roadquill1

Greetings again to our dear family and friends,

Our time on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands was, as they sometimes say about South Sea Island life – “idyllic”! (Towards the end, my travelling companion and deprived quilter began to have antsy thoughts like “I’m bored”. Can you imagine?) However, rather than break down our time on a day by day schedule, I will present the highlights of our stay.

Days 58 (March 30) to Day 67 (April 7)

As stated in the previous blog entry, we were moved into a beautiful cabin at Muri Shores Bungalow for 5 days. For the most part, the weather was warm and beautiful, but occasionally strong winds would bring rain showers that lasted only minutes at a time. Our hosts, Eugene Tatuava (Annabelle’s brother) and his wife Krystina (Kauvai-Tatuava – Miss Cook Islands in 2005) kindly let us stay until Friday, March 31 when we were moved back to the original booking cabins at Bella Beach Bungalows. During our time at Muri Shores, we swam, read, hiked the beaches, kayaked across the lagoon to an inner island, and watched many kite surfers fly by our beachfront view.

On Friday, March 31, we moved back to Bella Beach Bungalows where we were situated in Cabin #1 – the cabin where we initially landed and then had to leave. (The Cabin #2 that we had initially booked and had confirmed was fully occupied until our last day at Rarotonga.) All the cabins at Bella Beach are beautiful, but we especially liked our placement. Although it didn’t have a roofed porch, this was preferable for the most part as it allowed us to sit on the deck under the palm trees and open sky. (Well, not really under the palm trees – that would be potentially dangerous with the chance of falling coconuts, or fronds!)

Over the next week, we walked many kilometres up and down the Island road behind us, mostly for exercise, but we also hiked to the nearby village to take in a couple of games of Rugby League play on the Saturday. On another day, we walked the 8 km round trip back to Muri Beach area, and on another day we trekked a 6 km round trip to see some the Whigmore Falls – which were closed, and are now private and fee-based sight-seeing.

On most days we lazed and read, swam, walked the beaches, played with the beach dogs, and on occasion took the kayaks out or snorkelled. Tough life – and apparently, according to my travel-weary partner – not engaging enough – especially the last two days before we had to leave. On those two days, we had steady rains and were confined, for the most part to sitting in our cabin with the doors open to the drizzle and showers – and possible breezes. Sandy finally confessed her boredom, and we suggested to Annabelle Tatuava-Enjoy, our host, that if (and when?) we return, Sandy should be given some community work to keep her busy!

On the sunny and hot day that we were scheduled to leave, we packed our bags, vacated our little cabin and moved over to our originally booked Cabin #2 where Annabelle had kindly let us spend the day while our cabin was being prepared for the incoming guests. We were told that we didn’t have to check out until we left to catch our flight (9:30 pm check-in), but in order to perhaps finish some shopping in town before stores closed, we caught a clockwise bus to take us to the airport at 3:20 pm on a very hot, and humid afternoon. Alas, stores closed just as we completed our walk from the airport into town, and we were left sweating profusely on park benches where we continued to read our current books. We ate a light supper at the Islander Hotel across from the airport, and then joined the waiting crowds at the airport for our flight to be announced and boarded at 9:30 pm.

Air New Zealand served us a “dinner” at 1:00 am (Cook Island time) and then a breakfast about 6 hours later before landing at LAX an hour early. (Oh joy! This gave us an additional hour to add to our 5 hour layover in Las Angeles!) Air NZ is wonderful, by the way!

At LAX we put in time, had Starbucks coffee, changed into warmer clothing, read and dozed until our 5:20 pm flight to Vancouver. This flight was by Air Canada on behalf of Air New Zealand, and was distinctly less classy than the Air New Zealand flights. My video screen worked, but no sound, and plugs for electronics were non-functional. Food was served – a la carte – at about $8 per meal (appetizer stuff), the pizza that I wanted was not available by the time the attendant came for my order, and after the landing announcement that “seat backs must be upright and trays put away) was given, I still had all of the meal trash sitting in front of me. This wasn’t removed until our altitude was dropping to YVR.

By 8:40 pm, we were landed, and by 9:15 or so we had cleared customs, gathered our baggage, and been met by our daughter and son-in-law, Paula and Doug Lindsay. Now begins the return to normal life!

Thursday, April 13

We are making the adjustments to home life. A cold has captivated my breathing system since we arrived, but it is annoying rather than debilitating! Sandy has returned to her BUSY-ness, and has many things on the go already. One thing we discovered when we returned was that my Driver’s Licence had expired on my birthday. That caused a panic and quick renewal. (I hope that it doesn’t affect the accidental damage claim on the rental car that happened in Napier, NZ.) Also, I have made an insurance claim for my lost iPad.

The news about Cyclone Cook hitting New Zealand this morning is a bit disturbing, but apparently, Auckland has been given a reprieve from the major thrust of the storm. Unfortunately, Hawkes Bay, the Coromandel Peninsula and the Bay of Plenty bear the brunt of the storm. This – after many weeks of heavier than usual rainfall. We hope that all of our places of visitations are able to recover from the damages soon.

Thank-you to everyone for following our journeys. We have had quite an adventure, and are most grateful to the many folks who added to the pleasures of our trip:

• Nicki Vance (Sydney and Canberra, AU)
• Gabe Gabjatsy and Ursula Wall (Eden, AU)
• Cindy Henderson (Brisbane, AU)
• Gus and June Whitmore (Currumbin, AU)
• Lynn and Philip Chatfield (Auckland, NZ)
• Montana Mjaaland (Auckland, NZ)
• Nic Hildebrand (Auckland, NZ)
• Chris Long, Jill and Arabella Tillick (Palmerston, NZ)
• Annabelle Tatuava-Enjoy (Rarotonga, Cook Islands)
• Eugene and Krystina Tatuava (Rarotong, Cook Islands)

We would also like to thank the many of you who provided feedback to our blog entries through your comments and best wishes!

Love to all, and may you have a great time – until I next impinge on your time and goodwill!

Sandy (the Quilter) and Tony (the Quill)

Dear family and friends,
Our last couple of days in New Zealand have been spent closing the loop on our North Island travels, and completing the navigation of the Coromandel Peninsula on roads that had seen plenty of disruptions in the storms of the 2 weeks previous.
Day 52: March 24
We have a room in a newer motel just out of the main centre of Coromandel Town. A quick stroll takes us through town and to a trail leading uphill (of course) to a replantation area for the Kauri trees. Since they are still small, we are able to take in views of the coastal community. The trail down the other side leads to a beach – not quite up to the standards that we are used to – but we walk along it past the old gold processing plant and back into town. The downtown area is only a couple of blocks long, and the only place that sells hokey-pokey ice-cream closes before supper. I’ll have to wait for another opportunity.
Day 53: March 25
Today’s road trip turns out to be the hairiest of our journey. Besides the twisting and tight-turning characteristics of the Coromandel, the road is very narrow. The good news is that we are hugging the inside lane…the bad news is…so is the oncoming traffic! About 25-30% of the corners have large concave mirrors mounted on them to show the oncoming traffic. (This is the kind that stores have to catch shoplifters!) Further bad news – it is apparent that many drivers are going too fast to see the mirrors – and pullouts are scarce. We get through to Thames finally, and cruise into the downtown area for the Saturday market. After scoping out the goods, we have a brunch in a small bake shop. Then we do what we always do – find our Motel, and…walk! We hike the water front path, then into the old town area where many old buildings and hotels are preserved, and then begin our usual climb to a high point overlooking the city at the Anzac Memorial. (Does all this climbing mean that we are negatively geotropic?) As we begin the descent into the same centre of town where we first arrived, we are starting to dry out from our climb just as the rain begins. We hustle to the walkway down Main Street where it is completely covered by store front porches, and continue towards the other end of town. It is about 2:00 on a Saturday afternoon, and 95% of the stores are closed. We are the only strollers on the street! After a quick stop at a tavern for a glass of wine and a beer (ginger), we close off our 10 km walk back to the motel.
Day 54: March 26
Since our travel time today is only about an hour, we opt for a more rural coastal road to circle back towards Auckland. There aren’t many others who choose this route today, and, for the most part the trip is leisurely. However, this part of the Coast has been hard hit by the rain storms of a couple of weeks ago, and we have to crawl past many partially cleared slips where large amounts of the soil above the road has slumped over the road, or the shoulders have sagged…and, of course, more twists and climbs and drops through the hilly farmlands
By noon, we have arrived at our motel south of Auckland, and unloaded the vehicle in preparations for final repacking. After that is done, the afternoon is ours and by pre-arrangement, we have agreed to meet with Montana, and her rugby-playing boyfriend, Nik, in Auckland. The four of us hop on to the commuter rail system and head for town under threatening skies. We manage to fit in a few blocks of walking before the first downpour, which ends quickly. For the rest of our afternoon, Nik and Montana escort us around the downtown area, and waterfront before we move on the train to another commercial area – Newmarket, where we have supper. It is time to say good-bye, so we commuter-train it back to Onehunga (where Nik and Montana stay, and where hoards of people are gathering for Adele’s evening performance). On our walk to the house we hit a grocery store where we purchase 2 litres of hokey pokey ice cream. A dish of ice cream might be my favourite way to end a day! (Thanks Nicki, for the suggestion!) Farewells to Nik and Montana are followed by heavy rains as we head back to our motel and Adele sings in the shower!
Day 55: March 27
We are packed, and on our way by 5:45 a.m. in order to drop off our rental car. The address given to us is incorrect, but after 1/2 hour of frantic searching, we find the Omega Car Rental office which is not open, officially, but allows us to drop our damaged vehicle. (I probably didn’t tell you about that. In Napier, I caught the left front fender on a high curb. Eventual damages assessed: $638 – covered by extra insurance I purchased.) Our flight at 8:30, and as we lift off, I remark to Sandy that my iPad is in my luggage, so rather than playing with it, we watch in-flight movies. We both choose “Lion” and it is excellent.
On landing in Rarotonga, we finally learn about tropical heat and humidity! We eventually gather our luggage, and catch the Cook Island bus to our booked site: The Bella Beach Bungalows.
At the Bungalows, we disembark, and find that there is
someone occupying the cabin that was confirmed for us. The proprietor is not on site, and a renter at a nearby house explains that they are not around on weekends – “They live in town.” Another tenant at one of the remaining 4 cabins explains that there is one cabin unoccupied, and it is open. It is probably ours, so we move in, and being very hot…go for a beautiful swim in the very warm lagoon water. Our new friends invite us to travel with them to an open market where you can pick up a hot meal “to go”. When we arrive back at our cabin, a young couple is standing there looking bewildered. They have also booked a cabin, and was told that ours…is theirs! Yikes! A phone call confirms that they are correct, and there is no record of our booking – from August 23 last year. So we apologize for using their towels, and we pack up and await a taxi which transfers us to a beautiful bungalow unit – right beside the market where we picked up our supper! So…we eat our supper on the deck while the bewildered managers try to figure out why we should have a letter with a confirmation number – when they had never heard of us. They guarantee that they will sort things out and that, until Friday (5 nights) we can stay where we are. (And, it is a beautiful bungalow – actually nicer than the other one, but the beach isn’t quite as nice.)
After things have settled down, I open my luggage – no iPad! Somehow, it has gone missing. I have made contact with all places where it might have been left – no luck. The App – “Find My iPhone” reports that it is not online, however, apparently I can delete the info on it remotely.
Day 56: March 28
And…the final downer…(How can there be downers in such a beautiful paradise? I guess Fletcher Christian and Captain Bligh found that out also!) I bought a 14 day wifi access card giving me access to 1.5 gigabytes of data yesterday morning, and it was used up by this morning! So…communications for the rest of the holiday may be limited, or non-existent.
Day 57: March 29
New news: today, Sandy and I headed into town on a “Circle the Island” bus. (One bus goes clockwise, the other anti-clockwise. Ours was Anti-Clockwise.) We stopped and purchased another 3 gigabytes of wifi access, but now we are very, very wary (or “wery wery wary”, as Krepke on “Big Bang Theory” would say!) of our usage, and have almost all Apps turned off. Therefore, I will check in with my emails occasionally, but Sandy probably not, but if you need to get information to her, please send it to my email address.
Our trip into town was punctuated with bouts of downpours followed by steamy sunshine. But the rains, though heavy, are warm! In fact, when we returned, we watched a new storm approach our beach, and welcomed a young couple – Jack and Michelle – into our shelter. They are free spirits, Jack from London, and Michelle from Argentina, who are working their way around the world in exchange for food and shelter. Nice couple! Nice visit! On Friday, we move back to our original small unit at Bella Beach for the duration.
We love you all, and we are well, and warm, and relaxed, and things always work out!

Take care…
Sandy and Tony

Greetings dear family and friends! Our New Zealand adventure is nearing an end. Here is the next to last instalment…

Day 47: March 19
Our first night in Gisborne was almost quiet…the wind came up (no rain) and a palm tree brushed and banged on our wall during the night. In the morning we checked out of our motel, and headed into town where we began our explorations with a drive around the hill overlooking city and the harbour to Kaiti Beach and Yacht Club where we watch young sailors launch sabots in fresh breezes. Then, we headed back into town and drove to the top of the Kaiti Hill for panoramic views of the harbour, and the beach where James Cook first landed in New Zealand. (His landing resulted in some miscommunications, and things turned nasty resulting in the death of several Maoris, his rapid departure and the naming of the bay as Poverty Bay since he wasn’t able to get supplies that he needed.)
We parked in town and began a river-front walk which began by encountering many locals who had participated in a “Colour Walk”. Most of the sidewalks, some of the lawns, the walkers and their dogs were doused in various colours of powdered paints. Colourful…but messy. Glad we were late for the walk! Our trail took us through some beautiful older residence areas, and along riverside parks. We were treated to a female team practicing paddling in a large outrigger.
All in all, we walked most of the Gisborne downtown and waterfront – about 10 km.
We moved to a new motel for our second night in Gisborne – this time a block from the beach of Poverty Bay, and the statue of James Cook.
Day 38: March 20
We have chosen the inland route to Opotiki (a ‘tired’ little town) and then Whakatane – through an area called the Waioeke Gorge. Like much of our travel through NZ, this road is very twisty, and has steep climbs and drops. And always…the speed limit signs show 100, but immediately after a posted speed limit, there is a slow to 55, or 35, or 25. I can seldom attain the speed limit, and frequently am looking for pull-offs to allow speedier drivers to pass.
Whakatane is a beautiful little waterfront town with a fairly active town centre. Again, we wander the town core, locate our motel, and then hike the riverside walkway back into down town. (Sound familiar? See a pattern here?) We close off our afternoon with Indian food (“do you want ‘Indian medium’, or ‘Kiwi medium’? – I chose the Kiwi level) and follow with a drive to the high (very high) point of land – Kohe Point – above the town. We watch a beautiful sunset, and meet some young Mormon missionaries who are there for the same uplifting experience, I suppose.
Day 39: March 21
This turns out to be perhaps the most beautiful day of our time in New Zealand. The trip up the coast is much like the drive from Queen Charlotte City to Tlell – gorgeous unpopulated beaches. We picked one, and sat on the sand to read our books for an hour or so, and then headed on toward the city of Tauranga. At Papamoa Beach we bought coffees and and shared a meat pie and a Danish, and then carried on towards the very end of the peninsula at Mount Maunganui where there is a small almost islet called Motiriki. This prominence is fronted by fabulous beaches, so we decided to hike the trail to the top of the islet, head into Tauranga City to an I-Site (information centre), find our motel, and then return to the beach. All proceeds as planned, and our motel is marvellous, in a quiet residential area. We arrive back at the beautiful beach by 2:30, and soak up warm sun and swim – for several hours! (Yes, yes…I had sunscreen on.) Okay, I don’t often mention our meals, but I must bring your attention to my birthday supper that evening – pizza – from a recommended little place called The Pizza Library Co. This is a takeout place, where all of the pizzas have literary names – like Pinocchio, Hamlet, and Janet and the Giant Peach. The decor is offbeat, with old seats from theatres, library books on the shelves, and the staff all wearing bowler hats. The young lady who took our order was very genuine and outgoing and as we were the only patrons at the moment, we enjoyed her cheer thoroughly! And…the pizzas were excellent! This was truly a great birthday, and first FULL day of Spring – in New Zealand!
Day 40: March 22
Today we head over another twisty, windy road towards Whitianga. At the town of Whangamata, we encountered the beginnings of what looked like a town celebration and parade. We noticed many parked vehicles from the 1950s and 60s. Quickly we moved on, but on the road towards Whitianga, for probably 15 minutes to 1/2 hour, (on twisty, windy, roads, of course) we passed hundreds of vintage vehicles heading in the opposite direction. After the tail-end of this amazing parade of vehicles, we finally passed the turnoff to the famous Hot Water Beach, where you dig a pit in the sand at low tides and the pit fills with thermal hot water. As I said…we passed it! In Whitianga, we located our accommodations for the next 2 nights, unloaded and headed out to explore in our usual fashion – again under clear, sunny skies. At the I-Site, we learned that the parade of vintage vehicles was returning for the Beach Hop Festival the next day.
Since technically, it was yet another day of celebration for me…March 21 back in Canada…I once again chose supper – burgers! (Pretty cool eh? Pizza, and then burgers! I am sure I have friends who will be disgusted with my selected culinary delights! I am only missing hotdogs! And now…enough about food.)
Day 41: March 23
We are beginning to see the beautiful high pressure weather system breaking down, and cloud cover has rolled in. However, so do the vintage vehicles – for over an hour! They pour into town (where many folks are dressed for the fifties, and old rock sounds from a number of live bands). After an hour of bemused wanderings trying to impress each other with incorrect aging of vehicles, we let go of our past, and catch a ferry across Whitianga Harbour, and hike the 4 km to Cooks Beach. We are the only people on this – another great example of this part of the world’s fabulous sandy beaches, so we swim naked! (I am lying, of course. Just checking to see if you are still reading!)
On the walk back, we stop and sunbathe at Front Beach. Then we head home. To my shock, it being Sandy’s turn to choose dinner – she chooses HAMBURGERS! She was very impressed with them on my repeat birthday evening! And so…we have come to…
Day 42: March 24
We are both feeling the pull of home, and overexposure to windy roads, and spectacular beaches. With only 45 km of direct driving today to Coromandel Town, we meander a bit, find beaches at a couple more off-the-track ‘bach’ (a term for seasonal cottages – presumably from ‘bachelor’) towns, and finally settle in Coromandel Town. What do we do?? Why hike, of course! …through town, over the height of land above the town, and back along the beach road. The rains have held off, but generally today, we were under high cloudy skies. With only two more full days in New Zealand, perhaps we will be lucky enough to avoid potential showers.
For the record…the roads that we drove over the last couple of days took the brunt of that massive rain storm of about 10 days ago. In Whitianga, apparently they received 250 mm of rain in a 6 day period. In that same period, a valley that we will be near tomorrow outside of Thames, had 850 mm of rain – almost a meter! (Roads there will be under repair for months!) We have seen all kinds of evidence of “slips” (mudslides) that have been scraped off the roads. We are sure glad that we altered our plans after returning Montana to Auckland.
As always, we thank-you for your comments, and can assure you that the blog entries will now become much shorter – until the next long road trip, of course!
Love and best wishes to you all…
Sandy, and Tony (as in T…for the Tilley Man!)