new zealand

The Holidays

That time of year again. I spent Christmas Day watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Seems to be my new holiday ritual. I always see new things in it. This year I paid particular attention to the landscape since I have just been to New Zealand. I did recognize some of it. That was fun. Of course it always ends well which is another plus.

This year was pretty eventful. I went to Mexico in January. Enjoyed the good food in Oaxaca. I was surprised by how hot it was, though. Oaxaca is at 5000 feet and I would have thought it would have been cooler in January but not so. Did some traveling around the countryside and saw some ruins and some textiles and some art. All good.

I was called for Jury duty. One boring day of sitting around and then nothing more. Big disappointment. I was hoping for a juicy trial.

May took me to Miami and Key West. Another hot one. Nice to see the ocean and old friends.

In August I went to see Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. This was where Frank Lloyd Write lived and worked. He was quite the eccentric. It is a beautiful setting.

At the end of August my book came out but I had to postpone my launch until December. The launch went really well and I am pleased with the book. You should read it!

In October I went to Fiji and New Zealand. Wonderful trip. I had to go to Fiji because my father always said it was his most favorite place to visit. I would concur, it was pretty great. And New Zealand was beautiful plus I got the bonus of seeing a couple of old friends.

November was my son’s wedding. It was a lot of fun and I am happy for him.

I have three book ideas I am working on. Actually I think I have narrowed it down to two. It is kind of slow going but as the days get lighter so do I. The brain is churning away.

Looking forward to Florida, Spain, and Belgium in the new year. And who knows what else. Anything can happen!

I hope you and yours have a wonderful New Year!!

Lyttelton and the Akaroa Peninsula

Lyttelton is a port just east of Christchurch. At the top of the hill above town is a timeball constructed in 1876, and now is a registered heritage site. A time ball is a large painted wooden or metal ball that drops at a predetermined time, to enable sailors to check their marine chronometers from their boats offshore.

A friend of mine lives in Lyttelton and she took us on a day trip through Akaroa Peninsula. Amazingly beautiful. Along the way we came upon a Maori village.

Christchurch Public Art, New Zealand

Click for larger view

Christchurch, New Zealand

Christchurch is a lovely town full of parks and public art. We spent several days wandering around. There was a major earthquake in 2011 that destroyed many buildings. You can still see evidence of the damage today. Some buildings are still under restoration.

There is a memorial along the river to remember those who died in the earthquake.

Around town…

East Coast of New Zealand

We had planned an overnight at Mt Cook or Aoraki but the road was closed so we stayed an extra night in Dunedin and made an early start the next day. On our way to Christchurch we stopped in a couple of small towns.

At Lake Pukaki we could make out Aoraki in the distance. Aoraki can be translated as “cloud piercer”, an apt name as it is usually hidden by clouds.

We had lunch at Lake Tekapo and then crossed the plains into Christchurch.

It’s a mural!

Dunedin, New Zealand

Drove through several small towns on our way to Dunedin on the east coast.

Baldwin Street in Dunedin claims to be the steepest residential street in the world; it reportedly averages 1:3.41 (16.33° or 29.3%) for 161 meters but its maximum is claimed to be 35% for an unknown distance. My friend in Auckland said that when she was at University people would ride down it in trash bins. Apparently somebody got killed doing that so it is discouraged.

The train station is lovely.

Dunedin is home to the only dental school in New Zealand. It is commemorated by molar statues by the sea.

The road to Mt Cook was closed so we ended up staying an extra day in Dunedin. We were then scheduled to go on a boat excursion to see some wildlife but that too was cancelled due to bad weather. We did spend a lovely afternoon at Larnach Castle at the end of the Otago Peninsula. The castle was built by William Larnach and completed in 1874. Larnach had several personal and professional setbacks including the loss of his first wife in 1880, his second wife in 1887, and his favorite daughter in 1891. In 1898, he shot himself with a revolver. The property has changed hands several times since then and is now open to the public.

Te Anau and Milford Sound

Drove through Arrowtown and Garston on our way to Te Anau. Te Anau is one of the entry ways into Milford Sound. When we got there we were told the road to Milford was closed due to an avalanche and they were hoping to have it open mid morning the next day. We all crossed our fingers. Luckily it did open up but just for one day. The day after we were there, it closed again and was closed for at least a week. The weather can be unpredictable and severe. It was raining the day we went and everybody said it was a good thing because there would be lots of waterfalls. It did not disappoint. As always, click for larger view.

Queenstown and Skippers Canyon

It snowed overnight in Queenstown. Beautiful vistas. We took a minibus to Skipper’s Canyon. Skipper’s Canyon was once a booming gold mining area. The road through the gorge was completed in 1890 and much of it hasn’t changed since then. A dirt road with sheer drops, switchback curves, and very narrow. Kind of terrifying but wonderful at the same time. Gorgeous views. And there were no people. We were the only ones on the road. It was really the highlight of our trip.

Back in Queenstown we took a boat ride across the lake and watched some dogs watch a sheep shearing….

Up next: Milford Sound….

Over the Alps to the West – New Zealand

We flew from Auckland to Christchurch and got up early the next day to board the TranzAlpine railway. The TranzAlpine is considered one of the world’s great train journeys because of the scenery. It is 139 miles one-way, takes almost 5 hours, goes through 16 tunnels and four viaducts. The route takes it from Christchurch through the Canterbury Plaines, past the Waimakariri River to Rolleston. It then passes through the Southern Alps past the Waimakariri River gorge via Arthur’s pass and ends in Greymouth on the West Coast. We rode it as far as Arthur’s pass.

From there we were on a bus to Hokitika. Hokitika is a beach town on the west coast known for its Pounamu. Pounamu is also known as Greenstone or nephrite jade. The stone is important to the Maori culture. Not all Pounamu is jade. Pounamu can only be found in New Zealand whereas some of the greenstone found in shops is jade from other countries. There are many different kinds of Pounamu, distinguished by the color.

We overnighted in Franz Joseph and took a jetboat on the River Haast the next day. It was a rainy day and we were the last people allowed on the river due to high water levels. Lots of waterfalls.

The west coast is wet and tropical. As soon as you cross over the alps to the east, the climate changes quite drastically. Back over the Alps again and on to Queenstown.

Auckland, New Zealand

Our first day in Auckland, we met my friends Louise and her sister Barbara for breakfast. I met Louise and Barbara and their family when I was living in Mexico. We went to grade school together. I hadn’t seen them for over 50 years. It didn’t matter. We had a wonderful reunion. Lots of fun. Their family owns two restaurants in Auckland – San Ray and Cazador. We ate at San Ray and it was fabulous.

From there we went to the War Museum which is more of a science and history museum. Interesting place, but unfortunately much of it was closed. Then on to the Art Gallery with was wonderful. Lots of impressionists. An exhibit of Louise Bourgeois – including a film of her being interviewed. A very interesting character. Saw some New Zealand artists as well.

The next day we took the 40 minute ferry to Waiheke Island. The island is known for its wineries. We opted for the hop-on-hop-off bus that gave us a tour of the whole island. Beautiful views and countryside. Lots of holiday houses. We at lunch with a view of the sea.