12 January 2006: North Island New Zealand

New Photo Gallery: http://www.whereismark.fotopic.net/c793701.html (Weeks 42-46)

Happy 2006 to everyone!

I hope that you're all well where ever you may be. Here, the stars are bright with Cygnus flying down the Milky Way & an inverted Orion visible, but I haven't seen the Ship (Argo Navis) of Jason & the Argonauts fame yet. I trust the stars are bright wherever you are. Since arriving in New Zealand I feel like the place is familiar, much more so than in Australia. Not in the cities, but in much of the countryside. Arriving in Auckland itself was fine, but I think I wasn't ready to be back in a big western city just yet. Bruce Farr's Big Boat was proudly on display above the marina, and it's sad that this beautiful boat it lost the 1988 America's Cup to the Americans through two court trials rather than on the water. The coastline around the 'City of Sails' was more complicated than anywhere else I'd seen, a sailor’s dream, which was best appreciated from a volcanic hill in Devonport called Mount Victoria whilst holding fish & chips. Then into the hills to go canyoning which involves silly slides, matrix-style wall running & plain stupid leaps down waterfalls into shallow pools with our funny guide. No Fear! But even more dangerous was attending a One-Day Cricket Match between NZ Blackcaps & Australia, as the louts in the stands hurled abuse & bottles at the players & officials alike as NZ lost heavily. Though the streakers were good entertainment!

The road trip in a hired Nissan Pulsar started by escaping Auckland’s tortuous road network (the Kiwis don’t believe in road signs) and driving up to Goat Island Marine Reserve to toast marshmallows on campfires, and swim with the Red Snappers & Blue Cod (who love frozen peas, I'm not making this up) & watch dolphins go by in the *cold* waters. Further up the coast in Tutukaka, there were great beaches & the chance to dive off Poor Knights Islands where the warmer waters mean there are lots of colourful fish amongst the arches, tunnels & underwater air-pockets. When I went out there with Alison (a Scottish girl who loved the cold & rain of diving in Scotland!) and Bev (a South African girl who hated the cold!) the bad weather had just blown over towards the coast and the conditions were perfect. Pulling on wetsuits, hood & boots we dived down to see rays, sea urchins, moray eels & hundreds of mackerel swaying in the tide through the dark tunnel, looking like mirrors with eyes.

Another storm drove us up to Whangaroa Harbour & the friendly Sunseeker Lodge; or more exactly, in their hot-tub overlooking the harbour with a NZ beer :^) This was above the Bay of Island (it looked too touristy for me) and near where the wreck of the Rainbow Warrior was finally sunk after being towed from Auckland. I visited the moving hill-top memorial overlooking the islands, and that day saw dolphins moving past the bay, but they were too fast for me to swim after! A rainy day walking & sliding down sand-dunes at the storm-lashed Cape Reigna in the far North of the island, finally led us to loop South to the Kauri forests. The oldest of these huge trees is called Te Matua Ngahere (Father of the Forest) and was born 2000 years ago. At 13m circumference, it was too wide for me to hug. Kiwis live amongst these giant trees, though I didn’t manage to catch sight of one. Heading down to see some of the uniquely NZ countryside near Rotorua, the Waimangu Volcanic Valley and Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Park were full of crazy colours & mists dancing like writhes over the volcanic pools. But I was keen to go over to see New Plymouth in the West. It’s an area created by a volcano called Mount Taranaki (aka Egmont), where the Bridlington lifeboat my grandfather worked & died on had been transported to. Having never met him, it was a truly amazing time taking a trip out on the ‘Tilly Morrison’ round the offshore seal colonies. For me, that was worth the flight out to Aotearoa alone.

Mount Taranaki remained covered in storms & refused to be climbed, so I moved on to the Tongariro Northern Circuit Great Walk – more appropriately called the Mount Doom Round Walk after Ngauruhoe's fame staring in Lord of the Rings! It was a hard walk up to the summit of the cinder cone, but the Xmas day weather was spectacular & the company in the huts was superb (especially the Czech girls). The scenery is so varied with deserts, boulder fields, forests and lakes. Afterwards, there was only time to race down to Wellington to leave the car before crossing the Cook Straights & finally meeting my friend Jerry (after 10 months travelling to get there!). It’s been really great seeing how he’s faring since he emigrated, and I’ve been looked after royally since we met, & he took us to see ‘The Worst Band In The World’ for New Year.

I’ve written more than I should, but I’m glad. I’m really looking forward to meeting all of you again as soon as I can. Have a tremendous 2006.

Mark-in-Christchurch

Previous Photo Galleries:
Week1,
Weeks2-4, Weeks5-8,
Weeks9-15, Weeks16-20, Weeks21-23,
Weeks24-28, Weeks29-33, Weeks34-37, Weeks38-41.