|
| |
Welcome
to the DenhamiteKiwis Family's Journal Page. This is
where we will write down some of our thoughts and comments on our experiences in New
Zealand. To find the latest entries in our DenhamiteKiwis Family Journal,
simply click on an entry in the table below (Note: entries are listed in chronological
order).
Greetings from New Zealand!
All is well here. I (Marcos) am finally in my own office in the Institute of Food,
Nutrition and Human Health, within the College of Sciences at Massey University and have a
computer here, so I can start getting a lot of things done. I have been spending most of
my time in the university library researching and learning lots of interesting stats and
facts about NZ for the magazine articles that I have to write soon. It has afforded me the
opportunity to learn so much more about the way of life and culture, etc. here in
NZ. Mind you, I knew a great deal about the touristy stuff before I came, and all
the beautiful geography and scenery, but now I have learned more about the everyday facts,
etc. of the people here. It truly is a wonderfully interesting place. For instance,
do you know that the number one leisure activity for women (66% of respondents) is
gardening? And that the number one leisure activity for men is ... GARDENING (44% of
respondents)! Its no wonder that their gardens are so beautiful and well kept! I
mean the variety of trees, plants and flowers in New Zealand are unsurpassed anywhere in
the world that I have been, and I have been to lots of places! And believe me, their
cleanliness is really welcomed. Anyway, it really is beautiful here.
The weather here lately (January) is warm by day (upper 70s to low
80s), and cool by night (mid 40s to low 60s), without much humidity. The buildings
do not have air conditioning (no real need for it) so they do get a bit warm in the
afternoon. And something else we have noticed is that people dress cool and casually
here. There is little need to bother with bringing any dressy clothes. For instance,
Sheila usually wears a dress to church at least on Sunday mornings, but many people attend
church services in shorts and jeans. And if they do wear a dress it is always a very
casual one.
As far as the rest of the family, we are all doing fine. Kids are
making friends (in particular Ligia and Stephanie), and Sheila has met and visits with a
few of the neighbors. We are renting a nice modest furnished 3 bedroom (1 bath only!)
house in a centralized location (near bus routes, schools, commerce, and Massey Univ.).
Tom and his wife Annette (our sabbatical hosts from Massey) had graciously made
many of the housing arrangements for us as well as obtained information on the kids'
schools, rental cars and area tourist and cultural events. They had us over their
place (a very beautiful farm house) for lunch on Sunday. We are very grateful for
everything they had done for us, and their continued assistance as we assimilate to life
in New Zealand. In fact when we arrived to our house in Palmerston North
(following 30 hour trip!) we were greeted by warm welcoming faces, nice flower
arrangements throughout the house and even a bottle of wine.
Sheila took Ligia to her school (College Street Normal School) and
signed her up yesterday; Michael (Awatapu College) and Stephanie (PN Intermediate Normal
School) sign up early next week. By the way, the term "Hokowhitu"
which is pronounced "Hokofitu" is one of the neighborhoods in the city of
Palmerston North, and Palmerston North lies in the Manawatu region (South Central part) of
the North Island (see map files attached). Anyway, let me not digress ...
Michael and Steph will have to dress in uniforms. The schools here are public, but yet you
have a choice where your kids go to school, so they are very competitive with one another
in attracting students to their schools (the government pays them on a per-student basis).
I believe that the USA should and will go in this direction (the sooner the better!), and
it will be good for the overall public education system in the country. I mean, if the
schools are unable to teach properly and maintain order in their classrooms, if they do
not provide the quality well-rounded education you expect, you simply pull the kids out of
that school (along with their government monies) and place them in another school that
meets all your expectations. Eventually, this will force schools to be better accountable
to their clientele: the students and the tax payers!
The car that we leased for 6 months is a Toyota Grande, which is like
an upscale Maxima, but a bit larger. Talk about riding high on the hog! It costs us
about US$350/month to lease (not bad), and insurance (get this!) is only about US$90 for
the entire 6 months!!! Is that low, or what!?!?! Gasoline is a bit on the high end
here (US$1.70/gallon). Food is similar in cost, but animal and dairy products, along with
baked goods are cheaper. Get this, a milkman delivers milk to our house three times a week
(about US$3.07/gallon delivered fresh ... not bad). Paper products and cleaning supplies
are expensive. Electronics (TVs and radios, etc.) are more expensive here than in the
states. The average household income (generally two people working) in NZ is about
US$24,800/year, which is significantly lower than the USA when two workers are taken into
account, but like us, they spend approximately 16% of their income on food, 20% on
housing, 18% on transportation, 16% on education, health, insurance, etc., 12% on books,
newspapers, tobacco, alcohol (beer & wine alone 2.3%!), 14% on housewares, and 2% on
clothes (all 96-97 approx.). I know, this is more than any of you wanted to know about NZ!
But listen, there is more. Quickly ... The ethnic make up in NZ is 75% European NZ, 15%
Maori ("native Polynesian"), 5% Pacific islander, 5% Asian, and at least one
Cuban-American (Ha!), the church is dying quickly and almost non-existent, marriage is
going the way of the "horse and carriage" and 42% of all births are
out-of-wedlock. Nevertheless, having said all of that, the folks here are
"green" (that is, environmentally conscious) friendly enough, and very
well-behaved. OK, I will stop!!
We spent our second weekend in New Zealand at the Tongariro
National Park. The park is about a 2.5 hour drive (North) from us. The park is
located in the volcanic region of the North Island. The Tongariro National Park is the
first National Park in NZ and was the second in the world to our very own Yellowstone (on
the NZ map, look right below the large Lake Taupo on the North Island). It is also one of
the UN's "World Heritage Sites" (WHS); of which NZ has two of the 440 world-wide
(i.e., the Grand Canyon in USA, the Taj Majal in India, the Great China Wall, and the
Great Barrier Reef in Australia are also listed in the UN's WHS). Anyway, it has
three snow-capped active/dormant volcanoes (Mts. Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro).
In Winter (June/July/August) it is a popular ski resort. We stayed in a
chalet at the Skotel Alpine Resort within the National Park itself (reasonably priced).
Yes, we took plenty of pictures. It was beautiful! The volcanoes did
not disappoint us, but did not hurt us either (they behaved [grin]). We
"tramped" a lot on Saturday, even though it was an overcast and rainy day.
We made it up to the six-story Taranaki waterfalls. It rained all Saturday
night, and most of Sunday, so we were not able to go up Mt. Ruapehu as originally planned.
§
Fun facts and tid-bits about our trip to New Zealand,
you asked? Well, this past weekend we were in Napier in the Hawkes Bay region. This is the
major wine-growing region of New Zealand, and Napier was holding its Wine Festival
(hiccup!). We took in lots of the sites (Marineland [dolphin and seal shows], Kiwi House
[up close and personal with the reclusive kiwi bird], Earthquake Museum [in 1931 a 7.9
quake there destroyed the city, killed 256 people, and added 8500 acres of sea floor land
to the city], walked around the downtown area [Art Deco capital of the world!] and played
in the Pacific ocean). We also spent an entire afternoon heading to see the Gannets
(birds) on Cape Kidnappers, and it was simply the best time! You take a tractor trailer
(hay ride) on the beach for about 1.5 hours and they point out all kinds of neat facts and
geological formations (and wildlife) along the way to reach the world's largest colonies
of nesting Gannets [sea birds]. When you get there, you hike another 25 minutes up a
seaside cliff and then kapow [!] there they are. They estimated that there were about 15
thousand pairs plus chicks! You come within two feet of them, and they are not spooked! I
took plenty of pictures and Sheila took plenty of video. The waters (Pacific Ocean) clean
and are a beautiful aqua or emerald colored. The sandstone cliffs and rocks are striking!
To say the least, we enjoyed ourselves this past weekend. §
Well, Kapiti Island didn't disappoint us! We enjoyed it
thoroughly. We went down to Paraparaumu Beach on Saturday and just walked around and
enjoyed the little town there. They have a nice beach and the kids were able to get in for
a swim. They must have adjusted better to the cold waters here than Marcos and I as we
were quite content to watch from our towels on the beach. Actually, it wasn't the water
that was terribly cold, but the wind sure had a nip to it. Later we picked up some fish
and chips and ate dinner and watched the sunset from the beach. It was beautiful. You can
not only see Kapiti Island from there, but you can even see the Southern Island as well
and the sun set just over it.
Then Sunday was the big day. Got on the boat at 9 AM for the short trip
across to the island. After a bit of debate as to which trail to take to the summit (God's
providence as you'll see later) we started out and were almost immediately met by several
species of the birds: Wekas (mischievous flightless birds about the size of a chicken that
love to steal your lunch if given a chance), Tuis (which have an eerie haunting sort of
call), NZ pigeons (don't really make noise except for the sound of their wings when they
fly), and the cute little robins (not the same as the American version, this one is
smaller and makes a very loud twit-twit noise). Probably my favorite was the Kaka (a
parrot-like bird with the personality of a curious child). We had a few of these that got
very up close and personal with us. Michael, Ligia, & Marcos especially. We were glad
they were only curious and didn't want to harm as their beaks and claws could really do
some damage if they wanted. There were several other species on the island that we didn't
see (such as the Kiwi which is nocturnal). But all in all we felt very good about our
experience. By the way it is now Tuesday and Marcos and I are still walking like Festus
(isn't that the old guy from Gunsmoke?). The climb to the summit was quite a climb! And
the worse part is that after we patted ourselves on the back for finally making it to the
top we were informed that we had taken the easier way up. The other trail was steeper! We
came back down by the other trail and soon realized they were right. I don't think we'd be
to the top yet if we had taken that one. So when we finally get back to the bottom (taking
around 5 hours for the whole trip) and see the rest of the group is almost all there we
were really insulted. You see most of the rest of the group were... let's say somewhat
older than us. You know, the Geritol group. And yes, they had been all the way to the top
and down. Don't know if our calves hurt more or our pride! §
We had a great time last weekend. Actually
our weekend started on Wednesday after school. We left for Rotorua spending the
night in Turangi. I'm sorry, but the U.S. can't compare with the great prices for
hotels here. Actually what we normally get is called a tourist flat and contains
sleeping for at least five people, sometimes more. You always get a kitchen (with all the
cookware, dishes, silverware, cups, etc.), at least one bedroom, and more beds in the
lounge (livingroom area). A full bath, the works. It is an apartment really or
sometimes a small house. And they always provide you with pots and pans, dishes, all
that stuff, not to mention tea, coffee, and milk for your mornings. All this for $50
to $60 US dollars per night for the five of us. And sometimes we stay at the Holiday
Parks where you get the same setup except you have to bring your own linens with you for
US$35 to $45 per night. Not bad, eh? By the way, New Zealanders use the term
"Holiday" like we use the term "vacation." So they would say,
"where are you going on holiday?", whereas we would say, "where are you
going on your vacation?" So Holiday parks, are campground-like places, but that
also contain cabins, motels, etc.
Anyway we got into Rotorua on Thursday. This area of New Zealand
is a lot like the Yellowstone National Park area in the U.S.A. with its many geothermal
sites and experiences, including active geysers. It is also known as an area with
much Maori history and cultural sites. After spending the day looking at the
beautiful geothermal sights (including the colorful and bubbly Wai-O-Tapu) we went to the
Polynesian Spa in the heart of Rotorua. Located near the fantastic building housing
the former Rotorua Bath House (and now a museum), the Polynesian Spa has various thermal
pool options available. We spent the evening soaking in the lake-side hot pools with
waters ranging between 36 - 43 ºC (or 96.8 - 110 ºF). It felt wonderful! And
the views were beautiful! That's when you say, "life is rough, isn't it?"
When we got to our flat that night, everyone fell right to sleep. It
was a perfect way to end an eventful Thursday.
On Friday we went to the popular attraction known as Agrodome.
This is a leisure park for tourists to learn more about New Zealand
agriculture and farming, in particular, sheep production. Believe it or not, there
were hundreds of folks there to see and learn about sheep! (Marcos smiles at that one)
Anyway, they put on a show where they bring up 19 of New Zealand's most popular
sheep breeds used in commercial farming, and explain a little about each one of them.
The guy leading the show was quite good and entertaining. They also shear a
sheep on stage, and bring in the working dogs to show you how they work the sheep.
Later, they bring a Jersey dairy cow, and I (Sheila) was brought up on stage with three
other women to milk that cow! But let me tell you, while the show's host was
not really looking and was giving his explanation to the audience about cows and NZ's
dairy industry, I took that cow's teat into my hand, took careful aim of the host, and
squeezed and pulled on it, until a streak of milk flew in the direction of our charming
Kiwi guide! Ha! Boy, was he taken by surprise! Everyone in the audience
laughed. It was great! Anyway, overall, we found the Agrodome to be quite
interesting, even though we still were not convinced that sheep aren't the dumbest
livestock animal on God's Green Earth!
After the Agrodome, we headed to the area containing the Rotorua
History and Art Museum (formerly the Rotorua Bath House) and its adjoining Government
Gardens. What a sight! Its no wonder that the "Rotorua Bath House"
is the most photographed building in the country. And the gardens ... Wow!!!
Inside the museum, we learned a great deal about volcanoes (a good
place to learn it!) and the tragic eruption of Mt. Tarawera near the turn of the century.
Afterwards, we went to a hangi meal and concert (we took the Rotoiti Tour).
This is where they take you into a Maori village and do a concert with
singing and dancing and feed you a meal cooked in the ground. It gives you a real
taste of the Maori traditions. They even got Marcos up on the stage with some other
Pakehas (white guys) to do the haka (war dance). It was wonderful, and I got it all
on film!!!
On Saturday we spent the morning in Whakarewarewa Thermal Park and
Maori Cultural Center. It was here that we visited the Maori village and its
beautiful Meeting House (with shoes off). It was also here where we saw the Pohutu
and the Prince of Wales Feathers Geysers erupt. After mid-day, we went on to
Auckland to meet up with the Emmaus Community there. They have only had a few Walks
(retreats) so far. They are a new community and the only one in NZ. We enjoyed
our time with them very much and I (Sheila) have even been asked to serve on the Team for
their next women's walk in May. I'm thrilled. Walk #6 is scheduled for May 13 - 16, 1999
in Auckland. By the way, driving in Auckland was a real spiritual experience. I
think I was praying in tongues by the end of it!! My heart was racing. I told Marcos
I really wasn't too concerned that I do it right, just that we survived. But no one even
honked at me so I must have done pretty well. Whew!
On the way home on Sunday (its about 7 hours from Auckland to
Palmerston North where we live), we decided to give the kids a treat and stop in the
Waitomo Glowworm Caves. These caves are beautiful inside (like most caves we have
visited) but have the added bonuses of having a river and resident fluorescent worms
hanging from the caves' ceilings. Once you tour the cave and see and learn about its
many geological formations, you get on a row boat and head to the neatest portion of the
cave. The result is a dark cave with thousands upon thousands little beams of
lights! Its almost as if staring up into the heavens on a crisp and clear
night! Anyway, it was a nice break from all the driving we did on Sunday.
Now we are back home for the time being (at least until our next
adventure) and so it's back to normal life here in Pleasantville, New Zealand ... the kids
are at school, Marcos at work, and I running errands.
Just looked at this Journal entry and
realized that I had not mentioned anything about the weather these days. Apparently
things begin cooling off about the end of March or first of April (realize that even now I
am in jeans and sweatshirt most days until about noon). Some days you start out in
sweats, move on to shorts and no sleeves and barefoot, and return to sweats by late
afternoon. The next day you may not even get out of the sweats. The weather can vary
a lot. Daytime highs now are running from 20 to 24 ºC (68 to 75 ºF) but they
had been going up to 29ºC (84ºF) sometimes for a while. Don't know if the hotter
weather is really over for the season or if this is just a bit of a reprieve.
Because of the missing ozone here in New Zealand, 84ºF feels hotter than you would
think. But then again, just move into the shade and it feels like a 10ºF
difference. Which brings up something else ... if anyone decides to come visit New
Zealand, be sure you bring sunscreen (it is more expensive here) and some kind of hat to
protect yourself from the damaging sun rays. I have noticed that the "burn
times" posted in the media have been decreasing lately as we near the end of summer,
so that is good. They had been as little as 12 minutes when we first arrived!
By the end of May I expect we will be coming out of fall and moving on
into winter. Here in Palmy the winters are supposed to be pretty mild, although
there is always a lot of wind here and I'm sure that sends a chill through.
Apparently, it doesn't get cold enough to snow, so I'm actually thinking it is probably
not that much different from winters in the southern region of the USA.
However, it does get cold in areas of New Zealand's Northern Island. For instance,
if one wants to visit Tongariro National Park (a place near us that I would recommend
highly!) which happens to serve as both an active and boisterous volcano and a ski resort
(Ha!), well, obviously it must be a bit colder there and with quite a bit of wind as
well. So I guess what I am saying is that winter clothing would still be needed for
folks wanting to visit New Zealand in May - August, but one should also plan to have a few
warm weather things on hand in case you get lucky and have some really nice days.
Actually, I'd bring gloves and warm hats because of the wind chill for sure. Unless one
would want to wait and buy some wool ones here (I don't think they are terribly
expensive). Oh yes, we've found wind breakers to be valuable as well. That is all! §
We enjoyed a great weekend in Wellington,
New Zealand's beautiful capital city. Also called Harbour City, Wellington site on
the southern tip of the North Island. The sit of government
known as "The Beehive" due to the building's shape is located here. The
InterIslander Ferries depart to and arrive from the Southern Island's ports here in
Wellington. Also, the Te Papa Museum (translated to "Our Place" in Maori)
is located by the bay; this museum is comparable to the Field Museum and the Museum of
Science and Industry in Chicago (Illinois, USA). We took the trolly up to the top of
the Hill, and walked around the Botanic Gardens. At the Queen's Warf, we ate some
tasty dishes on the dock. Overall, it was a wonderful time. Indeed, Wellington
is now one of our favorite cities anywhere! §
Dear Family and Friends: Well, we are back
from our 19-day excursion down in New Zealand's South Island. The kids had the time off
from school for Easter (Fall) break, and the timing was right to visit our Southern
Neighbor. What a wonderful experience it turned out to be for all concerned! Below, you
will be able to read some highlights from our trip. Meanwhile, all of us are now back into
the swing of things. The kids are back in school (which they still love!) and enjoying
their friends, Marcos is back at Massey University finishing up the research project which
he is participating in, and Sheila is catching up with things around the house and getting
ready for her participation in the New Zealand Women's Walk to Emmaus in about two weeks.
During the time we were gone, we had another UNC Tarheel nephew born (Congrats Jose &
Ximena), recognized numerous family birthdays (including Michael's 14th Birthday!), and
the world, particularly Eastern European, changed dramatically.
Since our arrival to New Zealand in early January, folks would ask us
if we had visited or if we had any plans to visit the South Island, and with good reason
... it's magnificently beautiful! The South Island is lots larger than its northern
counterpart, but with only a small proportion of the population. Within its boundaries lie
the majestic Southern Alps mountain range, including Mounts Cook, Aspiring and Tasman, the
famous Fiordland National Park area with it's beautiful Milford and Doubtful Sounds,
numerous glaciers, and peninsulas teeming with wildlife! For Marcos, there were lots of
livestock farms and ranches, to see. For the all of us, there were plenty of "close
encounters" with what we would consider exotic wildlife. The scenery throughout the
South Island was distinctively different from place to place, and the weather
"behaved itself" during most of the trip. All in all, it proved to be an
incredibly wonderful place, perfect for the adventurous in mind, and with photo
opportunities galore (believe us, we took 30 rolls of 24-shot film and four video
cassettes!).
We left Palmerston North in the early morning hours of Thursday April
1, where we boarded the InterIslander Ferry from Wellington Harbor (what a beautiful city,
by the way!) in route to Picton on the South Island. We did not experience any problems on
the 3-hr trip across Cook Strait (although our car did seem to get a bit sea-sick. Ha!).
Actually, the cruise across was quite a picturesque experience in itself. Once we arrived
in Picton, we drove along the eastern coast of the South Island and headed for Kaikoura.
Kaikoura, Maori for "place of plenty crayfish" (Kiwi for
lobster), was home to large sealing and whaling industries at the turn of the century, but
now is known for its variety of marine mammals and other wildlife, particularly the Sperm
and Right whales and large pods of dolphins off its shores. Numerous colonies of New
Zealand Fur Seals can also be spotted along the coast. We boarded a medium sized boat and
went whale watching, and we were NOT disappointed. The boats are allowed to get within
about 100 feet of the whales. We were able to see four separate mature Sperm Whales
floating on the water and then, after "refueling on air" diving into the deep
blue Pacific waters. The image that you get when their huge tails are out of the water was
simply awesome. As if that wasn't enough, we got to see a pod (group) of 400-500 Dusky
Dolphins. These dolphins are natural acrobats, and have beautiful markings on the them
that make them appear to be smiling. Why the smile? Well, some of you may be interested in
knowing that mature Dusky Dolphin males are known to mate as many as 8 times a day, 365
days a year, and can live this way up to 35 years or so (does anyone have a calculator
handy? Ha!). We were also informed that they are not necessarily picky either, as they
have been seen mating with Common, Hector and Bottlenose dolphins (all are different
species of dolphins found in these waters). Anyway, lets move on.
As mentioned above, there are a number of NZ Fur Seal colonies along
the coast, and there was one within walking distance from our Kaikoura motel. It was
awesome! We spent so much time simply looking at them (you can get within 5 feet of them
before they get perturbed and "hiss" at you with mouth gaping open and teeth
showing). In Kaikoura we also took one day to hike around the peninsula, and we ended up
in the middle of a huge NZ Fur Seal colony ... and I do mean MIDDLE! We had no idea that
we were completely surrounded by our furry hosts until we were amongst them, and by then,
it was too late! Luckily, these critters seemed to be quite at ease with their bumbling
American visitors, at least as long as we did not get too close. For our family, this was
one of the most memorable experiences in all our time in New Zealand. Here we were in the
midst of a wild seal colony -- within a few feet of them at times -- as they carried on
resting, sunning, playing, swimming, and even fighting each other. We realize now that it
could have been dangerous and someone could have gotten hurt, but the fact is that nothing
bad happened, and all of us came away with an experience of a lifetime! By the way, at one
point as we were headed on the track away from the seal colony, three seals, including one
pretty large and boisterous bull, were next to the path. A mountain cliff wall was on the
other side of this 2-foot wide track, so we had no other way to go but straight through
them. So what does a loving and compassionate father do knowing that his family has to
follow that track without upsetting the bull seal guarding his territory? Well, he asks
his one and only son, "Michael, why don't you give it a try and see if it hisses
or charges at you while your sisters, mom and I wait here where it is safe." Ha!
Yes, sir! He really did that! But Michael, being trusting of his father's renowned animal
know-how and wisdom (or being young and naive... you pick) went ahead calmly and quietly.
The bull seal was sitting up and looked at him, but did not do anything. Ligia was next,
and she got hissed at (she was moving too fast for his liking). Stephanie and Marcos got
through without a hitch before Sheila took her turn, causing the bull's hissing gifts and
canines to be exhibited proudly. Luckily, no one was hurt. [I can hear it now, "I
can't believe Marcos would send his son as seal bait!" Yea, Yea.....]
After spending three nights in beautiful and wild Kaikoura, we headed
south along the eastern coast to Christchurch, the South Island's largest city. Here we
visited the famous Anglican Cathedral and Town Square (and no we did not see the
"Wizard" that all the tour books talk about. He must have been on holiday in the
North Island [grin]). We also visited the International Antarctic Centre. The USA, NZ, and
Italy all use Christchurch as their Antarctica hub city. The museum is full of interesting
hands-on exhibits, and even has a snow room full of the white-stuff, complete with
sledding and a wind-chill machine. It was cold (Brrr!). Also in Christchurch, we visited
Hagley Park and the Botanic Gardens (next door to our motel) where we rented a couple of
kayaks one afternoon and cruised the park's narrow but picturesque waterways. We spent two
nights in Christchurch.
Dunedin was our next stop. A few hours further south than Christchurch,
Dunedin has a strong Scottish (and Presbyterian) heritage. In comparison, Christchurch has
more of an English (and Anglican) heritage. On our way to Dunedin, we stopped to see the
Moeraki Boulders, which are large almost perfectly round spheres made of limestone that
spot the seashore.
Dunedin has beautiful European-like buildings and churches. The streets
are very steep (ALA San Fran!), and indeed, the world's steepest street, Baldwin Street,
is located there. And no, we did not climb, let alone, drive it. But of course, we have
pictures! In Dunedin, we took a journey into the Otago highlands on a 1920s-era train.
Marcos wanted to see some feral (wild) goats and take pictures of them for a magazine
article he is writing, and he was not disappointed, as many feral goats were seen
throughout the Taieri Gorge from the train. By the way, this was Michael's birthday, but
he was not feeling well and snoozed through much of the train trip. Poor fella! We all
really enjoyed the laid-back pace and the beautiful scenery. I guess we were ready for a
slower day at this point. Dunedin is also known for its maritime wildlife, and Sheila
wanted to see penguins in the wild. So in late afternoon we drove the treacherous road of
the Dunedin peninsula in order to get to the prime penguin viewing spot (on-top of a
cliff). The penguins are the Yellow-Eyed Penguins, the rarest and most endangered penguin
in the world, and unlike their counterparts in the Antarctic circle, these penguins come
ashore at dusk and climb up the sand dunes and cliffs to nesting areas amongst the trees
and shrubbery. Moreover, they do not "school together" like the gregarious
Emperor Penguins which many of us have seen in zoos, books or on TV, but instead they live
almost separate solitary lives within the group. We were not disappointed. Although we
were far from them, we were able to see them and film them. Moreover, seals and NZ's
Little Blue Penguins (which is endemic) were also seen. We spent two nights in Dunedin.
I also want to note here though that any of you
"flat-landers" who might want to come to NZ one day should either do your
traveling by train or bus or take some lessons on "driving on an extremely steep and
winding road on the edge of a cliff that has no guardrail while remembering to keep
left" before you get here. Fortunately, at this point the left side of the road thing
is no longer a problem, but you may want to stay off of the roads in south Louisiana for a
few weeks when we return!
Te Anau in the south-western portion of the island was our next stop.
Te Anau is the modest gateway to the Fiordland, an area so breathtakingly beautiful and
large (it encompasses almost one-third of all the South Island's land mass!) that it is
listed as a World Heritage Area by UNESCO. This unspoiled natural wonder was the most
beautiful place we have ever seen ... anywhere at anytime! ... and it is being preserved
for generations to come. This is the home of the famous Milford Track, which many consider
to be "the finest walk (hike) on Earth." The steep rock-faced mountains descend
directly into the Alpine lakes, rivers and streams. The plant life is described as
Gondwanan Flora in reference to the almost prehistoric plant life found in these temperate
rainforests. They average over 300 inches of rain a year in this area! Last year they had
over 420 inches of precipitation! Waterfalls everywhere! Scenic and beautiful. We spent
two nights here on the shores of Lake Te Anau. First order after our arrival was to
purchase some wool hats and gloves. Have we mentioned yet that the South Island is much
colder? We're sure these will be put to much use when we get back to Denham Springs. Yea,
right! We took a day to drive into the Fiordland National Park and a cruise of the Milford
Sound with its oft-photographed Mitre Peak. How else can we explain this place but to tell
you that we looked at each other as if to say, "God showered a little extra grace
upon this particular place during the creation of the world." On the next day we
took another cruise, this time across Lake Te Anau itself to see the area's
"living" Glow Worm Cave. The term "living" is used to describe this
particular cave because the river that formed it still runs through it. Another way of
looking at it is that it is a newer cave. In fact, it does not have any stalactites or
stalagmites; nevertheless, the cave formations were beautiful, and the fluorescent glow
worms were as bright as ever!
Next on our list was three nights in Queenstown, the touristy hot-spot
and ski resort of the South Island. Located about 3 hours north-east of Te Anau in the
south central portion of the South Island, Queenstown is the place that gave birth to the
hair-raising, adrenaline-pumping, heart-stopping practices of commercial bungy jumping and
shotover jet boats. This is one of the few places in NZ that is really touristy (the other
one would be Rotorua on the North Island) but yet there were no crowds. The aerial picture
of Queenstown showing the Remarkables mountain range across the lake is also one that is
seen in every Kiwi tour book and web site. We had a good time here also. We went up the
gondola to the mountain top overseeing the city, where we took plenty of pictures and
videos, witnessed a number of crazy folks bungy jump from over 400 feet above the city
(ouch!), and wrapped it up by riding the luge (on rollers) down. Everyone loved it! We did
some shopping while at Queenstown, and looked for a native (Maori) Christmas Nativity
everywhere, but none were to be found. We were told that even though many Maori converted
to Christianity, the present climate stressing cultural sensitivity would disway the
commercial production and sales of such nativities. We also ate some fine pizza in a cozy
eatery called "The Cow" (with a picture of Queen Victoria under it!).
The highlight of our time in Queenstown had to be the half-day
horse-trek that we took on a red deer and elk farm in the nearby mountains. Everyone
handled themselves great on horse-back. Ligia had her own horse (and she reminds us, the
only white horse), and Michael and Stephanie even took their horses to trot and cantor
(faster running paces)! We did not want to walk like John Wayne the next morning, so
Sheila and Marcos (and Ligia) passed up the opportunity run our horses. Marcos was able to
get plenty of pictures of the ranch and its animals. On the trek, there was also a family
from Australia, a high school exchange student from Hong Kong (and who had informed us
that he had already bungy jumped earlier that morning!) and some other folks. Overall, it
was a great time to be had by all.
Our next destination was Wanaka where we spent one night. Wanaka,
located at the entrance to Mt. Aspiring National Park, is the place locals (Kiwis) go on
vacation and to ski rather than the "much-too-touristy Queenstown". Here we
visited a neat place with puzzles, a house of illusions, and a large human maze (it took
us well over an hour to reach each of the four corners and then find our way out, but the
team composed of Sheila, Marcos, and Ligia beat the team of Michael and Stephanie ...
ha!). The afternoon and early evening was spent lazily on the beautiful shores of the
picturesque Lake Wanaka.
The next day saw us in route over and in-between the snow-capped
Southern Alps, and along the western shoreline with its angry but beautiful Tasman Sea. We
started experiencing some bad weather, including hail, during this part of the trip. We
were on our way to the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. How beautiful! These huge glaciers
empty into vallies that they have carved surrounded by temperate rainforests, complete
with tree ferns and keas (the Alpine parrot). We hiked near to the terminal (melting) face
of the Fox Glacier, but the next day, we took a half-day guided tour hike of the Franz
Josef Glacier ... spiky ice shoes and all! The hike was treacherous at times, and
downright dangerous at others, but once again, we all managed to get through it without
any problems. All the kids held their own (we are so proud of them!) and they loved
walking on this gigantic mass of moving ice and snow. One of the highlights of the hike is
getting to go through ice caves. The ice is blue and shiny... simply beautiful. Another
highlight was the Keas, the world's only true Alpine parrot; it is yet another of NZ's
endangered birds. These close relatives of the North Island Kakas (seen in our Kapiti
Island page on the web) are large, loud, and mischievous! There was a group of six or
seven of these large greenish parrots in the parking lot picking at the rubber fittings
and windshield wipers of many cars and campers there. At dusk, we would see and hear them
flying near our hotel, and in the morning, we would be awakened by their calls. It was
wonderful. We spent two nights in this area (bad weather and all!) in a beautiful motel
that was next to the rainforest. One great consequence of the rain and hail we were
experiencing was that higher up on the mountains they were receiving quite a bit of snow.
After things cleared off a bit where we could see... what a treat!
Continuing up the western coast, our next stop was the city of
Greymouth. Here we visited an old museum town known as Shantytown. It is a collection of
restored buildings (over 30 of them!) which reflects towns in the area during the Gold
Rushes of the late 1800s. Lots of interesting historical facts and pieces to be seen
there. Also a number of Wekas (an endangered, flightless bird, about the size of a laying
hen, that sneaks up at you and steals your food and/or shiny objects. Again, we have a
picture of a Weka in our Kapiti Island web page on the web).
We spent a rather terrifying stormy night in a motel on the coast where
the Tasman Sea was ferocious and it felt like Hurricane Andrew all over again. We had hail
and all! Sheila commented that she thought the roof was going to come off the motel any
minute. Of course, our 12 year old sleeping beauty, Miss Stephanie, slept right through it
... "what storm, Mom?" HA! But once again, the storm brought some beautiful
results when we reached the famous Punakaiki Pancake Rocks in Paparoa National Park. Here
natural limestone structures that look like stacks of pancakes jut out into the water.
When the sea is high and rough, as it was when we were there, water comes surging into the
deep caverns below and is spouted up some 30 feet into the air making a tremendous
swooshing sound. It was quite a performance!
Our last stop was Nelson, a city in the northern-western part of the
South Island. We spent two nights here. Our stop in Nelson was to spend a day cruising and
hiking the beautiful Abel Tasman National Park, which we did. Oh how beautiful! This is
one of the few areas in NZ that had sandy beaches, and it almost looked like a tropical
paradise, but still a temperate rainforest. The flora and fauna (that is, plant life and
animal life for some of you ... grin) was fascinating. The water was calm and aqua-colored
but cold! Once again, the kids handled the hike through the mountains (including cliffs,
and a long swinging pedestrian bridge over a river) like experts. This northern part of
the South Island near the Marlborough Sounds is wine and dairy country. What a beautiful
and serene place to farm and raise a family. You can bet that we took plenty of pictures
and video.
On the morning of April 19th, we left Nelson and drove east toward
Picton where we boarded the InterIslander Ferry for our return journey to our temporary
home away from home, New Zealand's North Island. On this sunny day, the entrance into
Wellington Harbor was beautiful. Exhausted from our journey, we had one more stop to make
before returning to Palmerston North (our city). That was at Queen Elizabeth Park, just
north of Wellington and south of Paraparaumu Beach. Why did we stop here? You see,
Sheila's dad served in the marines during World War II, where he fought in the Pacific
theater. During that time he visited New Zealand, and he told Sheila once that of all the
places he had visited in his life (the states, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Pacific, etc.) if
he could ever return to one place for a visit that it would have been New Zealand. What a
coincidence, huh? Unfortunately, Sheila's dad got ill and passed away before realizing his
dream to return to New Zealand. By piecing together what family members had told us and
speaking to local senior citizens we learned that this large preserve on the coast (and
facing Kapiti Island) called Queen Elizabeth Park was used as a recreational area for
Allies soldiers, including Americans fighting the Japanese, during World War II.
Therefore, chances are that Sheila's dad was here in the mid 1940s. Anyway, we spent some
quality time there (along with saving some mussels from dehydration!).
Needless to say, we returned home at dusk on that Monday, exhausted
from our 19-day adventure, but satisfied and fulfilled. We had seen the hand of God in the
breath-taking scenery, and some of His finest works in the form of memorable animals that
were(are) near extinction. We are telling you, it simply could not get any better than
this! That is all for now! Take care and please do stay in touch with us. The
DenhamiteKiwis Family!
(8) Family Visits
the DenhamiteKiwis in New Zealand
I guess we are overdue for a short Fernandez family
update from New Zealand. We have been quite busy on all fronts, and time seems to fly by
us these days. Anyway, I will try to give a short update and at least let you know what we
have been up to lately. The last update we sent was the one from our extended tour
of New Zealand's incredible South Island. And we did send some folks a quick note
announcing the arrival of our oldest daughter Julia for a 3-week visit to NZ. Plus the
"earthquake update" that most everyone received (grin).
We have been taking care of the usual business during the week -- kids
at school, Marcos at Massey, and Sheila preparing for visitors (more on that later).
Marcos started on a new project of Prof. Tom Barry's at Massey University (with deer, of
all things!) and is doing a lot of writing. As the days become cooler and shorter with the
arrival of Winter, the kids' are still enjoying their schooling, and spend much time with
their Kiwi friends. By the way, one "Kiwi friend" that stayed with us for a few
days was a hedgehog that Ligia had found at school. This "friend" stayed with
us, and nearly ate every worm and bug around our yard, before finally "passing
away" quietly in our dining room one evening. If you do not know what these critters
look like, look them up in a book or over the web, but they are spiny, nocturnal,
carnivorous creatures, about the size of a small guinea pig or a very large hamster.
On weekends, we continue to take in the many nearby sights; although
now we are going back to visit places we have already seen. For instance, for Mother's Day
we spent the weekend at Tongariro National Park in a cabin overlooking the picturesque
volcano, Mt. Ngauruhoe. Snow had fallen on the Park a few days before, so we were able to
experience lots of snow (including snow-ball fights and miniature snowmen), plus visit Mt.
Ruapehu's ski fields while we were there. It was a good way to spend Mother's Day.
On the next weekend, we headed up to the Auckland area (about a 7 hour
drive North of Palmy). Sheila was scheduled to served on the weekend retreat for NZ's Walk
to Emmaus movement, and Julia was flying in to the Auckland Airport. I will not steal the
"thunder" from Sheila about the Emmaus weekend, since she will send a summary of
that to our Emmaus friends back home, but I can tell you that it was held in a beautiful
Christian camp on the outskirts of Auckland. The kids and I stayed at the camp in a cabin
while Sheila served on the team. While there, we picked up Julia from the airport, let her
rest some, and visited some of the sights around Auckland. We took in Sky City in Auckland
proper, as well as the Hunua Falls, and a few local scenic drives in and around the area.
I believe everyone had a pleasant time. Everyone was happy to see Julia and to have her
join us, at least temporarily, in NZ.
We returned home and celebrated Julia's 19th Birthday. It was during
this time that the thrill of experiencing an earthquake came to pass. The quake, small for
NZ standards (6.3 on Richter scale) was welcomed by us "American tourists ignorant of
the potential dangers" of such an event. I mean, we were high-fiving each other, etc.
once it passed. We loved it! Nevertheless, we realize that these quakes could be stronger
and more serious. Our youngest daughter Ligia was away at a four-day school camp at the
time, and she felt it also. Indeed, her teacher told us that the birds at the camp started
squawking a second or two before the quake hit, and the owners/directors of the camp
warned everyone of the impending quake. Then it hit and shook the camp building, just as
the animals had warned would happen. Neat, huh?!?! Nature is full of mystery and pleasant
surprises ... its good to be a biologist!
Anyway, Ligia loved camp! She was able to hike, mountain climb, rappel,
go caving, etc. We have learned that New Zealanders expose and train their kids from an
early age to the wonders of the outdoors. They challenge them physically and socially;
more-so than academically. They teach them to be travelers and independent, yet they
expect them to be socially responsible and compassionate. It is actually quite neat to see
these kids and how well they all tend to get along. There is very little activity in terms
of fights, name-calling, and violence. Again, our kids' have had a wonderful experience at
school, and would stay here in NZ if given the option. Indeed, all three have mentioned
that they would love to return one day if given the opportunity, either as an exchange
student or even to live. I think that says a lot about their time Down Under, and we would
encourage them to follow their dreams as they get older.
By the way, to some of my university colleagues, the name Stuart N.
McCutcheon is familiar (famous research scientist in the area of nutritional physiology
and endocrinology ... worked with Dale Bauman at Cornell Univ.). Anyway Stuart has a son
in Ligia's class, and we have been able to chat some, including at camp. He is now
Pro-Vice Chancellor of Massey University, and next in line for the top position at this
prestigious NZ university. Nevertheless, he took the day off to help the fourth graders on
their hike at camp, and is heavily involved in his kids' and community affairs. I like
that about NZ professors ... they take time to spend with family and friends, but yet are
very productive. Very healthy attitude, if you ask me, and, at least from what I have
seen, lacking in our American universities and workplaces. I hope some of this has
"rubbed off on me" and I can return to the USA with a new and healthier outlook
on life as an academian.
One weekend we took Julia to Mt. Bruce Wildlife Reserve to see some of
our Native Birds and long eels. There are kakas, tuis, takahes, kokakos, and brown kiwis,
among others, and yes, fresh water eels .... Long Eeels, as long as 6 feet long and about
as thick around as a man's leg! The Maori harvest and eat these eels; not us. Hahaha.
Sheila and Julia took a couple of days to spend as mother and daughter.
This would afford Julia to ride a train, see Wellington, NZ's beautiful capital city, and
to take the InterIslander Ferry across the Cook Strait. They spent one night in Picton
(northern part of South Island) where the ferry lands. They hiked and took in the town
while they were there. Upon their return to the North Island, they spent some time walking
around Wellington, before they return home on the train. I can say that "mom"
had a good time, and sense that "daughter" had an all right time (she did not
really say). Marcos and the kids stayed home and did not burn, destroy or kill anything in
the process ... all of which are good things [grin].
In late May, Sheila's sister-in-law from Tennessee, Mary, and her two
daughters, Mendi and Whitney, arrived for a three week stay and tour of New Zealand.
Again, we allowed them a few days of acclimation and rest from their long trip, and then
we visited a couple of places here in Palmy. They are now in the midst of a one week tour
of the North Island with Sheila and Julia; Sheila serving as the tour guide. They are
scheduled to spend a couple of days in Tongariro, two days in Rotorua (Wai-O-Tapu,
Whakawhakarewa park, Roto-iti Hangi [Maori dinner and celebration), one day in the
Coromandel Peninsula, and two days in Auckland. Most of these places can be seen in our
First Version of Denhamite Family Web Page located at Geocities.com (check below for
hyperlink). While in Auckland, they will drop Julia off at the airport for her return
flight to the States, and then return to Palmy on Monday (your Sunday in the USA). Mary,
Whitney and Mendi will then depart on the very next day for a tour of the South Island.
They are scheduled to visit Abel Tasman National Park, Franz Josef Glacier, the Mt. Cook -
Mt. Tasman area in the Southern Alps, Christchurch, and Kaikoura (whale watch and seal
colonies). They return from their South Island adventure just in time to pack up and
return home to Tennessee.
Well, we have less than four weeks remaining in New Zealand. We are
feeling the time slipping away. It already hurts thinking that we will have to leave this
paradise and even idealistic experience. Nevertheless, we are mindful and grateful of the
time we have had here, and hope that we can "bring back some of the magic" with
us upon our return home. This has been a wonderful experience. All of us feel as if this
may be the best stretch of time that we have ever had as a family. And those who may
believe that I (Marcos) did not work but only played in NZ, you will be surprised by all
that I have been able to accomplish and learn at Massey University and in my travels in
New Zealand. Indeed, it has been excellent, career-wise, and I hope to return to work
rested, recharged, and with a renewed zest for my career and place in life.
Well, that is all for now. Thanks to all of you that have sent us
e-mails and kept us up-to-date with the happenings back home and elsewhere. We leave NZ on
June 29th, and before then, we will update our web page (see address below) with South
Island pictures. We plan to send one more "update" before we leave this oasis.
Meanwhile, take care, stay in touch, and see many of you soon. §
CLICK
HERE TO RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE
Go to: First
Version of the DenhamiteKiwis Family Home Page (Geocities)
You can e-mail us at: denhamitekiwis@geocities.com
|
