New Zealand, Part 6

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)…