Log Date: December 22, 2005

Location: New Zealand the Land of Vowels

Regarding vowels- Whangarei, Whangaroa, Moturua, Motururu, Pahia, Opua, Whangamumu, Mangonui, Urapukapuka are just a few of the places we've visited. A challenge to pronounce! We are trying hard to get it right.

It's hard to believe we've been in New Zealand almost 2 months now.

"Keep the yellow line to the right". Ah, driving in NZ on the left side of the road.  You'd think because Susan is a lefty that this would be a no brainer for her but - so far a few comments have come from the locals.  The roads are quite narrow unless you're near or going through a city. And then, only 4 lane roads at the widest.  The roads are quite windy and hilly but thankfully there are plenty of curve warning signs so you can slow down.  Top speed on roads is 100kph which is about 60mph.  Not sure I'd want to go much faster.

We drove to Auckland to drop friends off at the airport and spent a few hours wandering around.  Kind of reminded me of Seattle with the needle building.  Not a lot of skyscrapers here, which actually makes it much easier to get around.  We saw 4 Starbuck coffee shops in a 5-block area and of course we had to stop.  Decaf coffee is hard to find in grocery shops so we bought a few bags and a latte. 

They do bungee jumping off SkyCity, which is just like the Seattle Needle.  Ok, in the middle of the city you can jump off a building.  I suppose that if you were suicidal you could try it out first on the bungee jump and wouldn't have to worry about changing your mind half way down.  There are a few touristy things we'd like to see there and will spend more time when we pick up friends at the airport in January.

The countryside remains spectacular here - just gorgeous.  The North Island has quite a few mountains at 3-4,000 ft high with wide valleys with tons of sheep and cattle.  Although driving is still a challenge, it is fun to simply drive the countryside.  Everyone we've met is quite friendly and always willing to help out if we have questions or need anything.  The Kiwi's can be quite inventive when solving problems.

Last, but not least, we must make comments about grocery stores and laundry.  Sometimes it seems that cruising is more about hoping for a laundromat and finding grocery stores than learning about the culture and history of places.  We have found the New World Grocery store and it is wonderful!  Think Publix or Wegmans.  Laundry facilities are available at the Marina, as well as hot $1 showers.  We are in heaven!

Merry Xmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year to All!

Enjoying Life Onboard.

Susan and Laura

SV Mystic Traveler