South Island Hospitality

The ‘Marathon of Friendship’ was in full swing again when we hopped off the plane in Christchurch to meet Geoff and Shelly. The easy going, quick-witted couple run an adventure touring company on the South Island and were kind enough to take us in sight unseen after a few short emails. Geoff said anyone who quits their jobs to ‘re-focus’ and travel New Zealand must have some good stories!

After passing the landmarks in Christchurch and hearing a little of the history, we unload our gear in the self-contained apartment over the garage and met in their living room for conversation over wine, rugby and the Vancouver Olympics opening ceremonies. The next morning, we organized the day over musli, then Geoff drove us up Dyer’s Pass road and dropped us at the summit of a great mountain biking track so we could enjoy the run back down.

Over the next couple days, we learned that Geoff and Shelly have travelled the world over. They were both teachers in a previous life, then made the leap from outdoor retail to adventure tourism with just a van and some cycles in their driveway. Now the organization is a bustling business, with summer guides taking foreign and local tourists across New Zealand on group bike, hike and walk trecks. Their ambition and courage were inspiring, especially because they seem to have found their passion and live it daily!

Josh and I spent Valentine’s Day in downtown Christchurch, a British settlement that Geoff dubbed ‘more English than England’. With street names like Gloucester and Cambridge, British colonial architecture and old-time red phone booths, there was a distinct resemblance to Boston! We wandered through the Arts Centre marketplace, a myriad of galleries, craft and jewelry shops and had takeaway lunch on the lawn. We strolled through Cathedral Square and visited the Christchurch Cathedral and the Chalice (a giant steel waffle cone structure erected to commemorate the city’s birthday).

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Christchurch is aptly named ‘The Garden City’ for its bountiful botanical garden and Hagley Park (the third largest city park in the world behind Central and Hyde Parks).  

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We stopped to watch punters (gondoliers) carrying couples down the Avon, then shared a giant bowl of coffee before being picked up for dinner by our gracious hosts. A lovely Valentine’s Day in a quaint little city!

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Socializing and Sailing Lessons

On Friday evening, Alaina drove the 3 of us down to the posh suburb of Ponsonby (her favorite Auckland haunt, just west of the city). We had drinks with a few of her kiwi friends and tried to keep up with the conversation, in spite of the loud music and troublesome accents! Diane and Sid were a riot, even if we couldn’t understand a word they were saying! We stayed at Ponsonby Backpackers for the night so we could meet Alaina’s dad for sailing on the bay on Saturday morning.

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We met Murray and Jean at the marina around 9am, loaded up with some fresh quiche and panini from the café and set off on their gorgeous 41-foot sailing yacht, First Landing. Murray has been doing recreational and competitive sailing since he was 10 years old and he and Jean have entered some competitions together. Currently, they live on Australia’s Gold Coast during the winter and sail around New Zealand for a few months each summer.They told us they like Waiheke Island the best and gave us some great food, wine and hiking tips to follow while we're staying there.

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Josh got to take the helm for a bit as we sailed out into the harbor, past Devonport. We saw 2 retired America’s Cup yachts doing sailing tours in the harbor and passed the Rhapsody of the Seas cruise ship docked in Auckland’s port. Josh (on the lookout for more dangerous sea life) spotted a little jelly fish floating by. We dropped anchor near Cheltenham for lunch, but it was a little too chilly to get in the water. Murray and Jean shared some fun stories about their adventures and it was great to see a couple who really is living their dream!  

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After motoring back into the marina and docking the boat, we parted ways, hoping to meet up with Murray and Jean on Waiheke Island in a few weeks. Then Alaina dropped Josh and I at the airport to catch our flight to Christchurch – the South Island journey begins!

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!