"Not all those that wander are lost."
J.R.R. Tolkien. The Hobbit
On March 28, 2015 Don Peddle, Art Clarke, Judy Martin, Paul Delaney, Melanie Mason and moi headed for New Zealand for a month of adventure and fun. For me, it was a double whammy as I also retired from 34 years of employment and this was my retirement gift to me!!
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Our first adventure was simply to get from Newfoundland, Canada to New Zealand (at this time I would like to thank Air Canada for doing their stellar best to make this process as complicated and long as possible). Regardless, after 34 hours and three separate flights we arrived in.......
New Zealand
  There aren't many places on this planet where travellers are so well catered for – in terms of both man-made enticements and splendours of the natural realm. There are just 4.5 million New Zealanders, scattered across 270,534 sq km: bigger than the UK with one-fourteenth the population. Filling in the gaps are the sublime forests, mountains, lakes, beaches and fiords that have made NZ one of the best hiking (locals call it 'tramping') destinations on Earth. NZ can rightly claim the 'Big Easy' crown for the sheer ease of travel here. This isn't a place where you encounter many on-the-road frustrations: buses and trains run on time; roads are in good nick; ATMs proliferate; pickpockets, scam merchants and bedbug-ridden hostels are few and far between; and the food is unlikely to send you running for the nearest public toilets (usually clean and stocked with the requisite paper). And there are no snakes, and only one poisonous spider – the rare katipo – sightings of which are considered lucky. This decent nation is a place where you can relax and enjoy (rather than endure) your holiday. If you're even remotely interested in rugby, you'll have heard of NZ's all-conquering All Blacks, who would never have become world-beaters without their formidable Maori players. But this is just one example of how Maori culture impresses itself on contemporary Kiwi life: across NZ you can hear Maori language, watch Maori TV, see main-street marae (meeting houses), join in a hangi (Maori feast) or catch a cultural performance with traditional Maori song, dance and usually a blood-curdling haka (war dance). Kiwi food was once a bland echo of a British Sunday dinner, but these days NZ chefs find inspiration in new-world culinary oceans, especially the Pacific with its abundant seafood and encircling cuisines. Thirsty? NZ's cool-climate wineries have been collecting wine-award trophies for decades now, and the country's craft-beer scene is booming. Contemporary coffee culture is also firmly entrenched. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses – that of the North Island and the South Island (they didn't have much of an imagination when it came to naming the islands). New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometres (900 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long isolation, New Zealand developed a distinctive biodiversity of animal, fungal and plant life. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sighted New Zealand in 1642. In 1645 Dutch cartographers renamed the land Nova Zeelandia after the Dutch province of Zeeland. British explorer James Cook subsequently anglicised the name to New Zealand.
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After arriving in New Zealand we still had another flight and an additional 6 hours of travelling before we arrived at the South Island's............ Queenstown Queenstown, named because it was 'fit for Queen Victoria', is a four season alpine and lake resort experiencing hot summers and crisp, clear winters. It is popular with thrill-seekers for activities such as bungy jumping, jet boating, white water rafting, canyoning, etc.. Queenstown also caters well for visitors seeking less heart-stopping activities with lake cruises on the vintage steamer TSS Earnslaw, hiking, golf, fishing, sightseeing, gondola rides, wine tastings, spa treatments and gourmet dining popular. 
Routeburn Track
The New Zealand Department of Conservation classifies this track as one of the nine Great Walks and maintains four huts along the track: Routeburn Flats Hut, Routeburn Falls Hut, Mackenzie Hut, and Howden Hut; in addition there is an emergency shelter at Harris Saddle. 
On Day 1 we head out under semi-cloudy conditions and hike to the Routeburn Falls Hut.......
We finished our trek of the Routeburn Track and headed back to Queenstown to do some laundry, relax and get ready for our next portion of the trip....
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| Our new digs was the ultra-modern Shotover Penthouse located in the heart of Queenstown. |
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| Quite unlike the house we had rented previously this place was all glitter and stainless steel.....not bad for $50 per person!! |
The next day we go canyoning.....
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| We had gone canyoning in Chile and Vietnam, so we thought we knew what to expect. I guess everyplace is different....regardless the first thing we had to do was get down into the canyon, which meant abseiling down a 35 metre cliff face! |
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| Good job Mel! |
The above is a film clip. If you can't view it, it is a problem with your device!
Canyoning is basically getting from the top of a river canyon to the bottom using whatever means it takes. In this case it requires jumping off a 21 foot cliff. Go Donald!
Canyoning is basically getting from the top of a river canyon to the bottom using whatever means it takes. In this case it requires jumping off a 21 foot cliff. Go Donald!
 Zip-lining to the next jump. Basically you zip-line down until you come to a stop, about 8 metres above the water, you then abseil down to about 5 metres and release yourself dropping into the water below. Some fun!!!  |
| Finally after abseiling, jumping, zip-lining and squeezing through narrow walls the canyon spits you out! |
As if free-jumping off a 21 foot cliff wasn't enough adrenaline for us, the next day Don and myself decided to go fly-boarding. So what is fly-boarding you ask? Well you strap a jet powered pack to your feet which pushes water through a hose that then lifts you out of the water like superman. Well in theory its something like that.....
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| If you are able to do it, this is what fly-boarding looks like (the owner demonstrates in this picture). And now it's my turn......... |
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| Time to suit up. Don't you find neoprene somewhat slimming? |
The above is a film clip. If you can't view it, it is a problem with your device!
The first thing was to get up out of the water without throwing your back out....no easy task! Well throwing your back out was easy, getting out of the water not so!!
The first thing was to get up out of the water without throwing your back out....no easy task! Well throwing your back out was easy, getting out of the water not so!!
The above is a film clip. If you can't view it it is a problem with your device!
And that folks is how it is done.....35 seconds of free flight!!
And that folks is how it is done.....35 seconds of free flight!!
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| I suspect I was the main source of entertainment for the folks on the steamboat cruise! |
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| Don The Bullet Peddle shoots out of the lake just like..........well just like a bullet!! |
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| So that's me in the water.....defeated by this fly-board thingy and that fawking big grinning face mocking me! |
Nelson
Nelson is situated in a region often known as Nelson Tasman or the "Top of the South." It has a population of around 50,000 ranking it as New Zealand’s tenth most populous city and is the geographical centre of the nation. It offers an excellent range of shopping, eating and cultural experiences with an abundance of parks, rivers, beaches and nature trails to explore. It is the place that most kiwis would like to retire to - if they could afford to, since Nelson has some of the most unaffordable housing and lowest "sunshine" wages in New Zealand.
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| Our house in Nelson. Again, not bad for $50 per person. |
We came to Nelson for one reason and only one reason........
Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman National Park is New Zealand's smallest national park- but it's perfectly formed for relaxation and adventure. A coastal paradise that you can walk through or explore by cruise boat, sailing catamaran, water taxi or sea kayak, visitors love the way the Abel Tasman National Park mixes physical exertion with beach life. Bursts of hiking or paddling are punctuated by sun bathing, swimming and sedate snorkelling.
Those who do crave home comforts can stay in luxurious lodges, but sleeping under the stars is regarded as the ultimate way to experience the spirit of the Abel Tasman.
Here, inviting sandy beaches fill the spaces between trees and tide line. Crystal clear streams tumble down mossy valleys to join the ocean, and this creates the perfect sea-kayaking environment.....and that's what we have come for!!
DAY 1: Onetahuti Campsite.
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| DAY 1 paddle. |
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| First thing is we have to get there and that required taking a water taxi. |
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| Started out with 8 of us for the first day. Getting ready for the launch off of Onetahuti beach. |
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| And we are off! |
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| Don & Paul racing ahead. |
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| Many sea lions can be seen soaking up the sun on the rocks. |
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Heading for Shag Harbour....notice how some of the names are similar to Newfoundland names?
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| Heading into sheltered Shag Harbour. |
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| Smile bye's your on camera-camera! |
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| The quiet waters of Shag Harbour. |
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| This harbour was once home to the New Zealand Maori but there is no sign of that now. Just peaceful waters. |
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| The harbour was full of juvenile sea-lions that just wanted to play among the fallen trees. |
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| Aaaaaaah some cute! |
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| Are ya having fun yet Mel? |
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| Melanie was looking at the harbour bottom when one of the rocks moved. It turned out to be a large manta ray. |
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| We headed back out to open water and passed the Ninja Turtle rock.......... |
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| ....and a closer look at the Ninja Turtle rock! |
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| Lot's of interesting bird-life lined the rocky shore. |
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| Back at Onetahuti beach for the night. |
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| After our kayak we checked out a bit of the Abel Tasman Track (one of the New Zealand Great Walks) which ran behind our campsite. |
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| Looking out at Tonga beach from the Abel Tasman Track. |
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| Onetahuti beach also taken from the Abel Tasman Track. |
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| The kayak company we had booked was top-notch. They even supplied beer, wine and cake for dessert! |
DAY 2: Anchorage Bay
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| Day 2 from Onetahuti beach to Anchorage Bay beach. |
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| The morning after the day before at Onetahuti beach campsite. |
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| Loading up for Day 2. |
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| Heading out pass Arch Point and on our way. |
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| This is Mel's first real kayak trip (we did a one day excursion in Chile a few years back) and she has been converted into a kayaker! |
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| Heading for Bark Bay. |
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| Bark Bay straight ahead. |
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| Once beached in Bark Bay we had to keep moving the kayaks up the beach because the tide kept coming in. |
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| Mel's turn to haul the kayaks up. The tides here are 5 metres, so this beach will totally be under water within the hour. |
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| We were in Bark Bay for a snack and a story! |
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| This bird is????? We were told it was an Oyster Catcher, and Bark Bay had the resident flock. |
After leaving Bark Bay we head down the coast for Sandfly Bay....
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| Leaving the swell of the ocean and heading into the sheltered Sandfly Bay. |
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| The bay is lined with sub-tropical vegetation. |
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| The suspension bridge in the background is part of the Abel Tasman Great Walk trail. |
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| The bay is home to several rare Blue ducks. |
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| Paul takes pictures while Don paddles.....looks like a good deal to me. I wonder how I can convince Mel to do that? |
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| Heading back to open water. The tide was coming in and this cause the river to reverse direction, making the paddle back out a challenge. |
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| After two days of paddling I think we finally got it in sync!! |
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| For lunch we head for yet another quiet sheltered bay. |
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| Lunch on yet another beach.......jeese bye's can't we have a rocky outcrop once in a while? |
After lunch we head out to sea for a sail........
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| By lashing four of the kayaks together we could raise the big jib and sail into Anchorage Bay. What would have taken us 50 minutes took us less than 10 minutes. |
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| Kyle, our guide, obviously very excited since we overtook one of his rival guide friends! |
We landed in Anchorage Bay and set up camp........
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| Camp #2. |
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| The Waka, a wingless bird that patrolled the campsite looking for shiny things to steal. |
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| Mel, also a wingless bird that hung out around the campsite!!! |
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| A walk around Anchorage Bay.........so many photo ops! |
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| The Black Tree Fern towers over much of this portion of the trail.....yes yes this is really a fern! |
DAY 3: Back to Marahau
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| Day 3 paddle. |
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| Anchorage Bay beach just before we headed out for our third (and final) day. |
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| Today was a relaxing paddle on calm seas. |
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| We headed for Adele Island and decided that it was a great place to have lunch. |
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| Kyle getting lunch ready. |
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| Don and Kyle perform for passing German kayakers. |
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| Weaving in and out of the rocky formations. |
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| Sea-stacks (unfortunately this is the last formation we pass before heading back to Marahau)...... |
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| .....and the last word goes to the Studmeister with his mating call!! |
Well that's it for the South Island. We rest up in Nelson for a couple of days before crossing the Cook Strait and on to the North Island. We cross the Cook Strait via ferry from the South Island to the North Island. The ferry was delayed by 4 hours due to the very rough weather in the straits (5 metre swells) but we eventually landed in the nation's capital, Wellington. Unfortunately it was late, so we saw nothing of this city. Early the next morning we headed for the village of National Park where we would begin a four day journey of the.......
DAY 1: Whakapapa Village to Waihohonu Hut 14.3 km.
DAY 2: Waihohonu Hut to Outerere Hut 7.3km
DAY 3: Oturere Hut to Whakapapa Village 20.8km
After leaving Otorohanga we head further north to.........
Tongariro Northern Circuit
The Northern Circuit is a 3-day trek starting on Mt Ruapehu and encircles Mt Ngauruhoe. This 50km track is a Great Walk for a number of good reasons. The Northern Circuit passes plenty of the spectacular and colourful volcanic features that have earned the park its Unesco World Heritage Area status. Highlights include craters, including the South Crater, Central Crater and Red Crater; brilliantly colourful lakes, including the Emerald Lakes, Blue Lake and the Upper and Lower Tama Lakes; the cold Soda Springs; and various other formations, including cones, lava flows and glacial valleys.
The traditional place to start and finish the trek is Whakapapa Village (Maori pronounced Fawk-a-papa! I kid you not, I couldn't make this up!!), the site of the park’s visitor information centre. DAY 1: Whakapapa Village to Waihohonu Hut 14.3 km.
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| We originally had planned on five of us doing this trek but in the end we were only three although Art and Judy did do the first part of the first day with us. The trail starts out from Whakapapa Village in a deep beech forest. |
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| We were told by a bartender in National Park Village (obviously a trusted source...lol) that we would pass four climatic zones. We quickly leave the deep beech forest and enter alpine desert. It's not really a desert as it receives in excess of 1,200 mm of rain (a real desert receives less than 200mm) but it has all the characteristics of a desert....sand dunes, low shrubbery and tuff grasses. |
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| We decided to do this trail counterclockwise which is not the norm, but hey we like doing things backwards! |
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| Our first site, the Taranaki Falls comes into view. |
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| Taranaki Falls is 20 metres high whereas I'm 1.5 metres high and Mel is.........well a little smaller! |
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| The Wairere River gorge and moi taking a picture of said gorge! |
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| This portion of the trail is super maintained making this portion of the trek a super breeze. |
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| The sun broke out and we got a perfect view of the Mt. Ruapehu! |
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| The Lower Tama Lake. This is where we part company with Art & Judy. |
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| We get to see the Lower Tama lake again (from a different angle) as we proceed. |
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| We start to follow this brook for the rest of the day. |
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| The sun was on-again-off-again, but finally it came out for good. Time to strip off some of the warmer clothes. |
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| Mrs. Mac posing among the lava bombs. |
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| As one can see, Mt. Ruapehu made the perfect backdrop for a lot of our pictures. |
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| The persistent winds insured that nothing over a foot tall would grow. |
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| The tree-line over the next hill is where we are headed. |
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| The brand new 4 year old Waihohonu Hut was luxury hut accommodations with a large common area and real flushing toilets! No don't be fooled into thinking it was like an hotel, cause it wasn't. We still had to backpack everything in, including food, cooking gear, sleeping bags and clothing for four seasons. |
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| Day 2 starts out climbing through a moss covered beech forest |
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| We descend down to the Waihohonu Valley (where do they get these names from?). |
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| The forecast had called for heavy rains but all we got was fog....kinda reminded me of home actually. |
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| Volcanic gravel fields await as we skirt around the foothills of Mt Ngauruhoe. |
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| Our first sign of volcanic activity below the earth's crust was the steam filtering through the volcanic sand. |
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| We came across 18 people for the day, other than that we had this undulating terrain to ourselves. |
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| Stunted trees that look like they could be at least 100 years old! |
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| We could be walking on the moon!! |
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| It may come as no surprise to anyone that the Lord of the Rings Trilogy was filmed in part here. |
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| "Mine's a tale that can't be told, My freedom I hold dear; How years ago in days of old When magic filled the air, 'Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor I met a girl so fair. But Gollum, and the evil one crept up And slipped away with her."
Ramble On Led Zeppelin
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| Unlike the Waihohonu Hut the Oturere Hut was NOT luxury accommodations. The size of a small cabin there were 26 side-by-side bunks of which 13 were in the main dining area which had only 2 tables (Mel is sitting at one).....tight quarters! |
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| Day 3 started out under bright blue skies....the perfect weather for the long......very long.....day ahead of us! |
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| Mt. Ngauruhoe, or to most of us Lord of the Rings fans: Mount Doom, where the Ring was forged. Actually, the Ring was forged in Nelson (see blog "New Zealand 2015 Part 2)....just saying! |
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| A panoramic view of Mt. Ngauruhoe and Mt. Ruapehu. |
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| Before starting the hard climb up Mel had to doctor her blisters. Duct tape does an amazing job! |
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| Two thirds of the way up.... |
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| Nearing the top! |
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| We noticed this one lone cloud sitting high on the mountain for some time, but it was only after we got closer did we realize that it was fumarole activity AKA sulphuric steam vents..... |
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| ......the same vents as we pass them by. Poooo what a dynamo hum. |
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| The volcanic activity of Mt. Ngauruhoe, New Zealand's most active volcano, was upgraded while we there......yes bye!!! |
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| The Blue Lake, so named because of the blue colour. Notice the sulphur steam spewing from the ridge on the other side? |
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| And these two are known as the Emerald Lakes. Oddly these two lakes and the Blue Lake are pretty close to each other, but the the colours are very different from each other, apparently due to the chemicals leeching out of the soil. |
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| As is normal when climbing mountains the weather can change within minutes.......and so it did. A cloud moved in and settled on the top and left us shrouded in deep mist. |
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| And to Mel's right is what is known as the Red Crater......too bad we couldn't see it. |
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| The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is the most popular one day trek in New Zealand and it forms part of the 4 day Tongariro Northern Circuit. We had hiked for two days and passed less than 35 people and suddenly we were inundated with hundreds of day-trippers. Jeeese bye's couldn't pick a better day? |
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| Mel making a break for it before the next barrage of day-trippers came and forced us to wait for them to pass. |
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| The cloud lifted briefly, long enough for us to see the next segment of the trail......and the hundreds of hikers coming towards us. |
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| Finally for a few minutes we get to see the Red Crater. And then the cloud moved back in and permanently close the view down. |
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| After descending from the flanks of the Red Crater we hit the expanse of the Mangatepopo Saddle and hundreds of more day-trippers. Where are all of these people coming from??? |
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| Once we hit the Mangatepopo Saddle the sun came back out and the last of the cloudy mist disappeared. Obviously this fooled the day-trippers into believing that the Red Crater and higher ground would be sunny......baahaa silly people! |
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| Overlooking our next descent......way down there! One of the advantages of going in the opposite direction is that it is mostly downhill! |
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| The heavy lava flows from Mt. Ngauruhoe AKA Mt. Doom. |
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| The small volcano in the background is Pukekaikiore....again I ask you where do they come up with these totally unpronounceable names??? |
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| Blooming heather was everywhere on this trek. |
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| After nearly 8 hours and 20.8 kms we approach Whakapapa Village. Yippeeee |
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| The obligatory finish picture!!!!! |
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| .....and the celebratory beer at the end! Another trek bites the dust!! |
After finishing the Tongariro Northern Circuit trek we grabbed a bus to Otorohanga. The reason to come here was to see the.......
Waitamo Caves
Under the green hills of Waitomo lies a labyrinth of caves, sinkholes and underground rivers. The area's name comes from the Maori words wai (water) and tomo (hole). The caves were carved by underground streams pushing through soft limestone over thousands of years. Many have amazing stalactites growing down from the ceiling and stalagmites growing up from the cave floor, pointy cones of layered rock formed over centuries by dripping water. The cave walls are also decorated with galaxies of native glow worms. If you’re into adventure and the unique experience of blackwater rafting than this is for you!!! You'll crawl, swim and float through the caves on a rubber tube as well as abseiling and zip-lining through the darkness.
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| We suit up and have our group picture taken. With the exception of one girl, we were all Crazy Canucks! |
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| First things first and that meant some basic training. In groups of four we learn how to abseil and perhaps play a little air-guitar.......eat your heart out Pete Townsend!! |
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| To enter the caves one must abseil 35 metres into the bowels of the earth. Abseiling is easy when you know how! Basically; with the aid of abseiling gear, you lower yourself down at a speed to suit your own comfort level. If you're brave and confident enough you can also do the wall bounce on the way down! |
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| This cave entrance is shaped something like a hourglass with a very tight narrowing about 8 metres down. It may require some squeezing to get through but in the end we all made it without incident! |
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| ....and into the abyss we go!! |
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| Mel's turn! Obviously this phase does not phase her....... |
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| ......Paul on the other hand looks scared shitless!! |
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| After we had all abseiled to the bottom we zip-line in the dark to where we start the tubing down the underground river. First thing however requires getting into the said river and to do that one has to take a flying leap with tube firmly held on one's butt........ |
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| .....and now Melanie does her jump. Scared Mel? |
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| After we are all in the river we hook up and slowly float down the underground river. The Christmas-like lights above us are the famous glow-worms of New Zealand. This cave system is full of them! |
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| When the lights are turned off the glowworms can be appreciated in all their glory. There are so many that even at 65 metres below ground there is enough light to see......amazing star-like show! Hey isn't that the Southern-Cross over there? |
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| The glow worm is the common name for various groups of insect larvae and adult larviform females that glow through bioluminescence. They resemble worms as they hang from the cave ceiling but actually they are insects. The hanging stuff is a sticky spittle that allows them capture their prey (a small fly that flies towards the light and sticks to the spittle). |
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| Caving, or spelunking (technical name for it), isn't all lazily floating down underground rivers but rather it does require squeezing through tight quarters usually in wet cold conditions, which makes me wonder why I'm smiling? After all I do suffer from claustrophobia! |
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| These tiny chambers were carved by water which flowed from the surface, which makes me wonder what would happen if there was a sudden thunderstorm above ground? Would the water levels increase? Hmmmm interesting thought. |
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| Getting from point A to Point B sometimes required taking the leap of faith. Here Mel demonstrates her Flying Squirrel jump! |
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| ....and here Don does the classic Belly-flop! |
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| Where's my Precious? My Preciousssss... |
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| .......well this isn't my Precious? Now I ask you what does a 6 foot eel eat 65 metres underground? |
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| Of course what goes down into the ground does not stay down into the ground and that means we have to climb out, and this involves climbing up through a series of waterfalls! Tricky business cause one slip and it's a long tumble back down! |
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| The amazing power of time-lapse photography. By using our headlamps we were able to do this!! Don was the 'S', I was the 'O', Mel was the 'M' and Paul was the 'e'. |
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| Emerging back into Middle Earth! |
Rotorua
Sitting within the Pacific Rim of Fire, Rotorua is a geothermal wonderland with bubbling mud pools, clouds of steam, and natural hot springs perfect for bathing and relaxing in. From crystal-clear streams and magical forests, to epic biking trails and explosive geysers, Rotorua has it all. The city offers a raft of attractions and experiences for adventure-seekers, so it comes as no wonder why we came here!!!
Later that night we went to a traditional 'touristy' Maori hangi feast where the food is cooked in the steaming ground......
The next day we go whitewater rafting on the Kaituna River which has been described as the "best, most amazing experience" on Trip Advisor. One of the reasons is the highest commercially raftable waterfalls in the world at 7 metres....yikes!!!
The following sequence of pictures need no commentary as we plunge over the first of three waterfalls. Just so you know, Don is in the front on the right, Mel is behind him, I'm behind Mel with Paul to my left......
And now for waterfalls number 2......
.....and finally the granddaddy of them all! Seven metres (23 feet) of rushing fun-filled-up-in-your-throat-I-can't-look waterfalls.....
....and now for something completely different......
.....and that folks is how to whitewater raft!!!!!
Our last day in Rotorua we decided to go.........
Zorbing is the recreation or sport of rolling downhill inside an orb, made of transparent plastic. There are two types of orbs; harnessed and non-harnessed. Non-harness orbs can carry up to three riders and this was the zorb we chose.
With our time in New Zealand quickly coming to an end, we head for one last community on the North Island........
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| We take a stroll down to the local municipal park to see what its all about.... |
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| .....we take the opportunity to soak our feet in the natural hot springs. |
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| All around sulphuric steam vents hiss out of the ground, like the one Paul is standing near. |
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| Seems to be a pretty normal thing as the vents can be anywhere......as is the case here where it's right next to a road. |
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| Don't be fooled into thinking that this is just steam coming from the ground. That's boiling mud and water with temp's topping out at 100C. |
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| The odd thing about this is that these pictures were all taken from a municipal park right in the middle of town!! |
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| On the menu tonight was steamed potatoes, leg of lamb and chicken! |
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| ....and of course no feast is complete without a show! |
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| Ceremonial Maori canoe. |
The following sequence of pictures need no commentary as we plunge over the first of three waterfalls. Just so you know, Don is in the front on the right, Mel is behind him, I'm behind Mel with Paul to my left......
And now for waterfalls number 2......
....and now for something completely different......
.....and that folks is how to whitewater raft!!!!!
Our last day in Rotorua we decided to go.........
Zorbing
Zorbing is the recreation or sport of rolling downhill inside an orb, made of transparent plastic. There are two types of orbs; harnessed and non-harnessed. Non-harness orbs can carry up to three riders and this was the zorb we chose.
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| Zorbanaunts getting ready to rock this joint! |
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| The zorb is partially filled with warm water and then you dive into the zorb to begin the slow roll downhill......good dive Don. Judges agree that that's a 9.4 point dive. |
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| Mel, being somewhat hung-over, had to be coached into doing this, so for the first launch we did a two person zorb. |
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| ....and now for the dive! Judges agree that this is a 8.6 point dive! |
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| One last smile before the launch and the possible projectile puking that may ensue! |
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| It's all downhill from here! |
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| The track was either straight down or zig-zag. This was the zig-zag track! |
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| All arms and legs! |
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| I am happy to report that there was no projectile puking on this our maiden zorb!! |
Whakatane
The main centre for the eastern Bay of Plenty, Whakatane is one of the sunniest towns in New Zealand. Just off shore (50km) is White Island, a spectacular active volcano that can be visited by boat. Unfortunately while we were there, the island was inaccessible due to high seas. So we just took the opportunity to relax and visit Ohope Beach.......
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| A memorial plague attached to this island. |
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| Whakatane (pronounced Fawk-a-tane). It's a 10 minute bus ride to Ohope Beach OR you can hike it in just under 2 1/2 hours (provided the tides are not high) |
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| White Island billows far off in the distance. |
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| White Island is New Zealand's most active volcano. We really wanted to go there but the seas had 2 metre swells at the island, 50km off-shore, and without a wharf to land on it would not be safe. |
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| We had hiked for almost 2 hours when we came to this beach where the tides were too high for us to cross, so we had to sit and wait for the levels to drop. |
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| Finally the tides receded and we continued our journey. |
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| Finally Ohope Beach comes into view. |
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| The beach is considered one of the best in New Zealand but this is the off-season and all the summer tourists have gone home. Now only the weird and wonderful occupy it, such as this totem pole that has no doubt cross many seas to get here! |
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| Feels kinda weird to have a 12 km beach to oneself, doesn't it Mel? |
And the last word goes to a drunken beach bum that had passed out on the beach.....
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| We told Don that that Shirley Temple drink would do him in! |
Well folks thanks for joining us on the BIG adventure to New Zealand! Cheers.....
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