Day21 - Kohukohu / Rawene / Opononi / Omapere / Kaihu

Day 21 - Surprise, surprise - a bit of rain overnight and galeforce wind... seems to be a trend. Geez, you'd think it was winter or something... or maybe it has something to do with being on the coast with nothing to slow the wind down since Australia... Good thing that Sunday is a perfect day to not be in a particular hurry (much to the chagrin of the cleaning staff at the camp). Once we got into gear, we headed south past Kaitaia to catch the ferry at Kohukohu - quite a decrepid little village, with some OLD buildings. Actually, it didn't seem to have changed much from the c1920 photo... Only saving grace was that the wait for the ferry was quite sunny and picturesque - which was nice, as we drove up just as the ferry was pulling out. Once in Rawene, we headed to Opononi (named after an especially tame dolphin that lived in the area in the 50's). Very impressive views of the harbour mouth and the very large sand hills on the far shore. It was a nice place to stop for a coffee and watch some rugby. Back on the road again we visited Omapere and the Waipoua forest - home to a Giant Kauri tree that is 2000yrs old (and bloody big! - with a 15m circumference that implies it is 15' diameter - that's the size of my living room!). I think we've seen it before, but J says no... we have 10 bucks riding on it when we get home to our old journal and photos. The road through the forest is winding (bet you could have guessed that one!) and steep, but once you leave the forest, the road and landscape open up to rolling pastureland full of calla lilies and some other UF (unimportant flora). This would make for a lovely acreage locale... ended our drive at Kaihu to the nicest campground yet - see photos. Met some brits in the common room and talked about their travels and world economics. note: schnitzel is fairly cheap here and quite yummy. stay away from the waxy, plastic 'frankfurters'. they are made with a product that does not break down naturally in the next millenium. ps. By all accounts, the Kauri Museum outside Waipapakauri (2 days back) is worth a visit. Tried to post tonight, but W98 intervened...oh well, when we get back to the 20th century will try again!time for sleepies. g'nite

Day20 - Mangonui / Kaitia / Ninety Mile Beach

Day 20 - Rained like a bugger last night with a wind that threatenend to flip us over. It was yucky to try to sleep during the storm. by late mid morning there were breaks of sun, but mostly cloudy and cold - I had to dig out my turtleneck sweater (for those of you who think this is a 'vacation', please note that we make it a rule to never go vacationing anywhere that requires taking sweaters). We drove to Mangonui and it's still a lovely little fishing town...lots of locals enjoying breakfast in the cafes and a craft market happening today as well. On to Coopers Beach, not too impressed and Cable Bay (some possibilities)... A left turn inland at Taipa to look at a 5 acre property - mostly grazing land right now, but could have an orchard. The area is pretty, with steep hills and is very private and quiet. A spring fed stream runs through the site. Back on the #1 highway, (by-the-by, that means we just drove coast to coast) we made our way to Kaitaia. It is virtually unchanged in the past 20 years, but held no special memories, so we went north up the cape that leads to the very northern tip of NZ - Cape Reinga. Got as far as Pukenui and turned back to find accoms, as there is nothing further up for motorhomes. We stopped at Ninety Mile Beach to enjoy the enormous waves and ponder the unending horizon... ahhhhh, it is very beautiful and ...very windy. Note how the pavement ends just about where high tide begins...won't be driving down there today! On a different note, we finally found internet that is available but they want $5 for 5 minutes! ...sorry, guys, you're just not worth that much, so you'll just have to wait another day to read this.
big beach, and a big ocean, and big wind!...should've brought my windsurfer!

Day19 - Paihia / Kerikeri / Hihi Beach

Day 19 - Looking for something to do on a glorious sunny morning after you've had a hearty breakfast? Go to the nearest lookout point and take in the 360 degree views... just don't leave it too late because those ocean breezes really start to pick up and it can be quite harrowing up on that hilltop! There was a very cool sundial up there and I impressed J with my time-guessing skills, until he figured out that I was using it... ;^) As you know, we're all about community service. As such, we did our part for the Russell townfolk, and helped to iradicate a few of the noxious weeds that grow in their ditches...no need to thank us...this warm feeling in our hearts is what it's all about... Anyway, we drove to the ferry and took the much quicker and less scary way to Opua. As we began disembarking, a nasty rainstorm started and followed us all the way to Paihia. It gave us an excuse to pop into the local souvenir shops to poke around...and gave us some nice rainbows afterward. A little lunch, some photos, and we were on our way to Kerikeri. One property caught our eye on the way - our estimate of $1M was a little low, but in our defence, we really didn't get a good look. Turns out they want $2.5M. Good luck! Kerikeri is a buzzing little town now, but we recognized the main street and Stone store... and met some rather aggressive chickens and their buddy, the buzzard. Attached is a photo to prove it - the buzzard was giving us the stink eye because of yesterday... We stopped for the evening on Doubtless Bay - the location of famous Coopers Beach, which is quite a hotspot here in the summer - apparently this whole area is packed with surfers at Christmas. Now, that's mixed up!! The campground is right across the road from Hihi beach and is for sale - anyone care to hazzard a guess as to the pricetag?...we'll ask in the morning and let you know. We're the only people here - haven't even seen the owners - but MAN! it is a huge camp - wouldn't want to come here in the summer - the beach would be FULL...but then it is a really big beach, and a big ocean, and big wind!...should've brought my windsurfer!

Day18 - Russell

Day 18 - After a tasty homemade breakfast (thanks J!) we set off for the Bay of Islands. Despite our new ma and pa 'look', we're still free spirits, so decided to take the road less travelled to Russell. An interesting experience -driving through the middle of nowhere on what started out as a normal road and then... imagine if you will, careening down a winding, single lane gravel road with washed out areas and steep drop offs on both sides...and no witnesses... I had my usual panic attacks, but didn't tell J (hid my white knuckles and stifled my screams). Crashing and not being found until after the buzzards are finished, isn't on my list of vacation highlights! Obviously, we found our way out alive (and unscathed - silly girl) and as such, were able to visit some great beaches and discovered a few nice properties on the way. Anyone have $500k we can 'borrow'? We ended our day in Russell, a place that used to be a small town, and has now grown and grown to an overbuilt, expensive area full of empty weekend and summer properties. Just like Canmore, Dad, only with beaches... too bad... on the other hand, the motorcamps are as good as we remember - maybe even nicer. We'll post a photo of the usual on site facilities... campgrounds at home don't even compare.
PS - do us a favour and make a comment today, as we're wondering how many are actually reading the blog (use your initials if you feel weird about commenting - we'll know who you are)... thanks! :)

Day17 - Whangarei

Day 17 - Yesterday we drove through some road work and were advised to wash our vehicle ASAP (which we didn't)...thought to myself 'maybe a light overnite shower, courtesy of mother nature, would be the ticket to take care of this for us'... be careful what you wish for... :( it did start raining overnight and was a deluge by 8AM. it reminded us of the poem (by A. Hill-Walker) we found at Milford Sound during our last visit here... 'it rained and rained and rained, the average fall was well maintained, and when the tracks were simply bogs, it started raining cats and dogs...' (some homework for you - do an internet search for the whole poem - we can't be doing everything for you - we're on vacation!). it just kept coming down and the puddles on the lawn turned into lakes, and no amount of running or hopping helped to keep us dry. nothing to do but drive. we got as far as the first 'mall' in Whangarei and went in to wait for it to let up. this was a good opportunity to check out some prices for housewares, beds, electronics, etc. at what seemed to be a good quality store. Not a big surprise that things are more money here, but not by a huge amount. As we continued on our way checking out some neighbourhoods on the coastline and finally returing to downtown Whangarei, the rain stopped and the sun tried to peek out. It is much milder here at night than in Auckland - and much nicer when taking our evening constitutional... and speaking of strolls, we happened to find a motorcamp in Tikipunga, beside the Whangarei Falls. It was another trip down memory lane, as we've definitely been here before. It was also our first trip to the supermarket (we now have the technology to cook)... my goodness - we stumbled onto a Stupidstore clone... now this is where things get expensive! 6 eggs for $1.90...$1.70 for 1 medium tomato...$1.65 for a tiny red capsicum... anyway, we bought some lamb to bbq and made a salad - it was loverly with our wine and choccy bikkies, and tea... A note for all of you non-kiwis: apparently, people here DO NOT address other people's children. it sends the kiddies into a bit of a panic (wide eyed, tongue tied and searching desperately for mom). if you must, ask an adult about peanut butter...perhaps it was the unfamiliar lack of accent... or maybe that 'special' smile I save for the young'uns (my kids know it well)...or maybe,just maybe, it is rude to speak of peanut butter?

Day16 - Auckland / NE Coastline

Day 16 - Internet is hard to find, so it's difficult to post to the blog. Pull up a chair, y'all, and set a while as you have many days of catchin' up...So it seems that we have reached a crossroads in life where we're unwilling to thumb a ride and sleep on the ground...and at the same time, we're not too excited about becoming too yuppie and spending upwards of $200 a night on MOTELS (some are pretty grim)... So starts our dark descent into 'Ma and Pa Land' and motorhomes (ok, so we own a westfalia, but this is totally different) Anyhoo, got ourselves a 'campa' today and headed out for the Northland. Set a course for straight north out of Auckland. Many nice places to check out. Orewa has a great beach - we couldn't resist a stroll... then on to Warkworth. This was the first time J really got the sense of having been here before ...that is, actually recognizing something. ...However driving into Warkworth was a different matter - we looked at each other and said "This has changed"...as in, we remember Warkworth as being a quaint little one-street town, but now... it's bloody huge and ugly! The old Warkworth Inn we stayed at years ago is now a grubby bar, complete with tattoo parlour and takeaway shop, but the structure was unchanged so we had a look around just to refresh our memories...in actual fact, the place hasn't changed at all - except that the common room is now full of slot machines and the usual group of zombies and no one is manning the front desk..and...and... and what's that smell? ...ah well, the riverfront park looked pretty much as it did, and all the same ducks were still there...(honest, mate - i recognized them). We stopped for the night at Waipu Cove - also a nice beach, but as the sun sets by 5PM, we didn't have much time to enjoy it.

Day15 - Katikati / Auckland

Day 15 - Back to Auckland today. Driving inland and the roads are much straighter as this seems to be primarily ranching country. the weather was gloriously sunny today (but chilly to the locals, as it was only 12 degrees). no wonder people move to the country...
we came across a store called the Warehouse, and Len, you will be happy to hear that your reputation has made it all the way 'down under', we found they stock the PERFECT item for you...
after some driving around in Auckland, we found ourselves back at the Dukes Motel to stay the night. Marla and Phil are very hospitable hosts. Note: always check your milk carton for unwanted extras... ewwww!

Day14 - Katikati

Day 14 - Stayed again at the same beachfront apartment...if the weather was a bit nicer, this place would be really fabulous with the black sand beach, - looks like a great location for windsurfing. Drove down the Pacific Coast Hwy. to Katikati - it was just as winding as yesterday all the way - remembering why distances are published as times, not distances now.... Had a look round Whangamata on the way which was a very nice town and had a couple af very nice in town possibilities -one in particular.
The area around Katikati is lovely, apparently you can grow anything here. Good possibilities for a small orchard, kiwi, passionfruit, avocado seem to be the popular choices. Lots of really fabulous surfing beaches that seem to stretch on for miles. (can you see the surfer wiping out right on the curl?)


Stayed at a really posh B&B just to see what you get at the higher end....wowwee! were those free bathrobes and slippers to take with? and then.... we ran out of cash...we've met lots of nice gals at the various banks...

Day13- Coromandel (Wharekaho)

Day13 - Ah, what a view to wake up to! and only a two hour drive from Auckland ('course it may take you an hour just to get out of Auckland depending on where you start from). Just sat and watched the ocean for the morning. Took a drive in the afternoon down and around the coast to Cooks Beach (for you history buffs, that's where Cook anchored the Endeavor) and discovered we had gone in a circle and were only about 200 meters from where we started (but on the other side of the bay) - if only we had a VW, we could have floated across instead of having to do the 45 minute drive back... but we did visit (one of) the Hot Water Beach(es) where you can dig yourself a hole in the sand, hop in and bake yourself like a lobster...if we ever get back here, I am bringing a spade, a surfboard or windsurfer and never leaving! We proceeded on to Tairua on one of the windiest roads you can imagine - Patty, you'd have been green within minutes! With a posted max speed of 100, I am pretty sure no one has ever gotten a speeding ticket on this road! (we got up to 50 at one point, got scared and had to slow down). Found a nice house on the pinnacle with a spectacular view, but likely the price is around $800k...

Day12 - Coromandel

Day 12 - here at the library again... a good place to blog...
setting off for the Coromandel Peninsula today and checking out B&B's... gotta go...


much driving today - managed to not get lost getting out of the city, but then took a premature (aka-wrong) turn and ended up taking a more scenic route than planned, but hey, who's in a hurry? Once on the peninsula we decided to take a bit of a shortcut - lesser travelled, one and a half lanes up and over the mountain range - I think we may have managed 30km/h so no real time saver, but we found the famed vertical putting green (no putter to test with though) and the lesser known, but equally awesome 'square' Kauri tree and 'hovering' Palm.
...well, we managed to extend our string of unique ethnic dinners one more day by finding a fabulous little pub (come to think, it was quite large actually) that was serving lamb shank and a handle for $10 - you can't get any more New Zealand than that!

Day 11- Auckland

Day 11 - today we did some sleuthing... found out about immigration and passports and other boring stuff. went downtown and bought a bunch of gorgeous things.... go all blacks! and no! it's not a jersey Lydia... we aren't millionaires... you're all invited to wire us some cash if you want us to pick you up one...bargain price $150 CAD. may save us from a beating at the match on Saturday with Canada, though. we'll cheer from a corner...

all in all, a pretty quiet and dull day. working sucks...

we found a hamburger place that serves pretty fine burgers, but we didn't tell them that. they called themselves BurgerWisconsin, but we're not sure of the affiliation... our burgs didn't have a fried egg or beetroot, or cucumbers or anything strange. you could add these, but we left that for the locals. there was, however, a kebab burger complete with peanut sauce ....

Day10 - Auckland

Day 10 - Jon is itching to get moving, but we've only just found some comforts of home... cheap wine, cheap cheese, cheap breakfast, cheap internet... and MY BBERRY IS WORKING!! thank GAWD! I was going into withdrawl - J was quite worried... and my thumbs were cramping up!

more to come later today (while you are all sleeping)...

Drove west today to a scenic drive to a place we can't spell without a map handy. It was very scenic...and windy and steep and scenic... there were nice properties along the way, some pricey, some crazy pricey...

We managed to find our way without a map again, so a big sky tower comes in handy for navigation! J decided to play chicken with oncoming traffic... it was VERY intense for a moment. We're happy to report that we WON! haha! take that kiwi fans!!

we are drinking much wine - not to worry, Len - and eating lots of ethnic fare. some crazy noodle places that have those cool little take away boxes! enough food in those boxes to feed an army ( or one hungry j-man)... eating out is expensive... send money...please...

Day9 - Auckland

Day 9 - yippee! we did laundry.... sorry that's all for today...

OK, so we went for a drive too. This time we headed to east Auckland to Mission Bay, Orakei, St. Heliers, Glendowie, etc... then down beside the Tamaki River. Across to Sunny Hills, Half Moon Bay and then at Bucklands Beach, we drove off the map. We drove around until we found a road that matched up on a very rudimentary map (that only showed 3 roads) - what luck! Then to Beachlands and Maraetai just as the sun set and then another round of find the road that matches up, but this time in the dark... woohoo! we are daredevils! Stopped at the store and bought the basic food groups, wine, TimTams (yum!) and some very expensive fruit - no wonder everyone eats mostly fried foods and coffee.

J likes the houses on the cliffs...I suppose if forced, I could get used to living in a mansion... Good districts were One Tree Hill, Sunny Hills, Pakuranga, Buchlands Beach, Point England Riverside Ave... won't someone lend us a $ million or 2? Places to forget: East Tamaki, Paptoetoe, Otara, Onehunga, Glen Innes (for our info, this will/should mean nothing to you).
Back at the motel, some Aussie Rules footie on the telly... i love that ref! We've reserved our table at the pub for Saturday's game - All Blacks vs. Canada ...apparently Canada usually gets several points when playing these guys (sometimes as many as 6) - too bad the All Blacks usually get at least 10x more.... but we'll be cheering for Canada anyway!

Day8 - Auckland

Day 8 - Rented a car this morning and drove to Mt. Eden lookout-which turned out to be way easier than walking! There was a bright orb in the sky giving off light (and warmth) today, so we were able to see the city clearly. Then we went into the Mt. Eden district for brunch and happened across a little place that some of you will recognize although it goes by a different name at home...got some buns but passed up the CheeseMites (one guess as to what the 'mite' is...)

Back at the motel, we think we sent a few emails and then set off for a drive to the North Shore. Fairly uneventful, except for some weird lights and signs at the start of the motorway... they use a lot of traffic cameras, so hope we didn't get a ticket... Anyhoo, we drove along the Takapuna coast to Devonport... wow! some very beautiful houses and friendly cats. There is a heritage hotel on the point called the Esplanade that is just wonderful - sort of a tiny Banff Springs. We may have to hang around there again, even if we can't really afford it.
Seems that folks here don't eat until later, so we have to wander a bit to find a nosh... eventually we found a Peruvian restaurant off behind some shops with super excellent food and drink ...which was really convenient since we were trying to find Mexican...

And, of course, the obligatory night stroll along the shore with all the pretty lights....

Day 7 - Auckland

Day 7 - Caught up on our beauty sleep and then set off into the pouring rain to find breakfast and a good 'flat white' (still not sure what that is - looks and tastes like a cappucino to us). Then off on another adventure, this time on the bus. Had a good look around the downtown and checked out some hotels and shops. Tried to find something recognizable, but failed miserably. What's happened to the little Auckland we once knew?? We did find a real treasure - Monica's Pizza restaurant on Symonds Street. It was a great end to our long walk and at a pretty reasonable price. We highly recommend the greek salad!

Day 5 - Hong Kong

Day 5 - serious POWER shopping day - not too much to buy, but a long way to go to get it...so back to Stanley Market (no surprise side trips this time) and back to the hotel, pack and get ready for the airport - see you in New Zealand.... oh, did I mention Limo? ...that would be Mercedes Limousine...ahhhh, no public transport this time!
....until the next interweb connection then....
Well, there we have it. Air New Zealand beats Air Canada once again...better movies, better food, better drink....better utensils.
Then again, the problem with a plethora of good movies is you end up staying up all night and only manage a 10 minute nap while landing at 8am...just in time to start a new day! ....and hence the beginning of

Day6 - ok, well, you're tired anyway, you might as well go climb One Tree Hill...just for old time's sake. There was one small difference we noted...seems it is 'sans' one tree these days as legend has it some 5 year back some drunken bum decided to alter the 'sight' slightly....ah well, the stump remains and there is this lovely tree down below still.....

Day4 - Hong Kong

Day4 – Too much excitement last night, and it is really raining …not going far today. If you are going to get wet anyway, might as well go to the pool.
KC's preparing for her meeting, so I think today is a good day to try to find the walled city....found it! oops, forgot the camera, so no pics!

hmmm, that really seems like a boring day compared to yesterday....guess I'll go to the bakery down the street and get some of those sweet buns that taste like a Hawaiian pizza

Day3 - Hong Kong

Day3 – Today the subway! It is always an adventure going underground and getting on a train that you only have a vague idea of where it goes….assuming of course you are on the right one… So you ask a lot of questions and make sure to read the signs carefully, and voila! there you are on the other side of the bay at the ‘Central’ station on Hong Kong Island – what you don’t know just yet is that Central is oh so much bigger than you would imagine . This is the end of the line for the subway and you need to get to the other side of the island (city) ‘cause you are off to the famed Stanley Market on the south side of Hong Kong…so you ask more questions to find out the bus you need ad where it is…luckily it is also at ‘Central’…only down the tunnel, under the street , follow the next couple of tunnels, up the escalators, through the mall, over the bridge and down. Oops, no buses…maybe around the corner - keep going – yup, there is a really big place for buses…nope, not these ones! Ooooh, look! There goes our bus down the road – lets follow it! Ok, now we’ve gone around the block – ah! there is another really big place for buses –, and there is the one we need-#6. …Central as it turns out, covers about a 3 block radius both above and below ground and serves 3 or 4 separate subway lines, has 9 ferry terminals and this bus station – bloody huge!

Well, now we are on the bus, winding through the streets of old Hong Kong – not so different from Kowloon, but the streets seem less straight and now we are going uphill.. let me rephrase that – up mountain! These hills are so steep that the school parking is on the roof (of a 5 story building –no ramp required) – you can stand at the side of the road and look someone in the apartment building in the eye – on the eighth floor! Anyway, this bus trip is defiantely worth the fare, both for the scenery and as a bonus it doubles as the Harry Potter double-decker Night Bus amusement park ride! Stanley Market itself is nice – defiantely the tourist market – but some very good prices non-the-less, and it is in a small quiet sea side community that is refreshingly nonmetropolitan. An hour – maybe two and we are done and back on the #6 to find the #15 off to Victoria peak (The Peak). Another bus ride defiantly worth the fare! At the peak you look down on the bay with the Hong Kong shore in front of you, the Kowloon shore opposite and the hills of the New Territories rising behind. Can you see anything? …yes …and no… the sheer number of sky scraper buildings is mind boggling… and they tend to get in the way of viewing… but at the same time, the view is amazing. Should you ever find yourself here, try the Peak Lookout restaurant – perhaps not as flash as the others, but defiantely more elegant, and absolutely superb meals and at very reasonable prices.

And now back on the bus – bonus – it’s now dark, and the double-decker ‘Night Bus’ ride couldn’t be better – back to Central, but do pay attention, and remember how big Central really is and don’t just get on the ferry right next to where the bus drops you off thinking it is just a 5 minute ride across to Kowloon. No…., no, in retrospect, time would probably have been better served reading the signs instead of running for the ferry that was leaving in 3 minutes…. …..hmmmm, so where is Cheung Cheu anyway? Ok, so now you are on a ferry, in the dark, going somewhere you have no idea…and Kowloon is slowly disappearing astern.…A ferry is a bad choice to make a mistake with - you can’t just get off at the next station…I wonder how long it takes to get there….do you suppose there is a return ferry?

So, as so often happens, the best things are found by accident. Cheung Cheu is totally off the beaten path, has a lovely little seaside esplanade with shops and eateries, and if you’re wondering, is about a 55 minute ferry ride…and the last ferry is at 11:30….

Pictures - Stanley Market, Repulse Bay, Hong Kong from Victoria Peak, Hong Kong skyline from the ferry

Day2 - Hong Kong

Day2 – a little less adventurous today – just did the main markets that just happened to be very conveniently placed right outside our hotel. The flower market was totally amazing – very tempting to just buy flowers for the hotel room, they are sooooo cheap! The bird market was interesting to say the least – not a huge market, but bigger than you might expect, and noisy – thousands of different birds for sale. Goldfish market was not nearly as noisy. Then there was the ladies market, the electronics market, the sporting goods market and of course the general market… had a fabulous Thai dinner for virtually nothing…and then back out into the night markets – have you ever noticed how a city is completely different at night?...

Day1 - Hong Kong

So, right off the top an astute reader will notice that posts are not going to occur on a daily basis…..at least until a internet connection can be found on a daily basis - this having to pay for a connection really sucks! Anyway, we arrived! The now not so new airport is really, really big (especially in comparison to the old one) but we didn’t hang around for a good look ‘cause who wants to do that after sitting up for 20 hours?...so we got a ride into ‘town’, Kowloon, to our hotel which is very nice indeed and then we went to sleep and woke up about 10 hours later – right on time for breakfast!

Pictures- airport and hotel lobby / hotel pool

Day1 – I think we did a first today – we actually walked the length of the city – which we really didn’t mean to do, it just kind of happened – you get looking in shops and then markets and so on and pretty soon you’ve covered 10 blocks…and then 20 and then the bay and you can’t go anyfarther.

Pictures - Kowloon streets and parks