Peggy & Pat's Sailing Adventures
Feb7 we checked out of our terrific resort-hotel and headed south to Lake Taupo, about 90 minutes away. We checked in to the Sun Court Hotel where we had a good view of the lake and were just a couple minutes walk from the downtown restaurant area. We spent some time down at the lake and hurried back as a
Feb6 started with a heart-pumping mountain bike tour in Whakarewarewa Forest. According to Marcello, our guide, this area is one of the top ten mountain biking locations in the world! We are not avid mountain bikers, so the more challenging and exciting trails were not in our plans but the park has trails for all abilities and experience levels. Some
Feb5 and on the move again. A 2+ hour drive brought us to Hobbiton! We are all Tolkien fans and have been eagerly anticipating the tour. The bus ride starts with a welcome video from Peter Jackson and some fun LOTR (Lord Of The Rings) trivia from our guide. Then off to the Shire! For a “Tourist Spot” this was
Feb3 Robby and Ryan, Peggy’s nephews, arrived from California! After an all night flight, when they were still suffering from jet lag, we threw them off Auckland’s tallest building, the Sky Tower! We put them in special jump suits with a harness, hooked them to a cable and off they went, 192 meters, straight down. Ryan in flight. Robby, coming
Jan30 we drove to Auckland airport to meet our cruising friends, Elaine and Karl. They had been on their boat in Australia but were returning to her place in Whangaparoa, where we had stayed for the first week when we arrived. At the airport, we rented a car and returned Elaine’s car to her. It was so great to see
Jan28 we drove to the Sand Dunes Hotel in Hokianga, which is a large harbor on the west coast, still north of Auckland. The harbor has a wide mouth, full of sand bars that move around, so the entrance can be treacherous. Still, this area was the center of the timber industry for many years due to the huge Kauri
Jan26 we drove to Taipa Beach Resort, about 90 km from Paihia. We broke up the drive with two stops. The first was Haruru Falls, just a few minutes outside of Paihia. It had rained a lot during the night and the falls were certainly roaring! A bit further up the road, we hiked the Kerikeri River Track to Rainbow
Jan23 – we headed north again, to Paihia, which is one of the main towns in the Bay of Islands area that is famous for its sailing, sport fishing and cultural heritage. On the way, we stopped to see what is supposed to be the longest footbridge in the southern hemisphere. This was about half way across the 395 meter
Jan20 we headed north again. We checked in to a nice hotel in Tutukaka with a great view of the harbor. Our room was not ready so we went for a hike. It was a cloudy day and somewhat windy, but a beautiful hike, none the less. Following Landowners Rd, we got out to the neck right by the island
After more than a week in the cottage in Manly Beach and exploring the Whangaparaoa area, it was time to head north on Jan18. We drove a couple hours up the east coast to Whangarei and checked into the Discovery Settlers Hotel. It was a short walk into town where we had a nice lunch right next to the Hundertwasser