Waking Up in Wellington

It is a wonder that we woke up at all this morning in Wellington. We arrived at our B&B at around 11p.m. last night.  Our train from Auckland was four hours late and we were a little tired. I remember once travelling across Ontario in the winter. We were exactly 24 hours late getting into Toronto because the undercarriage of the train had frozen solid somewhere north of Lake Superior. We sat all night in the freezing cars, with all the toilets frozen as well of course. Yesterday's adventure was not as uncomfortable as that one...in fact it was very pleasant to sit in a luxurious and clean car with comfortable seats, watching the New Zealand country side roll by. Just a long haul as we had boarded the train at 7:30 a.m. expecting to arrive in Wellington at 6:30 p.m.

The overnight in Auckland had been fun. We drove back down from the Whangarei Heads without incident, finding this Italian bakery on the way as advised by our hosts at the B&B. The baked goods looked like works of art, but we resisted and had just a latte. After checking into a central hotel we meandered through the downtown core of Auckland and settled in a little bistro for dinner in an alley full of such places....Vulcan Alley.

We were really looking forward to the Book Lovers B&B here in Wellington. Set in a residential neighbourhood, overlooking Oriental Beach, this is a tired old place, whose 19th century charm is barely showing through the clutter and attempts to modernize. It reminds me of an old time boarding house.

There are books....shelved, stacked, piled all over the place. There is an ironing board and iron standing in the main hall upstairs, quilts hanging on the stair rail.  It is one of those places that once you get over the eccentricity of the hostess and the boxes piled in the dining room, the filthy windows and unkempt yard, it becomes fodder for one's next novel and a yet another joy of travelling.

But the house is positioned well, just below Mount Victoria, so this morning found us climbing through the green belt for a view of the harbour before descending through the neighbourhood of cliff hanging houses to the beach.

There were mothers with toddlers on bikes and scooters, runners, cyclists, strollers out on the walk way. And when we got close to the city centre it was lunch break from the offices and stores.  Outdoor seating abounds and some of it is pretty unique. These giant bean bag chairs were outside two different eateries.

The highlight of the morning was a visit to the Te Papa Museum...a national treasure. Admission is free and children, for whom much of the museum is designed with interactive and learning centres throughout, were there today by the hundreds.

My favourite displays were of the Maori history and culture. Softly lit, a replica of a village stands at the centre of the huge hall, with smaller displays round the sides to tell the stories of these early settlers. The wood carvings, mat weaving and feather garments were stunning.

What surprises will we find as we head south to Christchurch and the Banks Peninsula?

Waking Up In Whangarei Heads

We were so eager to get out and see the neighbourhood on our first morning awakening at Kauri Villas near Whangarei Heads, 200 km north of Auckland, that we headed towards the trail right on the property before breakfast. The steep trail, cutting into the hillside, leading into the gorge behind this huge tree and down to a small stream and waterfall, was a good stretch.

Even the sheep whose pasture we walked through to get to the trail head did not put in an appearance to have their pictures taken until later in the day.

The previous day was a little stressful in getting to this gorgeous place.  We picked up a rental car right in downtown Auckland and found ourselves hurtling into the traffic before Bruce could really get comfortable driving on the left side of the road and before I could adjust to seeing guard rails looming towards my side of the car. 

In a hilly passage near Brynderwyn a car speeding alongside squeezed us over at the merge of a passing lane and we hit a curb at 60km an hour ripping the tire into an immediate blow out. We were on a curve on a hill with only a tiny turnout ahead...but thank goodness for that tiny turnout!!

With very little swearing but lots of sweating we were able to find chocking for the rear tires (that is tyre here in NZ) and get the spare on. The hardest part was getting the jack out of its spot in the trunk. (boot). 

Place names are amusing in this country. In the immediate area we have Wiakaraka, Tamaterau, Taihruru, Taurikura, Tutukaka. ...and everyday we bump into a word or phrase that completely stumps us like "geests" (guests), "har" (hire) as in "Did you har a car?" But it is all a laugh and we are forgiven for our confusion because we are Canadians and just slightly dotty AND New Zealanders are without exception polite and welcoming. 

After two days in this region we can rate the hiking as superb. Within a few miles drive we can walk on beaches, bluffs, gentle hills or the "heads"....where views are breath-taking...or maybe we are just plain short of wind by the time we get to the top.

Food is good here in New Zealand and the dairy products, wine and bread excellent. Ethnic food abounds and of course we found a place to have Vietnamese food in Auckland.  Bruce said his banh xeo was the best that he had ever eaten! But just look at the price of the Saigon beer to go with it!!!

Yes, the food is expensive! A dinner salad for me the other night was $20.00 and we saw Coke in this little variety store for $3.50.

The minimum wage however is $14.50 per hour. The air is pollution free and the people kind and gentle.

We will hate to leave this fabulous location, there are many more hikes to do and beaches to walk or sit upon.

Wonder what is around the corner for these two old farts???

Waking Up in Waikiki

Almost seven in the morning here in Waikiki and the light is painting the sky from early grey to the pinkish precursor of another spectacular sunrise.

Profiles of surfers heading towards the reef are small black stick men on their paddle boards or giant water beetles kneeling on their boards.

The neighbours are out walking their dogs and the gardeners are bent pulling weeds before the heat of the day.

While the shop keepers, tour bus drivers, tour brokers and hawkers of trinkets, beach towels, cheap Aloha wear and grass skirts made of plastic for kids back home are all still eating breakfast there is a sense of the "old Hawaii"....just sand, surf, and rising sun. Next door, Downtown Honolulu is just taking a stretch and slowly waking, waiting for the traffic and thousands of professionals to pour into the looming high rise towers which create a concrete fence almost obliterating the view of lush green mountains beyond.

We plan today, as we did yesterday, to leave Waikiki and the massive, military hotel complex where we are staying to explore the Honolulu which Bruce knew when he lived here in the mid-eighties as a Kamaaina....a Local. It is Locals "real" people, we want to visit with.  We will travel on The Bus...really, that is the official name and in local pidgin it becomes "Da Bus".  There is no rapid transit here in Honolulu...but the buses are frequent and the routes extensive. The buses themselves are very slick, reticulated, with automated stop identification, transfer point announcements and "disciplinary" messages about cell phones and loud voices.

We were also impressed with the fact that not only did the bus "kneel" to let passengers on but it was also full wheelchair accessible. This meant a ramp was lowered to let the wheel chair user aboard. The driver hops out of his/her seat and raises two seats near the front of the vehicle. The wheel chair slides in and is harnessed to bolts on the floor for safety and away we go. When the chair user wants to disembark the process is reversed. The drivers and passengers are all co-operative and helpful. How civilized. The bus shelters were clean and well signed...well some of them anyway and fellow passengers were very helpful. 

Probably every major metropolis has these slick transportation services, but for us...country bumpkins...this was revolutionary! 

Our trip up the side of the Punch Bowl (a dormant volcanic crater) through residential neighbourhoods was to the National Military Cemetery.  Below an aerial shot shows the majestic setting for this memorial park with the Honolulu skyline below.  The monument is flanked by walls bearing the names of those lost in WW11, Korea and Vietnam. Here Bruce reads names on the Vietnam wall. As always....a contemplative time for him.

Next stop, China Town for lunch as recommended by our fellow bus passenger "guide". This area of Honolulu, next to the downtown business and historic core speaks eloquently of Hawaii's culture and early immigration.....should be called Asia town. It still throbs with Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, (and well....Portuguese too). 

The market itself was a colourful adventure.

Today we again took the bus and wandered the historic district and visited the Museum of Art, the State Legislature and Iolani Palace.

It turned into Woman's Day for me. 

Persephone: Goddess of the Underworld, springtime, vegetation, and maidenhood at the Art Museum.

Queen Liliuokalani near the palace.

And....Quan Am in the market:

So...if you were waiting to see us lolling by the pool or at the beach, sipping drinks with umbrella's we have disappointed you....but for this visit this has been "our" Honolulu and we have loved our short stay here.

Tomorrow we fly to New Zealand!

Over and Under

Off again! We are heading to New Zealand, a new adventure for us, so we decided a new blog would allow us to keep separate these adventures that are purely for our own fun and edification about how life is lived elsewhere. Never far from you all or our work in Vietnam which we can continue electronically, this will be a different journey than any we have taken for a while. But memories of our hiking trips to Britain, the Napa Valley and across the United States and Canada, remind us that we are good travel companions. Even though this trip is on Bruce's bucket list and he has done every minute detail of the planning...I am happy to tag along!

 On the way to and from we will stop off in Hawaii, our old stomping grounds. The excuse is that at this stage of life we really need to pamper ourselves and break up the long flights! Sounds good to me.

This picture is on the Awaawapuhi Trail in the Waimea Canyon....a few years and pounds ago...but I still have the same gear so maybe we will have another go!!!

We are hoping that travelling to these two spots will be easier than our treks to Vietnam and we will have lots of time to write and update this blog.

We would like you to come along with us to have some fun over the Pacific and down under!