Sunday, March 27, 2011 "Kiwi" Adventure

On Sunday morning, Larraine Howard invited me to the Maori Church

in Christchurch.  Reg and I had visited the church earlier in my trip (it

has the etched window of Jesus in it).  The service was very similar to that

of a Catholic mass.  The minister was Maori, and all of the music was sung

in Maori, but almost everything else was in English.  The minister was more

than dynamic - funny and gave a great homily.  I hope to get back there again

before I leave New Zealand.

Reg picked me up and off we went on our trip to the northern part of the island. 

Our destination for the day's drive was Whangrei, which is a seaport town on the

northern east coast of new Zealand.  We had reservations in a Youth Hostel in Whangrei.

We had a private room, but had to share a bath.  The view out our window of the

harbor was great!

Hundreds of 30' plus sailboats in the harbor!

I think this one has my brother Steve's name on it!

At the harbor before dinner.

View out our window!

Saturday, March 26, 2011 "Kiwi" Adventure

On Saturday, Reg and I, and Larraine (Reg's daughter) and her partner Mike went to the 50th Wedding Anniversary Party of friends of Regs' Ken and Dot.  I met some more of Reg's friends and we had a nice time.

We stopped at the local butcher on the way home and got some nice rib-eye steaks and had a great barbecue on Saturday night.

Friday, March 25, 2011 "Kiwi" Adventure

On Friday morning, we went to the Agrodome.  It is part working farm, part amusement park.  They have bungee jumping, a jet engine where you can simulate weightlessness, a farm tour and a great sheep and cattle program.  The Agrodome was founded by a New Zealand farm family in the 1940's and is located just outside Rotorua, where Reg lives.

Our first stop was the bungee jumping.  There was a girl up in the launching pad as we got there.  We soon realized that she had seconds thoughts about jumping.  After I watched her hesitate for a couple of minutes, I warned Reg that I was going to scream and then screamed very loud "Jump"!  That didn't seem to inspire her much, but it inspired her friends (about 20) who were watching from the ground.  They all started screaming encouraging words to her to jump. 

That didn't seem to work either!  After several rounds of 3 - 2 - 1 with no success, I yelled out "100 - 99 - 98 - 97"  all this seemed to do is get me some dirty looks from her friends.  She finally gave up and came back down!  It costs about $185 to do this - sorry - no refunds once they get you hooked up!

We noticed some strange looking long horned cattle in a nearby field.  We walked over and it reminded me that I was hungry for a nice big juicy steak!

mmmmmmmm  dinner time!

Those horns were just too tempting so I reached out and grabbed one.  Mr. cow was ok

with this for about 5 seconds and soon began trying to remove my hand by shaking his head

vigorously!  I lasted about two seconds of this!

It was then inside for the main event.  The sheep and cattle show!  It was great!  The MC had a great sense of humor and welcome guests from Japan, China, Thailand, America, Germany, France and many other countries in their native language.

Who has more hair in their "chinny chin chin"?

                                    The MC introduced us to at least 20 different types of sheep!

                                   The MC let several of the guest try their luck at milking a cow.

There was also a sheep shearing demonstration.  This guy was really fast!

                                                                     Finished!

On Friday night, Reg, Kevin and Larraine, Wendy and I went to dinner at an Indian Restaurant in Rotorua.  It was very good.  After dinner, we went to a local production of CATS - it was wonderful!  All of the actors and the musicians were local.  The director came from out of town.  The stage set was very professional, the music fantastic with about a 15 piece orchestra, the costumes were very well done, and the dancing and signing was great!  I really think I enjoyed this production better than the one I saw in Akron - which was a traveling Broadway company.  Wendy's son was the production manager for the show and had a nice part.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 "Kiwi" Adventure

We made a day trip to the town of Tirau.  Tirau translates to "land of many cabbage trees"  Unfortunately, all of the cabbage trees are gone.  The transformation of this town is remarkable!

A little history:

By the end of 1980's Tirau was becoming a victim of the centralisation and urbanisation that had affected so many rural towns in N.Z.

Oxford Court Antiques - it's success was an example for others to follow.  The B.N.Z. Bank branch had closed down, as had the local butcher, baker, chemist and Rose Bros General Store which had been a Tirau landmark.

An armed hold up in 1988 was followed by the closure in 1989 of the Tirau Post Office.

This left  Tirau with many empty shops and closed buildings.

Entrepreneur Henry Clothier had a vision for Tirau, realising that many people passed through the town each day due to its situation on State Highway  One and proximity to many popular tourist destinations.

In 1989 he purchased the empty Rose Bros building and turned it into a large successful antique shop visited by many. .

A  Mr Clothier later transformed the old council building into a Conference & Event Centre & during the past decade he has been a leading force in  attracting many other businesses to Tirau.

As a result  of his vision Tirau is now home to a range of antique & craft shops, a "big sheep" wool gallery, a "big dog" information centre, a wide  range of eating places & a medieval castle housing  a doll & toy museum.

The first store we visited was an antique shop.  This guy and his wife

are the owners.  I walked up to him and asked him how long he thought it would

take me to grow my beard as long as his.  He replied "a lifetime"!  He went on to tell

me "I tried shaving once, I didn't like it, so I haven't shaved since.  My wife of almost

40 years has never seen what's under this beard!" "When it gets real scraggly looking, she

trims it up!

When I asked him if would take a picture with me, his face turned red!  His wife laughed and

after Reg took the picture, she asked him "Did you charge him for taking the picture?" 

The whole theme of Tirau is corrugated metal. This is a welcome sign to a local church.

This building contains the town Visitor Center.  Click on this one,

Reg is having a "large tongue" contest with the dog!

Corrugated signs

Chris, Kathryn, Alicia

Ornament time!

We met this guy outside one of the shops.  I asked him if he raced this Mini-Morris.

He looked at me and said "No, I just haul it around the country just waiting for dumb

Americans to ask me if I race it!  ha ha

He actually spent about 45 minutes with Reg and I explaining the race circuit he competes in.  

There are about 40 of these Mini-Morris's racing in New Zealand.  This guy is currently ranked

number four in the competition for the New Zealand Cup for Mini-Morris's.  He is also

the oldest (age 70) regular competitor.  The car generates almost 100 hp and has 

a top speed of over 100 mph.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011 "Kiwi" Adventure

No, it wasn't anything I ate!

Nephrite Jade is mined in New Zealand

Burl Ives?

Rotorua Museum of Art and History

The Rotorua Museum, was originally built at the Bath House and 

opened to the public in 1908.  The Bath House offered therapeutic treatments.

Water from nearby thermal springs was piped to private bathrooms and larger

massage rooms.  There were also a number of deep pools for the treatment of

chronic disorders.  The north wing accommodated male patients while women were

treated in the south wing.

The tour includes a walk through the attic and then stairs up

to the roof.

The views from the roof were spectacular!  That's Thorne Mountain in the back.

Rotorua City is built entirely in the crater of a volcano which erupted.

about 220,000 years ago.  The distance skyline

in all directions is the rim of the volcano.

The highly acidic, milky colored water of Sulphur Bay lies on top of an active

geothermal field.  Each day about 80,000 tons of water flows out of the Rotorua 

geothermic field, of which about 28,000 tons per day flows directly into Lake Rotorua.

Reg with "Thorne Mountain" in the background.

Mud baths were once part of the treatment options at The Bath House.

A scale model of The Bath House shows the layout of the

private baths and massage rooms.

One of the remaining private baths.

The ceiling in the grand entrance way of The Bath House

Joel hiding the dessert Reg bought so he wouldn't get into trouble!

Funds ran out in 1908 to complete The Bath House.  Construction

is under way today to complete the original plans.  The new

space will be used for museum purposes.

Sunday, March 20, 2011 "Kiwi" Adventure

On Sunday, we started the day by going to an "Indian" Festival in Rotorua.

Here's Mike and his daughter Kate deciding what "Indian Food" they are 

going to eat for lunch.  Reg in the background checking out some

of the Indian costumes.

I saw these three ladies and asked if I could have my picture

taken with them, they started peeling off clothes (much to my surprise)

to pose for the picture.  

We were then off to Lake Okataina which is located about 40 minutes outside of

Rotorua.  The lake was formed by volcanic craters about 3,500 years ago.

The name Okataina means the "lake of laughter", a shortened form of the original

name Te Moanak-Kataina-a Te Ranngitakaroru. (I am sure the name was shortened

by some New Zealand Department of Highway Signage employee who just couldn't

fit in on the road signs).  Anyway, the name and its meaning relate to an incident where 

Chief Ranngitakaroru and his warriors were resting on what is now a submerged rock.  

It is said that one member of his group referred to the lake as a great "ocean".  This was seen

as a great joke among the other warriors.  Their laughter echoed around the lake and now 

remains enshrined in its name!

On our way for a walk around the lake on a beautiful path.

The lake is used by boaters and fisherman - lots of trout!

One part of the hiking path is called the "Path of Reflection".  Because of the heavy foliage

and the proximity to the lake, it is said that if you look closely enough, you can 

see your reflection in the woods.  If you "click" on this next picture, to enlarge it, 

and you look closely enough you can see my face in the woods.  

I am actually taking the picture.  I took a several pictures

of the sign that explains all of this, but when I looked at the pictures later, 

there was no sign (obviously a reflection!)

And finally today, a friend of mine wrote me and told me that I 

am starting to look like Burl Ives with my beard!  I told her that

she must be older than I am to remember "Burl Ives"