Travel to San Francisco, Singapore, New Zealand, and New York

 What follows below are many entries made during our early 2024 travels with Bob and Sheree. If you start here and scroll below you will experience our trip in reverse order. If you wish to see the entries in chronological order, click here and click on Newer Post for the next entry.

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Back to the USSA

 

Two hours out of Auckland - 14 hours to go

Over Louisiana - three hours to go

We crossed the international date line and got our day back that we had lost flying to Singapore. According to the clock, we landed three hours before we took off on the same day. We made our way to the Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday evening and did our best to sleep.

View from the Marriott
Brooklyn Bridge on the left. Manhattan Bridge on the right.
Empire State Building in the distance.

    On Sunday, we got to spend time with Sam and Laura, and our granddog Ruby. We were more than ready to get back to Cleveland, which we did on Monday.

Last Stop, Auckland

 To see the entirety of this 5+ minute video, you can click here. The drive from Huka Lodge to our hotel in Auckland was beautiful, but subdued. We were anticipating the long trip home that would begin in two days.

    After the indescribable beauty we had experienced for the last 16 days, Auckland was a bit of let-down. Maybe it would have been better if we had started with the excitement of two days in Auckland before we experienced the upcoming journey through the countryside and waterways. As it was, we spent much of our time anticipating and preparing for our journey home.

That said, Auckland is a beautiful, robust city. More than a quarter of the New Zealand's population lives there. The streets were lined with trees and shrubbery.

The four of us went to the Maritime Museum which displayed the extensive maritime history of New Zealand. I found the sheer size and beauty of NZL-32 sailing yacht dubbed Black Magic that swept the 1995 America's Cup competition overwhelming. The roof of the building housing the yacht had to be expanded upward to accommodate the mast.

The keel alone was gigantic

Huka Lodge

 The Huka Lodge here on the North Island and the Otahuna Lodge on the South Island stand out as the most spectacular of the trip, with stiff competition from the rest. This clip from their web site captures the mood:

The lodge began around 1920 as a rustic getaway for passionate fly fishermen. It began to evolve into a luxury estate in the 1980s. Visitors include Bill Gates, Rod Stewart, James Mitchener, and Michael Douglas.

    Although New Zealand has not been a colony of the United Kingdom since 1907, Queen Elizabeth II visited the former colony on several occasions. On at least four visits, she stayed at the Huka Lodge. She dined in this dining room.

Sheree Eric Jessica Bob

Why they would allow the likes of us to dine there as well remains uncertain.

    But wait, there's more. The activities were numerous. We only scratched the surface. Out the back doors of our rooms was the Waikato River with a swift current, just as it becomes whitewater leading to Huka Falls, a 15 minute walk from our lodge.

Our "back yard"

Huka Falls

This picture was taken from an observation deck over the falls. We would have an opportunity later to see the falls up close and sprayed.

Let me introduce - hukafalls JET 

We did that! Our fearless pilot, she took time-out to take this picture of us wet and happy.

The Jet Boat was our morning adventure. Our afternoon was more sedate but just as thrilling. Lake Taupō is the largest lake in New Zealand, covering 240 square miles. It is a crater lake, located in the caldera of the Taupō Volcano.

  

The afternoon was one of total relaxation. We enjoyed a quiet boat ride across the lake, sipping wine, and headed for the famous Māori rock carvings. The Māori are descendants of the Polynesians who arrived in New Zealand only 700 or 800 years ago. Before that, the only mammals in or near New Zealand were bats and dolphins. There were LOTS of birds, some huge and flightless - hunted to extinction. For more information about the rock carving and links to information about the Māori, click here. Please watch the video on the web site.

    

Next came fishing. There is an abundance of rainbow and brown trout. Only artificial lures can be used. That worked.

We had the freshest rainbow trout ever for lunch. It was a wonderful day, but I was tired. I did need to get recharged before evening.

I have been reminded that any blog entry about the Huka Lodge would be incomplete without mention of Gertrude.

Gertrude

Gertrude welcomes each guest individually, and ingratiates herself at your table as well during meals. If you leave your room unattended with the back door open, Gertrude is likely to make herself welcome, explore your possessions, and make herself comfortable on your bed. So far, she has avoided being on the menu.

    Birds abound! Here is a sampling:

Crayfish is considered a delicacy by all in New Zealand

Cape Kidnappers Lodge

 Located at Hawkes Bay, the scenery speaks for itself. We enjoyed three nights at the lodge, took great walks, and visited the nearby town of Napier. 

View through a hole in a wooden fence

Sheree took a bike ride along the coast of Hawkes Bay and the South Pacific Ocean beyond. She snapped this picture along the way. The rain began moments after her return to the lodge.

We visited the nearby town of Napier, a nearby small town geared toward tourists and cruise ships. We did have the opportunity to go to a farmers' market geared more for the locals.

Town of Napier

Farmers' Market

Farmers' Market

Wharekauhau Country Estate, North Island

Upon disembarking the ferry in Wellington, the four of us were met by our driver who would take us to the Wharekauhau (pronounced 'fara-coe-hoe') Country Estate. 

    With the mountains behind us to the west, and the Pacific Ocean in front of us to the east, once again we found ourselves surrounded by beauty. The estate is also a large working farm. Our guide Marilyn provided us with a tour, showing us the sheep and the facilities for shearing them, the large vegetable gardens and the flower beds.

Immature asparagus

Places far away

Places farther away seen from Southern Hemisphere
Our Milky Way, at least two distant galaxies, and a meteor trail
30 second exposure, 16mm focal length (35mm equivalent), ƒ2.8, ISO 6,400

The Interislander Ferry

https://www.interislander.co.nz/experience/kaitaki

About 58 miles separate the South Island from the North Island of New Zealand at the ferry crossing. We took an Interislander Ferry from south to north. Aboard, there are two restaurants, two movie theaters, a bar, shopping, and a large playground for children. It can carry 525 cars, 108 trailers, and over 500 passengers.

View looking back at the south island

The trip took three and a half hours. The views were breathtaking. Then we were treated to a school of at least a hundred dolphins which seemed to accompany the ship. What follows is a sampling of the large number of photos I took.