Roaming ‘Round New Zealand

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Matt delivered us to the Traverse City airport a little after noon. Our 3:30 flight kept getting delayed, but we made it to Chicago with more than enough time to catch our connection. It was bitterly cold, and the prospect of arriving someplace where it’s summer kept our spirits up, in addition to the excitement of seeing Hannah for the first time in a year and a half.

Upon arrival to LAX we made our way to our gate, navigating through the giant airport pretty easily. We tried to eat the last of the tangerines I had brought along, knowing we could face a big fine if we tried to “smuggle” them into NZ. (The videos I’d watched about their customs enforcement were quite intimidating!)

We eventually got onto the 7077 headed to Auckland, seated at the second to last row, and the middle two seats. The woman next to me fell asleep almost immediately and snored loudly for most of the 12 hour flight. She wore noise canceling headphones, probably to protect her from herself. Sleep seemed elusive. The woman in front of me was watching “Killers of the Flower Moon” when I nodded off, and was still watching it when I awoke, and it didn’t seem like the movie had progressed very far. I didn’t know if she had shut it off for a while to sleep or if I had only slept for a few minutes. As the flight progressed, my only measure of time was watching TV shows and movies. I had time for several episodes of Pachinko, which my book club chose for next month; The Fellowship of the Rings, and Up in the Air, which was fitting considering our air and hotel experiences. 

After what seemed like forever, we finally arrived in Auckland. Being trapped in the plane for so long, even the seams on my clothing were irritating! And, those damned tangerines left enough scent in my bag that the customs beagles flagged me for a search! The poor customs agent was treated to the hell that is a middle-aged woman’s purse, and he probably won’t ever be the same. But he was very polite about it.

When we exited the airport to find our hotel shuttle, the warm weather, palm trees, and variety of tropical plants instantly shifted my mood. We waited for the shuttle for a bit, and every driver who stopped checked in to see if we were in need of a lift—everyone has been so friendly. 

The shuttle ride to the hotel was a bit like Harry Potter’s trip on the Night Bus. We arrived safely, though, and were thrilled to find the hotel, Auckland JetPark, had a pretty outdoor area where we could have a beer while we waited for check in time. After check-in, a shower and nap were in order before dinner. Geoff was happy that mussels were on the menu, and we enjoyed the outdoor setting. After dinner, we faded fast and went to bed early. We received a text from Hannah around 2:45 a.m. that she had arrived at the hotel. 

Sunday (I’ve lost track of the date—it was Thursday afternoon when we left Traverse City and I think Saturday morning NZ time when we arrived in Auckland.)

Hannah met us for breakfast at the hotel around 9. It was so nice to see her in person after a year and a half of her living in Australia! We all tried not to cry–some of us were more successful than others. Facetiming is a lucky thing to have but it’s no substitute for hanging out! Breakfast at the Jetpark was lovely—so many new fruits to try! We are seeing a lot of people with traditional Maori tattoos, particularly the chin tattoos. I’m looking forward to learning more about the culture here—I am quite an ignoramus about this country.

After breakfast, Hannah took the night bus back to the airport to pick up a rental car (so lovely she’s going to be chauffeuring us around!) Around 11 we took to the road. It didn’t take long to be outside of the city of Auckland and enveloped by grazing land. There are cows and sheep everywhere, and people driving farm equipment on the edge of the highway. Random palm trees fill in the treeline between pastures, and in the distance, there are mountains. The weather was warm and clear, and the sight of blue sky after so many subzero days in Michigan this January was such a treat! We stopped for lunch in a little town that Hannah had scouted out, and ate outside. The food here has been delicious so far—lots of seafood, beef, fruit, salads. I had a second breakfast at this delightful spot. 

After leaving our lunch stop, the road led to the coastline, which reminded me a bit of driving the California coastline, except no guard rails. They clearly expect you to be on your game here. The speed limit was way too high in all of our opinions—I don’t think we even went the speed limit for a long stretch of the coastline drive.

And then we took a right and headed up into the mountains. Oh my goodness! When I’m hiking in the UP I use my road atlas to check and be sure Google Maps isn’t leading me into a good place to get stuck in the middle of nowhere. In this instance, we were in no danger of getting stuck, but rather falling off the side of a mountain. The road was paved at first, and before each curve, where the road always narrowed, there would be a sign saying which direction had right of way. The fact that the road turned to one lane just as you lost sight of oncoming traffic seemed like a serious design flaw, but they didn’t have much space to work with. And then, the pavement turned to gravel, the right of way signs disappeared, and we kept climbing higher. Occasionally a cone would mark a washout in the road, or some other hazard we had to steer around. We pulled over to allow others to pass a few times. Thankfully, there wasn’t much other traffic, but that made me a bit nervous, as well. 

I was sitting in the rear passenger seat, looking out over the mountain edge. It had been difficult enough to get used to the car being set up with the driver’s side on the right, and that we were driving on the left side of the road (thank goodness Hannah already had time under her belt with this set up!) I just tried not to distract her with shrieks or sharp intakes of breath. The navigation said 13 miles until our next turn, and that 13 miles went by at a snail’s pace, but I wouldn’t have wanted to go any faster. When the road finally began to head downhill, that was even scarier, as I wasn’t sure she had much experience on gravel roads. (Although she told us some stories about driving around Tasmania in a freak winter snow that I think were supposed to inspire confidence. I am proud of her adventurous spirit and driving skills, no doubt!!!)

At last, the road turned to pavement, and we saw a caravan campsite, and some other vestiges of civilization, and could breathe a sigh of relief. Within a few minutes, we were on the outskirts of Whitianga, headed to our condo Airbnb. 

We checked into the condo without trouble, and were happy to see that we had a small view of the ocean from our deck, and could hear the waves. Hannah headed off for a nap (well earned!) and Geoff and I settled in. Eventually, we took a walk to a nearby grocery to get supplies for dinner, and grilled burgers once Hannah awoke. We spent the evening watching the first third of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and I think the plan is to make our way through the trilogy while we’re here. I can see why they filmed the movie here—the lush green and the mountains are a feast for the eyes!

Monday:

Geoff and I woke around 7 and had coffee and yogurt, and enjoyed a leisurely morning read. Our condo is around the corner from the bike path that runs along the beach, so we walked the beach until the bay emptied into some kind of river or reservoir, then walked through town, returning to the condo a different route than we had started. We found some small conch shells on the beach, and enjoyed watching the black sandpiper-like birds. When we arrived back, Hannah was awake, and we hatched a plan to walk into town for lunch. We did some shopping and then had lunch at “Stoked,” a waterfront bar playing the music of my youth. Clearly a tourist destination, but I did not care, as my red snapper and quinoa was delicious, the view was fabulous, and there were plenty of local conversations to eavesdrop—not for information, but just to enjoy the sound of the accent! 

After lunch we wandered home for naps, and our 4:00 reservation at The Lost Springs. I had researched things to do on a rainy day, and this was at the top of the list. Hannah had noted it in her research, too. On our walk home from the grocery store Sunday, Geoff and I had seen a sign at the edge of our parking area noting a path to the Lost Springs, so it was very convenient. And in spite of the rainy forecast, it was lovely and sunny when we departed. The springs are part of a spa, and they have constructed artificial rock formations around them, with some geodes and neon lights in the caves. Some parts were quite kitschy, but the flowering trees and other greenery were really lovely. They had quite a cocktail selection, which we enjoyed, and Geoff got a lesson in the finer points of Cricket from a local, who declared us “mad to live someplace like that” when Geoff described the current weather conditions in Michigan. He might not be wrong about that! After an hour or two in the springs, we changed for dinner and enjoyed a lovely meal before returning home. Hannah and Geoff both had pumpkin risotto, and I had a salad with coconut chicken. 

Tuesday we had a little earlier start as I had booked a wildlife-viewing cruise departing from the Coromandel Peninsula, about an hour away. We set off on yet another mountain road, although this one was paved the entire way. Several sections were under construction and down to one lane, which delayed us a little. While stopped for construction on a narrow curve, a truck came by with a “wide load” warning—it was carrying a swimming pool mold. I guess if he could make it through there, we could, too!

We arrived at a port on the Coromandel Peninsula and waited at a picnic table on the bay until it was time to board the boat. There were maybe 10 passengers in total. The captain, Richie, had just taken possession of the recently manufactured boat, and he drove it like he stole it through the building waves. We could see rain in the distance, and eventually did get rained on, but the boat had a covered roof, which helped a bit. The views were worth it, regardless of how wet we got. As we neared some islands, we began to see dolphin fins, and Richie took the boat closer to them for better viewing. There were at least 20 dolphins in the pod (are dolphins in pods, or is that only whales?) and they kept moving back and forth from either side of the boat. They were gray and darker gray, looking different from the blueish gray ones we often see in Florida when visiting mom and dad. They were so close you could see the smiley expressions on their faces. It was neat not only to see them, but to see the smiles and joy of everyone on the boat in their excitement to see them.

We continued on, circling various rock formations, all part of a preserve that cannot be ventured onto by people. We eventually anchored at a cove for swimming, and I borrowed a mask and snorkel. While Richie dove for sea urchins, I floated on the surface, marveling at the kelp and various fish that darted in and around, some of which came right up to me as if to say, “Hello, What are you?” They were so cute!

Eventually, it was time to get back into the boat. True to form, I stayed in until everyone but Richie was back on board. I could have floated around that bay all day. I had never snorkeled before, but I think I am a fan!

The ride back to port was bumpy and filled with sea spray. Upon returning to the dock, we dried off and settled in for the mountain road home, which seemed to take a lot less time on the return trip.

After naps and showers, Hannah drove us to a nearby town to Luke’s, which is known for its pizza oven. Geoff and Hannah’s pizzas had shrimp, courgette (zucchini) and andouille sausage, while I opted for coconut chicken, red onion and courgette. They were delicious. After returning home, we settled in for our next installment of The Lord of the Rings, beginning The Two Towers. The green rolling hills and craggy mountains of the movie’s scenery are just the everyday landscape here—it really is a gorgeous place.

Wednesday had a prediction of all day rain, so I took advantage of the lack of rain early in the morning to go for a walk. Geoff opted to stay behind—he’s been having some stomach discomfort. He’s trying to eliminate different things from his diet, but so far, there is no obvious culprit for his distress. I returned from my walk, did some yoga, read, and am now working on this log while listening to the construction workers across the driveway who are listening to Creed and other questionable music, and singing along loudly and badly—it is quite comical. 

We decided to head to a tourist attraction called Driving Creek Railroad in Coromandel Town, an old gold mining center now known as an artists’ center. In the ads, it looked like a funicular type of experience, where you got to a high point in a tiny rail car. It was another gorgeous and a little scary drive through the mountains, with rain spitting on and off. The mountain peaks were sometimes hidden by clouds, and sometimes peaking out when the clouds were below us. We were treated to beautiful views of the bay occasionally. 

When we arrived at the railroad site, we began to learn more about its founder, who had been a school teacher, but then decided to begin an artists’ colony. He chose this particular site because of the clay in the soil, pottery being his medium of choice. At some point in the 1970s, he decided to begin constructing this railway, which winds up to the top of a mountain. He did the work by hand, assisted by various volunteers. Except for the tunnels, no heavy equipment was used. As we made our way up the first stretch of track, there were signs explaining when the section was completed. Retaining walls made of tires, wine bottles, bricks, and other various materials lined the path in some areas. There were little “stations” along the way: sheds containing old Gatorade bottles, bits of pottery, tools, and all sorts of random objects. Occasionally we would see old cables, metal for tracks, and other building paraphernalia heaped in the woods. The woods were dense—lots of silver fern, huge pines, and a lot of things I couldn’t identify. The tour guide told us several endangered species, such as the kiwi, had rehabilitated in the forest, of their own choosing. There were also traps set for invasive animals, such as opossums, stoats, and a certain variety of wasps. 

Every so often the train would stop, and the engineer would head to the other end, and we would flip our seats around so as not to be looking backwards, and we would switch onto a new section of track. There were several trains out and about at the same time, and sometimes we had to pull to a side trace to allow them to pass. Eventually we made our way to the “Eye Full” Tower, which provided incredible views of the bay, and the forest below. It was raining pretty steadily, and the mist made the views quite magical.

On our trip down, the rain grew stronger, and we noted various pottery figures in the woods, along with the founder’s grave site. We sat near the cafe for a bit, hoping the rain would let up before heading to the car. We arrived downtown and found a restaurant for lunch—Hannah and Geoff had tuna poke bowls, and I had chicken tacos. Everything was delicious. Upon returning to the street, we had a laugh at some other tourists trying to get into our car—they had a similar model and color parked right in front of us, and couldn’t figure out why the car remained locked in spite of their tries with the fob. Geoff yelled out, “That’s our car” and we all laughed.

We continued our Lord of the Rings film festival that evening, and prepared to leave in the morning—next stop: Taupo!

Thursday, we had breakfast at the condo early and packed up, leaving around 9:00 a.m. Hannah had mapped out our drive, with a lunch stop in Touranga, a larger town on the Bay of Plenty. We found the sushi bar she had scoped out online, and drove around looking for a parking spot. It’s amazing to me how she can parallel park when the car is set up backwards and we’re on the left side of the road! Talk about brain plasticity!

After lunch, we wandered over to a used bookstore. I bought a travel memoir published in 1956 called “Roaming ‘Round New Zealand,” which seemed a fitting choice, given that’s what we’re doing. Geoff also picked up a book, as his choice from the library at home was not working for him. “They use so many commas,” he kept saying! 

Back on the road, we arrived at our airbnb in Taupo around 4. This is a home on a hill, with lots of other houses and a gang of neighborhood children. The kids have constructed a bike jump on the sidewalk, and are endlessly going up and down the steep driveway next door, challenging each other to various tricks on their bikes and scooters. Occasionally, a mom will come out to tell them to quiet down, be careful, go home, etc. It reminds me a lot of my childhood at Lake o’ the Hills! We made a run to the grocery store (Woolworths or “Wooly’s” more casually) where the clerk seemed surprised that we were from so far away. I cooked up a dinner of coconut rice and chicken thighs in chili sauce, and we continued our Lord of the Rings marathon to end the day.

Friday we had booked a boat trip to see some Maori carvings on Lake Taupo. Lake Taupo is HUGE, the largest fresh water lake in New Zealand, and while it is not as big as any of the Great Lakes, our skipper told us it is bigger than all of Singapore. (That means nothing to me, honestly, except that I know Singapore isn’t that big, as far as land masses go.) It was quite windy and waves were building on the lake when we arrived to our sailboat, which was about 40’. It had an electric motor, so it was quiet, which was nice. The skipper reefed the main, kept the jib reeled up, and flew the mizzen sail. We heeled only a little, but the waves made for a splashy and adventurous ride. The carvings were created in the 1970’s and depicted a Maori priest who helped guide his people to New Zealand over a century ago. The carvings were probably 50’ in height. The trip to get there provided some beautiful views, as the lake is surrounded by hills, mountains, and volcanoes. I could have gone on this trip every day, it was so pretty.

Afterwards, we headed out to lunch. Our waitress, who was a middle aged woman from Argentina, spoke to Hannah as she paid the bill about how sad she was about what was happening in our country. It was clear she believed we are being taken over by a dictatorship. She was very sincere, and it was disturbing to have this outsider’s take, which is my worst fear.

Back at base camp, Geoff and I read out on the porch while Hannah napped, and then we made dinner: Geoff grilled pork chops while I made more coconut rice (there was a lot of coconut milk in the pantry here!) and we had a peaceful evening, getting into the middle section of “The Return of the King” extended version, which is about four hours long. 

Saturday: I awoke early to complete what I thought would be a five mile walk, as it began in Taupo and ended at Five Mile Point. Apparently “mile” has a nicer ring than “kilometer,” because the walk was really only a 5k. I had planned for Hannah and Geoff to pick me up at the end point, and had sent Hannah the location the night before, but arrived much earlier than I expected, so she didn’t get much of a sleep in, as I was ready to be picked up around 9:30. It was a pretty walk along the bay, although still very windy. Lots of black swans, cormorants, and what looked like mallard ducks and Canada geese. Lots of men out swimming laps, too, in spite of the waves. After Geoff and Hannah picked me up, we headed back to base camp, and I made breakfast: Eggs in Purgatory and toast. Hannah is off to get a mani/pedi shortly, and I’m not sure what’s happening after that. It seems like a good opportunity to take a shower and do some reading. I’m working on “The Loneliness of Sunny and Sonia” right now (I may have garbled the title a little…) and it’s so good—beautiful writing.

After a lazy afternoon of reading on the deck, we mustered the motivation to head to the Taupo Social Club for dinner. Geoff and I both had fish and chips while Hannah had braised lamb. Afterward, we wandered around the marina for a bit, admiring boats. We returned home and finished the Lord of the Rings series, and are off to see the national park where a lot of it was filmed tomorrow!

Sunday:

Geoff and I awoke around six and enjoyed a few hours of reading before it was time to make breakfast. My used bookstore find, “Roaming ‘Round New Zealand” is really good. I’m enjoying how the author explains how to pronounce the Maori names of towns and things, and while I was worried that his take on Maori culture might be a little cringie, given this book was published in 1956, it’s actually quite progressive. The author is an Aussie, and when he compares the way the NZ government has tried to improve relations with the indigenous people, compared to Australia’s efforts or lack thereof, he often ends his paragraphs with: “Australia, do better!”

After a breakfast of eggs, sausage, tomatoes and avocado (which I had purchased from a stand at the bottom of someone’s driveway—they’re everywhere!) we headed off in the car to Tongariro National Park, about an hour and a half away. It’s where a lot of the Lord of the Rings movie was filmed, particularly Return of the King, as it contains the volcano that is Mount Doom, where Frodo throws the ring  into the volcano to destroy it. It was a beautiful sunny day and there were lots of camper vans parked along the lake, and people cliff jumping into the aquamarine water. As we got closer to the mountains, it was hard to envision them as the stronghold of evil portrayed in the movie, what with the palm trees, blue sky, and smell of blooming flowers in the air.

I had purchased tickets in advance for a gondola ride—this place is a booming downhill ski resort in the winter. I’d never been on a gondola before and I wasn’t sure how I would like the height or the swinging of the car. I took a timelapse video with my phone on the way up and it distracted me a bit. The 12-minute ride was over far too soon, and we found ourselves at the top of a mountain, with taller mountains surrounding us. Hikers on the ridge looked the size of Lego characters, they were so much higher up and further away.    

Even just walking up the slight incline to board the gondola, and walking to the cafe, I could really feel the altitude. I felt like my lungs weren’t inflating properly. Hannah mentioned having a headache. It was a reminder that I do not do well at high altitudes. If I ever have a return trip here to hike, I need to keep that in mind! I keep seeing hiking trail signs and it is very tempting to begin planning a return trip!

We had lunch on the balcony of the cafe at the top of the gondola ride and enjoyed the view, making Lord of the Rings jokes. When Hannah asked for our last onion ring, I asked her to hold it up against the backdrop of the mountain, in homage to the last part of the Return of the King, when Sam and Frodo finally accomplish their goal of throwing the One Ring into the pit of Mount Doom. 

After taking the gondola back down, we headed for Tawhai Falls, where one of the Lord of the Rings scenes featuring Gollum was filmed. It was graded as an easy hike on AllTrails, but I found in Alaska that sometimes “easy” is a relative thing. This trail wasn’t bad, though. About a 10 minute walk took us down 50 or more stairs and a gravel path. When we arrived at the falls, there was a large family picnicking and playing in the water, but they began to pack up and I was hoping for some photos, just as a group of men arrived and took their place. They didn’t stay long though, and I eventually had a couple minutes without people to take some photos. The water was an incredible greeny-blue, probably from glacial silt. It was so pretty. 

We huffed our way back to the car and headed home, where naps were in order. I slept and read out on the deck for a while, and it was so lovely to be warm and hear the birds chirp. The neighborhood children continue their antics on their bikes and scooters, and they are so funny to listen to. Eventually, I mixed up some guacamole for a light dinner, and we moved inside. Geoff queued up some of the boat restorers he likes on YouTube, and I had to laugh as we watched this guy in Canada build a ladder from pine trees so he could climb up into the boat he’s working on out in the open, in the snow. What a sufferfest. I think watching him just makes Geoff happier that he has a nice warm pole barn to work in. I read for a while, then headed to bed.

Monday:

Geoff and I went for a walk around the neighborhood in the morning, planning our route cautiously because of all of the giant hills. A block up, and a block down, but never too much down at once! We had breakfast around 10 and headed off to find Huka Falls, which flows from Lake Taupo. There is so much water flowing through the narrows at the falls it could fill an Olympic swimming pool in 11 seconds!

After a few false starts navigationally, we finally found a trailhead by the falls. There were a lot of other tourists there, who had apparently found a parking lot right at the falls—no hiking for them! We walked around a bit taking photos and wondering at the blue water—blue even as it frothed at the falls! There was a concession stand, so Hannah reinforced her caffeination, and Geoff and I got ice creams. Then it was off to Rotorua, and the geothermal pools. 

As we neared Rotorua, the smell of sulphur was quite evident. Some of the pools are on public land, and some have spas built around them and require payment for entry. We decided to have lunch then walk around a public park that had some pools. Hannah had scoped out a little Korean takeout place, where we enjoyed chicken, dumplings, pickled radish and some kind of gummy rice tubular-shaped thing in sauce. You can probably tell from my adjectives which one was out of my comfort zone. 

We then drove to the park and our first view along the path was a pool of thick gray mud, burbling and steaming. It was surrounded by lush green grass and moss–the contrast of color was striking. There were several small spa pool structures piping in water from the thermal pools where you could soak your feet. Paths led through some flower beds and green space, and at every turn, there were pools—some clear, some muddy, and some in between. All steaming and bubbling, although at different rates. And, lots of warning signs promising a painful death to anyone who ventured into the pools! The flowers were lush, there were bumblebees and monarchs flitting around, and in spite of the sulphur smell, it really was a lovely walk.

Heading home, we began to discuss plans for our departure in the morning. It’s a two hour drive to Te Kuiti, and we have to check out at 11, which gives us an extra two hours to kill. Just then, our next host texted to say we could check in any time tomorrow, so that gave us a bit more flexibility for the day. 

We returned home pretty early in the afternoon, and napped and lounged on the deck for several hours, again listening to the neighborhood kids play. We ordered in some Indian food for dinner, and settled in for the evening. 

We had finished up watching the LOTR trilogy, and decided to try a series that explores the time before the creation of the rings. It’s not nearly as compelling (maybe it’s just that I haven’t seen it a hundred times…)  but it’s nice to have something to do together to end each day, and we have had many laughs at references to the LOTR, whether it be the onion ring at Mount Doom, or the discussion of whether or not Hannah should take her Hobbit book into places where it might get wet, like the boat, just so she can read if the opportunity presents itself. “It wants to be read!” I told her. 

Tuesday:

After a breakfast of leftover Korean and Indian food, we cleaned up the Airbnb and packed the car. Along the way to Te Kuiti, we planned to stop at Craters of the Moon, another geothermal site. It’s mostly farmland for the rest of the drive, so this was the highlight of the day, or so I thought. 

Craters of the moon is probably 40 acres or more of geothermal sites. Boardwalks meander throughout, showing off the best viewing locations. The smell of sulphur is omnipresent, and little gusts of steam come up from tiny holes and cracks, competing for attention with the main attractions, which are probably big enough to steam a person in short order, complete with guttural belching and burping sounds coming from the earth. Again, there were warning signs about staying on the pathway everywhere. You could see old paths no longer in use, as the steam releases change on occasion. On the informational placards it explained that some steam release points went away after years of methodical release, and others popped up, on occasion. We also scoured the giftshop for some souvenirs, then got back on the road.

Upon arriving in Te Kuiti, we noted the railway station turned restaurant and other businesses downtown. It looks more like a working class town rather than the tourist towns we’ve been staying in. Its claim to fame is that it is the Sheepshearing Capital of the World, and they have a big statue to support that honor. We followed our directions out of town, up the hills, and after a questionable jaunt down a gravelly, steep driveway, arrived at our next stay, on a working sheep and cattle farm. (Mostly sheep, and a half dozen cows. They explained that most of the cows had just been sold. It’s the end of summer here, so I guess that’s how that timing works.) There are paddocks right up to our lawn, fenced off and delineated by blooming hydrangea bushes. The sheep wander around looking adorable and bleating occasionally. There is also a llama up the hill! Hannah and I are in cuteness overload!

In the evening, when John, the property owner, was walking down the driveway towards the paddock, I asked if I could come close to the fence for photos of the sheep. “Do you want to help herd them?” he asked. OMG, yes!!! So I stopped where he told me in the paddock and took photos and video. The herding dogs did all the work, except he had to go rescue two sheep that had gotten outside of the fence. Geoff came out, and so did Emma and their daughter Joanie. We chatted for a bit. They’re both full-time teachers; in addition to running a farm and an Airbnb, they just went back to school! I was exhausted just contemplating it!

Wednesday:

We had tours to both the glow worm caves at Waitomo and the Hobbiton movie set, so we got up earlyish to get going, as we had to check in for the cave tour by 9:30. It was predicted to be quite a warm day, and I was glad we were there early as we sat and waited for our tour to begin at 10:00. The caves were discovered in the late 1800’s and turned into a tourist attraction sometime after that, with the first trips taking all day, as visitors had to climb and rappel their way into the cave. Today, you follow walkways and stairs that are dimly lit, but the biggest discomfort was the occasional drip on the head. 

We traveled down to an underground river where a boat was tied up along the water’s edge. Our guide pointed out the glow worms, tiny bright blue spots of light on the ceiling, barely bigger than a pinhead. (No photos are allowed, so I’ve included one from their brochure.) We climbed into the boat and she pulled us along the lake using a series of ropes hung from the ceiling and walls. We were told that silence was required, and it really was magical to float along in the quiet, with just the sound of the water lapping at the boat’s edge, seeing the clusters of glow worms as we traveled along. They looked like a tiny galaxy on the ceiling. I can only imagine what the first explorers into this cave must have thought! Too soon, we could see the light where the underground river exited the cave; a beautiful spot in its own right, green and lush. 

And then it was on to Hobbiton! It was about an hour and a half drive, out to the middle of nowhere. Our Airbnb host advised us to fill up on gas before the trip, as we were headed to no man’s land, and we took her advice. The drive was gorgeous–rolling hills and lots of cows and sheep. It was a beautiful sunny day, but as we got closer to the movie set, thunderheads gathered and rain threatened. We parked the car and checked in, and the rain came POURING down. Hannah and Geoff looked around the gift shop while I sheltered under an awning. We had about 30 minutes before our tour departed, and I hoped it would clear up by then. We noticed a few people dressed in character as elves and a dwarf. It was funny watching them drink Gatorade and paw through their bags from the gift shop–staying in character was clearly not a thing.

The rain miraculously cleared up, and we headed onto the bus in a fine mist. By the time we arrived at the set across the street, it was a little steamy and muddy, but the rain had stopped. We began our tour, walking the paths through Hobbiton, treated to stories about how Peter Jackson’s team located this area (by plane) and negotiated with the sheep farmer who owned it to build a Hobbit town on his farm. The farmer has since turned the rented area into quite a financial boon! The Hobbit doors and landscaping were charming, and as the sun lowered in the sky, the light was just beautiful. It was a gorgeous walk, and an excellent end to our sightseeing.

The following day we headed to Auckland. Our America’s Cup boat outing had been canceled due to the Sailing Grand Prix being held in Auckland Bay that day, but it turned out to be so rainy and foggy that it wouldn’t have been pleasant sailing. Instead, we wandered around Auckland. Hannah bought some wool for knitting/crocheting and souvenirs for her colleagues, and we had lunch at a Korean restaurant.  We checked back into the Jetpark Auckland, and had dinner at the hotel. Hannah’s flight was early, so she was up in the middle of the night to return the rental car and catch her plane. Geoff and I had the luxury of a leisurely morning at the hotel before heading to the airport. Our flight home went smoothly, although it took forever. Over 20 hours of travel time. And then, I discovered that we had arrived home a day earlier than I had told Matt we’d need pick up! Luckily, he is a good brother and came and got us in Traverse City. After a quick bite on the way home, we flopped into our beds and began the recovery process. What a gorgeous trip it was! I didn’t trade back in my NZ currency, so I guess I’ll have to go back!