Mal and Lauren

March 23, 2021

We spent our last night and day in the South Island with our dear friends Dot and Georgia and their three sons. Dot and Georgia grow peonies but not so much for their beautiful flowers but for their roots. Originally, they had decided to plant peonies to export the blooms but on researching the flowers, they found that the roots of the flowers had traditionally been used as a natural solution to skin conditions. Their own sons had really bad eczema so Dot and Georgia decided to try developing their own creams and lotions to see if it would help their sons. And they did, amazingly well. So now they have a thriving business, exporting various creams, lotions and soaps around the world. We can confirm from the personal experience of friends and family, that the products they produce are incredibly effective. So if you know someone who suffers from eczema, psoriasis, rosacea or sensitive skin, we highly recommend that you go to their website at http://www.purepeony.com and check out their products.

Unfortunately, while we were there the flowers had already been harvested, but the property is still beautiful as is their house which is over 100 years old.

March 21-22, 2021

We started our tour of Marlborough in Picton, waiting for a boat to take us to Furneaux Lodge, in Queen Charlotte Sound. Picton is where the large ferries dock that sail over from Wellington at the bottom of the North Island.

We liked these colorful chairs, a perfect spot to sit in the sun and enjoy the view of the harbor.

Soon we were on our way out into the Sounds, leaving Picton behind us.

A Sound is, apparently, a large ocean inlet and is distinguished from a fjord by its width. The boat captain explained that the Marlborough Sounds had been created when a huge earthquake thousands of years ago caused the land to sink, leading to the existing valleys that had led to the ocean becoming submerged.

Along the way to the lodge we dropped off other passengers at different points along the Sound. The only access for most is by water and the inhabitants rely on boats such as the one we were on to provide their supplies. One older lady we spoke with went to town around every eight weeks. Between those times she shot deer and fished for food. As she put it, to be a resident of the Sounds you have to be comfortable with your own company.

Eventually, after a couple of hours we reached Furneaux Lodge.

The Lodge is named for the mountain under which it sits, which in turn was named by Captain James Cook after Captain Tobias Furneaux, an English navigator who joined Cook on his second voyage to the Pacific. Cook seemed to have a particular affinity for the area and revisited it a number of times. In fact, the inlet on which the lodge stands is named Endeavor Inlet after Cook’s boat. The lodge sits on a beautiful piece of land right at the end of the inlet. Unusual for the area, there is a large expanse of grass between the water and the lodge itself.

With a great place to relax in a hammock.

The lodge, itself, was built as a family home in the late 1890s.

But the guests stay is small cottages scattered about the property. Here is ours.

In true kiwi fashion, when we arrived we found most of the male guests gathered in the bar watching the rugby. We’re sorry to say that the Canterbury Crusaders crushed our hometown Auckland Blues.

There is a bell on the property that has an interesting story. Originally owned by a Spanish Mission in China, it was given to Commander Harry Howden of the British Navy who led a daring mission to save three missionaries who had been kidnapped by bandits.

The evening was very quiet and serene.

On the next day, we walked up into the bush behind the Lodge and along the popular Queen Charlotte Track for a little while.

Beside the trail is a massive ancient Rimu tree that is estimated to be over 1000 years old.

We were joined on the walk by this little fantail.

Called piwakawaka in Maori, fantails are the only wild bird that we are aware of that will actually join you on a walk. Apparently, people kick up insects as they walk along which the birds like to eat. So as we wandered along, this one flittered about, stopping when we stopped and moving when we moved. It was not shy at all about letting us get close.

Back in the car, we made our way toward Nelson, driving through the Wairau Valley, past miles and miles of vineyards.

Marlborough is home to some of the world’s finest Sauvignon Blancs and we recognized many of the vineyard names, including the one that arguably started it all back in the 1980s, Cloudy Bay.

As we drove by thousands of acres of vineyards, it was easy to seed just how big an industry wine has become in New Zealand. It is now one of New Zealand’s biggest exports, bringing in close to $2 billion in 2019.

March 20, 2021

On the way to Kaikoura, we stopped off in the small country town of Geraldine, where we had coffee in a beautiful cafe surrounded by flowers.

Even by New Zealand standards, Mal’s cappuccino was pretty elaborate.

The pleasant vibe of the town was reflected in the local police station which included an edible garden where everyone was welcome to help themselves to the fresh produce.

We finally arrived in Kaikoura just before the sun began to set. The small seaside town was struck by an earthquake in 2016, which left two people dead and thousands stranded as the earthquake cut off train and vehicle access. In fact, work on the roads into the town continued. A sign informed us that that the access road closed for the night at 7:30 pm, so it was lucky that we weren’t running late. We stayed at a beautiful old hotel on the water’s edge.

The morning brought some beautiful views of the dramatic hills that line the shoreline and some very cool spots on the water where the sun broke through the clouds, like a theater spotlight.

March 19, 2021

On the way from Clyde to Lake Tekapo, we stopped in at the Omarama Clay Cliffs. As we have travelled around New Zealand, we have often thought how certain parts remind us of other countries. Consequently, our suggestion for an effective New Zealand travel ad campaign would be to show photos of New Zealand that appear to have been taken in other countries. For example, the ad would show a photo of Milford Sound and underneath say “Norway? No. New Zealand” “New Zealand, the world in one country”. In our campaign, the Omarama Clay Cliffs would stand in for Cappadocia, Turkey.

With its azure blue waters, Tekapo is,undoubtedly, one of New Zealand’s most beautiful lakes. The name derives from the Maori words, taka (sleeping mat) and po (night) and translates to “leave at haste at night”.

On the edge of Lake Tekapo is, perhaps, New Zealand’s most photographed church. The Church of the Good Shepherd was built in 1935. It is an appropriate name for a church built in the middle of sheep country.

March 18, 2021

After a hard day on the trail, we decided to spend the next day relaxing in the small historic town of Clyde. Clyde was formed at the time of the Central Otago gold rush of the 1860s. This was New Zealand’s biggest gold strike and led to a rapid influx of miners, many of whom were veterans of the Californian and Australian strikes of a few years earlier. Certainly, it has the look of a town in a Hollywood Western.

We wandered around the neighboring streets and came across some wonderful old cottages.

Clyde is in the driest part of New Zealand so it is unusual to see such lush grass as in front of this home.

Clyde is in the center of one of New Zealand’s primary fruit growing region and many of the homes had fruit trees in their yards. Pears and apples are in season.

The town sits on the banks of the Clutha river.

We also passed by the Clyde District War Memorial building housing the library and Plunket rooms.

If you ever find yourself in Clyde, we highly recommend staying at Oliver’s. It is a beautiful old inn with wonderful gardens and the proprietors could not be more accommodating. Ask to stay in the Coach Room.

March 17, 2021

The Otago Central Rail Trail is a 150 kilometer (93 Miles) walking, cycling and horse riding trail that follows a railway line that was built at the turn of the twentieth century. After about ninety years of operation it closed 1990 and began its new life. We only biked a sixty kilometer (40 mile) stretch of the trail. The trail was fairly flat and the stretch we biked was slightly downhill. However, after lunch a strong headwind began to blow which made it one of the more strenuous rides that we have done. Along the way we rode over trestle bridges and through tunnels. We saw some spectacular scenery and lots of sheep and cattle.

We passed the sites of a number of old train stations, such as this one at Lauder.

One surprising thing for visitors to New Zealand is the strength of the country’s coffee culture. Even in the middle of nowhere, it’s possible to find a cafe selling exceptional espressos, cappuccinos and flat whites. Kiwis are disparaging of paper cups, so most places you will find customers sitting and sipping their coffee from ceramic cups.

We passed through the charming little town of Omakau.

We stopped for lunch at a tavern in charmingly named Chatto-Creek

After struggling through headwinds over the plains, it was nice to get down to the shelter of the trees lining the Clutha river.

As we started on our two hour drive to Milford Sound from Te Anau it was pouring and we worried that it would be a miserable and soggy cruise on the fiord. As it turned out it was all for the best. The Sound has, apparently, only one “full time” waterfall. The rest only work either when it is raining or when there has been a recent rainfall. As a result, we were treated to the drama of hundreds of waterfalls cascading into the Sound.

Called Piopiotahi in Maori, Milford Sound, was once deemed the eighth Wonder of the World by Rudyard Kipling and it’s easy to see why. It is one of those places that surpassed the hype. It’s hard to describe the grandeur of the place and the photos certainly don’t do it justice. Our suggestion is to visit it in person. And if you are in New Zealand do it before the travel ban ends. The dozens of empty bus parking spots and hundreds of empty car spaces at the boat dock suggests that the place would normally be packed with tourists.

It’s hard from the photos to show the dramatic heights of the cliffs that rise over a thousand feet straight up from the fiord but if you look at the following photos you will see two tiny boats at the bottom. They are, in fact, huge tourist boats.

The boat nosed in underneath two of the waterfalls which left us drenched but exhilarated.

You can see clear lines where the fresh water from the waterfalls and salt water from the ocean meet.

Walking back to the car from the boat, we enjoyed some beautiful New Zealand native plants and a view of iconic Mitre Peak.

The drive in and out of Fiordland is also very dramatic. At one stage you drive through a long, wet, and steeply sloping tunnel.

March 12-14, 2021

On a bright and sunny day we boarded an Air New Zealand jet and flew from Auckland to Dunedin in the South Island. Along the way, we enjoyed some incredible views of New Zealand, including some spectacular views of the Southern Alps and New Zealand’s highest mountain, Mt. Cook (Aoraki in Maori).

With a population of just under 130,000, Dunedin is New Zealand’s sixth largest city. Its name comes from Dun Eideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Appropriately, there is a decidedly Scottish feel to the town and there are some wonderful old buildings.

The main shopping street is George Street, which resembles many New Zealand retail avenues with its verandas.

Social life centers around the Octagon, a circle at the center of town lined with bars and bisected by a beautiful covered walkway.

While we were passing the Octagon we noticed that they were showing the latest America’s Cup race live on a big screen so we stopped to catch the end of the race. We are happy to report that New Zealand won, although as we write this, New Zealand and Italy are deadlocked at 3 races apiece in the first to seven series.

Our good friends Howard and Carolyn had also flown down from Auckland so on the next day the four of us set out to explore Dunedin and some of its surrounding areas. We started in the seaside suburb of St. Clair. St. Clair beach has been called “Bondi without the crowds” and it is easy to see similarities with the iconic Sydney beach. It even has an Oceanside salt water pool similar to the one at Bondi.

From St. Clair we drove over the hill to nearby Tunnel Beach. It is one of the most beautiful places that we have seen anywhere and is definitely a must-see if you are in Dunedin and are up for the challenge of the challenge of the steep pathway that takes you there. It takes its name from a narrow tunnel down to the beach.

From Tunnel Beach we drove up to New Zealand’s only castle, enjoying spectacular views along the way.

Larnach Castle, sitting high on a ridge of the Otago Peninsula was built by William Larnach in 1871-1874. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens.

From the castle we drove further out to the tip of the peninsula to see the albatross soaring along the cliffs by the world’s only mainland breeding colony. They truly were a majestic site sailing along effortlessly while other lesser birds frantically flapped their wings to stay aloft in the strong winds.

Speaking of gliding effortlessly in the wind, we stopped off at the Portobello pub to watch the kiwis beat the Italians in the latest America’s Cup race.

It’s the first pub that we have come across that specifically welcomes breastfeeding.

On our final morning in Dunedin we visited Baldwin Street, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the steepest street in the world. We parked at the bottom and walked the 350 meters to the top. Unfortunately, the photos do not do justice to just how steep it is.

On the way up we met these two women who were touring the South Island with their ten incredibly well behaved dogs.

March 8, 2021

We walked from our home to nearby downtown today. Along the way we passed what must be one of the largest fitness centers in the world. Les Mills was a New Zealand olympian, representing New Zealand in the shot put and discus throw. He was also mayor of Auckland for most of the 1990s. In 1968 he started his first fitness center. Over 50 years later, Les Fitness International is now a phenomenon, licensing workouts to over 20,000 clubs worldwide with classes being taught by over 140,000 instructors. There are also 12 Les Mills gyms in New Zealand including the flagship gym we passed on Victoria Street.

The photo does not do justice to the real size of the center. There is an adjoining modern three floor building and a recently added multistory carpark. It used to be our favorite gym anywhere and we would regularly attend the gym’s trademark bodypump and RPM spin classes when we were back in New Zealand. But after a recent renovation, we find the center just too loud, with music blasting at ear splitting levels from the various classes happening in different parts of the gym. Now, we prefer to do the Les Mills online classes from the comfort and quiet of our own home.

Just up the hill from Les Mills is the Sky City entertainment complex. Sitting directly beneath the Sky Tower, it includes a 700 seat theater, bars and restaurants, three hotels, and Auckland’s only casino.

Next we found ourselves on Queen Street, Auckland’s main shopping avenue. In Auckland, the weather is always changing. At one moment you can be in bright sunshine and in the next you are in driving rain. We expect that it is because of these rapid changes that the sidewalks of most of New Zealand’s shopping streets are covered by verandahs. Queen Street is no exception.

The shops on Queen Street, particularly down toward the harbor where it dead ends, are mainly targeted toward the hoards of tourists that in non-Covid times flow out of the massive cruise ships that tie up at the nearby wharves. We have seen as many as four of these huge ships in port at once, each carrying thousands of passengers.

To find more interesting and original stores, it is best to take one of the access ways, such as Vulcan Lane, that lead up off Queen Street into small neighboring streets.

One area just off Queen Street that is now a mecca for trendy boutiques, restaurants, bars and cafes is Britomart. Sitting directly behind the downtown rail terminal, it used to be Auckland’s central bus terminal.

While we were there, we noticed numerous musicians being filmed by roving bands of camera and sound operators. Apparently, there were filming for a new television series, aptly, called “Buskers”.

We stopped for lunch at one of the trendy restaurants.

The boutique Hotel Britomart makes these vintage style bikes available for its guests.

We liked the mural of different urns on this building.

Mal used to work part-time at a law firm in this building when he was at law school.

He also spent more than a little time at the pub next door. It’s a lot more upmarket than it was back then.

March 6, 2021

Mal’s sister and brother-in-law, Christine and Bill, live on a hilltop overlooking idyllic New Zealand farmland and beyond to Pakiri Beach. Pakiri is about an hour’s drive north of Auckland on the east coast. “Pa” is Maori for village or fortified settlement and Kiri refers to Te Kiri, a local Maori chief. Hence Pa-kiri.

This is the view we woke up to.

We decided to go for a morning walk down the hill from their house to the main road and back. It wasn’t the longest walk that we have done but it was definitely one of the most strenuous, as we walked back from the road up the hill to the house. The pictures don’t do justice to how steep the incline really was, but take our word for it!

In the late afternoon we went for a long walk along Pakiri beach with Christine.

L