Haloranch

Kilometres travelled in New Zealand: 4,040 Kilometres travelled to and from Vancouver to visit old friends: 2,400 Friends visited along the way: 6 New friends made in New Zealand: too many to count Memories made: priceless

On the leg from L.A. to Vancouver, we were seated in the 2nd last row of the plane. Behind us was a matronly woman accompanying a 6 year old girl, and a young man in his mid 20's. The flight attendant came to the young man and asked, would he mind switching seats with another gentleman so the family could sit together? He agreed, and moments later she comes back leading a very handsome man to the back. He gratefully thanked the young man saying, amongst other things, "Boy, the stories I could tell you". He looked familiar. I noticed he didn't sit down in his newly assigned seat behind me, but remained standing, propping his right leg on the seat. It appeared to be injured. There was a cast visible between his runners and the hem of his slacks, and he had a black tensor bandage loosely slung around his ankles. At some point the flight attendant came to him and very politely said, we can't take off until you sit down, which he did. To make a 2 1/2 hour story...

I packed all the gifts we were bringing back into our carryon bag, so that nothing would get lost. We checked our many bags which have mysteriously multiplied over the last month. No problem leaving Christchurch for Auckland. In Auckland, a little red flag goes up when the carryon bag is x-rayed. They look at us, then run it through again. "Is this your bag?" "Yes", Hans replies. "Would you follow me please?" We follow to the end of the counter where he explains he needs to look inside. I packed it, so I know that in addition to the various little gifts there are 2 bottles of Minus 42 Vodka (a trendy new vodka made in NZ), 1 good bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and a fancy guacamole flavoured oil. I shrug and watch him unpack. Out come the bottles, a couple of Maori CDs, the cheeseboard I bought. He flips over the cheeseboard to reveal the cheese knife with its sharp edge, pretty double points on the end and the inlay of paua. I gasp and cover my eyes. ...

Another &*%$%$# beautiful city! Really, NZ has more than its share of beautiful cities and we loved it here too. Early European settlers built "the most English city outside Engand" on the Canterbury Plains and named it Christchurch. We strolled through Hagley Park, which is a sprawling central park where avenues f huge trees, shrubs and flowers meander alongside the Avon River. Tree shaded paths lead to a large fountain close to which is the museum. Amongst other things, inside the museum is the "Christchurch Street" display, a replica of a Victorian Street complete with authentic shops crammed full of fantastic period pieces. Interesting and fun to look at, and be gratful how much easier life is today than it was then. We had a glass of wine at the Art Gallery, which is a seriesof crescent shaped buildings of variousheights and curvatures, all in clear glass. Stunning. There was a small outdoor patio where we sat in the reflection of the glass and sipped ...

Middlemarch: This is a town west of Dunedin and Christchurch and about halfway between them. For the last few years at East time, the unmarried farmers of Middlemarch (coincidentally roughly the middle of March this year) host a parade of single women who stream into town by the trainload looking for romance and possibly a husband. Apparently, there's a dearth of women in Middlemarch. But the farmers there like their lifestyle and the area and so began advertising to have the women come to them. And they have. One young American woman who had been extolling the virtues of NZ men as being "manly men" when compared to their American counterparts was given a return ticket by her friends. Guess they didn't have high hopes for her. She said that the NZ men were everything she hoped for and that she, along with many other single women, had a fabulous time. But she's coming home as single as she left. Oamara: We drove through this town, whose main street is beautif...

I don't know how it's possible, but every place we visit in NZ is prettier than the last. Dunedin is now the jewel in the crown. We just love it here! It's picture postcard beautiful, with towering hills, the salty tang of the ocean air, and friendly people like everywhere in NZ. Walter and Jennifer, our friends in Dunedin whom we met 1 1/2 years ago in Beijing, took us on a tour of the city. We saw Baldwin Street which only in recent years was discovered to be the steepest street in the world. It has a gut busting 26.6% gradient. By no coincidence, this is also the name given to the annual race from bottom top. We didn't even attempt to drive up it. I was afraid the car would summersault backwards. Then on to a a tour of the Otago University campus. It is the premiere university in NZ for medicine and dentistry and a degree from here is respected throughout the world. We wandered past the train station, built from local cream and grey rock that looks a little li...

Queenstown was rockin' Friday night with hordes of tourists who came for the Easter weekend. After dinner, Hans and I went to a pub which featured a jazz quartet. The singer was a lady, those of you who know me will remember how little I know about jazz. But Hans said she was very good.

This was the drizzly day previously referred to, and when it came down a little harder, we sought refuge in a little covered balcony restaurant. It was perfect. I had wine, Hans had dark beer, and we ordered what has become a favourite lunch in New Zealand: the antipasta platter. And best of all, there was a lone guitarist below us strumming his guitar and singing original songs. His voice was terrific. So Alethea, because we're thinking of you and how you always tip the street musicians, Hans went downstairs to give some money and tell him how much we were enjoying his music.

It's too bad Good Friday was a drizzly day. Queenstown is a real jewel, but a drizzly backdrop doesn't set it off to advantage. It's not quite like Banff since Queenstown bustles with a myriad of activities. If there's anything you want to do, you can probably do it here. We watched paragliders drift down from the top of Skyline, where we ate last night and watched the Maoria performance. By the way, that 10 minute float down in a parachute will set you back $185. You can do lots of stuff, but you'll pay dearly for it. One couple at our B & B took a white-water rafting trip. We splurged on the jet boat trip, which cost $85 each but it was an hour long and well worth every dollar. We left ont he 3:00 o'clock boat since the drizzle had stopped for about an hour and the clouds were lifting so it looked promising. Despite this, we did bundle up in our rain jackets and that was a good thing since the jet boat sped along at 60 kph. With the life jackets ov...

No, we didn't bungy jump. But we did take a gondola ride to the top of the mountain here in Queenstown and just below the viewpoint we saw a couple of guys throw themselves off the platform yelling like banshees, arms and legs akimbo. It looked like fun. But I'm not going to do it. We went up there because at the top, there's also a Kiwi Experience which is a Maoria performance followed but a sumptuous buffet. Even though we saw the best of this type of show in Rotorua, the Maori performances epitomize New Zealand to me and I was eager to see it again. They didn't disappoint. This time they couldn't drive us to a village in the waka (means canoe, but in reality they take you by bus) we saw them perform indoors on a stage. Once again we were lucky and got front row seats. That might have been a tad close since we could see them sweat. Literally. There are no fat Haka men. The dancing and singing is very vigorous and the harmonies are really beautiful. It's...

This is a charming town. Only 4000 people, but it is to Queenstown whan Canmore is to Banff. Only Wanaka is about 45 minutes away. It sits in the heart of ski country with 2 nearby hills, and it also sits on a huge, and I mean HUGE lake. I think it's about 45 km long. So it also has lots of summer sports and tourism. We really liked it here, and on the spur of the moment, had a realtor take us around a bit. Housing is shockingly expensive considering there are no basements, no heavy insulation, no central heating, etc. However, it was fun to check around though we didn't buy anything, so don't book your flights to NZ yet!

God, I love vacations. While there's always lots to see and do, I also enjoy the downtime like yesterday morning. Hans left to find a golf game at 7:00, his usual time when we're on vacation. This means he gets a game in and he's back usually by the time I'm finishing brekkie. Anyway, after he left I made coffee, took my book and settled into the jetted tub. It was great. The only thing better would have been a waterproof laptop. We really got lucky with our motel room that night. When we left Greymouth, we had intended to just go to the Fox Glacier (just past Franz Josef). It wasn't very far and we had originally hoped to get to Haast, but were told there was nothing there. However, it was so early when we finished touring the Fox Glacier that we cancelled out booking and pressed on. We noticed on earlier drives that there are many B & Bs everywhere, and of course all of them don't advertise on the 'net, so we were confident we'd find someth...

In a strange twist on the traditional Easter egg hunt, Alexandria in NZ has an Easter bunny hunt. The aim is to shoot as many rabbits and other pests as possible. It sounds awful, but the rabbits, stoats (like a weasel) and possums are serious pests here and have endangered many of the native fauna and flora. Still, it seems cruel to do it over Easter.

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It's odd to walk through groves of palm trees on our way to see the glacier. This glacier isn't as wide as Athabasca nor does it have a pool of water in front of it catching all the melt, but it does have a fairly fast-running stream flowing over the moraine. Warning signs tell us not to take the unimpressive stream for granted as it can, without warning, surge and take us along with it. None of that happened to us while we were there, though less than 2 weeks ago a tourist who was on a guided tour of the glacier fell into a crevasse and was fatally injured. We didn't go onto the glacier itself, having done that at Athabasca. Besides which, the usual winter topography in our area is not un-glacier-like. Scenery as we left Greymouth for the glacier was gorgeous, especially around the coast. We passed many sleepy towns along the way, many of which had very neatly kept houses. Oddly, we saw no people. Anywhere. It was very Stephen King like. Odd things we saw: A bird, r...

These formations are utterly awesome. They were formed about 35 million years ago by marine organisms when this area was under water. Scientists to this day don't know how they came to be stacked like pancakes, but they are an amazing site. The blowholes surge when the force of the tide pushes the water up through them but since it wasn't high tide, we didn't get the full spectacular effect. Still, the whole area is amazing to see. We also got a peek at one of the rare, wingless birds called.... I don't know. It looks like a kiwi but it isn't. We have pictures though. Oh, seals and dolphins! They were swimming just off the pancake rocks, jumping and diving. It was great. We're on our way to the glaciers this afternoon.

We're writing from Hokitika where a favourite seasonal pastime is the annual Wildfoods Festival. Established in 1990 the festival attracts thousands of visitors who are captivated by the idea of enjoying diverse local fare such as bull semen and grubs. Luckily, we missed it. On our way here this morning from Greymouth, we again crossed a Road and Rail bridge. These trestle railway bridges are in actual use by the train, and signs instruct us to "Give Way". As if we wouldn't. At least the ties have been covered by asphalt so you're not peering through the cracks at the surging waters below. I see on the map that there's another one coming up south of here. I can't wait. Yesterday at our B & B, while Hans got in a quick game of golf in the afternoon, I sat on the deck which overlooks the ocean. So beautiful! Then Mary's (the B & B hostess) friend came by with her 6 week old Maltese/Chihuahua puppy. I looked after the puppy while the lad...

We can't say we weren't warned! We stopped at Lake Rotoiti to take some pictures and since Hans was just going to step out of the car and snap a few shots, he didn't spray. Mistake. Not long after we took off, I saw a teensy sand fly in the car and squished it. It was full of blood and Hans was the first victim. Later, when we wanted to stop for lunch at a picnic site by Buller's Gorge, we first liberally sprayed ourselves, in the car, before exiting. So now the car stank of DEET and we were dodging sandflies who were actively looking for that one spot that didn't have repellent on it. My elbow was such a spot. I finished lunch in the car, windows up, hot as a sauna and smelling of repellent. Yuck. We had to drive with the windows open for awhile to escape the fumes but at least at speed, the wicked sandflies can't get in.

We met Ray and Margaret at Highfield Towers for lunch. The brick colour of Highfield is beautiful against the green grape vines that take your eye to the top of the hill on which it rests. It looks like it was transplanted here directly from Tuscany. We ordered lunch and then tasted their wines. The Sauvignon Blanc was exquisite, and we learned that it's their flagship wine. 80% of their production is Sauv Blanc and 75% of that gets exported. Their most recent vintage, which we tasted, has won 5 gold medals. The Sauv Blancs here in NZ have all been very aromatic and we learned that in many wineries, including Highfield, This is due to the addition of "sweet reserve", a topping up of the bottle with unfermented juice. It creates a heady bouquet which sometimes promises more than it delivers, especially if the wine is a bit light in acid. My comments in the guest books at the wineries went something like this: The wines were fragrant I wanted to drink them all. Vive Sa...

Ray and Margaret had a full house Monday night. Oliver, the son of a friend from Sweden, arrived to spend some time helping them in their fig orchard. He arrived with 3 other Swedish girls, to everyone's delight, and we had a pleasant evening together. Oliver tells us that you can buy a bus ticket for travelling around NZ forf about $600. It's a "hop on, hop off" system and he picked his up from another traveller who needed the money and so got it for only $200. The busses take you to local hostels and everywhere, we see signs welcoming backpackers. If the hostel is full, they'll phone the next nearest hostel and if there's space, they'll drive you there at no charge. We did a few wineries late Monday morning after Hans got back from golfing (81) and the first place was St. Clair where some of the bottles were dressed up as Monks. I've seen tuxedos, but these were the first hooded monk bottles I've seen. Margaret knows some of the local vint...

Here we are on the road to Nelson. Once again, Hans is whipping the steering wheel back and forth as fast as he can, maintaining a breakneck speed of 40 kph on the twisted road. Each curve recommends a max 45 kph, some as slow as 35 kph. It pluges down precipitously on my side. I know Hans would love to do this road in his sports car. Vern, you would love to do this road on your motorbike. And I would love to do this road in a coma.

Who else do you know who drives upwards of 100 kms for lunch? After Hans' early morning golf game, we headed to Nelson on the coast. Got there at lunch time and the hunt was on. Which of the many wineries serving lunch should we pick? In the end, our choice was very serendipidous. We chose Waimea Estates primarily because it was the closest to Nelson and Hans was hungry. As we sidled up to the bar to taste which wine we were going to have with lunch (I know, it's backward, but it's more fun this way!)a flautist was getting ready to play. He played all the poignant songs we knew - Music of the Night, Time to Remember, Vincent (better knowns as Starry Starry Night). I don't often compliment musicians, but his music was so sweet it choked me up. I was grateful for my sunglasses. Finally, I spoke to him. The conversation went something like this: "You play beautifully." "Thank you. I'll play a request if you tell me where you're from." ...

The Gauden-Ing garden is, in a word, spectacular. It takes better words than I have to do it justice. There are orange and grapefruit trees and a rose arbour cover with climbing roses, the last of which are still blooming and swaying in the breeze as I look out the window. The arbour is flanked by a dense show of iris leaves. Beyond this is anothe rose garden,w chiI can just see through the trees. Two graceful green herons mark the spot where the creek flows. Elsewhere I know there are upwards of 250 fig trees which produce in the neighbourhood of 600 kilos of fruit that they ship across New Zealand and even to the U.S. As a side, Margaret and some friends also produce a high quality fig and ginger jam which is sold in exclusive boutiques. Later this morning I'm going to wander through the garden and then sit and enjoy it while I wait for Hans to come back from golfing. We're off to Nelson this afternoon to do some wine tasting. Ray is at a PET session this weekend as he...

We stopped at a nearby golf course on our way home from the Mussel Festival so that Hans could arrange a game for himself on Sunday. No sooner had we stepped out of the car than Hans was approached by a fellow who just said hi, welcome, and chatted a bit. Hans indicated he was looking for a game, so he directed us to the clubhouse. On our way, a lady stopped and talked with us, invited Hans to join their tournament the next day which started at 12:00. We looked at the site map. Another fellow invited us in to have a beer, which we did. At the bar he introduced Hans to the President of the club, who showed me where the Ladies room was and indicated there was food available and we should help ourselves. Since we were having dinner with Ray and Margaret, we declined the food but enjoyed our beer and wine. Throughout, if we were alone for more than 10 seconds, someone came up to talk to us and we had the President to chat to at our table. Really, they were the friendliest group of ...

The ferry crossing was uneventful, but speedy. The closer we got to Picton, the better the weather looked. Very promising. We dropped our bags off at Margaret's in Blenheim, and during a welcoming cup of coffee she showed us what to see in the area. It just so happened that today, Saturday, was the first annual Mussel Festival in nearby Havelock so off we went. The paper said they were expecting 2000 - 5000 people and when we got there, it certainly looked like the first 2000 had arrived before us. Havelock isn't that big, but it's on the ocean and those people who couldn't get on-street parking were directed to the marina, a good walk away. The first kiosk we went to in search of mussels were sold out. Looking at the huge crowd, we could believe it. But then I spied someone eating a plateful and he directed us to another kiosk. It was only $3 for a plate of 5 and your choice of sauces. These are huge mussels by the way. Each one is a good 4" long. We wal...

The 4 of us took a drive to the solitary turbine, high on a hill, but for a change, there wasn't enough wind to power it. Low lying fog obscured the view of the city and also cancelled all flights in and out of Wellington since lasat night. Apparently, fog often hampers air travel. Last month the airport was closed for 5 consecutive days. The usual high winds for which Wellington is noted were quiet that week and failed to blow away the fog. We took a guided tour of the parliament buildings and library which have been earthquake proofed with a complex systm of 417 base isolators. These isolators separate the building agove from its newly reinforced foundation. Each base isolator allows movement up to 30 cm in any horizontal direction. Imagine the building to be a Tahitian dancer. The hips and feet move rapidly but the shoulders remain steady. So it is with the parliament building. The system of base isolators was developed by New Zealand engineers and isnow used worldwide ...

What a spectactular city! Wallace and Margot took us on a night tour of the city and high up Mt. Victoria. The view from the top was more beautiful than Hong Kong at night, and that was pretty special. Wellington at night shimmers, with a necklace of amber pearls ringing her harbour. From the peak of Mt. Victoria, the harbour creates an almost complete circle. It looks stunning. The sky was virtually clear, but alas, the southern cross was hidden by some cloud. There's still time! Wallace and Margot welcomed us with a pre-dinner drink and bread and dip, which we enjoyed in their private garden. It is completely sheltered from their neighbours by mature trees and abundant flowers and shrubs fill in the rest. There's even a little hidey-hole when you follow a secret path where the 2 grandchildren enjoy their tea. Wellington is windy, so it's not humid here. The roses are still blooming because we're just coming to the end of their summer, and as I write, I see fat...

Toured a paua shell factory today and picked up a few pieces. I love the glittering blues/ greens/ lilacs that shimmer in the shell. Also tasted a few more wines. They are very generous here. When we walked into the first winery in Martinborough (between Napier and Wellington, where there are about 30 wineries)she had an array of about10 bottles on the counter. I jokingly asked, "Can we taste all of these". "Sure!" came the reply. No charge and generous tastings. We actually had to exercise restraint! Wines are delicious here. Crisp, herbaceous Sauvignon Blancs and some amazing Rieslings. I tasted 4 Pinot Noirs yesterday, all of which had a bouquet of... sauerkraut. The first one also tasted awful, but the others were surprisingly good despite the off-putting aroma.

You take the high road and I'll take the low road... we actually saw this on our drive today. A section of the road swung low and almost adjacent to it on the right was a section of elevated road, perhaps 1/2 kilometre long. Apparently, during rare sudden rainstorms the low road gets swamped, and the high road is your other option.

This is the name of a motel just at the outskirts of Woodville.

Napier is an Art Deco city. After the earthquake of 1931 much of it was completely rebuilt and since art deco was the style of the times, that's what they used. Now they have the largest selection of art deco buildings in the world, and they are gorgeous. We took a walk through the centre of town which features most of them and marvelled at their beauty - lovely pastel colours, artful stained glass and detailed tile work. There's a pretty pedestrian mall in the centre of town where we sat and ate an ice cream, watching all the people go by one their busy business while we enjoyed leisure time.

All the hills are brown and the skies are grey. Leaving Napier this morning at 9:30, we headed into a dry area. The locals are crying for rain, and the grey skies look promising. Heading further south we did encounter rain. I really believe each little city is sad when we leave and happy when we arrive at the next place, because the rain mysteriously stops. This is very hilly country, dotted with sheep and cattle. The hills are rippled horizontally from eons of sheep walking back and forth, creating skinny little hoof paths. It gives each hill the appearance of extreme age, as if it's wearing a skin that is too heavy, sagging in wrinkles and puddles at the ground. We've seen some odd cattle, bisected in the middle by a wide saddle of white. The front third is all black, the middle is a thick which band of white, and the hindquarters are also all black.

We did some wine tasting late this morning and bought a bottle of champagne to toast Hans' continued downward trend in golf. His scores have been: 95, 93, 90, 87, 84, 81 and 79 this morning! Tell everyone!! Then off to a fabulous lunch at the spectaclar Mission Winery. We tasted wines first in order to decide what to have with lunch, and the Riesling was a unanimous favourite. We shared a bowl of crayfish bisque after which I had snapper with a fresh herb and nut crust while Hans ate veal saltimbacco. We ate al fresco with crisp white linen napkins on pretty granite tables overlooking the vinyard far below us. It was perfect, until the mist rolled in and then the rain. Luckily, lunch was over by then. We were planning to do the Art Deco walk this afternoon as Napier was rebuilt in the Art Deco style following their devastating earthquake in 1931. 250 people were killed, but the quake had a good side. It lifted the sea bottome 8' and created a new area on which to build,...

All BEst Westerns so far have been great, with little kitchen units. Not that we need the mikes, but it's nice to have a fridge to chill our wine AND wine glasses. We remembered to bring a corkscrew, but would have had to swill our champagnes from the bottle if we hadn't found wine glasses in each room. We finally got to a Rotary meeting last night after being shut out twice in Rotorua. Turns out there were 2 other Canadians there as well, from Thompson Manitoba. There was also a guest from England who, incredibly, has been to Red Deer! And one of the older Rotarians there told us he had spent some time in Red Deer during the war, and has many fond memories of the place. Who knew Red Deer had been visited by so many folks from Down Under?

Monday morning we left Gisborne, heading south for Napier. It was partly a coastal drive, and partly a wild roller coaster ride over incredibly steep hills and through gorgeous canyons. Not that I enjoyed it, as my hemmorhoids will testify. There was much clenching of the sphincter muscles as we soared up and down, no shoulder, inches from the towering cliff on the passenger side (thank God, thank God, thank God!) and weak, battered railings on the driver's side. Many had obviously been tested by previous drivers. This road was not for the faint of heart. Hans already knows I just shut my eyes when the roads get scary so that I don't startle him with involuntary gasps and shrill cries. So I spent much of yesterday in the dark, leaving my stomach to catch up after every bend. Ironically, the roads are windy and curvy all the time. Then, for no discernible reason, they post a sign warning that the upcoming 5 Km will be very windy and curvy. Oh my. We also encountered a fi...

If yeterday's lunch was worthy to write about, I should compose a symphony to today's. We went back to the Gisborne Winery and ordered the antipasta platter. While it was being prepared, we tasted EIGHT wines for $5 each and the servings were very generous. None of this skimpy pouring! And then we picked a bottle to go with lunch. Life is good. And lunch is better. I have to detail what was on the platter: two crisply roasted salmon kabobs, 2 hue mussels as 4 small marinate mussels, 4 sundried tomatoes, 1 small crayfish, several fish pieces, 4 sauces of pesto, soya honey, sundried tomatoes and a mayo/mustard blend. Then a huge wedge of blue cheese (a favourite of ours), brie, edam, gouda and some other kind, a bunch of black olives, pickled onions, 2 multigrain buttered toasts, some rice crackers, a length of beef tenderloin and a bottle of gewurtz. What a feast! And what a civilized lunch. Now, I'm caught up. We're off to the beach to enjoy some sun, R &...

Hans has now played 5 games: 95, 93, 90 87 and 84. Should be ready for Augusta in a week or so.

We arrived in Gisborne on Saturday March 11 and were directe to "The Works", a restaurant in an old freezing plant. For $10 each, we were given a tasting of 5 wines accompanied by a cheese and fruit platter. We sat on the patio, cheese arrayed before us with succulent grapes and crackrs, and a lovely display of 10 glasses of wine to savour as we tasted the various cheeses. It was the best lunch. After a leisurely walk down the main street of Gisborne, accompanied by towering ice-cream cones, we walked on the beach. Then on to a wine tasting is Gisborne Winery where we were treated to a delicious Gewurtz for $29, one of which we took back to the motel with us. It's too good to drink, so we may bring it back to Canada! In the evening I "felt the earth, move, under my feet" as we stood ankle deep in the pounding surf, letting it tug the beach from between our toes. It was a crisply cool evening with a clear sky but we didn't check for the Southern Cross. ...

If you should ask me what is the greatest thing in the world, the answer would be: It is people, it is people, it is people. Friday evening we toured Tamaki Maori Village, which is the South Pacific's gateway to the world of ancient Maori warriors. We were taken on a journey back in time to a pre-European lifestyle experience of customs and traditions while ambling down the pathways of a rediscovered village as it came alive to the sound and activities of tribal songs, dances, myths, legends and spiritual stories. First, the bus picked us up at the Best Western, and after the rest of the gang was picked up, we were taken to their head office to pay. Not a problem. It was worth every $. On the bus ride to the Maori village we were given a sheet breaking down the evening's events, as well as a lesson in protocol. Much of the ceremony is sacred and they wanted to ensure our cooperation in maintaining appropriate decorum. Again, not a problem. Out of respect for their culture...

Rainbow Springs is right across the street from our motel and it came highly recommended. Turns out, the recommendation was spot on. The RS aviaries are home to many of New Zealand's nativr birds. The "cheeky" kaka was a delight, but kea really caught my attention. It's attracted to glittery things and while my hand was on the railing, it hopped right up to my hand and pecked at my ring. It saw it's tongue flick out and dart across the topaz and the gold, then licking between my fingers. Now and then it would peck. That hurt! They also have tui birds here, but I didn't read that any of them talk so the one we saw in Whangarei which called "come here" to us must be an unusual specimen. A highlight is the Kiwi Encounter. This is a working hatchery and nursery. When the Kiwi are mature enough, they are released back into the wild areas. The success rate for the survival is 60% compared to 5% for those left in the wild without human intervention...

You can't buy trout here. Nor is it on the menu in any hotel or restaurant. However, you can fish for trout and if you catch one, the hotel will cook it for you. The Maori used to catch them by tickling them under their bellies until the fish were relaxed, then grab them.

Violent and unexpected, the eruption of the Tarawera volcano during the early hours of June 10, 1886, was New Zeland's greatest natural disaster. For more than four terrifying hours, roks, ash and mud bombarded the peaceful village orf Te Wairoa. Today, it lies under 2 metres of thick volcanic material. As well as ending more than 150 lives the eruption destroyed the eighth wonder of the world - the Pink and White Terraces. These graceful terraces had been built up over a million years, one silica grain at a time, and bubbled with steaming hot pools. The silica terraces were delicately tinted a pale pink and proved a striking contrast to the crystalline waters and green forests that surrounded them. People from all over the world came to bathe in their waters, mostly on the lower slopes as the higher you got, the hotter it became. Locals would carry the guests piggy-back style for one to two cents per person, a valuable sum in those days. It was a half day trip just to get the...

Hans and Bryce took off at 9:30 a.m. for a *Veterans* day at the golf club. You have to be over 55. Luckily, Hans qualified! He had a great day and a great game: 47 + 41. While waiting for Tony and Marlene to pick me up, I sat outside and watched the mail lady do her deliveries. She uses a mountain bike and travels about 22 Km per day on her route, picking up mail as well as delivering it. We talked about how it's done in Canada (no bikes, for example). These days it would be quite comfy to ride your bike, but it must be brutally hot and uncomfortable to do it in the summer. Tony and Marlene were a bit late. "Marlene lost her cheque book and we spent some time looking for it". "So I'm buying lunch?" We toured around a bit first, going to St. Faith's Maori church, which has a richly decorated interior. It was conserated in 1914 and rededicatd in 1967. The most photographed window in the church is an etching of Jesus in flowing robes. The window ...

Our Best Western room has a private hot tub just outside the sliding glass doors from our living room. It's very cool! After we left Whangarei this morning, it was a good 5 hour drive to Rotorua and we decided to just relax. Had a swim in the pool, sunbathed, and picked up some wine, fruit and buns at the local supermarket for supper. We tried to go to the 5:30 Rotary meeting at the racecourse, but it was cancelled. Due to a race. Duh. Is this the first Wednesday night that there's been a race on and Rotary was cancelled? Seemed odd to me but anyway, I still get credit for a meeting. Talked to Tony, who is arranging a golf game for Hans tomorrow and who will be picking me up for lunch and a tour of the city on Thursday.

- In every community, on every street, people of all ages walk barefoot everywhere. No restrictions in grocery stores or restraurants. - There's an indoor skiing arena north of Auckland! - Bumper sticker on a truck: "Try to look unimportant. They might be low on ammo". - Sign as we entered wine country: Land of the Hunter - Gathere - Drinker

Here's the best business to be in in New Zealand: the manufacture of those red and white striped cones used on the highways. There is roadword everywhere, and they all use those cones! Apparently, there's an extra 5 cent tax per litre on gas which is earmarked stricly for road improvement. Every community has a budget for roadworks and it turns out, they must use up their allotment by March 31 or lose it the next year. So the pressure is on, and boy, are the roads in great shape here! It's almost like they have too much money.

Took a little drive out to the beach today and let the waves lap at our ankles. It was hot and sultry outside. The water was refreshingly cool. Lunch at a little restaurant by the marina, sipping beer and wine and watching the boats. It was idyllic.

We had our first wine tasting at Cottle Bay, where we could have returned for lunch. But we went on to Madsen where they have a beautiful outdoor restaurant, canopied by grape leaves. It overlooks a duck-filled pond which rises to sloping vinyards. The food was exquisitely presented and very delicious. At the end of the day, we visited Graham and Wendy for her birthday dinner. The drive up to their house is flanked by a small vinyard on the left, and eucalyptus trees o the right. The air was cool and crisp and we enjoyed a delicious barbecue of shrimp, fish and satay chicken outside.

This treaty is much in the news. The Maoris of today aren't happy with the deal their ancestors made and the treaty is vague enough that it can be interpreted in many ways. Hans bought a copy of it. But I bet our opinion will carry little weight. We walked to the top of Mt. Bledisloe from where we could see the curve of earth, the ocean and surrounding islands. The air was coloured with the perfume of clover. Or maybe only I could smell it because I was breathing so hard. We saw Haruru Falls where a swimmer was trying to get close enough to the falls for a shower. We stopped at Paihia Village where Mike bought a Lemon and Paeroa drink. Paeroa is a town with mineral water. Sometime in the past, someone added lemon, a little carbonation, and New Zealand's popular soft drink was born. Waitangi: In the 1830's the Bay of Islands around Waitangi was crowded with visiting ships. It had an unsavoury reputation as the Hell-hole of the Pacific. and the British appointed James...

Sunday night Mike and Liz had 11 people for barbecue! Despite this, she and I were dawdling around in town when I would have been in a frenzy of activity. But she is more organized than I. This would be because she used to teach cooking, amongst other things. She already had the Ikebana flower arrangements made and located throughout their house, so after she made the salads, it was just a question of setting up a few tables and chairs outside so we could enjoy the warm evening. Guests included Steve (President of Mike's Club) and his wife Margaret; Dave, a Rotarian who also volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, Jon (son) and Audrey and Graham and Wendy. Wendy's birthday was the next day and Hans invited us to their place for dinner!! And they actually let us come!!! During the evening Judy called to tell me I had left my visor at her place in Auckland and she is courriering it up to me. Thanks Judy!

The bird recovery area is a hospital for sick and injured birds. There is a Tui here. He's a mid sized dark bird - hard to see him in the shadows - and for the past two weeks he's been mourning the death of his mate. He used to *talk*, the only Tui known to do so. Of course, they aren't pets so it's possible others Tuis would talk too. Mike coaxed him, gently calling "Woof woof", his favourite words, and eventually it worked. "Come here", he invited us but alas, we were fenced out. The Quarry Garden is under development and features Look, Touch and Hear gardens. As their centennial project, three local Rotary clubs funded a lovely arched footbridge in white and blue connecting the developing gardens to the adjacent hills.

After a delicious evening of good food (salmon), good wine (lots) and good conversation (fun and laughter), we awoke to a brilliant day. Liz's garden is spectacular. I am so grateful that they are visiting us in May and not August. Otherwise, I'd have to do some serious work outside! We took a stroll through her beautifully landscaped grounds which border on the bush. Peering in, it looked cool and dark, dense with reality. She has holly bushes, fern trees, lillies and roses in abundance and too many others to mention and whose names are foreign to me. That evening they arranged a *Kiwi Barbecue* with some Rotary friends, Habitat friends, and their son Jon and Audrey who are visiting on the way to a wedding. More on that later. While Hans and Mike golfed Lize and I went to the Town Basin which was crowded with people coming off a Fun Run from the beach to the Town Basin. We found a pretty spot by the water and the yachts (sailboats) to have a latter before hitting some ...

Liz and Mike drove us to a view point high above the city which was spread out below us like a colourful ribbon between the rolling hills on one side, and the salt water inlet on the other. It drizzled on us a bit as we left the car but like in Alberta, the weather changes very quickly and by the time we walked to the top, the rain stopped, the clouds had lifted and the view was splendid. Hans and Mike left for a quick 9 holes while Liz and I toured the Craft Quarry, an artistic commune. A few artists still live here, as evidenced by the loft bed in one of the studios, but since they only have electricity and no running water, the city is putting up some restrictions. There's a glass studio, a silversmith with dozens of tiny drawers holding her jewellry creations, painters and others. We spoke with one artist from Holland/France who was putting together a 4' totem pole decorated with shells, rocks and driftwood. When finished, she's erecting it in the commune area as a ...

We visited this museum on our way from Auckland to Whangerei (Fangeree, or Whangaree). The countryside was gorgeous even though it rained buckets as we left Auckland. When we got into the hills, the sun poked its head out and clouds of mist billowed up like steam, vaporizing in the air. We got out at one of the viewpoints but I spent a few moments cautiously peeking into the dark crevices of trees. I was alternately hoping, yet terrified, of seeing a weta bug. A day earier we saw one in the museum. Dead, fortunately. They grow up to 6" long and the males have tusks. The Kauri Museum has a huge collection of gum carvings, which are actually several collections. It looks much like amber, but is lighter in colour,more like honey. Much of the kauri gum was recovered in the early 1900's where kauri trees had fallen and the wood rotted away, leaving the hard gum underground. The gum is ancient because these trees have Methuselah lifespans. The oldest live tree standing toda...

Judy told us about the time she visited another country for a conference, and brought attractively boxed kiwis as a gift. She left a box on each table. Later, she was asked, "Where do you find kiwis?" "Actually, they're very hard to find. They're quite scarce. Many New Zealanders have never even seen one. You have to go to certain areas and you can only see them at night". Blank look. "Oh. You mean the fruit!"

Someone tell Allan Melbourne I was at a meeting at 7:00 a.m. Friday morning, March 4th! PDG Bob Baird took Hans and I to a sunrise meeting and when we were introduced as being from Red Deer, it turned out that not one, but TWO people in the room have been here!! In fact, the Sargeant at Arms was one of them and fined me because he had played pool here and lost. When they have guests, the *host* stands up and introduces his guest and tells a little about them. Cool. Everyone who had ever been anywhere in Canada came up and talked to us - we had a great time! It turns out that the International President after this one will be Bill Boyd from Auckland. Bob and Judy Baird know him and Lorna, and will be attending their Golden Wedding Anniversary this Easter.

Cath Tizard was the first female mayor of Auckland sometime in the '50's, and she later became the first female Governor General. It was the custom for the Governor General's wife to become the President of the Girl Guides, but since Cath Tizard had no spouse, and in any case since she was a woman, she was invited to become the President. It fell to our hostess Judy Baird, who was the Chief Commissionaer of the Girl Guides at that time, to invite her to assume the presidency. Upon learning that Cath was not a Girl Guide herself, she needed to be inducted, which Judy proceeded to do. Cath, flinging her arms up in delight, yelled "At last"!" She was 70 years old.

We were greeted by the deeply resonating sound of a Maori horn welcoming us into the museum. I'm told that the Maori greeting protocol consists of touching noses, not rubbing, and mingling your breath. Then you become a part of the particular *marae* where you were greeted. They didn't do this with us, probably because we were too many. The Maori carvings are exquisite and adorn everything. Inside the marae (meeting house) the ceiling is meant to reflect a person. The beam running down the middle of the ceiling is the spine, and the arms that support the sloping roof on either side are the ribs. There arms are each decorated with a different pattern but one design is consisten to each of them: they must have an unbroken line going from the spine to the end. One of the most spectacular items was a warrior canoe long enough to hold 100 warriors. It was created from a single tree trunk. There is a floor on this canoe made or reeds under which the warriors could store the...

Wow. Auckland is a beautiful and sprawling city, dotted with hills to add interest. Our hosts Bob and Judy took us on a tour which began at the Vaughn Homestead, a house built 160 years ago as a 2 room home for a young man and gradually expanded as his family grew. Through a stroke of luck, the caretakers were there and allowed us to look around inside, which is decorated with period pieces donated by local citizens. Then we drove to a nearby beach which was virtually empty except for a few seniors and a class of children who were out on a field trip. In NZ, schools teach water safety to all kids. They have little sailboats which they learn to handle, all under the supervision of teachers and parent volunteers. I stuck my toe in the water and found it deliciously cool against the warm moist air. We visited the harbour, stopped for lunch at an outdoor cafe where we enjoyed the breeze as well as the local beer, then drove to the summit of Victoria Mountain. Viewed from the top, Auckl...

Vancouver is blooming. Along all the streets, pink and white blossoms were scenting the air with their heavenly perfumes. In Rod and Nicole's backyard, pink buds were just starting to open on the huge magnolia tree. Even the air looked pink-tinged through the blossoms. Of course, since we're just starting our holiday, we're seeing the world through rose coloured glasses right now anyway. For those of you who know Vancouver, know this. We had a marvellous salmon dinner at the Salmon House on the Hill with an incredible view of the city laid out below us. It had rained during the day, but it let up just in time to let us see the glittering lights of nightime Vancouver. What a jewel of a city.