Thankful 2.0!

Yesterday was our last day in Texas and much of it was spent running from appointment to appointment.
Pacemaker check (still working), dentist (still have a few teeth) & financial advisor (Jeff Atwell @ Edward Jones if you live in the Burleson area and are looking for a good one)kept us pretty busy.
I even had one doctors visit cancelled because the doctor had a family emergency.   This was with my dermatologist who thanks to my time spent outside in my younger years without sunscreen is a very wealthy person.
This cancellation opened up a little time for me to stop by the hospital and roam around a bit.
I didn't realize it until late last night but yesterday was my seven month anniversary of being retired.  Time has sure flown by since that day. The adventures and new memories Beth and I are making are awesome and so are the memories of 23 years at Huguley and 31 total years with Adventist Health System.
The new hospital opened in early August and is absolutely amazing!
While it was special to see the building what was really meaningful was to have a chance to say hello to so many people who mean so much to me.
Ken who was my boss and CEO was in and took me on a tour through the new areas. It was exciting and humbling to see many of the areas that I had played a really small part in designing. When I say "small" I mean "small" because the hospital design and processes were developed by the most important members of the team, those who directly or indirectly are taking care of the patients.
Based on what I saw as well as what I experienced while having some blood work done they did an outstanding job!
While on the tour as well as in the administrative offices I  loved visiting with so many familiar faces that I'm not even going to attempt to name them. What I can tell you is that every hug, hand shake, hello was so appreciated.
Although my visit was short, it should have been since everyone had more important matters to attend to than to talk to an old retired guy. The visit created another special memory of a place and some of some of the people that will always be a part of me.......another reason to be thankful!




The New Texas Health Huguley!

Thankful!

We're back!

After a couple of extra hours in Sydney due to weather we were finally on our way. 

We landed at DFW around 3:00 PM and even though it's supposed to be the busiest travel day of the year it wasn't too chaotic. 

We appreciated Ben letting us stay at his place Wednesday and Thursday night. It was a busy time because we were helping him shop for a new car which was something he really needed. He's now the proud owner of a low mileage one prior owner Nissan Rouge. 

Thanksgiving Day was a little bittersweet since we weren't going to be with Sarah, Joey and Sweet Baby James although we knew we'd be seeing them on Friday. 

We're so fortunate to have great friends like Rob and Pam McNeely who I've written about previously. They were kind enough to open their home to a homeless family so Beth, Ben and I joined them for an outstanding Thanksgiving feast.  I told them that they could possibly include the expense of the meal as a charitable contribution since they were feeding homeless people! Friday afternoon after

 helping Ben finalize the purchase of the car we were off to Fort Smith. 

We arrived around dark and boy was it great seeing Sweet Baby James........and Sarah & Joey too!  

He's almost five months old now. He's grown so much, has a smile that will melt your heart and in my unbiased opinion is about the cutest thing ever. 

Even though we couldn't all be together at the same time we're grateful that we have been able to spend some time with both Ben in Burleson and Sarah, Joey and SBJ in Fort Smith. 

A special weekend with very special people!

Sweetest Present Under The Tree!

Sarah, SBJ and Max  James and Max are real buddies

Mimi and SBJ at feeding time

Starting to get the hand of "solid food"!

!&/@?;:"?!#<^% did Nelson Street go?

We just took off from Auckland.  While we're looking forward to seeing family and friends it's a little sad leaving this magnificent country behind.  Obviously I can't predict the future but I'm thinking we'll be back hopefully soon and often. 

So while we were here I would occasionally turn on the TV to get a little news or sports. As I had mentioned previously Fox, CNN and ESPN were usually available. Additionally the New Zealand networks would also show some American shows. If you were a New Zealander and you formed your opinion on America strictly from what you saw on TV your impressions would be based on shows like; Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Housewives of _____________ (there were a bunch of different ones), Toddlers and Tiaras, Hoarders and Dance Moms to name a few. Let's hope they get a little more exposure to the real America than just those fine exports, or is that who we are?

One of the things I became fascinated watching on TV was the game of Cricket. I had occasionally watched a little while traveling in the past but really got a kick out of it this time. 

First of all there is a dedicated Cricket channel so it's "all Cricket all the time".  Second, even after watching for quite a bit over the past few weeks I still have absolutely no clue what's going on. Third, the matches seem as if they can last for centuries!

I got to noticing over the past few days that every day India and England would be playing something called a "test match".  I'm thinking "test match" stands for something like "marathon", "never ending" or "till Gabriel blows his horn". 

The last I saw it was day five of the match, England was trailing by over 300 runs but the announcers were talking as if the Brits could still pull it out. If I get any further updates I'll pass them along. I do understand the matches can end in a tie. Can you imagine that, five+ days and they still can't determine a winner. 

When we arrived in Auckland on Monday we returned the rental car to the downtown location where we picked it up two weeks earlier. We put just under 1000 miles on the car and covered quite a bit of the North Island. Beth was a great help with the driving. She became quite proficient at navigating the roundabouts as well as training herself to not turn on the windshield wipers every time she'd turn. 

Our plan was to drop off the luggage at the hotel before taking the car back. We would then walk back to the hotel which looked to be around a 15-20 minute walk. 

Auckland like most big cities is a mish mash of roads that are one way, suddenly become one way, change names, etc.  Mix in a bunch of pedestrians, bikes, motorcycles and driving on the left side of the road. What could possibly go wrong?

Since we didn't have a GPS I had written down the directions. Keep that word "written" in mind till the end of the story. 

With Beth navigating and me driving we actually made it from the motorway to the hotel with just one minor navigational mistake.  A friendly (I'm serious) cab driver helped us get back on track and we were easily at our hotel. 

Having dropped of the luggage we headed back out for the short drive to the rental car location. This required going right through the cities central business district where thousands of Kiwis were ready to head home after a long Monday in the office. 

The confusing roads suddenly became more confusing, the one ways became more common, street signs disappeared and Nelson Street was nowhere to be found!

!&/@?;:"?!#<^% did Nelson Street go?

What looked like it was going to take 10 minutes was now working on an hour and the rental car location would be closing soon. 

!&/@?;:"?!#<^% did Nelson Street go?

We passed Albert Park for about the 5th or 6th time. Started recognizing shops, businesses and homeless people because we had been by so many times. 

!&/@?;:"?!#<^% did Nelson Street go?

Wait, there it is!  Seems as if I had written "turn left" when I should have written "turn right". 

I was honored that I could provide Beth such an in depth tour of downtown Auckland!

The rental car was returned within minutes of finding Nelson Street and to the best of my knowledge no dings, dents or scratches. 

Our way back to the hotel was pretty easy....we knew the roads!

Yesterday was our last full day in Auckland and we wanted to take in as many sites as possible while spending as little money as possible so we did what we usually do, walked a bunch!

We saw a sign in the harbor for a "Coast to Coast Walk" it was free, went by a lot of cool places so off we went. The walk was just under 10 miles from the Waitemata Harbor which is the main harbor over to the Manukau Harbor. Along the way we went through Albert Park which we had driven by numerous times on the rental car return fiasco. Climbed Mount Eden which is actually an old volcano for incredible 360 degree views of the city. We walked through many tree lined parks and pristine neighborhoods.  It was a great way to wrap up this adventure. 

Three hours to Sydney (where I will probably post this), a six hour layover followed by a 14ish  hour flight to Dallas. Breakfast on this flight consisted of scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns and baked beans thrown in for good measure....what could possibly go wrong?

Auckland City Tower from Albert Park-Nelson Street is down there somewhere!

Winter Gardens Auckland

Winter Gardens-Auckland

Surfers Beach near Ragland-I was doing my Japanese Tourist Pose

Flowers, Bungee Jumpers, Sheep Shearing, A Dam and Flatulence All In The Same Day!

Yesterday was our last full day in Taupo and in spite of very strong winds it couldn't have been nicer. 

It was early Sunday morning here but Saturday afternoon back in the US. It's kinda cool to roll out of bed between 6 and 7 and the afternoon slate of football games are already on. 

While the Fla/LSU game wasn't on TV (they were showing some Big 10 game) I was able to keep up with it on the internet and through text messaging with my "Gator Boy's".  

We have a running thread of texts all season long that would no doubt seem silly to outsiders but is pretty darn special and funny to the seven of us. The friendship with these guys is something I will cherish forever. 

There were some very anxious moments but the good guys pulled it out in the end. At one point Beth turned to me and said "you look very stressed out and you're shaking". As usual she was right on both accounts. 

So after the game was over we set out to explore the rest of Taupo. 

First up was their botanical gardens which had several really nice short walks through magnificent azaleas and rhododendrons. If the Masters golf tournament was played down here it would be that time of year.....spring is in the air. 

Next up was something a little unusual but very interesting to watch. The Aratiatia Dam on the Waikato River is opened four times to provide water to the hydroelectric power plant. Watching 21,000 gallons of water per second being released to fill up and flow through a narrow gorge is kind of mind boggling and amusing. The dam is open for about 8-10 minutes creating monster rapids that begin to recede within minutes of closing. If you're a fan of The Hobbit movies there is a scene in The Desolation of Smaug that was filmed here. 

There are tons of outdoor "extreme adventures in New Zealand. We love these but only as spectators!  We were able to watch a few folks pay $169 each to bungee over the river. Better them than us!

We finished the day with one final thermal walk at the Craters of the Moon. I ran into a little issue while on the walk. Seems my lunch disagreed with me and as you can see from the picture I had some major flatulence!  I'm feeling much better now. 

Taupo was a great base for four days. We stayed at a very nice 13-15 room motel called The Gables. The owners, Peter and Penny could not have been any nicer. They would greet us or wave goodbye as we would come and go and were very helpful with tips on where to go and what to see. Our last evening there Peter visited with us for about an hour sharing stories about the farm that had been in their family for generations, his kids, technology, sheep shearing (he made big bucks doing this) and of course a little post election discussion!

We left this morning heading for Auckland. Made a short detour to Bridal Veil Falls and then the coastal town of Ragland which has a reputation as a "surfing and hippie town". Neat little place. We had some great fish and chips right on the wharf where the boats come in. Saw a bunch of surfers but only a couple of "hippies". It was only around noon so I guess they were sleeping in. 

Tune in next time for fun stories of the never ending cricket match I've been watching for five days, American TV shows down here, finding the hotel, returning the rental car and other Auckland adventures!

That was a hot one!

Bridal Veil Falls

The Aratiatia Dam on the Waikato River

Ragland Beach

HEY, We know them!

Although we have been in Taupo for two nights we had not really seen much of the town until today. 

Our hotel is located on the lake about a little over a mile from the city center. Yesterday morning we walked down to their very nice harbor near the downtown area before heading off to Tongariro. Today we did a little more exploring. 

We walked back into town but stayed along the river past the harbor. We ended up at their fairly small but quite busy Saturday Market. The doughnut I am stuffing into my face was fabulous. It was covered with fruit so I'm opting to put it in the fruit category. 

In the afternoon we went out for a walk to Huka Falls. We could have driven to the Falls but chose to hike the 45 minutes along the Waikato River to reach them. 

Shortly after starting our hike I looked about 20 yards in front of me, turned to Beth and said "hey, we know them"!  She looked at me and said as she often does "what are you talking about"?  At that point I was still too startled to come up with their names so I replied "there's Holland America"!  

She admitted at that point that she thought I had finally gone off the deep end and was having visions of our ship floating down the river. Thankfully it all became clear after I yelled out, "hey, Holland America" and Jordan and Jason turned around (it was about here that I remembered their names).

We had met Jordan and Jason in the hot tub on the ship between Honolulu and Sydney. A few things about them stuck out right from the start.

First, they were really nice. Second, on the ship they were two of the dozen or so passengers that were clearly younger than us. Third, they were "travelers"!

Jordan had requested and been granted a three month sabbatical from her job in Virginia so they could visit Australia and New Zealand. Jason shared with me that he had hiked the entire Appalachian Trail over the course of two summers.

We visited with them several more times on the ship before they got off in Sydney and we continued on to Auckland. 

This was a pretty amazing crossing of paths. They have been off the Noordam for almost a month. They got off in Sydney and wandered around Australia a bit before heading to New Zealand. We got off in Auckland fourteen days later, wandered around New Zealand only to end up on the same trail in Taupo twenty yards from each other. 

It was great visiting with them again, they're still nice, still younger than us and still travelers. 

Their travels tomorrow are going to take them on the Alpine Crossing Trail that I talked about in yesterday's post. They have our e-mail and this blog post web site now. I'm excited to hear how they do on tomorrow's hike. I'm thinking it'll be a walk in the park for them!!

PS  I frequently tell Beth that wherever we travel I'm always on the lookout for people we know. It's happened several times over the years. Doug Futch our neighbor from Burleson in New York.  Vince & Evie Liem also neighbors from Burleson on a cruise ship in Alaska. Rich Reiner from Adventist Health System in New York, too. Rich lived in Florida but was the Chairman of the Board for Huguley and was sitting directly in front of Beth and I at a Broadway play. Rich and his wife were traveling with John Harding and his wife. I had worked with John early in my career at the hospital in Punta Gorda, Fl.  

There was Don Wiersdorfer, (sp?) from Burleson in Hawaii and Jean Barnhart(maiden name) who Beth and I knew growing up in Mulberry at London Heathrow Airport. Beth also ran into Sandra Burns, an old classmate from Mulberry on a cruise ship in the Bahamas.  Sarah has even got in on the act. In Junior High she and her friend Allison who was traveling with us ran into a classmate at the Zurich Airport. 

It's a small world out there. Keep your eyes open!

That's fruit on top!

Huka Falls

Lodge on the river above Huka Falls

Tongariro National Park

Our adventure for today was driving a little over an hour from Taupo to the Tongariro National Park. Not only is this a national park it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some other spiffy places with the same designation are the Great Barrier Reef, Grand Canyon and the Pyramids. 

One of the walking trails that we wanted to check out was the Tongariro Alpine Crossing Trail. This trail is just a little over 12 miles in length. Along the way it crosses between Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe both of which are considered active volcanos. Tongariro last erupted in 2012 and Ngauruhoe in 1977. 

The walk crosses ice fields and requires the use of ice crampons on your shoes and ice picks. The walk was amazing.....at least that's what we read from people who have done it. 

We know our limits and this wasn't within them.  We did see the sign to the trailhead. Does that count for anything?

We did do three walks, two that were within the park and a short one just outside. 

First up was the Taranaki Falls Trail. This trail was the highlight of the day. It was just under two hours long with some moderate elevation changes. Along the first half we had great views of the two snow covered mountains/volcanos while the second half was mostly under a forest canopy along side the icy stream.

It had actually snowed down to about 3000 feet overnight so there was plenty of fresh snow in the distance. The stream feeding the water fall was full making the brisk and breezy mid-day hike well worth it. 

Next up was Lake Rotopunamu which is a secluded lake in the national park that is believed to have been formed by a landslide over 10,000 years ago. The interesting thing about it other than the ridiculously long name is that there are seven streams that feed into the lake constantly but no visible outflow. It was a short but mostly uphill hike to this peaceful setting and there was a three mile trail around the lake but since we had just finished the long hike to the falls we opted out. The good news here, the mostly uphill trail to get to the lake was now magically mostly downhill for our return to the car!

At our final stop we realized we had made a mistake. We ended the day with a short but very interesting walk at the Tokaanu Thermal Fields and Hot Pools. 

The walk started by crossing over a crystal clear stream that was full of trout of all sizes. As I was watching, an older man walked by and with his thick New Zealand accent said "makes you want to go get your fishing pole doesn't it mate"?  Nothing profound or significant in what he said but for some reason I was struck by the simple and kind greeting. I think he would have been a fun guy to go fishing with. 

The thermal walk took us by boiling mud pots, boiling clear water springs and icy streams. I was fascinated by the fact one body of water would be super hot, walk 20 feet and it would be a near freezing stream. I guess the moral of the story here for this place is to stick your toes in the water before you jump in or you might not get what you were expecting. 

Now about that mistake. There was a really nice hot pool here that would have made for a great soaking but we forgot to pack our bathing suits. 

The story does have a happy ending. Our hotel room comes with it's own private hot pool...no bathing suit required!

Mount Ngauruhoe

Mount Ngauruhoe and Tongariro from across Lake Taupo (taken from our hotel)

Lake Rotopunamu

Taranaki Falls Trail

Taranaki Falls Trail



Taranaki Falls Trail

The Road to Taupo.....Hail Yeah!

Before getting into sharing about the road to Taupo I've got one more story from Rotorua. 

I think I've mentioned previously that for around 10 years Beth has been my barber. She does a great job keeping me looking suave and debonair. For this trip we brought clippers and I've had haircuts all along the way. 

So last night I noticed it was time for a trim and we set up shop. When she turned the clippers on they made a really loud noise but were working so she commenced to trimming. About 30 seconds in she said "they're smoking"!  Thankfully she was referring to the clippers and not the few hairs I have left!  Part of my hair is cut, part is uncut and the clippers are smoking!

We turned them off, unplugged them and let the smoke clear. Still needing to finish the haircut she'd trim quickly for about 30 seconds and we'd repeat the unplug and wait process. Every time we'd plug it back in the smoke would come quicker and the handle would get hotter. 

After about 5-6 times repeating the process  of plug in, turn on, unplug, clear smoke I was semi-suave and debonair looking which was good enough for us. 

We left Rotorua this morning with a little lighter load and some hot clippers in the rear view mirror. 

Hottest and fastest haircut I've ever had!

The drive from Rotorua to Taupo was a pretty simple hours drive. It was through some typically fantastic countryside which is actually where scenes from the Lord of the Rings movies were filmed. The drive today was made even more spectacular because we were still in the geothermal area. Smoke was rising from the meadows and trees all along the drive. 

As usual we turned the drive into an experience stopping at the Waikite Valley Thermal Pools for a multi hour soak. 

I think after today we have a new favorite. These pools were located in a lush green valley. Cows were mooing on one side of the pools and sheep were baying away on the other side. 

In between the livestock choirs 42,000 gallons an hour of boiling hot water was rushing to the surface. The water was cooled to a manageable temperature of 100-105 degrees and pumped into five different hot pools. 

Like at the Polynesian Spa earlier in the week it was cool, rainy and misty. The rain and mist combined with the steam

off the water and made the whole place look like a scene right out of the Lord of the Rings. Instead of Gandalf, Frodo or Bilbo making an appearance we were surprised by a weather element suddenly showing up.....HAIL!

Now this wasn't the softball size, come through the roof and knock you unconscious type of hail we'd get in Texas. This was the pea size stuff that only stung slightly when it would hit you type of hail. 

We weren't going to be run out of the water by this stuff which actually provided a little bit of a massage. I looked over at Beth one time and she was kicking back with little tidbits of ice in her hair as happy as she could be. As for me, I loved it but it wasn't sticking in my hair...I had a haircut the night before!!

Boiling Water coming out of the ground-let it cool a bit and you have a perfect hot tub!

Thermal River!

Before the Hail Storm!

Looks like a scene from Lord of the Rings!

Sniffing Out Rotorua!

Having been to Rotorua before we knew what to expect. An unaware first time visitor could be quite shocked to arrive and be greeted with the smell of the insides of Mother Earth all around. This area is a hotbed of geothermal activity much like Yellowstone National Park. There are hot mud pots, geysers, bubbling water, steam vents and the smell of sulfur. This is what you will find in and around this area. While that may not sound terribly inviting it really is something to see and experience. 

It 's also an area with beautiful lakes, rolling green hills, redwood forests, crystal clear streams and plenty of Maori cultural activities. If you're an an adrenaline junkie yyou've found your paradise.  You can luge, parasail, jet boat, white water raft and be pushed down a hill in a huge round ball called a Zorb. 

We opted out of being shaken, rattled and rolled and chose a few more passive activities.   Shortly after arriving we headed for the outdoor warm mineral pools at the Polynesian Spa. Now if Willie (tour guide and bus driver) rated the hot pools that I had mentioned in the "Stinky Water" post as a five star this place would get 105 stars. Multiple pools of varying sizes and shapes in an outdoor setting directly on Lake Rotorua. It was a drizzly, foggy night which made for perfect conditions for a couple of hours of soaking. 

Yesterday morning was a great example of a "Traveling Idiots" kind of morning. 

We sat out on what was going to be about an hour walk along the lakeshore. Not long after taking off we saw another trail leading into a large thermal area so we changed course and headed down this unknown trail.  Three hours later we were back at the hotel having trampled through the thermal area, through a redwood forest trail to an overlook of the geysers and back along a shared walking/mountain bike trail. Being an idiot and going in whatever path you choose to go is so much fun, especially when doing it with the best idiot companion I could ever ask for!

Spring Fed Cold Water Stream Feeding Into Lake Rotorua

Spring Fed Cold Water Stream Feeding Into Lake Rotorua

Redwood Forest we wandered into on our morning walk

Hamilton Suprises And A Connection To Sarah's Wedding!

Do you recognize the guy in the statue?  It was a little rainy so it's not a great picture and if you're not around my age you may be at a disadvantage. That's Riff Raff from the Rocky Horror Picture Show!

Turns out that Richard O'Brien who played Riff Raff in the movie and also wrote the silly thing lived in Hamilton, New Zealand. He was living there and cutting hair on the side when he wrote the play that later became a movie. 

The statue is located in downtown at the site where the barbershop and a theatre sat side by side. In addition to the statue there are public toilets decorated like the lab in the movie and a webcam broadcasting people doing the time warp. 

So the Hamilton connection to Sarah's wedding?  It's where the dance was invented that we did as a part of our "father/daughter dance" at her wedding. 

A cult classic movie and a classically non-traditional father /daughter dance with my most favorite daughter!  

The second Hamilton surprise was it's Botanical Garden. We had heard good things about it but we had no idea how good. It was actually named the 2014 International Garden of the Year and while I have no idea what that actually means it sounds pretty darn impressive!  

The gardens are huge and sit right on the banks of the Waikato River.  They have a rose garden that was up there with Portland Rose Garden and multiple gardens from around the world such as a Japanese, Italian, English Countryside and American Contemporary just to name a few. 

Even though it was a rainy kind of chilly afternoon the gardens provided a very peaceful and beautiful place for a leisurely stroll. 

Hamilton was a stop over for us on the way to Rotorua and we only had a few hours. In the little time we were there we had a few very nice surprises!  

Riff Raff Stature in Downtown Hamilton

Botanical Gardens in Hamilton-Looks Like Our Old Backyard Back in Burleson

Rose Garden in the Botanical Gardens

Stinky Water, Massive Trees But No Kiwis

Leaving the Bay of Islands and Russell was tough. The views were so nice and it was such a relaxing six days. One thing about the house I hadn't mentioned previously was the wild guinea pigs that lived on the property.  We're going to miss their antics as well. 

The first morning we were there we looked out and were surprised to see a couple of wild guinea pigs grazing in the grass. Turns out they seem to live in and around several large shrubs.  There were seven of them that we named after watching them for a day or two.  They were all very different looking and were named according to their colors and size. There was snowball, skunk, white spot, big  daddy, big blackxie, little blackxie, and little bay. Little Bay was marked similar to a dog we had for a long time that was named Beethoven. We didn't see little bay all that much. My guess is that he was laid up asleep under the bushes much like his namesake used to do.  We enjoyed them and rewarded them with some nice pieces of green apple the morning we left. 

First stop on our drive was out of curiosity. Our high energy bus driver/guide Willie had told us about the "five star" hot mineral pools of Ngawha Springs. We had looked it up and knew already that Willie's grading system was a little lax. It was only a minute or two down a side road so we decided to ride by just to take a peak. 

I guess we were seduced by the primitive conditions and the smelly dark water because the next thing you know we were soaking in it's magical elixir. 

It did feel good although I can't say I felt any younger getting out of bed this morning. I can also tell you that even after a nice hot soapy shower I can still detect a slight smell of sulfur every now and then and I'm not sure the bathing suits will ever recover.  Fun experience but once in a lifetime is probably enough for this one. 

Next it was on to the Waipoua Forest and the amazing Kauri Trees. While not as tall as the California Redwoods the girth of the largest of these trees was close to sixty feet which is nearly double the redwoods. At the risk of sounding overly dramatic it was breathtaking to stand and stare at Te Matua Ngahere (Father of the Forest) that has stood for over two thousand years. 

Our destination was a campground that has basic cabins for rent. The cabins were nice and comfortable but the view from the front porch here of RV's isn't quite the same as Tapeka Bach but we are surrounded by mountains and tress so it's not all that bad!

With regards to the elusive kiwis, I guess we'll just have to come back. We were pretty tired by the time we arrived yesterday afternoon. When we checked in we appreciated the front desk person letting us know they were doing some road work through the forest near where the night walk would take place. She assured us it would be a great walk but that it would be unlikely that we would spot a Kiwi. We took advantage of this information and opted out of the walk. 

Tomorrow is a five hour drive to get to Rotorua where the five star hot pools are really five star. 

Note to self on the driving, stay left and don't turn on the windshield wipers every time you turn!

Looks Like A Five Star Spa!



Ngawha Springs-We Got Out Alive and Nothing Fell Off!

The "Father of the Forest"-the picture doesn't do the size of the tree justice

Loved this sign in the restrooms of the "Five Star" Ngawha Springs!

Earthquakes and Tsunamis!

I took this picture when we returned from "higher ground" after the tsunami warning.  It was the night of the Super Moon and the water was eerily calm

Our day started early today!  I had heard what sounded like a really loud house alarm go off twice. Each time it blasted for what seemed like about five minutes. I didn't think anything of it other than it was loud and woke me up. Shortly after it quit the second time Beth's phone started dinging every few minutes. Although she had slept through the sirens the phone was right by her bed and woke her up. She was getting warning messages from our expert earthquake and tsunami watcher Debbie.
I don't use the word "expert" lightly!  You see a few years ago while we were in Hawaii Debbie called us in the middle of the night. She wanted to warn us that an earthquake had possibly triggered a tsunami that would hit the islands. Thankfully the tsunami never materialized that day. All the islanders that had moved inland just turned it into a big party along the roadsides much like a tailgate party. It was fun to watch.
Flash forward to this morning. Shortly after midnight a very strong (7.8 magnitude) earthquake hit near the north end of the South Island. Sadly there were a few fatalities as well as damage to Picton and Wellington which were two cities we visited less than two weeks ago.
Once again Debbie was watching out for us and reached out much further this time to warn us. The house we were in was a coastal home in a tsunami hazard area.
We decided not to take any chances so we evacuated to higher ground. When we arrived there was already a car there. Most likely it was another traveler like us who was unsure what to do and simply went to the highest spot possible.
As we started to get more information on the radio we figured out it was safe to go back to the house. Ironically when we got back to the house the water in the bay was as calm as we had seen it and the super moon was glowing brightly in a cloudless sky. It was such a peaceful scene and quite a contrast to what was happening elsewhere in this wonderful country.
Thanks Debbie, we appreciate you keeping an eye out for us!

We're ok!

We've just learned about the earthquake on the South Island. We are on the north end of the north island. Did not feel anything. Keeping an eye out for tsunamis.
We were in that region last week.

In search of the elusive Kiwi!

Our six days here in Russell are almost over. We will be leaving Tapeka Bach (New Zealand for holiday home) tomorrow and heading over to the Kauri Coast for a one night stay near the Kauri Forest Park. The park is a natural habitat for the Kiwi which are shy, nocturnal, wingless birds that obviously can't fly. One other interesting thing about them is that because they can't fly it's unclear how they got to New Zealand. 

We're not birding people but trying to see one sounds like fun so we're going to give it a try.  We'll be doing a guided night walk through the forest looking for one (or more).  I'll post about this adventure later in the week. 

As you can see from the pictures it's going to be tough to leave this place behind but other adventures await!  

Speaking of adventures, I left something out of the previous post that I meant to include. On the bus yesterdaythere was a young couple that looked to be in their early to mid twenties. They only stayed with us until we reached Cape Reinga which is the northern most point on the north island. From there they took off on foot and are hiking their way to the southern tip of the South Island. They are estimating a six month hike. I wish them well, applaud their spirit and am thankful i' m not with them!

From the beach looking up to the house

Loved the wrap around porch

If you look closely you'll see Beth chilling out!

From the Porch

Beth still chilling out!

Forests, Sand Dune Surfing, Cape Reinga and Willie!

We've done it!  Yesterday we went to the north end of the north island so we've covered New Zealand from the bottom of the south island to the top of the north island.  There are so many incredible sites to see we've barely scratched the surface but nonetheless we've done pretty darn good.
Cape Reinga was our goal yesterday and while getting there makes for a full day it was also a great day of adventure.
Up a dawn, we caught the ferry from Russell over to Paihia. Paihia sits just across the bay from us on the mainland. From there we boarded a bus with around 50 other folks and a high energy and very informative guide/driver named Willie.
Willie is of Maori descent and it was clear from the start that he genuinely loves his heritage and this place. In addition to stories along the 12 hour day he sang to us everything from traditional Maori songs to Elvis. He also had us singing and chanting and cheering as he played the harmonica, made balloon animals and so much more.
Our first stop was the Kauri Forest. These are New Zealand's largest trees and many of them in this forest are over 1000 years old.
There was an elevated walkway through the forest and an interesting story to go along with it.
The walkway cost over one million dollars to construct and was built prior to a visit from the Queen of England. Obviously there was great pride in the work that had been done and the local folks were excited to show it to the Queen. When she arrived in her queenmobile she took a few steps on to the walkway, had here picture taken and was gone.  She really missed a fabulous walk through some huge trees.
The next big highlight was the ninety mile beach. Pretty cool even if in reality it's only 66 miles long. It's obviously long, also quite wide and firm enough that cars and even buses can drive on it. Willie spun a few doughnuts along the drive much to the amusement of all of us.
After lunch we headed to the Te Paki Stream which is at the base of the sand dunes. For me this was the highlight of the day when we sand surfed down these massive dunes. We were all given a briefing, handed a boogie board and off we went. The climb to the top wasn't easy but the ride down was really cool and fast.
Speaking of fast, you should have seen Beth on her board. She came down at such a supersonic pace that she carried on right through the landing area, skimmed a small stream before coming to a screeching halt. It was the ride of the day!  Thankfully I have most of it on video but not the entire ride. When she zipped past me I started laughing so hard I fell to my knees and momentarily lost the shot. I missed her skimming the stream but did refocus in time to catch her popping up like she had just stuck the landing in the olympic gymnastics finals.
We finally arrived at Cape Reinga which offered spectacular views of where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea meet. This is also considered the most sacred land in the Maori culture because it is where the spirits of the dead go to depart the earth.
A long, fun, funny and educational day!

Cape Reinga-Northern Tip of the North Island of New Zealand

That's Beth and Willie On The Ninety Mile Beach

Sand Surfing-The Ride Down Was Great, The Walk Up Was Tough

Good On You Mate!

A commonly heard phrase down here in New Zealand and Australia is "good on you mate".   It seems to not have a specific meaning but is used to acknowledge some accomplishment or something really positive.
I'd like to offer a big "good on you mate" to Ben and his entire activities team out at North Texas Jellystone Park. This past week they took home the top honors for activities at their annual conference in Cincinnati. This prestigious recognition was based on their scores of guests surveys. This helped the park receive the "Park of Year" award!
A lot of hard work and good leadership made this happen....."good on you mate", your mom and I are very proud of you.

Really Proud of This Guy!  Learning and Growing as Leader Everyday!

The Bay of Islands and Russell

Well.....that was an interesting 24 hours!  We were keeping up with the election results on the TV and internet as well as text messages. A few quick observations;
First, watching the coverage is much easier down here. Because of the time difference Trump was declared the winner just before 9:00 PM. No staying up until the wee hours of the night required.
Second, the network media down here is just as liberal as back in the states.
Third and most important, the US is still relevant to most of the world.  Hopefully we'll start acting like it matters because it does.
One other thing. NEVER try to explain the electoral college to a foreigner!!!
Our first post cruise stop is a six night Airbnb stay in Russell which is in the "Bay of Islands". This area is north of Auckland and is made up of 144 islands. I'm not sure of the Webster's definition on an "island" but here it is defined as any land mass that is out of the water at high tide. Sounds like a good definition to me.
 They range from tiny uninhabited "rocks" to large mountainous islands with cities and villages and work together to form a really magnificent setting.
Russell itself is a fairly sleepy little village but with a colorful past. Mostly it revolves around the abundant marine life in the area. It was an active whaling village in the 1800's frequented by a rough crowd of sailors. It was also made famous in the 1920's by American author Zane Grey who referred to it as the "swordfish capital of the world".
I'm not going swordfishing but I am looking forward to going out on a charter tomorrow. Seems like the snapper have been biting, hope it continues!
Where we are staying is out of this world. Actually the house is very comfortable and nice, it's the location and views that are over the top. Hopefully I'll be able to attach a few pictures.
While we mostly sat and stared at the views yesterday we did pry ourselves off the wrap around porch today and took a boat trip around the bay.
We enjoyed learning some of the history along the way but mainly just enjoyed the magnificent views.
One thing they really marketed was their dolphin viewing. Because we see dolphins frequently when we're at the beach in Florida we didn't think much of it. Boy were we wrong!  It was really fun having a pod of 20+ dolphin swimming along with us for about fifteen minutes. Their jumping and other antics had us acting like tourists seeing these awesome animals for the first time.
We also went through the largest "hole in the rock" in the Southern Hemisphere.  It's over 60 feet high and on calm days like it was today boats can pass right through it which we did!
The boat company we were with had been running boats in this area for over 100 years. They started by delivering and picking up supplies including cream from the farms. The trip is still billed as the Cream Trip. While they no longer pick up cream they do still deliver the mail to some of the islands. Today was mail day on one island with a mom and her two kids coming out to the dock to hand off and pick up their mail. I never knew watching mail being exchanged could be so much fun!

This was our first Air B&B-Gonna Be Tough to Beat!

Loved this view, morning, noon and night!

"DAM"-That was a great cruise!

We've been off the NoorDAM for close to 24 hours. Picked up our rental car near the cruise terminal and safely made our way to Russell in the Bay of Islands. The key word in the last sentence is "safely"!
New Zealand is a country that drives on the left side of the road.  I've done this several times in the past without incident but it's been quite a few years and the brain doesn't tell the body what to do quite as fast. It was about a 3.5 hour drive and to the best of my knowledge no man or sheep was harmed.
Before we left many people questioned our sanity for wanting to be on a cruise ship for 33 days. Looking back the first thought that comes to mind is "that was the fastest 33 days ever".
While cruising may not be everyone's cup of tea and the length of this one may scare away even some experienced cruisers for us there is so much to love. In addition to the unique  places we visited we didn't have a problem with;
Someone fixing our meals and doing the dishes and clean up afterwards.  The food was really good and there was plenty of options as to where to eat and what to eat.  Ice Cream and cookies readily available doesn't hurt either.
The Noordam crew. We were visiting with one of the entertainers early in the cruise who told us that the crew were well taken care of and happy which was very obvious. The "hellos", "good mornings", "have a good day", etc. were genuine. As we'd leave the dining room after the evening meal Andi would be standing at the door smiling and ready to hand us our after dinner mints.
Two of the friendliest room stewards (August & GeDe) keeping our cabin spotless, making the bed every morning and leaving chocolates and very creative towel animals on the bed or in the room every night. We asked August how many different animals he could make and he proudly told us he could do forty!  There was a contest held on board that passengers could vote on the best/most creative towel animals. Out of about 30 entries August was first and GeDe was third!
Our port side balcony offered great views as we sailed in and out of interesting harbors as well as cruising close to shore around Australia into Fiordland National Park and New Zealand.
We'd sleep with the curtains open since the risk of peeping toms was pretty low and be treated to spectacular sunrises and sunsets as well as being able to view more stars than you can imagine.
Entertainment, interesting guest lecturer's, hot tubs, great people watching opportunities and so much more. It's hard to pack it all into 33 days!

One of August's Creations-We Had A Different One Every Night