Marlborough Sound

Camping at Kenepuru Head on Kenepuru Sound

Kenepuru Sounds Sunset

Camping with a view (see above sunset)

Relaxing at Kenepuru Head on Kenepuru Sound

Eco World Aquarium, Picton

"The hills are alive...." Marlborough Sounds

The winding drive was a bit much for Gregory so he got to sit in the front seat but as you can see the views are worth it!

Hydro slide in Nelson ~ Gregory's hips were raw after a half hour of slipping off the mat but he still wanted to give it another go...

Bumpa Boats, Nelson

Governor's Bay, Marlborough Sounds

Marlborough Sounds

Go carts in Nelson

Playing with "Tank" on Tahuna Beach, Nelson

Tahuna Beach, Nelson (Our camp looked out over the water...)

Monday, March 8, 2010

It is a glorious morning here in our camp at Kenepuru Head, Sounds Foreshore Reserve. Our camp is just on the edge of an embankment overlooking the Kenepuru Sound, which runs adjacent to the Queen Charlotte Sound and one of the Great Walks in New Zealand the Queen Charlotte Track. It was a twisting winding drive to reach the end of the sealed road and Gregory had to sit in the front seat to keep his stomach down. It was worth it though. The views are spectacular and the trees are full of birds singing us a symphony. Mike is chatting with some cyclists from Austria and I’m sure has them convinced they should come to America to ride the TransAmerica Trail. Last night we met a couple from Croatia while we tried to snap pictures of the cheeky little weka birds that poked their heads out from the underbrush and eventually came in to our camp looking for a hand out.

Night before last at our camp kitchen in Waikawa we met Jouni (Finnish and pronounced “Yonnie”) and Kirsty who are from London and are traveling around the world for the next year. They have already been throughout Southeast Asia and to Australia and Mike commented that they are probably about the age we were when we first went traveling on our honeymoon 21 years ago. Gregory quickly made friends when they pulled out the playing cards. They taught him “Cheaters” and he taught them War, Speed (which Jouni called Rapid Fire) and Go Fish. We visited well into the evening and they tipped us off that the Eco World Aquarium was having “Day of the Child” the next day and entrance would be only $5 vs. $20!

We met up again at breakfast and again at the aquarium and kept crossing paths throughout the day as we wandered about the port town of Picton. Gregory wanted to follow them on their 3-day tramping excursion along the Queen Charlotte Track but we explained that we weren’t equipped for that kind of hiking (no hiking boots or packs). We did have an excellent time at the aquarium viewing a wide variety of fish, an octopus, turtles and eels, sea horses, tuatara (a lizard that has been on earth since the time of the dinosaurs), New Zealand birds and the Weta (a native insect that has been making a comeback since they have created rat-free habitats for the weta). I thought it was especially interesting that scallops don’t like starfish and will “swim” away when one is introduced next to the shell opening. The shell opens and closes as the scallop sort of “puffa-puffs” away across the rock pool. Also the spiny kina (sea urchin) will use its spines to flip itself over if put on its back.

At the Picton foreshore we made our way around the festival complete with music, dancing and food! Mike and I tried sausages with grilled onions on a slice of bread with steak sauce and it was delicious. We road on a wee train with Gregory and watched children sail their wee wind powered boats in a man-made pond.

A couple of days ago in Nelson we again camped right on the beach with a wide expanse of sand shores to explore. Gregory was thrilled to play with the many dogs out for a walk and to splash along the shoreline and collect many shells. We saw loads of oysters, mussels, cockles and clams. On our first evening, in came a sudden rainstorm, which burst from the clouds and we gathered for shelter near the kitchens where we shared a picnic table with Scots Frank and his brother Doug (who lives in Christchurch) and Frank’s girlfriend Kay. Frank and Kay are here on holiday to do some fly-fishing and Doug is accompanying them. We watched them grill some of the famous green mussels and they let us sample some trout they’d caught. They storm passed and we visited until late in the evening. Doug it turns out is a cyclist and was interested to here about our journey.

We reconvened in the same spot at breakfast and Frank threw the football around with Gregory and I but the fun ended when Gregory stepped in a hole and twisted his ankle. We found out that Frank was a medic for 82^nd Airborne, which is the same branch of the military my brother-in-law served under. They were off to Murchison to do more fishing and we were off as well so we said our goodbyes and exchanged emails. We hope to connect with Doug again when we depart Christchurch.

After saying farewell to the Austrian cyclists Mike playing auto mechanic and helped a stranded lass get her van going. He figures she flooded it but it was definitely running a bit rough. We are quite a ways out in the middle of nowhere so she was very grateful for his help especially since she was on her own.

St. Arnaud Bach & Nelson Lakes National Park

Kerr Bay on Lake Rotoiti in Nelson Lakes National Park near the town of St. Arnaud

March 3, 2010

After a leisurely morning at Bob and Christine’s on Tuesday, March 2nd, where I put the finishing touches on my handbag and we packed and made phone calls, we said our goodbyes and promised to let our hosts know where we finally land. The have been so generous and have even offered up their bach (holiday home ~ pronounced “batch”) in St. Arnaud for our next stay. St. Arnaud is south west of Blenheim and just a couple of hours away.

As I mentioned in my previous entry we stopped at Highland Estates for vineyard views from their observation tower and a sampling. The day was a bit overcast and we did have a bit of rain on the drive but it didn’t spoil the views of this picturesque region. We had our first livestock-crossing encounter. Cattle were moved across the road as we drove on past. We also passed Rainbow Ski Area in the Upper Wairau Valley. Bob and Christine are quite involve with fundraising to maintain this non-profit club where any money made is put back into the maintenance of the area. Employeess are paid but all other funds go back into the ski area.

The bach is located in Nelson Lakes National Park and just a short walk from Lake Rotoiti. The home is set amongst a wide variety of beech trees and other lush vegetation and the birds sing to us from the treetops. It is quite spacious and it can sleep up to 8 in 2 self contained units. We are enjoying the cozy fireplace and mountain views.

Last night Gregory and I took a walk down to the lake bringing along Which Native Tree? by Andrew Crowe so that we could identify some of the trees and shrubs. Just down the road from the bach is a shelter for dining and cooking, a camping area and a scenic little dock that makes its way out into the lake. Ducks came to the crystal clear waters edge to greet Gregory and we watched some young German travelers jump off the dock into the chilly lake. The young lady commented later how glad she was there were hot showers! We had a small taste of the pesky little sand flies that inhabit these islands. Christine had warned us not to go out without repellent but we had forgotten. We swatted them away from our faces yet each still got a couple of bites that we had to attend to when we got back.

We played Trivial Pursuit Genus Edition and it was quickly apparent that this edition was made for the kiwi crowd. There were lots of questions about New Zealand people and places. We were proud that we were able to answer some questions correctly! Gregory did some research on the kiwi bird and today took the information from his graphic organizer and wrote his “sloppy copy” for his kiwi bird report. I’ll post it when he completes his final copy.

Blenheim & Marlborough Wine Region

Christine and Bob were our wonderful SERVAS hosts in Blenheim

Highland Estates Winery in Marlborough Wine Country near Blenheim

March 2, 2010

On the morning of our beach evacuation for the potential tsunami we ended up at a takeaway (café) around 8:30 A.M. having a coffee and watching the news. The first waves hit Gisborne on the eastern coast around 9:20 A.M. Thought waves were predicted as high as 1-3 meters they weren’t this severe. We decided to stay away from the beaches this Saturday (Feb. 28) and rang up several SERVAS hosts in Blenheim. I haven’t really explained that we are members of this international host organization that promotes peace and cultural awareness world-wide. We have the opportunity to stay with the people of New Zealand during our travels here and will host others when we are settled once again. Fortunately for us we connected with Bob and Christine and had a fabulous two-day visit. Though they’d just returned from a two-week holiday and were still unpacking they gladly opened their home to us. We arrived mid-morning and directly had tea with biscuits (cookies) and green grapes just picked off their vines. After a visit and being shown around it was soon time for lunch where we had an opportunity to try venison salami (there are many deer farms in New Zealand) and it was quite delicious. We happily offered to help with the yard work they’d planned on doing and Gregory did the majority of the lawn mowing with Mike finishing things off and I pulled some weeds after getting our laundry started.

Our hostess Christine is a fiber artist and does felting using primarily wool but also other fibers such as silk. Her business is called Felt Good, which I thought was quite clever. She graciously offered to let Gregory and I each do a project so I made a purse and Gregory did a wall hanging. We found out that wool has scales on it therefore when you overlap wool in opposite directions, add a bit of water and wool wash, and do a bit of smooshing with your hands, the fibers grab one another and make an almost indestructible fabric. Christine showed me how to make a pattern from bubble wrap for my purse and after layering the darker Gotland wool (and smooshing) we flipped the bubble wrap over to do the opposite side and again to add the lighter Corridale wool on top. Each time water and wool wash are added with lots of smooshing. The edges of wool that overlap the bubble wrap are wrapped around to form the edge of the purse. Once finished layering the wool, the whole piece is covered with plastic, smooshed some more and then rolled in the plastic along with a towel. This roll is worked back and forth using pressure and the fibers continue to bind together. Gregory’s piece was a bit more straight forward as a wall hanging but once he had is base layer of dark Gotland wool he added bits of colored wool creating a designed wall hanging. As art lovers ourselves Gregory and I were just in heaven and made pieces that we will treasure for a lifetime.

Blenheim is on the Wairau plains in the Marlborough region, which is famous for its vineyards. The countryside is quite picturesque and Blenheim is “one of New Zealands sunniest towns, boasting over 2500 hours of sunshine in 2008”. (AA Visitor Guide 2010). During our visit we had an opportunity to sample some Sauvignon Blanc to accompany a delightful dinner of blue cod that was caught and prepared by our hosts. Award winning Sauvignon Blanc varietals are produced in this region as well as sparkling wines, pinot gris, gewurtztraminer, riesling, chardonnay and other white wines. Pinot Noir and other reds are produced here but whites are predominant.

Upon our hosts recommendation we visited Highland Estates where Gregory enjoyed walking up and down the rows of grape vines and climbing the observation tower to view the miles and miles of vineyards and surrounding mountains. We met some Canadians while we sampled the 2008 and 2009 sauvignon blanc and the pinot noir. We congratulated them on their Olympic hockey win and wished them safe travels.

At Bob and Christine’s house we watched the final ice skating exhibition of the Olympics while we enjoyed a gorgeous pavlova with raspberry sauce. Pavlova is a traditional New Zealand dessert. They fed us like kings during our entire visit including a barbequed steak dinner, salads with fixings fresh from the garden, homemade bread and homemade raspberry jam. The beet root (beets) from the garden were also delicious. We’ve only been in country about a week and my pants are already getting tight!

Tsunami

Saturday, February 28, 2010

“Tent campers…Are you awake in there?” “Yes,” we groggily replied. “There is a potential tsunami headed for the coast of New Zealand. You can pack up and move your tent to the rugby field at the school in Seddon.” This was how we were awoken at 4:00 A.M. this morning! We’ve never packed up so quickly in our lives. We were at Marfells Beach on the eastern coast of South Island and north of Kaikoura and we were literally 50 feet from waters edge.

As we followed a long line of camper vans and caravans the 8km back to the main road we couldn’t help but think about the fact that we were originally trying to freedom camp (free camp) last night and would have had no warning about the potential storm. Earlier in the afternoon we’d followed a beach road and actually found a couple of campers that looked firmly entrenched and therefore proceeded further down the road. The problem was that it quickly turned very sandy and there was nowhere to turn around. Fortunately, Mike was able to use a wide spot in the road and drove partially up a sand dune to get us turned around. However, Gregory and I had to get out of the car and he had to back up and get a fast running start to get us out of the mess we’d found ourselves in! There’s always the unexpected adventure with the Williams family.

This morning, while we were able to quickly disassemble the tent, lay it in the boot and take off, we drove past large caravans with awnings, chairs, chilly bins, barbeques, and the works still out and had to sympathize with what they would have to do to get off the beach. It was early Sunday morning and I’m sure they were set up for a nice long weekend.

Currently we are sitting in Big Blue (our Nissan Bluebird) parked in a space overlooking the rugby field at Seddon School. We weren’t about to set our tent up again at 5:00 A.M. in the morning and at any rate the sprinklers are on! The camper vans and caravans parked around us sit dark and others have probably gone back to bed. We are covered by our sleeping bags and Mike and Gregory are reading books with their headlamps…It is currently 5:23 A.M.

As we drove to Seddon we noticed a definite elevation gain and from the map we can see that we are inland. A very cold wind nipped at us while we tried to properly fold and put away our tent. We can hear the howling of the wind as it gently rocks our car and by the light of the full moon and a few street lamps we can see the fronds of the palm trees swaying in the wind. We can only speculate that perhaps there was an earthquake off shore that brings these storm warnings.

When I asked Gregory if he knew what a tsunami was he said, “Ya. 100 foot waves Mom.” Mike mentioned how lucky we are that we aren’t in a third world country that has no warning system.

We originally got out the computer hoping for an Internet connection so we could Skype our parents so they wouldn’t worry. No connection so I am just typing in Word currently and hopefully we can post today. If you aren’t on Skype you should go to Skype.com and get set up. It took Mike only about 10-15 minutes to set up and we can call (telephone from the computer) America from New Zealand for two and half cents a minute! Once we have the caller on the telephone line we ask them to go to their computer (after hanging up the phone) and we can talk with video from the computer for free! How terrific is that?! We are thrilled because we have no phone service down here.

We came through Kaikoura yesterday, which is a city of about 4,000 and that is fairly large on New Zealand standards. The owner of the fruit and veggie stand informed us that they see over 10,000 tourists a year. There were too many hotels here for his liking. He said he does OK for himself and enjoys his 5 acres that faces the sea but if he were 20 years younger he would live in Australia where the opportunities are greater. Gregory was eager to try a variety of apple that was recommended to us by Linda, the Aussie we met back at Waikuku, and when Gregory asked about the Cox Orange apple the owner went in the back and brought out his one and only case that had just arrived. They were delicious and we wish we’d bought more.

The setting of Kaikoura is breathtaking. There are 8,000’ mountains that drop off into the turquoise waters of the sea. We’ve been told that it is especially stunning when the peaks are snow-capped. We drove up to the lookout and braved the winds to soak in the spectacular view. We then drove around the peninsula to the seal colony and got an up close peak at the seals. We were walking along the shore looking at the seals on the rocks when we turned and saw a female lounging in the sun just a few feet from us. We walked along the sea wall and I got a good dousing as the waves crashed in. I joked that now I smelled like seal water. After venturing into town to get some cash, and driving past several large and over-priced holiday parks in the centre (center) of town, we chose to get some groceries and continue further north to find a less crowded and more remote camping place. It was a lot of driving for one day but we were pleased when we found Marfells Beach, which we are sure is one of the beaches we stayed at back in 1995 with our traveling companions Ken and Cindy.

Today, after spending our Saturday morning in camp at Amberley Beach we drove up the coast and took a 10km detour down to Motunau where we watched tractors launch boats bound for the Motunau Island Nature Reserve, which has landing by permit only. It was quite a lot of work to get these boats launched! The tide was out and we explored the tide pools amongst the black and white stones collecting treasures. Gregory met a small boy whom Gregory said traded him a pipi (clam) shell for a paua (abalone) shell, Gregory’s first. We heard red-billed black birds call to us as they walked amongst the rocky shore. I thought of Mom and Papa George back home and how much they would love exploring this beach with us. As time got away from us we finally made our way back to the car and found the tide had come in. We still had plenty of coastline to make our way around the bay but it was a good reminder to pay attention to the tides. By the time we made it back to the car the boats no longer needed a tractor to make it out to the open sea. It was a lovely couple of hours and probably my favorite part of the day.

Talking Like A Kiwi

Saturday, February 27, 2010

One of the fun things about visiting another country is noticing the differences between they way things are done, and said, versus in America. We arrived wearing our joggers (tennis shoes) and we soon switched to jandels (sandals or flip flops). When I was younger they were called thongs but another item of feminine undergarment has taken that term! A teacher I know once told the kids they could bring their thongs for sprinkler day and she was met with a loud chorus of snickers.

When we bought our Nissan Bluebird sedan from Jason at Doug Drake Motors we noticed that when pleased with something he’d say, “champion”. For instance when Mike signed the papers and passed them over, Jason said, “Champion”. You might also hear that something is “brilliant” or “well done”. Mike opened the bonnet (hood) to check the fluids and we were pleased to have a large boot (trunk) to stow our gear.

We purchased a chilly bin (ice chest) for our perishables. We are also learning to convert our litres (liters) of petrol (fuel) to gallons. It is about $1.80NZ per litre, which is about a quarter of a gallon so fuel is about $5.00US per gallon! When we purchase meat and cheese from the deli it is by the kilogram versus the pound. Instead of buying granola to mix in our yoghurt (yogurt) we buy museli. When we first asked about purchasing some ice we were told we’d need to go to a garage (petrol station) but then we found that the New World market had ice as well. Grocery shopping is quite an adventure with many new and different products to discover. Just the other day Mike and I were offered a sample of an Australia Merlot in the grocery store and it was lovely! Lovely is another term we hear a lot as in, it is a lovely day or that was a lovely tea (dinner). When we arrived at the market Gregory noticed the trundler (shopping cart) return area. At the airport we used a trolley (cart) to move our bags about.

As a traveler you have to mind your luggage, wallet and passports at all times because you don’t want them to get nicked or pinched (stolen). Though we haven’t felt at all threatened in this friendly country.

Below is a list of some Kiwi (New Zealander) terms taken from:

New Zealand, Enchantment of the World by Donna Walsh Shepherd

Talking Like a Kiwi

New Zealanders love slang and shortened words. The term Kiwis for New Zealanders started during World War I when New Zealand soldiers went overseas to fight. Kiwis became a quick and affectionate way to distinguish them from the Brits and the Aussies.

Many words are common to all three countries, but here are words you might hear in New Zealand.

bloke, mate - guy

windscreen - windshield

trolley - shopping cart

pudding - dessert (not necessarily pudding at all)

cheers - thank you

crisps - potato chips, or other chips such as taro

busking - performing on the streets for money

good on you - good for you, well-done

trading hours - hours stores are open

dairy - a small grocery store or convenience shop

jumper - sweater

lovely, no worries - it’s not a problem

put in the sinbin - being punished or scolded, the penalty box in rugby

mind your step - watch your step

As we continue our travels down under I’ll have to add to my list!

North up the eastern coast we went on our third day in country. After stopping at an Op Shop (opportunity shop such as Salvation Army and Goodwill) to look for a Chilly Bin (ice chest) we ended up back at The Warehouse (A bit like Wal-Mart) where we found one just the right size. With groceries and fuel for the camp stove (purchased at Hammer Hardware) we made our way to a Waikuku Beach and its lovely camping area. Campgrounds here offer not only hot showers (coin operated) but also a complete kitchen with pots and pans, microwave, toaster, fridge and stovetop. There is even an instant hot water tank for your tea, coffee and hot chocolate. (On our first day here Gregory tried Milo, which is made from malted barley and is an energy food beverage rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, but he wasn’t too fond of it.)

Our Waikuku Beach Holiday Park hostess, Debbie Jefcoate, was from Arkansas so we had a nice visit with her and got some tips for the area. Her husband is from Dunedin (southern tip of South Island) so they relocated back here. We also met Aussies Linda and David from Melbourne who gave us advice on traveling in Australia. Interestingly, Linda is from New Zealand originally and lived in Christchurch for 10 years. She commented that the wages in Australia were often double that of New Zealand and that the cost of living is cheaper in Australia. She said New Zealand is a very “green” and eco-conscious country and this raises their cost of living.

The evening was brilliant and Mike cooked up some rosemary burgers on the barbeque and we ate in the camp kitchen. It got dark around 8:00 P.M. and after reading for a bit we were off to sleep but were woken often by the pouring rain that beat down on our tent all night long. By morning it had cleared out and though the rain fly was covered in bits of the conifers and a few leaves it was a beautiful morning. (One of the things Debbie said that she misses is fall in the States. There are very few deciduous trees here.) We got a coffee and chocolate at the corner and went tramping (hiking) up to the Ashley River mouth and explored this tidal marshland where we found many birds and thousands of small holes in the sand that are home to tiny crabs. We came up to the beach and collected pipis (clam shells) and enjoyed a long walk back to camp where we had our breakfast of yoghurt, museli and toast. On the beach at Waikuku Gregory met Janine and her son’s dog Duke. He got to throw a tennis ball for Duke and had a grand time. Janine explained that she was dog-sitting for her son and that she and her husband live in Christchurch but have a wee (small) bach (holiday home) here. (Bach is pronounce “batch”.) She also said that her husband is from further south and that down south a bach is called a crib. It is all in where you live!

Gregory woke with a sore throat and the sniffles but we caved and let him go boogie-boarding anyhow. The waves were great and he caught quite a few good ones but he didn’t last long in the cold water. He said, “The water sure isn’t warm like Hawaii!” We had to remind him that we are close to Antarctica and that we will see penguins on this trip! We spent most of the day here and didn’t shower and pack up until almost 5:00 P.M.

We all had a go at the flying fox (zip line) at the neighboring park before we headed up the road. It was a blast and Gregory made over a dozen runs! This park also had a lovely enclosed wading pool for the wee ones with shade canvas over top! Just up the road we decided to stop at Amberley beach for the night. The beach was quite rocky but this camping spot was only $2.50NZ per adult and $1.00NZ per child and it still had a toilet with a separate room if you wanted to hang up your sun shower. (Our first camping spot was $25NZ for 2 adults and $6NZ for a child. We did have more amenities though.)

There was no rain last night and it has been a beautiful sunny morning. I’m typing my blog at a picnic table as I listen to the waves crash on the beach. Gregory is still not feeling great but we got some Dimetapp at the pharmacy (it comes in a glass bottle and was $20.00NZ!) last night and that seems to be helping a bit. He’s also trying a lozenge made from 100% pure New Zealand Manuka Honey (black currant flavoured) and known for it’s antibacterial health benefits… He’s had a quiet morning catching up on his journal, reading and playing with a few Legos he brought along. Mike is already on his second book…

Kia Ora! We're in New Zealand.

Mike's cousin Megan, his mom Joan and his dad John give us a warm send off.

Saying goodbye to Grandpa Williams in Charlotte, North Carolina

Arrival at LAX, Los Angeles

Waiting for The Westin hotel shuttle

Enjoying The Westin pool (Gregory went for a swim...)

Thumbs UP for Air New Zealand

Arrival in Auckland, New Zealand (North Island for an hour and a half lay over)

On the flight from the North Island to the South Island we watched sunrise over the clouds! Aotearoa is the Maori word for New Zealand. It means Land of the Long White Cloud.

We are at Biosecurity. They have taken our tent in the back room for inspection and a spray.

Catching the Metro from the airport to Christchurch City Centre

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 ~ Christchurch, New Zealand

Checking out cars at Turner's Auction

Gregory tries the Aboriginal instrument, the digeridoo

Jason seals the deal on our Nissan Bluebird Sedan

Gregory gives our "new" flash vehicle a good once over at the ezi wash.

First New Zealand boogie-boarding at New Brighton

Mike is keeping our new mat from blowing away. My ears were full of sand!

Do we look relaxed or what?

Gregory playing chess with our host Peter

Kia Ora and Welcome to the New Zealand portion of the Williams Family Adventure!!

We're settling in nicely here in Christchurch on the South Island! The weather here is brilliant. It is gloriously warm and our hosts told us that the day we arrived, on Tuesday, February 23rd, was one of the nicest days they have had this summer. (They are nearing the end of summer here.) We slept with the windows wide open (no window screens) and a lovely breeze all evening. Bugs aren't much of an issue here on the East coast but we'll let you know about the sand flies on the west coast when we get there! We bought head nets just in case.

Our flight on Air New Zealand was excellent. We left LAX at about 8:00 PM and they fed us a delicious dinner right after we left including a lovely Merlot from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Gregory especially enjoyed the fact that we each had our own video screen in the seat back in front of us. We each chose a couple of movies from the wide selection and then got some shut eye. Fortunately the plane wasn't too full and Gregory was able to spread out over 3 seats and had a nice rest. Mike and I slept sitting up, waking now and then to adjust, but were surprised when the cabin lights came on and the captain announced that we would land in Auckland in about an hour and they were ready to serve breakfast! (The flight was 12 hours 50 minutes long!) We had another terrific meal including omelets, potatoes, tomatoes, fruit and beverages and then, after an hour and a half layover in Auckland, they once again fed us on the hour flight to Christchurch! There was french press coffee, blueberry muffins and muesli with yogurt and fruit! As we flew from the North Island to the South Island we enjoyed a breathtaking sunrise above a sea of clouds. Did you know that New Zealand is the first country to see the sunrise?

We happily shed our jackets and long sleeves and caught a bus to Burnside High School where our host is employed. He offered to have us drop our bags before we went into Christchurch City Centre to shop for a car. Remember it is just around 8:00 AM on February 23rd now and we have a full day ahead of us! The High School was quite impressive with many approximately 2,600 students and a wide range of activities for the grades 9-13 students. I asked our host Peter, who is a chemistry teacher, how engaged the year 13 students are and he said that he finds his older students to be more engaged than the younger ones. I kept thinking of how restless American seniors are in year 12 and wondering about adding another year in the states. The schools here are highly regarded and many Asian families bring their children here to pursue their studies. Gregory and I watched the students file out of classes on Tuesday and noticed most students where uniforms. We found later that year 13 students can wear what they like. Girls had the choice of an above the knee green skirt or full length plaid skirt with a short-sleeved white blouse and cardigan sweater while boys wore shorts or slacks, white shirts and knee-high gray socks with black shoes. As in American many were talking on their phones and carried skateboards or sporting equipment. A quick flip through the yearbook in the lobby found sports such as cricket, trampoline, table tennis, rugby, basketball, hockey, swimming, water polo and more. They also have an excellent music program.

We took the "Red Bus" into Christchurch and then another Metro out to Turner's Auction to look at cars yet found only one possibility in our price range. We opted not to return to the auction that evening and instead went out Wednesday morning to the used dealers. The first dealer didn't have anything for us but he sent us down the road where we had some luck. We opted to take a drive in the only car that would suit the bill even though at almost $3,000NZ it was a bit more than we wanted to spend. We agreed we liked it but Mike was ready to continue the hunt since it was only the first car we'd looked at. I said to our salesman, "You know Jason, you could save Gregory and I a lot of walking today if you could come down to $2,500..." His replied, "I don't think I can come down to that..." and before he had a chance to mull it over Gregory pipes up, "How about $2,700?" Mike and I really have to teach Gregory the subtle art of haggling! Well, Jason said he probably could do that and went in to check the numbers. Before we knew it we were zipping the credit card through the machine and purchasing a Nissan Bluebird Sedan! At $2,700NZ that is about $1,900US. Jason also skimmed the brakes and installed new pads and did an oil change. He dropped us down the road a piece to do a bit of shopping at the mall and picked us up around 2:00 P.M. and we were good to go!

After the ezi car wash were off to New Brighton beach where Gregory had a go at boogie boarding. The wind was up and before I knew it he was being blown quite a ways down the beach. With not an ounce of fear he continued to go out to try to catch the bigger waves and as I wasn't able to get his attention I almost had to go in after him. Mike was watching from up the beach and was ready to take the plunge also. Fortunately, he saw me and came in and was content to put his new bucket and shovel to use. The wind was really whipping up the sand and we had sand in every crevasse after a couple of hours.

Back at the house it was our turn to prepare tea (dinner) and though our hosts declined dessert Mike and Gregory did partake in Hokey Pokey ice cream and Tim Tams. Though I was exhausted and ready for bed Mike and Gregory stayed up to watch Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Ring, which was primarily filmed in New Zealand. I guess I should say Gregory stayed up because Mike said he fell asleep on the couch! Where do these kids get their energy?

Today we depart Christchurch and head north up the eastern coast. We look forward to meeting more friendly kiwis (as New Zealanders are known) and exploring this beautiful country!

The Adventure Continues Down Under

Hello there! We've had a nice visit with Grandma and Grandpa in North Carolina and I've had my "blogging break" so now it is time to update you on the next leg of our adventure. We depart Charlotte, NC on Saturday, Feb. 20th at 6:10P.M. and arrive in Los Angeles for an overnight stay before departing for New Zealand at 7:30P.M. on Sunday the 21st. 12 hours, 55 minutes later we arrive in Auckland, NZ (North Island) for an hour and a half layover before departing for Christchurch (South Island). After another hour and 20 minutes in the air we finally arrive at 8:20 A.M. on Tuesday, February 23rd! Whew. We lose a whole day! We will have a month and a half to explore the South Island before departing for Sydney, Australia on Sunday, April 11. We then will have 3 months in Australia before returning to San Francisco, California on Saturday, July 10th!

We really had a tough time deciding whether or not to bring the bicycle with us for this leg of our journey. After much research and consideration (communicating with Aussies, etc.) we decided that we would leave the bike in the U.S. The fact that the bike is a road bike vs. a mountain bike came into play because of the many unsealed roads and narrow or non-existent shoulders and the lack of secondary roads such as we have in the United States. We considered the limited flexibility with such a long rig and the distances between towns. We have found that we enjoy cycling much better when we aren't pushing ourselves to do such big miles and we would certainly be forced into that situation in Australia. I have to admit that the uncertainty about how my knees would hold up was also a consideration.

For months Mike has been telling me I needed to leave a post and that I sort of left you all hanging. I apologize for that and will reiterate here how much we enjoyed our cross-country tour despite some of the struggles near the end. The journey is the destination and what a journey it has been.

Gregory and I recently finished reading The Red Pony by John Steinbeck and the last pages held some words that seemed quite poignant to me. The main character Jody is talking with his grandfather whose biggest adventure in life was leading a wagon train west across the United States. He says, "When we saw the mountains at last, we cried—all of us. But it wasn't getting here that mattered, it was movement and westering (westward movement)...We carried life out here and set it down the way those ants carry eggs. And I was the leader. The westering was as big as God, and the slow steps that made the movement piled up and piled up until the continent was crossed."

We are ready for the movement to begin again and so the journey continues.