What a cute little town! We just stopped for a quick T&P (tea and pee) on our way to National Park.
The best part is... all the holiday decorations... and it's SUMMERTIME!
Yea!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Beehive and The Cable Car
After a quick meat pie breakie, we headed out in search of Wellington's #2 tourist attraction, the Wellington Cable Car (Te Papa, the National Museum, is the #1 attraction). Turns out, the Cable Car is really hard to find.
In the process of driving in circles, we stumbled up on the Beehive and the Houses of Parliament. The Beehive is the home of the Prime Minister's offices and the executive branch. Parliament is in, well, Parliament House. Maggie Snapsalot took screeds of shots there.
We eventually made our way up to the Botanic Gardens -- 'cause the Cable Car is right next to the Gardens. After a grueling climb up a very, very steep walkway, and past the home offices of MetService, we made it to the Cable Car.
It was built by prisoners 1898 and is still running on the original tracks today. The two cars pull each other up and down the hill... gravity does all the work. Plus, as the cables move through the winches, they generate electricity to power the lights on the cars. The carbon footprint is practically nil. Neat!
In the process of driving in circles, we stumbled up on the Beehive and the Houses of Parliament. The Beehive is the home of the Prime Minister's offices and the executive branch. Parliament is in, well, Parliament House. Maggie Snapsalot took screeds of shots there.
We eventually made our way up to the Botanic Gardens -- 'cause the Cable Car is right next to the Gardens. After a grueling climb up a very, very steep walkway, and past the home offices of MetService, we made it to the Cable Car.
It was built by prisoners 1898 and is still running on the original tracks today. The two cars pull each other up and down the hill... gravity does all the work. Plus, as the cables move through the winches, they generate electricity to power the lights on the cars. The carbon footprint is practically nil. Neat!
Wellington Public Poems
Scattered along the waterfront are a number of stone tablets inscribed with the writings of native Wellingtonians. A couple of them seemed appropriate to The Excursion.
Blue rain from a clear sky.
Our world a cube of sunlight --
But to the south
The violet admonition
Of Thunder.
-- Alistair Te Ariki Campbell
Their heads bent, their legs just touching,
They stride like one eager person through the town,
Down the asphalt zigzag where the fennel grows wild...
The wind is so strong that they have to fight their way through it,
Rocking like two old drunkards.
-- Katherine Mansfield
Blue rain from a clear sky.
Our world a cube of sunlight --
But to the south
The violet admonition
Of Thunder.
-- Alistair Te Ariki Campbell
Their heads bent, their legs just touching,
They stride like one eager person through the town,
Down the asphalt zigzag where the fennel grows wild...
The wind is so strong that they have to fight their way through it,
Rocking like two old drunkards.
-- Katherine Mansfield
An Evening in Wellington
Wellington is New Zealand's capital city. It's built on the hillsides that lead to the waterfront. It's a hustling, bustling, cosmopolitan city. For a U.S. comparison, it is very similar to San Francisco. The hills, the Victorian houses, the waterfront. It's a gorgeous place.
We ventured out on the town on foot. Our hotel is right on the waterfront but also in the heart of a vibrant neighborhood. On Courtenay Place we found all kinds of bars, restaurants and cafes... and settled on a quaint Italian bistro called Nicolini's. The food was wonderful, especially the South Island Queen Scallops. Incredible!
Walk along the waterfront, past the national museum and we turned in for the night.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Kiwi Cuisine
Jeff tried his first meat pie on Sunday. It gets very positive reviews from everyone involved. "It's like sausage gravy and biscuits, only brown," he says. "Everything has a brown sauce!"
The food is relatively expensive in NZ, even factoring in the exchange rate. Diet Coke runs about NZ$3.00. We were a bit surprised by the prices at the grocery store.
We've seen plenty of Coke products... but no Pepsi. McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, KFC and even Subway have made huge headway in the fast food market. There's one on nearly every corner. And no county, including NZ, has been able to escape the influx of Starbucks.
Still looking forward to finding a good Pavlova while we're here! Yummy!
The food is relatively expensive in NZ, even factoring in the exchange rate. Diet Coke runs about NZ$3.00. We were a bit surprised by the prices at the grocery store.
We've seen plenty of Coke products... but no Pepsi. McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, KFC and even Subway have made huge headway in the fast food market. There's one on nearly every corner. And no county, including NZ, has been able to escape the influx of Starbucks.
Still looking forward to finding a good Pavlova while we're here! Yummy!
The InterIslander Ferry
The Kaitaki is freakin' huge! It claims to be the largest ferry in NZ waters. It's 10 stories high, 181.6 metres long. In this case, size matters. It's big enough to take 1,600 passengers and 600 cars and dozens of full-length cargo trucks. Interestingly, it sails under the British flag. Kaitaki means "Challenger" in Maori.
The ship passes through the Marlborough Sounds and into the Cook Straight between the South Island and the North Island, then into the port at Wellington. The scenery is spectacular (getting tired of that word yet?).
Jeff was seasick again.
Petrol is Expensive in NZ!
We finally had to stop for petrol today. We had to fill up the rental car before we turned it in at Picton (rental cars can't go on the Ferry).
Shell "Ultra 91" is running NZ$1.71 and "Ultra Hi 95" costs NZ$1.76. With only a quarter tank left, the fill-up took 39.2 litres. That's NZ$67.00! Yikes!
Maybe we should have ridden bikes. Ummmm... no.
Shell "Ultra 91" is running NZ$1.71 and "Ultra Hi 95" costs NZ$1.76. With only a quarter tank left, the fill-up took 39.2 litres. That's NZ$67.00! Yikes!
Maybe we should have ridden bikes. Ummmm... no.
Kaikoura Dolphin Encounter
Oh. My. God.
We swam with dolphins in the open Pacific Ocean.
They came so close, one actually bumped Jeff and Marshall felt the current as they swooshed past. They were incredible. They respond to noises in the water -- and there's not much funnier than hearing a boatful of snorkelers attempting to make dolphin calls.
We took the 5:30am excursion. There were about a dozen swimmers on our tour. As we left the South Bay harbor, the clouds were hugging the mountains but the base was fair. The water temperature was about 15C (VERY chilly when you first leap in, even in a full wetsuit) with a moderate swell.
It took about 20 minutes to find the dolphins. They're always on the move. They like the enormous, cliff-like drop-off near the Kaikoura coast. The whales are fond of it, too, because it creates an upwelling with cold, nutrient-rich water.
We saw little planktons hanging together in chains... and dogfish (small sharks) swimming far below us. Then dozens and dozens of dolphins. They're true performers. And clowns. They love to leap out of the water. And they like to explore the odd humans that jump into their world.
The snorkeling was big fun. At least until Jeff swallowed about 10 gallons of salt water. Let the puking begin. He wasn't alone. The crew had buckets ready for everyone. Jeff and a (very cute) French guy, Cristoph, had the worst of it. They were both green all the way in to port. While they were toughing it out, Marshall went up to the bow to take pictures and shoot video. (Great stuff! Wait 'til you see it!)
Now, with a sore throat from barfing, Jeff will sound like Kathleen Turner (or maybe Lauren Bacall) for the next two days.
We swam with dolphins in the open Pacific Ocean.
They came so close, one actually bumped Jeff and Marshall felt the current as they swooshed past. They were incredible. They respond to noises in the water -- and there's not much funnier than hearing a boatful of snorkelers attempting to make dolphin calls.
We took the 5:30am excursion. There were about a dozen swimmers on our tour. As we left the South Bay harbor, the clouds were hugging the mountains but the base was fair. The water temperature was about 15C (VERY chilly when you first leap in, even in a full wetsuit) with a moderate swell.
It took about 20 minutes to find the dolphins. They're always on the move. They like the enormous, cliff-like drop-off near the Kaikoura coast. The whales are fond of it, too, because it creates an upwelling with cold, nutrient-rich water.
We saw little planktons hanging together in chains... and dogfish (small sharks) swimming far below us. Then dozens and dozens of dolphins. They're true performers. And clowns. They love to leap out of the water. And they like to explore the odd humans that jump into their world.
The snorkeling was big fun. At least until Jeff swallowed about 10 gallons of salt water. Let the puking begin. He wasn't alone. The crew had buckets ready for everyone. Jeff and a (very cute) French guy, Cristoph, had the worst of it. They were both green all the way in to port. While they were toughing it out, Marshall went up to the bow to take pictures and shoot video. (Great stuff! Wait 'til you see it!)
Now, with a sore throat from barfing, Jeff will sound like Kathleen Turner (or maybe Lauren Bacall) for the next two days.
Watch Out for Those Gulls!
The sea gulls are vicious here. They'll stop at nothing to get their beaks on some human grub.
At the Kaikoura Winery, the woman behind the counter said she would wait until we were actually sitting at a table before she brought the cheese tray out. Because the gulls would try to take the snacks.
I went inside to ask the woman to take our picture. Couldn't have been inside more than 20 seconds. As I walked back out the door, "HEY! Get off our food!" The gulls attacked. Thankfully, the winery was willing to give us a little more cheese to replace what the freakin' birds munched. It was a good laugh.
We were warned about them again at the open-window pub in downtown Kaikoura. They said the gulls would actually swoop down to the tables by the windows and grab food off your plate.
Fortunately, they didn't repeat their winery shenanigans.
At the Kaikoura Winery, the woman behind the counter said she would wait until we were actually sitting at a table before she brought the cheese tray out. Because the gulls would try to take the snacks.
I went inside to ask the woman to take our picture. Couldn't have been inside more than 20 seconds. As I walked back out the door, "HEY! Get off our food!" The gulls attacked. Thankfully, the winery was willing to give us a little more cheese to replace what the freakin' birds munched. It was a good laugh.
We were warned about them again at the open-window pub in downtown Kaikoura. They said the gulls would actually swoop down to the tables by the windows and grab food off your plate.
Fortunately, they didn't repeat their winery shenanigans.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Kaikoura
The drive was truly spectacular. Jeff started driving today and getting the feel for a right-hand-side steering wheel and being on the left-hand side of the road. It's an adjustment, to be sure. The scenery is amazing. Especially by the time you get near Kaikoura; mountains on the left, Pacific Ocean on the right. The water is an iridescent blue.
Kaikoura itself is, well, let's face it, it's a tourist trap. But it's still a beautiful place with plenty of legitimate history, a gorgeous coastline and a tonne of things to see and do.
We spent an afternoon at the Kaikoura Winery, sipping a variety of wines, snacking on fresh cheeses and looking out over the coast. Fog would occasionally roll in on the peninsulas around us... then disappear as quickly as it came. We bought a couple of bottles of wine to keep us entertained tonight.
Jeff says he finally feels like he is "in a different country" now that we've left the city and the scenery is unlike anything he's seen before. And because all the cars are on the opposite side of the road.
Leaving Christchurch
All we wanted was breakfast. Not an enormous, arduous task. Think again.
Turns out, everything is closed on Sundays. Everything. We found a Starbucks open on Cathedral Square. And a McDonald's in Hornby. That's about it. No restaurants. No coffee shops. No grocery stores. So, yes, we ended up at McDonald's. I am ashamed. But full.
On the way out of town, we stopped for a look at the International Antarctic Centre. It's just outside of the airport. It's the last stop for most explorers before they head for the South Pole. The blue penguins are a hoot. We got to see a feeding. Seemed like only two of them, "Popo" and "Bagpipes" managed to get any of the fish! The Centre also has a room that simulates what it's like on the Antarctic continent. Complete with wind chill machine, igloo and man-made snow storm. We didn't stick around for the storm.
Turns out, everything is closed on Sundays. Everything. We found a Starbucks open on Cathedral Square. And a McDonald's in Hornby. That's about it. No restaurants. No coffee shops. No grocery stores. So, yes, we ended up at McDonald's. I am ashamed. But full.
On the way out of town, we stopped for a look at the International Antarctic Centre. It's just outside of the airport. It's the last stop for most explorers before they head for the South Pole. The blue penguins are a hoot. We got to see a feeding. Seemed like only two of them, "Popo" and "Bagpipes" managed to get any of the fish! The Centre also has a room that simulates what it's like on the Antarctic continent. Complete with wind chill machine, igloo and man-made snow storm. We didn't stick around for the storm.
KiwiSpeak
It's fun to hear Kiwi English again. Take away = Carry out. Give Way = Yield. Way Out = Exit. They're not big differences. But just enough to make you notice.
New Zealand, by the way, is pronounced "Nyoo ZEHL-end."
New Zealand, by the way, is pronounced "Nyoo ZEHL-end."
Seals and Rocks
At the very end of the Kaikoura peninsula, the seals have coalesced into a huge colony. They've taken over a huge area of rocks that mostly disappear at high tide and, at low tide, stretch hundreds of yards out into the ocean.
They just sit and sun themselves. They're fairly entertained by the gawking tourists.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Exploring Christchurch
The beauty of getting to town at 11am is that we had all day to explore New Zealand's Garden City.
Victoria Park and the Avon River are across the street from the hotel. And only two blocks away is Christchurch Cathedral, the centerpiece of Cathedral Square. We had our very first NZ Fish & Chips experience at a rolling take away in the square. The Christchurch Tram rumbles through the city's Cultural Precinct and provides a great tour of some of the history.
We saw real, live kiwis at the Aquarium. You have to be absolutely quiet so as not to scare them. And you have to give your eyes a little time to adjust to the dark (they're nocturnal). But once you see them, they're adorable!
In the late afternoon, we decided to explore a little bit and ended up really, really lost. In fact, it's not possible that we could have ended up more in the opposite direction. (But we got to see some cricket along the way.) We wanted to go see Cave Rock... and turned up somewhere on the west side of the city (we should have been on the coast, on the EAST side). Eventually, we worked it out. And we got to see more of the city than we expected. Cave Rock was spectacular, by the way.
The Christchurch Gondola takes you up the side of a mountain. The views are spectacular! Unfortunately, the clouds began to roll in and the Southern Alps were obscured in the distance. Still, well worth the time and effort!
We had our first bottles of New Zealand's favorite, native beer, Steinlager. It's good, for beer. Dinner at the Blue Note Café in the New Regent Street entertainment district was really good... even if the service left a bit to be desired.
We're going to bed early, hoping to get our sleep schedules back to normal and eliminate any lingering jet lag.
All in all, day one was a blast! And there is so much yet to come!
Jeff Has a Blowout
On the way from Auckland's international terminal and the domestic terminal, Jeff had a massive blowout.
Not one... but both of the wheels on his luggage called it quits and disintegrated. It is no longer a rolling bag.
"Well, what do you expect? It was cheap luggage?" he said. He ripped the remnants from around the axles and hired a trolley to make it the rest of the way to the gate.
We'll do some luggage shopping in Christchurch.
Not one... but both of the wheels on his luggage called it quits and disintegrated. It is no longer a rolling bag.
"Well, what do you expect? It was cheap luggage?" he said. He ripped the remnants from around the axles and hired a trolley to make it the rest of the way to the gate.
We'll do some luggage shopping in Christchurch.
Traveling to the End of the Earth
(or to "Middle Earth," depending on your SciFi penchant)
The flights from Columbus to Cincinnati and Cincy to Los Angeles were fine. The LA leg seemed a bit long but certainly nothing like Air New Zealand's 13-hour test of our mental and physical well-being.
Captain Xanax did a great job for Jeff. He was out like a light for at least six hours. Lieutenant Ambien fell down on the job for Marshall. There is no rest for the wicked. Thank goodness for the personal, in-flight entertainment, though. Watched "Hairspray" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" plus an episode of "Absolutely Fabulous." There were dozens and dozens of choices.
The turnaround time between arriving in Auckland and leaving for Christchurch was a bit tight. We just barely made it through customs, walked 95 miles to the domestic terminal and prayed the luggage made it on the flight to CHC.
Jackie, one of Air New Zealand's flight attendants, was the nicest, most reassuring, most helpful person in the world. She took extra care of us as we boarded the plane.
The flights from Columbus to Cincinnati and Cincy to Los Angeles were fine. The LA leg seemed a bit long but certainly nothing like Air New Zealand's 13-hour test of our mental and physical well-being.
Captain Xanax did a great job for Jeff. He was out like a light for at least six hours. Lieutenant Ambien fell down on the job for Marshall. There is no rest for the wicked. Thank goodness for the personal, in-flight entertainment, though. Watched "Hairspray" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" plus an episode of "Absolutely Fabulous." There were dozens and dozens of choices.
The turnaround time between arriving in Auckland and leaving for Christchurch was a bit tight. We just barely made it through customs, walked 95 miles to the domestic terminal and prayed the luggage made it on the flight to CHC.
Jackie, one of Air New Zealand's flight attendants, was the nicest, most reassuring, most helpful person in the world. She took extra care of us as we boarded the plane.
Calling from the Future
We've been traveling for more than 24 solid hours.
Friday, 7th December 2007 did not exist. It vanished somewhere over the pacific. And we're now more than 12 to 18 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone.
That means when we call home, we're calling "from the future" into "the past!"
Friday, 7th December 2007 did not exist. It vanished somewhere over the pacific. And we're now more than 12 to 18 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone.
That means when we call home, we're calling "from the future" into "the past!"
Friday, December 07, 2007
And They're Off!
We're outta here!
Right now, at Port Columbus, it's mostly sunny and 9F. Yeah. 9F.
The MetService forecast for Christchurch on Saturday (the day we arrive) is for 19C (66F) and mostly sunny. The Weather Channel says it'll be 68F and sunny. Either way, it's an improvement. And we only have to travel 11,000 miles to get to it!
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Don't Eat the Kiwi!
Right. It's time for a quick bit of clarification.
You don't eat a kiwi. You've never eaten a kiwi. In fact, it's against the law to eat a Kiwi. You probably have, however, eaten a kiwifruit.
A kiwi is the national bird of New Zealand. It's a nocturnal, flightless, long-billed, grub-eating little thing the size of a small barnyard hen. They are indigenous and unique to NZ. Since there are no predators on the islands, the kiwi lost the need to fly. Now, it's a natural, national treasure.
A Kiwi (capital "K") is a person from New Zealand. The Rt Hon PM Helen Clark is a Kiwi. The All Blacks are Kiwis. The term is also commonly used by currency traders referring to the New Zealand Dollar.
A kiwifruit (or chinese gooseberry) is the fuzzy-on-the-outside, green-with-lots-of-small-seeds-inside fruit you slice up in a salad or in a posh drink. They're great by themselves, too! And they have lots of Vitamin C!
Now you know. Enjoy!
You don't eat a kiwi. You've never eaten a kiwi. In fact, it's against the law to eat a Kiwi. You probably have, however, eaten a kiwifruit.
A kiwi is the national bird of New Zealand. It's a nocturnal, flightless, long-billed, grub-eating little thing the size of a small barnyard hen. They are indigenous and unique to NZ. Since there are no predators on the islands, the kiwi lost the need to fly. Now, it's a natural, national treasure.A Kiwi (capital "K") is a person from New Zealand. The Rt Hon PM Helen Clark is a Kiwi. The All Blacks are Kiwis. The term is also commonly used by currency traders referring to the New Zealand Dollar.
A kiwifruit (or chinese gooseberry) is the fuzzy-on-the-outside, green-with-lots-of-small-seeds-inside fruit you slice up in a salad or in a posh drink. They're great by themselves, too! And they have lots of Vitamin C!Now you know. Enjoy!
Monday, December 03, 2007
Packed. Already.
Something is seriously wrong.
I'm packed. Jeff is nearly packed.
Four days early.
What is THAT about?
It started as a hunting-gathering exercise. And as things began accumulate in the spare bedroom, a small experiment ensued: "Wonder if it will all fit in one suitcase?" So a couple of things went in the bag. Then a few more. Then a couple more. Suddenly, there was nothing left to roll, fold, stuff or cram. It's all in. With a little bit of space to spare.
I'm a little disturbed by it, actually. It was way too easy.
Egad! Something has to be seriously wrong...
I'm packed. Jeff is nearly packed.
Four days early.
What is THAT about?
It started as a hunting-gathering exercise. And as things began accumulate in the spare bedroom, a small experiment ensued: "Wonder if it will all fit in one suitcase?" So a couple of things went in the bag. Then a few more. Then a couple more. Suddenly, there was nothing left to roll, fold, stuff or cram. It's all in. With a little bit of space to spare.I'm a little disturbed by it, actually. It was way too easy.
Egad! Something has to be seriously wrong...
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