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Leonie and I left for our trip to K’gari Island , which is a 3 hour drive north from Noosa. We were unsure if we were able to go, considering all of the cyclone warnings. However , the Kingfisher resort, where we were staying, indicated that all was fine. It was a beautiful drive with glimpses of the coast, beautiful mountains in the distance, sugar cane fields and forested areas. I knew I was in Australia, as we passed as sign warning us that Koala bears were on the move. I watched carefully to see if we could spot any but unfortunately did not see the cuties. We did however see a dead kangaroo on the side of the road.

We stopped at a town en route called Maryborough, which had an interesting history, classic 1800s architecture and a beautiful river running through it. One of its claim to fame is that it’s the birthplace of PL Travers , who is the author of the Mary Poppins series. I found it interesting that they also had an old matchmaking machine that was put together in the mid to late 1800s. It was at this time that they had over 154 ships that delivered 22,000 people to the port of Maryborough, many of them were young unmarried women. It was an enterprising salesman that provided an automated system, installed at the docks, for matchmaking and marriage licensing. Unfortunately, it’s just a relic and isn’t working otherwise I would’ve really given it a chance.

We arrived in Riverheads to register and park the car before we boarded a bus that took us to the ferry terminal. The ferry was about 40 minutes. It was a bit of a rough passage, but we made it safely.

K’gari has gained UNESCO world heritage status meeting criteria of exceptional beauty, example of earth’s history, and evolutionary processes of ecology and biology. They estimate it is 750,000 to 1 million years old and is the largest sand island in the world. Historical, the Butchulla people hold the knowledge to protect and care for the land using three key laws:

What is good for the land must come first

Do not take or touch anything that does not belong to you

If you have plenty of, you must share

I think the Butchulla people could teach Trump so much with these simple laws!

Unfortunately, after the second world war much of the old growth forests were cut down to help rebuild bridges and buildings, primarily in England. It was in 1971 that it became a national park and 1992 listed as a world heritage area.

We arrived at the Kingfisher resort, which was very lovely. It was surrounded by bush, had comfortable rooms, and a lovely lounging area by the pool.

We had signed up to take a tour around the island. You really needed a four-wheel-drive to fully explore it as the roads were quite treacherous , narrow, and very sandy. Anthony was our tour guide. He was so positive and a great storyteller. I have to say that he drove the bus in ways that were unimaginable, like he was driving a getaway car. Our first stop was at Lake MacKenzie, a beautiful white sanded lake with turquoise clear water. We had to stay fairly close to our group as we had been warned several times about the dingoes, which are wolf like creatures. We were instructed several times on what to do if we encountered them so we were all taking this very seriously.

From there , we walked along Eli Creek. It was so lovely and tranquil. The air was fresh as you imagine in rain forests. You could smell eucalyptus and fermented fruit ( or was that me sweating out wine from my pores again) . They have numerous bottlebrush trees which I love. One of the kids on our tour actually spotted a snake.We also saw a Dingo, thankfully from our bus.

We then had our lunch near the 75 mile long beach. We normally would’ve driven the beach to see a shipwreck and the sand dunes however, with the cyclone, there was little room to drive as the tides were high. So we spent a bit of time playing on the beach.

Our driver adapted our itinerary and took us to another lake, which was virtually untouched. However, he had only been there a couple of times and we unfortunately missed a few turns. He actually backed up the bus for several kilometres – a bit scary! We did make it through and thankfully didn’t have to push the bus out of a sand trap. After the lake expedition, we took a walk through an old growth forest which was such a nice way to end our tour.

When we arrived back at the hotel, Leonie and I went to the Sunset bar, which was by the ferry dock for our happy hour. It was such a beautiful setting.

We loved our trip to K’gari, a very special Paradise indeed!!!

It was such a joy to arrive at my friend Leonie’s home and getting my first glimpses of Australia and Noosa Heads. Waking up to the sounds of birds, happily playing in Paradise. I think one of them may have been Leonie! She is so happy here!

Leonie and I have known each other for over 20 years and met when she and Vanni made the film “Where Strangers Become Neighbours: the story of Collingwood Neighbourhood House”. We have developed a great friendship over the years. Thankfully, we have shared many wonderful travel experiences and cherished time in Vancouver. Leonie retired last year from a very successful academic and filmmaking career. She decided to move from Vancouver to her native land of Australia and settled in Noosa Heads six months ago. I feel so blessed to be able to visit her and see her new home!

Noosa Heads has a population of around 5000 people. It is considered one of the most desirable places to live, work and visit. Its beauty, lifestyle, numerous beaches, the surf, a river, restaurants, cultural venues, and weather are what draws people here

Someone described the weather here as hot , more hot and hotter…. and very humid! I swear I have been releasing the several bottles of wine that I have enjoyed with every bead of sweat. Lately, I have had a few people say I smell nice. It definitely has to be the wine. I am sure they can smell hints of black cherries, raspberry, gentle wafts of vanilla and hints of mushroom from the Pinot Noir. Or possibly, grass and grapefruit notes with secondary flavours of gooseberry, asparagus and eucalyptus from the Sauvignon Blanc. I have learned so much from my wine tours!

Leonie has been a wonderful hostess. Feeding me amazing meals both within her home and in one of the many high quality restaurants in the village.

There is a shopping street to get food, supplies, and yes dresses just a block away. We have been spending our days getting caught up, walking along lovely coastal trails, taking some road trips, swimming in their beautiful outdoor aquatic centre, and watching the surfers ( Leonie surfs most days and I hope to get to see her in action before I leave, if I can get myself up that early). I thought this last couple of days would be a great opportunity however, there are 3 cyclones off the coast making the waves unusually high so she is wisely taking a break.

Leonie and I took a day trip to a neighbouring town, Pomona, to see an afternoon jazz performance at the Majestic Theatre. This theatre is the longest continually operating theatre in Queensland and reputedly the oldest authentic silent movie theatre in the world. They have a 1937 Compton organ that accompanies the silent films. It has 850 pipes and 138 instruments and supposedly there are only 6 in the world remaining. We were definitely the youngest people there!!

As with every place on this trip, I have met some incredible people. When Leonie made this move, she got reacquainted with friends from her past that she knew over 40 years ago. I had the pleasure of meeting them over dinner at Leonie’s place. They are such interesting, caring , knowledgeable and very funny people. They had me in stitches sharing stories of the time they lived in Denmark. I was recommending that they should read the book “ The Year of Living Danishly”, one of my favourite leisure books. Turns out David wrote the screenplay for the movie “ The Year of Living Dangerously “. Such a coincidence! Both David and his wife Kristin are very accomplished people. David as a famous Australian playwright and Kristin is a famous journalist, author and actress. Leonie knows so many interesting and very down to earth people. This is so understandable considering the caring person she is and the adventurous life she has led.

When I first arrived in Australia, I could not get my esim card working. A necessity considering my navigational skills and free flow travelling. After going to 2 stores trying to get assistance with no success, I decided to see if I could find a youth. Sure enough, as I was walking down the street, I saw 2 young boys playing something on their phones and hanging out together. I approached them saying that they looked liked they were very good with technology. One of them replied that he worked at a bowling alley and was often called upon to help customers problem solve with their phones and other devices. Sure enough, within minutes he had me all set up. I tried to give him some money for his help but he would not take it. I love young people!!

I went to get a haircut as my hair was getting a bit wild in this climate. Leonie introduced me to Sean and Tracy, an English couple who set up a beauty salon 7 years ago in Noosa. It was a very zen place! They designed it themselves and it was spacious, had lovely airflow and beautiful music. My appointment started with a lovely cup of herbal tea that was created by a naturopath. Then Sean washed my hair while giving me a 25 minute head and neck massage so I was relaxed for my cut. Sean is trained in the healing arts and had me visualizing pyramids and focusing on my third eye while I could smell aromatherapy products and feel tension release with every touch. I was so relaxed , I practically had to be carried to the chair where Tracy took over with her hair artistry. I left there feeling lighter, stylish and completely pampered. Such a treat!

We have been hearing warnings about the cyclone Alfred hitting the Coast in the next few days. Leone and I went to several beaches to watch the incredible waves. They have closed the beaches, many services and stopped all ferries. They are getting people prepared for an emergency response if needed. Sand bags have been distributed as they anticipate flooding, emergency shelters set up for people and animals, and medical teams are on call. Everyone has anchored down anything that could blow away. The latest report is that it may only impact Noosa slightly however Brisbane looks like it might feel the eye of the storm. Let’s hope it is not too serious.

I am heading to Adelaide for a week to take in the WOMAD festival ( world music and dance festival ) and to taste a bit of wine from the numerous wineries in the area. More to come after this next adventure!

It was so hard to leave the Mount as I enjoyed my stay here very much. I couldn’t have picked a better day for traveling as the weather was pretty rainy, windy, stormy. This was the first day since I arrived that the weather has been raining. I have only had small light showers in a few places but they only lasted an hour, so I’m feeling quite grateful.

On the five hour bus journey, there were a lot of interesting landscapes. It wasn’t great for taking pictures, with the rain, so you will just have to imagine. We went through avocado plantations and they are so delicious here! We stopped briefly at a town, Waihi, known for its gold mining. There were rocky riverbeds, and mountainous terrain. Next stop was Thames which is a beautiful inlet on the Firth of Thames. I wasn’t sure what “firth “meant so I had to look it up. It is an English and Scottish term to describe a smaller inlet in case you didn’t know.

I arrived in my accommodation in the Ponsonby neighbourhood of Auckland. I was greeted by my host, Jane and her brother. They wanted to make sure that I had everything I needed. People are so helpful here! Her brother had friends in Saskatoon , could pronounce Saskatchewan correctly , and also cheered for the Vancouver Canucks. I love all the ways we connect in this world! The Ponsonby area reminds me a lot of Kitsilano. A quiet neighbourhood with a very active service area and some water views. Lots of restaurants, bars , interesting stores , all within a 10 minute walk from my place, I got unpacked , did some wine and grocery shopping then went to Ponsonby Rd to have some dinner. I felt like a local within an hour!

My first day in Auckland was spent just exploring. I walked downtown, which was about 45 minutes, and made my way to the Quay and the information site to get a map ( as if that helps!). I have to say that I wasn’t as impressed with the downtown core of Auckland, compared to some of the other places that I’ve been on this trip. However, I did manage to see a few of the landmarks and streetscapes.

Since the weather still wasn’t that great I decided to go to the art gallery. I spent a lovely afternoon, looking at the exhibitions of female artists. They also had an incredible collection donated by the Robertsons which had some original Picasso‘s Rodin, Degas, Matisse and a number of talented international artists . I also enjoyed some very interesting Maori and environmental art.

On my walk home I came across a restaurant near my place that had six dollar pizzas so I decided to stop and eat. My waitress was very friendly and helpful. At one point she mentioned something that indicated I was not a Kiwi. I asked her “what gave it away?” She said “ I could pick up your American accent”. My eyes look so disappointed and I quickly corrected her and said “I am a proud Canadian!” She was so apologetic and very embarrassed as she was from Toronto. I got a little top up of wine for this “faux pas”. As she was pouring and we were getting to know each other, I was pondering on how glad I am that our country is unifying even more these days, so we can actually know each other better and pick out our accents!

WAIHEKE ISLAND

There is an island just off of Auckland, a 40 minute ferry ride from the Quay. Many people encouraged me to go to there, a must see! It’s called Waiheke Island. The island reminded me a lot of Salt Spring, only with 20 vineyards. It has a population of about 9000 people and 35,000 in the summer. On the ferry ride over, I met a couple from England. They were so interesting as they were world travellers. They mostly took cruises and trains everywhere so that they could see the scenery rather than being in the air. He also used to live in New Zealand with his parents about 40 years ago and had all sorts of stories about life back then. I found one of their recent stories quite interesting. They are UK citizens and were supposed to be on a cruise this trip that also stopped in the United States. However, they were denied a Visa from the United States. They think it may have been because they had travel to countries that were not deemed friends of the USA. ( As if there are many friends of USA left!) I have to say that relationships are much warmer once people find out you are Canadian. We have lots of people and countries around the world that love us!

Once I was on the island, I took a hop on and off bus and toured around the whole island. Such beautiful vistas, cute little towns, calm and inviting beaches and numerous vineyards. I only made it to two wineries as they closed earlier than I expected. My favorite was the Mud Brick winery. Such a beautiful place to sit, look over the landscape, while sipping on some great wine. While I was there, I met an Australian woman who had been biking. She found it quite difficult, even on an electric bike, as it was very hot and humid and the trails were not that great. I had pondered getting a bike so I was glad I made the decision I did.

Then I walked to Cable Bay vineyards, a short distance away. On the way, I took the wrong trail which led me on another adventure. I met a couple from Hawaii, who could not get into their accommodation. I suggested that they walk to the vineyard with me as they may be able to help. The woman came with me as her husband had a foot in a cast. Thankfully she came , as I don’t know if I would’ve made it to our desired destination without her co-navigating skills. As we were walking, she said she regretted not getting a data or phone plan because she could easily have resolved this with a phone call. I was able to lend her my phone since I had a New Zealand phone number and lots of room on my plan. She was so thankful and really appreciated that I marked their first day of holidays with some kindness. Good karma for their remaining travels.

I then went to the wine tasting room of the Cable Bay Winery. There I met a New Zealand couple whose daughter worked for foreign affairs. She was stationed in Vancouver for four years and they had many fond memories of their time there. We had a great conversation about the joys of retirement. After they left another couple and I started to chat. They were from the Hunter Valley in Australia and both worked and had shares in a boutique winery. They gave me their card in case Leonie and I make it there on our adventures.

Going to the vineyards and wineries have been one of my favourite things on the trip. Not only do I enjoy the wine and beautiful countryside environments, but the people I have met are amazing. Fellow wine drinkers are from all over the world and are great conversationists.
( particularly after a few tastings). The people that work at the wineries are so knowledgeable and passionate about their wine. Each glass comes with a very lengthy description of the bouquet, description of the wine growing region, who and how the grapes were picked and all sorts of other information. My friend Jeff would be completely in his element!

When I got back on the bus, I was disappointed to find out that most of the vineyards close at 5 o’clock. It was unfortunate because I really wanted to go to Goldie winery as they were the first ones on the island. It was also the University of Auckland Wine Science Centre. So instead, I decided to go to the town village called Oneroa. It was recommended by my host and had a lot of lovely shops, cafés and a beautiful beach. I stopped off at a little restaurant, overlooking the beach, to have a nice glass of wine and a prawn with mango sauce dish.I met a very lovely couple who had just arrived and we’re on their retirement journey. We had many a toast to retirement! I went for a really nice long walk on the beach, dip my toes in the water before I caught the bus. It was just so lovely! While I was waiting for the bus to take me to the ferry, I met a Canadian couple, Pang and Bruce. They came from a place near Toronto. They had just come from Sydney and had a lovely time there. They met in Southeast Asia years ago. Pang was from Laos and Bruce from Ontario. Bruce had also been in New Zealand 40 years ago and wanted her to see it, although it was a different journey than his previous one on a motor bike. I was able to give them some suggestions on places I found helpful for traveling here. Once we got off the ferry, I grabbed a bus and had this most wonderful bus driver. He let me get on the bus for free! I walked home along Ponsonby Road and there were a few places with live music. Something to consider later in the week

EXPLORING AUCKLAND NEIGHBOURHOODS

I often find large cities quite overwhelming. I start feeling more comfortable once I explore neighbourhoods. It is always so familiar and unique to see different activities and nonprofit and business services in communities. Of course my radar is attuned to the many things that make up neighbourhoods from years of working in Renfrew Collingwood. I love watching parents taking children to childcare and school, seeing sports played on local fields, witnessing gatherings in faith based places, experiencing the walking and biking trails, swimming , seeing health and medical centres, relaxing on local beaches and being stimulated by arts, culture and culinary delights. Auckland has a very diverse population and there are lots of places that help and support settlement, inclusion and neighbours helping neighbours. Last night a woman stopped to offer me a ride up the hill I was climbing. So thoughtful! I have felt very safe here. New Zealand police don’t carry guns unless it is a special force needed in escalated situations. They don’t have a tipping culture as people are paid a decent wage in working in service jobs. They are however challenged by affordable housing like many cities and countries.
Some of the neighbourhoods I have explored include Ponsonby, Westhaven, Grey Lynn, Britomart, Devonport, and Herne Bay.

One of the unique Kiwi experiences is watching people “popping a manu”. My friend Carl had sent me an article from the Guardian about this unique water jumping activity. It just so happened that the world championships were taking place in Auckland this weekend so I went and sat in the bleachers and enjoyed watching the jumpers and enthusiastic crowds. It took me a while to figure out how people were judged. Initially, I thought it had to do with form, but after a few jumps and hearing about scores, I realized it had to do with how big of a splash you could make. They had first time jumpers and more experienced one, a very inclusive approach to a world competition.

FOOD IN NEW ZEALAND

Many of you have been asking if I am collecting recipes on this trip. Unfortunately not this trip however I have enjoyed many, many, many delicious food experiences. I have been cooking mostly at home for a couple of reasons. I’m gonna be away for nine weeks and I just couldn’t imagine eating in restaurants that whole time. As well, it would be quite expensive as cost are close to what we would pay in Canada. All of my accommodations have had small or full kitchens. I have been shopping in markets and grocery stores throughout New Zealand and meeting wonderful local people suggesting different fish I should try or advising on local wine. Many have tapped their discount cards for me so I can get my groceries cheaper. Everything that I have purchased has come from this incredible country. As you likely noted in all of the scenery pictures, there’s an incredible number of farms in New Zealand. There is fresh fruit, delicious yogurt and cheese. A wide variety of vegetables and local chicken, beef, and lamb. Then , of course, having an island surrounded by water lots of fish and seafood. The fish is a little bit different here although they do have snapper and farmed king salmon. I’ve tried a couple of new kinds of fish: Tarakihi, Gunnard and kingfish. ( although I think Bonnie and I had Kingfish in South Africa). All of them completely delicious! Pairing all of this with wonderful wines has been delectable.
When I did venture out to eat, everything was well prepared, and ingredients were fresh. The service was impeccable and the decor always very comfortable and welcoming. The diversity of cuisine is incredible. I ate Thai, Vietnamese, Indian ( yes Kuldip, they have Indian here), Japanese, Greek, Lebanese, Italian, South American, South Pacific , Maori (kai). And of course fish and chips. Lots of small dishes. My meal last night!

This will be my last posting while I’m in New Zealand. I’m gonna be very sorry to leave this incredible country and it’s people. As you can probably tell by my blog, I have felt Up Down Under every day and with every person I have met and experience. I will cherish these memories forever!!!
Tomorrow, I fly from Auckland to Brisbane and head to Noosa, to meet my friend Leonie. It has been over 6 months since I have seen Leonie. I am looking forward to hearing her stories and seeing her new home. Noosa is on the Sunshine Coast of Australia. Got to love a coast that has sunshine in it!!
More adventures to come as I travel through Australia over the next month.

I booked a day trip to go to the Waitomo Caves and Hobbiton Movie set. It was such a great day filled with such unique experiences. We travelled through many farm lands, mostly known for dairy farming and raising world class race horses. This area has the highest dairy farming in New Zealand, which is one of its biggest economies along with tourism.
It also had many places that were cherished by the Maori people. At one point, we passed the Taupiri Mountain, which is where the Maori buried their royalty. I was not aware there was a Maori monarchy.

The first Maori king was Potatau Te Whereowhero who was crowned in 1858. The monarchy is nonheritary, however every monarch since has been a child of the previous monarch. In 2024, the 8th monarch was crowned. A Queen, Nga Wai hono i te po, a 27 year old woman. She is the second queen, the first being her grandmother. The monarch is chosen by a council of New Zealand’s indigenous Maori chiefs.

We also went through Hamilton known for its beautiful gardens. Jan and her family were situated here for part of their visit in New Zealand and really enjoyed it. We also went through Cambridge, a sports centre where national rowers and cyclist are trained as are other athletes.

We landed at the Waitomo Caves and were warmly greeted by our Maori guides. Our guide was named Ocean. We were led through these amazing caves, filled with limestone. I never experienced such a unique environment. There were areas quite low and others high up. The highest area we were taken to is called the cathedral . It was said that Bob Marley, The Beatles, and other famous musicians, sang here as there was no echo. The limestone formations, sometimes resemble figures like birds, elephants, etc., similar to what we often see as images in cloud formations or in tree barks. Isn’t nature amazing! We were then led into boats and cruised through the caves in full darkness, where we saw glow worms ( which are actually maggots however, they decided to advertise worms as maggots didn’t sound so attractive for tourists).It truly was a magical experience. I am so glad that my friend Jan had recommended it. I always take Jan’s travel advice.We have travelled many parts of the world together and she knows how I enjoy new and unique experiences. As we travelled in our boat, everyone was completely silent, overwhelmed by what we saw. It was like seeing millions of stars in a dark sky or at times it reminded me of light shining through a dense forest at dusk. Unfortunately , we couldn’t take pictures while we were there, but I will have that image in my memory always.

From the caves, we drove a couple hours to reach the Hobbiton movie set. I have not read the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit books or seen the movies. However , I remember how fascinated my niece Andrea was when she was a child and avid reader of the series. I was surprised how impressed I was with the site and had so much fun. I hope my grand nieces and nephews get to experience it at some point. The set is permanent now and is situated on the Alexander farm. When they were searching for a location, they were looking for something that would resemble “the Shire”. They wanted a lake, rolling hills and an iconic tree and found it all on this farm.
As we walked through the area ,it felt like I was in a fairytale. The cute little houses , colourful gardens, rolling hills, picturesque pathways, small miniature household items were all captivating. I must’ve taken 100 pictures and videos. I really loved the laundry with all the small clothes. Walking down the pathways, you could smell the flowers, see fruit trees bearing apples and pears. You could watch people keeping up the gardens. There were butterflies and birds that were flying around and looking so happy in the environment. My seatmate on the tour was Hyerim, a young Korean woman. She had watched the Lord of the Rings again before she came, so between her and our tour guide, I was able to picture particular scenes and hear scripts from the movies and books. It made me want to read the books and see the movies. At the end of our tour, we were led to the drinking establishment called The Green Dragon Inn and had a really nice refreshing Ale. Hobbits enjoy eating ( six meals a day), drinking , nature, gardening, walks, socializing, having parties, giving and receiving presents and love to rest and relax. They are also known for their love of community and home. Sounds like a beautiful life and my kind of people! It was such a lovely day and a wonderful experience . I have to say a great highlight of my trip.

I arrived in Rotorua around 8:15 in the morning and within five minutes, the helpful people at the i site had me booked for a Tera (guided tour) and Haka (cultural performance) at the Te Puia cultural centre. There were quite a few tour groups that arrived at the same time so it wasn’t as intimate as I was hoping. However, our guide was a sweet young Maori man. You could see he was so proud to share the stories of his people, land, and culture. The tour shared information on the vegetation and medicinal plants that were throughout the forest. We walked through areas with active geysers ( largest in the southern hemisphere) and bubbling mud pools. There were places where the Maori cooked food in the geothermal earth.

I liked this place as they were involved in conservation and education, both of the environment and Maori arts and culture. One of the areas of conservation that they were involved in were efforts to preserve kiwi birds, which were much bigger birds than I had imagined. We could not take pictures there however did see a male, female and baby Kiwi.

They also had a Maori Arts and Culture Institute that was established in 1963 by an Act of Parliament. The purpose was to promote, preserve, and protect arts, crafts and culture of the Maori people. It’s a nonprofit and most of the income to support its work is generated through their tourism. They offer learning programs to enable Maori to be trained in traditional arts and crafts. Students could attain a three year scholarship to study under the guidance of tutors to create traditional art forms. They had wood carvers, weavers, stone carvers, performers, traditional weapons and tools, and architecture. It was a very inspiring place and had a youthful energy, like a university ! Everyone was so welcoming, helpful, and proud.

We were welcomed into the ceremonial building and given a description of how we would be greeted, depending on the purpose of our visit. If we came in peace, the chief and his family would enter first , whereas in battle , it would be the chief and the men first. Once we were in the building, we were given a performance which included a traditional welcoming, beautiful singing and music , dance with a poi, demonstrations of games played in their village and the performance of the powerful haka, which is used to help prepare warriors before battle and to show their tribe’s pride, strength and unity.

I spent the afternoon soaking in the thermal pools at the Polynesian spa. People have been drawn to these waters for many years. It became quite known in 1878 when a Catholic priest was cured of his crippling arthritis from bathing in these waters. I went to the public pools and they had five separate pools all with different temperatures ( all hot) and various alkaline and acidic water mixtures. It was so relaxing! I have to say it did wonders for my arthritis. I hated to leave. I was wishing I could bring my brother Mike here. It would be so healing for him. I met some interesting people in the pools from New Zealand, South Africa, Korea, Canada, and England. We had a lot of meditative time and also some interesting conversations sharing our travel stories and experiences from our homelands. As we parted ways, we all acknowledged how much younger we looked and how we had an amazing healthy glow about us. I sure slept well that night and my body literally had no aches and pains. However, I have been washing my body and clothes trying to get that hot spring smell of rotten eggs gone. After several washes in vinegar, it is smelling a little lighter and more like devilled eggs.

I really enjoyed Rotorua and hope to get back here someday. There were so many things to choose to do. Since I only had a day , I had to pick my faves in the moment. Many of the people I talked to had gone on treetop walks over red cedar, or visited Hell’s Gate for the healing mud baths. There were also dinners and evening performances and activities that would’ve been pretty special at night in traditional villages. The town itself was quite beautiful, with gardens, lakes, public parks and art centres.

I arrived early evening in Mount Maunganui. The Mount, which is what local people call it, has the most beautiful beach which is partly why I wanted to come here. Most of you know that I do love my beaches! Trip Advisor claims it is #1 beach in New Zealand and supposedly in the top 25 nicest beaches in the world. Who could pass up that recommendation!

I was pleasantly surprised to arrive at my accommodation, which was right across the road from the beach. The place was far above my expectations. I have a spacious beach house all to myself with lovely decks and a host that is very thoughtful. She left some chilled wine, water, and snacks for me when I arrived and also lent me a bike so I can venture further a field in my explorations. On my bed, she had placed three sets of different kinds of pillows: soft ones, medium ones, and hard ones. I felt like Goldilocks!

Before I settled in for the night, I took a short walk down to the beach. It’s one of those fine white sand lakes beaches that is easy to walk on. It is 19 km long and goes to Papamoa , a suburb of Tauranga. The sounds of the waves were so meditative. I went to sleep that night with a big smile on my face, using all three styles of my pillows

I am so excited about being in my little beach house because it has a full kitchen. Most of the places I’ve been staying have a fridge and microwave but nothing really to cook on. This was a real treat for me to stock up on food and cook to my hearts content. New Zealand has amazing food. The area that “the Mount” is situated in is called the Bay of Plenty. You can imagine it has every food source right at its fingertips. So completely delicious!

My days here have been very relaxing and enjoyable. Every day, I take long walks on the beach, get into a meditative state and watch with great admiration the surfers and boogie boarders. Such amazing skill, and balance!

I can ride my bike throughout town very easily and there’s some beautiful trails beachside that also lead me to another city called Tauranga.

One of the things that people do when they come here is they hike up Mount Maunganui. Known to the Maori as Mauao. It is a dormant volcano . It’s a pretty steep climb, but only takes 40 to 50 minutes. I am generally not a climber as seemed to be blessed with prairie legs. I decided to go for it, and made it up the 576 steps to the summit. So glad I trained by living in an apartment in Vancouver that has 41 steps!

The views along the hike were stunning. You could see the Bay of Plenty including Tauranga harbour, surrounding coastline, islands and sandy beaches.

The New Zealanders call hiking “tramping”. My Prairie friends would be so happy to know that I packed a few dainties before I went tramping up Mount Maunganui. For those of you who are not from the prairies , a dainty is a term we use to describe baked goods.

I have to say that the best view of my tramping, with my dainties, was the first thing I saw as I reached the summit! I think you would agree, pretty breathtaking! To watch them exercise, while I caught my breath, from the steep climb, was even more enjoyable.

The Mount has a very lovely downtown core. Lots of beautiful shops and restaurants. Cruise ships and sailors anchor here in their very lovely bays.

I’ve been finding New Zealand i site services very helpful. They have great suggestions of things to do locally and are very helpful in making bookings and also often provide discounts.When I was in there , I made arrangements to go on my day trip to Rotorua, my next adventure stop.

As I’m writing my blog today, I’m also thinking of my sister Michelle who turned 70 today February 13th in the northern hemisphere. Michelle’s birthday was close to Valentine’s Day. I always remember as a child, Mom would make Michelle a Princess White cake ( Michelle’s favourite at the time) in the shape of a heart. Mom would decorate the cake with those little tasty cinnamon hearts. We would often have her cake at our Valentines parties at school and then other celebrations at home. I hope today Michelle you’re having a wonderful birthday and your day is filled with loads of hearts wishing you the best today and always!

Since I am a day ahead of the northern hemisphere , it was Valentine’s Day in New Zealand. I woke up to a posting of a very creative picture of a heart that Eddie had painted for Pawla. So touched my heart! To mark the day as special I got myself a little bottle of bubbly, some fresh prawns to cook for dinner, and took a beautiful walk on the beach. There was a water festival, people wind surfing, and fishing. There were lots of heart shapes drawn in the sand.

The whole time I was walking, I was filled with so much gratitude to have this experience and to have been able to see and experience so much of this world. I remembered how Mom, when Andrea and Johanna were little toddlers, used to take them out on the balcony of her apartment, which faced the wide open prairies. She would raise her arms up to the sky and yell out “HELLO WORLD , I LOVE YOU WORLD!” Then the girls, with their cute little toddler voices, would mimic her, raise their little arms and as loud as they could would repeat

“ HELLO WORLD, I LOVE YOU WORLD! ”

Well today on Valentine’s Day in the southern hemisphere, looking over the wide expanse of the ocean. I lifted my arms to the sky and in my loudest voice said “HELLO WORLD, I LOVE YOU WORLD” .

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of my family and friends. Love you all!

It was sad to leave Napier however always happy to explore new places. The bus ride from Napier had a two hour stop in a town called Taupo. The ride there was very picturesque and the shades of green were so beautiful to view. Of course, I missed some of the best shots on a moving bus. I will let you imagine!

Taupo is a lovely Lakeside community. I had enough time there to take a leisurely walk around the lake and witness everybody enjoying this place. People were relaxing on the beach, swimming ,playing checkers in the park, cycling, and walking down the lakeside paths. My favourite was the driving range, where people were challenged to get a hole-in-one on the raft situated in the middle of the water. The prize was $10,000 so people were pretty excited to show off their talents. I think Andrea’s friend Erica needs to take this one on. As in most places, there was always lots of Maori carvings, and art work to behold.

Back on the bus for another 2 1/2 hours before I reached my final destination. En route we stopped at the town of Rotorua, known for its Maori culture , geysers, stunning landscapes, mud baths and hot springs. I was advised by many people to not stay there, as it was pretty smelly ( like rotten eggs) from the Hot Springs. So, I decided to come back on a day trip later in the week to explore the area.

Napier is a coastal Art Deco town of about 68,000 people. I was staying in a garden flat that was high up on the bluff. It was quiet and serene and overlooked a garden with chickens on the property. It was a 10 minute walk into town , which was situated along a very picturesque waterfront that seemed to go on for kilometres. I spent the day exploring the town and was just so impressed with the architecture.

I went to their museum and heard some pretty incredible stories through their exhibitions. They had Māori stories that featured leaders in the area and contributions they had made. I really enjoyed their traditional stories of the creation of the natural environment. When I look at the mountains, streams, forests, ravines, waterfalls, and the environment, these stories will resonate with me. I wish we had more of this in Canada!

They also had a film that featured four survivors of the 1931, 7.9 earthquake. The people telling their stories would have been in elementary school, high school or young adults at the time. It was heart wrenching to hear about the disaster that they lived through. Also encouraging as they described the way that community came together and how they rebuilt this town. The town had very few things that survived the earthquake, many people lost their lives, and those that survived were impacted by the trauma. However , the town leaders wanted people to focus on the future and they went about to completely rebuild the town. So most of the rebuilding took place from 1931 to 1933 and many of those buildings are still standing and have become preserved through a group called the Art Deco Trust. Imagine how much organizing must’ve been to achieved, considering they rebuilt at a time when the depression was felt in New Zealand.

I was intrigued by these stories, so I went over to the art deco centre to find out a little bit more. What a wonderful afternoon I had with the volunteers working at the centre. First, they led me to this dress up corner. They had all kinds of clothes from the 20s and 30s. I have to say the styles and partying spirit of that time has always been one of my favourites. I was reminded how much fun it is to get dressed up. I used to love doing it as a child and Mom would often find me in her best dress showing off my ( or her) attire on the streets of Wilcox. As a teen and young adult, my friends, and I would always get dressed up for Halloween. When I worked in childcare, dramatic play was always one of my favourite activities with the children. The volunteers and I shared many laughs and they were delighted how I got into the spirit of this era.

The next day I signed up for the art deco tour throughout the town. It was so beautiful and hard to capture everything they shared on the tour. The architectural designs included Art Deco with Maori motifs, Stripped Classical, Spanish Mission and Prairie Style. These were very popular in the 1930s, which was when they were rebuilding the town.

They also had old cars from that era driving around. Mom’s Uncle Moe used to have one of these cars and I remember how it would turn heads as he drove the family around Wilcox.

After our tour, I went for a gin and tonic with a woman named Christina who is from Melbourne and also on the tour. She was in her 80s and travelling alone in a very similar way that I was by bus, in several different places. We had great laughs together. She was very entertaining and as you can imagine quite young at heart. She was so impressed that I came from a Prairie town that was only 10 km away from where her favourite show “Corner Gas” was filmed. It was like she had met a celebrity. Who would’ve thought that show would’ve reached audiences in Australia.

Napier was just getting ready to celebrate their annual festival. Everyone gets dressed up in clothes from the roaring 20s, have old style performances, dance classes from the era, and much more. Sorry I will miss it.

Today was also the anniversary of the signing of the Waitangi Treaty. It is a national holiday and there were celebrations all over the country. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it to one of them, so spent a bit of the morning watching the live coverage on the treaty grounds. Very impressive and educational. It is also a very challenging time here. A member of Parliament has been pushing to have the treaty renegotiated. Many people, other members of Parliament, the media say that this will not happen however, it has raised issues of trust and has deeply affected the Maori and a majority of New Zealanders who take great pride in their country, their relationships, and its welcoming and inclusive nature.

While I was in Napier, I also explored a neighbourhood called Ahuriri . It had a beautiful walkway with stunning views of the Hawkes Bay area. I was able to see the port and then make my way into the sailing club area where there were lots of restaurants and activity places along the way. I decided to rent a bike and head up to one of the vineyards that people had told me was quite spectacular. Of course at the bike shop they told me it was about 8 km ride . Well for me, it was closer to 12 with many stops and starts from losing direction. I met a lot of very wonderful people who were helpful in getting me back on track. The trip was spectacular and it was a very easy trail (except for lack of direction signage). I went through beautiful park areas , farmlands, along rivers, over and under old railway bridges . It was really a very lovely ride. Finally made it to the Mission Estate Winery. It was established in 1851 by pioneering French missionaries. It is New Zealand’s oldest winery and said to be the birthplace of New Zealand wine. The man at the bike shop told me that it was still owned by the Catholic Church. I had a very delicious flight of reds! I am not sure if it was the wine, but the ride home was much quicker!

The next day Russel and Estelle, owners of the place I rented, gave me a ride to the bus depot. Very thoughtful as most hosts don’t offer this. I was taking the bus to Taupo, had a two hour layover there before I made my way to Mount Maunganui. More on that journey in my next posting.

I took a day trip to Akaroa, a town of 3700 people that was settled by the French and was about two hours away from Christchurch. The drive was through incredible scenery including mountains, ocean views, lakes that were covered in black swans, farms with cattle, sheep, and horses grazing.

The town was situated in a beautiful Harbour and at one time a place for honeymooners to go. They had cafés, cute little houses, french restaurants, walks along the waterfront and an interesting history museum.

I had a very delicious lunch there however, one of the things that I’ve noted when you’re travelling alone is that you’re never alone. Normally people come to join me at my table, but in Akaroa, I had flocks of birds that insisted on joining me for my lunch. At times, it felt like a scene out of the Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds”. Anyway , I managed to gobble up everything I ordered without sharing a drop. I left with a satisfied belly and squawking birds sharing their displeasure at my rudeness. Thinking “ those selfish anglaise”

It was a lovely day and a sweet town with very welcoming french settlers. I always love to read local papers and while I was sipping my cafe au lait, read about the local fair that took place. Sheep shearing, horse racing, baking contest, wine tasting, cabarets, burlesque, Le cancan (Mom’s favourite that Johanna performed as a young dancer), french food and craft vendors, kids games, and much more. I smiled thinking of all the country fairs I have enjoyed and how common they are around the world.

Last night in Christchurch was pretty domestic as had to get ready to catch a flight to Napier at 6:30 am. Note to self, pay a little extra and get a more reasonable time to depart.

Christchurch is the city of 400,000 people. It’s one of the most easy cities to navigate, I only got lost once and tourists were asking me for directions because I looked so confident! A dream come true!
The city is filled with wide walkways, parks, gardens, trails along the river, arts and culture everywhere. I was so impressed with the arts and culture. It seemed like every where I turned there was something to view or to be entertained by street performers. The International Buskers Festival was happening and it was so much fun. One of my favourites was Kahuraki from Chile. The streets were filled with laughter for the whole festival.

Murals were on many walls and shared visual stories of people, places and experiences. They had a lovely street called Regent Street which was a couple blocks from where I was living. Lots of restaurants, and people watching to be had. The tram would run through there , one was sightseeing and the other a tram restaurant.

There was an incredible arts hub situated in the old University of Canterbury, a beautiful stoned building. An entire block is dedicated to fostering the arts, culture, education, and creativity.Te Matatiki Toi Ora is operated by an independent charity, and its home to over 70 entities, including galleries, museums, cinemas, boutique, retailers, accommodation, artisan, eateries, bars, events, educational and creative classes, venues, and more. It reminded me of the vision that the Renfrew Collingwood Arts Pow Wow held for so many years, with parts of their vision coming to fruition. Hopefully that vision will still carry through with the current residents in the Neighbourhood and some kind of cultural hub can be created and sustained, building on previous work of the creatives.

Across from the arts hub was the Botanical Gardens. Such a beautiful place to stroll through and stop to smell the roses, reflect, and appreciate the nature around me. At the centre, they had a World Peace Bell. Many of us were lining up to ring it considering the horrible challenges our world is dealing with now. So many people from different places gave me hope.

The city also had a number of markets in Cathedral Square and also within the arts hub. Most had arts and crafts as well as food trucks so there was always lots of activity happening. The Riverside market is very well-known and has a lot of different spaces to enjoy locally sourced and cooked food. They also had a market called the “ Seekers Makete”. Such a cool name!

I really enjoyed the art gallery. Every place I go has amazing storytelling of history as well as social and environmental movements. This gallery was no exception. They had line-cuts from England, history of New Zealand displayed in video, paintings, sculptures, weaving, and carvings, They had a section that had recipes to bring attention to environmental impacts of resource extraction. Mining crumble is an example.

There was a lot of rebuilding that was taking place as a result of the earthquake that happened in Christchurch a few years ago. The renovations on the cathedral was quite interesting as they had developed another facility that’s completely made of cardboard as a temporary place for people to worship. Many of these projects have had lots of stops and starts under way and are behind schedule due to financial constraints.

I had a beautiful day with friends of Jude Liskowich‘s, John and Rosemary. Jude and I went to high school together. They were friends of Jude‘s that she met 40 years ago when they all worked together as doctors and nurses in Isle – a -la Crosse, a rural community in northern Saskatchewan. We had a lot of laughs talking about our shared friend Jude, and all of our experiences travelling to different parts of the world. We spent the day going to beautiful park areas, surrounding the city. Public parks now that used to be old private estates with beautiful gardens situated along the river. We strolled through the gardens of Mona Vale and ate at the Riccarton House. From there, we went to Sumner Beach and had a beautiful walk along the beachfront. It was one of the destinations that my friend Joy recommended although she really expected me to walk the whole coastal walkway. It was considered a short jaunt from somebody who just got back from walking the Camino! John and Rosemary have been so helpful on this trip and keep in touch to make sure I’m safe and also to give me suggestions of different places I might want to experience on my journey through their beautiful country.

Tomorrow, I am going to take a day trip to Akaroa, a french settlement two hours from Christchurch.