSyF8GnNQRx0QeEsRDhwwePsbohvnInaWL31FkVXayCWa3L33nXeLrZE38QX4OoKRFVnOcey4HecdfhkzBRjUzTXv_XqE/s200/IMG_1672.JPG" width="200" /></a>Today we booked an excursion to visit Middle Earth and more specifically see some of the locations in and around Queenstown where filming took place back in 1999. Our guide was Dean Morganty of Southern Lakes Sightseeing. Dean was an extra in the movies, play the part of one of the Rangers and also several of the other evil creatures who attacked members of the Fellowship. He's had other parts in other films that originated here in New Zealand. He drove the two of us and we were joined by Kenneth, a resident of Winnepeg, whom we were happy to have with us because of his knowledge of the films, the books and the various locations. <br />
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There is much competition and interest in <i>LOTR</i> locations. Books have been written and films produced just on these topics. There are several tour companies in this area competing for customers and other sites in other locations have similar organizations. The new films will only heighten interest and create positive benefits for New Zealand. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Pq3rBIYJkJwpGaTDw_cMwMx5eNfMEFZQl4PRRLtany5MnZ7L4RGmJ68g2b7TOfA4V15pnziZel2FLS5LjwEKHV_Pg4bpe1FlTh4Z0OfEviUdkrbPXdPL1mcXc7GY-7TRXAnlVGXaqq7M/s1600/IMG_1675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Pq3rBIYJkJwpGaTDw_cMwMx5eNfMEFZQl4PRRLtany5MnZ7L4RGmJ68g2b7TOfA4V15pnziZel2FLS5LjwEKHV_Pg4bpe1FlTh4Z0OfEviUdkrbPXdPL1mcXc7GY-7TRXAnlVGXaqq7M/s200/IMG_1675.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
Dean had laminated photos clipped from the movies which he used to show the exact locations of filming. The sites are popular and Dean had some "extra" places which only he knew about. He also had a great repertoire of stories, personal accounts and insights to share. We enjoyed a great lunch at a Queenstown restaurant and he shared copies of the 3 film scripts, a movie calendar from the WETA workshop where props for the film were produced and more photos of film locations. <br />
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After lunch we drove to several more sites including Arrowtown and the river near the famous A.J. Hackett bungie jump where a river scene was filmed and where members of the cast and crew tried out the jump into the river from a bungie cord. We concluded the day at a nearby park where Dean dressed us in costume and showed us some of the weaponry used in the films. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWKaX6hcX9zmVZTnKg_9hwXXktpaB0mhnb3uKM6KQV7WWp3zQTHPRWeudn4PBt-PNOssWc72JtOyn4AV-pOls3TjE37A81vktPioT529hiOv7BGiroW5F4JTrAv5MfxA5gWhlnWntdBHL/s1600/IMG_1700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWKaX6hcX9zmVZTnKg_9hwXXktpaB0mhnb3uKM6KQV7WWp3zQTHPRWeudn4PBt-PNOssWc72JtOyn4AV-pOls3TjE37A81vktPioT529hiOv7BGiroW5F4JTrAv5MfxA5gWhlnWntdBHL/s200/IMG_1700.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztMfBQ76q4HToHG1eLBbrOQzHa82dkCTTv9r5bWiDt3VTByT6-jVr5gN_Q-I2FDdjVvhOc5IvvEy0HDenQR_11t8UHZXrBKjcNai0nA7s-r2ZFn_1M7LOKGtaKldPnIzNTEb1AvLwRkIC/s1600/IMG_1701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztMfBQ76q4HToHG1eLBbrOQzHa82dkCTTv9r5bWiDt3VTByT6-jVr5gN_Q-I2FDdjVvhOc5IvvEy0HDenQR_11t8UHZXrBKjcNai0nA7s-r2ZFn_1M7LOKGtaKldPnIzNTEb1AvLwRkIC/s200/IMG_1701.JPG" width="200" /></a>It was a fun day. Sandra and I are now intent in watching the trilogy of film with a great deal more attention to detail. <br />
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Enjoy the photos. Click on any of them to enlarge.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSt-YDcLem3HcNGMMdG9MyKIE7_-4dx1CL65v49fUvLW041XtZ6SCErVtFZF3tz9A6QH9KZHbQUjUf5ibUst8Fq7hxUQciCHiS4TonrdVp0WzU37LyWHic4Tfl2RxDe_ZCZ2qXQ2uACsRQ/s1600/IMG_1728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSt-YDcLem3HcNGMMdG9MyKIE7_-4dx1CL65v49fUvLW041XtZ6SCErVtFZF3tz9A6QH9KZHbQUjUf5ibUst8Fq7hxUQciCHiS4TonrdVp0WzU37LyWHic4Tfl2RxDe_ZCZ2qXQ2uACsRQ/s200/IMG_1728.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JmfT2vHSPHKCnB8L8Xqx1_Kf2LcZ96ujndqML7Yq1QHTJCW6873v7Qb03EtxvheRULFv4SSoLgu6PFPAxCIq7Swh9RfpTmzvbOiJZHwlI3Wji6PcdNHLbR3X-NCUdYV3m_sSzCeJXaRj/s1600/IMG_1739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JmfT2vHSPHKCnB8L8Xqx1_Kf2LcZ96ujndqML7Yq1QHTJCW6873v7Qb03EtxvheRULFv4SSoLgu6PFPAxCIq7Swh9RfpTmzvbOiJZHwlI3Wji6PcdNHLbR3X-NCUdYV3m_sSzCeJXaRj/s200/IMG_1739.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxyomjSB6nFXdTbk_t58GXieZcN1aoqc1GQaxs5yrYCKPB7rbji3WgbSb8UFPR0tA18Nh6-1yN_0ZD4eaUZUa6xBwqORkojbMuaPc5dzDwm8uTX_W7YfErw20pbNa91SAzRhFgK7pqct0/s1600/IMG_1740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxyomjSB6nFXdTbk_t58GXieZcN1aoqc1GQaxs5yrYCKPB7rbji3WgbSb8UFPR0tA18Nh6-1yN_0ZD4eaUZUa6xBwqORkojbMuaPc5dzDwm8uTX_W7YfErw20pbNa91SAzRhFgK7pqct0/s200/IMG_1740.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvd_nbKSkRpe0tbh5lczFCeaeOX9JsYf96eAG7Jz_xHTnjhL94Us8x6NqtorTiaxjh58HLbP9VLNIdqArNd_ygHhRykC8DkONsIG-9ILgDXTPwe4sixBNYz1eXiaWyF7kbOdZbGZz94J7n/s1600/IMG_1743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvd_nbKSkRpe0tbh5lczFCeaeOX9JsYf96eAG7Jz_xHTnjhL94Us8x6NqtorTiaxjh58HLbP9VLNIdqArNd_ygHhRykC8DkONsIG-9ILgDXTPwe4sixBNYz1eXiaWyF7kbOdZbGZz94J7n/s200/IMG_1743.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3874109476980510413.post-41816098490033671932012-01-15T02:14:00.000-08:002012-01-15T02:14:58.202-08:00West to Haast BeachSunday, January 15, 2012<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"></div>The receptionist at my dentist's office in Hillsboro told me about a patient who once came to New Zealand and in the space of four hours went through four climate zones. I think that today we may have replicated that feat. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6eGQ-EUsVgHqmDjVY7nHvsWNeuSSs0DJUeAmf7mrFo6q9qkK-JwhOGLoCSKvFUoUAFo2HbHwVwEU0dPakC45I5hKMozk4BUTql-QN-ioXUttEFGL4d7GoRolWdCG234Q3nG5dZhIRDMZh/s1600/IMG_1613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6eGQ-EUsVgHqmDjVY7nHvsWNeuSSs0DJUeAmf7mrFo6q9qkK-JwhOGLoCSKvFUoUAFo2HbHwVwEU0dPakC45I5hKMozk4BUTql-QN-ioXUttEFGL4d7GoRolWdCG234Q3nG5dZhIRDMZh/s320/IMG_1613.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Wanaka</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We left Wanaka and drove along and above Lake Wanaka on our left. About 30 miles later we went over a ridge and another lake appeared on our right - Lake Hawea. We were way above the lake which stretched miles in all directions. The scene looked like one right out of <i>Lord of the Rings.</i> And maybe it was. The climate here was much like Eastern Oregon. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijw69oLcHfs9taSMcP6Bn06YjcbEUOOyj0nKVJFtm6NV5iS_IxNFSNXKm3jBoAPzyfCA20l6Lsp1y0d6Wek0V2RMgmKcTfO_pc5MTMZBXaDMpBt8n5DDSsVoWryImEDc14PRH9aWIjmisJ/s1600/IMG_1651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijw69oLcHfs9taSMcP6Bn06YjcbEUOOyj0nKVJFtm6NV5iS_IxNFSNXKm3jBoAPzyfCA20l6Lsp1y0d6Wek0V2RMgmKcTfO_pc5MTMZBXaDMpBt8n5DDSsVoWryImEDc14PRH9aWIjmisJ/s320/IMG_1651.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Hawea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Finally we got past Lake Hawea and found that Lake Wanaka was back on our left side. That means it much be 50-70 miles long. At the end, near Makarora, a major river flows into the lake. From that point, the road climbs to Haast Pass. We also entered Mt. Aspiring National Park. The climate here is much like Hood River in Oregon. More rain, taller trees and lots of ground cover. The road is two lanes wide with little or no shoulder (and we're driving on the left). As we came down from the pass, the vegetation became more dense and the road included about six single lane bridges over the streams coming down the same canyon as the road. Single lane means somebody has to yield. Signs indicate whether it's you or the other guy, but often you can't see very well whether the other guy is at the bridge yet on the other side. Challenging!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WLdzkWs1QP-8bDN9JVPM_m3ttG-26TSjvgNo9zBzlmBvkdk2ETol1tvhHs0GeChED2iADVLRwSW2u2FFUUvf5Lpgpwj8yTrZJSLgd-B19iffcngqy9tRXtszKvQRlTs3lPvRLOvqaFsQ/s1600/IMG_1626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WLdzkWs1QP-8bDN9JVPM_m3ttG-26TSjvgNo9zBzlmBvkdk2ETol1tvhHs0GeChED2iADVLRwSW2u2FFUUvf5Lpgpwj8yTrZJSLgd-B19iffcngqy9tRXtszKvQRlTs3lPvRLOvqaFsQ/s320/IMG_1626.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Haast Beach on the Tasman Sea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Rain was now falling (as it often does) and it appeared more tropical. Actually, we were entering a rainforest climate similar to the Olympic peninsula. About an hour later we got to Haast Junction and elected to drive to the beach. We wanted to see the Tasman Sea, the body of water that separates New Zealand and Australia. (Actually we wanted to also visit Fox Glacier, but we ran out of time.)<br />
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We knew we were close at the service station at Haast Beach. I asked how far away it was and the attendant said, "You're really close. Just follow the track (trail) out there and the beach is 150 meters away." Wow! What a sight! The Tasman Sea on the west coast of New Zealand. A family was there trying out the water for us. The waves were rough but they assured us the water was warm - about 20° C. You do the math. We took pictures and let them get wet. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nbc0mRMk9I5fekE2TmurUCzrI44YXK0rAyfoxt6JhRMOkZ8dKn2FXTXgGpXyRjyxIt96xdw1aiUXZBcX6W1FyOlnAvkJ1Yp8w6ct9pD0uNUOph-nilNnNju9hWcXhhkLal1GSYZcAA6d/s1600/IMG_1627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nbc0mRMk9I5fekE2TmurUCzrI44YXK0rAyfoxt6JhRMOkZ8dKn2FXTXgGpXyRjyxIt96xdw1aiUXZBcX6W1FyOlnAvkJ1Yp8w6ct9pD0uNUOph-nilNnNju9hWcXhhkLal1GSYZcAA6d/s320/IMG_1627.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better them than us!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We retraced our route back to Wanaka and were rewarded with many more beautiful views of mountains, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, trees and even some deer and sheep. Thank you God, for your creative energy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKsHJdz68yN-fyVM2xhiQ1DYrm-CSvjvqIUad5cRoUkCLXQBuSy5F8iupYaGsmormHGOvAGyqPFJbJqqgDnyscjhnH1-7lI0_o3IPxDPeSjn3QWVLk8_Xxgif_dA_Z3RyaCIbRxab_gQX/s1600/IMG_1646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKsHJdz68yN-fyVM2xhiQ1DYrm-CSvjvqIUad5cRoUkCLXQBuSy5F8iupYaGsmormHGOvAGyqPFJbJqqgDnyscjhnH1-7lI0_o3IPxDPeSjn3QWVLk8_Xxgif_dA_Z3RyaCIbRxab_gQX/s200/IMG_1646.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deer at Makarora Ranch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>How many different climates did you count?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0