After some cloudy days on winding, narrow roads, we rejoiced to settle into our second timeshare week, this one at Paihia, "the gateway" to the lovely northern coastal area noted for sparkling sea and deserted islands. Various Kiwis have warned us that Paihia is "touristy." Well, it is, by NZ standards. But New Zealanders just don't know how to truly junk up the natural world with crass commercialism. This has proven to be a wonderful base for day trips, and with a full, spiffy kitchen, we are back to savoring Bill's cooking! To prepare us for that, we drove a short distance to Kerikeri to a farmers' market, a large, festive affair not unlike our favorite outdoor market in Seattle. In addition to lots of locally-grown produce, we came home with some local wine, fresh
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