Dynamite With a Laser Beam

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Trip Start Aug 23, 2007 Previous
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  Auckland, New Zealand
Friday, November 23, 2007

Shame, ow!  Hey my audience.  That's just a little Kiwi expression used when someone has done something ridiculous, like not update their travel blog on a regular basis.  Apologies, but I will admit that it's nice to know you're reading since some of you have asked when the next update is coming.  I will attempt to avoid the listing of events, but it will be challenging as I've moved around so much in the last 12 days.
  So, where was I?  Ah, yes, Christchurch.  There is a legend here in NZ that dolphins exist. Pure legend.  In Kaikoura I tried again to go see the dolphins.  This time I was not going to be easily convinced so I opted out of swimming with them.  I just wanted to see one.  At least this time I was on the boat for a couple of hours, but no dolphins were to be found.  Haven't seen one yet and doubt I'll find them on Queen Street in Auckland.  So they remain the mythical creatures of Australia and New Zealand and, I suspect, a tourist scam.  OK, I'm just bitter!
  Met a nice bloke from Cornwal (Ahh, the English)  and travelled with him accross the water to the North Island and into Wellington.  They call it Windy Wellington and that is no mistake.  It rained sideways for two days.  Fortunately there was a wonderful museum called "Te Papa", Maori for 'our place'.  This museum had many exhibits from art, to geography, to culture and even a corner devoted to Scottish immigrants.  The pipes rang out and kilts were a-swirlin' and it made me feel quite moved wondering about all those Highlanders who spread out over the world in the years following the Uprising (once again, ahhh, the English).  I always seem to be drawn to the botanical gardens in each city, but Wellington's gardens were exceptional.  The rose gardens on their own would have amazed you, but they had an informative medicinal herb garden, a beautiful duck pond and something called "The Clock of Human Involvement".  I had to see that.  It was an ellipsis on the ground labeled with the dates of the year.  If you stood on today's date, your shadow was cast on one of 12 blocks set up in an arc around the ellipsis.  Your shadow marked the time.  I see a garden project in my future.
  I headed off on the long drive to Aukland on the 15th.  My plan was to work out a hotel for my last night and find a place to get my hair cut (hasn't been touched since mid-August and I'm starting to look my age).  As I headed off to meet up with Greg, I saw a giant sign in the sky with the image of a rock star type and the words "WE WILL ROCK YOU".  Brilliant!  I ran in and bought a ticket and the next night I had the best time (although weird being alone) at the musical.  When the lead actor came out, I couldn't figure out where I had seen him before.  During the play, a line was directed at him and went something like, "INXS didn't even want you!"  I remebered that he was the Aussie contestant on Rock Star INXS a couple of summers ago.  Some of you may have watched it (Nancy?).  The show was great despite the incredibly reserved Kiwi crowd, and just what the doctor ordered.  Spirits lifted, it was time to see the North Island.
  Caught the Stray  bus once again for Hahei, a little town across the Coromundal Peninsula along tiny winding roads.  I spent the night in a little camp by the ocean and felt good to be warm again.  Summer is finally coming to New Zealand.
  Next stop was Raglan and so it was back over the peninsula and to the West Coast of the North Island and spectacular beaches and surf and rocky cliffs.  The hostel I stayed at had a chef who made gourmet meals each night for only $12 (a great deal in NZ).  I spent the afternoon sitting by the ocean on my own and remembering that I was in New Zealand and that life is grand.  I needed that moment.  I am still not recovered from whatever I have and am less enthusiastic about seeing the sights than I mean to be.  Quiet and stillness save the day again.
  The next day we stopped in Waitomo to see the caves and the glow worms.  There were several different trips which our guide labeled as "ooh, aaah" or "whoo-hoo" trips.  I opted for the "ooh, aah" trip and enjoyed myself thoroughly.  I really thought the glow worms were going to be mildly interesting, but I was absolutely awestruck to be sitting in pitch black darkness and staring up at twinkling little glowworms and their tiny strings dotted with drops and sparkling in the glow of their tiny little butts.  Our guide was a German woman whose passion was caves and was a wealth of information.  We saw bones in the caves of animals who had either crawled in and couldn't find their way out or, worse, animals who had dropped in through the holes in the land above.  What a way to go.
  My next stop was a special Stray stop at a remote place called Makarua, close to Rotorua.  We stayed at a Maori cultural center and were treated to a traditional meal called a Hangi (read 'meat') and an evening of entertainment including the famous tribal dance called the Haka made famous by the All Blacks Rugby team.  The men and women were separated and the men learned the Haka and the women learned a dance called the Poi which we performed for each other.  Much of the dancing is supported with great facial gymnastics.  The dances were often used to scare their enemies and avoid a battle, so we had to enlarge our eyes and look really scary.  What was really scary was that we would be spending the night on mattresses in the same room as the dancing.  In the end, it wasn't so bad...more like a giant sleepover party in your mom's basement.
  The next morning it was off to Rotorua where the group went white water rafting.  I just can't do it!!  I live by one of the most beautiful white water rivers in the world and I just can't go rafting here.  I saw the rapids...class III at best.  Call me a white water snob, but there it is.  So, one little Stray traveller ended up at the thermal village in Rotorua.  Again, I was perfectly happy.  The people actually live in that village and the tour guide was very informative and honest about the difficulties they have in negotiating with the local and federal governments.  Everything's relative I guess.  After a happy few hours exploring on my own, I headed out to meet my bus.  I sat in the gorgeous afternoon sun and waited.  and waited.  and waited. And eventually realized they had forgotten me.  I managed to get the ticket lady in the village to call up Stray and they called my driver.  Simultaneously, a nice pair of Scots on the bus had wondered out loud where I was and the driver nearly died.  Finally, I was picked up and she brought a nice box of chocolates which I enjoyed!
  Finally, it was off to Taupo where the big draw is throwing yourself out of a plane.  I don't know what to tell you.  Never had the urge or desire.  I'm sure it's a great experience, but I was happy with my feet on the ground walking around the beautiful crater Lake Taupo which, by the way, is bigger than Singapore!
  And that brings me to the end, my friend.  I am back in Auckland and have decided to take a few days off.  I'm opting out of tourism for the last few days in New Zealand.  Today I had a manicure and my eyebrows done.  Tomorrow I have an appointment for a pedicure.  I read the morning paper in a coffee shop this morning and it was wonderful.  I just want to be a regular person for a week. So, I will see a movie, read a book in the park, drink great coffee, dye my hair, do some Christmas shopping.  Oh, that reminds me.  The Santa Claus parade is on Sunday, and you can bet I'll be there in my shorts, t-shirt and sunnies, slapping on the SPF 30.  And one last thing.  I really want a bath.  I tried to find a hotel with a bath, but they start at 200 New Zealand dollars a night.  So, I settle for a shower, but I have a nice, clean, private studio hotel room for the last three nights in Aukland.  Heaven!!  Hopefully, I'll squeeze in one more blog before I head to Singapore on the 27th and let you know how my 'holiday' went.  Stay warm, people.  I hear it's snowing!!  Shame, ow!
   
 

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