'Home Sweet Home'

At the beginning of the trip, I was thinking that travelling the way we were for 5 months, surly Delia and I would experience changes and things at home would change. Not sure in what way I was thinking or necessarily that it would be bad or good, but just changes. Everything that we saw, things that we did & people that we met; how could we not change? .......

But to tell you the truth - everything seems the exact same as when we left. And for me that's not a bad thing. Delia & I are so lucky to have what we have & most important our friends and family. I'm glad that things are the same - I'm happy.

I still want to be a better person, daughter, sister, partner & friend, but I've always wanted that!

I will never forget this incredible journey, but it would not be possible or mean quite as much, if it were not for our absolutely amazing friends and family -I'm happy to be 'Home Sweet Home'!

December 6, 2009 to May 12, 2010.......3 continents.......6 countries.....can't wait to do our next adventure.......to be continued!

"Own only what you can carry with you; know language, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag." Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

....Back on Home Soil........

I have to admit, when you have been travelling for 5 months, it is really hard to be 'normal' around your friends and family again. People for the most part want to know if you had a good time, but they are not going to want to hear all the stories that you want to tell. They are going to want to know how it felt to be at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and what the Great Barrier Reef was like. They may even want to know about the people we met in Africa, Australia and NZ, but they are not really going to want to know how we felt on day 3 of climbing up Mt Kilimanjaro or that I was laughing my pants off at 3am in the morning in the privy tent because in the middle of peeing into a bucket, looking up at the stars I fell over, or the 'aha moment I had in Tasmania when I was wading in freezing cold water to cool off, or the incredible moment that we had on the MacKinnon Pass on the Milford Trek. .......And you know what.....we don't blame them. But the issue is that for the first few days, weeks maybe even months after your trip, we care about how we felt on day 3, etc. and we want people to care because we want to tell it, as these moments were just as memorable as it was at the top of the mountain. So, visiting friends and family in Victoria, BC was awesome, but also very hard. As much as we were bursting at the seams to tell every little story of our trip, we had to remember that there is a point of saturation....and it is alot sooner then one thinks!

Despite those feelings that popped up once in awhile, we did have a great time. During our visit with Delia's brother; Jason, his wife; Shannon and our niece and nephew; Charlotte and Jeremy we had a blast! We hung out with the kids and watched Jeremy play baseball for the first time which was really fun. Charlotte kept score and made announcements and the rest of us acted like idiots cheering. Jeremy got an RBI a walk and the team won - sweet as! We saw some of our friends in the area and generally had an awesome time. We went to visit Delia's Aunt Hilda who is 96 years old and still living on her own - amazing!

After 8 days in Victoria, BC we headed to Calgary, Alberta to again visit with friends and family. My friend; Sandra from university picked us up from the airport and we spent a few days with her, her husband; Darragh and their two wonderful children; Jason and Shannon. Sandra took Delia and I to Banff & Lake Louise. This is the first time Delia and been there and for me, it was kinda' neat to see the area with snow and to see the lake frozen. Besides, can anyone ever get tired of seeing the rockies and glacier lakes...????...not me!

After the visit with Sandra's family, Delia and I had a bit of a surprise. Before I tell the story, I want to set it up a bit. A few days prior to arriving in Calgary, I phoned my Mom to say hello and give her an update. As our trip was coming to an end and we have been away for 5 months, I knew that she was going to want to see us; sooner than later. I just wanted to warn her that it might not be right when we get home. During this conversation she was very calm and understanding and said things like, "Oh that's okay. You and Delia just get settled in and we will see you when you can." Now, for those that don't know my mother, this was very strange. If she had it her way she would see all her kids and grandchildren ALL the time! Now, I did give it a second thought, but chalked it up to her great understanding of the situation........WRONG!!!

Now, here is the story.....

Instead of heading to Olds, Alberta where my sister; Lynn and her partner Jim live, Lynn asked us to meet them at her friend's cabin in Fairmount, B.C. This is about a 3 hr drive from Calgary, if I remember correctly. This was a great surprise in itself as when I say cabin - think large log home in the mountains on the Columbia Lake which is the headwaters for the Columbia River...yes, that sweet! But once we arrived at the cabin and walked onto the deck of the cabin...out walks my Mom and Dad!!! My Mom and Dad wanted to see Lyn and Jim's new house in Olds, Alberta, so they thought they would combine a visit with them and surprise Delia and I with a visit out in west on our trip home. As much as I love travelling, and oh man do I love travelling, seeing family, especially your Mom and Dad after 5 months of travelling would leave anyone choked up. My family is everything to me and knowing they were there at home made my travels even more special. We had my Mom and Dad there, but also met Lynn's great friend; Corinne and her daughter; Bailey and of course had Lynn, Jim and their sweet dog; Zoe. A great crowd! We played games and went for some incredible walks and on the last day, Corinne took Delia and I out on the kayaks on the Columbia Lake. Although it was a little cool it was awesome! We had the mountains in the background and saw Bald Eagles, Osprey, Great Blue Herons and several different types of ducks. And even cooler then that was we saw all their babies!!!

Even though when you are on a trip like this, you try not to think of the end, but as it draws closer, it is hard not to. So as we were paddling in the kayak, on the lake, with the mountains in the background, with the absence of all sound except for nature in its purest form, the whole trip went through my mind and all I could think of was, "WOW"! And as I watched the Bald Eagles soar overhead with their babies in my homeland......I was reminded how sweet it was to have a place that you can call home and how truly amazing we have it here in Canada. I closed my eyes for a moment and pledged that I would forever enjoy every second of every journey in life!

With one leg left in our trip and that was to our front door, I will end with this blog with a saying that my friend; Sandra's son wrote for school in Japanese......

"Ima wa sekai ga marukiri jinuriai chisasugiru" - "The world is too small for us all not to get along"

The more we travelled, the smaller the world seemed to get.....and that is a good thing!

San Fran Baby.......

Okay, as sad as we were to leave NZ, we have to give San Francisco it's due. It is beautiful. People are friendly, easy going, happy, laid back and very accepting of everyone from all walks of life! It took us a day or so to get over our mini depression. I mean arriving in a big city (okay, okay, okay, it is not LA or anything, but compared to NZ, it is a big city), in a cab after being in NZ for 2 1/2 months; you have to admit, it would have been a bit of a shock - so don't judge us for being a bit down in the dumps the first day - even though we were still on our trip of a life time and we were in California! We were not ungrateful, just a bit shell shocked that's all. Our plans in San Fran were to stay 1 night in the Hostel and then meet our friends Anita and Kathy on the evening of April 14th. They were staying in San Fran until April 19th. Our friends Gitte and Mina were meeting us on April 18th and staying until the 24th. Meeting our friends in San Fran was awesome and made our transition back into North America much, much easier. Delia and I would still have from April 24th to the 27th in California before we headed to Victoria, BC to visit family and friends.

So lets start at the beginning shall we....? We walked around town and went for Italian on Columbus St. - this was the place to go if you wanted good Italian food apparently. I don't know about the area or other restaurants, but this restaurant was good. We stayed down at the Fisherman's Wharf when we were at the Hostel and when we stayed with our friends at the Argonaut Hotel. It is actually a great place to be - easy access to tons of shopping, eating, Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge and easy access to trolleys and buses to get around to other places in San Francisco. The first day when we were walking around, we saw Alcatraz from the shore and the Golden Gate Bridge - both very cool to see. I also saw some triathletes training in the water as the Escape from Alcatraz race was coming up soon. Made me a bit envious, but I certainly was in no shape to race that's for sure!!! The 2 days gave us some time to catch up on things that we hadn't done for awhile, like....I don't know....like a hair cut =) Delia researched and we ended up going to a place that was not too fancy, but I wasn't going to go for a $10 cut either! Nothing special, but it got the job done and it felt sooooo good! It is funny how something so small can make such a difference in the way that you feel about yourself. The whole experience was pretty uneventful, but Delia was her usual self so we had our funny moments. As we were leaving the receptionist asked if we left anything in the closet and Delia replied, "Not since 14 darling"! Okay, maybe you had to be there, but the receptionist who was trying desperately to remain professional and maintain her composure; laughed so hard that she snorted!

The other thing that we needed were dress/casual clothes. Even though we were not going to be doing anything too fancy, we thought we needed something other than hiking gear. I absolutely hate shopping, and to shop for dress clothes is even worse! As I was finishing getting my hair done (I took longer than Delia - no kidding!), Delia went out and scoped out some spots to go. She found a thrift store so I bought some pants and capris - can't remember if Delia bought anything or not. As we were walking home we saw the Patagonia Store.....Okay, I LOVE that kind of shopping. I went from pouting to being excited...pathetic, but true (yes, I am 12). I bought long shorts and a shirt and loved them! Again, I don't think Delia got anything.....it's all about me you know...again, pathetic! As you can see, we really are not city people - the stories are pretty lame! Thank goodness for friends that's all I can say!

The next day we were meeting Anita and Kathy. We ate breakfast at the hostel packed up and got ready to move up and out! We moved from the Hostel to the Argonaut Hotel and walked around some more. There was a Wine Room right beside the hotel, so we went there to taste some wine and get some advice on where the best wineries were; Sonoma, Napa Valley and/or Russian River. We actually got the best advice from a girl; Ali, at a place called the California's Wine Tasting. A very relaxing day and then just waited for Kathy and Anita to arrive. Even though they arrived late, there was always time for some wine, cheese, crackers and a chat amongst friends......it has been 4 months since we have seen them....absolutely crazy how fast time goes.

For the 6 days that Kathy and Anita were there; and technically 4 as they arrived late and then left early, we sure packed alot in! We took the trolley ( a must in San Fran), went to the Castro, the Museum of Modern Art, saw the show "Beach Blanket Babylon" (very funny!)....and that was only day 1. The next day we rented a convertible and headed to the wineries; Napa/Sonoma/Russian River. We stopped first at J. Winery for some sparkling wine then over to Unti. We didn't know, but you needed an appt and it was very crowded so they could not fit us in. George; the owner (did not know this at the time), took us aside and ask if we could come back at 4:30pm. We liked him instantly and of course agreed. He gave us another name of a winery (Ridge Lytton Springs) and were back by 4:30pm. When we got back to Unti, everyone had left and there was just George and Alex. Turned out that they were actually closed at 4:30pm, but stayed open for us. And they didn't just "tolerate" us, they entertained us and gave us healthy servings of their wine. George was so proud of his wine and vineyard; it was a pleasure to listen to him. Sure you will always get your pretentious type vineyards, but you will also always find the ones that truly do it for the passion of it....and that was George! George gave us an ideal recommendation for dinner in a small town not too far away called Hearldsburg at Diavola. It was relaxing and fun, not to mention the good food and wine.

We finished our visit in San Fran with Anita and Kathy by cycling the Golden Gate Bridge through Sausalito to Tiburon, where we had a drink and a bit to eat at the harbour front restaurant and then hopped on the ferry back to Fisherman's Wharf....cycling in sytle! That afternoon we met Gitte and Mina and we all had dinner together at the "Catch" in the Castro. We said our goodbyes to Anita and Kathy the next morning and then started our second journey in San Fran with Gitte and Mina.

It started off with the usual shopping, trolley ride and Castro visit. Although we have been there before, there are always new things to see. We had lunch at Harvey's (named after Harvey Milk - not the fast food joint) and found his old photography shop where he did his campaigning from - a really neat feeling to be there. The store still had Harvey Milk's sign up on the wall. From there we headed to Golden Gate Park and walked around then went home and relaxed with wine and cheese.

The next day was filled with more eating and relaxing. Mina had a friend that has been to San Fran several times and told her of a place that served more than 250 types of tequila. Not knowing what the name of the restaurant and no one being able to help us, and the fact that we did not feel like travelling very far, we settled to go to a Mexican restaurant right beside our hotel; Las Margaritas.......hmmmmm......ya' think that would have been a wee bit of a hint of a possible place to check...????!!!! Turns out that this MEXICAN restaurant called LAS MARGARITAS was the place.....wow, that was a shocker! Often times, when you are travelling you feel that it is okay to shut the 'ole brain off. Anyways, great restaurant and alot of fun. The servers actually knew the friends of Mina's. A few cool tequila shots later, we had a picture with our sombreros on and stumbled home. The next day we took the ferry across to Alcatraz and took the tour. It was misty which was very appropriate for the scenery. We were pleasantly surprised at how cool the tour was - lots of history there that's for sure!

As much as Delia and I love to do the tourist thing in the city...and San Fran is very cool, the thrill is not even comparable to the country. This is why the second half of our trip was more memorable for me and personally left me wanting more. We rented a Mustang convertible for 2 days that we later confirmed; after much debate, was definitely 'smurf blue'!!! We drove to Russian River, Sonoma and a Napa to do another round of wine tasting. We went to Pride Mountain on a recommendation and was outstanding - beautiful scenery, nice wine and very friendly people. The next day we took a drive along the coast down to Big Sur through Monteray Bay and Santa Cruz. Okay, I know Delia and I saw hundreds of coastlines by this time, but we never get sick of it. It is a rough coast and does not entice the urge to swim, but it is beautiful to look at and the powerful sound of the surf is something that is so ironically calming.

This ended our stay with our friends in the Fisherman's Wharf part of San Francisco. Gitte & Mina went home and we rented a car and headed for Yosemite National Park for a few days. It ended up being National Park week and so our entrance fee was free. We stayed in a place called Yosemite View Lodge that was located just outside the park. With the spring melt the falls & rivers wer in full force; beautiful and powerful. Yosemite is a huge park; can't remember the exact size, but think Algonquin, Banff, Jasper...you get the idea, so we were unable to hike everything (hence my previous statement about California, about it leaving me wanting more)! We hiked around Mirror Lake, hiked up to Bridalveil Falls & drove to the Tunnel View to see El Capitan, Full Dome, 1/2 Dome, Cathedral and Bridalview Falls. We had perfect weather which doesn't make for the best pictures , but it makes it great for walking around. In the afternoon we hiked through the Maroposa Grove to see the big red woods - incredible. The trees are enormous, but are very fragile as their root systems are so close to the surface. We saw the '3 sisters', 'the bachelor' and the oldest tree; the 'Grizzly Giant'. In order to record it's exact age, one would have to cut is down and count the rings - so the approximate age of the tree is 2700 years old! Going through Yosemite was our first sight of snow since last winter!

Yosemite was our last hurra' in California. It is a popular park and is a bit more crowded then we like (even though it is off season), but tourist attractions are tourist attractions for a reason. I wouldn't have wanted to miss it and would love to go back and climb the 1/2 dome!

Our trip was far from being over, but our adventure was coming to an end. We are heading back to Canada; and after 5 months, we will be back on home soil. Something both exciting and sad at the same time.

Before getting home, we are heading to Victoria, B.C to visit with Delia's brother; Jason, his wife; Shannon and their two children Jeremy & Charlotte as well as friends and then to Calgary to see my sister; Lynn and her partner; Jim.

Road Trip......Kiwi Style......

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible!" author unknown

I't's hard to appreciate the overall tone of the trip and what exactly it means when one says "a true road trip", simply by reading written words or seeing pictures on a page, but I will try. I will say this though; whether you get the feel of the trip by my words or not, it was, without a doubt, definitely the best way to complete our time in New Zealand. A road trip with a Kiwi - how cool is that! The feel of the road trip was something like, you know when it is Friday at the end of a work week and you have plans with your best friends to go camping and hang out, and you have that incredible excited feeling....there, that's it......that's the feeling right there!

The plan was to drive north and head for Paihia (sort of pronounced like "pie here") for 2 nights; 1 night before we hiked Cape Brett and a night after. What is Cape Brett you ask? The Cape Brett trail is a 20 km hike of the worst infliction of pain ever imagined and bliss all in one breath, but I'll get to that later! From Paihia we would head further north to spend 2 nights in Ahipara to see 90 mile beach and the most northern part of the north island; Cape Reinga.

And this, my friends, is how it unfolded.......

Jen booked the Cape Brett hike and Delia booked all the accommodations. We rented a car, had our map in hand, gear and snacks packed and the girls were headed north - sweet as! Now between our main destinations, we had some touristy stops. This is where the feel of a "true road trip" came in. Our first stop was in Tanemahuta to see Tane Mahuta; the largest Kauri tree. Got out of the car....got to the tree....did some "ooohs and aaahhhs", click, click, click of the camera and then back in the car. We drove a bit further to Kawakawa where there is a bathroom that was totally designed and done by a local artist. People stop in Kawakawa just to go to the bathroom - the town's "claim to fame". Again we did our "ooohs and aaahhhs", click, click, click, a little pee break and then hopped back in the car. Now if that isn't touristy, I don't know what is, but man, it was fun! We talked, joked and laughed! Oh yeah, and of course we stopped for a coffee at a cute cafe along the way....and don't you have to agree, this is kinda' what you think of when you think of a road trip? Anyways, it was a blast.

We arrived in Paihia at the Admiral View Lodge just after lunch. It was a great place in a small town. The owners were amazing (of course - Kiwi's don't come any other way) and we had a view of the coast. We went shopping for dinner & breakfast food. Delia bbq'd red snapper, had sweet potato, corn and of course New Zealand wine....ah perfection. We watched a movie and got ready for our 2 day hike to Cape Brett. It is hard to have a favourite, but our Cape Brett hike was definitely a highlight - near the top of the list for sure.

I think I have told you this before, but the concept is the "heart" of our adventure and is worth saying it again. People often ask Delia and I why we love to hike and camp so much. What makes putting a 40 lb pack on your back, climb mountains, walk mile after mile, sweat and end your day by sleeping in a tent, so darn attractive???!!! Well, I will tell you, but I don't think you will understand it fully unless you do it yourself - and maybe one day you will - highly recommended - even if it is just once! In New Zealand you can literally drive and see unbelievable scenery as we did, but what you miss by not doing these incredible hikes, is the challenge, the feeling of accomplishment, how good freeze dried food tastes because you earned it and above everything else, the serenity; no people, no noise, no light pollution; just you......and nature. When you get to the end of the trail and you are standing at at the edge of the shore, looking out to the open sea, with no one but you and 2 of your best friends by you, the only noise is our own laughter and the only light is the sun and the moonlight.....well, it just doesn't get any better than that....it just doesn't happen in life that often. So when you get a chance to experience it; even if it means 20 km of bloody hard hiking, I hope you take it, because there is nothing like it in the whole world.....it is better than ice cream!

We woke up and finished packing our bags for our hike. We had a beautiful sunrise and the weather was outstanding. We drove to Rawhiti from Paihia via Okato where we took a short ferry across to the trailhead of the Cape Brett Track. Paihai is a small town and Rawhiti is smaller than that; a few homes and stretches of gorgeous beaches. We had to park our car at someone's home that has an agreement with hikers (for a small donation that you put in a box in a boat - too funny!) and walk 1 km to the trailhead from there. Oh yeah, BTW, no one really liked my driving, but when it meant that I could drop them off at the trailhead, drop the car off, park and then run back to the trailhead (for the start and finish of the trail)....hmmmm.....all of a sudden my driving doesn't seem that bad!!!......I won't mention any names......Jen and Delia...opps...it slipped out! Ah, who am I kidding, I love doing that!

We knew the hike was going to be hard as Jen had done it before. She told us that we have 7 peaks to cross to get to the hut at the end of Cape Brett and as you can see from the picture above, they ain't small! As we made our first steps on the trail and we mimediately started to climb up a steep hill, I heard Jen say, "Who's bloody idea was this anyways?" Memories of the Kepler Track! Several times throughout the track, Jen did elude to what would possibly make her think that doing this hike again was a good idea! It is like any physical or mental challenge though; it is not the feeling during, but the feeling of elation afterwards that gets you there. And the views are not that hard to look at either along the way. It took about 8 hours of hiking in with some photo ops along the way. Because this hike is so remote, it is not unusual to expect to have the hut all to yourselves, but when we reached the hut there was a group already there. We were a bit disappointed, but as we got closer, I looked at them and I recognized two of them....true story. I smiled and I said, "Hemi?" He looked up in shock, wondering who could possibly know him in this remote place and then recognized Delia and I. Hemi & Emily were our diving instructors when we went scuba diving in the Poor Knights Islands a week before......way to funny! If we have learned nothing else from our trip, we certainly have realized how small our world really is. The group took a boat to Deep Cove and hiked from there (6 km hike) and they stayed for a 2 days. They told us about the swimming hole where there was a mom and pup seal. We did swim, but did not see the seals. It was amazing swimming. You were literally swimming in the open sea. There was a strong surf, but because it was a bit of a cove and protected, the surf was just enough to lull you to sleep as you floated. We had cheese, crackers and wine by the water....oh yes, always room for the weight of a bit of wine, cheese and crackers *grin*!!! Had dinner and then watched the sun set. Laid down in the grass and looked at the stars to complete the night. We were in no rush to leave the next day, but what we did on the way in, we had to do on the way out, so we knew were in for another long hike. We had pancakes for breakie....too many pancakes, but good and then headed back out. The hike out was equally as beautiful and actually seemed a little easier - not sure why that was, but it was a welcome feeling. We re-traced our path back to the Admiral View Lodge in Paihia to rest up. We showered, relaxed, had a cocktail and then spoiled ourselves and went out for dinner. Why do you need to know this? You don't really, but you can't believe how much you appreciate this relaxation after 2 days of hard hiking. Not that we are feeling sorry for ourselves as it feels amazing - I am just saying that it sure makes you appreciate the small things!

So from here we hopped back in the car and headed for Ahipara via the north shore, going through KeriKeri (stopped for a coffee and a bagel) and Mangonui for the best fish & chips in all of New Zealand. We stopped at Rangikapiti Pa Historic Reserve that overlooked Cooper's Beach (this is where Jen's Dad went as a kid) & Cable Bay. Both very beautiful. We reached Anipara and stayed at Bayview Motel. We had a gorgeous view of the sea and was within walking distance so did some swimming in the waves. From here we drove to Cape Reinga which is the most northern part of the north island in New Zealand. This is where the Tasman Sea meets the South Pacific Ocean. We did a short hike along the shore towards Spirits Bay, but did not go all the way due to the little hike we did the day before to Cape Brett =) It was still beautiful and relaxing just the same. Both nights at Bayview Motel we took it easy - a bit of swimming & wine and dinner by the sea - we even watched a rugby game. Rugby to Kiwi's is like Hockey to Canadians.

The road trip was bitter sweet. As much as we loved it, we also knew it meant that we were near the end of our time in New Zealand. As we watched the sunset over the sea on our last night in Ahipara (seriously, I am not making this up), my heart started to ache. Canada is my home and I love it; I really do. But I would have to say that Canada is where my home is; and it always will be, but New Zealand is where my heart is. It is everything that I love - it is Canada, but smaller. The people are very much like Canadians; gracious, friendly and a great sense of humour. But in New Zealand, they have a fraction of Canada's population, so even in the city, you just don't get the crowds....and that is me. To top it off, wherever you are in New Zealand, you will have mountains, the sea and most often both. I....we, will miss New Zealand. We are grateful that we had this opportunity, we are very grateful for our family, friends and home and we are happy to be heading home, but I wish that it would last just a little bit longer. The feeling I had leaving New Zealand is the same feeling when I come home from Northern Ontario (north of Lake Superior).....I don't think I could live there as it is too far away from home, but I get homesick when I leave! Our journey is not over, but this was the hardest leg of our trip to let go. We were thankful that we had a long flight and lots of books and movies to keep our mind off how sad we felt!

The next morning we packed our bags and headed from Ahipara back to Auckland. We met the rest of the Wrigley family and had a nice bbq and visit. Jen's brother; Gareth, was kind enough to take us to the airport the next morning. Always better to be taken to the airport by a friend then a taxi - the feeling is so much better - thanks Gareth!

Good-bye for now New Zealand.........We WILL be back! xo

The Visit with The Wrigley's

"House Rules: Refrain from being seen with a half empty glass. Half full is fine, to the brim is absolutely excellent." billboard advertisement in NZ

On April 2, 2010 we drove from Ngunguru to Auckland to drop our rental car off and meet Karen and Jennifer Wrigley. Remember that it was Karen and Jennifer with their father; David, that we met on the Kepler track back in February. At the end of the hike, they invited us to contact them when we were in the Auckand area. Karen said to stay as long or as short as we wanted and later told us; after we stayed over a week, that we didn't have to take what she said so literally......ah, family and friends, that's what we do best...get comfortable and have really long good-byes - I wouldn't want it any other way!!! We had such a great visit and the Wrigley's are amazing. We were picked up in a Jag (remember all the clobber that we have) and were treated like royalty ever since. That night we had dinner with the family; David, Marilyn, Karen, Jen and their one brother; Gareth. Their other brother; Andrew and his wife; Jenny and their three children; Katherine, Sophie and Amy, could not make it for dinner, but we would meet them another time. It was alot of fun for sure. The pastries that Delia and I picked up in a bakery in Matakana were not a great hit, but made for a few laughs at our expense. The next day we took a 15 to 20 min ferry ride across to Rangitoto with Karen, Jen, Gareth and Jen's 15 year old mentee; Nina. Rangitoto is a 600 year old live volcano. We climbed to the top and looked over all of Auckland and the other islands around. That night we went out to dinner at Hallertau in Riverhead. Overall, just a nice relaxing day of sightseeing and visiting.

On April 4th we had another relaxing day. We headed to Piha Beach which is a famous beach near Auckland. The surf is known to be dangerous, but there are surfers that attempt their fate frequently and subsequently, the Coast Guards perform quite a few rescues. As we walked and played a bit of soccer along the beach, we watched some of these surfers. I know that surfing can be alot of fun, but it really is alot of waiting around for that perfect wave. It is not my thing, but the beach is stunning and I can see the attraction to surfing once you do get to ride the wave. We had a bite to eat and a drink at a cafe on the beach with friends of Karen's that we met. Finished off the day with pizza with the family.

Right from the very beginning, when Delia and I started to plan our Around the World adventure, as well as all the time during our trip; making a side trip to one of the islands off New Zealand, was an option. Either the Cook Islands, Fiji or Tahiti. Unfortunately, with all the reading and asking around that we did, nothing really enticed us to want to go. There was some political and weather unrest in the islands, but basically staying in New Zealand was just more attractive then going to a resort or any other type of touristy thing on the islands. Besides, although going to the islands while we were already in NZ would be cheaper than going there from Toronto, it was still pricey. We still had not completed the north part of the north island so even though we hummed and hawed over the 5 months that we were away, it really wasn't a hard decision to make in the end. And to make the decision even sweeter; with a bit of persuasion, Jen Wrigley agreed to take a week off work and take us on a road trip to the north part of the north island. And let me tell you, this was a true road trip in every way......in Kiwi style!!! It was a blast! ......hmmmmm......I think this deserves a blog entry of its own........

Scenery and Bliss Overload.....Is There Such A Thing???

After our skydive we met Leigh for lunch. Exchanged stories as Leigh also went skydiving awhile back. We walked around town for a bit; I really do love Taupo. From Taupo we headed further north to the Coromandel Peninsula. If you were to look at a map of New Zealand, the Coromandel Peninsula is the stretch of land directly across the Hauraki Gulf from Auckland. It is a popular vacation spot for many Aucklanders because of the warm weather and the gorgeous beaches. So from March 26th to the 28th we stayed at Church Cottages in Hahei. It was a long drive from Taupo, but it was pretty. We stopped in Whangamata for groceries. Even though we were not there during school break, we were going on a Friday and there was a vintage car show going on; busy is an understatement. Whangamata is a small town and it was packed. We didn't have a choice, we had to go grocery shopping, but it was a bit of a headache to get around. We got our groceries and Delia fortunately found a quicker way out. As we finally got out to the main road, we both realized at that time that we forgot to get gas - yikes!!! Well, it was unanimous, we were definitely not going back to that nightmare. It was decided that we would go to the next town. Unfortunately, Pauanui was another nightmare, samething all over again! Apparently, the vintage car show was in both places.....lucky us???!!! We did eventually make it to our accomodations in Hahei about 7:30pm. We were both tired and hungry - my recipe for "grumpy pants", but the place was quaint, the views were beautiful and we did have food to cook so I was good. We had a nice salmon on the BBQ with salad and veggies. Some relaxation time then off to bed. On March 27th, we walked to Cathedral Cove via Gemstone Bay (they say, one of the best areas to snorkel in New Zealand), Stingray Bay and Mares Leg Cove. We just strolled along the beach. That has to be one of the to 10 of best feelings in the world - walking on a beach with the sand and water under your feet on a warm sunny day....pure bliss! It was definitely one of those days that I just did not want to end! We then went to Hahei Beach and walked and swam. We went back to our cottage for lunch and then headed back out to Opoutere Beach. It was a few kilometer hike to the beach in a pretty forest. We again, walked along the beach and swam. The beauty of New Zealand beaches and Tasmanian beaches, are that they are not only gorgeous (white sands and clear blue water), but you are in complete isolation - you have the beach to yourself. That just does not happen very many places. It was almost "beach overload", but all I wanted was more. Unfortunately, Delia and I don't really enjoy sitting out in the sun on the beach, but love to walk and swim, so we choose a few beaches to walk along. The last beach that we wanted to go to was Hot Water Beach. This is so called because at low tide one can actually dig a hole in the sand and bathe in hot water. This phenomenon is possible because of the hot rock that is under the surface caused by volcanic action millions of years ago....cool.....or hot rather! By the time that we got to the beach, the tide was too high. But we did walk around town and really, sitting in hot water on a hot day; okay, the concept is neat, but just knowing that is was there was good enough for us. The actual beach has a large surf and is not the safest to swim or surf in. We walked along the beach again and then called it a day. Headed back to our cottage and had a nice steak on the BBQ with sweet potato, corn and salad. Relaxed on our porch and rested for our drive further up the Coromandel. We had a nice relaxing breakfast and then started to drive further north. We did not stop at Otama Beach or Opito Bay (suppose to be outstanding beaches). Although this was a bit disappointing, we enjoyed 3 beautiful beaches yesterday and it just made our drive too long. We did stop in Coromandel Town; very cute town. We picked up some groceries and made arrangements to stay at the Tangiaro Kiwi Retreat in Port Charles (very north part of the Coromandel). Now that place I would pay more than $1000 a night for. We wanted accommodations near the top of the peninsula because we wanted to hike the Coastal Track, but we had no idea that it was going to be this beautiful! We had our own "cottage"; if you want to call it that. It had a bedroom, en suite, a second bathroom, huge kitchen with all the amenities that you could need (including a dishwasher), large livingroom/dining room, deck and on and on and on! We had housecoats that we could use to walk to the outdoor spa....that's right baby, outdoor whirlpool, in the middle of the forest. I am sorry, but it just does not get better than that. And we didn't pay anything close to $1000 a night. The owners of the Kiwi Retreat live in Auckland and bought this land a while ago. They loved it so much and they wanted to share it with others. And that is how the Kiwi Retreat was started. The owners are conservationist and are very interested in preserving New Zealand's indigenous bird and plant life. There property also had a stream that led to a watering hole that we were also welcome to use. We made friends with the manager; Katharina and ended up having Katharina and her partner; Lettecia, to our cottage on the second night for dinner. Well, to be honest, we invited them to have dinner, but they bought and cooked everything! The first day we walked to the watering hole and had a dip and finished off our night in the hot tub. The place was really quiet, but I didn't realize until the next day that there was actually no one else there - I mean, no one. In the early morning, there was not even staff. It was so amazing, I can't explain the feeling. The following day is the day that we planned to do the coastal track. We have now been in NZ for almost 2 months so the narrow, twisty, turny roads don't surprise us anymore; or so we thought. The roads up the Coromandel Peninsula were challenging enough, but once we drove from Port Charles to Fletcher's Bay where the track started, it was scary. There was barely enough room for 1 car little less 2 cars. A very narrow, very twisty, turny dirt road with pot holes and very steep cliffs on the side of the road and a few 1 way bridges just to add a bit more of a challenge into it. Delia did an amazing job. I am really not sure if I could have done it or not. As nerve racking as the drive was, it was totally worth it. It was a 5 hour fairly easy hike along the coast with amazing views. We hiked to the very tip of the Peninsula to Stony Bay and then back again. We got back to our little "mansion" and finished off with lunch, spa and shower. The dinner with Katharina and Lettecia was fun. They both are involved with New Zealand's conservation of plants and wildlife. Lettecia let us listen to the call of the Kiwi bird; both the male and the female, which are incredibly different. I always enjoy listening to Kiwi's talk, they are great story tellers (the people that is, not the bird - ha!. After our time at the Tangiaro Kiwi Retreat in Port Charles, we said our good-byes to Katharina and Lettecia and headed down the west side of the Coromandel Peninsula (saw a complete rainbow over the sea), to head back north of Auckland to Matakana. Matakana is located north of Auckland on the east side of the island. It is in line with a famous island in NZ called the Great Barrier Island. Matakana is very quaint; sort of like a "Niagara-on-the-Lake" kind of feel. We hiked about 2 hours along the shore in the Tawharanui Regional Park that was close by. It is a Marine Reserve - that is, totally protected and absolutely no fishing in the area. New Zealanders do alot of little things right - they pay taxes, but whatever the price tag says....that's the price you pay (not $19.99 + tax when you get to the register), they pay their service staff decent wages so there is no need for tipping, in fact, you don't tip, they don't have pennies or nickles so everything is rounded up to the nearest "ten", they have roundabouts (crazy at first, but once you get use to them, they are awesome - a word of advice when driving on the left....always look right), they rarely complain; nothing is too hard, too inconvenient or too painful - they just do it and finally, the whole country is into conservation. I am not sure if it is because they can actually see a light at the end of the "environmental tunnel" or what it is, but they are all on board, doing there part to preserve their plant and wildlife - it is a complete pleasure to watch. There are many more positives about New Zealand, but that's my point for now. We stayed 2 days in Manakata so the next day we headed to Goat's Bay to snorkle. We heard it had amazing snorkeling; rated one of the best non-tropical places in the world to snorkel. We went early in the morning and when we went in there was no one there - awesome. We took our rented equipment and headed out to the shelf. It was a little cold, but not too bad - we did have wet suits. We saw tons of fish and coral. The Red Snappers are really cute - they would swim right beside you and play and when if you turned away, they would swim by your eyes and catch your attention to play more - very cute. We stayed out for a couple of hours and then headed back in. One, of the many nice things about travelling for 5 months and travelling in New Zealand for 2 1/2 months, is that you are pretty much always in a relaxed mood. Start when you want, finish when you want, do what you want, etc. and for the most part, there are NO crowds. I highly recommend it! One of the things that Delia wanted to do was to scuba dive in the Poor Knights. This is an area of small islands, caves and rocks off the east coast of New Zealand's north island; about 2 hour drive north of where we were at Goats Island. Bummer.....For me, I just can't get left behind and I do want to do everything and I hate it if something makes me anxious, but alas, scuba diving is one of them. I thought that diving on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia would satisfy Delia, but no, she wanted more. Pool Knights is one of the highest rated, if not the highest rates places to snorkel in non-tropical waters. Damn, damn, damn.....that means that Delia would want to go - and she did. Delia's fear is that if I see a trail or a mountain, I have to hike it all. My fear is that if there is scuba diving, Delia is going to want to go and she is going to want to go in all the caves....not my favourite thing to do, but again, I didn't want to be left behind.....I think I should go for therapy for that! Anyways, as always, any adventure taken proves to be an experience enjoyed and most often, more; Poor Knights, was no exception. We booked accommodations in Ngunguru at the Bellmain House (Owners; Graham & Marion) and booked our dive with Tutukaka Dive; 2 dives and a cruise to the Poor Knights Islands. Graham & Marion were delightful. They greeted us in the traditional "Kiwi way"; full of zest and excitement and wanted to know everything about us. They shared their apples and other goodies with us. After we booked our dive, we stopped by a local bar; quaint and by the water. No one was around, but the bartender - surprise, surprise, but ended up having a great chat with her. The next morning we headed back to Tutukaka from Ngunguru for our dive. We met the crew and got suited up. There were about 10 to 12 divers along with us. Hemi was our instructor (picture of the 3 of us) and he was a blast; very patient and fun and Craig was our Skipper (sorry, no picture). It was about a 50 min boat ride out to the islands and the swells were big.......oh yeah, I got sick - 7 times!!! I tried so hard. I kept my eyes on the horizon, but with the boat's bow going up and down so much, it was hard to keep my eyes on the horizon. I lasted about 40 minutes and then I just could not hold it back anymore. Funny how you think you are hiding it well, when both Delia and 1 of the crew members had the bags in hand well before I needed them - I guess they are use to the signs....you know, that "green faced, drooling, pathetic looking, oh, poor me look eyes, I am going to puke all over you if you don't get me a bag" person - not that hard to pick out! The good thing is, that once the boat stopped, I was fine. I was able to do both dives no problem. And the funny thing is, on the way home, no problem at all - very strange! Sorry, I had to share. The dives were good. Saw more fish, coral, sting rays, moamoas and sea urchins. We went in some caves and saw several other fish. I kept a close eye on both Delia and Hemi, but overall, it was a blast! Once we finished both our dives, our Skipper; Craig, took us around the islands - so beautiful! We saw some bottlenosed dolphins; mom and babies. We saw alot of them and they were just swimming around playing, but it is unbelievably hard to get pictures of the darn things - so fast, even when they are slow! We went into the largest cave in the world....very cool! The acoustics were outstanding. The experience was wonderful! Once we were back on land, we went finished off our day in our cottage with a nice steak dinner. Graham came by to see how our day was and to wish us well on the rest of our trip. We left at 6 am the next morning to head back to Auckland where we were meeting up with the Wrigley family; the friends that we met on the Kepler track.....a mere month and half ago....man, time flies when you are having fun! From the time we left Lake Taupo to now, the scenery has been fantastic. It is impossible to compare the south to the north island, but I have to disagree with people who say that the south island is much prettier. The north island's beauty holds a special place in my heart; right along side the south island's place!