Tag: Travel

New Zealand’s North Island

Arriving on the North Island in Wellington after a ferry ride from Picton, the weather was bad but the ferry handled it just fine. I even treated myself to a glass of bubbly with a sandwich from the on-board café. The trip went quickly thanks to a chat with a local returning from a visit with her parents. It was pouring rain in Wellington, and taxis were scarce. After waiting for a half hour, I called an Uber to take me to the Avis office. All  car rentals have been moved off the harbor due to construction, and that created an amusing interlude. The Uber driver picked me up, looked at his navigation, and informed me we were AT the car rental. No, it moved downtown, I said. Well, the nav system says you’re there, he said. He finally took the address I had been given and put it into his phone, and off we went to the correct location. I just paid him in cash. 

I’m not a fan of big cities, so I headed right out of Wellington in the rain, white knuckles and all. My destination was a vacation rental in Paraparaumu, about an hour north on the coast. This was my mid-travel break, and I spent five days in a lovely apartment with a stunning view of the ocean. Despite many horror stories about vacation rental disasters, I’ve been fortunate to find lovely accommodations all over the world. My recommendation is to always read the fine print, definitely read the reviews (and evaluate whether they sound like real people), look closely at the photos, and if the price sounds too good to be true, it probably is!  

In this case, I found a real gem. My landlady lived upstairs and was friendly and helpful. We even walked her dog on the beach together.  After being on the road for a couple of weeks, this was just the relaxing interlude I needed. Long walks on the beach, a little exploring, a trip to a bird sanctuary island, and one day trip over the mountains to wine country.

Kapiti Island is a bird sanctuary, and visits to the island are limited and controlled. It lies just across the bay from Paraparaumu, a fifteen-minute boat trip.  I booked a day tour to the island well in advance, and learned it fills up in the warmer months. I wanted to be able to stay in their overnight accommodations, but they were all booked far ahead of time. Our guide was a descendant of the early Maori settlers, and he was interesting and informative. I did a hike with others in our group, and then they provided a delicious lunch. I highly recommend this excursion, especially if you’re a bird lover. If you’re hoping to see the national symbol, a kiwi, be advised that they are nocturnal and hide in burrows during the day. Why the locals chose a symbol that most people will never see, I have no idea.

A drive over the mountain to the Martinborough wine country was again one I wouldn’t recommend to a nervous driver, but I loved it! Narrow winding roads with spectacular views. The wine country was not as large or varied as the Marlborough region on the South Island. If you had to choose just one, I’d opt for the South Island. I visited Greytown, which is an early Victorian village that is now filled with shops, antiques, and cafes along the main street.

I visited a WWII Marine war memorial that was recommended by my host. New Zealand was key to the Pacific war effort, and this area was the site of a large camp used for training, supply, and respite for the fighting Marines-the beaches were perfect for assault training.

Flexibility being my mantra for this trip, I decided to skip going back to Wellington and taking the train North. A conversation with a local had me keeping my rental car for the duration and heading to Lake Taupo to take advantage of the scenery and an afternoon at Wairakei Hot Springs, which is somewhat less touristy and very relaxing. 

The next day I drove to Otorohango, my jumping off spot for the Waimoto Caves. On the way I stopped at Haku Falls-not spectacular, but a nice side trip. I also stopped at Waireki Thermal Valley, which gives a good look at the continuing volcanic activity in New Zealand. I hiked down to the bottom of the valley and took the bus back up. I found it to be somewhat like Yellowstone, but without the tourist crowds. Or bison. I had a conversation with a young Israeli man who was traveling in the opposite direction. We compared notes and exchanged recommendations on things to see.

The following day I went to the Waimoto Glowworm Caves in Orotanga. This was an awe-inspiring excursion into a cave, with a short walk and then a boat ride. The glowworms inhabit the roof of the cave, and in the darkness seem like thousands of tiny stars. I think this was a must-see.

A Visit to the Shire!

Off to Matamata to get ready for my visit to Hobbiton. The drive was shorter than I thought, and I arrived midday. I was able to check into my motel, which was about a mile outside of the village. The road tended to be busy and noisy, so I would recommend staying in the village.

I had fortunately booked a dinner tour well in advance-it was sold out for days. Arriving at The Shire’s Rest, I found a gift shop and café, as well as plenty of parking and restrooms. Hobbiton in located on a sheep farm, so we were taken in on short bus ride. We were given a delightful tour of the entire movie set (which looks like a real Hobbit Village) and then treated to an amazing dinner at the Green Dragon Inn, served family style.

Our guides were informative and enthusiastic, allowing plenty of time to explore. The dinner, while expensive, meant we had the place to ourselves. It was dark after dinner, and we were given lanterns and taken back to the green for a lovely closing to an amazing tour. Even if you are not a rabid Lord of the Rings or Hobbit fan, this tour was well worth it. 

My last stop was three days in Auckland. I really hate driving in big cities, even though I used to do it all the time. I’ve lost my enthusiasm for freeways. I booked a room at the Andelin Guest House in Devonport, across the bay from the main city. Once I got there, I parked my car and didn’t move it until I drove to the airport. It was walking distance to the ferry port and the main street of town, filled with restaurants and shops. My host recommended a couple of restaurants, and he was right about both!

I booked a wine tour on Waiheke Island for the next day. The ferry from Auckland stops at Devonport and then goes on to Waiheke. My tour was a small group of eleven, and we had a great day. On the way back I had a mishap with the ferry. The only scheduled to stop at Devonport is at 4 pm, and there was a long line to get on. The line was stopped once they reached capacity, and I missed it. That meant I had to take the ferry to Auckland and then back to Devonport. If I were to do it again, I would stay on Waiheke and have a nice leisurely dinner, do a little shopping, and then return.

On my last day I took the ferry to Auckland to explore the city. I found that the waterfront area isn’t as nicely developed as the of Sydney, although they are working on it. I decided to take the tour of the Weta Workshop, which is a company that creates movie illusions: creatures, makeup, buildings, etc. It was a fun and interesting to see the development of movie magic. 

So that’s it. After five weeks of travel, I headed to the airport, braving the holiday travel in Auckland. Note to self: NEVER forget to turn in the keys to your rental car.

New Zealand’s South Island

My flight to Christchurch was easy, although I did learn one thing: New Zealand Air will not allow you to put your bag under the seat in front of you if you are in an exit row. I was told after I was seated, which meant I didn’t have access to iPad or headphones since I was also in the window seat. I entertained myself by using their headphones and watching a movie.

To make my life easier, I took SuperShuttle to the hotel rather than deal with luggage and a bus just to save a few dollars. I was at the Christchurch City Hotel, which is a new hotel in the center of the city. It was a great location, since the tourist trolley was right around the corner, along with a wide variety of shopping and restaurants. And the staff was great. Their top floor bar and restaurant is a hidden gem-good food and drink in a gorgeous setting.

Christchurch is a city in transition, still recovering from the devastating series of earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. The central business district is a combination of older historic buildings, new construction to replace destroyed buildings, and more than a few empty lots where buildings once stood. The “cardboard cathedral” is the church that was badly damaged in the quakes-it’s truly a cardboard cathedral, since the front of it is a temporary façade painted to look like the original cathedral.

The “Cardboard Cathedral” under construction.
The Wizard of Christchurch: A local Character
How to hide an empty lot; this is an optical illusion!

I took the Kiwi Rail train trip to Greymouth and back to see more of that area of the South Island. It wasn’t what I hoped for. I was advised their premier seating wasn’t really necessary, so I booked the regular class. Big mistake. On the way West I was seated in front of a family of ten who were apparently unaware that there were other passengers on the train. They spent the entire trip chattering loudly, so I couldn’t hear the narration, or even the PA announcements. Fortunately, they were staying in Greymouth, so the ride back to Christchurch was much quieter. To make the trip even more pleasant, it stopped raining so I could see the scenery! If I return, this is one excursion I wouldn’t do again.

Because I brought clothing for the wedding and festivities in Australia, I thought I might ship some things home, along with some gifts I wanted to buy. Don’t plan on doing that! When I checked I learned that the cost to ship to the US for a small package of about 5 pounds was nearly $200. I decided to just suck it up and stuff my suitcase.

From Christchurch I flew to Nelson, at the far North of the South Island. This was a commuter flight, and I found that Kiwis are not at all as fussy as the American TSA. Once I presented my passport to check my bag, I did not have to provide my ID again, and there was NO security check. The flight was a quick hour, and it gave me an opportunity to see the landscape from the air.

Then it was time to learn to drive on the left side of the road. This was a first for me, and I’ve been fretting about it for months. I picked up my Avis car at the Nelson airport, and took some time to get familiar with it before I roared off into infinity and beyond. I used my phone to navigate, and for my next trip I’m going to make sure I have some sort of holder so I don’t lose it on the floor. Driving on the left really wasn’t all that difficult, as long as I paid attention to what I was doing at the corners and the traffic circles. I did have a tendency to signal a turn with my windshield wipers, however.

I drove to Kaikura, a 3 ½ hour drive. I could have just driven from Christchurch in less time than flying and driving, but I added the Kaikura stop late in the game. The first part of the trip was on narrow mountain roads, so I wouldn’t recommend it to a nervous driver. I love those kinds of roads, and really enjoyed the drive. The latter part of the trip was along the coast, which gave me a look at some stunning scenery.

In Kaikura I stayed at The White Morph, very close to my excursion for the next day, and with a stunning view of a wall. In the morning I went to the Dolphin Encounter and checked in early. They have a nice café there, so I was able to get breakfast before I was called to get my wetsuit and gear needed for my swim with the dolphins. They transported us to the dock, and after a 20-minute ride out to the area where we found the dolphins, we were ready to get in the water. I can only say that this was an experience I’ll never forget. I did swim with sting rays in the Carribbean, and there were maybe ten or fifteen sting rays in the area. With the dolphins, there was something like 600 animals, all curious and ready to play. As soon as we entered the water they headed right for us, swimming around us and jumping out of the water. We stayed in the area about an hour, with the dolphins moving away, coming back, jumping and somersaulting, and generally having a good time.

Next was the Marlborough wine area, staying at the Cork and Keg in Blenheim. This is a small pub with just three little motel rooms, but the staff was wonderful and the room was just what I needed. It was nice to just walk across the parking lot for dinner, being able to have a drink since I didn’t have to drive. The pub also has their own cast of characters, so I had a nice chat both nights with the locals. 

Wine tasting was on the agenda, although I had to limit what I actually drank since I drove. I visited the No.1 sparkling wine tasting room, since they are recommended for how they ferment their wines. I had a little extra time before my appointment, so I also stopped at the Gin Shack. They were very friendly also, and gave me an overview of their distilling methods and the botanicals they use. Then I had an appointment at Fromm vineyard. I had met the vintner at a wine tasting back in the states, and he invited me to visit. They did a very nice personal tour and wine tasting for me, which made me feel pretty special. The entire Marlborough wine country is beautiful, and the array of vineyards is impressive. There are almost 70,000 acres of vineyards, by far the largest growing region in the country.

I finished my tour of the South Island with a drive to Picton, where I caught the ferry to the North Island. Finding the rental car return was a challenge, since the ferry landing is being upgraded. Note: you can take a rental car from one island to the other. I dropped my car and picked up another in Wellington. It would have been much easier to just keep the car, although I’m not sure what the extra cost would be.

Trip Planning. Yay!

Could it be?

In the past few days I came across an article saying that according to research, planning a trip brings more pleasure than the actual vacation itself. Apparently anticipation releases more endorphins than being on that beach, that mountain, that cruise ship. I sort of get it: you dream of sitting on a sun sundrenched beach with a mai-tai, but the reality also brings sand fleas, clouds, and crowds. Well, I’m going to put that information to a test.

I’m about to depart on a five-week trip to Australia and New Zealand. Alone. Mostly. It all started when a friend and former coworker informed me she was moving to Australia to be with the gentleman she has been traveling with the past few years. She asked if I had a list of the dates for countries we visited together on a cruise from Rome to Dubai. She needed the dates for her application for a permanent visa in Australia. Now THAT was an epic trip. And yes, I had all the dates in my diary. I sent the information, and jokingly said I was going to have to come visit. Yes, she replied, we do have a guest room. You should come. This was a short time after I lost my husband, and planning a trip was just the distraction I needed, so I took her up on her offer.

I quickly realized that if I was going to sit on a plane for 15 hours, I was going to make the most of it. I told another friend, an inveterate traveler, that I was planning to take three weeks and go to New Zealand also. She suggested three months! That wasn’t in the cards, so I compromised and expanded the trip to five and a half weeks. As I was working in Alaska most of the summer, I was doing my research and planning whenever I had a bit of free time. I also ended up revising my itinerary several times as I met some Kiwis here and there-a wine rep doing a tasting at our favorite hangout, three gentlemen on vacation in Denali, Alaska, a lady who also loves to travel.

So I’m heading to Australia, first to attend my friend’s wedding and celebrate with some of my former coworkers from Alaska. Then on to New Zealand. Planning has been a challenge: six flights, three trains, two rental cars, and a ferry! Not to mention hotels, motels, and vacation rentals. My mantra will be: Take a deep breath. Things will go wrong. Go with the flow and take advantage of the unplanned joys.

Oh, and the photo shows some books of Scotland and Ireland. That’s next. And then…Hungary, Austria and Germany?

The Value of Travel

Why spend all that money when you can see it all on a screen?

An article about travel in Alaska caught my eye yesterday, so of course I had to read it. I wanted to see how accurate it was, and to be transported to one of my favorite places in the world.

In reading some of the comments at the end, I came across one that said he had seen Alaska in a documentary on TV so he didn’t need to spend the money to go there. It brought to mind the old truism: “You get what you pay for.”

Anyone who has been to Alaska can verify that it’s impossible to get the feeling of vastness, majesty, beauty, and the wilderness unless you experience it firsthand. When you see Denali on a clear day there is a feeling of awe. When you watch a grizzly gorging on berries and ignoring the bus full of people just a few yards away, it’s exciting. If you have to stop in the middle of a city freeway to allow a moose to wander across, there’s delight.

So many events I’ve experienced in my travels can only happen when you are really there.

In Chile I went to a penguin nesting island and was told to stay on the path and not attempt to touch the penguins. Of course, no one told the penguins the rules, and one of them came up and started chewing on my shoelaces.

During a whale watching expedition in Maui a Humpback came to our raft and surfaced just inches from the side, so close I could have touched it (I didn’t.)

In Abu Dhabi, I watched the sun go down, reflecting off the buildings and the water, and heard the call to prayer reflecting across the quieting city.

In Rome, I walked a street used by merchants and shoppers two thousand years before the birth of Christ.

In Montreux, Switzerland, I explored a castle that has stood for a thousand years.

Then we walked into town and came across a statue that looked just like Freddie Mercury (it was him-it turns out he lived there.)

In Dubai, a trip to the spice souk (market) was a joy of sensory overload. The colors of the spices, the lovely smells, the noise of the merchants and buyers, all combined to create an indelible memory.

The most memorable part of my travels, however, is the people I’ve met. People all over the world are, for the most part, kind and welcoming and interesting and funny. Of course the tour guides are like that, but I also like to connect with the people I come across in my travels.

The nice gent at a local craft fair in the Outer Hebrides islands of Scotland, who was selling Harris tweed. He explained that he and his daughter did the weaving themselves, and gave me a lesson in the history of the cloth.

The young man at a market in Peru who was selling watercolors, and shyly told me that he was going to school to be an artist, and that the watercolors were his work.

The waiter in a restaurant in Rome who told us he had lived in Queens in New York, which was why his English was so good. He said his job at the restaurant was to get us drunk. He was good at his job.

The priest I met on a water taxi in Venice who was assigned to work on a refugee plan in Syria. He told me about the country and the people, and how highly he regarded them.

Getting out of your own locale, being open to new places and experiences, connecting with other humans; those are the events that bring us closer and help make the world a better place. Not everyone we meet can speak our language, but they have families, people they love, dreams for the future, and the ability to laugh. And I have always been able to communicate with a person in some way, regardless of their language.

Go. It’s worth it.

My First International Trip

It’s never too late to start learning about the world.

International travel came late to me. Sure, I had been to Canada and Mexico, but I hardly considered that “international travel.” After all, I was born only 25 miles from Canada, and we considered them neighbors. Of course, driving to Alaska entailed more miles within Canada than in US territory. And living in San Diego meant Mexico was just a quick jog south. I did have a passport, but only because I needed one to fly into Vancouver to start an Alaska cruise.

That all changed ten years ago when, at the tender age of 65, I embarked on a new career as a seasonal employee in Alaska. Suddenly instead of being surrounded by career-minded professionals, I was working with retirees, college students, and international students. There was also a whole new group to me; I’ll call them The Wanderers. They were a whole cadre of seasonal workers who went from one seasonal job to the next. Alaska in the summer, Florida or ski resorts or Antarctica in the winter. In between, they traveled. Sitting in the EDR (Employee Dining Room), I would hear their stories of Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, Central America-they all had wanderlust. Some were more passionate than others, but they all had a suitcase ready to go.

Halfway though my first season, my friend Diane (a dedicated Wanderer) sat across from me in the EDR one evening and said she found a condo in Switzerland for $300 for the week, and would I like to go? Before I even stopped to consider it, I was in! The rest of the season was spent making plans for the places we wanted to see and how to get around. We would meet at the train station in Geneva; Diane was coming from Paris, and I was coming from the Geneva airport.

Back at home, I packed my bags and made all the arrangements, and finally it was time to go. As my hubby drove me to the airport I got a case of the heebie jeebies. “I’m going to a foreign country alone. I only speak English. I’ve never been to Europe. What if I can’t find Diane? What if I get lost? Yada yada yada.” Dear husband assured me I would do fine, and it would be an adventure to remember.

Arriving in Geneva early in the morning, I went through customs and was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to understand the customs officer. But he spoke English. “Where will you be staying, madame?” I nervously pulled out the hotel confirmation and hesitantly told him I’d be going to the ski resort city of “lay-SIN”. He smiled and shook his head ruefully, and said, “Ah, LAYson” in his wonderful accent that made me wish I had taken French in high school. Stamp! And off to downtown Geneva to explore until time to meet Diane at the train station.

According to my friend Diane, you are never lost if you are with someone. You are just exploring new places.

The train station had a place to store my bag (only one-orders from Diane), and I grabbed my camera to go exploring. I was so enchanted with the city that I didn’t have time to be nervous! Until it got near to the time to meet Diane. What if she missed the train? What if it’s late? What if I can’t find her? But at the appointed time, there she was, there we were, and there we went.

The first revelation to me was that language wasn’t really a problem. Nearly everyone spoke English, which embarrassed me for not being able to speak a word of another language. There were times when it was a challenge. The policeman we asked to tell us where the head of the trail down the mountain to Aigle started. He spoke very little English, but we did get his warning about “No go. Rocks. Very bad.” We went anyway, and I had the bruises afterward to prove it. And the woman selling cheese at a village Christmas market. She called another vendor over to explain that she made the cheese herself from her cows, and provided instructions on how to use it for fondue. And the restaurant we loved (and went back to, because it was wonderful) where our server carried on a fun conversation with us, then went to tend her other customers in German, French, and Italian.

We went to a castle that was a thousand years old, and a town that was about the same age. We wandered through cities where stores like Benetton showed their wares in the windows of buildings that were hundreds of years old. They don’t tear down their old buildings to build malls that will stand empty in 30 years. They just refurbish and repurpose them.

I learned a lot from that trip. First, according to Diane, you are never lost if you are with someone. You are just exploring. Second, people everywhere are kind, interesting, and willing to help if you are polite and treat them well. Oh, and the trains in Switzerland ALWAYS run on time. So don’t be late.