| | Flying over so many miles of ocean always makes me queasy. | |
| | | Upon arriving in Auckland, I discovered the harbor was abuzz. | |
| | | A big cruise ship in port was setting off, and had drawn a big crowd. | |
|
| | I prefered to watch the people who had come to watch the ship. | |
| | | With time to kill, I wandered along the harbor through a slow drizzle. | |
| | | Sometimes I passed traces of a life less bucolic than most of what I was seeing. | |
|
| | Rather than dine in Auckland that night, I ferried to a small nearby island. | |
| | | The next morning I flew to Christchurch, whose quirky vibe was more my scene. | |
| | | After buying a used Swiss Army gas-mask bag, I tried it out as a camera tote. | |
|
| | Houses like this had a familiar architecture, but I'm not sure why I know it. | |
| | | Ah! A curb! That's something I don't have to explain recognizing. ;) | |
| | | Christchurch shops included thrift stores, the army-surplus place ... and this. | |
|
| | The following morning I boarded a bus for Nelson, driven by a long-haired blond. | |
| | | Along the drive (the LONG drive), we passed many sheep (whose wool I bought). | |
| | | Mid-morning we stopped for tea near a field with recycling bins. | |
|
| | It's not hard to see why they're so eco-obsessive. But I do miss my shoes. :( | |
| | | For lunch we stopped in a small town with a GREAT thrift store. | |
| | | The deeper I ventured, but more excited the Deffinbaugh in me got. | |
|
| | So much junk! Such great stuff! But I mostly just took pictures. | |
| | | Well ... and bought a bumper sticker: "A hard man is good to find." | |
| | | First stop in Nelson, with Mom and Dad, was a fish shop. | |
|
| | Another one was right next door, but this one had better street cred. | |
| | | And Mom and Dad had taken Josh there the previous year! | |
| | | After chatting with them, the shop ladies remembered Mom and Dad. | |
|
| | We weren't the only customers (many locals), so had to wait a bit. | |
| | | The fish (really shark) was wrapped with the chips in butcher paper. | |
| | | It was really good, but Mom swiftly got distracted by their digi-cam. | |
|
| | Just like our Christmas Eve dinner in Indonesia, we ate right at sunset. | |
| | | Later on a fishing boat tied up at the dock to unload its catch. | |
| | | The next day I dragged M&D to an organic beer brewery with carrot cake for Dad. | |
|
| | Then it was back on the road, where Dad drove 10-20 km below the posted limit. | |
| | | It was, after all, his vacation. And Thanksgiving no less! We ate pizza. | |
| | | Dad & Mom's hostel was more swank than mine, so I walked over for breakfast. | |
|
| | The kitchen was big and sunny, redolent with the fresh bread left by the owner. | |
| | | In addition to the daily baked goods (home-made), the hostel provided laundry! | |
| | | Many travelers spend several weeks or months in New Zealand, hence the wash. | |
|
| | Flowers, which Mom and Dad can never resist smelling, were everywhere. | |
| | | I couldn't resist the click of the camera. Ah, grad-school days... | |
| | | At our afternoon winery tour, Mom took copious notes. | |
|
| | Dad chowed the bread to keep a possible buzz at bay. | |
| | | Our guide for the tasting and tour was the owners' son Charles. | |
| | | He let us listen to the aging wine (including his dad's "rastafarian" brew). | |
|
| | This wasn't used for aging, but I don't remember what it did. | |
| | | The rasta-brew ingredients reqired a hazardous-materials permit to haul! | |
| | | Outside by the vineyard were the storage tanks (very expensive). | |
|
| | Charles showed us the vineyard and told us about the challenges of plant-care. | |
| | | In the office he showed off awards for his cooking in the family restaurant. | |
| | | Driving to Akaroa later we stopped often, and Dad burst into song. | |
|
| | Bikers! Now here's a ride more like Dad's speed... ;) | |
| | | THIS ride, however, is more my speed. Hot men doing a Chinese fire drill... | |
| | | Dad can't understand why the bus is blaring Tom Jones' "Delilah." | |
|
| | We did stop for the scenic view after all. | |
| | | I hear mid-day sunlight is very flattering. | |
| | | With such long rest breaks, I don't know why it took so long to get anywhere... | |
|
| | This lake, surrounded by steep and winding roads, was evidently good for sails. | |
| | | We lunched in the town down the hill, where I impulsively bought fish & chips. | |
| | | Our hostel proved elusive. | |
|
| | Finally after retracing many hairpin roads, we found it. | |
| | | A gracious, sprawling farmhouse, it had a large and lovely lawn. | |
| | | Dinner was all home-made (mostly organic). I hear I missed fresh cow's milk. | |
|
| | The front part of the house featured a cozy common living area. | |
| | | Great for reading a book or repacking my things the next morning. | |
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