Artifical green at Mairangi Bay Bowls Club
Mairangi Bay Bowling club has 2 grass greens and 1 artificial green - that's the one they were playing on as the grass greens were being worked on. I was asked to try out the green but refused at the risk of making a fool of myself on a green running at least 19 seconds... yikes!!!
We also made a turn at Browns Bay Bowling club. Browns Bay is where many, many South Africans have moved to. It is a suburb on the North Shore where one can hear Afrikaans being spoken freely in the streets. That part of Auckland has loads of beautiful beaches. We drove around Torbay, Browns Bay, Campbell's Bay, Takapuna and Devonport.
Note: Check out the clear blue sky! We experienced the most wonderful weather in Auckland.
We also went up Mount Victoria and North Head where we were saturated with the most spectacular, unobstructed views of downtown Auckland and across the harbour to the Eastern bays.
The City of Auckland from Mount Victoria
The Eastern Bays
These two hills, Mount Victoria and North Head, were honeycombed with fortified tunnels during a Russian invasion scare in the 1870's. We then made our way down to the Ferry Terminal in Devonport where we boarded a ferry to downtown Auckland. The ferry trip to the CBD is only 10 minutes (departs and arrives between Devonport and CBD every 15 minutes) and a wonderful experience, especially when passing the New Zealand Navy en route - all 2 ships!
With Steffen on the ferry approaching Auckland Harbour
We spent some time browsing the harbour and surrounds. There was so much to see.
With Peter at the Viaduct
We took a walk up the main street in the city, Queens street, and then headed to the casino where Peter treated us to lunch. At the casino, one also finds the cloud-piercing Sky Tower. It is the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere and the eighth highest in the world at 328 metres.
The Sky Tower
The following day we left for Rotorua for 2 days. It was a very scenic and relaxed 2-hour drive. (Thanks Lorraine for the driving). In 1934, George Bernard Shaw declared: "I was pleased to get so close to Hades and be able to return." Rotorua's tranquility is punctuated by intense hot and steamy thermal activity. We visited the Wai-O-Tapu (Moari for "Sacred Waters") Thermal Wonderland and spent a few hours admiring what the bubbling mud pools and roaring geysers hurling super-heated water into a sulpher-laden atmosphere had to offer. The smell was... um... yugh, but one gets used to it sooner than you realise.
Smelling, seeing and hearing was not enough for me and my curiosity took over...
We were fortunate to see the Lady Knox geyser "sing". This is not continuous and only happens at irregular times in the day.
The Lady Knox geyser "singing"
Other attractions included the Champagne Pool and the Bridal Veil falls.
The Champagne Pool gets its name from the constant bubbling of its waters
To me, Rotorua, Maori for "second lake", is largely a place where the earth's crust has disappeared. The hot mineral water has magical healing properties, especially for the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism but for most people it is a pleasant form of relaxation.
We stayed in a quaint resort right next to the lake in very comfortable accommodation, arranged by Peter. It was a bitterly cold night and we enjoyed our time soaking in a hot tub.
Our accommodation: Cedar Wood Lakeside resort in Rotorua
The next day we set off to visit a Maori village that was fairly close by. We enjoyed a tour of the area and were educated on Moari culture and tradition.
Competitive tribalism was the basis of Moari life. The family and hapu (sub-tribe) were the unit of society that determined who married whom, where people lived, where and when they fought other tribes and why. Tibal ancestors were venerated, as were the gods representing the natural elements (the earth, the sky, the wind, the sea, etc.)
Aunty Molly and the other tour guide
As a tour group, we had to elect a Tribal Chief to represent us at the Marae, the meeting house. From our group of about 30 people, Steffen was elected as our Chief and had to go forward and "meet" the warrior messenger from the host tribe. This is a very serious ritual and Steffen was informed that he was not, in any way, to smile, laugh or turn his back on the warrior. Any of these actions was a sign of disrespect and, in times gone by, would indicate an immediate attack on the tribes. The warrior drops a branch in front of the visiting Chief as a token of peace. If the branch is picked up, it is a sign of a peaceful visit.
Steffen accepting the branch from the warrior
The meeting house or Marae
The Marae is also seen as a sacred place and we had to take off our shoes before entering. Only men were allowed to sit in the front row with woman and children sitting in the rows behind them.
We experienced a very warm welcome from the tribe and were entertained with traditional Maori song and dance.
We were then showed how to do the haka warrior dance and had the opportunity to try it.
On the left trying to do the haka
Our Chief, Steffen, and the host
We returned to Auckland via Cambridge and Hamilton. The rural town of Cambridge sits on the Waikato river, 24 km southeast of Hamilton. The town's tree-lined streets and village green give it a very English atmosphere. Cambridge is also a major centre for the horse breeding industry and is populated by stud farms. It really is a beautiful, affluent town and also the parish of the Vicar General of the Hamilton diocese.
Hamilton, the capital of the Waikato district, is New Zealand's fourth largest city and 136 km south of Auckland. Around almost every turn in the road, we saw herds and herds of cattle, free-grazing on pastures along fertile river valleys... this was postcard beautiful.
Back in Auckland, we decided to get tickets for the musical "Priscilla, Queen of the desert". Unfortunately, we just couldn't get any tickets as all shows were sold out. The closest we got was to see one of the actors walking down Queen street and stopped to ask for a photo.
Steffen with Bill Hunter (Bob in the show)
We also took a ferry trip to Waiheke Island with our dear friends, Alison and Mike. Alison worked with me at Old Mutual some years ago. She and Mike decided to immigrate to New Zealand with 3 daughters and a mother-in-law... no easy task but Alsion is one of the most determined people I know. It was wonderful spending time with them.
With Alison and Mike on Waiheke Island
We took a brief tour around part of the island and then stopped off at a restaurant for lunch. The beaches around the island are spectacular and one could see people strolling along the unending beaches and taking their dogs for walks. A few years ago, the majority of the inhabitants were artists, potters, architects, authors and the likes. These days, because of the only 35 minute catamaran ride to Devonport and 45 minutes to downtown Auckland, the profile of the island's population has changed. Where simple cottages stood previously, now one will find architect-designed houses sprinkled on the slopes overlooking the many beautiful bays.
We continued exploring Auckland, during our last couple of days and were not disappointed by the friendliness of the Kiwis. We also saw the market, Ponsonby and hundreds of coffee shops, not to mention watching the rugby test between the All Blacks and the Springboks (played in Wellington) in which the All Blacks won.
Although it was sad to leave our friends and the city that we grew to love, we were excited to fly to Sydney on the last leg of our 3 cities, 3 weeks holiday.
Until next time... keep smiling.
Shaun
