End of Our Winter Get-away

More thoughts on New Zealand

In so many ways NZ is like being at home.   I think as Rhyse, our Milford Sound driver stated, " It must be the Commonwealth connection."  Listening to the news here it seems that there are some of the same problems as at home.  A young man was thrown out of a bar and fell, bumped his head and died.  The bouncer got a 1 year suspended sentence.  The boy's family was outraged.  In Canada we also  rail about he ridiculous, light sentences that are handed down.  The father stated that you get jail time for killing a whale, but a slap on the wrist for killing a human being.



Another news item that could have been on Calgary's Global News.   A school canceled Valentine's Day in oder to protect the tender feelings of children who might not get the same number of Valentine cards as their classmates.  Oh paleeezzz!  Give your touque a spin!!!

The NZ accent is not as pronounced as the Aussie accent.  Also, they don't use as many colorful expressions.  The only difficulty is that so many of the place names are Moari.  You can never remember where you have been or where you are going.

There is one 'expression'  New Zealanders use that will make Canadians feel at home.  You guessed it, "Eh."
NZ, like Canada,  has a large multicultural population.  The mix is different, however.  There appears to be more people that come from the east Asian countries; places like Viet Nam, Thailand, Philipines, and Korea.   Also, people that would have come from the far-away islands like Fiji, Sandwich, Samoa, and the Cook Islands.


Stark Naked
It seems to me this expression just might come from NZ.  One of the entertainers on Auckland's civic Theatre was Freda Stark.  Freda is said to have regularly appeared wearing nothing more that a coat of gold paint (the cafe at the Civic bears her name.)

 

The Southern Man
The 'Southern Man' has a special niche in the Kiwi mind.  The typical speciman lives in the country, has a trusty dog by his side, is a rabid rugby fan, and adheres to a rugged lifestyle of farmwork, fixing the ute (pickup truck), and hitting the bars for pool and beer.  Speight's beer has gotten a lot of mileage from this icon, using it for a successful Southern Man ad campaign.
Speight's Gold Medal Ale is the flagship beer made at the historic brewery (several of the buildings date back to the 1800s).  This is the beer that immortalized the Southern man legend, celebrated in story, song and deed in the south for 134 years.
Now doesn't that sound just like some of the good old boys you'll encounter on the Prairies?

Auckland, City of Sails
We are in Auckland from Saturday, Feb. 12th to Thursday the 17th - when we fly to Sydney, where we will overnight  before our flight home to Calgary, via Los Angeles.
The welcoming guide to Auckland, states that, 'Auckland is the largest Polynesian city in the world with a distinctive cultural flavour.'  Not  only does Auckland have a distinctive  flavour, so does all of NZ.  After spending time in Australia and New Zealand never again will the countries be linked in my mind.  They are as different as chalk and cheese.
Almost a third of New Zealand's population lives in Auckland.
Auckland is volcanic country.  There are about 50 extinct or dormant volcanoes in the Auckland volcanic field - all within 20 kms of the city centre.

Sunday Ramble
We managed to get out of the hotel by 10:15 - destination the Parnell Heritage Area.
We walked less than 50 meters and we encountered the Auckland Baptist Tabernacle where a service would start in 15 minutes.  Why not?

The Baptist church seems to have evolved in the same way all over the world.  There was no chour and no hymnals.  Instead there was a band with two singers and the words to the hymms on Power Point.  The message of the service was 'the Tragedy of the Unfulfilled Self'.   In the program the example given was Elvis Presley and Sir Edmund Hillary.  Elvis was lost after only 42 years; while Hillary, a simple bookkeeper, went on to accomplish so much for mankind in his 80 plus years.  The Biblical examples of unfullfilled promise were Samson and Judas.   I know a  bit about he Bible, but I didn't know that Judas committed suicide.  Interesting.

 Next we came across a park with three cricket matches in progress.  We sat down in the shaded bleachers to watch.  One of the games included a Tamal Christians team.  When the game ended there seemed to be some area of discontent.  A few players to the stands and started a heated discussion with a small group of their countrymen who sat watching.  Soon the whole team was on the steps.  Some engaged in the argument, most just pushed in and listened.  We never could figure out what they were angry about.

Across from the park was a row of upscale condos.  One was for sale and there was an Open House.  It was easy to tell that it was a very good address and the price tag would be hefty.  Again, why not?  We removed our shoes and went in to snoop.  As you can imagine very beautifully decorated but way over-done with heavy antiques pieces.  We chatted with the realtor.  He had been to Canada.  He told us the price tag was $1.085,000.  We promise, we didn't steal the silver ware.

We had almost reached our original destination, the Ewelme (pronounced, 'You Elm') Cottage when we were way-layed by the The Kinder House Museum (2 Ayr Street), the first and largest of three stone houses built in Parnell in the late 1850s.   It is the only one that is a true two-story.  The house was built for Dr. Kinder , headmaster of the church of England Grammer School.  He haad no children of his own but adopted the two children of his younger brother.  The brother's wife was having an affair with her dentist and the dentist killed her husband.  I don't know why, but it always surprises me to hear of such bad behaviour in times that seem so gentile.

 At 14 Ayr Street we find Ewelme Cottage.  What a gem!  I would have flown all the way to NZ just to see this house.  Ewelme Cottage, was built between 1863 and 1864 by the curiously named Reverend Vicesimus Lush (vicesimus is Latin for "20th," his birth order) and inhabited by his descendants for more than a century.  The house contains much of the original furniture and personal effects of the Lush family.   The house is as intact as if the the original family moved out yesterday.

The Lush family were great readers and there are over 900 books spread throughout the many bookshelves.  Some of the books are very rare dating from the 1600's.  Lastly, the drawing room, veranda, and garden appeared in Jane Campion's film, 'The Piano.'

AN ASIDE: Beyond the Waitakere Ranges, a half hour drive to the west of Auckland lies the black sand beaches of the rugged west coast, including Piha - famous as the setting of the movie 'The Piano'.
We finished off the walking Tour of the Parnell Heritage area by having a gelato at Casa Del Gelato.

By the time we returned to our room it was 4:00 and time for a well-deserved rest.


Monday - Down and Up
We started the day by going to the Kelly Tarleton's Underwater World and Antarctic Encounter which is built into the side of a cliff and goes under a busy highway.

This harbourside marine park is the creation of NZ's most celebrated undersea explorer and treasure hunter and offers a fish's eye view of the sea.

Opened in January 1985, the acquarium was a huge success.  After only seven weeks Tarlton shook the hand of the 100,000th visitor, an image captured in the last photo image of him.  He died later that night of heart complications.

Later in the day we went up.  Way up.  The 1,082-foot Sky Tower is a great place to go for a bird's eye view of the city.  For an adrenaline rush you can: 1. pay $100. which allows you to walk (harnessed) on an outside walkway that rings the tower, or 2. for $195 you can actually take a controlled leap off the tower.  Don and I were happy to watch.

Tuesday - Hauraki Gulf and Islands
Island hopping is a favourite pastime for the locals so Don and I decided to join them for one more day on the water.  We did a harbour cruise that went to the three main islands - all within 40 minutes of downtown Auckland.

Signing Off
Barring any unforseen event, exciting or other wise, this will be my last blog for this trip.
I have enjoyed sharing our experiences with you.  Thank you for coming along for the ride.

Other

Something to leave you with:


This was posted on the library bulletin board in the samll town, Kaikoura.

Despite the high cost of living,

It's amazing how popular it remains.

Carry-on East Coast

Fur Seal
Just north of Kaikoura, along the highway was a major fur seal colony.  We pulled over and followed the trail to the look out.   Below, on a craggy stretch of sea coast, was a large colony of seals.

The seals sun themselves all day in order to store the sun's warmth.  This allows them to search for food during the night and not get cold.
There were over 100 seals.  A large number were seal pups.  In the center of the colony there was a natural swimming pool formed by a circle of rocks.  This pool served as a nursery for the seal pups who frolicked in it like a bunch of kids in a sand box.  

Basking Shark

The next day we followed a dirt road to a lonely stretch of beach to take a break from driving.  The beach was almost, but not totally, deserted.  There were a couple of women sitting on the sand enjoying the surf.  Further along there was a older couple sitting in lounge chairs fishing.  They had their poles stuck into the sand in front of them.  We have seen a lot of people fishing off the shore this way and had yet to see anyone catch anything.  When the pole came alive and the old fellow jumped to pick it up everyone on the beach got excited.  You could tell by the pole action that the fish was fairly large.  When the man reeled in his catch we saw that it was a small shark.  He wrestled with it for awhile and finally subdued it.  Right away he took the hook out and proceeded to try to throw the shark back into the water.  He grabbed it by the tail and heaved it as far as he could.  The surf immediately pushed it back in to shore. It took him 4 or 5 tries to finally get the shark out far enough to allow it to swim away.  After all this drama all he said was, "Basking shark.  Not good eating."

  


Napier

The earthquake that stuck Napier in February, 1931 was the largest ever recorded in NZ history.  The coastline was wrenched upward several feet. Almost all the town's brick buildings collapsed; many people lost their lives.  The earthquake triggered fires that comsumed most of the remaining wooden structures.
Napier was rebuilt in the art deco style. A style that had swept the global scene in 1925.  Walking throuth the downtown district it is like stepping back into the 30's

Orakei Korako

The Lonely Planet states that Orakei Korako as "possibly the best thermal area left in New Zealand and one of the finest in the world".
Orakei Korako is reached by a short ferry trip over Lake Ohakuri.  As you approach the shore you see water trickling over the Emerald Terraces into the lake.  Exploring the site takes a little over 1 hour.  You walk on boardwalks past hot springs, gushing geysers, and bubbling mud pools.  The walk ends at a rare geothermal cave (there is only one other in the world - in southern Italy.)  

Karangahake              

To take the walk through the gorge you get to experience what it must have been like to work underground in Mt Karangahake 100 years ago.
There are many different paths. You explore old mining tunnels, ore roasting kilns and tramways on the Windows Walk. If you have a torch follow the Karangahake walkway along the path of the old railway through a kilometre long brick-lined tunnel. You will sway across the swing-bridges, push through the bush to explore relics from the goldmining past.
I was surprised at just how dark the tunnels were and there was no light other than your flash light.  I really don't think you would find a promoted walk like it in North America.  I can just imagine the law suits that would ensue for so much as a stubbed toe.

Reflections on Traveling in New Zealand
It is Friday, February 11th and I am working on this blog as Don negotiates the serpentine roads.   No where in NZ will you find a straight road of more that a few kilometres.  90% of the roads are up, down and around.  
Today we return to Auckland and tomorrow we return our camper van.   I am going to be honest and say, "not a moment too soon".  All the guide books say that the best way to see NZ is by camper van.  They lie.  I guess if you want to spend a small fortune and get a large camper it might be the way to go.  However, you have to factor in the price of gas - $2.00 to $2.22/litre. And, if you want to take the unit between islands that will cost $500. plus.  All things considered, I don't endorse what the guide books say - camper vanning is not the best way to see NZ.      
Below are two recommendations for traveling in NZ.  Both ways are cheaper and more comfortable than hiring a camper van.

a.  A small car and motels.  We traveled this way in Tasmania for a week, and in northern NZ.   All the rooms are equipped so that you can eat out of a cooler.  Some even have a full kitchen.  The average cost for the accomodation was $110.00/night.
b.  Hire a slightly larger car.  One that will allow you to carry 2 sleeping bags and a small fleece blanket for the cooler weather you will encounter in the south.  Pick up a copy of the Jasons - Holiday Parks Campgrounds.  Stay in holiday parks which have barebones cabins for as little as $40.00/night.  All these parks have a well stocked kitchen, a TV lounge, computers, showers, etc.
Anyway that is what we would do if given the opportunity to do it again.


Other

Stuka Dive Bomber

Hurricane

Stuka

Bristol Freighter

Steerman

The East Coast

We went south mainly on the west coast of the South Island and now we are traveling north on the east coast.

Dunedin

Dunedin is the Gaelic name for Edinburgh.  The city was founded in 1848 by settlers of the free Church of Scotland, a break-away group from the Presbyterian Church.  The city's Scottish roots are still visible; you'll find the only kilt shop in the country, the first and only whisky distillery, and a statue of Scottish poet, Robert Burns.  

       

There are two good reasons to stop in for a Dunedin visit.  One is the is Cadbury World.   Who  is not familiar with all the wonderful candy that Cadbury makes?  We didn't have time to stop in to see how they got the caramel into the chocolate pockets, however we've been sampling the bars all along trying to figure it out.   The second reason to visit Dunedin is Spreight's Brewery Heritage Centre for a tour of the South's top brewery.  We didn't have time for that either as we only had time for one sight in the area and we chose to go to Otago Peninsula (nearby) to see Larnach Castle. 

    

Larnach Castle
High on a hilltop with commanding views from its battlements, Larnach Castle is the grand baronial fantasy of William Larnach, an Australian born businessman and politician.  The castle, built in the mid-1870's, was a vast extravagance even in the free-spending days of the gold rush era.

Unfortunately, like so many of these visionaries he did not have long to enjoy his creation.  In 1898 Larnach committed suicide.  He shot himself in Parliament House.  Apparently he was beset by a series of financial disasters and marital problems.  According to one version of the story, Larnach's third wife, whom he married at an advanced age (50ish), ran off with his youngest son.   

Soon after William's death his heirs sold the castle. 

In 1967 Margaret and Barry Barker purchased Larnach Castle.  By that time the castle buildings and grounds were in a dreadful state.  The castle was empty of furniture and leaked like a sieve; the ballroom had been used to pen sheep.  

When the Barkers bought the Castle many people thought (and told them!) that they were crazy to take on such a mammoth and apparently impossible task. It has taken a significant amount of time, effort, money, and research, but Barkers have gotten the last laugh.  Larnach Castle has been restored to the original exacting standards of Larnach's time. 

The castle is still privately owned by the Barker family.  It is in fact their family home.  You enter the castle by going up the grand staircase and ringing the doorbell.  You are let in by a hostess who hands you a floor plan (there are no velvet ropes) and thus you start your tour of the house and grounds.   

The Lost Seal
We stopped at a camp site just north of the little town of Oamaru.  From the camp ground we went for a walk that followed a country road for 1 km or so and found the beach.  Between us and the beach there was a berm of large, rock gravel - it stretched as far as the eye could see.  When we climbed the ridge we saw that the stones also formed the beach - there was no sand.

On the shore, no more that 50 meters away, lay a seal.   Initially we thought it was dead, but as we watched it moved a flipper.   We went down to the beach and when we were level with the seal it turned it's body so that it could watch us.

.

When we walked back up the hill of gravel it turned it's body so that we were still in sight.  I imagine it was more curious of us than we were of it.  What was curious was the fact the seal was on a flat beach and all alone.  What was the story there?


Rain
Rain again.  When we went to bed it was a beautiful sunny day so we left the windows open.  When we got up we realized that the rain had gotten in - the bedding,  and one cushion was sopping.  It rained all day.  We decided that if it was still raining by the end of our driving day we'd have to get a motel.
We had planned on a stop in Christchurch to see how the repairs were coming along after last years earthquake.  The rain drove us on.  Around 4:30 it had settled to an occasional drizzle.  We stopped at Kaikoura.  This towns claim to fame is that it is a good place to whale watch- particularly the sperm whale.  You can take a boat excursion, or you can see them by helicopter or by plane.  We did none of the above.  We will see them on National Geographic.




Other

A vineyard

A vineyard