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Published: January 11th 2015
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Can you name the band that sang the song used for the blog title? (Full disclosure - I remembered the song, but had to Google the band.) Answer at the end.
To start out the photos, I included a few random pics Scott took earlier in the trip that I thought were really good. Also, before we left Rotorua, our first stop in the north island, we did this crazy thing called Zorbing. In this wacky activity dreamed up by two Kiwi brothers (broz spelled backward is zorb) with too much time (and beer) on their hands, you get in a giant plastic ball and careen uncontrollably down a huge grass hillside, all the while doing your best impression of a human washing machine. They put a wee spot of water in the center of the ball that helps you stay on the bottom of the ball (sort of) as it rolls, thus ensuring (sort of) that you imitate a washing machine and not the human version of a lone tennis shoe clunking from top to bottom in the dryer.
One thing both Barb and I noticed throughout the trip was the detailed and well placed signage we encountered
2nd most frequent - simple, right?
One lane bridge - oncoming traffic has right of way while racking up about 540 driving miles during the past 2 weeks. We rarely needed to consult the map as a couple of initial instructions from the locals and the great signage delivered us to our destination every time. The signs are logical, explicit and unambiguous - something I can't say about many of the cities we've visited in this country. During the entire trip I think we only made about 3 wrong turns and got lost just once . . . and that was all in the same day upon reaching Auckland. In all seriousness, navigating the country was surprisingly easy, and the locals were really great at providing directions. Whether it was a random customer at a gas station the time we did get lost or the hotel clerk providing directions to a restaurant or sightseeing spot, they wouldn't just give a few directions, they'd actually take the time to sketch out a detailed map of your route. Really nice! The other driving detail of note was that in 2 weeks of driving we only heard 2 honking horns (whether at me or other drivers), and that was also upon reaching Auckland, which is a beautiful city reminiscent
The black slash
Looks more like a sign from Germany. Not sure what it means in either country of Vancouver with a huge, scenic harbor and an international flair.
The traffic signs are also well posted but more difficult to decipher than the destination signs. I am happy to report that we made home safe and sound, despite the fact that several of them remain a mystery to me. The 2nd most frequent sign we encountered was a symbol for a one lane bridge and what to do. After some trial (and only a couple errors) we figured that one out. I've posted a few pics below along with some destination signage.
Since our flight didn't depart until 10:30 pm, we were able to spend a day and a half in Auckland before, sadly, leaving the country. While you could easily spend a week in Auckland and still not take in all it has to offer, we tried to make the most of our time in the one big city we visited during the trip. Auckland is called the city of sails, and since the Kiwi's are world champion sailors, we decided that sailing was a must-do activity. Fortunately, Saturday was a sunny day and were able to get out on one of the America's Cup
This sign was everywhere but I forgot to snap a pic
Not sure what it means, but they really don't want you to do it! boats where you help crew the boat. Mostly, the passengers are used for manual labor, since the boats don't have motorized winches. The sails are raised/lowered and trimmed by hand. I was a little worried about the kids with the work required and since the boats are also stripped down with not a cushion in sight. Fortunately, everyone had a great time, and the kids got to drive the boat, which was really cool! I (ill-advisedly) volunteered for the first grinding crew (8 people on 4 manual winches), and found out it's the hardest grind of the day - by far - as we had to raise the huge mainsail. There's a reason the grinders on those sailing teams are huge guys - it's fun but a LOT of work. I'm more cut out for, uh, I don't know. . . .navigation? In any case, sails were raised, trimmed and lowered successfully. We tacked, we jibed, we came about, we shivered a few timbers, and we had a great time sailing around Auckland harbor. Pictures below.
Oh, and the trivia answer is . . . . . . . Five Man Electrical Band - a Canadian group. The song
reached #4 in Canada & #3 in the US in 1971.
Cheers!
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Roselynn Portolese
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Loved all your blogs (especially the kids) and photos! Looks like you had the perfect family vacation. of course, now I want to go to New Zealand-;)