New Zealand/Australia

February 5th to February 28th

We’ve had a crazy, crazy year: Both sons marry, Ry and Meagan have a beautiful baby Livi, we have traveled extensively, and now in the dawn of a new year, we head down under and beyond.

Thursday, February 5th, 2026

Sacramento – LAX- Auckland- ” The City of Sails”

And away we go….

auckland, the Rugby,(Maori) Experience, the Sky Roof, Harbor walk, City tour

Arrived in Auckland , Sudima Hotel

Skytown Auckland

Above 3 pics from the 50th floor of the Skytower

All Black Experience precious jade stone

Day one we hit the streets, walking the hilly sea side city of Auckland. Basically surrounded by water Auckland is the most populated city in New Zealand. Just over 500 thousand people. Clean, very hilly with gorgeous views all around. We took to the Skytower, the highest point in all of Auckland, to get our bearings. Then we did the “All Black Experience”, which was a rugby and legendary Maori culture interactive experience. Tonight we’ll venture down to the harbor for dinner and then make a early night of it. We leave for the Bay of Islands tomorrow morning.

Auckland harbor area pics. Jim, Teresa, Cher, me

Teresa, Jim, Cherie & me-(a few years ago it was said that 1 in 4 people in Auckland had access to a sailboat)

Sunday, February 8th

144 Islands in this oasis of a bay. Beautiful clear blue green waters. Our boat actually went through Hole Rock and we stopped on a beautiful little island to use the beach and relax. (Otehel Island), Russell was a cool town that would be great to revisit. In total we viewed or visited 8 of the 144.

Zane Grey, an American adventure writer(“Tales of The Angler’s El Dorado”) had a place on Russell Island, as well as one in Australia and Tahiti.

Monday, February 9th Bay of Islands, Paihia

day 2 here

Did a mile to two mile leisurely walk into Paihia from our hotel, watched part.of the Super Bowl and Jim and Theresa needed some prescriptions filled the we dined and headed back to swim and jacuzzi. An early day tomorrow as we head back to Auckland and then on to Rotorua.

Tuesday, February 10th Paihia to Auckland

Fun New Zealand facts: Originally 32 species of flightless birds. Today only 16 remain.

The two Teutonic plates effect the two islands. The Southern plate pushes the North island down and the northern plate pushes the South Island up.

The Bay of islands was the birth place of modern New Zealand. The British(William Hobson) signed a treaty with the King of the main Maori tribe in 1840, making the Bay of Islands the first capital. Before then, the area was a lawless, brothel haven series of islands full of pirates, whalers and criminals known as (“the Hell Hole of the South Pacific”) by sea fairing folk at the time. Hard to imagine because this Bay of Islands is SO Beautiful! This treaty was rife with language that the Maori language couldn’t decipher, this didn’t last long, once they found out they were being taken advantage of by the Brits, and in 1850 Maori tribes rebelled against British forces at their encampment in the town of Russell. This lasted until 1865. The British finally gave up and then moved south making Auckland the second capital.

Auckland is the narrowest bit of land between oceans. Just 1 kilometer or .6 of a mile at the thinnest point of land between oceans (harbors that open to oceans).Of the 5 million people in New Zealand, 1.5 live in Auckland although Wellington is now the capital.

Whangarei Falls

Above theses water fall pics is the oldest public toilet in the North island built by an eccentric artist from the Vienna, who tiled it all and grew marijuana on the roof, but there’s also an art gallery.

The trees and forest shots above are from Parry Kauri Park. Kauri trees( Agathis Australes) are the oldest living, hardest old growth coniferous in all of the south seas. They’ve been dated as long as 2,000 years old. Because they were so popular for boat building, masts and general construction of boat and a fungal disease, they are on the verge of extinction. Called “the King of the Forests* by the Maori, there is a major restoration project under way. To view them in the forest one must have their shoes sprayed and cleaned to enter the park.

Wednesday, February 11th

on the road to Rotorua we visited the Glowworm caves, Ancient Wood carving School and a major Geothermal Maori Sacred space.

local firehouse

Wood carving school

And then a Sacred Maori Geothermal Area

Rotorua is based in a major Geothermal area with steam seeping from areas all around the town. There are three major lakes created from volcanos in the region and the scent of sulfur wafts through the town. More exploration domani.

Thursday, February 12th Rotorua

Agradome

At the Agradome this show and exhibit was surprisingly incredible! The woman who MC’d the show, introduced the many varieties of sheep and the dogs they used was spectacular ! Funny, and educational! How she sheered a sheep, handled twenty some odd varieties of sheep and controlled her three dogs, who in turn control and manipulated the sheep were amazing. And finally, how her dogs even controlled ducks.

Next we arrived in checked out Rotorua and its lakes.

lunch at Pig and Whistle, and lakes Rotorua, Tikitapu, Okareka and Tarawera.

Hot Geothermal lake

Tikitapu (Blue lake) Swimmable , drinkable brilliantly clear clean. Lake Okareka, like a smaller version on Tahoe, surrounded by creative, multi million dollar luxury cabins.

Friday, February 13th Rotorua to Wellington

Huka Falls Hike

Gumboot down where locals throw Wellys

We passed by Lake Taupo, the Largest Lake in New Zealand. we also passed through the town of Bulls, and they managed to work the word “Bull” in every business in the little place.

Wellington

the red cable car

Down on the harbor….we took the Red cable car up to the top of Wellington to get the Panaramic view, and then walked to Wolf and Foxglove for dinner.

Saturday, February 14th Wellington to South Island to Christchurch

We cross the interisland ferry “Kaitaki”, crossing of the Cook Strait at 8 a.m.. Section 7 at the bow of the ferry, the big blue reclining seats, are the bomb!

Wellington to Picton through Queen Charlotte Sound and then Cook ‘s Straight. A very pleasant, comfortable ferry ride through beautiful fjords. The drive from Picton to Christchurch takes you through the Marlborough District, which is the biggest Winery area of New Zealand. The Eastern coastal road runs rough coastline with a few farms but basically free of homes. Just beautiful rocky ocean side.

Christchurch

-423,000 populations, the second most populated city in New Zealand

-the garden, or forest city.

-still remains of what was the British class system

TranzAlpine train to Glaciers

Hokitika, a cool surf, beach town on the west coast with Mt. cook in the background.

Heading to Foxglacier

Fox Glacier has not receded as much as some other Glaciers in South Island like Franz Joseph.

Lake Wakatipu

A country cafe lunch stop.

Flat speed boat tour on river.

Goodbye to Queenstown , Lake Wakatipu and Fergburgers, Hello Milford Sound Te Anau and Fiord

Land National Park

Milford Sound is Magical

And a Kea, Alpine Parrot

Day 13, Thursday , February 19th Dunesin-“Edinburgh of the South”

-120,00 constant population

Milk and agricultural area
Born out of a gold rush in nearby mountains
A crazy University town, based on Uni in Glasgow, Scotland, Otaga Uni

a beautiful train station

great English singer mural

Robert Burns statue

Amigos restaurant

Speights Brewery

Otaga University four photos above

Day 14, Friday, February 20th

Dunedin to Moeraki,, Mt Cook Village, Lake Tekapu

Pacific Ocean and the Boulders of Moeraki

Oamaru

Mt. Cook, Sir Edmund Hillary’s playground

Unfortunately, Mt. Cook was shrouded in clouds

lake Pukaki

Glacier blue waters

Tim, our driver and guide from the Dunedin area

Lake Tekapo, Day 15 Leaving Lake Tekapu, a neon blue glacier lake back to Christchurch and the last leg in Kiwi land

“Ata Marie Koutou ( Good morning to all in the rep/the tongue of Maori”)

Church of the Good Shepherd

a statue in tribute to the Collie dogs that made farming sheep possible.

The talk here of sheep dogs and the wonder of how loyal and smart Kiwi dogs are, and how they saved the sheep farms because they couldn’t survive without them. Some of the best Collie’s were sold for up to $60,000 dollars. And then there’s, our Winnie, labradoodle,… simply priceless.

These photos don’t do the color of the BLUE of all blue waters justice.

Christchurch once again before flying to Australia early tomorrow.

-0ldest city in Kiwiland

-Largest city in the South Island

-“Garden City”, or “Cyclocity”

Opposite side of the world from A. Coruna, Spain
Avon river runs through the city

Christchurch, somewhat like SF, after the major earthquake rebuilt itself and is now a very modern city. Before the major restorations, contracted artists to paint vibrant colorful murals to take away some of the depressing scenes of buildings in ruins.

Christchurch to Cairns. and the Great Barrier Reef, Australia 🦘🦘🦘🦘

hotel view in Cairns

We’re heading to the Barrier Reef this morning. leaving 2 minutes from our hotel from Port Douglas to the floating island, where we snorkel, using a lycra suit to avoid jelly fish(stingers). Then a semi-submarine tour, an underwater observatory.

The photos don’t do the coral reef or the water color or clarity justice. I snorkeled for roughly 40 minutes and must have seen 30 to 40 wildly colorful fish, 4,5 turtles and a half a dozen giant clams. And thankfully, no.sharks! Great day on the Reef!

a bird at dinner

Daintree National Park and Rainforest (the second largest one in the world behind the Amazon.)

Creepy crawly critters

Swimming in a crocodile free river in Daintree.

Tomorrow we fly from Cairns, (leaving the Crystalbrook Flynn hotel, Barrier Reef, Daintree National Park & Rainforest, Port Douglas) to Sydney, our last stop on this trip.