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This is Rambo
He is a ram. We met him, and his friends (cows, chickens, a cat, and some sheep). And some of his aforementioned friends… On the subject of photography, I also took up some astral photography after being inspired at Waitomo (where the worms be)… Please note that I was lucky enough to capture a shooting star in that last one (I was still testing settings, so it’s a little grainy, but cool none the less). I may have to rent a cottage or two in Ontario upon our return… Oh and unrelated, thanks to Greg and Kim (Rambo’s parents) for tips that lead us to consume the best berries I’ve…
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We got worms!
So NZ has these things called Glow Worms. Before coming here I could only picture this toy from my youth. But now I know they are way cooler. Figuratively and actually. They live in dark, cool caves. They drop webs (like they’re hot!) to catch things that fly near the ceiling. Oh, and they glow. So cool. We took a tour with Spellbound (after much online research) and I have to admit, they were awesome. We chose a private photography tour, so there were only 6 of us plus Pete, our guide. The tour was, extensive, full of beautiful landscapes, sheep, goats and extinct animals (a random flightless bird), and…
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High school volcano project IRL
So we’ve finally left Auckland… until we drive through it in 2 days… and then again on the 9th to meet Miranda’s parents. Anyways, for now we head to Rotorua; forever known as Rotten-Rua. The town smells of Sulphur due to all the thermal activity in and around town (many people complain on TripAdvisor that they should really do something about that “egg smell” *facepalm*). We stayed at the local Rotary Club. It was filled with all sorts of “characters”, talking loudly, playing pool and darts, singing bad karaoke. It was quite the scene. Miranda nor I understood why people come here. The #2 attraction is the Cat Cafe, across…
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To the left, to the left.
“That curb really came out of nowhere” was the unfortunate summary of this morning’s driving attempt. Driving on the left is hard! Here’s a not-so-secret: I struggle with left and right to begin with. Truly. I make an ‘L’ with my hands to confirm which is which, often. I give directions by knocking on the window and feverishly waving ‘that way’ across a driver’s face. Something about directions … left, right, North, south… crosses the wires in my brain. The words go in, the immediate intended action doesn’t always come out. And so here I am, trying very hard to drive on the left, and all things considered it hasn’t…
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Awkward Auckland and the Day trips-a-plenty
It’s been a week, and we’ve seen everything Auckland has to offer. Everything. The port, and overpriced port-side food, the trendy neighbourhoods and the mostly closed shops (though it was the holidays), and the construction-filled hilly streets. Needless to say, we’ve adjusted to the Timezone and have started our post-auckland experiences. Waiheke Island (a 40 minute ferry from Auckland) was amazing. Like Toronto island x10. Beauty across the bay. We opted for the bus and used it for an awesome wine tour. Wild on Waiheke was the definite winner, with a great NZ pale ale (we’ll be going back to grab some for the road – don’t tell Miranda), and…
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New Years – FIRST
Well, sort of. We looked it up, and apparently there’s a place that has New Years 1 hour before Auckland. But either way, close enough! The Sky Tower has the largest display of fireworks in Auckland. And we had a clear view from our place, so I set up a tripod. Pretty cool. Toronto could learn a thing or two from New Zealand! Happy new year, where ever you are!
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Sunshine, Sauvignon and sky high prices
As you read in Jay’s post, we were off to a rocky start. The lack of stamp in my passport was a real blow. If stampless passports are the future, call me old school. These are badges of honour! Documentation of my story! In fact, they are worth waiting in line for – so I’ll be doing that on our way out of New Zealand while Jay takes the fast lane. 2 one-way stamps = a whole one between us, right? But friends, I don’t want you thinking that the day was a loss. Once I got over the customs heartbreak, we checked into our bright, sunny apartment in…
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I win at New Zealand
We have now arrived in Auckland. The 20+ hours went by without a hitch. No delays, lots of movies consumed, and airline food. Related, if you have 2 hours to waste and want to watch something fun, check out the movie Tag. Fun times. Nothing terribly exciting happened so far, other than the fact that we’ve made it here! That being said, apparently I’ve won New Zealand. Miranda went through the automated customs machine without issue, but I was denied. The byproduct was that I had to wait to speak with someone, and get a stamp in my passport. Despite pleading with the agent to give her a stamp, the…
