Ohakune, Tongariro Alpine Crossing, and Mountain Biking Fisher’s Trail

From Lake Taupo, we drove down to Ohakune, which is actually a ski destination on the north island in the winter.  It was such a cute town, and offered a lot of activities within the area.  We stayed here:  http://www.bachcare.co.nz/holiday-homes-accommodation/mt-ruapehu/ohakune/alta-house/808, which turned out to be a great house that was also economical.  The kids were happy because they each had their own room, there was Internet, and a washer AND a dryer.  Plus, it was quite a modern house, which we enjoyed.

We knew we wanted to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing while we were in this area, as this hike is rated in the top 10 day hikes in the WORLD!  How could we not hike this?  It was estimated to be about 6-8 hours, but we were ready.  It is a one-way hike, so we prearranged transport and drove our car to the finish and then we took a bus to the start.  This way, when we finished the hike, we could hop (or stagger!) into our car and head back.  The hike turned out to be amazing!  It started with a walk through what looked like the surface of Mars, and then we had an uphill battle.  After that, we came to the Red Crater Summit, and it was so windy up there!  Next, we had to slide down the hill digging our heels into the gravel as we went.  So many people fell during this part.  The views were breathtaking–crystal blue and turquoise glacier lakes, beautiful mountains, etc.  Then we were walking switchback upon switchback, and downhill, back uphill, and it went on and on.  It was a little over 12 miles up and down and overall, with a break for lunch and some stops to enjoy the views, it took us 7 hours.  The kids did great, and much of the second half, they spent walking ahead of us on their own, enjoying a bit of time to think.  Here are some of our pictures:

The Mountain

The Start of the Hike

What have we gotten ourselves into?  

Along the Way, Looking Like the Surface of Mars!

Closer to the Summit–So Much Colder up There

Dan and Ariana

So Many Different Layers to Wear on This Hike

Red Crater

Ariana Working Her Way Down the Slippery Slope

Ryan Too!

The Glacial Lakes

A bit warmer now!

Isn’t that the most beautiful blue?

Red Crater From a Distance (The Third Part of the Hike)

Our Kids Further In the Hike–up ahead of us by a switchback.

The Back side of the Hike

That Path is Where We Just Walked From on the Last Part of the Hike.  We were all just like ants on a trail!

The end of this hike was so different from the beginning!

We were very sore the next day, so we relaxed and actually toured some wooden yurts that were being built down the street from where we were staying.  Still a bit sore two days later, we decided to go mountain biking.  We purchased half-off mountain biking on Bookme and ended up doing Fisher’s Trail which was rated to be an easy ride.  Yeah, right.  It was essentially down a mountain, with deep wet mud grooves and areas where, if you mess up, you’re riding yourself off of a small cliff.  Joy!  It was still a beautiful ride especially if you’re a bit sadistic.  Okay, actually, Dan LOVED it.  Ariana came in second, followed by me, and finally Ryan, who isn’t the biggest fan of bike riding to begin with.  Anyway, it was a beautiful day when we left National Park and headed out.  There were moments that were difficult, and many moments where we had to stop and walk through mud divots.  We survived and were sore yet another day!  😉   The owner of the bikes did check on us when we were only about 6 km from the finish, but we opted not to load our bikes in his truck.  Instead, we needed to finish our 27 km ride!   And we did…

Mountain Biking Fisher’s Trail

Near the End!

Our kids are growing tougher each day we’re out and about in the world.  I love it!

Next:  Napier, visiting Craig and Kim.  (Craig was our passenger from Palmerston Atoll to Niue!)

Dan’s Dad in NZ: Part 2, North Island and Our Pet Sit in Taupo

As soon as we exited the ferry, we headed for our vacation rental to drop off our stuff.  We ended up staying and making dinner at the house.  It was a cool place.  The owners purchased this church lodge and remodeled it, keeping some of the original elements.  It had three bedrooms, but only one bath, and it was downstairs!  We ended giving Gabe the downstairs bedroom so he could be closer to the bathroom in the night.  For us, it proved more difficult.  I guess we’ve just been “spoiled” living on the boat where you can reach everywhere in a few steps.  The kitchen and bath of this place were quite modern despite the age of the property itself.  It was very unique!

Photos of the Wellington House

Split Staircase up to Each Upstairs Bedroom

Bath

Kitchen with a 5 Burner Gas Range.  I haven’t seen one of those in a VERY long time!

Living Room

Ceiling Detail, Each corner had one representing the four different seasons

Original Plaque, now encased in a wood cabinet

We really had only one full day in Wellington, so we made sure to do what we could–for the most part.  Ariana was scheduled for an acting class from 9:30 to 4.  She had a blast as it was focused on improv and she was quite happy to be doing what she loves most.  The rest of us headed to Te Papa Museum which was four or five stories of lots to see.  We didn’t even see it all, but they’re the only museum in the world that has a colossal squid preserved and on display.  This strange squid actually grabbed onto a fishing line and wouldn’t let go, so when the fishermen pulled up their line, they found it.  Apparently, it was too late to save it, so they decided not to put it back into the water.  No one has seen a male giant squid so the researchers were hoping for the best, but it turned out to have eggs.

Colossal Squid

Then there was this crazy baby thing at the museum…Seriously, isn’t this the scariest looking baby you’ve ever seen?

We also got to see some of the great views of the city from the museum.

Wellington

After seeing some of the sights, we decided to return for lunch and to watch the playoff football game on TV before we picked up Ari.  After getting Ari, Dan and I went for a walk in the area of Wellington called Petone.

The next day we were off again, just to spend a night in National Park in an attempt to break up the drive to Waitomo.  After one night there, we headed to Waitomo Caves to see the glow worms.  It turns out glowworms are actually fly maggots (larvae stage of the fungus gnat), but that is definitely not as sexy or cutesy as “glowworm,” hence the name.  We did a tour with Spellbound that was described in such a way that I knew Gabe would also be able to do it with few issues.  It turned out to be a good fit because although there was some walking involved, the tour guide did drive Gabe for most of that so he did not have to walk as much.  We went to the first cave to see the glowworms.  We boarded a raft in a group of 12 and were gently guided through the dark cave while the roof of the cave glistened with thousands of these little worms.  All head torches were turned off and we could just listen to the flowing river water and watch the twinkles of the cave. It was quite beautiful.  Some had brighter bioluminescence than others.  After that cave, we walked to another dry cave that was so pretty.  The cave contained the bones of a moa, a bird that has been extinct since the Maori’s hunted them to extinction about 500 years ago.  It also had cave cauliflower, stalagmites and stalactites.  I enjoyed this cave nearly as much or as much as the glowworm cave…

Gabe ducking into the dark, wet glowworm cave.

A motley crew of cavers.

The eel we fed. Just like Huahine, French Polynesia!

The river along the way.

Ryan on the path to the next cave.

With Waitomo Caves explored, we had lunch at a cafe and headed to Taupo.  Dan, the kids and I had a pet sit in Taupo starting the next day.  We got Gabe a hotel room for the night.  I am sure he was happy to have the break from us!  We visited our housesit family and went back out to dinner a few hours later with Gabe at the Lakehouse.  After dinner, we headed back to the Taupo pet sit house.   The next morning, we were officially taking care of Minnie (an 18-month old, brindled American Staffordshire), Little (a 12 year old orange tabby), and Tiny (a 2 year old grey, white and black cat).  It was great to have pets around once again!

The kids and I said our goodbyes to Gabe that morning, as he and Dan were going to Auckland for the night.  Gabe had a flight out the next day, and they were going to see a bit of Auckland before his departure.  The kids and I stayed at the house, took Minnie for a walk to the Botanical Gardens and hung out with the animals.  It was nice and relaxing.

Little

Minnie

Minnie looked a bit evil, so much so that Ari coined her “Mini Terminator,” but she was anything but.  She was a very sweet dog.  One of the cats (Tiny) actually bullied Minnie.  We caught him swatting at her three times in a row for no reason.  Another morning, I went to let Minnie out to use the bathroom, and she didn’t want to go despite the fact she had just whimpered to let me know she had to go.  I quickly saw why.  Tiny was lying out there and when she spotted him, she didn’t feel brave enough to venture out.  I went outside with her so the mean ‘ole bully cat wouldn’t go after her, and she was able to go.  All this being said, Tiny was actually a fairly sweet cat to humans.  He didn’t bite or scratch or hiss; he was just a bit aloof.  Humans definitely existed FOR him!  Little was the opposite.  He slept with one of the kids every night and would often come and sit on their laps or ours on the couch if we were watching the telly at night.  Minnie would sit on the other couch with us.  They were quite sweet and we enjoyed taking care of them, and walking Minnie every day definitely made her happy despite the fact her family was away.

While we were in Taupo, we managed to do a few things as well.   One day, we went on a power boat for a few hours, that was to take us to some Maori rock carvings only accessible by water.  This was another event we booked on “bookme.com” for half-price.  The rock carvings weren’t that old (about 40 years old), but they were cool nonetheless.  Not only that, but after a good spell of rainy, rubbish weather, we had a beautiful sunny day and a calm lake.  Plus, they had wine onboard and I had made everyone a chicken, bean and cheese burrito with salsa for lunch, so it was a win-win.

Black Swan

Karate Seagull 

The Area of the Rock Carvings

Black and white Rock Carving Photos

The Rock Carvings

Another evening, Dan and I had a date night and we went for some very excellent Thai food.  I find that we gravitate towards ethnic foods here in New Zealand because the menu appeals to us more than the New Zealand typical menu.  We’re not really fans of beef, lamb, veal, pork belly, rabbit, and pizzas with Camembert cheese and cranberry.  But put a plate of Pad See Ew with Chicken, Thai Green or Indian Curry, Mexican tacos, or a Turkish Kebab with Middle-Eastern side dishes, and we’re all happy as clams.

Kate and Steve from Blue Summit came through Taupo and we got to have dinner with them. We also caught up with their adventures, and drank some good wine.  The next day, Dan, the kids and I went to the Taupo DeBrett’s Hot Pools.  We again used Bookme to purchase half-price tickets and paid for the kids to go on the waterslides when we got there.  We stayed there for a few hours and then we were done.

We took Minnie hiking, and played ball along the hillside.

Yet another day we decided to go to Rotorua to do the Skyline Luge.  The kids did their school in the morning and then we headed over to Rotorua, had Turkish food (surprise, surprise) and headed up the gondola for some luge action.  We had 10 rides total, so we all took the scenic path the first time (4), we sent the kids on the intermediate path while we had a glass of wine and listened to live music at the top of the mountain (2), and then we all took the advanced track (4) which was extremely fun.  I loved zipping around the mountain!  Interestingly, we did the Alpine Luge in Mont Tremblant, Canada about 4 years ago, and the same company built the one in Rotorua.  The difference was that in Mont Tremblant, they had only one run; in Rotorua they had three.  While we were riding back up the ski lift, we saw deer, bunnies and sheep with birds on their backs.  It was like Disney!  Anyway, it was time to head back to Taupo, and we were greeted warmly by Minnie Terminator.  It was a great end to the day!

Rotorua Luge

Ari and Ryan 

Mount Ruapane, near Tongariro National Park

NEXT STOP:  Ohakune and Tongariro National Park

Fun with Gabe–Dan’s dad visits NZ.

Off to Queenstown!

We left Dunedin after only two nights of Gabe arriving.  We headed for Queenstown, as we had a vacation rental lined up for three nights.  We knew we had a lot of ground to cover.  Gabe was only staying in NZ for a few weeks, and we had to make it all the way back to Auckland by the time he was to leave.  Flying into Dunedin meant we had to drive up most of the country and take the 3.5 hour inter-island ferry along the way.  New Zealand may look small on a map, but when you’re driving it in a relatively short amount of time, it feels like Russia.  Queenstown was busy, but quite nice, nonetheless.  We stayed here, which is normally booked up, so we were lucky to get it:  https://www.holidayhouses.co.nz/properties/13633.asp

The place was quite nice with heated towel bars and heated bathroom floors.  It wasn’t huge, but it was a three bedroom, two bath and perfectly fine for us.  Oh, and it had a BBQ.

Here were our views:

Neighborhood Flowers

In Queenstown, we walked around, saw the botanical gardens, ate lunch at Speight’s, and relaxed.  Another day, we drove to Arrowtown and panned for gold!  The place we stayed had gold pans and a shovel available for us to use so we took them along.  We arrived at the river and had absolutely no idea how to pan for gold.  Not a clue.  There happened to be a local man there in the river panning for gold himself and he was willing to show the kids and me how to do it correctly.  He had collected enough flakes over time to make about two rings.  His demonstration was actually quite interesting, and it took me about 40 minutes and I STILL was not down to just the black sand where the gold flecks lie.  Plus, my feet, that were in the water, were red with the cold.  I pawned my pan off to Ariana and decided to join Dan and Gabe for a beer, but Ariana worked to get the pan down to just black sand.  No flecks in my scoop.  Ultimately, Ryan found two miniscule flecks of gold and Ariana found one.  Hers was so small she decided to eat it.  Now Ariana is made of gold.

The kids panning for gold in Arrowtown

Another day we were headed to a winery but got side-tracked by the AJ Hackett’s bungy jump place.  We decided to go in just to watch the crazy daredevil people jump off a bridge and entrust their bodies to essentially a rubber band tied around a towel on their legs.  I couldn’t even go all the way up to the railing to watch other people jump.  While the kids and Dan went on the bridge to get a bird’s eye view, I stayed on the platform about 2 feet from the railing.  Did I mention previously that I am afraid of heights?  I am fine on a rollercoaster or IN something, but I guess I fear being pushed over the edge or that a huge gust of wind will throw me off-kilter and off the side of a cliff.  I digress.  My own crazy daredevil daughter decided to bungy-jump when we offered to pay the $150 or so NZ for her to VOLUNTEER to jump off of a bridge upside down.  I wasn’t able to post the whole video here because my blog said it was too large, but I will try to cut it down and post it later.  In the meantime, here are a few screen shots:

Ariana Bungy Jumping

Ariana jumped voluntarily and didn’t even need to be pushed.  She also didn’t need counseling afterward or a shot of scotch.  Nope.  She loved it.  I couldn’t watch the whole thing–and I had a glass of wine in the hopes I wouldn’t be so nervous for her.  I couldn’t help it; I was a wreck.  She is a brave girl, and yes, she would love to do it again.

Queenstown Gardens

Lunch at Speight’s in Queenstown, Ari and Grandpa Gabe

Have you seen a more perfect tree?  It’s beautiful!

Another tree…

The Gardens of Queenstown.  The other half of the sun blossomed on the other side of the walkway.

Queenstown Marina

Outside of Queenstown

Franz Josef and Okarito

After three nights in Queenstown, we headed up the coast to Franz Josef Glacier area, about a 5.5 hour drive.

We ended up staying in a small house in Okarito, but it was right next to an “off the beaten path” hidden hike in the area that started with a boardwalk.   (This place:  https://www.holidayhouses.co.nz/properties/56238.asp)  It was called:  “Fernbird Retreat.”

Although the area was nice, the weather was terrible in the glacier area.  It rained…and rained…and rained, and even rained off and on in Okarito at the house as well.  We did a small walk near the house and another in the glacier area, but the weather was not cooperating.  We would see no glacier.  We saw no snow.  It was a good thing we didn’t book to stay longer in that area because I think it is like that most of the time.  The hint was this one bar that advertised:  “When it pours, we pour.”  Huh.  That could have been my first clue that it rains all the darned time.  As I write this, about a month later, it is STILL raining a lot in the glacier area.  I sure hope it clears up before Corinne and John get here!

One interesting part of the time in Okarito was the beach that was essentially across the street from the cottage.  It was almost deserted, but it had the most incredible rocks/stones.  I found one that was a perfect egg-shaped white crystal-like stone.  I have no idea how it got so perfect but it was.  We actually thought we were going to stay in this house again when Dan’s mom, Corinne, and her husband, John, came to town, so I left a small baggie full of the “treasures from the sea” that the kids and I collected, underneath one of the beds.  How strange will it be when someone finds a bag of rocks cleaning the place?  I can guess they won’t believe an old lady like myself decided to put them there.  Strangely, I wish I had kept the perfect rock; it could have been my good luck charm!

The Beach in Okarito

Driving up to Franz Josef from Queenstown

Franz Josef was sort of a let-down, so we were not sad when it was time to leave.   We were off to Anakiwa, a small village on the very north part of the south island, in the Marlborough Sound (also where Queen Charlotte track begins).

Anakiwa, South Island (northern region)

It was a long drive from Okarito to Anakiwa, much longer than we wanted to spend in the car.  It surprises me how small NZ looks on a map.  I know I’ve already said it, but it sure doesn’t feel small when you’re driving it!  The weather seemed warmer already.  We were so excited.  After touring the south island for a month and a half, it was time to shed the coats.  How many times can I wear the same three pairs of jeans?  Plus, isn’t this summer?

So imagine all of our surprise when we arrive at “John’s Place,” a lovely vacation rental with a view to die for.  Dan’s dad was very excited about it; he liked the view of the lake down in Queenstown, but this surely topped that–and it was warmer!   During our three night stay there, Gabe said that if he ever goes missing, people should check that house first because that is where he will be.   (https://www.bookabach.co.nz/baches-and-holiday-homes/view/10757)  The photos the owners use for this rental don’t do the place justice.  It was much nicer in person.

Anakiwa House

The Living Room

The View from the Living Room!

The View Zoomed in a Bit.  Those are the Marlborough Sounds going all the way back.

The Kitchen and Dining Room

The Master Bathroom:  BEST BATH EVER!  Jacuzzi jets, hot water, a glass of Chardonnay…

…and this view!

Fantail Bird

Gabe on the Porch Enjoying the View

At Dusk

The Interesting “Library” Down the Street from the House.  It was in an old refrigerator.

The View down by the Waterfront

It was hard to leave the house, but we managed to arrange for something to do.  Dan decided to do part of the Queen Charlotte Track (he did about 27k that day), the kids and I decided to do a mail boat tour of the Marlborough Sound (delivering mail to the out-islands), and Gabe…well Gabe decided to enjoy the serenity of the house with us gone!  Dan came home to his Dad sitting with a glass of Jack Daniel’s, the music blaring like a teenager, and taking in the peace of the sailboats on the water.  I think he made the right choice!

The mail boat was unique, but I think they really wanted to paint the picture that the folks who live out on the out-islands, only accessible by boat, are entirely interesting, unique and possibly overly eccentric.  We were a tough audience in that regard given all the travels we have done over the last year plus!  Not one of the stories of their “roughing it” on the island came close to the way some of the islanders in Fiji live, or the way the folks in Palmerston go without supply ships for up to two years at a time and have VERY few fresh vegetables and fruits.  Plus, the tour was seven hours, which seemed long despite having once spent 3 weeks at sea without sight of land!  That being said, when I stand back and assess it, I can imagine it would be very interesting and an enjoyable day out on the water for most people.  We’re just not most people anymore when it comes to learning about the lives of island people, for better or worse!

We went to dinner in Havelock while we stayed in Anakiwa as well.  It was a decent dinner and on the way we passed the elementary school of the great, Nobel-prized physicist Ernest Rutherford, also known as the father of nuclear physics.  He actually attended Havelock Elementary and the locals are quite proud of it!

Anakiwa Waterfront

The Pelorus Mail Boat.  This boat is the only way some of the locals on the out-islands can send and receive mail.  It has been in operation for 100 years next year (they are getting a great big catamaran built for them this year).  We visited a few island docks and met a view of the residents (along with their pets), we saw a blue penguin in the water, we saw a colony of Great Shags, and we visited a green mussel farm.  Here, the tour guides pulled up the mussels and explained how they are grown.  That was very interesting, and if you wanted, you could eat a raw mussel.

The Pelorus Mail Run:  Ariana

New Zealand Great Shags

Greeting the Mail Recipients

A Pig Coming to Get the Mail.  Actually, the boat captain gives him dog biscuits.

A Woman, a Dog and Piglets

The Mussels

Green Mussel

Green Mussel Farm, Marlborough Sound

Blenheim

We had one night in Blenheim before we were to take the Picton car ferry to the north island.  This day, Dan, Gabe, and Ryan went to the Aviation Museum in Blenheim and Ariana and I walked to some Marlborough wineries.  The day was absolutely beautiful and the nicest we had so far the entire time we’d been in New Zealand.

Sea Grove Cottage in Blenheim, right next to MANY wineries!

The View from Sea Grove Cottage

Ari and I first walked to Huia Winery, which is in the process of receiving its organic classification.  The chickens were quite cheeky there, and would jump up and eat the grapes off the vine.  Here is a picture of one of the scoundrels.

Huia Vineyard

Ariana at Huia Vineyard Tasting Room

Some Views along Our Walk

We then went to a second winery…

And a third…

Finally, we settled at a forth for lunch together.  As it turned out, Dan, Gabe and Ryan joined us when we had just finished eating.  It was lovely!  That evening, we ate dinner in the screened in porch and relaxed.  The next morning, we packed up and headed to Picton where we had lunch and bordered the ferry.  The ferry was great!  Despite the fact the winds were howling, we felt no movement inside the ferry.  They had a movie theater, a lounge, and drinks and food for sale.  Outside was a different story.  Walking outside on the ship, the wind near about knocked Gabe over!  He had decided to go outside with Dan but quickly changed his mind after being assaulted by the 60-80 kilometer winds!

Ha, we finally arrived to the north island and we didn’t have to go far.  We were staying in Wellington for two nights.  I will continue this in another post!

PART 2 TRAVELS WITH GABE TO COME LATER!

Dunedin, New Zealand–It’s summer here? I don’t think so!

Dunedin was a nice city.  We started to feel like we lived there, as we spent a month pet sitting for Libby, a cute mutt of a dog!  Her owner, Lindsay, was traveling back to Great Britain to see her family, and then spending a week in Malaysia exploring.  (In the U.S., you can arrange to pet sit or to get a pet sitter on “Trusted Housesitters.”  In NZ, they also use “Kiwi Housesitters” which is where we arranged two pet sits for our time here.)  Pet sitting is great because you get free housing and you also get to be around pets, which is a luxury for us pet-less folks.  We sought out a pet sit on the south part of the south island so Christmas would feel like Christmas like we’re used to (aka: cold).  We also sought to stay in one place for a while, and to experience New Year’s there as well.  The house we stayed in was a modest three bedroom with views of horses across the street (and there were sheep two doors down).  Despite the fact it was considered summer here in Dunedin, we had hail three times while we were there!

Dunedin Building

Libby!

House View:  Horses Across the Street:

The Sheep a few houses down

Here are some of the things we did while we were in Dunedin:

(1) We went to the Otago Peninsula and went to the Royal Albatross Breeding Centre.  There are only two in the world, I believe.  We also got to go into the bunker and learn more about how they stayed prepared during WWII.  It was fairly interesting but windy!

The Otago Peninsula

Royal Albatross

An Endangered Species of Seagull.  This Seagull type is more endangered than the Royal Albatross but it gets no love!  He has polka dots on his tail.

Nicholas Cage.  No, wait, this is a sheep on the Otago Peninsula.

(2) We also went to Larnach Castle, which is also on the Otago Peninsula.  We had a nice time exploring the castle, the beautiful grounds and playing the lawn games they had set up for visitors.

Larnach Castle, the castle itself, the views, and the grounds

The Coolest Trees!

They actually had this sign in the bathrooms there!  Were they expecting monkeys to visit or something?  Don’t they know no one sits on the seats anyway?  They should show someone squatting…

(3) We went to Sandfly Beach to see the yellow-eyed penguins.  We went right before dusk, as this is when the penguins return to land for the night.  We also saw a sea lion.  Luckily, they call it Sandfly Beach because of all the wind causing the sand to fly, rather than after the nasty insect.  This walk down to the beach involved sliding on the sand dunes and having to climb your way back up.  It was a beautiful beach with hardly anyone on it though!

Sandfly Beach

Yellow-Eyed Penguin

Sea Lion–Big Guy!

(4) We shopped for Christmas!  There were real shopping malls and stores here.  It had been a LONG time since we had a real mall available!  We also got a small live Christmas tree from the only place that sold them there.  The strange thing–they don’t sell Christmas tree stands ANYWHERE!  I couldn’t figure out how people could set up trees without a stand.  One girl said: “We just use a bucket of rocks.”  What?  A company here in New Zealand hasn’t capitalized on the curious lack of tree stands?  Anyway, we got ourselves a bucket of rocks.  We paid $7 whole dollars for a tree and spent $7 buying rocks to put in a $2 bucket!  It wasn’t the most elegant solution as our little tree never did stand up straight, but it was still a tree–and it smelled good.  One thing about Christmas–it is not the commercial, overdone experience like it is in the U.S.  Not many people put up outside Christmas lights and the whole holiday seemed quite downplayed actually.  Although I don’t always buy into the hype of Christmas marketing, we all did miss seeing all the neighborhood houses lit up for the holidays.  Of course, in Dunedin, it didn’t get dark until about 10 o’clock at night, so that may not motivate people to put lights on their houses; hardly anyone would get to see them!

(5) We had dinner with Ann (Thornton) and Barry, who we first met on the island of Niue the night we sailed in.  They were vacationing in Niue and we happened to meet them and share some drinks at the “yacht club.”  Fast forward a Facebook friendship and six months, and we were sitting across from them on the southern end of the south island of New Zealand having dinner!  What a small world it really is.  Ann and Barry invited us over for an AMAZING Christmas dinner, and we enjoyed Christmas with Ann’s daughter, Lydia, and their granddaughter, Caris, at their home in Dunedin.  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and were so happy to be with a second family in NZ!  We also played cricket before dinner and pigged out on great desserts!

Lindsay’s Deck–Getting Ready to go to Ann and Barry’s House.  After a year in flip flops (jandals here in NZ), it was time to clean ourselves up a bit.

Dinner with Ann, Barry, Lydia, and Caris

(6) We went on several hikes, some which gave beautiful and expansive views of the city–and one of which Libby decided to roll in sheep dung.  There is nothing so refreshing as a hike into the mountains and returning with a dog who smells like sheep anus.  This day ended in bathing a stinky dog!

(7) We spent New Year’s playing Catch Phrase with the kids and then headed downtown for Dunedin’s New Year’s celebration on the Octagon.  2016 ended with a bang (truly–they lit off a canon that shook the whole square, and had the obligatory fireworks).  We finished the night with a bottle of champagne when we got back home.  (I was the designated driver!)  I sure wish Ari could drive already, geesh!

Crazy drunk guy in a wig dancing by himself.  Huh.  Maybe it was Billy Idol.

(8) We drove to Oamaru up the coast and we saw its adorable downtown, had lunch at a craft brewery (with a good beer!) and visited the Steampunk Museum, which was small but cool.  We also visited a book store that had only adventure travel books; Dan loved that place.  😉  On the way back, we also stopped by the Moeraki Boulders, which were so incredibly unique.  This is what they are:  “The Moeraki Boulders are a group of very large spherical ‘stones’ on Koekohe Beach near Moeraki on New Zealand’s Otago coast. These boulders are actually concretions that have been exposed through shoreline erosion from coastal cliffs that back the beach.”  They are only 60 million years old.

Oamaru Beachfront:  they had an amazing park too but I don’t think I took a picture of it.

Steampunk Museum

Dan on a motorcycle that’s a bit too big for him…

Strange Steampunk Exhibits

This was a cool, mirrored room in the Steampunk Museum.  It’s small, you’re in the dark with just your family, and they have this light show and music.  With all the mirrors, it is quite peaceful and serene!  I only had my cell phone so it didn’t capture it very well.

Oamaru is for lovers.

The Brewery in Oamaru

The Moeraki Boulders:  So Cool!

Man and daughter share boulder.  For the record, Ari is not intentionally posing.  She doesn’t intentionally pose.  It’s not her style–unless she’s on stage and playing a character.

I, on the other hand, do pose sometimes.  

Strange concretions–some were large and some were small.  Ryan’s thought:  why am I standing sideways on a dinosaur egg?

(9) We toured the Cadbury Chocolate Factory, and overdosed on my favorite milk chocolate in the world.  Wow, melted warm dark and milk chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate, chocolate…sorry, just dreaming for a bit.  You can’t find it in the States, but my new favorite chocolate bar is a Cadbury toasted coconut milk chocolate bar.  It is seriously addictive.  I need to go back to the gym.

The Moving Dioramas at Cadbury–and a few of their Old Delivery Trucks

(10)  We saw three plays while we were in Dunedin; Ari and I really missed theater!  One of the plays had only two (professional) actors who played all of the parts in the play.  It was called “The Mystery of Irma Vep” and it was hysterical!  I can’t believe they were able to change costumes as quickly as they did, and they didn’t even mess up their characters.  It was great! The second play was a community theater production called:  “Charley’s Aunt.”  It too was good, and Dan and Ari later met the funniest actor in that play; he was the man who checked Ariana’s contacts she ordered at the optometrist’s!  What a small city.  Finally, the kids and I went to another play that was the year-end conglomeration of an acting teacher’s students, ranging in age from kids to adults.  Some of those segments were also quite good–and thought-provoking.

(11) We went down the Guinness Book’s “World’s Steepest Residential Street.”  It is called Baldwin Street in Dunedin.  (FYI–they are in the Guinness Book in error.  Apparently, they aren’t really the steepest residential street in the world.  Oh well.)  We drove our Bento Box up the street.  I seriously thought it was going to explode.

(12) Dan and I went on a date night down in the St. Clare area of Dunedin.  It was a great dinner and a nice evening.  We also went for breakfast just the two of us one morning while the kids did school (and ate breakfast at the house).  Breakfast is much more expensive in NZ compared to the U.S., but strangely, you don’t tip in NZ.  They must pay servers well compared to the U.S. because tipping is not customary.   We ate Turkish food two or three times (with the kids).  It was so good there!

Date Night Down in the St. Clare Area of Dunedin

Yup, just ring the bell if you see one!  And if you’re in the water, then you better get out.  But, really, if you’re in THAT water, you must be crazy because it is so cold, so you may be too frozen or just plain not smart enough to get out of the ocean.

(13)  We went to a few museums while we were in Dunedin:  The Toitu Otago Settlers Museum, the Dunedin Art Museum, and the Otago Museum.  We also visited the Botanical Gardens.  Actually, I think we just about did everything you could do in Dunedin.  Thankfully, there was enough to fill a month’s time.

The Story of the Takahe

Takahe

This man was related to the people in the photos behind him (at the Otago Settler’s Museum).  We learned ALL ABOUT IT.  Twenty minutes after he started talking to us, he was still talking AT us…We later saw him cornering some other unsuspecting victims.

Dunedin Botanical Gardens

Poor Dan is too old to walk now.  It’s about time our kids start carrying us around.

Beautiful Flowers at the Botanical Gardens in Dunedin (oh, and birds)

(14) We went to the horse track.  That was pretty interesting because it was MUCH more casual than any U.S. race track.  We bet a bit, rode a ferris wheel, and exposed our kids to gambling.  Fantastic.  For real, though, this is just an excuse for Kiwis to tailgate.  Bring a cooler full of beer and wine, put up your own tent, and drink the day away while you bet on horses.  How cool is that?  It’s like a football game but with horses…and no football…but there is beer.

(13) Dan’s dad arrived into Dunedin and the following day, we went on the Taieri Gorge Railway, a 4 hour train ride that provided beautiful scenery, and it happened to be sort of warm that day!  (Note:  by warm, I mean you weren’t that cold when you wore a fleece jacket!)

The Impressive Dunedin Railway Station

I really like this one of Gabe.  We are so high up here…

    

With the advent of cell phone cameras, NO ONE can take a picture on a regular camera without getting their finger in it.  Else this man was just trying to block me out of the picture.  I’ll let you judge.

This was funny.  The train conductor has to deliver a schedule of when the train will be going through the upcoming tunnel.  Why?  There are a few houses on the other side and the only way for the residents to get to their houses is to walk through the tunnel.  They park their cars on this side (see photo below) and walk through a tunnel to their house.  I guess it’s a good idea they know the train schedule, else little Johnny gets flattened like a pancake.

This house is only accessible by walking through the train tunnel.

How many photos can a person put into one blog post?  Did I win?  

Christchurch and Wanaka, South Island

**Please post on our blog if you get a chance!  I would love to know that someone is reading it!

CHRISTCHURCH

Finding a car in Christchurch started out difficult.  We saw some really crappy ones.  Some were so dirty, had dents, or were just not trustworthy.   Then we upped our price range a bit.  We figured we would rather have a reliable car that wouldn’t break down on us that we could resell not just to backpackers, but to anyone in NZ.  So that is what we did.  We bought a decent car.  Hopefully, we will be able to sell it when it is time to head to SE Asia.  Heck, I would take it to the States but the steering wheel is on the other side!  😉

In Christchurch, we found a very nice house to stay in.  We were only there for three nights, but the house was quite comfortable, and was a nice place to come back to after we searched for cars or went out exploring Christchurch.  Here is the place we stayed:

http://www.bookabach.co.nz/baches-and-holiday-homes/view/35475

Our Vacation Rental in Christchurch

Christchurch was an interesting city; it is still rebuilding after the 2011 earthquake.  And yes, this part of New Zealand had another earthquake quite recently (while we were sailing to Australia), but Kaikoura (north of Christchurch) suffered the most damage in the most recent one.  Christchurch, while still showing the signs of the earlier quake, was spared during this one.  The city is rebuilding in a very artsy way, with shipping container shopping malls, a “dance area” in the middle of the city, and unique buildings being constructed.  At the same time, some buildings are now gone, or in significant disrepair, so the sights are both enlightening and sad at the same time.

While in Christchurch, we went to this amazing free museum there and we also joined a walking tour of the city.  Christchurch also has a beautiful botanical gardens that we walked through while we were there.  Below are some pics:

“The Chalice”

Canterbury Museum.  This couple turned their whole house into a gigantic seashell display.  They became quite famous in the country.

The Christchurch Cathedral–its fate is still undecided.

A Memorial for the People who were Killed when an Entire Building Collapsed During the 2011 Earthquake.  Each white chair represents a person who lost his or her life…

The Restaurant at the Botanical Gardens

Ariana!

A Staircase to Nowhere in the Botanical Gardens

Tired Children?

I love this photo. I love all of the flower petals and the bench.  

“Rock” Climbing at the Botanical Gardens

WANAKA

We drove for about 5 hours to go to Wanaka, towards the center of the southern part of the South Island.  On the way to Wanaka, we stopped in Lake Tekapo as well, which was quite beautiful.

Wanaka was amazing!  We stayed in a small, two bedroom apartment that was just a few streets walking distance to the center of the town.

http://www.bookabach.co.nz/baches-and-holiday-homes/view/9907##

In Wanaka, we went for a hike, visited “Puzzling World” which was a cool museum of illusions, puzzles, etc., we had a “date night” while the kids went to the movies, we went paddleboarding, set out for a day hike outside of town about an hour, and generally just enjoyed the scenery. Wanaka reminded me a bit of Lake Tahoe, and I love Tahoe!

Lake Tekapo Area

LAKE WANAKA

The View from Rippon Winery, Wanaka

    Rippon Winery Tasting Room, Wanaka

   Our View on Our Wanaka Hike (Overlooking the Town)

      The Lake in the Morning (Paddleboarding Time!)

    Ariana on her Paddleboard

    Apparently, this is a famous tree in Wanaka…

Puzzling World Museum and Maze

The Puzzle Ariana was Able to Solve (and Later Dan)

The Puzzle I finally Solved…

Dan in a Medieval Bathroom

The Super Difficult Maze at Puzzling World.  I think it took us a couple of hours but Dan and I did finish before the kids!

Illusions are Fun.  Or maybe I had a tipple too many…

Even the bathrooms there are unique.

The Beautiful Scenery on our Day Hike.  Car Bridge.

Why does my family always make me cross suspension bridges?

“Blue Pools”  They really are this blue (below).

Next up:  Dunedin!  We are currently still in Dunedin pet sitting for a woman named Lindsay who is back in the U.K. visiting family.  We are taking care of Libby, a very sweet dog…

Update Regarding our Plans and New Zealand: Whiritoa, Lake Mangakino, and Auckland

Well, Do Over is sold, although we are still dealing with incompetent banks that can’t handle International Bank to Bank wire transfers.  Alas, it never ends…

Currently, we are on a month-long pet sit in Dunedin (the southeast corner of the south island) and we are taking care of Libby, a medium to large sized mixed breed dog.  She is quite cute, and I will post another photo of her when I update our time in Dunedin.

The kids with Libby in front of our Live Christmas Tree.  It is very hard to find a live tree here.  We bought this little, but fragrant, one for the equivalent of $7 dollars U.S.!

You may be wondering what is next for the Gabier clan.  We are going to continue traveling throughout New Zealand until the beginning of March, and then we are off to SE Asia to travel for a few months.  We haven’t pinned down exactly where we will go, but it will be some combination of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.  If you have any suggestions of the best four, we would love to hear them!

After that, we are flying back to the west coast of the U.S. and traveling for a month or so to find out where we want to live next.  We are narrowing down our choices, and really looking forward to seeing them in real life.  We could also use some input there…we want:  good schools, moderate housing prices, a very walkable quaint town with character, good community theater, bike trails, an hour or so from skiing, and not too far from a decent airport.  Have any ideas?  Please share them!  We have some thoughts; so far they are:  Steamboat, Fort Collins, Boulder, Dillon/Frisco (Colorado), Boise, Flagstaff, and for a while, Bozeman was on the list too but I don’t think I can handle that kind of cold for that long each year!  We really do welcome your ideas/suggestions of places to check out.  Post them on this blog, please!

Back to New Zealand…

So what happened when we hit New Zealand running?  Well, first, we CRASHED at an apartment hotel.  We didn’t get there until about 4:30 in the morning by the time our late flight arrived, and Dan had to leave the next morning to pick up our rental car.  BTW, we found out BEFORE our flight that Dan’s dad could not come to NZ just yet.  As luck would have it, he arrived at the airport with a very recently expired passport.  Good news though.  He has a new one and will be visiting us as of January 3rd.  And maybe everything happens for a reason–we were so busy getting a car, getting our extended visa applications, trying to get Do Over’s paperwork and survey, etc. that it would have been less relaxed if Gabe had come as originally planned and we wouldn’t have been able to explore as much.  Quite frankly, we were exhausted and had many tasks to complete.  Also, now Gabe is flying into Dunedin here on the south island, so we will be able to take him to some of the more fantastic scenery New Zealand has to offer prior to heading back to the North Island.  We have another pet sit set up in Taupo for 10 days after Gabe’s visit, and then we have 10 days to explore on our own, and we then have John and Corinne (Dan’s mom and her husband) visiting after the first week in February.  We are so excited to have family coming to visit and we have a lot planned!

After our first night in Auckland, we had a vacation rental set for 4 nights in Whiritoa, which is in the very southern end of the Coromandel Peninsula on the north island (about 2.5 hours away from Auckland).  It was a modest, small three bedroom home, but it had a very nice view and was within walking distance of a pretty beach (not that we were about to go swimming in THAT water–too cold!).

Our rental:  https://www.airbnb.co.nz/rooms/11658104

Here are some photos of the place:

The “Bach” in Whiritoa

Getting ready for Badminton!

The backyard covered patio and pretty views.  We saw sheep, cows and horses!  We celebrated Thanksgiving in this house.

Next, we had a vacation rental at Lake Mangakino, which is only about an hour away from a popular destination in New Zealand:  Lake Taupo.  Again, we were still just happy to be chilling a little bit, which was good, because here the weather was rubbish.  It rained quite a bit, but we managed to go on a lovely walk in the neighborhood along the lake and the golf course and it was quite a pretty view despite the crap weather.  We probably wouldn’t have bothered keeping this reservation with Gabe not with us (given it took us a few hours to drive there), but unfortunately, I had already booked this one on “bookabach” and they are VERY strict about refunds.  Basically, we wouldn’t get one, so since we needed a place to sleep, we decided to just keep the reservation.  It was a nice house with a beautiful view.

http://www.bookabach.co.nz/baches-and-holiday-homes/view/33516

Here was our view:

Next, we were heading back to Auckland so Dan could get a flight out to Sydney.  He needed to return for the boat survey, so the kids and I were on our own for two nights.  Strangely, we had no place to stay and I hadn’t prearranged anything.  I did try, but the place I attempted to book did not confirm, so we were back to square one.  We had just gone to the camera shop to pick up my waterproof replacement camera that was stolen in Tonga (Yeah for the new, upgraded model of the SAME camera!), and we just sat there in the parking lot with me on my Smart Phone trying to find a place to sleep.  And of course, the kids decided to fight in the back seat while I was looking.  That’s always fun.  Finally, I was able to book a one bedroom apartment in a suburb of Auckland that was the basement apartment in a very nice family’s home.  It turned out to be just fine and the price was right.  I truly felt a bit homeless though at that moment!

We stayed here, thanks to willingness of the owner, Bronwen, to prepare for us to arrive in only one hour!    https://www.airbnb.co.nz/rooms/14871206

The kids and I spent the next day at the Auckland Zoo and then we went to Hell.  It’s true.  It’s a pizza place; we picked up our dinner there.

It was cold in Auckland that first night.

At the Zoo.  Me in my native habitat, alongside Marmosets and Tasmanian Devils…

Wait, these are my kids, not Tasmanian Devils or Marmosets…

THERE’S the marmoset!

And the Tasmanian Devil.  He has a face only a mother could love.

This is a Kea.  It is the only high altitude parrot in the world.

This bird is a Takahe.  I am not sure why the Kiwi gets all the street cred; this guy was awesome!  He is flightless, has some bright colors, and quite frankly, beats out the Kiwi in my eyes…

Well, Dan was coming back from Sydney, and once again, we were moving around.  We stayed at a “budget” hotel at the airport that still cost almost $200 a night.  Auckland’s pretty pricey.  The kids and I checked in there, dropped our luggage, and returned our rental car, and when Dan flew in, he just walked over to our hotel.  It felt like we had just flown in, but we had recently agreed to take a pet sit down in Dunedin and it started in a week.  It made more sense to fly to Dunedin rather than drive all the way down to Wellington, take the 3.5 hour ferry (that would cost about $300 or so NZ and then drive the many, many hours down to Dunedin.  Flying is so much easier…We planned to fly to Christchurch and then buy a car.  We were successful!

We are the proud new owners of a Bento Box.  That’s what Dan calls it, and it just fits SO WELL.  The car is a 2005 Toyota Sienta (not Siena, Americans, but Sienta, never before to set foot on U.S. soil).  It had only 79,000 miles on it and was in great shape.  It just looks…well…rather ugly.  There is one plus though.  She speaks to us in Japanese every time we turn on the car or when she thinks we are passing a famous Japanese landmark.

She is a seven seater which we definitely needed that with our family of four and family on the way to visit.  Here is our new car.  We paid $3,800 U.S. with a registration and a year long WOF, and she is in really nice shape:

The third row seats actually fold down under the second row seats when not in use.  The sliding door is automatic, and there is a camera for reversing.

Okay, I will write about Christchurch and Wanaka tomorrow.  I am tired.  Good night!

Now what?

Geesh, it sure has been a long time since I have updated this blog (well, aside from the post I just completed prior to this one about Fiji).

Here is the deal.  We sailed to Australia.  Our boat is listed.  Actually, as of now, Do Over is under contract, money is in escrow, and I’m happy to say she may well be going to Sam (who visited the boat while we were in Fiji), his wife, and his daughter!  I really hope she goes to them, as they plan to move onboard and cruise with Do Over eventually.  That is cool.  Dan especially did not want to see our former home sit in a marina disintegrating.  She is meant to be on the water–even if I’m not!  Hee, hee, hee.

When we arrived into Port Macquarie, Australia, we had very little time.  We had to clear out Do Over completely, finish cleaning/staging her for sale, and prepare to fly to New Zealand.  Dan’s father was meeting us in New Zealand in less than a week (or so we thought), and we had A LOT to do!

We managed to get all of our personal items off of Do Over and into a vacation rental.  We stayed here:  https://www.airbnb.co.nz/rooms/9047425  at Shelly Beach Bungalow and it was great!  This place gave us enough space to unload and organize all of our personal belongings on our boat.  We ended up with several piles of things:  (1) send home to the States, (2) a gift for the Salvation Army, (3) trash, and (4) things that make the cut for New Zealand.

I love Airbnb.  Now that we are off the boat, I plan to continue to update the blog with the places we visit, our experiences, the places we stay, etc.  And a lot of these places will include properties on Airbnb, Bookabach (very popular in NZ) and also, we have a few “pet sits” set up during our time in New Zealand as well!

The four days and nights we had in Port Macquarie were long, and our kids really had to hang in there.  This is Ryan, at about 11 p.m., after a VERY busy and long day.  He fell asleep on his knees, on top of an ottoman!

img_20161117_224155926

Well, we finally managed to get all of our stuff either to Salvation Army, to the trash, or packed into boxes that we had to buy from a storage facility.  We were down to the last hour of getting packed up, etc.  Then, Dan and Ariana had to sail/motor Do Over down to the Pittwater area of Sydney where our broker, Anna, was.  It was an overnight sail and proved to be difficult for them after about the first 5 or 6 hours.  The wind was with them initially, but once again, Australia proved to be a bugger with headwinds making the trip south a horrible one.  Dan and Ari also had to take all of our NZ-bound suitcases and the kids’ books onto Do Over, because they certainly weren’t going to fit in the minivan with everything that was being shipped home–which is what Ryan and I were charged with.

While Dan and Ariana were sailing, Ryan and I had to take the loaded-up minivan about 3 hours each way from Port Macquarie to Newcastle, because that is where the shipping place was.  That was quite the process.  I had perfumes in one of 13 boxes, but I couldn’t remember which one.  Perfumes cannot be sent to the States–at all.  So, I had to find them.  Guess where they were?  Yup, that’s right–the LAST box I rechecked!  We also had to have every box with a battery of any kind labeled.  It took an hour and a half working with the nice man at Pack N Send just to get our boxes sent!  Then Ryan and I drove back to Port Macquarie because there were NO minivans in the whole town that we could rent one way to Sydney.  And then I started thinking…I had rented the only thing I could get one way from Port Macquarie airport to Sydney airport, which was a compact car.  No company would let me take an SUV or a minivan on a one way trip to Sydney.  I forgot that we would still need to load up this (compact) car with our luggage in Pittwater and take it to the airport.  It was not going to work.  Plus, I was not looking forward to the 5 hour drive and then another hour from Sydney airport to Pittwater if I had to exchange the car (especially after the 6 hours Ryan and I drove the day before to Newcastle and back), so I looked into flying.  Ryan and I decided to fly to Sydney and rent an SUV there, and the difference was less than $100 versus driving.  I’d much rather sit on an airplane reading a magazine than driving six hours!

Plus, extra bonus:  before we had to go to the airport, we had a few hours to finally do something in Australia for fun.  We went to the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie, and saw several adorable koalas.  Most of them had had chlamydia (very common in koalas) and lost their eyesight as a result by the time they were found.  Others had been hit by cars and I think one was attacked by a dog.  Interestingly, Port Macquarie is one of the few areas where koalas still live in the wild in Australia.  They had koala crossing signs around the town, but unfortunately, we never did see one in the wild!  Good thing, I probably would have wanted to take him or her with me!  🙂

Ryan and I finally got to the Pittwater area, and we met up with Dan and Ari.  In another half hour, Sam (prospective buyer) and his wife were to meet us at the boat, along with our broker, Anna, and her partner, Martin.  We ended up having champagne and enjoying the beautiful Sydney weather.  After that, Sam and his wife left to go on a dinner date, and Martin and Anna invited us to go out on their 50 foot sailboat to an island in the area.  This island had wallabies roaming freely so we were in.  We were both truly exhausted (especially Dan who had not slept much on the passage the night before), but we could not turn down an offer to spend time with Anna, Martin, and Martin’s two sons Tom and Sam.  We had such a good time, and ended up having dinner and wine on their boat, while Martin’s son Tom played guitar and sang songs.  It was a beautiful night with beautiful scenery and beautiful people.  Can you really beat that?

Ryan taking the wheel of Martin’s boat while Martin’s son, Sam, looks on

Dan, Martin and Tom on Martin’s boat

My Standoff with a Wild Wallaby

A Wild Wallaby

Ariana, Anna and I on Martin’s boat

We ended up crashing on Do Over for the last time, and the next morning, we moved Do Over to Anna’s mooring and headed to the airport.  We had learned that day that Dan’s dad was not going to be coming to NZ; he got the airport in the States and his passport had recently expired!  But, we already had our flights and we had reservations to stay at a hotel that night, and a vacation rental the next day two and a half hours from Auckland.  I won’t go into all of the details, but we had SO many issues with our flight!  We got stuck in traffic and arrived to the airport late, we learned that we could not fly to NZ without a visa (which was quite the process) or a flight out of the country within three months, our luggage was overweight, etc.  So, I had to get on my computer and book us some refundable flights out of NZ for the end of January, knowing we would have to apply for a Visa extension (we are planning to be in NZ for 3.5 months but you’re only allowed 90 days).  Then, Dan and I had to rearrange all of our luggage so each piece wasn’t too heavy, and finally, we were allowed to get on a later flight (that we had to pay the change fee for).  Getting through security took nearly an hour as we were selected for increased screening.  The culprit:  Ryan had a museum replica of a bullet in his backpack!  Geesh…but they let us keep it.  We finally got through security at nearly 9 p.m. and we had not eaten since breakfast.  All of the restaurants were closed by our gate except McDonald’s so that was our fantastic dining experience.  Spicy grilled chicken sandwiches with jalapenos and french fries.  We were SO happy though, because one bar was still open, so we were able to get some wine!  Yippeee!  After such a long day, all we wanted to do was exhale.  And it got better from there, if you can believe it.  The Air New Zealand flight was FANTASTIC with free and free-flowing drinks, our own personal entertainment center in front of us so we could watch great movies, and you could even order more drinks right from your entertainment screen on your seat!  We had a flight delay but we didn’t care.  I think we could have stayed on that flight forever…

Update re: New Zealand to come next!

 

 

Fiji at the end and onward to Australia!

Well, we have had a crazy, busy two months. Since my last real post, we went to several other places in Fiji: a bay on the island of Waya, another bay called Blue Lagoon, a third named Musket Cove, and finally, Port Denarau (which is the most touristy part of Fiji). (There are LOTS of photos of these wonderful places down below with descriptions.

Key highlights of this part of our Fiji trip:

(1) We stayed at the Westin for two nights.  It was the FIRST time we have stayed off of Do Over in almost a year!  That is unheard of!  The same bed for almost a year after all of my work and pleasure travel prior to this trip?  Crazy.  We used the air conditioning.  We took long showers.  We watched TV.  We used their Internet.  We used the pools.  The kids (and Dan) played volleyball with resort people.

(2) We went to the waterpark with Sarah and her boys.  The kids had a spectacular time and Sarah and I got to hang out and chat in between waterslide runs.  (She was much more adventurous than I was on the waterslides.)

(3) We were berthed next to the mega-yachts at Port Denarau.  I felt like a wee little nothing next to the yachts of the Google founders.  We saw a helicopter take off of Senses (Larry Page’s yacht).

(4) We celebrated Halloween at the lamest Hard Rock Cafe “Party” ever.  But, the kids got to dress up.

(5) We went to dinner with Sarah and Gavin at a very cool restaurant.

(6) We got our boat cleaned up some and a few maintenance and cosmetic issues attended to.

(7)  Ryan snorkeled again with crazy, aggressive fish in Blue Lagoon–and he really enjoyed it.  I have to say thank you to Kate and Steve from Blue Summit for letting Ryan use their daughter, Hannah’s mask and snorkel.  Without it, Ryan may never have finally started snorkeling!

We decided to list “Do Over” with a wonderful broker, Anna Manach, from Australia we had heard about through the owners of “Oniva” (who sold their catamaran with her). We got in touch with Anna via email and had decided to list with her, but we were still sailing and had not reached Denarau and were not yet prepared to get our listing ready. Interestingly, Anna and her partner, Martin, were in Fiji meeting with some other clients, when she stumbled upon our boat in the Denarau Marina. We didn’t even know she was there and she did not either!  So, we actually got to meet them both and they are wonderful people!   This motivated Dan and me to get our boat listed and ready to show–and to definitely list with Anna.

Within 5 days of listing, we had one person who wanted to come to Fiji to see our boat. We did the mad dash to make the boat look great, but the man who came to see her had never been on a sailboat and had plans to take a bunch of his Chinese family members out to sea during cyclone season to head to Thailand. He had flown to Australia from England and then on to Fiji because there were more catamarans for sale there. We were not sure what his intentions were, but he asked questions like: Can the boat sail for more than a month without stopping? “Yes, but you may want to stop along the way just to see something.” Can I refuel on deserted islands? “If they’re deserted, they probably won’t have an Exxon.” Well, okay, we really said something less sarcastic, but you get the point. Would my family and I need to clear into customs on every island we visit? “Um, unless you want to face arrest or stiff penalties, I would recommend it. That’s usually what people do.” Can you change the mainsail while you’re out to sea? “Well, you really don’t want to do that. It is a very heavy and large sail. And—it’s not like a normal catamaran carries an extra mainsail. And, wait, why would you want to disassemble your mainsail?” He really wasn’t asking if he could take his sail down; he wanted to know if he could take it OFF. It was quite strange. Knowing this would go nowhere, we continued to prepare to sail to New Zealand.

Anna then called and said there was another interested buyer, Sam, and he flew to Fiji to see the boat. We really liked Sam (who is married and has a two year-old daughter, Chloe), and hoped Do Over would go to a family like this who would use her and treat her well. Not surprisingly, he was hesitant to make an offer in Fiji on a boat that would need to be in Australia, so we weren’t sure if Sam would be Do Over’s new owner.  We were still planning to head to New Zealand.

After speaking with Anna, she felt she could sell Do Over very quickly if we sailed to Australia rather than New Zealand. The market for catamarans is much better in Australia. So, we made a last-minute decision to sail to Australia. The trip was to be longer, but presumably easier, or so we thought… Ha!

The beginning of our sail was lovely (of course, I was wearing a scopolamine patch), but the tail end near Australia was TERRIBLE. Dan said it was like there was a force field around Australia, and I couldn’t describe it any better than that. The wind was coming directly from the land so we just couldn’t sail our way in there. We actually decided to “heave to” in the middle of the ocean for about 4 or 5 hours just so the wind could change a bit, because we were just beating nonstop into the waves and we didn’t seem to be heading any closer to Australia. It was crazy.  We only lost about 7.5 miles progress (drifting) but we got a reprieve from the loud and rough slamming into the waves.

On this terrible trip to Australia, Do Over did great. The kids did great. Dan was fed-up with the force-field but did great. I was a wreck. I couldn’t WAIT to get to land.  Why did I decide to sail half-way around the world?  Am I certifiably crazy?  Maybe…No, actually–most definitely.  However, I am HERE, alive and in one piece.  They say with childbirth you forget the pain and are ready to have more babies.  Is that really the same with long, ocean sailing passages?  God, I hope not, but I fear it is the case because Dan and I are already talking about possibly sailing again when the kids go to college.  I must be a masochist.

We had to go to Coff’s Harbor in Australia because we just couldn’t get in to our intended port.  Coff’s had suffered massive damage a year before and was still rebuilding, so we had to stay on anchor with a swell-ridden anchorage.  So what.  Land was in sight.  I got to go to a restaurant.  I am not complaining.  After two nights, or maybe it was only one…we opted to sail on down to Port Macquarie.  I will continue our ongoing saga in another post.

Meeting the Chief on Waya

SONY DSC

The cute, local Waya girls

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

This island of Fiji (Waya) looked more like the Marquesas

SONY DSC

Very similar to the Marquesas…

SONY DSC

Sunset

SONY DSC

Traveling with Blue Summit

SONY DSC

Restaurant at “Blue Lagoon”

SONY DSC

Dan and me at Blue Lagoon

SONY DSC

Clear water and good snorkeling at Blue Lagoon

SONY DSC

A hike behind the Blue Lagoon Bay.  It was breathtaking!

SONY DSC

The views on our hike…

SONY DSC

More beautiful views…

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

Grandma sold her necklaces here.  I bought one, and they’re all made out of shells.

SONY DSC

Modest village with the most beautiful views.

SONY DSC

The “tea house” on the trail.  Sodas and cake for us.

SONY DSC

The kids looking for seashells.

SONY DSC

Another beautiful Fijian view…

SONY DSC

Ariana and Ryan

SONY DSC

Do Over from the hillside

SONY DSC

Happy Hour at Musket Cove with Blue Summit, Paw Paw and Sojourn

img_20161008_184709297

Touch Rugby in Musket Cove.  This is the kids’ PE for school!

img_20161008_105221446

Halloween–Ryan was a Shadow and Ariana was an Obnoxious Tourist.  I don’t think people would have known Ariana was dressed up unless her brother was also, since we were in the land of tourists…

img_20161029_171704752

Dinner with Gavin and Sarah at Habibi

img_20161019_194202534

Our Room at the Westin.  First night in almost a year off the boat!

img_20161015_130112890_hdr

View from our Room at the Westin.  We were upgraded to oceanfront because I have preferred status with Starwood.  We didn’t care.  Garden view would have been GREAT!  We tend to have ocean-front regularly on Do Over…

img_20161015_130057560_hdr

One of the Westin Pools

img_20161015_122205862_hdr

Post mini-golf at Denarau.  Ryan beat us all.

img_20161030_115344747_hdr

Ariana and Ryan catching a Swim in Denarau

img_20161023_164734987_hdr

Our goodbye song from the folks in Fiji!

img_20161103_120941009

Leaving Vuda Bay, Fiji.  Off to Australia!

img_20161103_130838263

Foreshadowing on our Trip to Australia.  This ominous sky made for ominous sea conditions…

img_20161112_183640478

Update re: Fiji

I have not forgotten about the blog!  We are in Denarau, Fiji, getting ready to go to NZ next week.  Last week, we listed Do Over, and I was not expecting to have any interest for a month or two, but we have had some.  So, we are in limbo until at least Tuesday, as we are showing the boat to a gentleman from Australia on Monday.

We have our engine maintenance done, and we are awaiting a good weather window–unless things change. We will keep you posted!  Do Over is completely ready to go.  It will just take me preparing a few more meals and freezing them just in case it is rough.

I will post about our remaining time in Fiji hopefully tomorrow.  Good night!

Champagne Bay, Yasawa, Fiji–The Best Swimming Bay Ever!

Champagne Bay

SONY DSC

 

We were the only boat anchored in Champagne Bay besides our friends, Kate and Steve, on Blue Summit.  This bay/beach was absolutely breathtaking!  The weather was perfect, the water was warm, Ariana taught Ryan to snorkel (finally!), and we swam like fish for three days in a row. We haven’t had water this warm since Bora Bora, and if I remember correctly, that water was just a tad cooler than here.

We didn’t do all that much in Champagne Bay besides snorkeling, swimming and hanging out, but it was such a gorgeous setting, it was hard to leave.  Two boats showed up on our last day, so we were glad we had it basically to ourselves up until that point.  Dan (and I, to a lesser extent) cleaned the bottom of our boat, we had movie night on Blue Summit, we bought a few big lobsters from the locals (two for $30 Fijian–or $15 US) and had a great lobster/baked potato/salad dinner, and we finally got Ryan to snorkel!  Ariana was such a good teacher, and now Ry really enjoys it despite his initial unwillingness.  Hey, it may have taken 11 months, but better late than never!  Ryan also tried, just under the surface of the water, to breathe through a reg, and he didn’t find that too difficult either.  Yippee!  What a perfect bay!

Champagne Bay at Dusk

SONY DSC

The Master Snorkel Instructor

SONY DSC

The Serious Student Caught In a Candid While Hanging on the Bow

SONY DSC

Ryan and Instructor, Ariana, Snorkeling

SONY DSC

Ryan Snorkeling

SONY DSC

Ryan Trying a Regulator (and Dan Diving to Clean the Bottom)

SONY DSC

Ryan Breathing Underwater

SONY DSC