Well! we have returned from the Maori Hangi Dinner. Dad was wearing his kilt so he was chosen to be the chief of our group, naturally. He had to face the Haka-- no smiling or it would be an insult. He then had to pick up a branch and signify he came in peace. Then he had to do the rub noses bit with the women! I managed to take a couple of videos with my wee camera!
I went up to do the ladies dance with the kind of pom-pom things. More difficult than you think.
Dad also went back to do the war dance thing. It was all good fun.
Need to get to bed now. We are off to Wellington in the morning and we leave at 8.30 am.
LOL M&D
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
We are now in Hamilton and the main street is called Victoria Street.
While at Paihia we had a whole day trip round the Bay of Islands. Great scenery and weather!. We reached Cape Brett where there is a giant hole in the island rock. The boat takes you into a big cave next to it telling you this will be the next hole and then we came out and actually went through the existing hole, really amazing!.
While at Paihia we had a whole day trip round the Bay of Islands. Great scenery and weather!. We reached Cape Brett where there is a giant hole in the island rock. The boat takes you into a big cave next to it telling you this will be the next hole and then we came out and actually went through the existing hole, really amazing!.
29th February
Did blog from Hamilton but ran out of time since we got 20minutes free and it was all over before I knew it.
Hamilton is quite a pretty place compared to the one at home. Not connected at all.
Main street is called Victoria Street and we went to look at 29 but it was a car park.
The Bay of Islands was fantastic. We were on board a jet boat all day and we sailed among the Islands with all their history. The final thing we did was head right out to Cape Brett and the skipper went into a cave which he said was going to be a hole right through sometime and then to our surprise we went straight through the Hole in the Rock. Quite awesome!
Next day we took the trip to Cape Reinga which is the northernmost tip of North Island. Wendy would like it because it has a lighthouse.
From there we went to some huge sand dunes. They are at least fifty feet high. We got out and the driver produced boogy boards for those who wanted to sand board down. Your Dad went down twice. I think I have a video on my wee camera!
Through the dunes we went to Ninety Mile Beach (actually 64 miles long) and we drove south in the special coach all the way. This was after we had to get out and wait while the coach was towed out of the wet sand and our coach then towed another coach out when they got stuck. Just like Northern Ireland.
We are now in the sulphur area at Rotorua. Your Dad can't smell a thing so you know how much sense of smell he has!
On our way here yesterday, we went to the Waitomo Caves. We went underground and saw stalacmites and stalactites but the most spectacular were the glow worms. We sailed on a boat in the river in the cave and had to be so quiet otherwise the lights would go off. It was just like a very starry night. Beautiful. We then went to Agrodome where we saw the sheep, shearing, dogs and cow milking. As it says in the guide book--- a bit corny but very entertaining. When we came out it was very wet which spoiled our visit to the Wildlife Park. We did see the very shy, rare kiwis in their nocturnal home but it was not very nice walking around. Could have spent more time on a good day.
Today we went to the Te Puia Maori Arts and Crafts Institute and Thermal reserve. We saw the geysers(pronounced guisers)and the hot mud. Sat on a stone to rest and it was lovely for a wee while but was quite hot. Even the paths were hot to walk on. This afternoon we went on a "Duck" tour --- an amphibious land/sea craft built at the end of WW2 for the beach landings. We went into the Blue Lake and another one (forgotten the name for now) and a wee tour round the around the area on land.
Getting ready for our Maori Hangi Dinner and Concert now.
Will let you know how that goes later.
Glad to hear the sale went through OK. Emmotional but one less thing to worry about for MO.
Hope all well and Abi enjoyed her camp.
LOL M&D
Did blog from Hamilton but ran out of time since we got 20minutes free and it was all over before I knew it.
Hamilton is quite a pretty place compared to the one at home. Not connected at all.
Main street is called Victoria Street and we went to look at 29 but it was a car park.
The Bay of Islands was fantastic. We were on board a jet boat all day and we sailed among the Islands with all their history. The final thing we did was head right out to Cape Brett and the skipper went into a cave which he said was going to be a hole right through sometime and then to our surprise we went straight through the Hole in the Rock. Quite awesome!
Next day we took the trip to Cape Reinga which is the northernmost tip of North Island. Wendy would like it because it has a lighthouse.
From there we went to some huge sand dunes. They are at least fifty feet high. We got out and the driver produced boogy boards for those who wanted to sand board down. Your Dad went down twice. I think I have a video on my wee camera!
Through the dunes we went to Ninety Mile Beach (actually 64 miles long) and we drove south in the special coach all the way. This was after we had to get out and wait while the coach was towed out of the wet sand and our coach then towed another coach out when they got stuck. Just like Northern Ireland.
We are now in the sulphur area at Rotorua. Your Dad can't smell a thing so you know how much sense of smell he has!
On our way here yesterday, we went to the Waitomo Caves. We went underground and saw stalacmites and stalactites but the most spectacular were the glow worms. We sailed on a boat in the river in the cave and had to be so quiet otherwise the lights would go off. It was just like a very starry night. Beautiful. We then went to Agrodome where we saw the sheep, shearing, dogs and cow milking. As it says in the guide book--- a bit corny but very entertaining. When we came out it was very wet which spoiled our visit to the Wildlife Park. We did see the very shy, rare kiwis in their nocturnal home but it was not very nice walking around. Could have spent more time on a good day.
Today we went to the Te Puia Maori Arts and Crafts Institute and Thermal reserve. We saw the geysers(pronounced guisers)and the hot mud. Sat on a stone to rest and it was lovely for a wee while but was quite hot. Even the paths were hot to walk on. This afternoon we went on a "Duck" tour --- an amphibious land/sea craft built at the end of WW2 for the beach landings. We went into the Blue Lake and another one (forgotten the name for now) and a wee tour round the around the area on land.
Getting ready for our Maori Hangi Dinner and Concert now.
Will let you know how that goes later.
Glad to hear the sale went through OK. Emmotional but one less thing to worry about for MO.
Hope all well and Abi enjoyed her camp.
LOL M&D
Friday, 24 February 2012
Have left Aukland today and driven up north to a place called Paihai which is very historical since that is where the Treaty of Independence was signed by the Bristish and Maori Chiefs. We had a really good guide at the Treaty Grounds. We saw the Treaty House of the British Resident and the Te Whare Runanga (The Meeting house, Maori Waka ( the thirty five metre long war canoe).
We were the only two from our group who went on the Bush&Beach tour from our hotel in Aukland. So we shared a guide with a young Canadian girl from Alberta. We went into the tropical forest, saw a lovely waterfall and ended up on a beach on the West Coast very close to where the film "The Piano" was filmed. We really enjoyed getting out into the countryside.
On our city tour in the morning we visited the Aukland Museum which was built originally as a WW1 war memorial but it had been refurbished a few times since then. We went to see the Gallipoli bit and got emotional all over again. The museum is best really for its Natural History section.
Getting to know the folk on the group but there is a tendency for those on the Hong Kong extension to stick together.
Good to know the messages ae getting through.
Hope dogs and everyone are fine.
LOL M&D
We were the only two from our group who went on the Bush&Beach tour from our hotel in Aukland. So we shared a guide with a young Canadian girl from Alberta. We went into the tropical forest, saw a lovely waterfall and ended up on a beach on the West Coast very close to where the film "The Piano" was filmed. We really enjoyed getting out into the countryside.
On our city tour in the morning we visited the Aukland Museum which was built originally as a WW1 war memorial but it had been refurbished a few times since then. We went to see the Gallipoli bit and got emotional all over again. The museum is best really for its Natural History section.
Getting to know the folk on the group but there is a tendency for those on the Hong Kong extension to stick together.
Good to know the messages ae getting through.
Hope dogs and everyone are fine.
LOL M&D
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Well, guess where we are?
We arrived in Aukland at 11.30am local time and it is now 1.30pm
Flights are long and not too comfortable but at least they were both overnight so to speak. No more flights for three and a half weeks!
Hong Kong was amazing and we packed such a lot into our two and a half days. We did a city tour which took us up to the Peak to view all round but nowadays there seems to be a haze most days. We had a really lovely guide called Tak. He was so informative and amusing. We went up in the funicular rail and you could feel the g-force it was that steep. We went to Stanley Market where the expats live and relax while working for the big companies in the city. We had a ride in a sampan in Aberdeen harbour where there used to be 50,000 people living as the boat people. They have mostly all been tranferred to skyscrapers and have given up fishing.
Another couple and us shared a taxi next morning and went to see Chin Li Nunnery and the Kowloon Walled City both very interesting in different ways. In the Afternoon your Dad and I went on the Star Ferry back onto Hong Kong Island--- seniors free! We then caught the Ding Ding tram which runs from East to West of the island. No matter where you go you pay getting off and seniors were $1 (10p). We ended up at the terminus with the tram and in order to go back the way it came it went left up the middle of a busy street market. The stalls were varied but the one I loved to see from the top of this tall narrow double decker tram was the one with the live fish tanks!
Next morning we went on a tour to the New Territories right to the border with China! Quite amazing to see the city of 11 million just on the other side Shenzen. Industrial factories and high rises by the hundred.
We saw a taoist Temple right in the middle of another market and a walled village belonging to the indigenous folk of Hong Kong. One man died in 2005 and he was from this family and was an MBE.
On the way back we went to the original border called Boundary Road now and went into a bird market . This is what elderly men in HK do to pass the time. But it was so sad to see these beautiful birds in tiny cages.
As you may have gathered we did enjoy our time there. We ate Thai and Chinese (real local one but they were lovely to us) .
Both fine looking forward to meeting the rest of the group (27) . We were 11 before. One couple from Carnoustie.
Love M&D
We arrived in Aukland at 11.30am local time and it is now 1.30pm
Flights are long and not too comfortable but at least they were both overnight so to speak. No more flights for three and a half weeks!
Hong Kong was amazing and we packed such a lot into our two and a half days. We did a city tour which took us up to the Peak to view all round but nowadays there seems to be a haze most days. We had a really lovely guide called Tak. He was so informative and amusing. We went up in the funicular rail and you could feel the g-force it was that steep. We went to Stanley Market where the expats live and relax while working for the big companies in the city. We had a ride in a sampan in Aberdeen harbour where there used to be 50,000 people living as the boat people. They have mostly all been tranferred to skyscrapers and have given up fishing.
Another couple and us shared a taxi next morning and went to see Chin Li Nunnery and the Kowloon Walled City both very interesting in different ways. In the Afternoon your Dad and I went on the Star Ferry back onto Hong Kong Island--- seniors free! We then caught the Ding Ding tram which runs from East to West of the island. No matter where you go you pay getting off and seniors were $1 (10p). We ended up at the terminus with the tram and in order to go back the way it came it went left up the middle of a busy street market. The stalls were varied but the one I loved to see from the top of this tall narrow double decker tram was the one with the live fish tanks!
Next morning we went on a tour to the New Territories right to the border with China! Quite amazing to see the city of 11 million just on the other side Shenzen. Industrial factories and high rises by the hundred.
We saw a taoist Temple right in the middle of another market and a walled village belonging to the indigenous folk of Hong Kong. One man died in 2005 and he was from this family and was an MBE.
On the way back we went to the original border called Boundary Road now and went into a bird market . This is what elderly men in HK do to pass the time. But it was so sad to see these beautiful birds in tiny cages.
As you may have gathered we did enjoy our time there. We ate Thai and Chinese (real local one but they were lovely to us) .
Both fine looking forward to meeting the rest of the group (27) . We were 11 before. One couple from Carnoustie.
Love M&D
Friday, 3 February 2012
Trying out again
Beginning to get excited again. Dad got currency and I have downloaded several books to the kindle and so all set.
love M&D
love M&D
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