Blogs from North Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 1233

Wellington is not as big as Auckland but it is New Zealand's political capital. Similar to Canberra and Sydney, or Washington and New York. Wellington was a lot more picturesque than Canberra! There were various scenic looking houses dotted over the hills, in a setting by the sea. It reminded me of some of the places in Northern England, say like Whitby, and the horrendous weather only helped to enhance that impression. We had a quick tour round the town and stopped for something to eat. We also checked out a view point which gave excellent views over the city. The Kiwi's have this annoying habit of saying "'ay'" on the end of every sentence and, by this point, it was seriously starting to wind us up.... read more

The scenery in New Zealand is out of this world and it was nice just to be able to drive round and appreciate it. Our first specific destination was Rotorua. This is a must and is one of the main attractions of the North Island, although I dare say some New Zealanders (or Kiwi's as they are otherwise known) might correct me on that one. We checked into the YHA hostel, running the risk of having to do some chores. One thing I must say about the New Zealand hostels is that they are absolutely immaculate. The only problem with this one was the constant stench of sulphur, but then there was no getting away from it in Rotorua There were several thermal reserves to chose from, but the guidebooks gave plenty of tips as to ... read more

Valene's 1964 Los Angeles Geographical Society tour to the South Pacific began with a Pan American flight from Los Angeles to Nadi, Fiji, with a stop in Honolulu. Nadi was the gateway to New Zealand, as Auckland did not yet have an airport that could handle Boeing 707 aircraft. Valene and her mother, Lucy, came in from San Francisco via Qantas and joined up with the rest of us in Nadi. From there, we took a connecting Pan American DC-7C to Auckland's Whenuapai airport. North Island sightseeing included Auckland itself and its coastal landscape, the Auckland War Memorial Museum (the national museum of New Zealand), the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, the Rotorua and Wairākei thermal areas and the Whakarewarewa Maori village. At Waitomo Caves, visitors take a boat through the grotto. Periodically, the guide turns off the ... read more