Back to Work!

I know it’s been a while since I’ve written, but I sometimes more ‘doing’ and less ‘typing’ make for a better vacation! Plus, this week was pretty tame, so I can probably fit it all into one post and not bore you with the details.

We said farewell to Alaina’s nana and uncle on Sunday and made the drive back from Mt. Maunganui. Alaina had to go back to work this week, so she dropped us off in the quaint little coastal suburb of Devonport on Monday morning. We checked out the shops and walked up Mt. Victoria for a view of the Hauraki Gulf islands and Auckland city centre. Then we boarded the 12-minute ferry to Auckland and spent some time wandering the city. On our self-serve walking tour, we passed the Sky Tower, Auckland University (where Alaina went to school) and a pretty park (where we stopped for a snack).   

We ferried back to Devonport and had dinner with Alaina at an Irish pub. That’s where we learned that all the ‘pie shops’ we’d passed had been advertising savory pot pies, not the fruity desserts you’d expect from a ‘pie shop’ at home. Josh loved his Guiness/steak/mushroom stew topped with flakey pastry (but probably would have been just as pleased with triple berry and whipped cream). Yum! 

With Alaina still doing her 9-5, Josh and I spent a couple transportation-free days running and relaxing on Orewa Beach. We must have walked the hill back to Alenka’s house 10 times and I swear it got longer and steeper each trip! Josh wasn’t too keen to go swimming in the ocean with me after Alaina and I had encountered a giant sting ray at Paparoa Beach. Then, just after I’d convinced him to come back in the water, a bunch of crabs scurried by and scared him back to his towel! NZ has no wildlife to speak of, but beware of the sea creatures, cuz they’ll getcha!

Culture Clash and Stinky Mud

Saturday was Waitangi Day, a public holiday to commemorate the signing of a treaty between the British settlers and the indigenous Maori people. The history here seems to be quite similar to that of the Native Americans – European folk came in, gave the Maori new diseases and drugs and then ‘graciously allowed’ them to come under British rule. Needless to say, there’s lots of controversy afoot during holiday weekends!

We made our way out to Rotorua, a touristy spot famous for its distinctive sulphury stench and bubbling mud pools. The area is a literal ‘hot bed’ of geothermal activity in the middle of the North Island – Mother Earth’s little reminder that you’re not safe from volcanic explosions and the like, even in paradise! We toured around the town, visited the lake and the mud pool gardens and then visited a traditional Maori village where they were putting on a small festival with native dancing and food vendors. I almost joined in… to bad I forgot my poi balls at home! ;)

Saturday evening, we had takeaways (take out food) from Zeytin and ate in the park by the harbor beach. Another gorgeous evening on the water! Then we visited the Stock Exchange bar for some big screen rugby and Josh got to try out his newfound knowledge of the game. Hmmm… I think I can get behind a game that’s faster and more dangerous than American football, especially when the fans wear funny costumes (think Power Puff Girls, Super Mario, and Avatar characters!) and the pre-game includes players dancing around shirtless! Go All Blacks!

Tramping the Mount

The next morning, we took off to town and wandered through the shops at the Mt Maunganui (locally termed 'The Mount').  John showed us the men’s wear shop that he’d run for almost 20 years, until he sold it last fall.  He still keeps up on all the townie gossip! 

We stopped for coffee at the bright and cheery Zeytin Mediterranean restaurant - Josh got a yummy ‘plain white’ (coffee with steamed milk) and I got a ‘long black’ (double espresso with extra water). 

Then we started on a ‘leisurely stroll’ up the Mount… an hour later and sweaty from the beating sun, we made it to the summit! We were rewarded with some great views of the harbor, the beach and the islands! Josh was on the lookout for Hobbits  and dangerous NZ wildlife along the way. Thankfully, we didn’t see either!

  

After a hard day of tramping (hiking), we picked up Alaina’s nana and went to the fishing club on the wharf for dinner. John is a member, so we got discounted drinks. Josh got the infamous fish and chips and I had panfried whitefish. Everything was super-fresh and amazing! We watched the sunset over the bay, then headed out for 1 more drink in town.  The bartender muddled up limes and mint in a Pimm’s Cup for Alaina and I – refreshing!

First Days in Kiwi-land

After long day and night of flights and a bit of a hassle at customs, we finally made it into Auckland NZ early Tuesday morning .  (Mental note: Don’t carry personal protection spray into foreign lands and don’t tell the immigration folks you’re both unemployed unless you have a return ticket in hand! ) The rest of day 1 was pretty much a blur of napping, grocery shopping and getting on NZ time.

Jet lag behind us (or so we thought), we headed out for an 11km (or 6.5mi) run on Orewa Beach on Wednesday morning. Alaina and her sister’s family (Alenka, Chris and Mykala) live a short downhill walk from a gorgeous stretch of sand.  Of course, you do have to go uphill to get back! Alaina was psyched that Josh tracked our distance – she was surprised to find out she’d been running that far. 

Alaina had a daytrip planned for us – kayaking in Puhoi, then up to Goat Island for some snorkeling with the fishies.  Kayaking on the river was scenic and relaxing! The singing cicadas in the trees, mallard ducks floating by, the odd eel sighting all made for a great intro to NZ wildlife. To Josh’s dismay, Alaina let us know that we wouldn’t be seeing any bears, mountain lions or even snakes unless we visited Auckland zoo! Apparently, the biggest pests in NZ are the possum and a poisonous spider that is nearly extinct.

We only made it a bit further north when Josh started to feel a little queasy (jet lag returns?). So, we stopped for lunch and checked out a nearby sand spit. Turned out to be just a marina with no sand to spit on, so we found a grassy spot to relax in the sun before heading home.

 

Josh hit the pillow around 3:30pm and spent the next 16 hours in bed! So, Alaina and I made our move on Auckland and joined the Couchsurfing group for drinks and mingling downtown on the wharf. Alaina thought the whole CS idea was sketchy at first, but we ended up meeting several nice Kiwis (New Zealander’s), travelers and even a few Americans at the meeting. We even ran into a ‘manny’ (or male nanny) from Virginia who is living down here for a year, taking care of someone’s kids! Random, but can you blame him? I’d rather change diapers in NZ than just about anywhere else!