Dream, Explore, Discover…

 

As the years go by people are more disappointed by the things they didn’t do than what they did.  So sail from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds and dream, explore, discover…

Rainbow Falls

 

This is Rainbow Falls and the connecting trails by Kerikeri.  The waterfalls and the hiking trails were so beautiful it made me teary. I’m not sure if it was because they were so magnificent or because we are leaving it all in a few days.

It’s easy to fall in love with New Zealand

 

We drove up the coast and stopped in the Doubtless Bay then continued to the northern most tip of New Zealand.  It was a long drive but worth the effort.  There were lush cliff sides that zigzagged down to silky sand beaches.  

Also as usual there were very few people..

Te Awa Lodge

 

We are staying at the Te Awa Lodge with our cottage facing a raging river.  It has a lovely zen sound day and night.  The only lights at night are from the stars. It’s the perfect place to decompress.

The owners of the lodge are; Adilson & Martin but really their sweet poodles; Whittaker & Coco run the show.

If you are visiting the bay of islands this is where you want to stay!

The ferry to Russell Island

 

There are over 140 islands in the Bay of Islands.  We took the ferry to Russell Island and hiked to the highest peak.  I loved the path, with the thick bush and exotic birds it felt like a jungle.  But the good news is there were no snakes because there are NO snakes in New Zealand…..NONE!  One more reason to love New Zealand!

This should scare you…

 

Before leaving for New Zealand we watched a documentary about the reasons you should live in New Zealand (not just visit).  They had 15 reasons, the first ones were no surprise; a gorgeous country, good healthcare, friendly people, quality education etc.  But the last reason was; if there is an all out nuclear war New Zealand might be the most survivable place on earth to be.  All of the super powers are in the Northern Hemisphere.  In fact only 10 to 15% of the worlds population lives in the Southern Hemisphere.  So New Zealanders, in their far south, self contained environment might survive?

Maybe we should work harder at world peace…

Kerikeri / The Bay of Islands

 

Today we flew to Kerikeri and then drove along the ocean to the Bay of Islands.  We started on the southern tip of New Zealand three weeks ago and have now worked our way up to the northern tip.  We have one more week to enjoy this beautiful country.

New Zealand countryside

 

We went off-roading in the New Zealand countryside and only got lost once.

In the second photo all of the cows in the pasture came running down the hillside to check us out?…greet us??

The people of New Zealand

 

The people of New Zealand were made for the outdoors!  They are rugged, earthy & capable.  They are also really, really, kind, friendly and always willing to help a complete stranger.  We felt this on our first steps into the country.  When we walked up to passport control (this group is usually not the friendliest) they smiled, asked a couple of questions about our stay, wished us a pleasant holiday, smiled again and said; “g’day”!

The curry platter

 

We stopped at an outdoor restaurant and I asked the waitress what the curry platter was.  She said; WHAT!  You have never had a curry platter??  I said; isn’t curry that spice from India or something?  Waitress; you have really never had a curry platter?  She looked at me like I had 4 eyes.  The man at the table next to us said; You have really never had a curry platter?  So, of course I had to order the curry platter, it had fried bananas, cabbage, curry and lots of other foods I had never heard of.  It really was very good!  Then a man walked by our table and said; How’s the curry platter?  I said, it’s very good, it’s the first time I’ve had it.  He said; What!, you you have never….and here we go again…. This must be the same as someone in the US saying; What’s a hamburger & fries?

What are the safest countries in the world…

 

The safest and most trusting countries in the world are New Zealand and Iceland according to the Global Peace Index.  It’s a precious title to have.  When flying within the country here in New Zealand there are no security checks, none!  They don’t feel the need for them because who would harm another traveler?  

We traveled to Iceland recently and we stayed at a hotel in Reykjavik.  I forgot my key in the room so I went downstairs to get another one.  I told the man at the front desk I needed a new key and room number, he just politely gave me a new key (no questions asked, not even my name)  because of course he believed it was my room!  

There are a number of reasons why people in these countries are so trusting but “trust me” its heartwarming to see their belief that all people are good.

Hiking the Waikato River

 

We hiked along the Waikato River.  The underground geothermal water flows along with the unique vegetation on the shore gives the river its beautiful turquoise colors.  There was a thundering waterfall at the end.

Taupo, New Zealand

 

We left the Sound and flew to the town of Taupo which is by Taupo Lake, the largest lake in New Zealand.  In the back ground you can see snow covered Mount Ruapehu which is New Zealand’s largest active volcano.  

The Māori Indigenous People

 

The Māori people were the first ones to settle in New Zealand in the 1300’s.  They came in boats from the South Pacific.   It wasn’t until the 1800’s that people from Asia and Europe came here.  Currently New Zealand is about 16% Māori and they continue to speak their language and honor their culture.  We see the Māori with these tattoos fairly often.  The tattoo’s are not considered a “lower class” symbol but rather an important tradition.  Women have tattoos that run from their lips and down over their chins.  They start adding them when they “become of age” and then add more designs when they marry and have children.  Men will have tattoos all over their bodies that speak to their family history and accomplishments etc.  The Māori are spiritual and have a strong connection to the earth and oceans as well as a respect for society and family.

Although the Māori face some discrimination here for the most part they are accepted into society.  Children are taught in school to respect their history and customs.  In general people from New Zealand are very open minded, warm, inviting and tolerant of all types of people.  They take pride in not discriminating against people who are different from themselves. I wish every country were like this 💟

Did you know…

 

Did you know that New Zealand is the least corrupt country in the world?  Actually, New Zealand, Finland and Denmark all tied for doing the best with a score of 88 out of 100.  To see the entire list and the criteria used google; Corruption Perception Index.

The dolphin whisperer

 

This is Simon, he works at the Punga Cove Lodge where we are staying for a week.  He has more positive karma than anyone I have ever met.  One day we asked him if he ever sees dolphins in the bay.  He said, he does and he would help attract some for us.  Within 30 seconds there was a huge pod of dolphin swimming and jumping into the air near us…..

So I asked him if he ever sees whales???

The best views are at the top!

 

Today we hiked one of the highest mountains in the Sound.  Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?

The 2nd photo is of mountain goats we saw on the way.

The Queen Charlotte Hiking Trail

 

The Queen Charlotte Hiking Trail runs for 42 miles along the coastline by our lodge.  We hiked 8 miles of it and then took a ferry back.  The cool thing about being in such an isolated country is you see many exotic trees and birds that we have never seen before.  Some of the birds here are only found in New Zealand.

The Marlborough Region

The country of New Zealand is long and narrow.  It split apart millions of years ago and formed two islands.  The area at the split is the Marlborough Region, which is known for wineries and the Marlborough Sound.  We are staying in the Sound, which has thousands of miles of untouched coast line, islands and breath taking beauty.  The photo on the next page is from our home on the hillside looking down at the bay.

Skipper Canyon Road - (not for the faint of heart!)

 We decided to take a drive into the mountains before leaving Queeenstown so we hired a driver and headed out.  The drivers name was Peter, he was 70…something, an ex-rugby player and full of stories.  We entered the Skipper Canyon Road, we later discovered how dangerous it was.  If you google “most dangerous roads in the world” it’s listed as number 5.  Over 100 years ago they discovered gold in this area (a lot of gold).   They carved this road into a sheer rock face, 600 feet high to take gold out by horse back.  Now it’s a treacherous one way road for rugged vehicles.  It has sheer drop offs that leave no room for error.  On the way in we went very slow so Peter could tell us all of his entertaining stories.  However on the way out, we thought he was late for happy hour or just trying to scare the hell out of us.  Alan filmed it, I just kept envisioning us at the bottom of the canyon in an upside down jeep never to be heard from again.   BTW; if you think adventure is dangerous try routine it’s lethal.

Leaving Queenstown

 

We’re leaving Queenstown today and heading to the Marlborough Region farther north.  It was a beautiful day so I headed out for a long walk with camera in hand.  

BTW the average annual temperatures in New Zealand are between 50F to 77F, most people assume it is a lot colder.  It’s perfect here, I hate to leave!

Can you spot the kiwi(s) in these photos?

 

If you guessed all of them you’re right.  Any person born and raised in New Zealand is called a Kiwi.  It’s not derogatory, it’s considered a term of endearment.

  

The kiwi bird on the next page is the national bird of New Zealand.  It’s a cute little flightless bird and is only found in New Zealand.

And of course we all know the kiwi fruit named after the cute little kiwi bird.

Kayaking through thousands of years of eroding rock water ways

 

We kayaked through these water canals which took thousands of years to carve through the rocks at the bottom of waterfalls.  The light danced through the crystal clear water.

Fiordland National Park

 

We took a boat ride through the Fiordland National Park which is one of the biggest fiord areas in the world.  Fiords are defined as steep glacier carved mountains that connect to deep lakes that ultimately connect to the ocean.

We had an unusually cool, snowy day but we made the most of it and loved the journey.  I think if I were to do it again I would go on an overnight boat cruise so I could also see the fiords in their dynamic colors at sunrise and sunset.  And see the stars at night with no competing light.  Oh well…next time.

New Zealand’s history is built on respect for the environment

 

The more we focus on the wonders of nature, the less taste we have for destroying it.

Adventure Capital of the World

 

Queenstown is known as “The Adventure Capital of the World”… so when in Rome….we went on this jet boat down the Dart River with great views and lots of thrills, then kayaked through the mountain passes. Queenstown is also where bungy jumping was invented…hhmmm we’ll have to think about that one???

Queenstown, New Zealand

 

We arrived in Queenstown today.  What a contrast!  Vietnam is about the same size as New Zealand however Vietnam has 100,000,000 people and New Zealand has only about 5,000,000.  They say there are more sheep here than people.  The air is clean, cool, crisp and my lungs are thanking me for it!  Because we are in the Southern Hemisphere its Spring here rather than Fall.  We’re looking forward to exploring tomorrow…