Blogs from New Zealand, Oceania - page 2382

I have had a most enjoyable visit with the Unitarians in Wellington - one day of driving about the city looking down from various high spots around the city, chauffered by Yvonne, and another visit out to the suburb of Marana to the home of Ed, Samantha and Hunter and their two dogs Sparky (shephard cross) and Dakota ( tawny mixed breed). For any of you who don't know what Unitarianism is all about, here is a link to a fairly comprehensive description available on Wikipedia : Unitarianism Explained Oh! And there is also a website that I didn't know about until today, for the Australasian Unitarians and here it is Unitarians Down Under Unitarians don't think that proselytizing is a good idea, so don't worry, no one is trying to convert anyone here, by any ... read more

We had never heard of paua before moving to New Zealand. Penguins do not live in the northern hemisphere. Both live in the Pacific waters off the coast of Oamaru. After splurging on muffins and drinks at the local grocery, we searched for a spot along the water where we could catch the early morning sun. While cruising around, we noticed signs pointing towards a “Blue Penguin Colony”. The blue penguin (Eudyptula Minor), as we later learned, is the world’s smallest penguin measuring just 25cm tall and weighing only 1 kg. They are attracted to this area because of the relatively warm shallow waters that range between 25 and 70 meters deep. To our delighted surprise, we arrived at a seaward-facing amphitheater used to seat ticket holders for evening viewings of the blue penguins as they ... read more

today was the best day ever....til tomorrow. we just drove....all day. WE MADE OUR WAY TO KAIKOURA TODAY. NOTHING MUCH HAPPENED BUT IT WAS B-E-A-UTIFUL!! we had an amazing dinner in kaikoura. the view was incredible. a little restaurant nestled on the edge of the ocean with a backdrop of the mountains. we had good vino and flatbread....... read more

I woke up in the middle of the night with my sandfly bites itching like crazy. I put on my antihistamine cream and decided to take a Benadryl tablet to see if it would help. I slept the rest of the night and the swelling had gone down considerably by morning, but the bites still itched. I showered and put on more cream. The raw blister on my heel is still very sore and now I have what feels like an ingrown toenail. I never have these problems when I get regular pedicures and I was missing my nail lady. All of this is on my right foot. I worked on my toenail a little and put some antibiotic cream with a Band-Aid on my heel. It was another rainy day and there isn’t much to ... read more

We've signed up for something called the Magic Bus to get around the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Departing from Auckland, our first stop was Rotorua - an inland town known for its Maori population and natural thermal activity. The city is aptly nicknamed "Sulphur City," but it turned out to be a really nice spot to celebrate the New Year. On the way to Rotorua, we stopped at the Waitomo Caves, where we donned wetsuits and ventured into the caves for what they call "Black Water Rafting" on innertubes. The caves are covered in glowworms, insect larvae that literally glow in order to attract food. When the flashlights are off and everything is quiet, the caves are truly stunning, and the slide down the... read more