Report from Middle Earth and Safely Home in NSW
Report from Middle Earth!
Since the last post we enjoyed our second week in New Zealand traveling through the North Island.
We started on Friday, 15th April with a ferry cruise through the Cook Strait on the Inter-Islander Ferry.
Cook Strait lies between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast, and runs next to the capital city, Wellington. It is 22 kilometres (14 mi) wide at its narrowest point, and is considered an area of the most dangerous and unpredictable waters in the world. There have, however, been numerous people who have swam the strait - the youngest being only 11 years old!
The strait is named after James Cook, the first European commander to sail through it, in 1770.
Here are a few photos of our voyage on the Inter-Islander which took about 3 hours to traverse:
We arrived in Wellington around 3:00 pm, retrieved our new rental car, and checked into our hotel. We then headed out on foot to explore Wellington. It is a large city with a very vibrant central business district. Here are some of our photos of Wellington, New Zealand.
We happened upon a restaurant boasting South Louisiana USA cuisine, so of course, we had to try it. Mitch had gumbo! It was pretty tasty, but not as good as Mitch and Dana Cossey can make!
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| 1. Porirua |
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| 2. Paekakariki |
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| 3. Paraparaumu |
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| 4. Mankau |
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| 5. Mangaweka - We loved the Kiwi Sign! |
5. This sign cracked us up at Turangi!
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| Indicative of the "Day of Unpronounceable Locations! |
6. Thermal Steam Pools near Waitahanui
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| 7. Lake Taupo |
8. Nearly to Rotorua and the Hot Springs - Wairakei
There were several places we saw on our drive today that made us think of a land far-a-away where dragons would live! We decided that were getting very close to Middle Earth - little did we know what was in store for us over the next couple of days! Keep reading to find out!
We were close to our destination when I heard Mitch say, "Oh for God's sake!." Here is the sign he saw at that point!
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| 9. Lake Rotoma - Where we stayed out of Rotorua |
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| 10. River near Kawerau - where we ate dinner on Saturday night! |
Mitch says that we stayed in a cardboard box at Lake Rotoma - It is an Air BnB. What do you think?
On Sunday morning (17th) we ate breakfast at a small cafe on the lake.
We then headed back to Kawerau to find Tarawera Falls which had been recommended to us by Rose at the Petrol Station in Kawerau the night before. There were a few points along the way that we almost turned around - it was a LONG way out of town in the "actual middle of nowhere!" We decided that Rose would receive a commission from the fire breathing dragon for sending us to him for his lunch! It was, however, very worth it when we finally made it! Just look at how beautifully clear the river is!
We then headed back to our "cardboard box" to get ready to go into Rotorua for a visit to the Maori Cultural Center. Here is a link to the website for the Tamaki Maori Village.
It was a fascinating evening and gave us new found knowledge of the Maori people and their cultural history here in New Zealand.
Monday (18th) we left the Rotorua area and started making our way toward Auckland. We traveled through MataMata and commented that it was looking REALLY "Middle Earthy" around here! Well - we were right! Just out of MataMata lies Hobbiton, better known as The Shire but unable to be called that due to trademark regulations! For any of you "Lord of the Rings" fans, this is heaven! The photos say it all!
Our day ended in Auckland at our last two nights of this incredible experience. We stayed in another Air BnB which was up to Mitch's standards - especially for the view! This is looking out over Blockhouse Bay toward the Tasman Sea!
On Tuesday (19th) we enjoyed the Auckland War Memorial Museum. It is one of New Zealand's most important museums and war memorials. Its collections concentrate on New Zealand history (and especially the history of the Auckland Region), natural history, as well as military history. It was particularly moving as Monday is ANZAC Day, more about which will follow next week.
The museum is also one of the most iconic Auckland buildings, constructed in the neo-classicist style, and sitting on a grassed plinth (the remains of a dormant volcano) in the Auckland Domain, a large public park close to the Auckland CBD.
So - we are now back in Sydney, and I am listening to our neighborhood Cockatoos squawking a welcome back chorus to us! I have a few days to regroup and get ready for Term Two at school. Our trip was a memory of a lifetime, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to see the beautiful land of New Zealand!
In closing this week, dear friends - despite the overabundance of vowels in the Maori language, we did learn one phrase that I'd like to share. It is "Kia ora." This is the Maori greeting, but it carries more significance than just a greeting. Translated as "Good Health" it is often heard around all parts of New Zealand - even the newscasters begin a broadcast by saying it.
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