Here are some video clips going back to my Intrepid tour on the South Island. Most are very short, catering to short attention spans! No problem? I put a few clips on Part 2 (check ’em out), but was too lazy until now, and still not editing them together. Nonetheless, they’ve been meticulously curated.

First up, Masha paddling on our kayak expedition. Then, a nice bridge (foreshadowing!)…

Later, on the same day as the kayaking, some clips of our epic helicopter ride to the top of Fox Glacier, with Paul & Ollie…

Coming down the gondola into Queenstown. Then, some entertaining lasses thereabouts…

Just a few samples from the boat ride around Milford Sound…

The Homer tunnel back from Milford Sound. Then a road clip…

The Foo Fighters from outside the venue. (They had made it hard to find a place in Christchurch, and then again in Wellington. Not sure about the price of a ticket…?) Rock on…

“The Portal“. at the Steampunk HQ in Oamaru…

The train to Picton, then the ferry to Wellington, all in one glorious day…

Nearabouts Taupo? Speedboating on the lake. Part of Huka Falls. Country driving…

Day one in Rotorua, near the end of some mountain biking with Ron’s mates…

On the Canopy Tour with Julian, his guide partner, and two nice families…

The amazing Timber Trail! One of many crazy suspension bridges and some time lapse, etc…

Back from two days mountain biking for at least 50 miles, we encountered some festive lads at a pub engaging in some puerile shenanigans involving beer – lots & fast…

Lakeside Concert thanks to R & H’s friends, Viv & Peter…

Julian playing at El Mexicano Zapata…

Cooper interview at Ohope – “yeees”…

On the bus to Auckland…

At the Sky Tower in Auckland…

At the Tane Mahuta Giant Kauri in the Waipoua Forest…

Explorations on the way to Cape Reinga (Hokianga Harbor)…

Flying home from Auckland International Airport (a study of water)…

I saved this one for the end ’cause it’s longwise (portrait), shot by someone else, and really because I added it later (in Bangkok) thanks to this smokin’ fast wifi (great uploads) in the ASAI hotel…

Well, that’s it ladies & gentlemen. What a great trip! Many thanks to Ron E. & Heather, Tiger & Maizee (sp?), Julian & Cooper, and their friends. Stay tuned for more adventures coming up soon…

I rented my third car for the last leg of this lil’ trip, a two and a half day scramble to the northern tip of New Zealand: Cape Reinga. Along the way, I went through the beautiful Waipoua Forest (on a very fun road). Therein I visited the Tane Matua, a giant Kauri tree – and it was impressive. As wide as an old growth redwood tree, albeit shorter, it was equally difficult to capture in a photo…

I continued up to the huge and dramatic Orongotea Bay. (Note the odd roadside pic of a missing pooch.) I made my way to Rawene (!) where I took the ferry to continue driving north. Kinda fun…

I made it to the Ahipara Holiday Park (in the small beach town of the same name), a pretty cool place to stay. Motored on the next day up to Cape Reinga, the northern most point in New Zealand…

The famous icon of Cape Reinga is the lighthouse. Actually, it’s classic and I wasn’t alone. In fact, it was a quite well-appointed tourist destination with lots of interpretive signage and very serviceable path. A breathtaking location, nonetheless I had to take the random shot of the interior of the lighthouse through the little window on the door. Could’ve stayed there for hours and explored the various trails, but I checked it out, then headed back for the long drive to Auckland Airport…

Along the way I stopped in an interesting antique store to talk with Bill, the proprietor, about samuri swords and buy a Valentine’s Day present. I decided to make little ferry boat rides a theme for my northern journey, so I headed to Paihia (actually Opua) to catch the ferry to Russell…

The Bay of Islands might be one the cooler places in New Zealand, especially if you have a boat. There was even a cruise ship parked off Paihia, so it must have some allure. It was another charming little crossing to the more charming and historical village of Russell. But I wasn’t there long…

I had my one unfortunate occurrence when I was backed into by a local. As it happened, I was backing into a spot while she was backing out from the other side of the road, and we lightly scraped bumpers. The annoying part was that she did not cop to her guilt! Hopefully, it’ll be a nothing burger, but wingnuts and insurance companies can be problematic. Fortunately, the damage to my rental car was non-existent …

I powered on to Whangarei. First pic – and the only place worth taking one – the local Art entity. The rock-bottom, cheapest place to stay on Expedia was the Grand Hotel. So, choosing the fleabag option, I shared a building with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip from their 1953 visit to New Zealand. No pix of the Thai-Indian Restaurant, just off the lobby (but which might’ve a less than desirable exit), which was the highlight of my stay there. Next morning, powering to the airport, I went over Aucklands version of the Sydney bridge, verified that OneNZ is a shit smart phone option, watched the second quarter of the Super Bowl, and got on my United non-stop to SFO…

This very last batch depicts, somewhat, the resemblance of NZ to NorCal (or at least the Santa Cruz mountains). Note pix of Auckland, etc., and the last two, near home in La Honda…

Reckon I oughta post some videos in the last set… #9, #9, #9, #9, #9, #9, #9, #9, #9…

Started my only full day in Auckland by hitting the iconic Sky Tower. Looking up…

…and looking down… (Find my hotel: “Pop, drop & GO”? Find Rangitoto Island or Mt. Victoria?)

Garden strolls…

The Auckland Art Gallery. This batch features part of the “Robertson Gift” and includes Dali (note detail), Braques, Gaugin, Matisse and a Picasso depicting Françoise Gilot and their two kids, etc.

The Auckland Art Gallery. This batch starts with a picture of a picture of the Robertson home with the paintings on their walls. (How many years in private, and how many other artworks are not in museums?) Otherwise, a miscellaneous collection of pix from the “Portals & Omens” & a Gothic hallway…

This batch is all in one particularly great room. Called: “The Threads of Time” that link will take you to a 93 page pdf about Travel, Trade & Textiles, the theme. I focus on Brueghel the Younger’s “Village Fair,” so old, so cool, and a few others. Zoom in…!

This batch starts with a drop in: Te Aka Matua, then some highlights from the Maori collection, some miscellaneous coolness, a focus on a painting depicting a thwarted & frustrated Alexander Pope. The batch ends exiting through the gift shop, and the last pic is not in the AAG, but a shop across the street…

Having left the Auckland Art Gallery, I walked up to K-Road, continuing to find art everywhere…

Ubering back to the waterfront, I took a ferry out to Devonport and climbed Mt. Victoria. A great alternative to the Rangitata Island boat I missed in the morning, closer, smaller, easier, and maybe cooler? Note Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth in port (if it’d been QM2 I’da freaked out!). Thus endeth the day…

I’ll close this post with a pic of a pic in my hotel room, of my delightful ferry destination: Devonport…

This first batch starts in my brother’s “surgery” or medical office (he had to drop off/pick up some paperwork), and it ends in the pub across the street where a group of guys were having the first leg of a bachelor party (and a team drinking contest)…

Right when we came back from our journey, I was transferred to Heather’s care and taken to a fun event: The Lakeside “Re-Imagine” Concert – and we had VIP passes, thanks to their friends Viv & Peter. It started with a nice dinner (note Heather chatting with the mayor of Rotorua, Tania Tapsell). You can see her again later in this batch, on stage with her baby. It was a great show with a diversity of artists and musical styles, and it ended with a great fireworks display (video clips coming later)…

The next day Dr. Vail had a heavy and complicated medical procedure. Afterwards, we took the dogs for a walk at a beautiful spot (with bear tea party) not far away. For dinner, we went to El Mexicano Zapata restaurant and had a nice chat with the owner (a Chiliean whose family was victimized by the US supported overthrow of Salvador Allende and the fascist regime of Augusto Pinochet) who played some music and encouraged Julian to do the same…

The next day, we drove to Ohope, the beach town where Dr. & Mrs. Vail have vacationed for years. First up, the place they’ve been renting. Next up, the place they just bought so they can now have a permanent escape! It’s the upper apartment at the back of an eight-unit complex two doors away from their beach house rental. The bamboo forest I’m crawling through is behind their property at the base of the forested cliff just above Ohope. Exciting moment as the deal had just closed and their realtor brought over the keys so they just took possession (and started planning some renovations)…

In addition to surf and boogie boards, their rental had a kayak, so of course I took it for a spin around the nearby point. Unfortunately, it seemed like a kids’ kayak (or my butt’s too big), so I wasn’t inspired to go very far. But the exploration options are many – with a better kayak and some reef runners…

Cooper and I spent some time exploring, and a lot of time playing in the waves (catching a few on boogie boards). He likes to warm up in the sand after the water starts to get chilly. Also, some casual art – wood carvings at the beach and a cat creation by a well known cat lover…

Ron & I popped back to Rotorua to take Cooper to school, get some stuff from their house, and visit some folks. First up, John and Nellie Chan, a kind and wise older Chinese couple who gave us some tea and snacks, and showed their interesting garden. Check out some books John has written about learning Chinese! Then, we went to the lovely home of their friends Torsten and Jo to borrow a carpet cleaner, etc. Jo showed us their spectacular view, miniature horses, and longhorn cattle…

We went back to Ohope for another Mexican restaurant, and the next day R & H took me to the bus stop in Whakatane for a long ride to Auckland. This batch starts with a view spot shot of Ohope, some of the islands just off the coast, and monuments in Whakatane. Some farewell shots, and a few more of Rotorua and inside the bus. Thanks to Ron & Heather, not just for putting me up for more than a few days, but for the bold move of moving to and settling in New Zealand. To get jobs, raise kids, make friends, learn the ropes, and build a life in an entirely new country is impressive! Kind of a great place…

After a long but relatively comfortable bus ride, I arrived in Auckland, right at the base of the famous Sky Tower, and walked the two blocks to my hotel. I strolled around a bit, scoped out the waterfront, had some dinner, and came back to work on this post. Once again, I get to the point where enough is enough, and will finish my stay in Auckland, and for that matter, New Zealand (this year), in my next post (perhaps including some video clips)…

Thanks for coming along this far…

Dear Viewers, once again, this is a longish post, but please stay strong. Eventually, it will take you to the Timber Trail, a two-day ride, almost 90 kilometers and lots of ups & downs. Stamina + endurance!

Dumping rain when I left Wellington in another rental car. Thought you were done with museums? Nope! The Hawke’s Bay Museum was a little gem featuring nostagic memorabilia from the old days…

Longish drive to Napier, famous for their Art Deco buildings. First tho’, I checked out the beach just south, but chose not to drive to Cape Kidnappers (shown first). An Earthquake that wrecked the town caused Napier to rebuild with an Art Deco theme, and I’ve included a few other artistic bits…

After checking out downtown Napier, I stayed on the other side of the peninsula and took a nice walk through the estuary across the street at dusk…

The next day, I drove to Taupo. In spite of some rain, there was a nice farmer’s market and a power boat race. This batch also features a trip to Huka Falls, and interesting sites thereabouts…

Even before I left the hotel in Taupo, Ron called and encouraged me to get to Rotorua in time to go biking with his mates. So I did! Perhaps the hardest uphill of my time there, still a fun downhill. The next day we did another ride near town, not as brutal and with a much smoother, super-fun downhill.

Went to visit Heather’s office at the Art Village, and this batch includes Ron in the garden and in the kitchen – related endeavors…

After two days biking locally, I got to go do some zip lines on the Rotorua Canopy Tour, the very cool place where Julian now works. Went with two nice families, one from NZ, one from North Dakota, two girls each. Great fun, and lots of nature lessons…

Went out to dinner with the crew & Cooper for Heather’s birthday dinner. (Comparing apples & oranges? Watch Cooper drink both juices together!) This batch also include couples haircuts…

The next morning at 0-dark thirty, we were up and off to the HQ of our Timber Trail shuttle. Off we went on the “day 1” ride, almost 40 kilometers, and an extra hike to the top of Mt. Pureora with many spectacular views on this clear, sunny day. (Some graffiti in the shelter huts.) Made it to the lodge for a wonderful dinner (after a more wonderful cold one)! Note the amazing suspension bridges, etc. But we’ll start with a map of the almost 90 kilometer track…

The first shot is from the lodge the evening before. The rest are from Day Two – more beautiful forests, dramatic vistas, suspension bridges, and old train tracks. We made it back, having to do several more kilometers in the flats and on the road. (Almost 90K in total!)

This last stretch was on paved roads by farms, sheep, deer, cemeteries, etc. A lovely drive to a hearty dinner and a good night’s sleep at Tony’s B&B. Amazingly, we were going to do another epic bike ride the next day, but rain in the weather canceled our helicopter – probably for the best!

We went to a hot pool that evening, and again the next day before heading back to Rotorua…

More fun to come…

More Oamaru for you! Steampunk HQ, the centerpiece of the town’s theme. Not just a museum, an exploratorium of applied science and funky art. One exception? The sparkly bits are “The Portal” and I’ll provide a video elsewhere. Take your time, there’s a lot…

A few more of the older buildings in Oamaru…

Pix from the road to Christchurch. (Had to deal with the Foo Fighters twice, both traffic and booked accommodations.) Airbnb’d there, then caught the 7:00 AM train to Picton. Great views from the seat, but also the dining car and an open air car. A nice morning ride…

Then, in Picton, I caught the ferry to Wellington. Nice day, great views, huge ship! (I’d worried about making the connection on time, but everyone does it and they even transfered my suitcase from the train start to the ferry finish!). Let’s start with pix from the literature of Great Journeys and Interislander…

In Wellington, the apartment (not hotel) I’d rented was outstanding – a corner penthouse – check the view! Strolled around the waterfront that evening, then the next day – after sorting my SIM card issues (not liking OneNZ!) – went to the Wellington Museum. Then, walked thru town to the Te Papa Museum…

Te Papa Tongarewa is the Museum of New Zealand, and it is vast. It covers natural history, human history, art, culture, and combinations thereof. Wild architecture, huge rooms, multiple stories, great displays, too much to see, and all of it free! Here’s just a sample…

More Te Papa…

Wellington from Te Papa, and more of Te Papa…

The combinations of science, culture, and art – all richly displayed – are exceptional…

Finally, I kept walking around Wellington waterfront. Note the shoes (that might not be that comfortable). Last pic is of the venerable old building housing my Quest apartment. I would’ve stayed for a third night, but the Foo Fighters were in town from Christchurch and the price went up. Also, rain was forecast for the next day, so I booked a car and started my drive to Rotorua.

Plenty for one post. Next up: Napier, Taupo, and finally Rotorua, home of my brother Ron and his family…!