November 28 - New Zealand, North Island

One of the most enjoyable aspects of our time in New Zealand was the spectacular scenery. It seemed to be constantly changing as we journeyed from one place to the next. It would be nearly impossible to find a single descriptive word that might encompass all the changes and variations in the landscape.

When we left the harbour city of Auckland, we drove on to the absolutely beautiful botanic gardens of Hamilton. The roses were in full bloom and we spent a delightful afternoon wandering along the winding paths. 

It was then a bit of a shock when, after travelling not too many more kilometers down the highway, we came to Rotorua. The dramatic upheaval of red rocks and bare mountain outcrops was almost prehistoric.  It was easy to see that this area was prone to earthquake activity. There was a strong smell of sulphur in the air. At one point, we took a path through a public area of steaming geysers and hot bubbling mud pools. At the end of this post there is a picture of me standing on the path. The steam rising from the ground obliterates much else of the background.

In Rotorua, we stayed in a motel where the water pipes were heated with heat from this underground thermal activity.  The hot pool at the back of our motel was too hot for me to even put my foot in the water. Lyle, on the other hand, was determined to try and emerged looking as red as a cooked lobster.

Now, you might remember that I told you about the changing landscape?  When we left Rotorua, and only a few kilometers from the outskirts of town, we drove to the most amazing rain forest. It was a wonderfully cooling experience to wander the trails through the trees. We were happy that we had planned on having our picnic lunch there.

En route to Wellington we made a stop at Napier. Our friend, Joan, had lived in Napier for many years and her brother John still made his home there. What a great connection for us. John was amazingly well informed about the history of Napier and took us on a super walking tour of the city. We learned about the catastrophic earthquake of 1931, a quake that registered 7.9 on the Richter Scale and leveled most of the city. We admired the Art Deco style buildings that were erected following the disaster. I especially enjoyed strolling along the promenade by the waterfront. Our tour culminated in a delicious fish and chip meal at the local servicemen’s club.

Wellington was the next stop on our list. The city of Wellington is nestled in a natural basin by the harbour. By chance we had chosen a hotel located at the top stop of the funicular connecting the upper region of the city with the downtown core. We were really appreciative of this after we had spent a full day with Joan’s other brother, Colin. Colin took on the role of our guide as he showed off his city to us in an exhaustive and exhausting walking tour. Again, we were really fortunate to have the connection with such a knowledgeable guide.

It was on our second trip to New Zealand that we drove up the west coast of the north island. We started near Paraparauma, which was close to Colin’s home in Raumati Beach. Don’t you just love the sound of those Maori names! At this point we had our camper van and we were able to stop wherever and whenever we liked. The drive on the west coast was perhaps not as dramatic as that on the east coast but we enjoyed it just the same. The green hills were dotted with the tiny figures of white sheep. They say that in New Zealand there are more sheep than there are people. The second picture with this post was taken on this drive.

I was excited when we arrived at Waitomo, the site of some underground glowworm caves. I was also a little apprehensive. I wasn’t sure how I would manage the steps leading down to the caves and also wondered if I would even be able to see the lights of the glowworms. In the end, with my white cane in hand, Lyle and I joined the tail end of a small tour group. We had decided that if I couldn’t manage we would simply turn back on our own. We had alerted the guide to this possibility.

I think that my apprehension might have been a little unwarranted. I find that if I set my mind to something, I can usually cope. So it was that day. I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t see the pinpoint lights of the glowworms, but I do remember the acoustics of the final cave. When our guide invited any of our group to sing and test this out, I was intrigued enough to begin the refrain of  Now Is the Hour. This old war time song was popular in my school days and most of our group were soon joining in the singing. It was even better than singing in the shower.

These are just some of the spots we visited on our travels around the north island of New Zealand. If you are interested, in my next post I hope to take you travelling to NZ’s spectacular south island.   

 

Sue at geyser and mud pool at Rotorua

 

Countryside at the west coast of New Zealand

 

 

 

November 20 - New Zealand Memories

As I write this, I have already completed 50 miles of my virtual Alps to Ocean walk in New Zealand. As I go, I have been checking the NZ temperature. It is spring in the southern hemisphere right now and only a little warmer than it is here in Alberta at the beginning of winter. When Lyle and I were in New Zealand in real time it was also November. It was brisk. It might have been spring, but I remember many times needing, a jacket, gloves and I think I might have worn a headband or toque.

The temperature in New Zealand is definitely part of my New Zealand memories. There are two nights that stand out in regards to this. One was sleeping in our rented camper van on our first night after landing in Christchurch. The other was on the coast at Oamaru as we watched a colony of little blue penguins.

Ten years ago, you were permitted to camp anywhere by the roadside unless there was a sign prohibiting this. On our first night camping we were determined to take advantage of this policy. The spot we chose was in the middle of nowhere. There was no habitation in sight and the little traffic that we had encountered on the road during the afternoon evaporated altogether once the sun dipped behind the hills. It was pitch black outside and silent.

Nevertheless, before we huddled down in our sleeping bags, Lyle and I ventured outside. It was freezing cold but with no street lights to detract, we felt as close to the heavens as I think that I have ever felt. Wonder of wonders, I was able to see the stars. Perhaps this might not sound like much to you, but for me it was a small miracle. I hadn’t been able to see stars for ages, but that night in the hills and in the clear cold air, there they were. I might not have been able to see the entire spectrum, but it was enough for me to remember the sight some ten years later.

The second really, really cold night was at Oamaru on the east coast of the south island. During the day, we had wandered around the centre of the older section of town checking out the historic limestone buildings. It was warm in the sunshine and when we set off for the penguin reserve around dusk, it was hard to imagine that the night would become as cold as it did.

The penguin reserve was started in the 1990’s by some local conservationists. After the working quarry by the harbour closed down, locals noticed that the little blue penguins were beginning to come to shore on the evening tide to claim the area as a new nesting and breeding ground.  Volunteer townspeople recognized this as an opportunity not only to protect the habitat, but to open the area as a tourist attraction.

That November, as night fell, the cold set in and my teeth began to chatter. We sat quietly on wooden benches waiting for the first little blue penguins to swim to shore.  I couldn’t actually see this, but in whispers Lyle described to me what was happening. At first, one or two penguins braved the nightly excursion to the shore, but soon this was followed by tens and then hundreds of penguins coasting on the crest of the waves towards land.

When most of the penguins seemed to have found their nesting place the crowd began to disperse. However, one of the guides had noticed my white cane and suggested that we stay to the last when some of the penguins became brave enough to come closer to the trail. This is exactly what happened and lo and behold, I ended up being close enough to see a penguin. It was great and well worth sitting and standing around in the bitter cold.

We saw quite a bit of wildlife between Oamaru and Dunedin. We spent another afternoon (cold again) wandering around a sea lion reserve. We were certainly close enough to see these large animals - close enough that I was even a little nervous. On another day we happened to drive by a sheep auction. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of sheep herded into small enclosures. I have no idea of how the auctioneers were able to keep track of which sheep belonged in which pen.

When we arrived in Dunedin, I was eager to go to the albatross reserve on the eastern peninsula of the city. I have been fascinated by the idea of an albatross ever since reading The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner in high school. It was not to be. The birds were way too distant for my eyes to discern.

Although I was disappointed at the time, this story eventually had a happy ending. Last year when Lyle and I were in Glasgow, we visited a natural history museum. On display was a mounted life size albatross. It was positively huge – way bigger than I had initially imagined and not only that, I was able to get a really close up view.

There are two pictures with this post. The first is a picture of our camper van. It was nineteen feet long. To me it looked like an old ambulance vehicle and was definitely very cozy inside.

 

Sue waving from the camper

 

The second picture was taken as we drove along the valley towards the alps. It was a different drive.  We had expected to come across gradual foothills as we do when we drive from Calgary to Banff. Instead, at the edges of a more or less flat valley, individual hills and mountains seemed to pop up from the flat surface. This was so for many miles until we came upon the contrasting mountain peaks.

 

New Zealand mountains in the distance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 12 - Virtual Travel

Those of you who know me or at least have been readers of this blog will know just how much I enjoy travelling. COVID-19 has put a kibosh to this experience in real time. However, the time spent at home has provided an opportunity to relive some of our past trips and holidays. Not so long ago, I found another way to add to my trip down memory lane. I can travel virtually.

Some of this virtual travelling has happened as Lyle and I look over old photos, but in August, our friend Marguerite suggested that I might like to combine my urge to travel with a fitness program. She suggested a website that she had found quite motivating. I decided to give it a try. On September 1, I set out on a virtual walking trek along the Great Ocean Road in Australia.

There were numerous walks suggested on the particular website that I investigated. I chose the Great Ocean Road for two reasons. First, at 149 miles, it was one of the shorter walks, and I wasn’t exactly sure how long it would take me to complete even that distance. Secondly, several years ago, Lyle and I had driven the Great Ocean Road and I thought it would be a good opportunity to revisit the area.

I found the virtual experience both motivating and disappointing, but first let me explain how the site worked. There is a registration fee and a promise of a medal when the walk is completed. At the end of each day, I recorded the distance I had walked. There was a map on the site where I could see my progress. At least, Lyle could see this and explain it to me.  There was also a temperature check in the area and a global satellite picture. This latter was the part I found disappointing.

The satellite picture showed my position on the highway and a little bit of the area on each side of the road. It was as I progressed on my virtual walk that I remembered the real time driving experience. Lyle and I had taken several days to complete the distance and in that time took numerous side treks off the main highway. This was where we encountered the spectacular ocean views. It was where we saw the eroding rock formations of the Twelve Apostles and walked among the trees of the national park. These natural wonders were indeed wonderful, but to just drive along the highway without the additional excursions, there wasn’t much to see. This memory was reinforced with my virtual walk which led me only along the main highway.

The motivational part was recording my steps. Initially I had thought that it might take me three or four months to complete my walk, but I completed it in just two. I walked in our neighbourhood for a little each day and it was surprising how the miles added up.

I have been inspired by my success and have now registered with a second walk. Currently, I am walking from Mt. Cook in New Zealand to Christchurch. It is labelled the Alps to Ocean walk. My first satellite picture actually showed my location as being on a glacier and I think that I am going to find the scenery much more interesting. Several years ago, Lyle and I also drove this route so I have some idea of what to expect.

Certainly I’m not as ambitious as our friend, Marguerite. Marguerite has already completed a couple of walks and currently is chalking up the miles on her spin bike as she makes her way around the ring road in Iceland – a distance of more than 800 miles.  For the time being, I will just continue to enjoy the shorter walks. 

I’m sure that there are several web sites that offer virtual walks and travel adventures. If you are interested, the one I am using is:

www.theconqueror.events

 

 

 

November 3 - Halloween

Halloween is over for another year. It was certainly a different celebration this year but I guess that is the way things are for 2020.

Lyle and I bought our regular Halloween treats to hand out but we decided that we would wear our face masks when we answered the door. We certainly had fewer trick or treaters coming to call. Our one observation was that children and parents knocked on the door instead of pushing the button for the bell. I guess that it was just one more safety precaution.

The most exciting part of the day for us as grandparents was a zoom call with our Calgary and Winnipeg families. Both grandchildren had dressed up in costumes for the call and were a little disappointed that Lyle and I hadn’t done the same.

Our grandson was Dash from The Incredibles. There is a picture of him at the end of this post wearing his red Incredibles costume. I gather that Dash’s incredible power is that he can run really, really fast. I think that this costume suits our grandson really, really well because at nearly 4 ½ years old, he sure can run fast. 

 

Dash

Our granddaughter in Calgary chose to dress up in a unicorn costume. It was a perfect choice for the weather. I think that it is the first time in many years that children haven’t needed to wear snow suits over the top of their outfits. The second picture with this post is of our granddaughter in her white unicorn costume and holding her orange pumpkin bucket.

 

Unicorn

Hope your Halloween was a good one as well!