Travel – Travels with Billie

New Zealand Northland

The last time I visited New Zealand I didn’t get to the far North end or the far South end of the country. Even as I boarded my flight home, I knew I’d have to return. I decided to focus on the Northland this time, above Auckland. I’m so glad I did. As you drive North the island grows narrower, so the ocean is never far away. There are forests and farms and lovely towns that entice you to slow down and enjoy the ride.

I chose my favorite photos from the Northland segment of my trip, and I’ll describe the adventure below.

I chose to stay in different areas of the Northland, spending two or three days in each place. It would have been easy enough to use one spot as a base and drive to the various places, but I was interested in trying out some different lodgings.

This part of the trip involved picking up my rental car after leaving Waiheke Island. I decided to use a location North of Auckland and take an Uber to the office from the ferry terminal, rather than trying to get used to driving on the left in the heart of the city. I’ve found that it’s fairly easy to drive on the other side of the road once you get on the highway-it’s the turns that can be a challenge. The biggest issue I usually have is turning on the wipers when I mean to use my turn signal. All the controls are switched.

My first stop was the Avalon resort in KeriKeri. Reasonably priced for what you get, I had a one-bedroom cabin in this lovely setting with ducks and ponds and lots of trees. Oh, and chickens. I was warned to keep the gate to my deck closed, because the chickens like to come into the house. Sure enough, I had a visitor each day.

I went to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds to learn a bit about the Maori culture. There was a museum, a guided tour, and a show with young people demonstrating their songs and stories. I’ve always been fascinated with the Maori culture, but this day gave me a whole new understanding and respect for the people and how they have worked to preserve their culture.

The following day I drove to the West Coast to visit the Waipoua Forest Sanctuary. The gigantic kauri trees there are some of the oldest living creatures on earth. Unfortunately, they are threatened by a disease that is killing many of them, so the sanctuary requires all visitors to go through an entryway that will sanitize their shoes to prevent spreading the disease. So I couldn’t hug the tree, but just being in its presence is awesome.

My next location was an Airbnb in Ahipara on the West Coast. This was a beautiful home right across the street from the beach. The entire front walls of the home opened up, so I could sit in the kitchen, listen to the waves, and breathe in the scent of the jasmine in the yard.

That was the perfect starting point to head to the farthest North point of the country, Cape Reinga. It was threatening rain, but turned out to be a magical day. As I approached the parking area for the Cape, it was raining and foggy. I was disappointed since I couldn’t see the ocean at all. I decided to get out of my car and walk over to the restrooms anyway, and when I did the rain slowed and I could see an archway with a path leading through it. As I walked through the arch, the fog began to lift and I could see the lighthouse in the distance. Now, do I want to walk down there? If I do, it means an uphill walk on the way back and I’m not getting any younger, you know. I decided to go a little way to take some photos. Then a little further. Then the fog lifted completely and I went a little further. Yes, I ended up at the lighthouse, and glad I did. This is the place the Maori believe their dead come to so they can climb down the roots of the tree at the point to their afterlife. It’s a sacred place, and you can feel it. Oh, and the walk back up was actually pretty easy.

Next I was off to stay in the Duke of Marlborough Hotel in Russell. A historic hotel with the tag line “Refreshing Rascals and Reprobates Since 1827”. How could I resist?

Somewhere along the way someone mentioned I’d be taking the ferry to Russell, but looking at a map I found that it’s on the mainland so there must be a road, right? There is, but it didn’t take long to realize it wasn’t a good idea. All gravel, narrow, with warning signs not to drive a camper on it. I figured Avis would not be happy, so I backtracked and lined up for the ferry. There’s a photo in the gallery above, with Polly sitting on my dash checking out the other vehicles on the ferry. It was really easy-just drive on, stay in your car and they come around to take your payment.

Russell is a lovely town, and I loved the hotel. They treated me like royalty, and I had a suite with a balcony overlooking the bay. The Moreton Bay Fig Tree was right next to my balcony, and I think it must be at least 10 feet in diameter. Polly and I enjoyed sitting on the balcony with a glass of New Zealand wine and watching the sun set. There were some great little shops in the town, and in one I had a long conversation with the shopkeeper, who is an American expat who moved here for love. Always a great story.

For my final stay I chose a place with a short drive to the airport. I didn’t want to stay IN Auckland, but NEAR it. The Castaways Resort is south of the city on the coast, and it was a lot more than I was expecting. I thought I had booked a small studio room, but when I got there I was given a two-bedroom villa! The villas are very private, and the hotel takes you to your accommodation by golf cart. If I had known how beautiful the place was, I would have planned to stay longer! The one funny thing was how long it took me to connect the icon on their website, which looked like Wilson in the movie. Of course. Wilson, Castaway, Wilson, Castaway. I was two days into my stay before I made the connection.

On my final day I drove out of the resort property and stopped along the driveway to take a photo of the rabbit sitting in the field. It’s about six feet tall, from what I could estimate, and I’m pretty sure it’s a statue. Either that, or its name is Harvey. (Look it up if you don’t get the reference.)

New Zealand continues to be one of my favorite places in the world. I hope I’ll be able to return again. I still have to visit the far South end of the country, after all.

New Zealand-Finally!

Next on the agenda for this year of travel: a return to New Zealand. I visited two years ago and fell in love, vowing to return. I had done a day tour to Waiheke Island, known for its wines, and knew I wanted to spend more time there. So for the first few days “down under” I headed to an AirBnB on Onetangi Beach. It was ideally situated with three amazing restaurants down the street and a gorgeous beach right across the road.

A hop-on hop-off bus tour to the Eastern part of the island allowed me to see a part of the island I didn’t see the first time, and introduced a less populated area. I stopped at the Waiheke Distillery for lunch and a gin tasting, and the bonus was sitting out on the patio with an ocean view that would take your breath away. The lunch was great, and I tried a new kind of pizza: they fry the dough first and then put the toppings on-no oven. I can’t wait to try this when I finally have a kitchen again.

For those wanting practical information on this part of the trip, here you go! I flew into Auckland, and knowing I’d be jet lagged after flying from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta to Los Angeles, and then 13 hours to New Zealand, I opted to book a SuperShuttle transfer and a hotel in Auckland right by the ferry dock. The M Social is literally across the street from the dock, and a great place to stay. Every room has a view of the harbor, and the staff was very kind in getting me into a room even though I arrived well before check-in time.

The next morning I took the ferry to Waiheke. There was plenty of room for my luggage, and the ferry runs hourly. I hired a taxi to take me to the Airbnb (expensive, but I didn’t know where I was going).

I booked the Eastern Waiheke hop-on hop-off bus online and was able to pick it up just a couple of blocks from my lodging. Besides the stop at the distillery, it gave me a good look at the island. When it was time to return to Auckland, I was able to grab the local bus just down the street and head right to the ferry terminal. The best part of that? When the bus picked me up the driver insisted on picking up my luggage and loading it for me, and then did the same at the ferry terminal. Wow, you have to love these wonderful Kiwis!

Heading to New Zealand

After a week long Atlantic crossing and two days in Fort Lauderdale, I’m in Atlanta having just finished the first leg of my trip to New Zealand.

I was delighted to find Dunkin Donuts in the Atlanta airport-how I miss them! No Dunkin in Montana. 🙁

I’ll have more to say about my overall cruise experience when I get settled in New Zealand.

Madeira, Portugal

This was my third time in Funchal, on one of the Islands of Madeira. It was a little bittersweet for me, since this was one of the ports my husband and I loved.

I again took a hop-on-hop-off bus tour, and then returned to the city center to go to their wonderful market and have lunch. I love visiting markets around the world. They have such interesting foods and products, and they are a photographers playground.

The one thing I wanted to do was have lunch at the sidewalk restaurant Richard and I visited when we were there. I tramped up and down several streets, realizing that it had been ten years since my last visit and the area had changed a lot. But I found it! I recreated the photo I took back then with my glass of Prosecco, but adding in my travel companion Polly the porcupine. She liked the Prosecco too.

Madeira remains one of my favorite ports.

Vigo, Spain

I’m a bit late in posting, but I was busy helping row across the Atlantic Ocean. Not really, but doesn’t that bring up visions of Vikings heading to the New World?

Anyway, I took a ship tour of Vigo and got to check out the city. It was a nice overview with stops at an old fort and some gardens. We stopped at a 5-star hotel for lunch before returning to the dock, and I got to try some local wine.

What I didn’t realize when I booked the tour was that the Old Town section was just a stroll from the ship. Of course I had to take advantage of that! I learned that their Old Town is quite modern, with lots of shops. As you can see by my photos, my favorite was the bakery! I ended up with the yummiest raspberry tea cake, and I enjoyed every guilty bite.

A Day In Bilbao, Spain

Today was a rather warm port day in Bilbao. I did a Hop On Hop Off bus tour and got off at the Guggenheim Museum. I decided to walk back to the place where the ship shuttle dropped us off. I think that was a mistake-I ended up with sweat in my eyes. I guess I need to remember we’re no longer above the Arctic Circle.

The museum was interesting; there were some installations that gave an idea of how the rest of the world sees us. It’s not flattering.

Polly enjoyed the museum too!

Monet’s Home in Giverny

Today’s adventure was a tour to visit Monet’s home and gardens. While it’s October and many of the flowers are fading, it was still a lovely visit. How exciting to see the places I’ve seen in his paintings so often.

Of course Polly enjoyed the gardens too!

Finally, A Visit To My Ancestry

My mother’s side of the family was Norwegian, and I grew up with the lefse and lutefisk as part of my world. Oh, and the usual “Ya, you betcha” as the answer to most questions. I knew my ancestors came from the fjord country, but haven’t ever visited until now. My month-long cruise is starting with several stops in Norway and a (mostly unsuccessful) hunt for the Northern Lights. The weather has been chilly but not cold, and the people have been delightful. We had a couple of days of rough seas, resulting in a port change, but everyone seems to be taking it in stride. Even the good people of Narvik, who had to prepare to welcome a big cruise ship with only a day’s notice.

By the way, if anyone ever offers you lutefisk, I recommend saying “No thanks.” Whenever my mother made it I left the house. For several days.

Oxford and the Cotswolds

I took another tour to a place I’ve long wanted to visit: The Cotswolds. This was a smaller tour, limited to 14. If you’re wondering, it was a Rabbies tour and I highly recommend them. Oxford wasn’t my real destination, but I enjoyed it a lot. It happened to be graduation day for some of the colleges (I think there are 39) so the streets were filled with family members with flowers and graduates in their colorful robes. What an exciting day for a young person starting out with an Oxford degree!

Then on to the Cotswolds, which has beautiful countryside. All the houses are made of Cotswold limestone, giving even the new buildings a timeless feel. In Burford I learned that the are two ways to have your scones: Devon, with the clotted cream on the bottom and then the jam, or Cornwall, which is just the opposite. Apparently it’s quite a rivalry. I’ll leave it to you, dear reader, to decide which you prefer.

I also learned that even a small quaint village in the English countryside can have a traffic problem. The cars were backed up as far as you could see in both directions.

Stonehenge

I tend to avoid the big tourist destinations (for the most part), but…Stonehenge! I remember reading about it in our National Geographic or some similar publication when I was a child, and I was fascinated. Who built it? Why? What were those people like, and how did they live? Since I had a few days in London I decided I had to see it in person. I took a day tour-crowded bus, lots of tourists-but I’m glad I did. The site is magnificent, and it’s so large it didn’t feel crowded. When you stand on the hill and realize you are in the presence of 4000 years of history, you can’t help but feel awed.