Call 2 Adventure

Hi All, Donavin reporting in after a fantastic canoe trip along the Whanganui River over the Christmas/New Year’s holiday break. Question: When is a Great Walk not a walk? Answer:-. When it is a canoe trip down the Whanganui River. Don't ask me why, but the Whanganui River Journey is designated as one of the nine Great Walks of New Zealand. For the last three years, since Marcos made the suggestion, I’ve been fixed with the idea of canoeing slowly down one of New Zealands most beautiful and pristine rivers – that idea became reality this year. To travel down the Whanganui is also to experience in part the history of New Zealand; the river was an important travel route for hundreds of years for the Maori who lived along its shores and, in the early ... read more

Update on my leg. I was advised last Thursday that I can start to put weight on my foot/moon boot, that's great news! I go in for surgery on Tuesday - a minor procedure to remove one screw. After this procedure and the week or so it will take for the wound to heal I can start to more fully enjoy the beach - water here I come... Today we went to Browns Bay, swimming was not yet in my agenda so I sat back and enjoyed the shade of a tree and the cool breeze. I've posted a photo of the beach and weather... yes you in the northern hemisphere should be jealous of the warm summer weather.... Hope all is well for you. ... read more

On 24 May 2009 a grass roots organization arrange for a massing of protesters to demand that the NZ Transit Agency provide a pedestrian/bike lane on the Auckland Harbour Bridge - the bridge that connects the southern and northern halves of Auckland and currently the only way for pedestrians and cyclist to cross the bridge is by ferry. The protest just so happened to be the 50th anniversary of the opening of the bridge and the last time pedestrians could walk over the bridge. The organiser’s goal was to have the protestors walk across the bridge (closing the outside two lanes of the four north bound lanes). They had attempted to negotiate this with the transit agency and police. The police were willing to assist with the lane closures but the transit agency said “no way”. ... read more

The last great holiday break for new zealand until November is Easter weekend (easter friday and monday) or four full days. Since my last trip through this region I decided that I must return during autumn to see the spectacular colours of eastwoodhill arboretum. One of my biggest complaints about NZ is that we don't have proper north american falls. The colour here at this time of year is a dull green... none of the reds, oranges, yellows, pumkins, falling leaves brisk mornings and crisp evenings.... but 30 minutes drive outside Gisborne an idividual had a dream that he couldreproduce what he saw during WWI in england here in NZ on his farm.... 90 odd years later we have eastwoodhill - the southern hemisphere's large collection of norther hemisphere trees. http://www.eastwoodhill.org.nz/ I've kept the post short ... read more

A group of us made our way to Lisette's family batch.... read more