Cape Reinga to Bluff, New Zealand

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Five of us had been to Pubcon and were flying home from Las Vegas (LAS) via San Francisco (SFO) via Auckland (AKL) to Melbourne (MEL). Bad weather affects flight schedules every day somewhere or the other. On 11/11/11 it happened to us. How ground staff handle your specific case solidifies your impression of that airline. [...]

This was our last day in New Zealand. Three weeks driving from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island and ending in Christchurch. We bought some presents for others and a couple of mementoes for our home. Christchurch put on a sunnier day than the last two, so we [...]

We stopped for morning tea at Little River, which is also the name of a town near our home in Victoria. Approaching Akaroa, we passed French names such as Duvauchelle and signs to French Farm and Le Bons Bay. Akaroa is every bit as pretty as Paihia and Russell, if not prettier. If you can’t [...]

We stayed with Lesley’s friend Carol in Woolston  for three nights, so no more motel reviews on this trip. Much of the city centre shows evidence of the recent earthquakes that began on 6 September. The Cathedral was only slightly damaged and its cross was taken down for repairs following the smaller quake on Boxing [...]

We filled up with petrol – lost the receipt but it was about NZ$100 – and stopped briefly to take a look at the steepest street in the world – Baldwin Street. We didn’t attempt to climb it as there is nowhere to turn, except in someone’s driveway. Other cars didn’t mind doing that.   [...]

We met in Dunedin in 1979, where we were working at the time, so this was like a second homecoming, particularly for Ash who had lived here for five years. Ash went to Otago University and all his classmates also went back to their home cities or countries after graduation. He was an active radio [...]

On Monday we were hoping to go to Milford Sound and Te Anau before reaching Bluff, but it would have taken us at least 12 hours of driving to reach Dunedin. The fuel tank was nearly empty, so it took 53.19 litres at a cost of NZ$105.26. The skies were cloudy and it rained a [...]

On Sunday, we decided to take a combined Skipper’s Canyon tour and jetboat ride. Before doing that we took a gondola ride to the Skyline observation deck and spent an hour admiring the views, watching paragliders and luge riders. We then went to the Kiwi Birdlife Park where we saw kiwis, tuataras, keas and a [...]

We checked out of the Beachside Motel at 9 am and grabbed some breakfast in the main street near the clock tower. Hokitika is where most of NZ’s greenstone is mined and sculpted into jewellery and other objets d’art. We visited a large showroom and bought some presents for friends. The car needed petrol and [...]