Winter-2010

Spring in Thornhill

2010-04-29T22:58:00.003-04:00

The conclusion to our “Winter 2010 Snow Bird” escape. We arrived home 2 weeks ago and finely recovered from the jet lag. Just to recall those last 3 days in Brighton helps me to relive our trip again. We did look forward to home especially after Lewis & Elsa flew back but truly where we were was not a hardship – just not home! Our focus turned to getting ready for our own flights: packing (tossing items never to be worn again); house ready for its owners; and eating leftovers stockpiled from Chef Lewis. We shopped at Taigum (one last time) to check emails; thrilled to receive an email from L&E with confirmation they were home; tired, weary but safe. We took several walks along the boardwalk celebrating our decision to spend the winter down-under. Helena & I did bike the 3K bridge from Brighton to Woody Point (20K overall); a first for both and a check against the last on my to-do list.
Fiona dropped in to inquiry if we needed a ride to the airport & exchange contact information; a chance for us to say so-long, farewell, “ta-ta” and, of course share an Irish Blessing “May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.”
We were up at 6am Friday April 9th to begin our marathon day! Ten AM we were at Brisbane Airport for our 12:25 flight to Auckland, NZ. The entire process worked like a case study. We left 27 degrees C traveled 2296 Km to Auckland in 2 hours & 42 minutes; with time zone changes we arrived at 5pm. It was a pleasure to see NZ again. My seat companion from Alberta was just beginning her 1st visit to NZ, a 3-week tour of both islands. Pure joy to read her itinerary, visualize what she was about to see and to recount what made the places special to us; her excitement grew just from our memories. This was also a job interview trip to explore an internal transfer to the New Plymouth NZ office. Aaaah to be young again with the opportunity to work abroad! Leg 1 completed – A1.
Friday April 09 continues with our flight from Auckland for Los Angeles at 7:27 pm with 17 degrees C; 10,498 KM and flying time 11 hrs 11 minutes. As we approached LAX, with a tail wind of 131 KPH, our ground speed was 1022 KPH – and the ride was as smooth as silk. We arrived in LA Friday noon (not bad considering we left Brisbane Friday April 09 just pass noon). LA noon was 5AM Saturday for us and now one hour shy from marking 24 hours since we slept. It was a blessing to sail through US Customs & Immigration; a welcoming relief to fall into the very comfortable bed at the Airport Marriott. (Thanks Ness for the family/friend discount) Leg 2 completed – A1.
Saturday we were at LAX 6AM for our flight to Toronto. Duty Free 2x1L Baileys $37 USD; a trip bonus to enjoy with my coffee for weeks to come! We sat in the 3rd last row in middle & window seats; watched “The Lovely Bones” and “Blind Side”. I was so enraptured the man sitting next to Tom asked if something was wrong with his wife! Tom’s comment, “too little sleep and too much coffee”!
Our flight from LA took 4 hours with a 3 hour time zone adjustment. We arrived at our condo as my watch struck 6:30AM Sunday April 11 – 48 hours since we got out of bed in Brisbane! Now we are back into a routine: tax returns filed, dust layers removed, 3-months of mail opened & addressed, family reconnected with and we are prepared to host our first home exchange guest. The sun is shining and we are going for a push-bike ride! It’s been a full and complete winter – a blast just not a cold wintery blast! From New Zealand --- Kia Ora (hello) and Ka Kite Ano – Until I see you again (bye). From Australia g'day and Roo Hoo.

Easter in OZ

2010-04-06T20:41:00.002-04:00

Easter in OZ and we enjoyed a park BBQ, the local tradition. Our neighbours, Helena & Derrick invited us to share their family BBQ. They are experienced at Aussie BBQs, having owned a hotel/restaurant. Their son (a former Chef) gave Lewis a break from cooking as he served up sausages, onions, peppers & shrimp. Their daughter, married to the Master Chef at Noosa’s #1 rated restaurant, & their daughter-in-law (also trained in hospitality) supervised. We and the 6 grandchildren had only to eat, drink, and play bocce ball. It was a marvellous way to spend Easter with a substitute family.
Easter Sunday ended Daylight Savings Time down-under; putting us in a unique situation for time change: “Spring Forward” and “Fall Back” in the same week! The weather is fall-like; cool clear nights, warm-to-hot days and a constant ocean breeze. Each afternoon the foreshore is dotted with surf-gliders; colourful parachutes filled by ocean thermals propel the surfer over the waves & into the air. It is fascinating to watch! Here young and old embrace the outdoors.
On our daily boardwalk stroll we were surprised to see a miniature Cave with a round rock rolled away from the entrance, 2 bunny rabbits and a vase of purple flowers. Apparently, it is another local custom to build this structure using beach rocks & sand; positioned to catch the sunrise ray on Easter morning. Visible reminders of why we celebrate Easter!
Monday, yesterday was Lewis & Elsa’s last full day in OZ. We made a trial run to the airport and then went shopping at the mall. The crowds were overwhelming; school break means mall-visits on both continents! Lewis & Elsa surprised us with a smoked salmon for dinner; what a treat! Elsa had a nearly full bottle of Crown Royal & had promised our neighbour Aiden a drink. Well, needless to say we drank the CR; perhaps not our smartest move with a 3am airport trip and a 20-hour day for L&E – but it was fun! Thank goodness everything worked out well and Lewis & Elsa are now flying over the Pacific Ocean to Vancouver & then home. Hard to believe we have only 3 days before we begin our trek back to Toronto via LA. It’s been and is an amazing trip!
P.S. the derelict house next door continues to shrink. When we returned from the BBQ on Sunday the owner had blocked our driveway with his car & trailer, and shortly thereafter drove away with a load of windows crowned with a bathtub. Yesterday the interior doors, previously removed and neatly stacked on the ground floor by the demolition company, were suddenly missing. Earlier today a shouting match ensued on the street, likely a neighbour impatient with the gawkers, thieves and other interested parties that frequent the site. Time to break out the Dobermans.......

BTW: This most liikely will be the last blog update from Down-Under! We hope to get online in LA ... otherwise when we are back in Toronto. Thank you all for sharing our trip with us ....... LOL

Bluewater Festival – Good Friday

2010-04-03T00:08:00.002-04:00

The 2010 Sandgate Bluewater Festival started today. The events take place in lower Moora Park and last for 12 hours beginning at 8:30am. The primary focus is the start of the Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race & the Skydive Warriors landing on Shoncliffe beach. However there was something for everybody from the battle of the bands ($5000 prize money) to markets set in a carnival atmosphere. We were warned to expect 25,000 people crammed into the area where we had our BBQ one week ago. We drove the car to 1st avenue with the intention of walking the last kilometre to the point. However our timing was such we hopped on the event train & rode; definitely the cooler way to traverse the last K.
We missed the start of the race but photographed the colourful display of spinnakers as the yachts sailed around Woody Point. We had front row seats (pier) to watch the skydivers. To celebrate Good Friday, the Fellowship Tract League paraded a Cross through the crowds to the end of the Jetty passing out ‘The Only Doorway’ pamphlets. Several hours passed quickly before we headed home for a break from the heat and to another chapter in the ongoing saga of the house next door. The owners were writing graffiti on the remaining walls – unflattering opinions of the builder’s abilities & ethics! The dispute seems to be escalating. We just hope to leave before someone burns that house down!
Last night we watched the fireworks to close the festival; quite pleased with ourselves & our day!

Amazing Walk – April 1st

2010-04-03T00:06:00.002-04:00

Schools out today for 2 weeks of Easter break. St. Patrick’s College where Owen attends Grade 9 had their shore to gate walkathon (9:30am to noon). We walked down to the boardwalk to see the 1100 boys walk/run the 5K; from Grade 5 to 12, all sizes, shapes, & personalities entertained us. Boy it was a hot humid morning and we hoped the sausage fry reward was worth their effort! Perhaps the bigger reward is no school for the next two weeks!
This afternoon we shopped at Taigum for its internet access; we feel out-of-touch without the web. The mall was busy due to the school holiday & Easter weekend closures. Thank goodness we only required a few basics. Then, home for hamburgers. Something easy, for tonight we walked the tidal beach before the sun set at 6:30pm. What an amazing walk from the shore out to the receding ocean, ½ kilometre of ocean-packed sand, walking through a few inches of warm water and watching sand crabs before they burrow and disappear. To stand far away from shore and the safety of land, totally surrounded by ocean – was an awe-inspiring journey. We were lost in a magical world between the setting sun colours, water and sand. We took some amazing photos to share on the web when we return to Canada.

Woody Point – March 31st

2010-04-03T00:03:00.002-04:00

We are reluctant to spend hours touring in the car these days; more contented to read, plan our meals and enjoy a walk on a nearby beach. We’ve explored wider afield but enjoy our local area more. Today, a case in point, after a reading morning we drove the 10k across the causeway to Woody Point. We parked near the Belvedere Hotel & walked the local beach. We collected another type of seashell; unable to resist the multi-blue tones -- ideal for Sydny’s creations. We washed our shells at a water fountain & used a ‘doggy’ bag to hold our loot. After coffee & cake oceanfront, we shopped at 18th Ave & Beaconsfield. The local butcher caught our attention with his list of trade: fish, crocodile, quail, rabbits & Roo Rump. We resisted his wares and bought a roast chicken with fries at the IGA for dinner. Boring perhaps but a safer choice!

Brisbane – March 30

2010-04-01T00:06:00.001-04:00

A week from today will find Lewis & Elsa back in Toronto with us down to our last 3 days! Wet weather but we’re optimistic it will clear, a good day to take the River Cat Ferry into Brisbane. We caught the ferry at Bretts Wharf (2nd last stop East), rode to University Queensland (last stop West), and then back to North Quay to tour the Queen St Mall. The Brisbane River, which flows directly from the ocean, forms an “S” thru the downtown core; hence the River Cat was ideal to see the city. Brisbane shaped itself using the River has its template: amazing bridges (not quite like Sydney Harbour Bridge) but unique and numerous. The curves of the bridges & roads match artistic quality in their symmetry, while the spinning Ferris wheel has a whimsical touch. Building architecture is an engineer’s dream; distinctively shaped for River view; cylinders with outcropping platforms near the top. Near Kangaroo Point (20 million year old cliffs) we watched rock climbers scale the 20 metre face. We passed South Bank, a beach in the middle of the city; Botanic Gardens & Roma St. Parkland, the world’s largest subtropical garden in a city centre.
Queen Street Mall is a catwalk of colour, style and pure indulgence! There are 700 specialty stores, 6 huge style centres, beautiful heritage-listed arcades & stunning shopping galleries. We were no longer in Taigum! It was difficult to pull ourselves along; each store lured us in to have a look (we dropped coin in a few places)! Where to eat! Some locals directed us to a Food Court (not like CDN Food Courts)! We pigged out on Indian food ($3.80 for curried lamb, veggie & rice combo) the after lunch special; as good as anything we’ve eaten so far! After lunch & fighting the nap urge, we hopped on the free shuttle to tour the inner city. We got off at Eagle Street & took the River Cat back to our car (Bretts Wharf in Hamilton). We had parked at Dan Murphy’s; a fine excuse to shop for wine! One half hour later & $20 lighter we were on our way home with 6 more bottles of wine! We loved our day!

Tiagum Shopping – March 29th (Monday)

2010-04-01T00:04:00.002-04:00

A humid day, we decided to check out Taigum Mall. Taigum is an outlet mall with the best pricing we’ve seen since arriving down-under! At Lowes we bought 100% cotton shirts & tops for $2 & canvas OZ bags for .50 cents – got to love the end-of-summer sales! We checked out the 100+ stores and had a field day! We ate lunch at Gloria Jean’s Coffee (my full name sake) while the barista ground some coffee to try back in Brighton. We grocery shopped at Woollies but managed to avoid buying the meat special of the day: $19 for 4 jumble chicken patties, 6 kebabs, 500 g chicken wings & a # 14 chicken! What a hoot!
Tonight was a full moon. We walked along the boardwalk and marvelled at the night sky. The moon was so bright the ocean glistened like in daylight; a large perfect halo surrounded the moon & the Southern Cross was etched in the sky! Locals fished from the break wall (catch & release) enjoyed a beer & socialized. A wonderful breeze cooled the evening and the lights from the esplanade houses provided a warm glow to guide our path. An absolutely marvellous night!

Park BBQ – March 28

2010-03-28T22:36:00.001-04:00

A beautiful day, we organized a BBQ in Schoncliff Park. After a quick trip to Woollies for sausages, etc. we set off on our borrowed bikes with Helena and Derrick. Lewis and Elsa, acting as our support team, drove the car loaded with provisions to a predetermined area with electric grills for cooking and covered picnic tables. We enjoyed a great BBQ (along with some aggressive Ibis, crows and Myna birds) then set off to explore the headland at the end of the boardwalk. An aboriginal guy lives in the area and paints indigenous fish and animals on the surrounding fence posts, rocks and trees; quite attractive. Lou and Elsa fished from the pier while we biked back to the house, with a brief stop for some Italian ice cream. After dinner we cruised into Sandgate (nearest small town) to check out the action. Not unexpectedly the stores and cafes were closed and the streets are deserted. Even weekdays, only Woollies open past 5PM. All other businesses push customers out the door at 4:45. The priority is dinner and family before commerce.....charming; reminiscent of our days in Europe. The lifestyle here, the zoning oceanfront protection, and the quality of life have made this area our most relaxed so far.

Lady's Day at the Races March 27

2010-03-28T22:33:00.001-04:00

Elsa & I have joined the ‘Red Hats Ladies’ – well at least for a day at the races! Check out the Brisbane Racing Club on Facebook to see if you can spot us in their pictures of March 27th race day! We had a blast! Our neighbour Helena (Queen of the Bright-N-Breezy Red Hats) invited us to their race day. Hesitant at first, she convinced us with the offer of hats! Millie – you were on our minds & we knew this was right up your alley! There were 8 in our group but hundreds more ladies attended, clad in their glad rags, perky little hats & fashion-statement shoes! When travelling 3+months, who packs such finery? Not us! In the open-air excitement of race day; who cares what you wear! Obviously all the 2-legged fillies sure did as they teetered along in their 5-inch spikes (protected by Heel Candy), very provocative form-fitting cocktail dresses with hats that would rival Queen E! This one white-fine formed young man entered the field with 2 ladies on either side; one black & other white. The white was gorgeous but was overshadowed by the other -- this long cool drink of water. You have to imagine this: a tall slender polished & buffed woman wearing a dress that was a second-skin and plunging in the back & front with a swirl of glitter emphasizing each curve as she floated along on her 7-inch statement with a hat to crown the day (side pompadour with feathers quivering in the light afternoon breeze)! She was the show for the day – and we saw a lot!
Admission was $25; this included the $15 gate plus $25 race-dollars for food & drink (Such a bargain!) There were 8 races. We missed one race standing in the beer line, but placed $1 or $2 bets on each of the remaining races. Three races placed my horse in the winner’s circle ($1.80 + $4.50 + $4.50 winnings -- last of the big time spenders)! Five hours of hot sun, 4 large beers, a teriyaki beef lunch, an afternoon with new friends and a photo on Facebook.... Priceless!
To top our day, the guys not only acted as chauffeurs but we arrived home to a roast lamb dinner! Thanks Tom & Lewis (aka Master Chef).

Noosa Heads March 25

2010-03-28T22:31:00.002-04:00

Our second day with hot weather, (yesterday we returned to the Mall to cool off & to shop at Dan Murphy’s for white wine). Today we drove N to Noosa Heads, another recommended ‘must see’. Queensland Parks & Forests guide described it as wild coastline jutting into the ocean; wallum heaths, woodlands & pockets of rainforest with hoop & kauri pine (refuges for wildlife, including koalas & glossy black-cockatoos). The drive on the M1 was an easy 100K; off the motorway the final 30K was eye-opening! There were lots of Round-Abouts; shopping centres, merging busy streets... a tourist Mecca with all the trappings: hotels/motels, eateries, boutiques & surf shops. No place to park, not even at the Info-Site. We drove until we hit Noosa National Park at the head of the peninsula; where we had to stop! First impressions: unbelievably overdeveloped, high-end, confusing road system & hot! The beaches are great; few surfers, not crowded with places to picnic.
We picked up a trail map at the park entrance, noting a sign listing koala sightings. This headland park has 5 tracks ranging from 1 to 8K. We took track 4 along the rocky shoreline with spiky pandanus, thru woodlands with piccabeen palms, to Boiling Pot & Dolphin Lookouts and Tea Tree Beach. It satisfied us! We recognized Boiling Pot from the brochure photo. We also spotted a Koala snoozing in the midday heat high in one of their food tree. Sceptical, we considered it had been brought in for the tourists! Nevertheless it brightened our day, especially when the little guy opened his eyes & looked our way– a great picture moment! Besides the Koala, we spied a noisy black bird (not a Cockatoo), 2-inch lizard, 4-inch cockroach; a sleeping snake curled around a branch high above us, several bush-turkeys & got a 41-second recording of a roaming 5-foot lizard! Had a great picnic & got our Koala sighting added to the board. Not half bad for a Noosa outing!
BTW: the Noosa newspaper writes about a blog’s fight to protect koalas (KoalaDiaries.com.au). Apparently a block of land was sold with over 20 large koala food trees, which is now a pile of woodchips. The Blog reads: have these people missed the point living in Noosa entirely – or is this the way of the future? As we drove away from Noosa Heads, we thought a little-too-late!
We drove back south along the coastal highway to explore more of the Sunshine Coast. Once again, unbridled residential development blocked most of the ocean views. We are fortunate to be staying in Brighton where development bylaws have kept the beachfront clear. At Wild Horse Mountain Lookout we stopped to climb the very steep trail to appreciate the 360 degree view (123 metres above sea level). It was worth it! We took pictures of the Glass House Mountains & miles of reforested pine trees. We didn’t tarry, due to the handwritten “Beware of snakes” sign and the abandoned snakeskins near the lookout! Home again, to discover that the demolition of the house next-door had been halted just before noon by a court injunction (owner in dispute with the builder). Countdown to our final two weeks has begun -- hard to believe!

Scarborough Beach March 23

2010-03-23T23:49:00.001-04:00

Laundry morning and household chores; done by noon in time to prepare a picnic for a beach afternoon. Not sure if we mentioned this, but 5 minutes from our doorstep is a coastal boardwalk and picnic area. This is only one of literally dozens of places we can picnic by the ocean in a 20 minute drive. Private & commercial buildings are built on the opposite side of the road away from the beach; all beaches are public domain! The beaches have exceptionally clean & well maintained picnic areas: tables & benches, free electric BBQ stations, running water, toilets, garbage bins, and lots of free parking. The beaches are safe for swimming (for the daring), great for beach-combing and are usually lined with tall eucalyptus or Norfolk Island Pines; scenic with shade. (Picture shows BBQ pit & beachfront)
Today we drove up the peninsula to Scarborough Beach with picnic hamper complete with chilled white wine. It was stunning! We shared the ½ K beach with 7 other people. We watched the shrimp boats on the horizon, ate our picnic, walked along the water’s edge and selected a few shells before stretching out to read & cool off by the ocean breezes. What a relaxing way to enjoy a down day! Before leaving the beach area we walked around the point to the next beach; one with a steep red cliff, hence the nearby town’s name - Redcliff. The sandstone bank was brilliant in colour with carved formations. We didn’t linger long but enjoyed every minute! We agreed to try another beach soon only this time we will try the clean BBQ station.

Driving Adventures March 19/22

2010-03-22T22:19:00.001-04:00

We are feeling the withdrawals of life without ready access to the internet. How did we survive B4? While we may lack technological access the area offers us opportunities for driving adventures & helpful neighbours! We’ve had a busy 4 days thus completing our first full week here on the Sunshine Coast. Let me bring you up-to-date with a ‘Coles notes’ version.
Friday after our usual morning of enjoying a relaxing “brekky” over a long-black or flat-white coffee (yes John & Meg own an espresso/cappuccino machine) we drove north (M1) to Bribie Island (pronounced like bribery only change ‘bery’ to bee). The promotional brochures describe Bribie Island as a treasure trove of plants & animals. An island fringed by white, sandy beaches where thousands of shorebirds feed & roost; 360+ species of birds feast on the sand flats & live by this coastal heath land; an Eco lovers delight! We crossed the 1K bridge to urban sprawl, traffic congestion & confusing R’Abouts. We were tempted to reverse! However, after visiting the Info-Site for directions to the beach & best sunset spots; we decided to stay. Our next stop was Red Beach, the most easterly point of the island. There are many homes for sale in this highly developed beach front (now blocked entirely by trees & shrubs) but the beach was amazing! The sand was fine & white, the beach uncluttered, wide & great for shell-combing. We walked with the feel of sand through our toes & gentle wave action around our ankles; then sat to watch the surf. BTW – Red Beach was the code given the beach during WWII.
Before leaving Bridie Island, we drove west to Bellara to glimpse the sunset views over the Glass Mtns. Instead we found ourselves on Banksia Beach, with multi-million $ homes and yachts moored at their private marina, next to the Pacific Harbour Golf & Country Club! It wasn’t a bad outing. We watched a remarkable sunset with a couple in their 80s, who had parked their electric scooters on the point to drink a bottle of vino (apparently a regular routine). We walked the beach & collected a few ‘special’ shells to remind us. BTW, over 80% of the island is an inaccessible nature reserve, hence undeveloped!
Saturday, the approach of Cyclone Ului brought rain! It was a great day to check out the largest mall in the area, which covers acres of stores including Dan Murphy’s, a shop known for inexpensive wines. Elsa & I covered only one section of the mall in 2-hours (we’ll go back) while Lewis & Tom spent most of that time at Dan’s, purchasing 9 bottles of wine for $25 AUD (6 of those skinless bottles (no label) $11)! Now that was a bargain; more so since it is quite drinkable! Saturday night we visited with neighbours Fiona & Aiden (the family from Dublin) & Helena & Derrick! A great night!
After a slow start Sunday morning, we drove north to the Glass House Mountains, while keeping an eye on Cyclone Ului. The Glass House Mtns were named by Captain Cook in 1770. The ‘Glass Houses’ are volcanic plugs rising abruptly from a patchwork of farms & forests. On a clear day you can see Bridie Island but with Cyclone Ului covering the north we saw only marvellous clouds! Disappointed, we drove along Steve Irwin Way to Maleny (MA-Lainy); a plateau overlooking the Glass House Mtns. We drove through rainforests with elevated views of the valleys. The occasional break in the clouds provided us noteworthy vistas; a great day of exploring another piece of our backyard.
Monday, yesterday, we drove west to Toowoomba (Too-Woom-BA); a 2-hour ride inland to the escarpment tabletop (300 metres high). We ate lunch at Picnic Point on the top of the escarpment with panoramic views of the Lockyer Valley and Tabletop Mtns. Already 2pm, we did a quick tour through the town (girls bought laundries) while the guys shopped at a military surplus/outback clothing store and fed coins to the parking meter! On route we passed through the town of Minden, fertile farmland & fresh produce markets (harvest time). New potatoes .49 cents/Kilo, squash .39 cents/kilo, pineapples, limes, lemons, cabbage, oranges, bananas, avocado and custard apples; driving away with a trunk full of fruit and veggies for just $36; just like the old days of shopping at Holland Landing. Did you pick up on the Custard Apples? We were introduced to this ugly looking fruit by 2 local shoppers at the Windmill Market who gave it a ringing endorsement. Sceptical, I bought 2 ripe custard apples. Well, unbelievably delicious! It is like eating creamy custard with a mango flavour! Wow, we’ll look for them again! (picture attached)

Brighton March 15/18

2010-03-18T01:36:00.002-04:00

Hard to believe this is day 4 here at Brighton Beach, our 3rd home exchange location & our last before returning to NA. Brighton Beach is just north of Brisbane Airport on the Sunshine Coast. No internet with this exchange, John has mobile wireless but needed it for their travels. Hence the no recent blog update. Lewis was able to ‘borrow’ a wireless connection this morning & if you are reading this you know we had the same success! Our search continues for a local Internet cafe.
We had arranged to meet here Monday at 2pm. We arrived in Brighton Beach at noon after an hour’s drive north from the Gold Coast; time to shop at ‘Woollies” (Woolworths) for picnic fixings to enjoy at the beach 5 minutes from our destination. Meg greeted us with hugs & kisses, chilled wine & beer, cheese, olives and crackers while John shopped for steaks & shrimp for the Barbie! The house is as warm & inviting as the owners made us feel from the moment we met them. Screens on the windows & doors deter geckos while allowing the constant ocean breeze to waft through. The house is a large two-storey brick Cape Cod surrounded by wide covered verandas. There are large multi-panel wooden windows in each room; an open living concept with 12 foot ceilings, spacious rooms, few doors; a very comfortable home! Already we have adopted the local approach to sleeping with the windows open to enjoy those ocean breezes.
Tuesday, while Meg & John packed for their journey we enjoyed breakfast on the patio at Cafe on the Park. Photos & best wishes launched them & Mr. Pickles (dog) on their journey shortly before noon. We enjoyed a lazy couple of hours before a late afternoon long stroll along the ocean boardwalk. We were amazed at the distances people could walk out onto the tidal beach (low tide) and the speed of the Para-surfers soaring over the waves. We couldn’t resist the contagious laughter of 18-mth old Dexter running as fast as his little legs would carry him holding tightly to a leash attached to his 11-mth old puppy. This is truly a community of young families and senior citizens.
Wednesday (yesterday) after a relaxing morning we went grocery shopping at Woollies. After lunch we crossed the 3km bridge to Woody Point and drove north to Scarborough, the very tip of the Peninsula. We drove slowly along the scenic coastal roadway all the way to Morgan’s Seafood, a local market and restaurant situated on an operational fishing wharf. We stopped at Redcliff Information Centre and met Mary & Sophie – another find sample of local friendliness! We left with a shopping bag of materials on Brisbane & region plus our buckets filled with laughter! We strolled along a seawall walk accessible from Morgan’s, which Mary had suggested before we purchased fish for our dinner Barbie! Fresh prawns, sardines, Atlantic salmon, red snapper and ocean trout were our BBQ selections ($38 AUD). If that sounds like a lot of food....it was, but man oh man was it delicious accompanied with some inexpensive local chardonnay. As it was St Paddy’s Day, we delivered green cupcakes and wine to Fiona, the Irish expat who lives next door with her husband and 3 kids. What a day as we watched the sun go down; no not on Galway Bay but Brighton Beach!
BTW: temperature 29 C, cloudy with a few sun showers. We’re monitoring the cyclone due to hit 800 K north of us by Tuesday; evacuation has started on some of the lower altitude islands. We have the high ground plotted (Toowoomba) should it start veering in our direction! Don’t worry; we are safe!

Gold Coast March 13/14th

2010-03-13T18:19:00.003-05:00

We are at Gemini Court Holiday Apartments in beautiful Burleigh Heads, a wonderful location in the heart of the Gold Coast. We are in the SE corner of Queensland, our 3rd Australian province this trip. The apartment is on the 3rd floor (really the 4th) overlooking the ocean & the Gold Coast strip. Burleigh Beach is across the street, renowned for its surf break. The Burleigh Heads National Park is a 5 minute walk from our front door, offering a 7 Km ocean view walk along a rocky shore at the Head of Burleigh. Yes, we did the walk along the ocean rocky shore and over the hill through the rainforest; plus walking around town a few times, making it another 10k day! Thank goodness for cold beer & wine rewards with an oceanfront balcony as our prize for exercising today! We’ve had the balcony door open most of the time and the sound of the surf fills the apartment. The building is older & the unit a bit stale however the fresh ocean breeze is refreshing. We have lots of Rainbow Lorikeet, Kookaburra & unknown others visiting the balcony. We have not escaped the rain but get a break during the day; the sun is hot & we are able to walk along the beach, watch the surfers, etc. The town is a Florida Spring Break clone of the 70s & 80s. There are lots of restaurants and the food is reasonable. The busiest store is the Sally-Ann for used clothes & products – indicating the transient crowd of surfers! Today is a ‘long-board’ competition and the surf’s up! Our first night here we dropped into the Lawn Bowl Club. They welcomed us with open arms, an inexpensive but good meal & live entertainment! We had a marvellous time. It was like an old fashion Newfie Time and we were youngsters again! Today, Sunday, Tom & Lewis will bus to Surfer's Paradise to pick up a rented car for our drive to Brisbane tomorrow. The Gold Coast will be another check on our bucket list!

Phantom Lake – March 11/12

2010-03-13T05:00:00.002-05:00

Mansfield Country Resort used to be called Lake Eildon Country Club. We suspect the name change became necessary after the lake dried-up! Originally the owner operated a houseboat rental & caravan camp on the shoreline of Lake Eildon. In the 70’s, after witnessing the success of timeshare in North America he built 50 lakeside cottages under shared ownership. He built jetties, a floating marina, boating-related facilities; 2-story lodge housing common areas, bar, kitchen, squash court, gym, library, sauna, swimming pool, etc. not to mention the corresponding lighting & security systems. One can imagine this was a popular weekend & vacation destination. But, that was before the decades-long drought and the disappearance of “The Lake”.
Today as we walked the dry lakebed the remains of boat docks, buoys & petrol-pump ‘floating’ stations are abandoned high & dry along the foreshore. Evidence of the many failed attempts to follow the ever-decreasing water level as the lake gradually evaporated! The formerly waterfront cottages are now landlocked about one kilometre from the nearest moisture; a small boggy weir running along the former lake bottom. A sign posted nearby warns: “No Skiing from Shore in Club Area, No wash inside marked areas, Beware of Swimmers” reminding them of days of water; or is it hope for a wetter future!
The trees which relied on moisture from the lake are dead, creating a desolate landscape. We were reminded of Harry Potter’s enchanted forest as we expected the limbs of these tree skeletons to spring hands! The floating marina sits on a desert, an eerie sight. Looking across the valley one can see the progressive levels of “lakeshore” over the years. The resort itself is worn, in a time warp. The managers are hopeful, welcoming those who grace the resort. No doubt the original purchasers are disgruntled & new investors aren’t anxious to buy into this ecological disaster; a poster child for global warming.
The 170mm rainfall in this part of Australia over the past week made international news, creating amazing flooding situations. In 2009 only 7mm of rain fell in the entire year. You can imagine why 170 mm would create floods, if you have ever over-watered a very dry houseplant! On a positive note, already the grass is greener; the trees have sprung to attention and no limbs have dropped from the Stringybark trees! Signs of hope for sure, but with the drought so advanced it will take a lot more rain to restore this area to the 1970s lakeside resort.
From drought to forest fires; today’s blog is about local realities! Last February a flash forest fire hit this region at night, killing 125 people. Even though the fire was 30-40KMs from the resort, the smoke was so thick one could not see from one cottage to the next. Thursday morning, March 11th we drove the valley road to check its condition for our airport trip tomorrow. We stopped at Alexandra, a lovely town surrounded by 380-490 metre mountains. We ate lunch at “MIA MIA Tea Rooms” in the town centre. Elsa & I shopped at Alex’s Giftware & Woollens. Elsa bought a dessert cookbook and we gained firsthand knowledge on living conditions when the surrounding hills are in flames!
We drove a little further into the valley to Marysville where most of the 125 died. It is ying/yang; while the devastation is evident everywhere, there are signs of re-growth! The tree trunks are blackened while a few branches are lush with new greenery. The prefab housing parks have clothes on the lines & kids’ toys on the lawns. New homes are in various stages of completion. Some have temporary corrugated metal roofs. Building lots have been cleared with work-in-progress evident while others are “For Sale” with prices advertised as “POA”. We were dumbfounded to see entire hillsides burnt with only charred tree trunks remaining; then a few rows of trees in full health! We took no pictures but the images will not soon be forgotten!
As we drove to Melbourne Airport we saw barren hillsides, some in various stages of reforestation, trickling brooks and dried-up riverbeds. Folks live with the constant need for fire prevention and water conservation. We leave this area after 4 days and 1274 KMs. We have checked OZ wildlife in its native habitat off our list & have a greater awareness of our environment. We made the right decision coming to Mansfield.

King Valley March 9

2010-03-09T23:23:00.001-05:00

A day of sunshine & a trip to the King Valley wine region – does it get any better? Around 11 am we were on our way to Whitfield’s (63K) 6 wineries. Our plan, lunch matched with a superb glass of wine! Our maps didn’t indicate the 1000 metre climb on narrow switch-back roads; a slow drive but with amazing vistas. After 2 hours of driving we reached Powers Lookout, 20 minutes from Whitfield. Powers Lookout is 3K along an unsealed road (think of a log path); what the heck we were here. A lookout platform was just metres from the parking lot. Two friendly Aussie ladies (Janice & Lucy) admiring the view gave us the scoop on Whitfield (1 cafe town with ok coffee). They suggested driving the extra ½ hour to Milawa. Tom, in the meantime had read about Harry Power & his famous hide-away, just 300 m along the trail. Harry Power was a bush ranger (outlaw) who cumulatively spent 30 years in jail. His hideout was the caves in this rocky isolated region. Today, a well-engineered set of narrow steel stairs with handrails gives access to his private domain & fabulous ‘lookout’ vistas! The rocky cliff was covered with moss & low shrub the same colour & texture found on the Barrens in NFLD. The smell of peppermint filled the air from the surrounding bushes. We stopped in Whitfield for Lewis to grab a snack (2 pm) before motoring on to Milawa. We drove through cattle country and vineyards (no ‘For Sale’ signs like elsewhere) on a good road for 45K. At Milawa our designation was Brown Brothers; no, not the business Elsa worked at for nearly 7 years but Australia’s winery with the largest range of varietal wines! Their Epicurean Centre Restaurant offered a range of dishes, each with a matched glass of wine but it closed at 3pm (now 2:40). Wine tasting first; forget about the $32+ lunch. We purchased a 2008 Pinot Grigio, a Limited Release Riesling 2008 & a Limited Release Durif 2007 (red & specific to here) for Friday’s arrival on the Gold Coast. The town centre had locally grown/produced shops for: Mustard, Olives, Cheese, Bakery (where we ate) & more wine tasting outlets. We purchased a Beetroot & Horseradish Reduction for bread dipping or basting ($10-Olive Shop); a large Brie ($20) and said goodbye to this tourist town! We drove back to Mansfield via the Hume Hwy, a much faster route home! Lewis & Tom fired up the BBQ to grill steak, sausage, kangaroo and some minced mystery meat. Before sunset, we walked around the resort. Oh Boy - the Cockatoos were upset! There are hundreds (but it sounded like thousands) of these birds at the resort. Several sat in the highest tree & sounded the alarm as we approached. We walked on to witness the 2nd stage of their defence: swooping down over our head squawking at high decibels. When this failed, all the Cockatoos took flight! What a sight! P.S. - we purchased a $4 SIM card for Bob’s cell phone today ($10 prepay), now we need to activate!

Labour Day weekend in OZ

2010-03-09T23:22:00.005-05:00

Monday, March 8th is Labour Day in OZ & our 2nd day in Mansfield; boy what rain! Our Rainbow Lorikeets are replaced by Sulphur Crested Cockatoos & Crimson Rosella parrots. These white cockatoos (with bright yellow plumes & under-wing feathers) are noisy but thank goodness their morning starts at 7:30 versus the sunrise wakeup call in Sydney. Kangaroos are everywhere. They hop through the resort to drink at the lake; munch on grass in nearby fields; and then retreat in haste when we come too close! We laughed as they hopped away and recalled our childhood jumping games! We are enjoying our new location; another right decision! The town is large enough for necessities but small enough to maintain its “high country” charm. The resort has the atmosphere of a cottage but encircled by exotic ‘gum’ trees & wildlife. The Information Centre provided materials on manageable day trips so today we explored Mt. Buller Alpine Village and Jamieson. Mt Buller is a 45 minute drive from Mansfield, all uphill! (Australian Gold Medal in Aerials) Its summit is at an altitude of 1804 metres & the village is at 1604 (Mansfield is approx 100). The materials told us to expect cool temperatures, pristine mountain air and panoramic views. (We took light jackets) Well, we can confirm the altitude; navigated a rapid ascent via numerous switchbacks and sharp turns! At the village the temperature had dropped to 9C (25C in Mansfield). Fog, sheets of rain, cold strong winds; most places closed due to the Labour Day holiday! We spoke to a guy whose comment was ‘it is wild’ ‘wild weather but yesterday was worst’ (yelps); he directed us to the Cattlemen’s bar. Dylan’s hot coffee & Sticky Date pudding ($9 AUD) thawed our bones & gave us a warm haven before tackling the return journey. Back at ground zero (2:30 pm) it was hard to believe (except for the video) that Mt Buller had been real! Always an adventure! We visited the village of Jamieson with the hopes of fresh raspberries and a JB (Jamieson Brewery) award winning beer! Not sure what we expected but it wasn’t exactly what we found. Jamieson was once a bustling logging town but no longer! The town is a museum; a few service people, some commuters to Mansfield and one welfare family. Otherwise, the population o f 125 watches the tourists. During summer weekends the town swells to 5000 strong the owners of the General Store told us; happy to have someone to pass the time. We stopped at the brewery; the beer weak and served by an unfriendly lady! Awards 3 years running – yes, but what was the criteria or competition? A brief stop for raspberries; too wet to pick today! A $5.25 jar of blueberry jam was our consolation prize (50% berries & 50% filler) tourist gimmick or what? We should have left town after the General Store! The truly best part of our day was returning to Mansfield Country resort to watch a herd of kangaroo and a flock of Cockatoos & Crimson Rosario Parrots dine in the fields near our cottage! Wow, this is Australia! A glass of local wine & the smell of eucalyptus trees as we watch the sun set! YES!

Drive with Bob - March 5

2010-03-05T05:31:00.002-05:00

This is our last full day in Sydney before leaving for Melbourne/Mansfield. Bob called and kindly offered to drive us to Palm Beach, on a peninsula north-east of Sydney proper. Of course, we jumped at his offer and set off on the “coastal route” to capture views of the Pacific. Most beaches are secluded primarily due to limited access caused by private homes along the periphery of the beach. Unfortunately many of the best views are from the driveways of these fenced private homes.
Palm Beach is part nature reserve so provides good beach access, peach-coloured sand....and is used as the shoot by a popular TV series in OZ (Home & Away). It also has The Boat Shed, a casual but trendy restaurant where well-presented waiters serve well-presented food to golfers from the nearby course, leisurely-types and a bevy of blue-rinse ladies (plus us of course!). After lunch we strolled to the beach for a final view before heading back to Sydney via the interior route, in a light rain. Most enjoyable....thanks Bob.
As previously mentioned we leave tomorrow (March 6th) to stay about one week in Mansfield. We’re not sure if our accommodation will provide reasonable access to the internet.....so there may be limited blog during this period.

Bondi Beach March 4

2010-03-05T05:13:00.002-05:00

‘We saved the best for last’ – today we took the bus to Bondi Beach to walk the 4+K to Bronte Beach; a stunning walk that hugs the cliff & beaches along the coastline. Bondi Beach is roughly 1K of golden sand & sparkling sea, gentle to big swells (surfers), weak to strong currents (swimmers); patrolled by lifesavers to enforce the yellow and red flag boundaries. We watched a few experienced surfers before our walk towards Bronte. At 1.5K we reached Mackenzie Point where there is a lookout over Bondi. Memorial plagues to ‘Black Sunday’ and ‘Nosey Bob’ are posted. On Sunday, February 6, 1938, with the beach packed by 35,000 people 3 huge waves hit & washed 300 people out to sea. All but 5 were saved thanks to the team of lifeguards gathered for the weekly surf competition. ‘Nosey Bob’ or Robert ‘the gentleman hangman’ who worked as the state’s hangman for 30 years lived alone in a cottage in Bondi. His reputation was as a decent fellow who carried out his job with respect, gave rise to his name! We walked on towards Tamarama. Tamarama is a tiny beach also known as “Glamourama” for the beautiful (but not necessarily smart) people who frequent it! It was here we saw an ‘out-of-condition’ middle-aged man literally drag himself on his knees out of the surf and flop on the sand, with his failing energy ... boy oh boy! We followed a white fence to Bronte Beach. A pretty and busy beach bordered by a large park, with shady Norfolk Island pines & picnic shelters. Each roofed picnic shelter is divided to form 4 individual private tables. Practical & impressive! It was time for lunch. A row of cafes at the end of Bronte Road caught our attention. Tom and I sat at a cafe for a Chicken Burger (sounds boring, but tasty & great value with 2 bottles of cold water). Lewis & Elsa ordered take-away steak burgers with awesome-looking fries from a grill; then sat under a Cabbage Tree in the park to eat, watch the surfers & enjoy a refreshing breeze off the ocean. Wow – what a perfect way to end our walk. Bronte Beach ocean pool, when opened in 1887 was restricted to women between 10 am & 4 pm. Outside of these hours, and on Sundays and public holidays, the pool was men-only. Today the ocean pool still protects swimmers from marine life but gender restrictions are gone! We covered the factual side of the walk but the cliffs and vistas were almost indescribable. The cliffs are amazing sandstone formations in colours of tan, brown, yellow, red, orange, gray and white. The formations, textures & color combine to create true works-of-art. As such, it is difficult to select a photo for this blog. Once again, the most spectacular views were created by nature! Bob painted and mounted a 5x6 foot beach scene in his condo. Today we discovered his inspiration!

Manly March 3

2010-03-03T16:58:00.002-05:00

Back to normal today – sunny with heat to warrant sunscreen! We were away earlier and caught the 10:30 ferry arriving in Manly at 11 am. A direct run & everyone’s favourite way to travel to Manly. Our boat ride was a review of sites we recognize; the Opera House, spectacular views of the Harbour Bridge, Luna Park – the giant size happy-face, Cremorne Point (1st walk), Taronga Zoo – the cable car, seal tent & Treetop restaurant, & Watsons Bay with its lighthouse, before crossing the Tasman Sea inlet to the North Head & Manly Harbour. A 2nd opportunity to capture postcard quality photos, bath in the sunshine, & watch sailboats glide across the sparkling sea.
We followed Lewis & Elsa’s suggestions gained from their visit yesterday; stopped at the I-Site for maps, walked along the pedestrian mall, shopped at Coles’ supermarket for a picnic lunch, & then crossed the street to the Esplanade & Manly Beach. We watched the surfers & swimmers in the waves under the watchful eye of the lifeguard; flags strategically warning of the dangers of the undertow & where to play in safe waters. We sauntered along the Esplanade to Shelly Beach (1.5K) along the Cabbage Tree Bay aquatic reserve. We read the plaques & glanced at the marine life sculptures attached to the sandstone rocks along our way: weedy sea dragon, little penguin, snails and octopus. We snapped photos of the Eastern Water Dragons, from 3 inch to 3 foot ones basting in the sun. We ate our picnic in a quiet nook on the a bench in memory of a 55 year-old surfer ‘Big John’ with a wish for us to enjoy the view. We did enjoy the sandstone ridge coastal view (do you); & ate our lunch as 2 surfers navigated the surf far below us.
We enjoyed our visit to Manly and finished it with a beer from the 4 Pines Brewing Company. 4 Pines beer is brewed on the family-own premises; 4 regular brews on tap – Kolsch, Pale Ale, Hefeweizen and ESB. We sat on the patio to enjoy our beer and waited for our return ferry to Sydney. Lewis & Elsa had a memorable day at Watsons Bay and were waiting for us at the Wharf on our return; as Lewis would say “Manly – but I like it too!”
Tonight, Bob came for dinner – a little strange perhaps coming to his own home by invitation, but a great evening enjoyed by all. Yes, Lewis cooked a roast of lamb which was delicious!

Watsons Bay March 2

2010-03-02T17:22:00.002-05:00

Still chilly today (20C) and it looked like rain; donned a jacket & took the train to the ferries. Lewis & Elsa have 2 more days on their more-expensive pass, which gives them access to Manly. So today, they explored Manly while we explored Watsons Bay. At Watsons Bay the 1st thing we see are fish eateries all named Doyle! (We thought of Mike ... Millie’s hubby!) We joined the cue for take-away fish & chips, sat at a table on the pier with Sydney & a marina of sail boats our backdrop. Can it get any better?
We followed the Harbour & Coastal Walks’ Guide and toured the 2.5 K circuit from the Wharf to South Head loop. We walked through the quaint streets of Watsons Bay to Camp Cove, a gorgeous swimming beach, before winding around the headland to Lady Bay (nude beach) and the lighthouse on the point. Sydney views are all along the walk with invigorating air on the headland. Sidebar: Lewis was told on his excursion that more suicides occur at Watsons’s lighthouse by leaping into the surf than at any other place in Sydney. Based on the rocks & surf, if you jump into the sea here, it is a one-way ticket! The lighthouse has the same colouring as Bonavista and the terrain looked like Marilyn’s area in Burin.
The houses are humble, charming and worth a fortune; cast-iron decorated gates & verandas, dormers, colourful hydranths, gardenia, orange jasmine & frangipani bushes adorn the gardens, and many had the look of a Newfie salt-box house. The 1872 black cannon sit pointing down-harbour to the Tasman Sea, where the view opens up to include Manly & the looming bulk of North Head. We walked through a patch of coastal banksias, tea trees & melaleucas to Lady Bay. This tiny golden crescent is a nudist beach. We were advised not to look if nudity bothers us! Needless to say I took a photo for Marilyn, tactfully captured the man’s back as he stepped along the rocky shore with a tree branch covering his rear! The headland track has remnants of pillboxes & fortifications dating from the Crimean War & WWII. Signage marks the 200+ years of shipwrecks bound for the safety of Sydney Harbour. There were noisy Rainbow Lorikeet and one lone Kookaburra on our stroll before returning to the foreshore promenade and the ferry wharf.
We caught the 2:50 ferry; arriving at Circular Quay at 3:10 just as the ferry from Manly was docking at Wharf 3 with Lewis & Elsa waving from the top deck. How’s that for timing? Tomorrow we will do the same excursions with the exchange of ferry passes ... we will fill you in on Manly tomorrow!

Sydney Living March 1

2010-03-01T18:21:00.001-05:00

Sunday afternoon we took the train downtown to visit Chinatown & the gardens. At Town Hall we walked through the Queen Victoria Building. What an impressive building, with its stunning architecture, intricate tiled floors, domed roof, stained glass windows & elevator (lift), cast-iron decorative railings – not to mention the unique boutiques on each floor! The QVB was built in 1898 as a monument to the reigning monarch. There are jewellers, cafes, antique stores, Russian-made military miniatures store, model train & other ‘hobby’ stores plus a wide range of international boutiques (high-end brand $$$$). The clocks hanging from both ends of the mall are works of art – like in Prague or Vienna. We felt glued to the QVB & couldn’t resist checking out the 70% sale on the concourse level and the Aussie store for an authentic cow-hide ‘softie’ hat for Lewis. Oh if we could only get some of this stuff home without breakage! (Ashley Warehouse Sale+)! The most impressive place for the guys – the men’s urinals! First time using such an ornate P-spot! Unfortunately Elsa & I had to take their word for it, since they refused to take a photo! Couldn’t see why not, but neither wanted a black eye!
We walked to Chinatown but it was raining. We enjoyed a coffee & pastry (best value & taste); walked through a Chinese mall & Lewis found a great purchase at one of the video stores ... I will leave it at that! For dinner we ate the lamb dish Lewis had cooked overnight in the slow-cooker. Another fabulous meal! Too much food for late dining but what the heck....we are on vacation!
Monday, March 1 was cold (17 degrees) and raining. We couldn’t believe the temperature swing and wondered if the tsunami had an impact; from hot & steamy to wet & cold, but a good day to organize the next 2 weeks of our trip before Brisbane. We now have flights & car rentals organized for Melbourne to enjoy Lewis & Elsa’s timeshare in Mansfield (wine country in Victoria County) plus apartment, flights & car for the Gold Coast (Burleigh Heads Gemini Court Holiday Apts www.geminicourt.com.au). Regardless of the weather we will explore using the Ferries tomorrow!

Sunday Morning Feb 28

2010-02-27T19:47:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Helen left for the airport at 7:30 am. Tom helped with her bags and saw her off at Edgecliff Train Station. Helen is well organized; so time to share breakfast together before she left. It seems strange without her. Best wishes for a great hassle-free flight back to Toronto via the US.
Lewis & Elsa arrived at 10:30 via taxi from Parramatta ($70 AUD); just too darn hot & humid to take the various trains & streets with luggage. They arrived to towels & sheets hung on the rotating clothesline by the pool ... prep for the turnover! This is their 1st OZ experience living without A/C! Lewis sat on the balcony using his wireless laptop; (thanks to Jack down-the-street) and fed our 2 Rainbow Lorikeet! Noticing screen-less doors & windows, he asked the familiar questions “will they fly inside?” and “are there mosquitoes?”
We took them shopping at Bondi Junction and the Nespresso coffee shop. A few free tastes later we had fresh supplies for Bob’s coffee machine! It is great coffee: 70 cents a cup beats $4 at a café. Due to the high heat & humidity; we decided to forego the Gay Mardi Gras parade tonight. It was crowded on the train and with the prediction of 6-7 deep viewers it would be hot & crowded! Watching the Olympics was a better alternative, as was enjoying one of Lewis’s great feeds with local beer / wine!
For their 1st night: good news in that it cooled down overnight enough to sleep a ‘little’; surprising news – Lewis & Elsa heard the ‘Birds’ at sunup this morning! He thought it should be recorded since nobody would believe the screeching! Helen would. Elsa thought she was in a bird sanctuary! Now let’s see how the rest of the day pans out!

Opera House Feb 26

2010-02-27T05:06:00.002-05:00

Three days for the admission of one (Feb 24-26)!
Friday was Helen’s last full day down-under. She visited Bondi Beach, the largest most famous public beach in Sydney. Lewis & Elsa took the ferry from Parramatta (1 hour on the River Cat) + 2 trains to reach us here for lunch. They checked out the condo before returning to Parramatta to freshen up. We have tickets tonight for the Sydney Opera House to hear Nigel Kennedy & Friends perform ‘Bach meets the Duke’ in the world famous Concert Hall. We 5 + approx 2700 others were entertained for 3 hours by 27 talented musicians + Nigel Kennedy, a spiky-haired British violinist, composer and arranger. Kennedy rose to fame in 1989 with his Vivaldi’s Four Seasons rendition and upset a lot of symphony purist with his punk look and cockney mannerism. His unconventional stage presence (and colourful language including the 4-letter f--- word) has moved classical music to a new genre. The Concert Hall is huge with great acoustics; no bad seats in the house. Thank goodness for our seats were in angel stairs territory, 4 rows from the back in the “circle”. After the performance we strolled back to the train at Circular Quay, soaking in the ambiance of Sydney Harbour, with the backdrop of the city lights and a near full moon hanging between the Harbour Bridge & the Opera House. A memorable experience.....
Thursday we met Lewis & Elsa at Circular Quay (their first full day here) for a ferry ride to Pyemont Bay & Sydney’s Fish Market. The Fish Market is a strange combination of commercial operations and tourist trap. One can purchase any type of fresh ocean product ........or eat it at a number of restaurants. We opted for fish & chips, splitting a 6-pack of beer at the wharf-side seating area (along with seagulls and obis). We then strolled through Star City (huge casino) and along the promenade in Darling Harbour. Avatar playing at the IMAX 3D, but at $27/seat we took a pass, at least for now. Helen used her day visiting the Chinese Garden (a must see), touring Chinatown and revisiting the downtown shopping area before meeting us back at the condo.... a day enjoyed to its fullest but tiring!
Wednesday we relaxed. Then around 4pm we walked around Paddington in the area bounded by Jersey, Queen and Oxford streets. This inner-city village is home to scores of intriguing boutiques, specialty shops and art galleries; rated as #1 scene to see and be seen in the Sydney art world. Queen St has a high-end quaint grouping of delis, butcheries, cafes, fruit & veggie stores. The pricing is borderline scary, especially the butchery e.g. steak $70/kilo, $20 small roasted chicken. Oxford St is the main shopping area with a mixture of designer stores, bars, groceries & restaurants. Local dress fashions, hand-crafted shoes, etc. are featured in boutiques dotted along leafy residential streets lined with old terrace houses (clad in cast iron railings similar to New Orleans) and reflect the suburb’s heritage as one of the earliest settled areas of Sydney. Thank you Bob for inviting us into your Condo and your neighbourhood...

City Trip – Feb 23

2010-02-23T21:25:00.003-05:00

Another hot day in the city but with promises the heat would subside by the end of day we decided on a museum day! Tom’s choice was the Customs House (City’s Library), a heritage building with a salon where you can relax & read a newspaper / magazine (150 local & international). It felt good to read a Globe & Mail even though it was 5 days old! We browsed exhibits; mostly focused on Taiwan or the Year of the Tiger. We checked out the rooftop restaurant – too upscale for a quick lunch without an expense account! From here we took separate paths. Helen went to Hyde Park & the Australian Museum (oldest in Australia). She was captivated by the dinosaur collection, spent time on a floor dedicated to crystals & minerals, but was enthralled by a special exhibition on photos from around the world – absolutely wonderful (her words). Tom & I took the train uptown to Central Station to walk Haymarket, near Darling Harbour and Sydney’s Chinatown. Haymarket is home to the city's Chinese community, settled in large numbers during the second half of the 19th Century and continues to grow, similar to the Asian communities in Toronto and Vancouver. It is filled with food halls, noodle bars & grocers specialising in Asian cuisine. We visited a Buda Temple site, a stop on the formal Chinatown tours and an opportunity to buy any Chinese trinket you can imagine! The area is well adorned with flags, banners & lanterns from the Lunar New Year (mostly red & gold). We slowly strolled through the markets & malls on route to Darling Harbour and the Chinese Garden before walking up Bathurst Street to Town Hall. We’ll tour the Chinese Garden when Lewis & Elsa are with us. Built in 1988 to celebrate Australia’s bicentenary; the garden is comprised of sheltered pavilions, bridges, reflective pools and landscape trees similar to an authentic Chinese garden. By the time we reached our home station the weather had changed significantly. With a drop in temperature to 22 C it felt a little chilly – a nice refreshing change! Tomorrow Lewis & Elsa arrive in Sydney. Helen is in countdown mode to Saturday’s flight home!

Sydney Zoo Feb 22

2010-02-23T18:06:00.001-05:00

Although Monday was 34 C, Helen & I went to the Zoo! Taronga Zoo (home to 2660 animals) occupies the north shore point of Sydney Harbour across from the Opera House. When we got to Circular Quay Wharf 2 the ferry was already there. We were the last 2 passengers to board! A cool breeze off the sparkling water & a bus waiting to take us to the main gate – today would be great regardless of the heat! We visited the Aussie animals first: the emu, kangaroos, wallaby and koalas. The koalas were cute as expected as they napped and hung from their tree perch. They were the first & last animal we visited – just to see one with its eyes open! The kangaroos & wallaby were eating lunch on our ‘walk-about’, the Emu was giving us the eye; all were right at home with us nearby snapping a photo or two!
Among the more exotic species were komodo dragons, red pandas, Fennec Fox, snow leopards, wombats, and Meerkat. We searched for the platypus both in their cave and pool but all we saw was their picture! Shucks! We got up close to penguins, seals & sea lions; even sat through & enjoyed a seal show. We met the first elephant calf born in Australia (now 7½ months old) named Luk Chai in honour of his Thai heritage. We watched him play with a tire-wrapped hanging pole. When we got too close, the matriarch of the herd, also pregnant, and another pregnant elephant circled the little guy & hid him. We took in the QBE Free Flight Bird Show highlighting some of the 800 species of birds found in Australia. We sat with Sydney Harbour as a backdrop watching these birds and their unique talents: ‘Slammer’ the Black-Breasted Buzzard, ‘Billy’ the Brolga, ‘Jasper’, a rose-breasted Galahs and a flock of six Red-tailed Black Cockatoos. Absolutely beautiful! However I had the most fun & couldn’t resist holding out a ‘gold-coin’ (AUD $2) for ‘Stellar’, a Black Kite to collect and drop into the donation box! This bird flew inches over our head as he aimed for his intended target! The urge was to duck but the trainer told us not to bother because the Kite would just fly lower! Excited but nervous laughter filled the stands!
Other honourable members were: Kodiak bear, Aldabra Tortoise (a pair - the heat stirring up feelings in the old guy!), Himalayan Tahr, giraffes, Rhinoceros Iguana, lots of lizards and snakes! We had a great day! We lunched at the Zoo’s treetop cafe, sitting on a patio with the Sydney Harbour our landscape & a Kookaburra entertaining us from a branch overhead. We rode the Sky Safari cable car across the zoo grounds & to the pier for the ferry back to Circular Quay (no waiting & last ones to board). Great timing twice today.... our day what can I say!
Tom took the day off and spent it “his” way back at the condo. His first lone day since we left Toronto; needless to say he too enjoyed his day.

Chinese New Year’s Feb 21

2010-02-23T04:32:00.003-05:00

Sydney’s week-long celebration of the CNY culminated in a large twilight parade and fireworks display. The parade started at Town Hall around 7:45 pm and wound its way down to Darling Harbour through Chinatown. We grabbed a quick dinner at DIN TAI FUNG (world famous dumplings) before staking out a position on the parade route at 6 PM. Long wait, but well worth it.........weather-wise more comfortable than a similar wait for Toronto’s Santa Claus parade. The parade was a display of lanterns(traditional Orient art), including 12-giant zodiac animal lanterns, small floats, marching bands, acrobatic and martial arts clubs, cultural associations and of course, human dragons (14 athletic young men brought the shortest dragon to life with 50+ men on the grand dragon); all this to hail the arrival of a giant metal tiger. The parade closed with an invitation “to return in 2011 to celebrate the Chinese year of the Rabbit” followed by a brightly lit colourful Rabbit float! It was a treat for the eyes and ears; spectacular costumes and wild drums! It was more than just Chinese performers, the Vietnamese & the Korean communities took part for the first time. The celebration involved 2700 performers, including 300 dancers and acrobats from Chongqing, in central China. The participants truly enjoyed themselves, with tremendous energy expended, especially the dragons. We were standing so close that several times we touched or were touched by the Dragon. The end of the parade (10 PM) and the brief fireworks display at Darling Harbour overlapped so we heard but could not see the display. The parade was well attended; matching last year’s attendance with more than 100,000. This year 50 chartered flights flew in from China just for the parade. Darling Harbour is one of the most popular entertainment areas in Sydney so even after the parade ended the streets were busy with the many clubs/restaurants. As we walked back to the train station for home, the city was already returning to normal..........but we carried with us the excitement of witnessing a fantastic parade!

Sydney Rocks Feb 20

2010-02-20T05:35:00.002-05:00

The Rocks (not The ‘Rock’) is a downtown area in historic Sydney; bordered by the Harbour Bridge & the Opera House. The first European setters stepped ashore here so it is home to a number of Australia’s heritage sites, including Nurses’ Walk & Susannah Place which documents 150 years of change to domestic life right down to the original brick privies & open laundries. Other sites include the Observatory – now the museum of astronomy; the Lord Nelson Brewery – the oldest hotel in Sydney est. in 1841; The Hero of Waterloo pub pre 1850; and finally, Sydney’s sole remaining functional pissoir! The Rocks has 16 galleries, 4 museums, 2 theatres, boutique shopping, cafes, pubs, parks & some of the best views of the harbour. Today was also market day at the Rocks; with more than 200 stalls housed under a sail-like canopy and bounded by beer gardens and eateries.
We walked it all even though the temperature climbed to 29 C under sunny blue skies. The ambience of the street, the people, the views and the entertainment collectively made us feel great. Sydney is a wonderful city.

Paddington Feb 19

2010-02-20T05:21:00.004-05:00

Today Helen ventured downtown to the museum. We shopped at Bondi Junction for a buggy strong enough to hold 6 bottles of wine! Success – time to shop at BWS (Beer Wine Spirits). Sale on wines, 25% means we purchased 6 bottles of quite drinkable local hooch; 4 white & 2 red! This afternoon we tried Bob’s favourite watering hole; the Lord Dudley old English-style pub. We were more than ready for a pint after walking 30 minutes uphill to the pub. Like always, the first time you visit a place you follow a map – which in this case provided neither the shortest nor easiest route. We will know better next time! The Guinness was cold & went down well in this very typical corner pub. Tonight, we had just finished dinner when Helen noticed about a dozen Grey-headed Flying-fox Bats circling like mad just off our balcony. First for us seeing so many Bats this close; it was rather scary and exciting at the same time. While the Bats were swooping and circling our small valley there were no other birds around. I tried capturing the Bat’s size in a photo but they were moving too quickly (you have us instead). One landed in a tree near the building; it was like watching a black umbrella closing then hanging upside down on the branch. Our excitement for the day!

Sydney Bridge Feb 18

2010-02-18T04:28:00.003-05:00

Another great day to walk around Sydney; first the train to Circular Quay to begin our 1.5K walk across Harbour Bridge and then around to Lavender Bay for a 4K total walk (rated # 4 in Sydney’s best harbour & coastal walks guide). We stopped at the Sydney I-Site for maps & an Opera House performance schedule; gazed at the docked cruise ships; soaked in the views from the Harbour Bridge - took a ‘few’ photos. We did not climb the 200 steps to the top of the bridge structure but saw people who did, waving their arms from the highest point like a flag in the wind! No thanks; breeze was strong enough at street level with the updraft off the water several hundred feet below us. We couldn’t imagine climbing 200 steps to the top!
At North Sydney we walked pass the cafes of Kirribilli, then back down to the harbour front for a few “pauses” to check out the views from whence we came! We followed the water’s edge to the Olympic Pool and the Luna Park. The original Luna Park opened on Coney Island, New York in 1903 & by 1935 this Park had opened with a multi-story sized smiling face looking out over Sydney Harbour; entry is free but the rides are definitely not! Thank goodness the park was closed, so no temptation to see the view from the top of the Ferris wheel! Yes, we walked the entire 4K to McMahons Point Wharf at the opposite side of Lavender Bay. During our walk we spotted small figurines glued to stakes promoting Luna amusement park as well as the ribs of an old pier where the convict ships moored. Now look at the view!
The ferry from Lavender Bay took us into Darling Harbour and the King Street wharf; we decided to hop off there and walk some more! Across the harbour a Navy destroyer and submarine were moored, then on our side 2 large cruise ships + several paddle-wheel show boats. We strolled while the people around us virtually ran up King St, the business district. We commented on how much we don’t miss the hustle of grabbing a bite to eat in the middle of a working day! We lunched at MLC; a large complex where the first couple of floors cater to high-end retails and food courts. The food was good and the price was fair. From there we headed to Martin Place for the train home. Another full day; a good day!

Sydney Feb 17

2010-02-17T17:53:00.004-05:00

Today we explored Sydney Harbour and the lower north shore; partly because of accessibility by train then ferry (included with our weekly pass), close to cafes, and offered outstanding harbour views. The weather was perfect, sunny enough for sunscreen and hats, but with a light ocean breeze. We caught the train shortly after 10 to City Hall, transferred to a 2nd train to Circular Quay and wharf 4 where we caught the ferry to Cremorne Point. Waiting for the ferry our landscape: Opera house to our right; Harbour Bridge on our left; downtown skyline behind us & ocean in front - wow!
We selected Cremorne Point as our first walk for its 3K easy circuit and were told it is crammed every New Year’s Eve thanks to its perfect Opera House and bridge view for the fireworks display. For years I’ve heard about Sydney Harbour and today we discovered why! Cremorne Point was the ferry’s 1st stop but we stayed on to tour the 4 other stops on the loop before disembarking (Harbour tour for the price of admission). Once off the boat we walked along the shoreline stopping numerous times to just look at Sydney Harbour. We stopped at McCallum pool noting again the protective barrier keeping swimmers from the open sea. We followed the shaded path of exotic plants and fragrant flowering plants / trees. There was one “poor” slob slaving away at his wireless laptop sitting on his balcony oblivious to our presence with the view of Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, and Bridge his landscape. Please!
Returning to Wharf 4, we walked 20 minutes to Bennelong Point the Sydney Opera House; we were surprised the roof was more ecru than white with each roof tile clearly defined. We had lunch at a nearby cafe before strolling through the Royal Botanical Gardens back to the train for home. The garden was established in 1816 on the colony’s first farm; lush parkland with over 17,000 plant species. We walked among the Moreton Bay Fig trees marvelling at their buttress roots as we watched overhead for sleeping Grey-headed Flying-fox Bats, which are among the largest bats in the world. The only one we saw was dead, under an M-B-Fig tree outside the condo. However we did see Ibis birds with their long down-curved bills! Not bad for our first real outing In Sydney ... easy to get around providing you take public transit! Now all we are missing is a grocery bundle buggy to tote our wine home; you pay NZ$6 per bottle when you buy 6!

Hello Sydney

2010-02-17T17:35:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Sydney with us into our 2nd home exchange; another winner! We arrived Saturday to a wet humid city but luckily missed the torrential rainfall the previous night. We taxied to Bob’s place; recognizing him as we approached his building (he was getting his post). Immediately, he made us feel at home; well organized for our arrival; his bags packed ready to stay at his daughter’s, with time to help us get settled. Helen is with us, Liz returned to Toronto from Auckland on Saturday. Bob has wonderful wall art that either he or a friend painted; amazing ceramic pieces he’s made; Sky HD TV, internet, plus a great coffee maker; all the comforts of home and more! Before leaving, Bob walked us to local shopping to pick up a few groceries and introduce us to his neighbourhood: his pub, transit and wine store. Going there we walked up a treed hill path behind the condo and used the streets on the return. Bob was surprised at the path’s erosion caused by the night’s rain as we sidestepped over a muddy broken path.
In Hamilton we had Sassy the cat. Here we are a bit more exotic with 2 Rainbow Lorikeet that arrive daily to be fed on the balcony. Shhh, this is not allowed by the Condo Association but they are too pretty to ignore! They are not shy about squawking to get your attention. It’s like living in an aviary; noisy bird neighbours, especially at sunrise! It’s just a case of getting used to it....right?
Sunday morning, Valentine’s Day, Bob took us on a tour of the city and local beaches using his car. We planned on using public transit for the city except it rained frequently. We will repay this debt of kindness when Bob visits us in May. Truly his tour helped orientate us to the possibilities right outside our door; from a bus ride to some awesome beaches (most having protective barriers so you can swim in the ocean without fear of sharks, but metres away others surfed the waves) to a 2-stop train ride to the heart of the City. We have adapted already! Monday Tom & Helen bought transit passes ($41/wk) for their first look at the City and the local Mall(2 stops direction city & 1 stop the other) – comfort zone established! Today we shopped for sales (even better with the stronger CAD$). Gosh it was great to come home knowing we did not need to pack and move! By the way the weather is great and so is the local wine!

Auckland Feb 12

2010-02-15T20:38:00.001-05:00

The Coromandel peninsula has over 400K of coastline, beautiful beaches & rugged volcanic hills cloaked in native rainforest. The temptation to see more than just Whangamata when we were only 2 hrs drive from Auckland was uncontrollable! On route to hwy 25A to cross the peninsula; there was a road to a lookout over Whangamata beach & Onemana. Onemana is a natural amphitheatre bounded on 3 sides by Norfolk & white pine forest and Pacific Ocean. The pictures of both places gave us reason to check it out & we had the time! Well we drove 4K on the peninsula road before turning around; it was like a scene from a deliverance movie! Onemana was peaceful with an unspoiled beach; signs posted of the undertow dangers & only swim with lifeguard supervision. Easter was the next scheduled duty!
The drive along hwy 25A was mostly through reforestation initiatives; hills ranged from raggedy bare, yearlings to full grown trees. You know “you often have to tear down to go forward”! The roads were better than driving up the coastal road and by 11 am we were within 90K of Auckland so we took the scenic Seabird Coast versus the direct route. The Seabird Coast - classed as a bird watchers dream, was our last chance to drive along the ocean; we took the bait! We saw dozens of Black Swans with bright red beaks, sea gulls and boring lowlands. This is one section of NZ you can take a pass on or perhaps we are just spoiled! We stopped for lunch at the end of the drive at a roadside Chinese Veggie stand, later to discover we were only a KM away from all kinds of cafes & bistros! Go Figure!!
We drove through Auckland, called the City of Sails. Why? Auckland is a city of marinas and high buildings! However we weren’t in the mood to tackle another city; all we wanted was the Jet Park airport hotel & its pool. We ate dinner at their award winning restaurant, not a disappointment nor was the local wine! Then early to bed for our 6 am rise and flight to Australia! New Zealand was everything and more than we had hoped! Would we come again? Who knows but if you’ve never been – well this is nature’s paradise!

Whangamata Feb 11

2010-02-15T20:31:00.002-05:00

We were up early this morning to take advantage of the free internet. Our host, Sheryll booked us into another Host Accommodation Motel at Auckland Airport for tomorrow night; the free airport shuttle meant Liz could spend time at the pool versus the airport. Today we visited the Coromandel peninsula. Instead of counting sheep as we drove away from Rotorua we counted hotspots where steam & vapour escaped from the ground. There was also the cooling tower of Ohaaki geothermal power station; first a panic when we thought it was a nuclear power plant on these very unsettled grounds! What can I say it was early & usually a cooling tower means nuclear to us – how hot is hot!
Remember the 100K climb to Taupo yesterday, well today we drove down the other side! We drove Pyes Pass, an absolute engineering feat & lots of money! The road’s been upgraded; cliffs reinforced with steel mesh & bolted into the rock face. It is still a roller-coaster decent to the Bay of Plenty & the South Pacific Ocean. We were surrounded by very tall trees, higher than most hydro poles. The practice seen on the South Island to use trees as windbreakers continues here, protecting orchards. Avocado, apples, oranges and soft flesh fruit orchards tempt us with their fresh fruit & vegetable stands; but the familiar phrase comes to mind “you can’t take it with you” on an airplane this time!
The road to Whangamata (‘wh’ is an ‘f’ sound) was 29K but over an hour’s drive; signs posted warned of winding roads for the next 3 or 4 KM. What should be posted is when to expect straight roads so you can take a breath! We were thankful we would not return this route and hoped the road across the peninsula to Thames was less stressful. Whangamata is a seaside holiday resort with a 4K ocean beach of white powdery sand, sparkling ocean, waves and rock formation views. It was irresistible! We checked into the Blake Court Motel (found in our accommodation books); changed into beach clothes, layered on sun screen then hit the beach! We sent the afternoon on one of the best beaches we’ve found in NZ. We played in the surf, walked the beach (end-to-end) & searched for the best seashell! What a glorious way to spend our last ‘real’ day in NZ, on a jewel of a beach on the Pacific Coast.

Rotorua Feb-10

2010-02-15T20:19:00.002-05:00

Today we visited Taupo, situated on the shores of Australasia’s largest fresh water lake and elevated in the central plateau of the North Island. Plus Rotorua, known for its distinct smell of sulphur coming from the geothermal hotspots found in the area. We were checked out by 9: a brief stop at Bay View, just N of Napier for a look at the Pacific Ocean. The coastline is flat, small round stones and broken conch shells. The ocean is a sparkling array like diamonds in the early morning sunshine; but no time to sit & enjoy with miles to go & lots to see! We toured inland over roads that were closed a week ago due to mudslides (slips). We climbed for 100K to the central plateau of the North Island; traversed twisting roads, uphill & down vale, evaded mud slide residue and work crews, drove around curves with recommended speeds ranging from 25 -> 55 -> 65 KPH. We twisted & turn with a constant climb – who knew! At the top of the plateau we were surrounded by farms and rolling hills on the horizons. We didn’t know the altitude, only that we were up there with less than 40K for Taupo.
We were impressed by Lake Taupo, the site of the world’s largest eruption in the last 5,000 years. The result of which can be seen everywhere with active volcanoes, steaming cliffs, geysers, boiling lakes, bubbling mud pools & floating rocks called pumice.
First lunch; a quiet sidewalk bistro on the sunny side of the street was the ideal place. Then we visited Huka Falls; a churning channel of Waikato River forced from 100 metres wide x 4 metres deep into a 5M wide x 10M deep gorge of sheer rock cut. Liz guessed a level 4 in white water rafting terms. Impressive & worth a photo or two! Next we stopped at Aratiatia Rapids – a waste of time!
Wai-O-Tapu – the thermal wonderland was our next stop! It was $30 per person & after Aratiatia Rapids we wondered if this place was all hype. An older British couple were returning to their car as we parked; interview time! They gave the volcanic area full marks. They had visited yesterday but were too late to see the Lady Knox Geyser erupt (10:15 am daily reaching heights of up to 20 metres) so had returned today for another 2-3 hours. They smelled like they had - the man laughingly said we would as well!
Covering 18 sq K, the area is covered with collapsed craters, cold and boiling pools of mud, water and steaming fumaroles. We saw it all! Needless to say there are no fish in the waters & smoking is not permitted; beneath the ground is a system of streams which are heated by magna with temperatures recorded up to 300 C. The “rotten egg smell” is associated with hydrogen sulphide; 25 designated stops with an estimated 75 minutes (in the heat) to complete the 3K walk. We did it! ( www.waiotapu.co.nz to see some of the natural wonders). Our favourites were: Champagne Pool – bubbling, hissing water with an ochre-coloured edge pink in the centre and the lime green Devil’s Bath. I hope my pictures will capture a fraction of what we saw! Yes, after completing the walk, we couldn’t wait to reach Rotorua for a shower. It took till Friday before the sulphur smell left the vehicle!
We arrived near 5Pm at our motel in Rotorua when we had told them noon. Whoops! Now we had to take the last available 2-bedroom unit, situated next to the busy main road. We were not happy campers but at least had free internet & a private patio Jacuzzi for Liz & Helen to enjoy. Sheryll, our host was very friendly and appeared disappointed we were unable to take advantage of the free spas and heated pools in Rotorua (closed at 5:30). Oh well we did not regret stopping at Wai-O-Tapu. Later, our laundry hung on an outside clothesline to dry, we realized the smell wasn’t only coming from us; it was in the air all around us! Tomorrow we will move along!

Hastings Feb 09

2010-02-15T20:12:00.002-05:00

The drive north of Wellington was on the best roads we’ve seen; even the tunnel was 3 lanes & well lit. The commuter traffic was driving in the opposite direction; sun was shining, a beautiful day. We were instructed to ‘Merge like a Zip’ a zipper that is, as the lanes reduced in numbers – colourful and direct! We drove north through wine country with only one area of challenging roads! Shortly after leaving the city, we climbed steadily to Pakuratahi in the Kaitoke National Park. We had 13K of mountain road driving before reaching Featherston and good roads; 40 minutes of sharp bends, steep drop-offs & construction traffic. Even so the roads were better than on the South Island; guardrails on most sharp bends. Granted, most were just for visual aide, made from wood, but they gave the illusion of help! At Featherston, while still early in our today’s journey, a break from driving was needed!
We stopped at Dannevirke for lunch. It was 12:30 and we were 103K from Hastings. Surrounded by wine fields it was a pleasure to drive the region. We passed Waipukurau 40 degrees south; driving through river valleys, terraces & hillside vineyards. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc & Malbec are Hawke’s Bay central red wine varieties; Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc the key whites. We stopped in Hastings for the evening, home to over 65 wineries! Visions of wine tasting danced in our heads! We arrived at 2 pm, great timing to an inviting city – lush flower hanging baskets line the streets and a cooling spray from water fountains! First a place to stay! For the 2nd time we fell prey to I-Site staff. Lots of vacancies but we were misled & sent to a remote place out of town. By the time we returned, challenged her on the location; refused other places; the afternoon was spent. We were hot, tired and relieved to check-in at the Valdez. We purchased salmon for a BBQ and a nice bottle of local white wine! The closest we got to our dream of a Hawke’s Bay wine tour.
For perspective – it was a sunny 24 C. Liz and Helen had a pool to splash & cool off; Tom had NZ salmon on the grill with new potatoes & fresh local corn. Fresh local fruit for our dessert: plums, apricots, nectarines, oranges, Kiwi and red gala apples. Yes & a glass of chilled Chardonnay in my hand! Not the day we had planned; but a worthy day nonetheless!

Wellington Feb-08

2010-02-10T14:42:00.001-05:00

The ferry ride lasted 3½ hours from Picton to Wellington – we anticipated magnificent views of Queen Charlotte Sound & areas from the Lord of the Rings movie. It wasn’t to be; we awoke to rain and strong winds! Fellow passengers at the terminal were eager to relate stories of bad crossings including a trip about 20 years ago when a ferry sank in stormy weather! Undaunted, we had no real choice, we boarded the Aratere Ferry. Helen & Liz found seats in the forward lounge with full ocean view; Tom found a comfortable theatre seat to relax & read the paper. I donned my coat, took my camera & went outside! A true Newfie enjoys the ocean wind & spray on her face; not to mention I most likely would have been sick had I stayed inside!
It was too bad the weather had not cooperated for the cruise out of Picton harbour. However by the time we reached open sea, the sun broke through and even with small rolling sea swells it was still a most pleasant cruise. We docked on schedule. Our luggage was waiting by the time we walked to the terminal. Tom picked up our new AVIS rental, this time a new Toyota Highlander SUV a better riding and driving vehicle, and we drove to our hotel downtown, a short driving distance from the pier. Convenient but a major step down after the Yacht Club; we survived it for one night. It was clean and we could walk to downtown! Helen & Liz walked to the Te Papa, NZ’s national museum on the waterfront, an easy walk from our hotel. The best part - free admission & open until 6 pm. The museum is dedicated to the native culture of NZ. Body tattoos are an important part of that culture, with certain symbols applied to various parts of the body, depending upon your gender and tribal ancestry. Tom and I walked downtown to ride the cable car; $5 for a return ticket to Victoria Lookout for a panoramic view of the city and a visit to the botanic gardens.
Wellington is more “European” than other cities we’ve visited in NZ. It is modern, a business centre with many pedestrian-only areas, and of course, the capital of NZ. The streets are narrow but bright. Buildings have refined architecture; many fashion boutiques, trendy local fashion & design stores, and locally roasted coffee found on every street corner in a little bistro or cafe. We met an American lady on the cable car on her way home from work. We asked for a recommendation for dinner. She suggested “Leuven”, then phoned her husband to get the address, most helpful! The place was called Belgium Beer Cafe Leuven; the perfect setting for the end of our day in Wellington.
It was like stepping back into Luxembourg; a restaurant, open to the street, serving lighter fare with a Danish twist and premium Belgium beer. Our waitress, Jackie, had married a Dane, whose race according to her, had raped and pillaged NZ several centuries ago. I commented that at least she had a good lover. Her response .........” he used to be but I’ve a good memory”.
On the walk back to the hotel, we walked through Civic Square, with an interesting concept for a bridge linking the city to the sea. We stopped to enjoy the sunset and a race of dragon boats before continuing our walk. We decided to shop at New World Supermarket for a few breakfast items; only to meet up with Helen & Liz who had the same idea. We walked back to the hotel filling each other in on the joys of our afternoon in Wellington. Good night to day 1 North Island on our journey back to Auckland and our countdown to Saturday February 13th.

Picton Feb-05 to 08

2010-02-10T14:41:00.002-05:00

Yes, we spent 3 nights & 2 full days at the Penthouse Yacht Club. Saturday was a vacation from the hustle of travelling. Liz & Helen took to the pool; then Liz braved the ocean; achieving recognition as the only person to swim the waters surrounding the South Island! Tom & I found the perfect spot for a cappuccino & a long black coffee. It was a beautiful day; blue skies, warm sun, coastal mountains and a harbour of boats. It was suggested we tour Queen Charlotte Sound to Shakespeare Bay; silly we did it! It was a 22K drive along the coast over the mountains. An hour after we began we still had 14K to go! It was the worst road we had driven on since arriving in NZ. The scenery reminded us of beautiful British Columbia; except for the road conditions!
At the first ‘safe’ opportunity, Tom turned around and we headed back to Picton to park the car! We did stop at a few ‘scenic’ lookouts so I could take a few pictures but that was it. Monday morning we dropped the red Holden Commodore Sports wagon back to AVIS at the Ferry Terminal. Tom was happy to drop the keys off for that car having clocked nearly 3,000K of memorable South Island driving! We saw a lot since January 24th when we flew into Queenstown but there was so much more we didn’t have time to see. I compare it to a Chinese Dim Sum whereby you try a few tasty dishes and the flavours are so good you wish you had time to enjoy the Chinese Buffet!

Greymouth to Picton Feb-05

2010-02-10T14:39:00.001-05:00

Last night we enjoyed a steak BBQ with a nice bottle of local wine; ate at the patio set just outside our unit cooked on the provided grill. It was still light when the bugs drove us indoors – otherwise it was a beautiful evening; just like at the cottage! We were up early this morning for our drive up the Coast to Westport. This 100k section was voted one of the top 10 scenic drives in the world and we were told to allow 2 hours for the drive even though there are no traffic lights to slow you down. Considering the amazing views seen since arriving on the South Island, we were a bit blasé about that comment. Well, we had just cleared the town boundary when we asked Tom to stop for a photo. The drive has breath-taking scenery, wild coastlines, and unique rock formations just off the shoreline, blowholes & pancake rocks! Check out www.west-coast.co.nz . We had an ideal day to see the fantastic formations formed by the pounding of the Tasman Sea. At Punakaiki we walked the 20 minute loop track to Dolomite Point for the best views of the pancake-like formations where limestone rocks are eroded to form huge stacks. The tide was out so the sprays in the blowholes were not at the level depicted in the brochures. The picture attached is one taken during our loop walk trying to capture the imagines carved in the rock.
Even though we left Greymouth around 9 am it was noon before we reached Westport. Before visiting I-site to get a place to stay on the East Coast, we picnicked at Cape Foulwind. Despite the name given by Captain Cook when he experienced particularly bad winds in March 1770, it is a ruggedly beautiful sea coast & home to a breeding colony of fur seals. An informal camper park provided an area for our picnic and our last look at the Tasman Sea before heading inland. Time was critical with a 3½ hr drive through the mountains via Lewis Pass to Blenheim on the East Coast before the end of our day; no option but to continue to the East Coast once you leave Westport.
Ninety minutes later we left the I-site. We had hoped to stay in Blenheim for 3 nights leaving only a 20 minute drive to Picton Monday morning to catch the ferry to Wellington. Blenheim was hosting a tennis tournament for the weekend and all accommodation was taken. This was only the 2nd time we had an issue with booking a motel. Dunedin was 1st when we arrived during the Golf Masters tournament. Carl, a student employee at I-Site struggled to find us a place. Nearing exhaustion, we asked about the Yacht Club in Picton a place recommended by two couples from Melbourne we had met in Greymouth. Yacht Club had the Penthouse suite a two-story 3-bedroom luxury apartment available with a view of Queen Charlotte Sound for only $325 per night. Desperate – we booked it!
Leaving Westport our first objective was Murchison, 97K away. We checked off the mile markers: earthquake slip from 1968, Longest Swing Bridge over the Buller Gorge, Iron Bridge built in 1890, 50 metres of tar-seal one-lane road with an overhanging rock about 20 feet above your head on a recommended 25 KPH bend, Wekas (birds), then finally Lewis Pass. We finally arrived in Murchison at 4:10 pm, then onwards for the 190K drive to Picton. Leaving Murchison we passed a few snow ski sites, then 100K of relatively easy driving through alpine meadows with herds of deer; Rams & females kept apart by fenced fields. By 6 pm we were in Renwick with only 10K to Blenheim & 28 to Picton; almost there and driving through wine country! Our spirits lifted reading the vineyard names & seeing the miles & miles of grapevines! 7pm we pulled into the Yacht Club at Picton giving us our first views of harbour & boats. The same view from the modern kitchen, dining & living room, not to mention 2 balconies – our reward for the drive across the island. This was the first floor; the receptionist took us upstairs to see the rest! The upstairs was beyond our expectations: 3 bedrooms 3 bathrooms & 3 balconies; the master suite with its own kitchen & sitting room with HD TV surround sound – we claimed for the driver – who was already dreaming about sleeping late tomorrow! We couldn’t wait to settle in. Dinner was beer & pizza at the pub across the road; a great way to end a VERY long day!

Greymouth Feb-04

2010-02-05T16:45:00.001-05:00

We are snug as a bug here in Greymouth after a great day’s tour through Arthur’s Pass. The road east of Arthur’s Pass was flatlands with alpaca, llama, vineyards and sheep! Plenty of road work; one person working while the rest enjoyed coffee! One-lane bridges still the preferred with a new twist; vehicles & trains shared the same bridge! A warning sign advised the train had right of way; however no mention of what you should do if you met a train coming towards you while you were on the bridge!
The journey through Arthur’s Pass was not as scary as anticipated. When we met a double-trailer truck filled with bales of hay on the turns ahead of us; we took it as an indication the switch-backs would not be so severe! NZ has made the effort to help make the journey from east-to-west a safer drive. Scenery was fantastic &the alpine vistas were worth the effort. Glacier blue water in the creeks; trees adorned in a red mantle; the sky a vivid blue and the moon visible over the rugged edge of the mountains. Picture postcard wherever we looked. We saw our first Kea; an alpine parrot native to South NZ. Signs posted warned against feeding or leaving anything that their beaks & claws could pull apart. They sat in trees above our heads while we ate our picnic with loud cries of “keeeaa” giving away their presence. Dull green-grey colour about 3x size of a Dove, plumb looking and rather insignificant until they spread their winds; then the vibrant colours of red, blue and rose of their wing feathers wanted you to feed them so they would fly closer for a better look! But we didn’t for our and their sake!
We made it to Greymouth by 2 and it was 29 C. After a wee rest, Helen & Liz went swimming. Tom and I drove a ½ hour to Hokitika, the only place in NZ where greenstone and Goodletite (which contains ruby, sapphire & tourmaline crystals) are found. Tom gifted me a greenstone (Jade) for my birthday, souvenir of our trip. Success found a unique piece with different shades of stone & carved in Maori tradition. The triple twist – crossover, which represents a bonding of friendship, two lives becoming one for eternity! AHHHHHHHHHHH Shopping done we drove to Sunset Point with a great view of the Tasman Sea, Aoraki /Cook Mountains, Tambo’s shipwreck and to walk on the beach. A wonderful wild beach at high tide with rolling breakers, black sand & pebbles (yes I looked for fossilized pebbles and pounamu-jade). Tom can’t believe my fascination with beach stones! Beach-combing comes naturally; what can I say!
Tomorrow we’ll head north along hwy 6 to Westport; reportedly the best ocean views in NZ. At this point not sure if we will continue to Picton for the weekend or stop in Nelson or Blenheim. We’ll visit I-site in the morning & go from there. Pictures will have to wait until we have a better internet package. We are doing well. Tom is doing an amazing job; staying cool while travelling with 3 women and getting us to our designations safely!

Christchurch Feb-3-2010

2010-02-03T03:49:00.000-05:00

We spent today downtown Christchurch. We bought an all-day pass for the tram which circuits the inner city and stops at all the main attractions. The $15 NZ ticket is good for 2-days and you may get on/off any of the trams on the circuit as you please. There was also a 2-for-1 ticket special on the Caterpillar electric shuttle Botanic Garden tour. Again you could stay on board for the full hour tour or hop off/on the different shuttles at any of the 10 designated stops. Both were the way to go to visit the city. It was 22 degrees and sunny; interesting in that 22 C is the normal for summer and 2 C is the normal for winter. I would need Helen or Liz to help me write this blog to describe all the flowers, trees and hot house orchids we saw (79 acres of garden). The garden theme was Begonias; I never knew begonias could grow the size of a dinner plate and the colour variety was indescribable. Pictures will not do it justice!
We were very impressed with CC. There is something here for every type of tourist without it being built for tourist: architecture, culture, floral and adventure! Food and coffee isn’t so bad either! It’s been a wonderful visit. Tomorrow we hit the road again for the west coast to Greymouth via Arthur’s Pass. It should be another exciting ride through the mountains and the weather promises to be good! Helen has our picnic prepared; they have already gone to bed in anticipation of travelling tomorrow. We’ve booked www.gablesmotorlodge.com for the night; should have free internet to get back in touch. Good night from Down-Under

Akaroa Peninsula, Feb-2-10

2010-02-03T03:17:00.002-05:00

Our first day in the Christchurch area was overcast with strong winds off the ocean. James, motel owner, suggested we travel to the old whaling town of Akaroa, Banks Peninsula, SE of Christchurch. We didn’t know it was a 75k drive through lowlands and mountains suffering an immense erosion problem. But the real surprise came during the last 30K; a sharp climb of 815 metres to Hill Top, with the usual sharp turns, switch-backs & long drop off the roadside (yes, we were on the outside lane) before a downward race on similar roads. Perfectly working brakes are an absolute! During our climb we saw a car on a bend high above us; then we noticed a private plane flying over the mountain. It appeared as if the car and plane were travelling at the same altitude! Amazing scenery when you could take your eyes off of the road. However, I now know why my neck is sore ... it’s from stretching to see around the curves in those mountains...
Akaroa village was originally settled by the French....and a strong French presence remains in the style of buildings, street names and some of the inhabitants. It’s a pretty town situated on a small harbour with up-scale tourist shops, museums, restaurants and of course, real estate offices. My sense is that this town is also popular as a “cottage” destination for the wealthier residents of Christchurch; those that fly to Akaroa. Around 4pm, after lunch by the sea and a couple of hours touring the village we began the climb over the mountain to CC. We detoured to an olive oil tasting store (closed/sold-out) and eventually stopped in Cooptown (yes) at an orchard for peaches and sweet cherries. Yummy!
We were told that stopping at Birdlings Flat, a coastal beach on our route was a must. A pebbled beach with rocks constantly rolling with the strong wave action, the roar of the sea surrounds you. Birdlings Flat is in theory rich with over 20 types of semi-precious stones, particularly agates. We found some nice coloured stones however nothing too precious. Riverton on the extreme south coast was better for beachcombing. Perhaps we were expecting too much!
PS – on route to CC we passed a farm with the name “Tree Hugger Organic Farm”!

Pacific Ocean Drive Feb-01-2010

2010-02-02T17:25:00.001-05:00

Today we left Dunedin to drive north along the South Pacific Coast to Christchurch. Once the car was packed, we walked around the corner of our hotel to Speight’s Brewery – the Pride of the South – no, not for a morning beer but to fill our water bottles! Speight’s Brewery water source is a natural spring. When permission was given to tap the spring in 1876, the agreement was to make the water available to the town. That agreement is still honoured. Daily people refill containers at the sidewalk spigot. During our stay we developed the habit of filling our travelling containers, to get non-chlorinated water. Boy, did that water taste fresh and cool!
The drive to Christchurch is a 4-5 hour drive without stops. We agreed we would stop at least 3 times & our lodging place in CC was expecting us around 6pm. The 3 stops were Shag Point to look for sea life; Moeraki to see the beach ‘Boulders’ and Oamaru for cheese factory & lunch! From there it would take 2.5 hrs to CC. Tom spotted a road sign for a cheese factory & spur of the moment we thought we had arrived at Oamaru! The shop was closed but before we had time to leave; this man was opening the door to greet us! Hence we met Colin! Low & behold Liz & Helen had bought cheese from Colin at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday in Dunedin. Over the course of the next few minutes of conversation, Colin mentioned today was his birthday as well as his son Paul. What a surprise – spontaneous hugs when I told him it was my birthday as well! What a hoot! These are the first individuals I’ve met born on Feb 1. It turned out we were in Waikouaiti and not Oamaru; coincidence – I think not! It truly started my day off right; check out Colin & his sons’ cheese factory at www.evansdalecheese.co.nz. The picture attached is the 3 Feb-1 birthday babies!
As it happens, Colin had a Canadian connection, having almost purchased a cheese factory in Gatineau. We had a few good laughs, a few great stories & a lot of exceptionally good-tasting samples. Apparently Colin named his cheeses after the women in his life; Ruby Red was named after his mom, he didn’t say who Marilyn Blue was but did say he has now uses dog names! A story there for sure! Thanks for the birthday gift of cheeses Colin, very pleased to have met you and Paul and looking forward to when our paths cross again. Paul took the time to confirm we should stop at the 2 nature sites but the drive through the mountains from Geraldine was more scenic than sticking to HWY 1.
We drove away waving until we were out of sight – a bright step to our walk & a smile on our faces. Further north on Hwy 1, we stopped at Shag Point to view the seals, sea lions and perhaps, but not sure, a rare yellow-eyed penguin. This reminds me of NL and/or PEI; wind-swept, high, rugged terrain over-looking the ocean. We did manage to see a few seals and lions but not sure if the spec we saw was a yellow-eyed penguin or not! We chatted to a few folks snorkelling and they pointed out a few more large sea lions and 2 penguins. Was it windy! Do you know the line ... ‘have you been to sea when the sea is blue and the sky is too ...blah .. blah.. foam sweeping the deck’ ... well it was that type of day!
Next stop Moeraki Boulders! This little fishing village has become famous for this geological wonder on its windswept sands. The Moeraki Boulders are large egg-shaped, patterned rocks scattered over a small area & positioned in a line heading out to sea. These are no ordinary round rocks; ‘septarian’ creations formed from ancient sea floor sediments; and created similar to formation of oyster pearls. (Pamphlet) For the boulders, it was a fossil shell, bone fragment, or piece of wood. Lime minerals in the sea accumulated on the core over time, and the concretion grew into perfectly spherical shapes up to 3M in diameter. It was about a 10 minute walk to reach the boulders on the beach, well worth it! Some of the boulders have now split into pieces, displaying the jewellery quality stones and colours inside. One was cracked like an egg; a man stood inside to have his picture taken & gave a reference to the size. I have some interesting pictures to share later. I couldn’t resist pocketing a few small pieces of shell & pebbles before I left the beach on my return to the car. (No, I didn’t take a piece of the Boulders – too large!)
Too windy to eat our picnic here; we drove to Oamaru and picnicked at the public gardens. An hour’s break to appreciate the flowers; bright, big and beautiful flowers are everywhere; attended with care and lots of it to keep it looking like it is! Impressive! Our drive passed fields and fields of lavender; bright purple fields among the strawberry blond barley fields – combined with herds of Holsteins, Angus & sheep! As far as the eye could see were prosperous looking farms with all manner of irrigation systems in operation! We are now 250K from Christchurch and driving under a rainbow of colour from the spray.
Another unique thing they do here is the use of hedges for windbreakers! Hedges are 20 feet high 2 metres wide; rows several hundred metres long, angled to optimize benefit. These hedges are used all over this area of the South Island. The windy conditions we’ve experienced and this is summer – we can only imagine how desperately they need these windbreakers. White caps on the ocean & grand scale farms ... otherwise you could class this section of the road as boring! Late afternoon and a desired to reach CC changed our minds about taking the scenic route via Geraldine.
Our motel in the Brighton Beach area of Christchurch is an ocean-side motel, near the pier and surfer school. The strong, cool wind doesn’t seem to deter the many fishermen and the occasional surfer. Looking out from our balcony we could be absolutely anywhere in the world where you have a view of rolling white capped waves and miles of grey fine sandy beach! From the road you climb over a wooden stair to get over the sand dunes to reach the beach. Marvellous – what a way to bring in the next decade of my life surrounded with love and new experiences. Thank you family & friends for all your birthday wishes – while we are hemispheres apart you are only a heartbeat away (isn’t that how the song goes!)

Dunedin Jan-30-31st

2010-01-31T02:58:00.002-05:00

Tonight will be our 3rd night staying at the Scenic Southern Cross hotel in Dunedin. The city was awarded NZ most beautiful city in 2008 and is rated among the 101 must-dos for Kiwis! Fantastic examples of Victorian and Edwardian architecture are found throughout the city. The Railway station (1906); Larnach Castle (1871), NZ only castle, the University of Otago designed gothic style in 1878; Spright’s Brewery, in operation since 1876; Olveston, a Jacobean-style mansion; First Presbyterian Church with its 54-metre spire; the Municipal Chambers, designed in 1878 and St. Paul’s Cathedral made of Oamaru Stone. This town has it all; Botanic gardens, Baldwin Street (the world’s steepest street), Albatross colonies, yellow eyed penguins, great food & beer, including a Cadbury chocolate factory.
A population of 123,000 with 20% being students; our city tour guide called it a city with old buildings and young people! How true! The wealth generated by the goldfields was instrumental in establishing the Boys High School, Girls High School and the university (the first in NZ). Wealth was reflected by how high up the hill you built your house. Per our guide, “the wealthy looked out at the sea; everyone else looked at each other”. Certain streets are exceptionally wide, in a city of narrow streets. These streets were used to transport goods from the port to the commercial district. The width of these streets resulted from the turning radius of a 14-bullock team. Bullocks were used for drayage because horses were useless in the mud. Dunedin was called “Mudedin” by its residents.
Saturday morning we strolled along the local farmer’s market at the Railway station. In the afternoon we did the scenic bus tour (old London double-decker). Today we travelled to the farthest tip of the Otago peninsula to catch the actions of the Fur seals and Sea Lions and watched a Royal Albatross soar overhead. We stopped at Larnach Castle to tour the gardens and marvel at the views from the top of the highest mountain in the local area. Tonight we dined at the casino!
Tomorrow we will drive north to Christchurch. Yes, I will spend my 60th birthday on the road driving along the South Pacific Ocean. We have reservations at the Beachlife Apartments New Brighton, with a balcony facing the ocean – we’ll let you know how it goes!

Catlins – Fri-Jan-29

2010-01-31T02:57:00.001-05:00

Leaving Invercargill we headed towards the Catlins, a race against the tides! The Catlins are best seen at low tides. Unfortunately we missed the signpost for the Scenic Route and took Hwy 1 instead, which cost us valuable time. We then drove south along inland secondary roads to reach the ocean and Curio Bay. Years of pounding by the sea has worn away the soil here at Curio Bay to reveal fossilized remains of the Jurassic period 180 million years old. A NZ national treasure & the rock face is a strictly protected area. However, it is permissible to walk it at low tide and marvel at the visibility of the tree rings; the position of the logs is evidence of several floods with the forest growing back between the events. The petrified stumps look more like coal or carbon than trees.
On the other side of the point was Porpoise Bay, home to Hector‘s dolphins. These dolphins are found only in NZ; talking to the Conservation employee we just missed a spectacular display! Darn! A walk along its beautiful sandy beach, complete with sea lions and a solitary blue penguin. (Picture attached) Lunch at Steve’s beachside store, we drove NE past Niagara Falls (sense of humour down here!) then towards Papatowai. Petro stations were few and far between; burning fumes upon our arrival. Taking more back roads, we stopped at Purakaunui Falls, claimed to be the most photographed falls in NZ. It was scenic and we saw a perfectly hallowed out tree – I’m certain I saw Papa Smurf!
It was getting late and the gate to Cathedral Caves was closed, we drove on to Nugget Point to walk to the lighthouse. This was certainly worth the drive (and the 2K walk) out to the point. Great sea vistas from the lighthouse, looking down over the cliffs we saw seals & royal albatross. Wonderful but windy! Leaving Nugget Point we drove to Balclutha, stopping for coffee, then to Dunedin. We were surprised at the geographic size of Dunedin, as it is strung along the coast and to find I-Site closed. Helpful NZ used their cells to try a few places but no luck as the Masters Golf Championship is in town. They suggested the Scenic Southern Cross Hotel (casino), just an easy walk from where we stood. Happenstance we found the right location, within two blocks of the Octagon, the centre of town. It was now 8PM so we went for a short walk, ate dinner at an Indian restaurant and returned to the hotel. Good night Dunedin.

Invercargill Thur-Jan-28

2010-01-31T02:56:00.001-05:00

Tom and I were looking forward to this part of the trip; home of the “World’s Fastest Indian” and Burt Munro! The day was excellent from beginning to end. We left Te Anau at 10 am, driving the scenic route to Manapouri along the mountain ranges of the Fiordland National park to Tuatapere, continuing along the rugged coast to Riverton, into Invercargill only stopping to turn around at Bluff where the road ends or begins for NZ.
Our stops along the way included Lake Manapouri which is NZ largest lake. Deep below Lake Manapouri is their power station. The station generates hydro-power by diverting water down 200+ metres below the ground. Massive turbines drive a generator and the water is discharged along a tunnel into Deep Cove in Doubtful Sound. Tours were available however we didn’t relish the bus drive down a 2K tunnel!
The drive was better than expected; straight roads through fertile valleys, a few one-way bridges and sheep farms. We had gentle mountain climbs through reforestation successes & into deep valley gorges – no traffic – great vistas! We snapped a photo of newly sheered sheep grazing alongside the road and estimated 3000 or more in just that one field. Sheep are everywhere....in great numbers! We noticed more power lines and grid systems, yucca-type plants line the roadside and tuffs of amber growth adorn the hillside. Closer to Tuatapere the farms appear more prosperous. Entering Tuatapere we read “last place in NZ to see the sunset and home of the sausage king”!
At Orepuki we stopped to view the southern NZ coastline and the Tasman Sea. Across the Foveaux Strait we could see the outline of Codfish Island, NZ largest pest-free island. Pest-free means free of rats and rabbits! Stewart Island was 52K across and we were 60K from Invercargill. We stopped at Riverton, one of the oldest settlements dating back to the sealing & whaling days in the 1830s. We ate our picnic near the beach on a cedar picnic table. The children’s playground was also built from cedar; benches shaped like Blue Cod and Whales with the smell of cedar. A refreshing change from the real thing!
We walked on the beach and watched people swim and play in the surf. Liz & I managed to dip our toes in but couldn’t imagine going any further. I collected beach stones; amber, orange, white and multi-coloured; small, round stones smoothed by the rolling waves. A tiny slice of heaven!
We drove on to Invercargill; a quick stop at I-Site before driving to Bluff. Bluff is the oldest town in NZ and it shows! It is where you catch the ferry to Stewart Island but at $63 (one-way fare) plus the cost of tours we couldn’t justify $500 to see nature the way it was in 1824. We drove to the start of state highway 1 but didn’t see the signpost for the most southern point on the NZ mainland. Excluding Stewart Island, the next stop is Antarctica!
We stayed at Comfort Inn Tayesta Motel in Invercargill, guests of Diane & Stewart Whitney. If you visit Invercargill you will not find a friendlier or nicer place to stay! Great value and a great location; we felt like we were visiting family and were treated like long lost relatives. A welcome relief after a long day of touring! At their recommendation we ate dinner at The Cabbage Tree Restaurant & Outpost Tavern; known for their seafood and door-to-door courtesy van service. We were not disappointed and Tom had a break from driving. The restaurant is near Oreti Beach where the motorcycle race in the “World’s Fastest Indian” was filmed. Each November the local motorcycle club hosts a Burt Munro Challenge to honour him, the love of speed and motorcycles. Invercargill is a destination as well as a beautiful and striving town to visit with lots of history similar to that far eastern city in Canada!

Milford Sound Wed-Jan-27

2010-01-31T02:53:00.001-05:00

On the road by 7 am for Milford Sound; our incentive a bakery with freshly baked scones and coffee. I-Site lady told us the drive from Te Anau (120K) could take 3 hours with stops at all the vistas; she suggested restraint until the return leg! Truly good advice but difficult to follow; with only one stop we arrived at 9:30 for our 10 am cruise departure. The drive was scenic! We drove by Lake Mistletoe, Mirror Lakes (45 degrees latitude south), Lake Gunn, Divide, Lake Marian and the Chasm. Along tree-lined roads, where the sun never reaches; trees and rocks covered in mosses and lichens; views of waterfalls, fiords, towering granite peaks and sculptured rock formations. The road a constant of sharp switch-backs with recommended speeds 25 to 55 KPH. Uphill and down vale as the saying goes, as we drove deeper into Fiordland National Park. A stunning alpine drive!
Our one stop was just before we entered Homer Tunnel; glacier snow and a pull off area with a plaque on the tunnel’s history were right there. Exiting the car we were caught by the road incline – I staggered like I had too much Baileys with my morning coffee! The Homer Tunnel took over 20 years to complete. Construction began in the 1930s with workers from all walks of life; first time labourers for most. The tunnel was initially started with 5 men using picks & wheelbarrows. Conditions were harsh. The camp received no direct sunlight from May to September, and frozen snow covered the ground for most of the year. The tunnel opened in 1954; surviving WWII, avalanches and numerous flooding. A straight tunnel with unlined granite walls to reflect your car’s headlights & to guide you through the 1270 metres with a 1:10 gradient down! It truly is a hole-in-the-mountain! There was no transition to get use to the darkness inside the tunnel; once again Tom heard 3 female voices asking if he had the lights on. It was narrow, dark and uneven surfaces; the car seemed to dip towards one side for awhile and then to the other ... hair rising! Traffic lights operate between 9AM to 5PM allowing traffic to flow in one direction. Since we arrived before 9 am, we drove with our fingers crossed that the only light coming towards us was the end of the tunnel and not the preverbal freight train!
Arriving in Milford Sound the two things we noticed were the steep slopes of mountains rising directly from the ocean and the black flies! Thank goodness Liz brought fly repellent! You must Google Milford Sound! Absolutely worth the drive! Shortly after leaving the wharf we see waterfalls 160+ metres high. Mitre Peak at a height of 1682 metres is one of the highest mountains in the world to rise directly from the ocean. It is difficult to comprehend the geological events; the captain said 20 ice ages have occurred & each one carved another step into the Sound. We stopped at Seal Rock to see Southern Fur Seal! (I snapped a rare photo of mom feeding her pup!) We cruised the 16K from the head of the fiord to the Tasman Sea; depths from quite shallow to 300+ metres. We turned around in St. Anne’s bay to show how the entrance to the Fiord was hidden from open view. As the sea was smooth the captain gave Liz and Helen a turn at the helm; one more item of their individual bucket list.
Shortly after noon we were back on the road driving away from Milford Sound. We had a picnic lunch but fearing the Black Flies would eat more than we, decided to try our luck elsewhere. We now shared the road with traffic so while the scenery was magnificent all eyes were focused on the road, especially since we were now driving the outside lane! The tunnel traffic lights were operational and the stream of traffic helped light the tunnel. We were still ready for lunch and a break from the road after driving 30K through these steep passes. Gunn Lake was perfect; a tranquil setting of mountains, white clouds, blue sky and aqua water! We sat on two large logs on the beach to eat our picnic and drink in the view. We watched 3ft-long eels circling the reeds just off shore (I have several photos). We arrived at Te Anau by 4pm. We enjoyed a glass of NZ white wine on our patio; Helen & Liz cooked a fine dinner and prepared a picnic lunch for our drive tomorrow. WOW!
Reflecting on Milford Sound and this Maori legend: “Toitu he kainga: whatungarongaro he tangata.... Long after people have disappeared, the land will remain”; all I can say is “I hope so!”

Te Anau Fiordland Tues-Jan-26

2010-01-27T15:55:00.005-05:00

Left Queenstown at 10AM driving south along Lake Wakatiu to Kingston on route to Te Anau. A quick stop in Kingston to calm our nerves from the ‘scenic’ drive and see their Flyer! The drive was along a twisting road with drop-offs into the lake and bordered by mountains on our left. On some of the hairpin turns we felt as if we were careening out-of-control. We had 4 drivers in the car instead of one –> Tom, the calm one, doing an excellent job. The scenery was also excellent!
At Kingston we stopped at the pier to admire the lake view; a pebbly beach, a good wharf and pleasure craft enjoying the sunshine on the lake. The Kingston Flyer, a historic steam train dating back to 1878 when it serviced the gold fields on wooden lines is quiet today, awaiting the results of a mortgage auction. Railway cars rested on sidings were parked near the original train station, dating back to the early 1950s providing a look at 1st & 2nd class comforts! You could post letters onboard but it would cost; “mail requires additional one-cent postage for being late” the sign said! We were tempted by cappuccinos before continuing our journey. Good coffee!
From Kingston to Te Anau we drove through a flat fertile valley with “lots” of sheep farms. The road was straight with distance visibility – a welcome change. Rocks littered fields; stone fences still used as borders. Lichen on the larger rocks reminded me of NL & Ireland. Second to sheep were deer farms, followed by cattle. The scenery was picturesque. Arriving in Te Anau, we picnic lakeside with its sparkling blue waters and backdrop the Fiordland National Park Kepler Mountains.
We then searched for our hotel; Garden Park, 30 Lakeshore Drive. Easy enough? No street numbers on buildings & a name change – not sure if we were more relieved or annoyed when Jodie at reception said we had arrived! The units were old, musty and at the extreme end of the grounds! Not a particularly great start! Tom told her she had to do better or we were moving on. Sometimes it pays to let someone know you are not willing to take what nobody else wants! She moved us to newer, brighter rooms with spas & nice gardens. Once again we are surrounded by flowers!
Te Anau is a nice lakeside town. While it is a tourist town it doesn’t feel like a tourist town. You are not gouged wherever you go and there are no tacky shops and video arcades. Fishing & “flight seeing” appear to be hot ticket items, especially to explore Milford Sound. We bought cruise tickets for 10AM tomorrow to keep ahead of the bus tours; a 7AM start for a drive through more mountains. Summer-end sales are in the stores; Liz & Helen found some great bargains! Today is Helen’s birthday. Tonight we ate lamb at Distinction Luxmore Hotel’s the Bailiez to celebrate. A very good meal for a very fine day!

Queenstown Jan-25-2010

2010-01-25T15:27:00.001-05:00

We made it to Queenstown Sunday on schedule; a very bumpy landing; winds 40K, sharp right angle turns as we spiral down between the mountains – Pilot talking us through the expectations so no heroics from any passenger. We landed quite safely 10-minutes early! Liz & Helen left us a note with AVIS; they had walked to the Marina Apartments. The hotel was only 2+K from the airport all downhill and they needed fresh air after their long journey! We understood that very well!
Within an hour of landing we had our luggage and rental car; and met at the hotel. The roads are simpler than around Hamilton. The hotel is new; we have a 2-bedroom unit facing Lake Wakatiu with the towering Remarkables mountains as a backdrop; kitchen, laundry, and balcony. New World grocery shopping is 2K away and Frankton Arm walkway an easy-1-hour trek is minutes from our door. We’ve hit pay dirt again!
Queenstown surpasses all our expectations! Downtown is compact bordered by Lake Wakatiu and the Remarkables. We gravitated to the lake first! On route we talked to crew and actors involved with a Bollywood production called ‘I hate Love Stories’. The leading lady is the daughter of the game show host on ‘Slum Dog Millionaire’. We decided to orientate ourselves with a ride on the Skyline Gondola, 790m above Queenstown. We were not disappointed; breathtaking views of the lake, the mountains and the town. For perhaps an hour we sat at the top and watched people testing their driving skills in a series of downhill hairpin bends in a luge; or paraglide in tandem and singularly from the mountain’s edge. We watched in awe has the pilots straightened their lines, harnessed in their passenger and then jumped off the face of the mountain into the updraft! They soared over Queenstown, the lake and into the valleys! We watched spelled bound; Liz the only one with a yearning to try ... medical insurance coverage kept her by our side!
Hunger drove us off the mountain for home! By 2pm we were ready to explore some more. This time we drove north to Arrowtown. Gold was discovered in the Arrow River in 1862 and thousands of miners from around the world flocked to the area. At the height of the rush, 7,000 people lived here; building cottages of stone and timber, hotels, saloons and gambling /dance halls. Today the town is preserved with most of the original `fronts’ to attract tourists; for $3.00 + $10 deposit you may rent a pan and go down to the river to search for gold. A colourful town and we did see a few golden flecks!
On the drive back to Queenstown, we stopped at Shotover River Canyon to watch the jet boats fly through the canyon at record breaking speeds and spins with water flying everywhere.... no thank you! The canyon was jagged cut, through very steep cliff; water aqua green and the sand fine & warm. We were home a little after 6; tired from all the sun and fresh air. Tomorrow we move further south to Te Anau, as we celebrate Helen’s birthday and prepare for our trip to Milford Sound on Wednesday.
So far we love the south island of NZ!

Hamilton Sat-Jan-23

2010-01-22T21:35:00.001-05:00

This will be our final post from Hamilton; tomorrow we fly south to Queenstown. There we will meet up with Helen & Liz to begin the second chapter of our ‘down under’ adventure. A colourful rainbow graced the horizon this morning; no doubt a promise of sunnier days! We returned the Old Ford to the rental agency and focused on preparations for Sunday’s move to Queenstown. The airport shuttle confirmed an 8:30am pick-up; our flight’s at 11:10. It’s been a luxury staying here; especially with dependable internet to enable us to stay in touch; whenever an opportunity presents itself we will be back online. Kia Ora

Hamilton, Fri-Jan-22

2010-01-22T21:23:00.003-05:00

Overnight we had a repeat performance of heavy rain and thunderstorms. By midday it looked bright enough to venture a walk at one of Hamilton’s 2 arboretums. We decided on Taitua; free admission and on route to the grocery store. Taitua is a bucolic country setting of 2 circular walking tracks and bridges through mature trees, open pastures, ponds, and woodland gardens. Stately eucalyptus trees (90+ feet) ribbons of white bark floating on the wind. Hibiscus, clematis, mountain flax, and dragon’s gold are ubiquitously. Fuchsia trees grow at forest edge (40-50 feet) have a short gnarled trunk and cinnamon coloured bark which hangs in long strips.
“Wildlife” consisted of grazing cattle, hens, black swans,pukeko and ducks. The cattle complained loudly until a farmhand in gumboots moved them to new pasture where the grass was long enough for a good feed! The hens were aggressive, darting from the undergrowth looking to see if we had food. We were a “pied piper” for hens, roosters and chickens running a few paces behind us – begging for a morsel ... we had nothing! Almost felt guilty; especially when two did not quit and followed us back to the car! “Hens are dumb” - right? Back to the grocery store! Tonight we ate fresh NZ lamb leg steak – delicious & tender!

Hamilton, Thur-Jan-21

2010-01-22T21:17:00.002-05:00

It rained overnight and into mid-morning. We drove along the Waikato River from Flagstaff to Hamilton Lake and briefly strolled on the boardwalk but the continuing drizzle soon forced us to the downtown entertainment strip along Victoria between Collingwood and Hood; an area of wall-to-wall restaurants, bars and fast-food joints. Hamilton has the second-largest collection of cafés in the country and most of them are along this stretch. The street is not busy this rainy afternoon but likely attracts large crowds at night and on weekends. Further up Victoria are higher-end stores and shopping areas. Window-shopping is encouraged as most stores have wide overhangs to shelter pedestrians from rain and sun (suspect it’s rain!). It makes strolling around more enjoyable but detracts from the architecture of the older buildings and is unattractive where no effort was made to coordinate styles or colours.
There are 7 bridges that span the Waikato River & link both sides of Hamilton downtown. We caught a glimpse (that’s all) of an interesting river walk - weather not today! But “Let’s do the time warp again” – yes we stood at the birthplace of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The site of The Embassy Theatre, the home of Hamilton's ‘Late Night Double Feature Picture Show’ and the barber shop where Richard O'Brien cut hair and daydreamed (1959 to 1964). Riff Raff, the main character in the Rocky Horror Show stands proudly on the corner of Victoria St. A photo opportunity on this damp day!

Our sole purchases are a used book and espressos, before we collect the Old Ford from the parking garage and head to the burbs. Our timing is such (5:30 afternoon rush) that we experience our first roundabout gridlock. Most drivers exhibit caution, courtesy and patience. Not a typical Toronto driving experience! Only two more sleeps in this wonderful home before the next leg of our journey begins!

Hamilton, Tues-Jan-19

2010-01-19T20:05:00.004-05:00

Today we drove to Cambridge, NZ’s equine capital. Stud farms abound. The importance of breeding to the local economy is reflected in horse statues and the Equine Stars Walk of Fame; no hoof prints but an embedded likeness of the famous horse! Charisma is the most famous, a 2-time Olympic show-jumping champion. We toured downtown, visited the local museum, and then lunched at a sidewalk bistro. The food, coffee and town are the best so far! We continued SE another 25K to the town of Tirau. I-Site host pointed out local items of interest, including a private museum and an old swing bridge across the Waikato River. He had Tom’s interest when he heard the museum had old trackers, cars and motorbikes.
The museum is owned/operated by a 3rd generation “bee-keeper” and seller of clover honey. Now in semi-retirement he decided to open his collection of “rubbish” (his terminology) to the public. Steam engines, munitions, antique vehicles, old motorcycles, farm tractors, mock-ups of general stores, sewing machines, dental chairs and municipal record books have all found a home in his 13,000 sq. ft. garage. Most are local, salvaged, not restored; adding a strong sense of history. He gave us a personal tour, pointing out the displays we must view, entertaining us with stories to match. “My head is filled with useless information”, he said. Sound familiar Lewis? We snooped around while he tended to his bees. I snapped Tom’s photo with a pristine 1951 Calendar!dare I say "Monday's Child is fair of face"!
After a long good-bye from this entertaining fellow, we used back road directions to Arapuni; his birthplace & the home of a 1920 swing bridge over Waikato River, NZ’s longest running waterway. The river gorge drops about 300 ft. but seems higher as the bridge sways just from the footfalls of other pedestrians. A large sign warned that no running or jumping was allowed on the bridge; maximum of 30 and no horses or motorcycles. Charming.........
Did I mention that NZ has an abundance of 1-lane bridges? These are interesting, especially when one can’t see if there is oncoming traffic before venturing across. You trust that everyone is obeying the right-of-way signs; especially those foreign tourists! A successful day’s excursion.........

Hamilton, Sun-Mon-Jan-17-18

2010-01-18T15:15:00.002-05:00

Sunday we relaxed around the house; cloudy and humid, a good day to get caught up on laundry, watch rugby and read a book. Tom fired up the BBQ for Moroccan lamb sausage. Monday raining – we decided to check out the shops! We drove to The Base outlet centre and looked for bargains; first time with no map in the car!
Our rented Ford Focus still smells like an ashtray and won't set any speed records but it is miserly on fuel; the equivalent of $CDN 1.45 for regular. The drivers are aggressive; especially those driving small vehicles which lack adequate acceleration to pass on the short straights so try to intimidate others to drive faster by tailgating. Meanwhile the police are running a media campaign implying that "foreign tourists" cause most of the accidents. Go figure......... We are ready to start week two....

Hamilton, Sat-Jan-16

2010-01-16T19:02:00.003-05:00

We’ve driven to the west and south of Hamilton. We will reserve the east coast of the North Island for our return drive with Helen & Liz in February. Today we go north 35K to Huntly; recommended for its wetlands, coal mining history and candy land. The town sits on a long narrow strip of land on either side of the Waikato River and has the largest coal-fired generating station in the Southern Hemisphere. The biggest employers are still involved in the coal mining industry; fast becoming known for speedway tracks and stock car racing.
On route we passed a cemetery built on a steep hill where the last native Queen of NZ is buried at the top. The pecking order for a burial site depends on how you were regarded in life. The more esteem, the higher your burial plot! If you could see the steepness of the hill you would wonder who thought of that concept!
Once in Huntly, we stopped at I-Site for a local map & food for a picnic at Lake Hakansa. Fishing at the lake were 3 Chinese men; while we lunched one landed an eel and the other a Tench. From a lake billboard, we learnt a Tench is a bottom-feeder fish! Didn’t want to think what they planned on doing with these! The lady at I-Site mentioned the restaurants on Main Street are mostly owned by Chinese. We also saw a sign listing local foods available: goat, venison, smoked eel, fish, rabbit and beef. Perhaps we found one of the food sources.
Lake Hakansa has a walkway around the lake (3.6K) promoted as a scenic, relaxing and serene stroll. The walkway includes a native tree reserve, a Japanese garden, the Green Cathedral, a bog garden, and other gardens representing various regions of the globe. We were disappointed in this venue but perhaps it was just too hot and humid for tramping around wetlands. We stopped regularly to take advantage of any breeze but the small flies and stagnant smell from the lake kept us moving... not a repeat. Not all lost – we did see some very pretty water lilies! We returned to Hamilton, pleased to check Huntly off our list!

Hamilton, Fri-Jan-15

2010-01-16T18:56:00.003-05:00

This morning we woke to bright sunshine and heat – by bedtime it was still 21 C; a nice surprise when we were expecting rain. We enjoyed the morning on the patio and answering emails. We had planned a trip to Hamilton Gardens for a terrace lunch; but with this heat we decided to wait until late afternoon and do grocery shopping first. We shopped for meat: beef, lamb, venison and chicken are in abundance! We chose minced beef for a Mexican plate & lamb butterfly chops. Tom couldn’t resist the lamb sausages for a BBQ on the patio! We dropped in to say hello to Hans at his cheese shop; more wonderful smells and 2 more taste sensations.
Around 3 pm we drove to Hamilton Gardens. The grounds are free admission with a series of round-a-bouts, paths and passageways to various gardens. Five collections of garden types exist. We managed to visit 4: Paradise, Productive, Fantasy and Cultivar. The Paradise and the Cultivar were favourites but all were a treat to the eyes and nose! We pinched the Herbs, smelled Perfume flowers, tapped the pumpkins, spoke of Maria & Emilio at the zucchini flowers and roamed the Rose gardens – something for everyone. We were stress-free by the time we left! Lesson 1: the large globed purple flowers that flourish here are Rhododendron and not Hydrangeas! Helen & Liz – you will love the colours!
In the Paradise collection, the Chinese, Japanese and India gardens were a retreat for calm & meditation; the English a sea of White Daisies & Roses; the American designed for kids with wading pools. The Cultivar we left for last and stayed in the Rose Garden the longest! We strolled around Turtle Lake. The turtles as well as the ducks came to see if we had food. Families were enjoying the lake’s cool breeze as they fed the ducks and birds; obviously a regular pastime. We were home before 7; didn’t need the map, took a bypass route and no detours! We have arrived! End of Day 8 - Kia Ora

Hamilton, Thur-Jan-14-2010

2010-01-14T18:20:00.001-05:00

We were on the road by 10 this morning; Barry & Fay had dropped by to check on the lawn & we enjoyed a wee visit. They were very helpful & gave us their phone # just in case we got lost badly enough to need help!
Today our destination is “Waitomo Glowworm caves” about 100 km southwest of Hamilton. Using the same directions to leave Hamilton as we did for Raglan, we had only one short detour before we were on highway 23 driving to “Whatawhata” – yes that is its colourful name! From there we travelled south to Otorohanga, on route passing Welsh Street. First Bryant & now Welsh – thus covering off my parents family names! We drove through green picturesque scenery; rolling foothills, terraced hills etched into valleys, farmlands, beef & Holstein cattle, hillsides dotted with sheep, equestrian farms and giant ferns everywhere (10+ft) with broad Cleopatra-style fans.
Reading town’s exit sign “Farewells You” and repeating our mantra for safety “Wide Right, Tight Left!” we drove to Otorohanga. A town with giant-size statues of colourful Kiwi birds the national icon, a flash in time to Toronto’s Moose. We stopped at a pharmacy for lozenges where a helpful sales lady suggested Ruakuri Caves instead of Spellbound Tours for Waitomo. We booked a 2-hour tour for Ruakuri Cave which left within minutes of our arrival. Spellbound was only available after a 3-hour wait.
We were not disappointed – right choice! This cave was discovered 400-500 years ago by Maori hunters – or so the legend goes. The Maori considered the original cave entrance sacred so a man-made entrance is used; a spiral ramp with dim lights so your eyes can adjust to the darkness 75 metres below. The tour covered 2K of vast caverns, awesome limestone formations of stalactites and stalagmites, glowworms and fossilized seashells. Our guide, Zane, was an entertaining teacher of fact and folklore! For example, glowworms are actually fly larvae whose glow is provided by their excrement. The females glow brighter because they hold more ___.....according to Zane. We saw and heard screams from people black-water rafting in the underground rivers far below our walkway. We also heard mighty waterfalls only to learn they were actually quite narrow and shallow; the echo magnifies the rush of water! We walked through this cave where millions of years ago water flowed; careful not to touch the delicate formations and hoping we had captured on film some of the majestic surroundings. Well worth the visit! Google Ruakuri Cave tour!
From here we travelled back towards Otorohanga to an all-day breakfast place & veggie market. It was after 2pm & they had venison burgers on the menu ... how could one resist? Fresh vegetables loaded in the car we headed for home via alternate route hwy 3. This time we entered Hamilton’s south end; no detours! The return drive was through prosperous-looking farms: dairy, beef and horticulture. We drove through Te Awamutu the Rose capital of NZ. We didn’t stop at its Museum although we did see the Uenuku carvings, symbol of the local Maori tribe.
A full day and a good day! Kia Ora

Hamilton, Wed-Jan-13-2010

2010-01-12T23:26:00.005-05:00

Up early, the cleaning lady arrived at 8am. It looked like rain and it is quite windy; not Toronto weather but after the sun yesterday we are happy to have a cloudy day. Today the Christmas tree is taken down and the ornaments packed away for our hosts to discover next year. We were able to connect with Lauren (today) & Sydny (yesterday) via MSN. A nice connection with home! Thanks ladies... Today I have laryngitis; can’t write much ha! Not to mention how quiet it is for Tom!
Today I thought I would show you my picture of Bridal Veil Falls & keep it short!

Hamilton, Tue-Jan-12-2010

2010-01-12T21:27:00.005-05:00

Today we completed our first driving excursion, travelling a narrow, twisting highway with speeds posted at 100 K/H, uphill, down vale to Raglan 48 Km west of Hamilton; just to see the Ocean. I was too busy reminding Tom we were approaching sharp turns to close my eyes! Lots of one-way exit options but not the ones we would take willingly! It took us nearly an hour to exit Hamilton but that was the navigator’s fault (me!)! taking a little longer to recognize signs, landmarks and road markers! With hindsight we may have benefited from upgrading our GPS & bringing it along! Who knew the streets could be so confusing! We are not new to driving in unknown places/cities: Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Alps, etc. I managed to see Bryant Street; once would have been enough but by the 3rd time we knew we were driving in circles!

We were delighted to arrive in Raglan; a time-warped Bohemian seaside surfers’ paradise! Raglan is black sandy beaches (iron content), panoramic views of the Tasman Sea, swimmers/playing & surfers/riding the waves. What a time out! Raglan i-site supplied a town map with top things to do: leap off Te Kopua footbridge (literally); swim Ngarunui Beach, drive across the one-lane bridge to Manu Bay and Whale Bay to watch the surfers. We did a walk-a-bout to get our bearings then drove to Ngarunui Beach to enjoy our picnic lunch. It was a breathtaking view. See uploaded picture above or Google search Raglan NZ for videos/photos!

After lunch we hiked down to the beach to walk on the sand. Then drove along to Manu Bay to watch the surfers. A glorious way to spend an afternoon! Around 3:30 we decided to head back and stop at Bridal Veil Falls. A beautiful waterfall near the town of Te Mata in the Waikato district which we saw sign-posted on our drive to Raglan. We parked and walked a tree-canopied path alive with the ever-present fern leaves and bushes! There are no snakes in NZ – so I didn’t mind walking the path with sandals. A slow-moving river ran alongside the path, totally not preparing you to exit the path at the top of the falls and witness the water cascading over the edge into the pool 55 metres below. The area is well managed with great places to snap photos and see the rainbow of colour at the foot of the falls. The vegetation is lush and the colours of green varied – a magical place. Google Bridal Veil Falls NZ for videos/photos.

From there we headed back to Hamilton. The drive on the twisting roads seemed less daunting. We made it back without unplanned detours. A glass of local Chardonnay was a great reward once we got home. Sassy was pleased to see us; a little brushing was her reward!

Hamilton, NZ Mon-Jan-11-2010

2010-01-12T21:24:00.005-05:00

It rained steadily all night; no trouble hearing it on the tiled roof. By 9:30 we had arranged a car from Low Cost Rentals, which provides a pick-up/drop-off service. By 11:30 the father of the Owner/Operator arrived to get us and with notes from Google Maps to plot our route home, we were off. Our driver arrived from Hungary 50 years ago and entertained us with stories as we travelled back to sign the paperwork.

Tom drove back from the rental agency and I navigated; playing to our strengths! Six round-a-bouts but we did it! A few more times out and I'll be brave enough to drive! Relieved to arrive home without getting lost! After a quick lunch we grocery-shop in earnest. This time we found our way to the New World shopping centre with ease. We now have several local white wines chilling, fresh local fruits and vegetables.

We discovered a Cheese shop - old world smells and Dutch expertise. Hans has lived here for 23 years, a chef, baker and maker of cheese. After several taste tests, we brought home a few different kinds! We are now ready for our first picnic! Just like Spain, except the wine was more than 99 cents Euro.

Hamilton, NZ Sun-Jan-10-2010

2010-01-12T21:24:00.001-05:00

It was warmer this morning when we woke up after a second great night’s sleep. We still don’t have a car, quite content to enjoy the comforts of this home. We feel tired today; still getting over jetlag and perhaps relief from the stress of electing the Home Exchange route. We checked out local bus routes and relaxed on the patio in the sunshine. Sassy allowed me to brush her; by now the birds are nesting on a fur blanket!
For dinner we ordered-in. Little India delivered for $7 & we enjoyed Rogan Josh (lamb), Butter Chicken, basmati rice and naan. With delivery it cost 45 NZ$; less expensive than dining out. Less tasty than the Indian Kitchen in Thornhill – but still good food!
After dinner we settled in on the couches to watch TV and enjoy the Christmas tree lights. Sassy groomed; we are accepted a little more as caterers to her needs. By 11 pm we were falling asleep and ready for bed! We are sleeping well; so quiet, perfect for sleeping.

Hamilton, NZ Sat-Jan-9-2010

2010-01-09T18:14:00.003-05:00

An inviting sunrise and a hot air balloon floating along in the morning air thermals greet us this morning. Sassy is warming to us – I was able to eat my cereal while she ate her breakfast; then I’m certain she meow the word ‘out’ for me to open the door for her versus using her ‘pet door’. As the saying goes “loneliness may make strange bedfellows”!
We relax on the patio – tempered glass enclosure – with a view of Hamilton. The morning sun warms our bones and the glass breaks the chill in the wind. Before too long, we need our Tilley hats for shade! The task for today is to secure a rental car; while the transit system appears to be quite good, a car is really needed. After several hours – no car is booked but we are hopeful – tomorrow.
We need more groceries; with the help of Google Maps we plot a route to New World Shopping. It is 2.9K & 6 streets. The houses are all bungalows, tiled roofs, lawns with roses, lavender, hydrangeas, ferns and lilies everywhere. The street divide is a mass of colour. Plants in Canada, are trees here! The street names are Buckingham, Avalon, Thomas, etc. A heavy influence of Britain, a gentle reminder of our common ancestral roots!
Our big adventure was our hike to the grocery store and back. We took a knapsack; that + a couple of grocery bags we shared the return load. Notwithstanding the 6K walk in warm sunshine made us glad to make it back to a cool beer! Our meals have been lite cuisine: sandwiches, cheese & crackers, cereal and, of course, coffee with Baileys! Once we have a car we can shop for heavier items and a wider range of food selections – not to mention local wines! For now we rest & rejuvenate! Day 2 finds us early to bed & boy does the bed feel great!

Hamilton, NZ Fri-Jan-8- 2010

2010-01-09T16:23:00.007-05:00

We arrived at LAX shortly before 11:30 to learn AirNZ counter opened at 1pm. We knew we would be early, but! There was no place near our hotel we wished to have lunch; too tired and too little time for a quick tour of LA; our only option was to hang out at the airport. Front of the line check in and through security shortly after 1 pm. This time we had no problem with taking knapsacks onboard; the stuff other passengers carried through security was absolutely a joke! We had lunch at Route 66; shopped at Duty Free (2 litres of Baileys+ iPod/MP3 speakers for 34 USD–hope it travels well in my suitcase once we leave Hamilton!); we found a quite area on the 2nd level near the airline lounges, away from the hustle of the commuters & clean washrooms nearby. We took turns napping and before long it was time to board our flight.
The aircraft was a 747-400 double-decker series and we were seated in seats 63 G & H; 2 aisle seats & 5 rows from the rear of the plane. Close to the washrooms with a fully booked airplane! The crew were friendly and there were no delays. We were served a full course meal; complimentary bar service; personal entertainment system: movies, TV, games, radio, audio books; flight information. It was neat to watch the kilometres fly by as we cruised along at 864 KM/H -48⁰C outside and that by trips’ end we had travelled 10,555 KMs in 11 hours and 46 minutes - shaving a full hour from the scheduled flying time – landing in Auckland at 4:30 am Friday January 8th. None too soon with the quality of the stale air onboard!
We completed the New Zealand Passenger Arrival Card – penalties for the non supply of information ranged from denied permission to enter New Zealand through to heavy fines and/or imprisonment. My hiking boots and remedies supplements were declared as stated under “Biosecurity” notes; no problems there when they confirmed the boots were new / clean and the supplements were capsules / pill forms. We adhered to “Honesty is the best policy. If you are not sure – declare it!” Within an hour we were outside hooking up with our shuttle driver.
Three other passengers joined us: a college student from Spain arriving for a 3-month program to learn English; two young ladies returning from a vacation in the US. We had a middle-aged female driver who lives here in Hamilton, has 5 children and has never left the North Island of NZ. We learnt a lot from her as we chit-chatted along the journey. Once she knew we were doing a house exchange and scheduled to meet the owner’s daughter at 8:30 am; she dropped us last – giving us a chance to see Hamilton.
A couple was at the house, assumed correctly it was Ray’s brother Barry and his wife. Then Ashleigh drove up in her car! What a warm welcome to a new land! Barry said he comes by daily to water the grounds; a very friendly chat. Ashleigh, a beautiful young lady, introduced us to Sassy, the cat and gave us a tour of the home; a designer couldn’t stage better. Christmas tree was left up for us to enjoy; especially nice since we had no tree of our own this year.
Ashleigh gave us a ride to the New World grocery store; our 1st groceries. We had hoped to walk back: too tired, not sure we knew the streets; looked like rain and a local bus gave us an alternative. The bus driver was very helpful; we were not on her route. She offered us a free bus ride to a taxi stand.
The Taxi driver was confused - with the help of our map we navigated him back to our street. Granted a little round-a-bout and 26 NZ$ later – although he dropped the fare to $23 – still a bit of a rip! But we were home and we had food! Time for a snack and a nap! The next challenge was getting the internet to work. Ashleigh & Scotty came to our rescue. Using his laptop; we experimented until we got his to work. From there it was an easy step to get ours to work. Success!
After they left, we watch a little SKY satellite TV by 10pm we were ready to fall into the beautiful bed! Day 1 in NZ! Myth buster # 1: toilet flushes in what direction still needs confirmation!

Hamilton-NZ-Jan 8, 2010

2010-01-08T03:05:00.004-05:00

We are here - just sleeping for now! All first impressions are a strong positive! Will fill you in more tomorrow morning. Notice we skipped January 7!

LAX - January 6, 2010

2010-01-06T12:16:00.002-05:00

There is blue sky and sunshine outside; we have the window in our room opened to let in warm breezes! Tom is enjoying a morning coffee in bed and I've already been downstairs had my breakfast & read the newspaper. Saw the small bottom left paragraph of the Sport's section the results of the Hockey game "US Gold" - I guess if Canada had won it would have gone unreported!

We arrived at the airport at 4 pm for our 7:55 flight. Did you see us on CTV news - interviewed re new security measures?

We were no time at all getting through the first security and US customs; however the only carry-on permitted were a knapsack (if it had a laptop), meds, small purse & cameras. Tom was using a knapsack for his meds & camera and could not take onboard. His stuff was moved to my knapsack, since mine had the laptop. Then he had to pack his knapsack in the suitcase. Once we cleared the initial screening process; before we could enter the hallway to our gate, barriers were up, gender lines formed and very thorough pat downs were given!

We met a very nice couple during the process (they were interviewed as well by CTV) Tom & Marion Warne from Oakville. They were flying out of LA this morning at 7 am for Hawaii; no doubt they were extremely tired. They use "Vacation Rentals by Owners" for their 8 week stay; last year they did the same thing only for 6 weeks. It was good to have extra company! Our plane was delayed arriving from Montreal (the first 20 minute delay); then the plane had a mechanical issue (another 30 minute delay); decision to call up a new plane (another 30 minutes delay); finally around 9:30 pm boarding commenced. Then we waited onboard for catering to arrive -- around 11 pm we started the taxi down the runway -- with a minor wait for the snow plows to finish! When we finally arrived in LA (smooth flight) we had to wait for a gate - the plane passengers irrupted in snickers! 5 hour flight - 12 hours of commute! We finally made it to bed at the Comfort Inn at 2:30 am or 5:30 am (Toronto time).

But we made it - safe and happy! Now we can rest until noon before we begin the journey back to the airport. At least we have free internet here at the hotel! Now I must check on our NZ flight!

Trip Itinerary

2009-11-29T13:24:00.000-05:00

Adding our trip itinerary as a test to update the blog -
Flights:
Tue 05-Jan-10 @ 19:55 arrival 22:28 flight AC795 Toronto(YYZ) to Los Angeles (LAX)
Overnight at a local hotel -
Wed 06-Jan @ 7:30 pm arr Friday 08-Jan @ 5:25 am Auckland, New Zealand (12hrs&55min)
Sat 13-Feb @ 9:00 am dep Auckland arr Sydney, Australia @ 10:30 am (3hrs & 30 mins)
Fri 09-Apr @ 12:25 pm dep Brisbane arr Auckland, NZ @ 5:25 pm (3 hours)
Fri 09-Apr @ 7:15 pm dep Auckland arr Los Angeles @ 12:15 pm (12 hours)
Overnight at a local hotel -
Sat 10-Apr @ 8:00 arrival 15:36 flight AC788 Los Angeles (LAX) to Toronto(YYZ)

Our tourist visas to Australia are approved and Home Link exchanges confirmed!