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Published: November 22nd 2005
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I'm back from a week and a half of traveling around the North island with Mom. Her visit was a good chance for me to take a break from research in Auckland and get out and see more of New Zealand. With my time here drawing to a close, I was starting to feel bored with Auckland and worried that I was missing more exciting adventures outside of the city. Showing Mom around was really an excuse to see all the things that I wanted to (and have someone else pay for it. Thanks Mom!)
She arrived early on the 9th at the Railway. After explaining to her that I hadn't found her a room of her own and that she would probably be sharing mine, we went to the Viaduct harbor for breakfast. I don't think that the Viaduct has much business outside of the nightly bar scene, but we managed to find a bar that had a 5 selection breakfast menu. I know that this sounds like a poor way to treat your mom, but it really wasn't. The Viaduct is really nice and fancy and the bar looked like a cute cafe from the outside. And I
Ngauruhoe volcano
"Mt. Doom" from LTR. Looming over the town of National Park in Tongariro National Park. didn't get my mom a room because I didn't plan for us to stay in Auckland more than a night or two.
We spent the rest of the first day doing what my mom loves most- looking at flowers. I may like flowers a little more than the next person, but spending that long walking around gardens was too much for even me. But a really yummy dinner with Leah and Mom at an Indian restaurant made up for it. If you go to Auckland, visit Karmasutra (yes, nice name) in Parnell- so good.
The next morning, Mom and I got on an early train to Wellington. Mom wasn't ready to drive on the left and we thought that the train would be a pleasant way to see lots of the country. The views were nice, especially in the Tongariro National Park, and we saw lots of sheep, but after 13 hours, we'd both had enough of the train and had decided to rent a car for the return journey.
With only one full day to see a whole city, I planned a long day on Friday. We went to the botanical garden (yes, more flowers), walked
sheep farm
view from train in Waikato District by Parliament and the wharf, and went to the national museum, Te Papa. Te Papa is one of the best museums that I have seen. It's brand new and has lots of interesting and engaging exhibits. I liked the outdoor NZ flora exhibit with it's rope bridge and cave. Fun fact I learned (and that you should know too): there are over 20 possums for every person in NZ. Bad news because they are an introduced species and are killing off native species, including the kiwi. So, please, wear possum fur and try to hit them on the highway.
(http://www.newzealand.com/travel/media/features/fashion_possumfur_feature.cfm)
Also of obvious interest to me was the marae. The wharenui on this marae look nothing like the traditional red, white, and black carved house, but is instead a colorful, imaginative artwork that incorporates traditional elements in non-obvious ways. If you are actually interested, ask me and you can see my research paper later.
We finished the night with a play. Wellington, in addition to being the capital, is also regarded as the arts center of the country and I was in need of some non-Maori culture. We watched an interesting play called "Democracy" about West Germany.
Mom liked it because she could understand what the actors were saying. She's been having a hard time understanding the Kiwis. By now, I have no problems and so frequently served as an interpreter for her.
The next morning we called about renting a car and found out that we could get a car for free because some needed to be relocated back to Auckland. I drove most of the 9 hours, but Mom took some turns and by the end was getting used to driving on the left. Didn't see much on the way, because we were tired and wanted to get back.
recommendations for visiting Wellignton:
go to Te Papa- free and interesting
walk by the Prime Minister's house- cool to see how little/no security there is
Stay in the Tinakori Lodge (if someone else is paying)- most comfortable bed I have slept in in a long time
Expect wind
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