Australia Part 6/ NZ3

Today we are in Tauranga and we are taking a tour.  First stop on the tour is a kiwi grove.  The kiwi grow on short trees that overhang, almost like vines.

see... now you know.

Next stop is a Maori area.  The Maori are New Zealand indigenous people, and they did not have it any easier here than the native Americans had it in the US.  There were wars and intolerance, but today the Maori culture is respected, so much so that the native Maori language is taught in schools and on all signs in NZ.  

As we enter the area, a warrior comes up and makes an offering to us.  If our leader picks it up, we are there in peace.

The Maori do this beautiful thing when they meet- they touch hands, foreheads and noses, which signifies a sharing of breath and knowledge.

You would not believe that this Maori lady has a sister that lived in Laconia, NH for 10 years.  She and her family have visited many times, and she was telling me how much she loves that area and how she spent some summers at the lake.  Small world.  Even weirder,  the sister now lives in Florida.

They younger people of the family performed traditional dances.

and of course asked for audience participation.

The boys got to do the haka, which looks something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-lrE2JcO44

They were scary!

We loved Tauranga, and were sad to be leaving this place.

Rebound.  Next stop Bay of Islands, where the weather is finally warm enough for us to hit the beach.

The kids spent all day digging and playing in the tide pools.

As we were waiting for the ferry back to the boat there was time for some rock skipping.

Time to get off the boat in Auckland, NZ, where we had a few days to recuperate before heading back to school.

Goodbye Celebrity Century... we'll miss you!

Hello Villa Maria Winery!

If you know us you know there is always time for a factory tour.

These tanks are cold storage for wine, and if you drank one bottle per day it would take you 510 years to empty one tank.  Who's up for a challenge????

This is the bottle works, which was quiet today.  

By this point we are all wiped out and ready to head home.  Luckily we were leaving the next morning.  All in all Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania are amazing places to visit.  Because they all speak English (sort of, Gary still has no idea what was said during an hour long conversation he had with a taxi driver) it is a lot easier to get around, order food, grocery shop and get a hair cut (which I did on the last day at a place called The Shearing Shack!).  It is easier to have discussions about the Republican nominations while you are sitting by the pool.  All of those things are easier, but it takes some of the adventure out of the trip... we never once said, "What do you think that is?" as we took a bite of our dinner. 

It is always good to end with smiles like these.  We hope you enjoyed our trip. 

Where should we go next??? 

Australia Part 5/ NZ2

Doesn't this look fake?

I think so, too, but it isn't.  It's Akaroa, NZ, where we decided that we would go on walk-about.  Now, just so you know, a real walk-about is usually taken alone, and can last months... but those people obviously don't have kids... so ours lasted about 3 hours... and if you ask the kids, that was about 2 1/2 hours too long...

We started this journey at the pier and walked down to the information center to get a map of the area.  When we got there, we found out that the maps were $1, which I considered money well spent... of course, you all know my tendency to get lost, and having this $1 map was sure to keep us found.  It was so cute, it was a map especially designed for people like me.. it had things on it like:  big green mailbox.... pile of rocks by picnic table... you know... the kind of map MADE for people who get lost. 

Park with 3 palm trees and memorial to men lost at sea... on the right track...

Our route is supposed to bring us to some amazing views of the water, and circle back down to town.

So we climb and climb... and just so you know, it is STEEP!

We are about 1/4 of the way up the hill and already the views are amazing.  You can see our cruise ship just over the trees.  We can't wait to get to the top!

Now, you know we can't get lost, because we have our $1 map, and two grown adults who have driven on at least 3 continents... so here we are on what appears to be a clearly marked path...

... and the views are still amazing...

but, of course we get lost, run into some sheep and a fence and have to turn around and retrace our steps back down the hill.  I want a refund!

The long march back...

Again, the pictures don't do it justice, just how steep these roads are, but this sign might give you some indication!

Last stop of the day, a little lighthouse.

and one more shot of the cruise ship and Akaroa harbor.

The next day is Wellington, the capital of NZ.  This is the capital building, which I think looks like a pool filter.

The waterfront there is really pretty and very artistic.

The TePapa museum has free admission and lots of cool things to see.  Too bad we all had sea legs and got queasy in closed spaces.  We lasted about 1 hour...

R-Man banging on  a native drum.

We have been in a few ports these past few days, and the one thing that you notice about these ports is that they all have huge yards full of lumber.  Not shipping containers, just big piles of lumber...

...all going to China.   I should have been taking pictures the whole time, but there will be a few coming up.  It is staggering to see the amount of lumber being sent.  

Next stop, Napier.

(more lumber)

More walking, this time up a hill to Bluff Hill, a scenic overlook... which you can't really see because it is cloudy and overcast. 

Luckily there was this waterfall to take a picture next to.

The beach in Napier is all made up of these pebbles and rocks.  No sand.  It is like getting a 2 hour accupressure treatment.  We aren't sure if the beach is like this naturally or if this is some sort of weird beach reclamation project, so if you know, please comment!

Another formal dinner, this time with chocolate milk...

...and escargot...

R-Man was feeling brave and went over to the captain, who he called Captain Caramel, to have his picture taken.

The cruise staff is just amazing.  Here the kids are with Sonny from the Philipines and Tatiana from Ukraine, and a big Baked Alaska.

One more post until we are home~