22/08/2006
Posted in News at 4:53 am by Mags
Had scenic tour of Auckland airport – the long term car park is no where near the domestic terminal !!! 
but after we’d checked in there was time for a yummy Raspberry and white choc muffin before bording our Quantas jet to Christchurch.
It was great to fly in daylight and be in a seat where I could actually see something! 
The Southern Alps run down most of the South Island – and the bits we flew over were covered in snow! But then you just hit flatness … like agreat big patchwork quilt – and thats Canterbury!
We were met at the airport by M’s brother Craig and his wife Sam 
(Craig was in his uniform so I actually felt a bit like royalty with a military escort 
) – we drove out to see the land M’s Mum and Dad have bought to build a house on to retire to just outside of Christchurch – you get a lovely view of the Southern Alps from there …. 
Then it was over to Sam and Craig’s place to meet their 2 sheep (Daphne and Rosie – we think!! 
) who are due to have lambs soon and the 2 cats Blue and Pepper – but the star of the show had to be Monty the dog – I think he’s a bull dog of some kind (and my Tour Guide 
hasn’t a clue either!) What a character – like a little grumpy old man who fell asleep as soon as he got into his basket – with some tremendous snoring … reminded me of someone … 
Permalink
21/08/2006
Posted in News at 4:35 am by Mags
Spent some time on my blog then we went to visit Auckland Museum which currently has a Viking exhibition on …
Tuesday we just chilled then went to see Pirates of the Carribean/ Caribbean/ Carribbean 2 (look too tired to spell!!!) 
It was good – and I felt the 2 and half hours flew – sampled the choc topped ice cream they have at the cinema nice – not the choice we have at cine world tho … :big shock:
Visited Victoria Market which was once the site of a big old mill – the chimney The Destructor is still there – saw a neat t shirt I was tempted to buy – “Catholic School Survivor” on it – would the dep head of a cat lick school get away with wearing it I wonder …. 
We also did trips out to Long Bay and Browns Bay just so I could have my top up of sea air :LOL:
This was really a respite week after all the charging about we’d done and a chance to catch our breaths before flying down to Christchurch 
BUT I was also witness to history as on Tuesday The Maori Queen died.
I didn’t realise that there was one (and I suspect nor did alot of non Maori’s!)
The preparations for the funeral meant alot of people gathering in one place at the big meeting house of the tribe she belonged to …
The traditional symbol for Maori mourning is a garland of greenery worn on the head.
Permalink
15/08/2006
Posted in News at 9:49 pm by Mags
Woke to some quite squally showers but being the epic explorers we are it didn’t put us off heading for Flagstaff Hill – so called because one of the local Maori chiefs Hone Heke took offence to the flag flying there and chopped the flagpole down 4 times!
The views from up here were spectacular – yes did take loads of pics …
From here we went to the local museum and then on to Pompallier House which is the last surviving building of the most important Catholic mission in the area. The Catholics set up after the Protestants (who were very anti Catholic cos it was before the repealling of the act against being a Catholic in England) The Protestants had a printing press on which they printed not very nice things about Catholics so the bishop of the time Pompellier, a Frenchman set up his own printworks and they printed in Maori !
He seems to have been quite a radical guy for his time – he was all for the Maori keeping their traditions and culture alongside the Church’s teaching (this was back in the 1800′s) and he had a clause put in the Waitangi treaty to say every one was free and entitled to worship who and whatever they liked and to up hold their traditions – our guide , a lovely lady called Irene, told us that this paragraph is left off the facsimilies that are sold as it was on a second page – but she said it is really the most impotant part of the treaty fundamental to society today .
The house is still a printing and tanning works – Murray almost got a job as a printer as he showed a natural aptitude for it!!! (I was quite good at softening the leather!!!)
Pompallier House
The day before we had visited Kerikeri where the oldest surviving wooden and stone buildings from the European settlers stand – These were part of the Church Missionary Society which was given the job of “Anglicising’ the local Maori
Look at the pics
after the visit to Pompallier it was time to go back on the ferry to head down SuperHighway 1 to Auckland
Permalink
14/08/2006
Posted in News at 12:24 am by Mags
This weekend was the Bay of Islands Jazz and Blues Festival which was a total coincidence on the part of My Lovely Tour Guide 
to book us up there …
We had a quick stroll round the town of Paihia in bright sunshine coming across street musicians every so often – and even getting ‘spotted’ 
It was almost a “Miss Delaney’ moment – but it was someone who knew Murray (and about me !!! )
From here we went to Waitangi which is very important in the history of New Zealand as a country as it was here the Treaty between the Maori and the Paheka (non Maori – mostly the Brits in this case) was signed in February 1840. The treaty meant that governorship of NZ went to GB and that meant peaceful land purchase for European settlement and the Maori were guarenteed potection over tribal authority and customs.
Whether the Brits kept their side is debatable but the Treaty and its clauses still underpin much of the political landscape of NZ today.
Have learned alot about Maori culture and history during this trip – and that New Zealand 
is much ‘newer’ than I thought historically … we’re only talking 1000 years since the first Maori arrived and settled and the Brits and others the early 1800′s …
Waitangi was very interesting the Te Wahre Runanga (meeting house ) there is unique as the carvings that adorn it represent ALL the Maori tribes of NZ so it is a meeting house to be shared.
It had a very spiritual feel to it – a bit like when you go into a church.
Waitangi Treaty Grounds
From here we drove back south a bit to catch the ferry across the Bay of Islands to our next stop – Russell – once known as the Hell Hole of the South Seas!!!!! 
Permalink
13/08/2006
Posted in News at 11:57 pm by Mags
So off along Super Highway 1 again this time North (SH1 runs the length of the country – I’m not sure how it get from one island to the other tho… 
First stop was meant to be the “Historic Village of Puhoi” settled by Bohemians back in 1863 …
you can see what we did …
Puhoi
as we just drove through it due to lack of signs (actually got the brochure for it somewhere else!
)
but we did stop off at The Art of Cheese Cafe …
now it may be because I’m upside down and living 11 hours ahead of where I’m usually but my lickle brain thought this was going to be somewhere where they did art with cheese 
(I blame Heather – she’s got me looking for art ideas everywhere!!!! 
)
It was actually a cheese making place – and you could see them doing it …
Art of Cheese
and they made a mean cup of hot chocolate too 
from here we drove to The Kauri Museum.
The Kauri tree is a massive native timber in NZ and its timber and gum was one of the things that allowed the early settlers establish themselves.
Kauri
It was a really interesting museum – and the size of the trees were staggering but the highlight for me was the school – and the terms and conditions of employment for the teachers! I would have been sacked as I have broken a number of the protocols already!
I have been riding in an automobile with a man who is not my father or brother!
And I have gone beyong the boundry of the district !!!
Hope the rules are a little less strict these days!!!!!!!!! 
We carried on further North over some very high hills and windy roads to stay the night in Paihia
Paihia
stayed in another lovely apartment block (he is good this Tour Guide ) The Anchorage Motel and dined at a fantastic restaurant called 34 0 , which was once the aquarium – and still has fishes swimming around in a big tank … but not one you choose something for your plate from!!!
The Bay of Islands by moonlight was gorgeous even if it was a little on the chilly side 
Permalink
Posted in News at 11:21 pm by Mags
Woke to glorious sunshine interspersed with some showers – did the washing like a dutiful girlfriend 
It was a bit of a funny day as Murray had to go with his Mum to have Cuddles the cat put to sleep … so we weren’t really in the mood for much.
Went for a walk on Takapuna Beach in the afternoon just for some air.
You are not too far from the coast in any direction here – infact can see the coastline from Marg’s kitchen window!
The next day we went to Devonport which is one of the oldest parts of Auckland – a real oldie worldie community – with a huge emphasis on sailing – the winner of the tall ships race (so my Tour Guide tells me 
) was a member of the Devonport Yatch club.
The town itself is built on the slopes of Mt Victoria one of Aucklands volcanoes – there’s about 80 of them …
they say they are extinct …. hmmmm….
Devonport
We then went a little further up the coast to North Head.
North Head was a very important part of the defence of Auckland – its now a reserve but you can still walk through the tunnels and go up to the gun placements on top of the hill.
Murray used to come up here when he were a nipper when the family would be watching Grandpa take part in sailing events – but I get the feeling M was more into exploring the tunnels than boats … 
Some wonderful views from the top of the skyline of Auckland which ranges from beautiful bays to mountains (volcanoes!!) to the modern skyscrapers donimated by the Sky Tower
Off further North tomorrow … hope the weather picks up … 
Permalink
11/08/2006
Posted in News at 10:53 pm by Mags
Taupo – another lovely seasidey feeling place – but on the shores of a lake (a volcanic one!!! )
We didn’t spend much time looking round actually as it was raining so much,
The weather in NZ has been very wet these last few days with reports on the news about landslips and houses nearly falling down holes – but not in Auckland I hasten to add 
Taupo
Anyway back to our trip along the Thermal Explorer Highway (or Super Highway 1 as I’ve christened it! 
)
First stop the Huka Falls
The Falls
A very fast flowing gorge with a spectacualar falls at the end of it – and people go in jet boats up to it and do all sorts of mad things like 360 turns in it and other generally “I’m not doing THAT Murray!” type things …
From there it was a short hop to the Volcanic Activity Centre – yes was in my element ! Lots of words like “tectonic” and “subduction zones” being banded about (yes I know I’m a sad geographer! 
) Its one of those interactive places so there were lots of things to play with – and the beauty of this trip is everyone else is at work so you get to go on things loads …. 
Where I’d like a job!
Having survived a 6 on the Reichter scale – in a simulation I might add :
it was off to some more hot spots at The Craters of the Moon – this is a realtively new thermal area which came about because of the local power station – and is still forming !
The rain came down which really steamed the place up – good for my chest though – after all those years of being held over steam to clear it as a child I just got to walk through it !
(will get back to you with link for that! I have got pics but my blog won’t take em!!)
From here we went to visit New Zealand Wood craft
Wood
where we saw a lathe demo much like Dad does – infact the business was up for sale … I could work the till Dad! 
The native wood the Kauri was what the Maoris used to build their canoes – massive trees!
From here we wound our way back over the mountains along superhighway 1 and some pretty dire rain storms back to Auckland
Permalink
09/08/2006
Posted in News at 7:02 am by Mags
Sun decided to make an appearance 
as we hit the road bound for Taupo via some more sites of geo thermal interest for Miss Intrepid Geog/Geologist here!
First stop the Wai -O- Tapu thermal wonderland – complete with perfoming geyser (10.15a.m. daily!!!! 
) here you actually get to walk over some real life unstable ground!!!!
The colours are amazing – and so is the steam!
Wai-O-Tapu
From here we headed to Okarei Korako which you have to get to by boat – its called the Hidden Valley and because we were practically the only visitors there it was very spooky walking along the bush trail … well I was spooked 
The most creepy bit for me was the Ruatapu Cave – looks lovely on the pictures but there was something about it … I didn’t go all the way to the bottom like my intrepid Kiwi – the memorial sign saying the spirit of a local Maori boy who had been killed in WW2 ‘hovered’ in the cave didn’t help my nerves much either …
Murray being the intrepid explorer that he is went all the way down to the pool at the bottom … and then wished he hadn’t after the very steep climb back up
The Hidden Valley
From here we drove down to Taupo through the rain which had decided to follow us from Rotorua …
more lovely accomodation (didn’t I tell you I was with THE Premiere Tour Guide of NZ ) and dining at NZ’s No1 Pizza Place for 2006 The Volcanic Kitchen – stone baked on wood fires – the waya Mama lika s to make it 
And after all that we decided to have a quiet night in before making our way back up The Thermal Explorers Highway (not making it up ) to Auckland via one or two other spots …
To be continued … 
Permalink
« Previous Page — « Previous entries « Previous Page · Next Page » Next entries » — Next Page »
Sam her tactical reasoning 
and Murray his Arien streak 
… me? well I just hit it like a hockey ball and hoped for the best!!! 
we hit the hot pools – outdoor hot pools – hot pools that you have to walk around in the fresh air to get to 
and kept my towel with me – which was just as well as my Tour Guide 
insisted we try out all the pools!!!!
) to revive him – he apparently said “ka reka te korora” (“how sweet is the penguin” – which I totally agree with – but my definition of sweet doesn’t involve tasting them!!!!!!!!! 
)
– a real oldy worldy place (though it was the 4th building on the site as the other 3 had been burned down … 
) We must have had the best room in the place – the veiw was gorgeous and we had our very own jazz gig going on beneath our feet – it wasn’t loud just like having the radio on but it was cool 