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Published: January 20th 2009
Hi Everybody!
In my last blog, I meant to mention how clean NZ is. Auckland reminded us of Singapore. The people are very ecology minded. They recycle and respect their environment. We did not see a scrap of paper or trash on any of the buses or streets. The weather is very pleasant. It reminds me of our spring weather. Even though the temperatures are mostly in the 70's, it feels warmer with the sun's rays being so direct. There is almost always a breeze from the ocean.
On Monday, we spent the day at Mount Maunganui, a small town that sits across the bay from the city of Tauranga. This area is a popular destination for vacationers because of its dry, warm climate. It is also a popular spot for surfers and wind surfers. The large volvanic cone of Mauao sits right by the town center. We hiked around it and had beautiful views. The people of NZ are very much into extreme sports. People
tell us that bungee jumping started here. We are too old for most of the sports that are offered.
We cruised on Tuesday, and today, we are in Napier on Hawke's Bay. The town has many pretty Art Deco buildings that replaced buildings destroyed in their 1931 earthquake. We visited a Sheepskin Tanning facility this morning and are on our way to the local museum. There are many wineries in this area too.
We have only met one person on board that one of us knows. I ran into Walt's former Naval Pentagon boss (whom I had never met) and in five minutes, I figured out who he was. He told me that he and his wife both were in the Pentagon on 9/11. It took them 5 hours to find each other. Walt saw a guy with BAMA on his shirt. He asked him if he was from our state. Somehow, Walt missed the big O that was in front of Bama. That ended the conversation for my Republican husband.
Take care,
Everette
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Lynharris
Carolyn Harris
Sheep Skin Factory
We lived in NZ for six NZ summers--we don't do snow anymore. We always went to the sheepskin factory. I found it was cheaper to mail something home than to pay the GST. I had an 8 skin cover sent home I'm still using on my bed. It was waiting for me when I got home. We lived in our RV and stayed in the park in Hastings behind the race track. You can take your folding chair and drink and watch the "gallops" from the backside. I always liked to sit a few feet back in case one of the horses came through the fence. Enjoy your trip. Lyn