Horse trekking

Houdini and I at the end of our ride together.




Splashing around in the waves.

Our guide.

Today is my last full day in New Zealand. The last activity on my list was to go Horse Trekking through rain forest and along the beach. This trip did not let me down.

Brilynn - the last time I have been riding was way back in high school with you. And boy have I forgotten how sore it can leave you. Regardless, I tried to remember everything you taught me and jump in and have a good time.

My horse Houdini was a bit of a stinker. He would walk slowly and fall behind, then out of nowhere decide to trott. Needless to say I trotted a lot. By the middle of the 2 hour trekk I had the hang of it though and was able to keep from bouncing around in my saddle. On the return trip though, something spooked all the horses and Houdini went from standing still to jumping in the air and taking off in a full gallop in a split second. It was all I could do to hold on and get him stopped a couple hundred yards away. His speed spooked me!

All in all this is certainly a fun way to explore the rainforest and trails off the coast. What a great last day in New Zealand.

Exploring the "real far North"

Furthest point North where Maori spirits are said to leave earth and fly to heaven when someone dies.




At the north lookout. Fun to see which direction I'll be heading home in.

Great view of the ocean below.

Today we got up and took a windy drive to 90 mile beach and ultimately the cape on the northern most point of the north island. This point is important for two reasons. First this is where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean join.

Secondly, in Maori culture when a person dies, their spirit flies to this point, then leaves earth for Heaven (Hawaki sp?) On this point, there is a tree that grows, clinging to the side of the rocks that has been there for generations. The roots of this trees form stair steps that the spirits use to fly off to heaven from. Scientists say that based on the type of tree this is, and it's location with wind, salt water, the beating surve and no ground for it to grow... that this tree should not be able to survive. And yet, this single tree flourishes.

Paihia (pronounced Pie-Here)

Pulling the rigging to lift the sails

The weather in Paihia has been windy and overcast and really a bit chilly this morning. However this didn't deter me from another attempt at swimming with the dolphins. I'm hooked on this experience! I joined a tour on a sail boat that took us into the Bay of Islands for a full day of swimming, snorkling and hiking on the largest island in the bay. The weather didn't participate all morning. It was very breezy, cold and raining. Only two brave folks snorkled and a few hiked. It was a lot like being at the Oregon beach, except the water is much blue-er and not bitter cold. After our stopover at the island we had a BBQ lunch on the boat before slowly making our way back.

On the return trip the weather broke, sun came out to play and so did a pot of bottle nose dolphins. They had a baby with them so we were unable to swim, but boy did they put on a show for us. Swimming right up to the boat and jumping and diving. I love these creatures and can't get enough of them!

Taller than Niagra Falls

Looking over the edge of the falls at the pool below




Bridal Veil Falls

One of Raglan's other best known features is Bridal Veil Falls, said to be taller than Niagra Falls. The area of the falls was so lush and green, and the falls itself was absolutely majestic!

After hiking the falls, we drove four hours past Auckland to start our exploration of the northern most part of the North Island. This stretch is supposed to be best known for its beaches. Four hours on the dot we settled into a small quiet beach town called Paihia.

Black sand beaches...

Black sand along the beach of Raglan




This photo doesn't do the sand justice, but it really is smooth, black sand.

After leaving Hahei we chose to take the scenic drive out and around the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula. Although a beautiful coastal drive, we had to climb several mountains to cross it. This meant many tight turns, almost like a corkscrew. We didn't reach speeds over 30 k/hr until the last third of the drive. Needless to say, much of our day was spent driving.

Our destination today was Raglan, known for it's black sand beaches. Yep, the sand was certainly black here and said to be magnetic. I almost expected the sand to be more of a gravel texture, but it was as fine as any other sand and had a metalic sheen. So very interesting!

Cathedral Cove

The cove of Cathedral Cove.




Scenery from the 45 minute hike down to the water.

Me

Before leaving Hahei this morning we got up and hiked down to Cathedral Cove - another beautiful hidden beach.

Hot Water Beach

Me standing in a self made hot tub (hole) on the beach.

One of the holes dug by someone else.

Hot water beach is a small beach in the middle of nowhere, known for having hot water under the sand. Two hours before and after low tide you can dig a hole in the sand which will fill with warm ocean water - anywhere up to 149 degress ferenheit. Is this a myth or real? S. and I were on a mission to find out!

After checking into our nearby hostel in the small town of Hahei, we were told low tide was t 10:50pm and that tonight would be a great night to "dig our own hot tubs" and watch the stars. We had only planned to stay in this small town for one night and had worried the low tide wouldn't cooperate with our travel plans so this was perfect.

After dinner S. and I drove a short distance to "hot water beach". Armed with the free shovel our hostel had provided we clammored out to the beach unsure of how to do this. We dug a small hold which quickly filled with cold water. We shook our heads wondering if this was a myth. Moments later I noticed camera flashes in the distance and insisted we wade across the small stream emptying into the ocean to go over and check it out. I was not disappointed!

A short distance away the beach was littered with hot tubs dug by others, only a few still occupied. I tested several, each it's own temperature. Much to my amazement, there were several that were too hot for me to stand in. There were even small stretches of undug beach/sand that were much too hot to walk across. Keep in mind it's pitch black outside and remembering where cold sand vs hot sand is located is difficult! :)

We spent maybe 45 minutes splashing around in several of the pre-dug holes, then hot-skipped back across the hot sand to the car. We did so just in time, as it had gotten even darker in the short amount of time we'd been there. Finding the car in the dark proved quite a challeng. All in all, hot water beach was well worth the pit stop on our trip!

Sea World doesn't hold a candle...

Got my wet suit on, and I'm ready to swim.

Dolphins swam right up under our boat.

They did jumps and tricks for us, and responded to our whistles and clicks.

One of our main reasons for heading to Touranga was to catch a highly recommended dolphin swimming tour. This husband and wife team takes small groups of folks out into the ocean looking for pods of dolphins. As long as there are no babies nursing, you're allowed to snorkle in the water and swim with the dolphins. Today I swam so close to many (many!) bottlenose dolphins that I could have leaned over and kissed one and reached out and touched many more. They were so curious! As long as you didn't splash and made clicking or whistling noises they'd come over to check you out. Oh how I wish I'd had an underwater camera!

These dolphins were bigger than any i've ever seen! Easily eight feet long and big enough around I wouldn't have been able to hug one. Such beautiful creatures. And what a special treat to be able to swim along side them in the wild. What a truly amazing experience!!

Road trip to Tauranga

Mmm... 

Tauranga beach

I love the beach!

Thursday morning we left Rotorua and headed for Tauranga, a city along the "Bay of Plenty" with great beaches, a mountain to climb and plenty of activities.  After a 45 minute scenic walk around the base of the mountain, S. headed for a hike to the top and I went looking for a nice spot out of the wind to lay down my beach towel in the sand and read.  Such a nice, relaxing afternoon!

A Maori Evening: the Hangi (feast)

Mitai tribal village

Traditional war party

After a full day of sightseeing we had booked a Maori cultural excursion for the evening.  This was one of the most amazing displays of tribal culture I've ever seen.  We were picked up and taken to the grounds where the Mitai family lives.  There we hiked through lush forest owned by the Mitai tribe, saw the warriors paddle their canoe and watched an amazing show of tribal life.  My words can't begin to describe what we saw.  I'll have to show each of you videos when I return.  The best part?  These were not actors.  Every participant was a part of the Mitai family tribe and showed great pride in sharing their history with us.  The evening ended with dinner then a night hike (with torches!) over to the Kiwi reserve next door.

Thar she blows...

After a relaxing morning at the spa, I joined S. for a geyser tour at Te Puia.  Here we saw more boiling mud pools, a Kiwi (bird) house and the most famous geyser "Pohutu".  Pohutu blew while we were there for over 25 minutes before resting.

Interesting fun fact:  The Maori language is made up of only 13 letters, 5 of them vowels.  It's so beautiful to hear it spoken fluently, but terribly difficult for me to try and repeat.  I am constantly butchering city and park names.

Can you pronounce this?  Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve?

Does anybody recognize this guy?

S. noticed this man with a camera crew at his heels while we began to tour Te Puia, a geyser park.  S. thinks he hosts a show on the Sci-fi or Science channel called "Monster Hunt" or something like that.  Anybody recognize him?

Making mud pies...

This morning I woke up in Rotorua, a town inland known for its displays of Maori culture and geothermal activity.  Today I've booked an appointment to tour "Hells Gate" the only geothermal pools still owned by the Maori tribe.  

My day starts with an amazing walking tour of many bubbling pools of all temperatures.  Some thick with bubbles and the smell of sulfer.  Others past the boiling point from natural geothermic activity.  Each pool contains mud rich in minerals and sulfer, known to have sacred healing qualities.  This very mud is used in the Hells Gate Spa area.

After my 45 minute walking tour of the pools, I enjoyed a long private mud bath and soak in a sulfer pool.  A mud bath is every kid's dream! 

It's called "Black Magic"...

After grabbing our wheels this morning we headed south to the Waitomo Caves. This is a series of caves to explor - the big draw being the glow worms.

There are a wide variety of tours to choose from here. Walking tours, rafting tours, absailing and more. S. chose a walkint tour of a couple caves and a chance to check out the glow worms. I chose the "Black Magic" tour, where I was guaranteed to get wet! Wearing a wetsuit, rubber boots, and helmet with a light on top, I rafted down rivers inside the dark cave, jumped off a waterfall, swam and checked out the glow worms. Being cold and wet has never been so much fun! It was an amazing experience to be rafting and swimming deep down in the depths of the caves.

Photos to come...

Stay left!!

This morning we were up and out by 7am to pick up our rental car. A quick taxi ride and our vessel of freedom was ready to roll. S. tossed me the keys and we easily navigated our way out of Auckland.

Driving on the left hasn't been difficult but does take some direct attention until you get going. I have to focus on which lane to turn into and which direction to look for oncoming traffic. But once on the road we have settled in pretty easily - city driving and all.

We think we have a plan

Over the last 24 hours we've both had a turn at being frustrated over our decision not to plan. We have a monster sized list of fun things to explore and do, and unfortunately not enough time to do them all in. After much hemming and hawwing, strategizing and re-strategizing we think we may have a grasp on which direction to head out in first. So far we have made arrangements to rent a car tomorrow morning, booked a place to stay for the next two nichgs and reserved tickets to a "cultural excursion". Now it's time to go play!

Today we decided to go find a beach to spend the day at. We hopped a ferry to a nearby island called Waiheki. Paradise. This is how we both had pictured New Zealand. Clear turqoise water, a tropical feel, a bay full of sailboats and long white sandy beaches. Upon arrival we chose to forgo the island's public busses and tour groups for a quiet 30 minute hike through an overgrown path to the nearest beach. We've spent the afternoon lounging around the beach and checking out local tourist shops.

The weather here is warm in the sun, but a bit breezy overall. Not quite warm enough for swimming, but perfect for a long nap in the sun! Later we headed back to Auckland and found dinner in a local pub. Auckland has been fun, but very touristy and "city-like". A good place to start our trip, but not a place we care to stay for long.

Me standing in front of the harbor.

Part of the path we hiked to the beach.

My stretch of beach.

What my life would be like if I were a seashell.

i've been cheated out of 1 vacation day...

... by the international date line.

I have arrived in Auckland, New Zealand. We touched down bright and early at 5:30am Sunday morning (that's 8:30am Saturday morning for all you friends). I managed to sleep about 5-6 hours on the flight, so transitioning to NZ time hasn't been a problem. After we easily navigated our way out of the airport and caught a taxi to our hotel we have spent all day exploring Auckland.

First stop was the harbor/water front area to check out all the sail boats. We walked over just in time to see a very (very!) large princess cruise liner carefully come to shore. Then we set off walking down a main street here in central Auckland where we found a small cafe to have breakfast. The rest of our day has been spent wandering the streets. We left our luggage at our hotel, but can't officially check in until closer to 2pm.

The rest of the evening will be spent trying to plan the rest of our trip. We know we'll be in Auckland all day tomorrow, but after that... we have no idea yet! Just the way we planned... :)

thanksgiving 2008 in the big apple

This year the four of us decided to invade brother J's place in NY for Thanksgiving. Subways, bright lights, utz, soap pump basted turkey and two buck chuck made for a delightful holiday.

Catchin' the subway...

Bright city lights...

When in Rome (or this case little Italy)...

Check out more NY pix at: Flickr.com

italy photos

Hi all,

I've finally gotten around to sifting through all my Italy photos. I've posted them on Flickr.com for all of you to see. They're not well annotated, so if you want the story line we'll have to meet up so I can give you a tour. But for a quick pass on what we saw, feel free to take a look!

Italy Photos on Flickr.com

ever wondered...

... what a liter of wine looks like? Wonder no more! Sister D and I have been on the investigative scene! After this investigation... Florence was much easier going.