New Zealand Photos – January to March 2017

New Zealand, January 2017

: Leaving the harbour in Auckland, about to unfurl the jib, with lots of wind behind us.

: Our dingy trails behind the tri-hull, and the city of Auckland (with its landmark Skytower) in the distance.

: Captain Kevin Palmer gives Rudy a chance at the helm.

: Scott, his dad Brian, and Rudy.

: We anchored in Takutairaroa Bay, on the east side of Motuihe Island and had lunch.

: Then the dingy ‘ferried’ us to the island for some exploring. (That’s our boat, Trinity, the three-hulled catamaran, out in the bay.)

: We walked across the isthmus and took a long walk along the beach.

: We looked for ‘sea glass’ on the beach. (Broken bits of glass bottles and containers that have been buffeted smooth by the sea and sand.)

: The pÅhutukawa tree, also known as the New Zealand Christmas tree, is famous for its vibrant red flowers and its ability to survive even perched on rocky, precarious cliffs.

: The return trip pointed the boat directly into the wind. The diesel engine shortened the 3 hour sail to a 1 hour boat ride.

: We sat comfortably in the closed in ‘cabin’ while Scott took the wheel.

: Kevin’s wife Terri, son Cody, and Kevin watch as Scott navigates us to the mooring. It was Kevin and Terri’s 29th anniversary this day.

: Near the scene of a major car accident on the road to Tauranga.

: Our breakfast at the B&B in Bethlehem.

: Golfing at the Hauraki Golf Course in Mangatarata, enroute to Tauranga.

: Golfing at the Hauraki Golf Course in Mangatarata, enroute to Tauranga.

: Golfing at the Hauraki Golf Course in Mangatarata, enroute to Tauranga.

: Golfing at the Hauraki Golf Course in Mangatarata, enroute to Tauranga.

: Omokoroa Golf Course, in the Bay of Plenty

: Hmmm… not bad! Sue and I both had a pretty good second shot on the 16th hole!

: Our rental van — it got us from Auckland to Bethlehem

: Our Toyota Yaris — our car from mid-January to the end of March

: The walking path beside Lake Rotorua

: Lots of sulphur pools ‘cooking’ behind me in this geothermal landscape

: Hot mud pools

: The Rotorua Museum

: Sue in downtown Napier

: Rudy, the trick to putting is ‘keep your head down and stare at the ball’.

: Wow! that went so far I can hardly see it!

: The start of the hike. Is that really where we are going?

: Comfy seating for us outside our apartment.

: Just checking my email…

: Those kiwis love to camp! And they’ll convert just about any vehicle at all into a ‘camper van’.

: At the end of the ninth hole at the Napier Golf Course.

: WORK, WORK, WORK!

: View of ‘our’ bay — sailboats were heading out into the bay.

: Passing the ‘real’ working harbour between the city centre and our place on the ‘east point’.

: Junior Bike Track — for young cyclists to learn about bike safety.

: Lots of activities along the way.

: Great cycling paths

: The greens at Hawkes Bay were in great shape.

: Cool! Sue relaxes on her trundler while Rudy takes his next shot.

: Fairways were very dry, but the greens were perfect and the tee boxes in pretty good shape.

: So many big trees on the course.

: Did my best to help promote a couple of businesses from home — although I didn’t lose a ball, I DID manage to litter the tee boxes with some of those classic Days Inn tees.

: The sign above the little shack on the beach reads ‘Topless Bathing Permited’

: Cape Kidnappers Golf Course

: All set to go.

: A stunning view of the valley — and our path winding down the mountainside.

: That’s Sue negotiating her way down the ‘goat path’.

: Still have a long way to go…

: It’s been hot and dry here for too long — farmers are suffering and are hoping for rain.

: Mostly downhill, but every now and then a little up too.

: Oh oh! Sue’s gonna go down on her butt for this one.

: Aaahhh! Help me! My knees can’t take this!

: And just like that we are in the Big Redwoods.

: Noticeably cooler in the shade of these big trees.

: Yeah, really big trees!

: Already we’ve gained some altitude.

: Baa-a-a! How did these guys get up here?

: That’s the summit up there — and a parking lot for the losers who are afraid of a little climb!

: We’re at the top. What a view!

: We asked some tourists to take a photo of us.

: Oh boy! Now we need to get back DOWN!

New Zealand, February 2017

: Rudy on the 18th green at Napier Golf Club

: Sue on our patio for ‘happy hour’.

: Sue with bags of Stables wine at the Ngatarawa Winery

: Vineyards for as far as the eye can see on our drive home.

: The harvest is about a month away, towards the end of March

: City to Sea Bridge

: At the Te Papa Museum

: Walking on the Wellington Waterfront.

: One of several fenced-in deer herds. This one was huge, but by the time I stopped the car and got near enough to take a photo, the deer were spooked.

: The drive down to Queenstown was stunning.

: We just HAD to stop to check out this interesting fence on the road into Queenstown.

: Nope. Nothing in Sue’s size here.

: The long descent into the Queenstown valley.

: The long descent into the Queenstown valley.

: The long descent into the Queenstown valley.

: The long descent into the Queenstown valley.

: The long descent into the Queenstown valley.

: Walking streets with cafes

: Queenstown downtown.

: Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown.

: Lots of boating activities available here.

: Queenstown Gardens

: The Lawn Bowls Club in the Queenstown Gardens.

: The Rose Garden in the Queenstown Gardens.

: The Remarkable Mountain

: Re:START — a “temporary” shopping mall made of shipping containers.

New Zealand, March 2017

: Sue on the 18th tee.

: The tide is low.

: Sun setting make the trees look even greener.

: Dark clouds over the city of Nelson — but no rain yet!

: Near the start of the Manawatu Gorge Tawa Loop.

: Soon we were WAY up, looking down on the valley below.

: And at the summit, the sculpture of Whatonga, a Maori warrior.

: Nope, no hobbits in here.

: A view of the Manawatu River below.

: The walkway led under a busy highway and then up the hill on the other side.

: One of the big beautiful homes along the Centennial Lagoon in Palmerston North

: This little guy had a loaf of bread to feed to the ducks — and got a bit overwhelmed by the response!

: Te Rewa Rewa bridge

: Te Rewa Rewa bridge

: Selfie, on the Te Rewa Rewa bridge

: Te Rewa Rewa bridge

: Len Lye Centre, New Plymouth

: Len Lye Centre, New Plymouth

: Our reflection outside the Len Lye Centre, New Plymouth

: Flip and Two Twisters, a Len Lye work.

: Big shark hanging from the rafters at the museum.

: Sue near the RV camping park past the golf course.

: Surfers looking for the right wave.

: Wikipedia map shows New Plymouth and Mt Taranaki.

: Indian Char Bagh Garden

: Italian Renaissance Gardens

: Italian Renaissance Gardens

: Maori garden (don’t look at those carvings too closely!)

: Tudor Garden

: Kiwis! So THAT’S what they look like when they’re growing on trees.

: The scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. And I don’t know who that is behind her…

: Chickens running around in the gardens!

: Tropical Garden

: Tropical Garden

: Rogers Rose Garden

: Te Awa River Ride

: Watching the sunset from the patio

: Sundowners in Whangarei

: Tonight’s supper

: Leaving Russell, heading back to Paihia

: Sue getting on the ferry to Russell

: One of the groups of school kids at the site.

: On the way to our walk we met this young girl leading her pony along the sidewalk!

Trip Journal here.