Sunday, 31 January: We met Joe and Mary at the airport at 6:30 this morning. We took them back to our hotel for a rest before setting out on the first leg of our grand tour of NZ. In the early afternoon we drove to Miranda on the west coast of the Firth of Thames and settled in to a very comfortable two bedroom chalet at the Miranda Holiday Park. The outstanding feature of this accommodation is the thermal hot pol on the premises...delightful. Another rest hour was in order as Mary and Joe get their time sorted out. In the late afternoon, we drove over to Thames for some groceries, and I prepared crumbed Terakihi (now my specialty, I guess) for dinner. After dinner, I had a lovely long soak in the pool.

Monday, 1 February: We awoke to light rain, but packed a picnic anyway and set out for Hot Water Beach...where you can dig a hole in the sand and find hot mineral water. On the drive to get there, we noted a great deal of traffic in the opposite direction. We were not prepared for the numbers of vehicles on the road this Auckland Anniversary Day. The rain had cleared, and we stopped for a brief walk in a Kauri reserve, and continued on to the beach. After our walk on the beach, we drove to another beach area, Hahei, looking for a picnic table...no luck...too crowded. We began our drive south, and came upon the worst traffic jam we have ever encountered in all the travel we have done in New Zealand. It took us over two hours to drive the 54km from Hahei to Thames in bumper to bumper traffic (see photo for proof). We had hoped to be back at Miranda to see the thousands of shore birds that arrive each day with high tide, but the traffic made us late. We did walk the Miranda Shore, collected shells, and watched the Oystercatchers and Seagulls. Never did stop for a picnic...had it for dinner.

Tuesday, 2 February: Today was challenge day for me. We drove from Taupo to Waitomo (permanent population: 41; visitors/year: 500,000) to take a tour of the glowworm caves. We went with a company that does small group tours...only 12 adults and an three year old in our group. Many years ago Buzz and I went to visit the caves, but I didn't have enough nerve to go in. This time, the tickets were purchased, and I joined in. It was very worthwhile, and I only had a couple of moments of panic when the guide turned off his torch (flashlight), it was pitch black, and I couldn't locate the handrail. The panic was momentary, and, in hindsight, it was a good experience. Some of the photos here are mine, others, as labeled, courtesy of the tour company. You need a special camera/lens to get the kind of photos they provide. After the cave tour, we drove to Taupo to spend the night. We had a delicious dinner from a little Thai takeaway place and settled in to our cottage at the Huka Falls Resort.

Wednesday, 3 February: We left Taupo and headed slightly north to Huka Falls. Buzz and I have ben here many times and never tire of the beauty of the Waikato River and its falls. On to the Aratiatia Dam to watch the opening of the floodgates. Unfortunately I got us slightly lost, and we missed the drama of the opening of the gates, but stayed until they closed watching the river go from a cascading torrent to a trickle. Then, we went to the Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland. This geothermal park is part of the greater Wairaki thermal area. New Zealand gets about 13% of its energy from geothermal capture. As you can see from the photos, it is quite a sight. The rest of the day was taken with a drive back to Feilding. It was clear and Mt. Ruapehu graced the landscape with a view of its entirety.

Thursday, 4 February: A day given to rest, relaxation, laundry and repacking. In the afternoon we took Joe and Mary out for a visit with Howard and Jackie Williamson.

Friday, 5 February: We set out this morning for Wellington and the Bluebridge Ferry to Picton to begin our ten day South Island tour. The sea was, as they say in NZ, dead flat which made for a very pleasant trip. I think Joe and Mary were impressed with the size of the ship and the precision with which it is loaded and unloaded. The trip took four hours. Another half hour on the road and we were at NaClachan Cottages in Blenheim, our home for the night. Wendy, our host suggested dinner at the Allan Scott Family Winery a short drive away. It was a wonderful recommendation. The place was charming and the food and wine delicious. We all slept well.

Saturday, 6 February: We were packed and on the road just after 8:30 this morning. We stopped at the Blenheim railway station parking lot to check out a "car boot sale" Boot, for those who do not know, is the NZ term for the trunk of a car. It is a flea market of sorts. I bought a bag of cherries and a thermos which, as we found out later, leaks! Oh well, only 2 dollars. We drove on through stopping at Pelorous Bridge to take the Totara Walk - about half an hour- and walk down to the river. The bridge itself didn't appeal to Mary, but the rest of us walked out to the middle to take photos. The place brought back wonderful memories of the time Cathy Black, Merodee Cameron and I spent time together nearby in Havelock while our men went tramping. On through Nelson (sunshine capital of NZ) and Richmand to Moutere where we visited a dollhouse/miniature shop Mary has found online. Kim, the proprietor, was charming. Mary bought a few things and got a photo to show the members of the miniature society she belongs to in Atlanta. We stopped at Mapua for lunch on the wharf, Joe and Mary's first fish n chips in NZ, and they were not disappointed. We took the rest of the afternoon to drive to Carter's Beach near Westport where we are staying for the night. The drive is beautiful particularly along the Bullar River. Our unit at the Carter's Beach Holiday park is perfect and is about a three minute walk to the beach.