New Zealand heading North: Oceans, Hobbits and Fellowship

NZ #2 Highlight Album
Video clips

Mt Cook on the way North

Our three weeks in New Zealand after the Milford Track was spent going all the way from the SW of the south island to the NE of the North Island, contributing significantly to the 7000km we drove during our time in the country. We backtracked up through Queenstown and past stunning Mt. Cook for a stop in Christchurch, where we visited the Earthquake Center and learned about the devastating quake that pretty much leveled the city center in February 2011.  This is a town in which the locals are able to judge the magnitude of earthquakes by feel (as in “that was a 4.5”).  Hats off to this plucky town whose downtown is now filled with colorful shops inside of shipping containers, as they rebuild while bracing themselves for the next quake—including a scary one on this Valentine’s day that measured 5.7 on the Richter scale.

Dinner! 

Next we stopped at Kaikura, a gorgeous seaside town where we had a chance to see baby seals swimming in a forest river, eat mussels (that Xander loved-  see video) and go ocean fishing, where every time we put the line in we came up with something-  Xander caught a barracuda, Jim got a dog shark and I caught a 5 foot blue shark (!).  We also got lobsters and had a really yummy “catch and cook” dinner that night.  The next day we went swimming with wild dolphins (see video) —one of the most amazing experiences of the trip so far.  They drop you into the open ocean (luckily the shark didn’t hold a grudge) and tell you to make funny sounds to attract the hundreds of dolphins (but probably to amuse the tour operators).  Next thing you know there’s 10 Dusky Dolphins literally and figuratively swimming in circles around you.  Wow.

Larger than life Galipoli sculpture

Weta workshop

After a beautiful ferry trip through the Cook Straight (the boys watched “Heart of the Sea” on the journey and said it felt like 4D with the rocking) we made it to the bustling New Zealand capital of Wellington. After so long on the South Island, being surrounded by more people than sheep was a bit of a shock.  We toured the Weta Workshop, of Peter Jackson and Lord of the Rings fame, and were amazed at the detail that goes into developing movie props.  We also toured the set of the “Thunderbirds are Go” (unknown cartoon in the US but really popular in the UK/NZ) that contained intricate “maxitures” (big miniatures) that on closer inspection were comprised of everything from repurposed vacuum parts to computer motherboards.  The next day we went to the incredible Te Pa Pa museum and saw the WWI exhibit on Gallipoli.  The exhibit contained several larger than life “sculptures” created by the weta workshop of soldiers that looked like they could step off their platforms—all the way down to the scrapes on their knees and hair on their hands.  It was unbelievable. One sculpture was of a soldier that was so sick and exhausted he fell asleep while on watch.  He was going to be executed for dereliction of duty but was pardoned at the last minute—only to die in the campaign a few days later.    Even more poignant than the sculptures was learning that New Zealand experienced a 93% casualty (killed or injured) rate at Gallipoli.  Even Liam commented that the exhibit “is powerful.”

At the Shire

Next it was up through trout/volcano country to the waitomo region where we had the pleasure of staying with the first of several Rotary hosts.  After several long travel days, being greeted by a new friend and a wonderful home cooked meal was heaven.  I even had the opportunity to play piano duets with our host Laurel.  The next day we went on a “black water rafting” adventure through the Waitomo glowworm caves—also a trip highlight.  Floating down the pitch black cave in inner tubes gazing up at the constellations of thousands of glowworms while listing to our guide singing Maori songs was enchanting—until he smacked the water and shouted “moo” and scared us all to death (sometimes cows fall into the caves).  Next it was off to Hobbiton- the shire movie set, which was incredibly commercialized (hats off to the farmer) but still exceedingly charming.  We watched all of the “LOTR” movies while in New Zealand, and it was fun to walk in the footsteps of Bilbo, Frodo and Gandalf at Bag End.

Hot Water Beach

We spent the next several days in the “bach” (i.e., holiday home, pronounced like “batch”) of Rotarians Rob and Robbie on a lake outside of the geothermal “hotspot” of Rotarua.  We got the chance to meet Rob and Robbie in Auckland and loved hearing about their exploits from around the world including Lake Powell and other adventures.  The kids went zorbing (rolled down the hill in a giant gerbil ball- see video), swam in hot springs, attended a Maori huka feast where the boys learned how to perform a haka (see video) and went mountain bike riding through a redwood forest.  Liam’s highlight was kayaking across the lake in a tiny “weenie wave” kayak that Xander was too big for.  I don’t know what he enjoyed more—the independence, or the name of the kayak.  My highlight was that he didn’t capsize.

Next we headed up to Kae and Ivan’s beach house in Whitianga on the Coromandel Peninsula on the far NE of the North Island.  The best thing about the beach house was that Ivan and Kae came with us.  We loved hanging out with them as they helped us to discover their piece of paradise on the runabout (which we found out was a boat) that Ivan intrepidly let Liam and Xander drive and going on “tiki tours”  around the area to places like Hot Water Beach where we could dig into the sand and create our very own geothermal pool, introducing the kids to their first boogie board experiences and bringing us to a yummy ice cream shop that had servings so big liam couldn’t even finish (although Xander did).  Plus they taught us kiwi slang like “sweet as, bro” (awesome), “pack a sad” (be grumpy), “wot wots” (in the boonies) and “sparrows fart” (really early).  Finally, we made our way to Auckland, where we were generously hosted with Steph and Murray, who let the kids loose on their grandkids legos, showed us around the gorgeous north shore and took us to Muriwai to see the incredible onshore gannet colony on the west coast.

New Zealand couldn’t have been more “sweet as, bro”-- the scenery and adventure were only outdone by the friendly kiwis and their extrondinary hospitality.  Climbing mountains and swimming with dolphins will be experiences the kids will hopefully remember, but more importantly I hope they will internalize how the kindness of strangers transformed them into friends.

Senses
Xander: The truly dusky Dusky dolphins circling around me in the hazy seawater off the coast in kiakura; The sense of gloom and dread washing over me as we learn about the battle for Gallipoli in WWI that cost 93% of New Zealand’s troops; the greenish clear water quickly rising as the dam lets loose a torrent of water to crash over the highest of the rocks into the lower river of the aratiatia rapids in Taupo; the pitch black cave brightening as we get closer to another amazing view of the lush humid gorge through the old mine tunnel window; the glass-like water sparkling as I get pulled and pushed by endless waves into cathedral cove

Carolyn: The big round eyes of the seal pup shining up at us as it clumsily makes its way down the forest river back to the ocean; The shocking sight of the huge, muscular eel  dragged up from the depths with the crayfish pot on our fishing charter wiggling across the deck before making its way back out to sea through a hole in the boat stern; The sound of the Maori chant reverberating off the cave walls as we float silently down the black water river in inner tube gazing at the sparkling constellations of glowworms far above on the cave ceilings; The hair blowing and sweat glistening on the larger than life soldiers in the WWI exhibit, personalizing the grit, heat and futility of Gallipoli; The squawks and caws of the hundreds of gannets on the Muriwai colony as they stretch and flap their wings getting up the gumption to soar off the cliff.

Liam: the hundreds of seals spread about the Rocks doing their daily sealy business as I stand above them to watch; the wriggling and slapping of the prawn as I slowly pull it out of the hot geothermal prawn pond for the only victorious catch of the day at the Huka Prawn park; the old concrete military barracks, tunnels and windows painting a picture in my mind of a refuge city for the zombie apocalypse; the golden rays of sunshine poking out of the clouds creating a golden hue on the still ocean water above the small picturesque mercury bay islands

Jim: My snorkel muffled screeches turning to laughter as a group of five dolphins swim right under me to investigate; the industrial grey spaceship of the evil Hood set from Thunderbirds are Go put together from bits and parts of computers, water bottles, model frames and other "junk"; our philosopher guide instructing me to jump backwards off the first waterfall and following his instructions to result in a refreshing splash under a constellation of glowworms in the waitomo cave; the delicious taste of expresso coffee in the wonderfully relaxing bach overlooking the crystal blue waters of Lake Okareka