Byron Bay, Australia

Click here for photos of Byron Bay.
According to Jeff, "There are three categories of trips: travel, visit with family/friends and vacation. The three should not be confused." It's spring break, so we took a vacation from our travels in Byron Bay. The locals refer to it as the Shire, though Hobbiton it is not. The good restaurants, health food stores, yoga studios, new age shops and walkability of the town give it a comfortable, even groovy, ambiance.

Byron Bay becomes an all-ages street party after dark. Friday night, Lemonheads played a 400 seat venue at Hotel Great Northern. Families walked around eating gelato, teenagers paraded up and down Jonson Street, while others dined at sidewalk cafes or went to the beach to watch the lighthouse beacon. Eclectic street musicians entertained passersby on every street corner: cowgirl-folk, power pop trios, jazz, funky caribbean grooves and one you just don't see anywhere, didgeridoo over a techno backing track accompanied by a video of marine life.

During the day, this is a mecca for water sports and sky diving. "No, Maya you still can't sky dive." So, why not kayak with dolphins as the brochure promised? Our family has successfully kayaked in Klamath Lake, Kaileakekua and Airlie Beach, so it was time to kayak in the open ocean. Read Jeff's surreal account of the adventure below to learn what happened when we overestimated our skills.

Michelle and Maya have always wanted to surf so they got back in the ocean the next day for a group lesson with Ben, from Surfing Byron Bay while Jeff and Skylar had fun on dry land. There's a lot to remember when you're surfing and if you've ever tried to jump you foot forward in a yoga pose, imagine doing that on a board in the waves. Here's how you do it: Lay on your stomach with your toes on the back of the board. Paddle, paddle, paddle. Hands under the ribs. Jump up to a wide crouch. Stand up with arms in surfer pose. Whoop and scream really loud and fall off the board with grace and decorum or at least cover your head to avoid the flying surf board. What a great sport. One minute you're one with your board, balanced on top of the water, harnessing the power of a wave and the next moment, you're eating sand.

We'll be sore tomorrow for sure, but today we're proud that we both stood up on our first day in surf school.

Byron Central Apartments provided a cozy home base where we could cook our meals, sleep late (like at least 8:30) and swim in the pool. There are no ocean views here, but that keeps it affordable. When we weren't attempting a new ocean sport, we enjoyed long walks on the beach, collecting shells, watching surfers, browsing bookstores and doing school work. (Yes, even during spring break.) We also worked with Byron Bay Flight Centre to organize our Japan rail passes and accommodations for the next leg of our trip. No matter what we requested, Suzanne's answer was our favorite Aussie expression, "No worries....."

With an international blues festival and surfing competition during Easter week, we're glad we beat the crowds to Byron Bay. It's someplace we'd really like to return. A policy researcher from Sydney compared it to New Town in the city, so we'll need to visit there when we travel south tomorrow.

Ocean Kayaking: A Surreal Adventure

"Hey, my new Ray Bans stayed on, even after we capsized the kayak - cool!"
This seems very lucky as Hans and Franz cautioned against wearing sunglasses into the oncoming breakers. Maya and I entered the kayak no problem, bottom first, as instructed. We immediately paddled into the first wave. I carefully put the nose of the boat straight into the wave so we could slice our way through. The blue monster broke on top of us. We were wet, but still in the little orange kayak. The second big wave was a different story. The last one had rocked us sideways and it was a good laugh. This baby is twice the size and... "Maya paddle fast!"

(Have you ever had you life move passed you in slow motion? You can think crystal clear but react in slow motion.) The wave hit and I am sent heels over head into the cool salt water. After my brief submersion, I surface and look for Maya. She's OK. Without worry, I snatch the two oars and hand them to Maya. "Hold these and wait here." I swim after my little orange friend as the surf tries to return the kayak to shore. "Whoa there girl!" I throw myself on the hard underbelly of the kayak. Reaching forward I pull up on the middle outer edge as I push down on the inner edge and voilá, she's upright. As I throw myself into the seat, I undershoot as the next wave hits and I splash in the surf on the far side of the boat. "Maya, let me hold the oars. You first this time." Maya does a great job of finding her seat. I'm in and we're off into the next onslaught of waves.

Maya and I finally reach the "meeting place" where the other kayaks have gathered in a loose circle, like poorly thrown horseshoes. We wait. My mind is racing with wild thoughts about what happened to Michelle and Skylar. Our guide finally arrives and informs us that they turned back and will meet us later on the beach for morning tea. So, we set off to kayak in the open sea.

This is a new and exhilarating experience for me and Maya. It also proves to be a great math lesson, as Maya will never forget the difference in meeting a wave parallel or perpendicular. It is best to always meet large, white-capped ocean swells head on in a perpendicular fashion. We are now singing, "Rock the boat, don't rock the boat baby. Rock the boat, don't tip the boat over...." It has a calming effect and improves our stroke rhythm. Feeling a new sense of confidence and common sense, I relax my white-knuckle grip on the paddle long enough to place my new Ray Bans in my life vest pocket. It was at this very moment I remembered that my new Canon 800 IS camera was in my shirt pocket. I think to myself, it must be fine. It's in a double zip, Ziploc bag and I was only under water for a few seconds...twice. I'll check it later.

"Hey Maya, do you see those really big waves? Don't stop paddling!" It's interesting facing giant waves, as long as they don't break on top of you and you take them head on, you stay right side up. If the wave is really big, when you first clear it, the front of the boat drops and slaps the water with a bum-numbing thud, as if someone pulled a chair out from under you just as you were sitting down. Maya is not too thrilled with this part of the ride. It could be worse, we could capsize again. Our guide just paddles off and seems to hope that all is well.

It is then that we see Bertha, the monster of all waves. She is to waves what Jaws is to sharks. I summon my best Ahab courage and paddle little orange toward Moby Dick.

A crashing sound and spinning underwater is all I remember. The next thing I know, my eyes are on fire with saltwater and we are high above a blue whale. "She saved us!" We are gently placed in our boat and guided to the magic dolphin place. Palm trees shade us from the sun as Flipper and family bring us fruit punch with tiny umbrellas, potato salad and baby dolphins to hug.

"Phew!" I exhale and climb into the boat. "That was a close one."

The ride back to shore is much better. Maya and I learn how to surf our kayak on the waves. The wave comes from behind, "Paddle fast!" The boat rises and moves swiftly, wind in your hair, this is fun, the drop is gentle. Finally our last rest break before the mad sprint to the beach. We are the only ones not to capsize during the ride in.

Skylar ran across the beach to hug us and share her story of capsizing. Michelle arrived next and asked, "Did you see dolphins? Did you get any pictures?" It is only then that I remembered the camera and reached into my pocket. Stretching my arm before me, I unwrapped the camera to see it floating in a mere centimeter of terminal, salty brine. As we contemplate how to revive the Canon, the guide approaches and says, "Hey mate, we have a dolphin guarantee. Since we didn't see them today, you can have a go again tomorrow."

Sunshine Coast

Visiting the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane, we enjoyed catching up with our former neighbors, Lisa and Scott, who emigrated to Australia seven years ago. We were spoiled by their generosity and impressed by how they conserve resources. Solar panels provide a portion of their energy needs and rainwater provides all their household water!

Scott introduced us to the most disheveled book exchange one can imagine. A friend of the owner came in, seemingly just to tease him. "Mate, is it possible that you've added even more books? I know CPR. Has anyone been buried beneath the books back there?" he yelled. Lisa drove us inland to visit quaint towns in the Ranges: Mapleton, Monteville and Palmwoods. Most importantly, we finally saw kangaroos! The large reds have the run of the campus at USC, University of the Sunshine Coast, where the marsupials and coeds seem to maintain respectful distances. In a Discovery Channel moment, we watched a roo poke its head out of a pouch and a male scratching the tail of a female and chasing her, in what these junior naturalists decided was a "courting" ritual.

Roo Heaven in the Australia Zoo provided the most enthralling kangaroo experience. We entered the enclosure of these docile animals armed with officially sanctioned Roo Food. Wandering among eastern grays, reds, wallabees and red legged pademelons, we pet and fed loads of kangaroos.

"The kangaroos felt very soft. That surprised me. Their hands were really skinny and they had long nails. Sometimes they would put their hands on your hand when they were eating. Their feet were very long too. They used their tails to balance. Some of them were so hungry they would stand up to get to where you were before you squatted to give them the food; that's the only time I felt a little scared. It's the most fun when there aren't too many people there," reported Skylar.

We could have easily spent a full day in that exhibit alone, but Steve Irwin's zoo had so much more to offer. His father, Bob, a respected herpetologist, started it in the 70's, in a single building and the Crocodile Hunter took the family business to the next level. It includes Australia-specific, animal exhibits (koalas, crocs, camels, dingoes, cassowary, snakes...) and the 5,000 seat Crocoseum. At the Wildlife Warriors show, we saw birds in flight, swimming pythons and a Steve-wannabee, feeding a hungry saltwater croc. Flowers, artwork, letters and signed khaki uniforms form a memorial to the life and legacy of this famous Aussie. His wife, Terri who hails from Oregon and his children, Bindi and Bob carry on his work.

For photos of the Sunshine Coast, click here.

Traveler's Note: Spending only two hours in Surfers Paradise changing buses, was two, too long. It may have lived up to its name circa 1950, but we recommend avoiding this endless-mall with high rises along a pretty strip of beach. Don't believe us? Check out the ultra tacky photographic evidence here. Vegas is missing an Elvis impersonator.

Airlie Beach & Whitsundays

Click here for more photos of the Whitsundays.

People come here to sail among the 74 islands and it's obvious why. With dependable sunshine, omnipresent breezes, turquoise water and well-placed islands, Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays define tropical paradise. The Whitsunday Organic B & B would then be the hammock under the palm tree in paradise. Our affable hosts, John, Sharini and Jules are all great storytellers and serious about organic products, so their soaps and breakfasts are something to write home, (or at least blog) about. Skylar ignored the pancakes and banana bread options and devoured her favorite brekkie: two poached eggs, tomatoes and sauteéd mushrooms every morning. Surprisingly, the bananas here taste like honey and cream. We spent time every day on the balcony to take in the ocean view and watch the local white cockatoos (with their yellow mohawks). We even salvaged the partially used oatmeal and lavender soaps from our shower to take with us.

Hearing that I enjoyed school visits, John invited me to join him for reading time at Cannonvale State School. Annie, greeted this unannounced foreign visitor warmly and like any veteran teacher, put me right to work with her delightful third graders. Since we had finished the Newbery Medal winner, Higher Power of Lucky, we donated it to their library. In my brief visit, I got the impression that this is a happy place to work and learn. A few other observations:
• Australia provides preschool free of charge.
• Aussie children sing the kookaburra song with a certain confidence, born from personal experience with the bird.
• Cursive has sharper edges here.
• First graders made unique A-Z mobiles with objects starting with one letter. (Y with a yogurt container and yarn for example.)
• All Aussie teachers have to earn a certificate of basic proficiency with computers.
• The parent organization was raising money to build sunshade for play areas and to install newer computers.
• While the federal government actively discusses pay for performance for teachers, it's not an issue at the local level.
• State testing begins in third grade.
• Students in the U.S. can recite the fire safety mantra: Stop, Drop and Roll. Aussie students will tell you the sun safety mantra: Slip, Slop, Slap (Slip on a shirt. Slop on the sunscreen and slap on a hat.) With a hole in the ozone above them and elevated skin cancer rates, they take the sun seriously here. If a student doesn't bring a hat to school, they don't participate in recess or PE out in the open. Sounds like an idea to export!

Even when it's overcast one can easily burn so we've been really careful to maintain our Victorian pallor, enduring a "Geek on the beach" look now, hoping to
skip the skin cancer later. In fact, you won't find anyone who can read swimming at Airlie Beach; the warning signs provide a laundry list of reasons to stay clear
of the water. So, the community built an amazing public pool in the form of a large lagoon, complete with beach-style sloping access.

Thank goodness for the deadly box jelly fish, so we could wear blue stinger suits during our snorkeling trip. We climbed a hill to take in the stunning vista of
pristine beaches. Then some blokes floated a "barbie" to shore and cooked us lunch. When loads of other tour boats arrived, we moved on to snorkel. In a bit of
a party trick, they fed the local reef life, surrounding snorkelers with a frenzy of damsels, parrot fish and a four-foot long Napoleon Wrasse named Elvis.

Our double kayaks skimmed across Shute Harbour on our final day in Airlie Beach, heading toward White Rock Island. Currents converge at White Rock in such a way that chunky, broken bits of coral and seashells form the "beach" and every time the waves lap the shore it makes the pleasant sound of wind chimes or gently breaking glass. We were awed to see a large sea turtle surface twice, before diving again for as much as twelve hours. Salty Dog did a really good job with our family and the girls felt confident and exhausted after half a day.

As Jeff and Skylar lay under the trees one afternoon gazing up into the branches, they decided that Koconut Katchers (large steel framed cages suspended in the coconut trees) are a really good idea.

Crocs and Cassowary in Cape Tribulation

Cape Tribulation is just waiting to eat you. Take a walk to the beach with us to meet our boat and explore the Great Barrier Reef. The wet tropics provide the perfect environment for mozzies and their bites sometimes swell to silver dollars. We'll be free of them once we're on the water. As we bushwhack through the jungle, we have to duck and cover to avoid leeches and ticks poised on the tips of leaves, eager to pounce upon their next meal. Luckily, we find safe haven behind a stinging tree. We avoid its touch as its needles contain glass-like fibers that slice the skin and deliver a poison (with no known antidote) that leaves one ill for months. We're chased from this hiding place by a 6'4" cassowary, an ostrich-esque, flightless bird with a vicious, talloned kick.(See photo of statue above.) Distinguished by its armored helmet and blue throat, this endangered species is not shy and elusive as previously described, but a mischief maker who stalks humans and pummels those it reaches. All the locals and many tourists have stories of their encounters. Making ourselves look large and slowly backing away, we make loud noises by singing our original cassowary anthem:
Cassowary,
you're so scary.
You're no canary.
You best be wary,
of cassowary!

We flee into a low tide, mangrove swamp. 1,000 crabs emerge for a snack , but we prove too quick, motivated by the sound of approaching crocodiles aka "salties". Arriving at the beach, we decide to take a swim while awaiting the arrival of our boat. Signs warn of poisonous box jellyfish in these waters. The rains wash the polyps from their river nests out to sea and they grow in the shallow waters. The dingy arrives to cut short our swim; clamoring aboard we catch air in the choppy waves as the torrential rains begin. Sopping wet, we board the dive ship and sign our liability waivers as the sea sickness takes hold. For the next hour we are washed, tossed, shaken and stirred as if on a new Disneyland ride. Cue the Gilligan's Island theme song. In the back corner of the ship we take turns surrendering our breakfasts to Poseidon.

A lonely strip of sand, inhabited by nesting birds, indicates our arrival at the Great Barrier Reef. A crew member sits lookout; though no one mentions sharks, we know we're trespassing in the domain of the Great White. They declare, "The pool is open." Entering the water, the seas calm and the sky transforms into a religious painting, with sun rays descending from the clouds. We find Nemo at home and learn how the clown fish can live among poisonous anemones. They brush themselves on the base to gain a mucous coating before swimming among its tentacles. Here's a marine fact that didn't make it into the movie: the clowns are all male, save one bossy female. If she dies, the most aggressive male experiences a chemical change and voila becomes the lead female, easier than an operation!

Giant clams the size of steamer trunks open their jaws ominously. Stingrays bury themselves under the sand and suddenly emerge like hovercraft when we swim too close. Spotting a cod fish larger than herself, Skylar leaps on top of her flotation device. Spitting out her snorkel she asked, "Will it eat me?" Reassured that the fish was also a vegetarian, she smiled, "Then we're both safe." The marvels of this underwater world evaporated our memories of the journey to get here. Is it too late to get a job aboard the Calypso with Jacques Cousteau?

In the wet tropics, we experienced a living jurassic park that is in fact 16 times older than the Amazon Rainforest. It was never destroyed by glaciers or volcanoes after its birth. Some ferns here were thought to only exist in the fossil record, but here they are, "living fossils." This area of North Queensland is Eden incarnate, the only place on the planet you can step from one World Heritage Site to another, from the Daintree Rainforest to the Great Barrier Reef. Just watch where your step and you may survive the visit.

For photos of Cape Tribulation, Australia, click here.

Daintree, Australia

Stepping out of the airport in Cairns felt a lot like New Orleans in June. We came to the wet tropics to explore the reef and the rainforest of north Queensland. After a night in a backpacker hostel, swapping information and tall tales with other travelers, we rented a car and drove north to Daintree Village. Trish and Andrew, the proprietors were away so Ellen and Sylvia looked after us at Red Mill House. Sylvia is delightful and generous with local information. Ellen is a marvel: a great cook and an accomplished potter who is able to name every bird and plant in the garden. She leads birding trips and has been known to build rock walls in the pouring rain.

Debi, Skylar's teacher and a birding enthusiast, would love this place! Did you know that the orange-footed scrub fowl doesn't sit on its eggs to incubate them? Instead, they bury their eggs in leaves and debris so that the rotting compost provides the heat.

On our first afternoon, we joined Scott's electric boat trip on the Daintree River to do a bit of croc spotting. One of these prehistoric creatures lounged with an open mouth on the bank, making us shudder, even from a safe distance. The crocodile warning signs disarm visitors unaccustomed to life among these reptiles. You can read one in our photo gallery. During the course of our boat ride, Scott turned our disgust for leeches into awe as he described the elegance of their "feeding" system: first insert an anticoagulant, feast and then insert a coagulant to finish the job and keep the buffet alive.

Speaking of dining, a yellow-spotted honeyeater dropped by during breakfast on the veranda as did an iridescent blue Ulysses butterfly. Breakfast was delicious, large and exotic here: fruit platter with mango, mangosteen, kiwi and rambutan, homemade bread, yogurt and muesli followed by a hot course of toast, poached eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes. We found that this generous brekkie is typical of B&B's in Australia. No need to eat again until dinner.

To pace ourselves, we have occasional "do-nothing" days in which we postpone any new adventures to catch up on email, schoolwork, journaling, photos and blogging. What good fortune that a torrential downpour showed up on a do-nothing day. It is obvious why this is called the RAINforest; at times we had to shout to hear each other over the noise of large drops on the roof. The skies cleared in time for the girls to ride horses on Wonga Beach. The heavy rains and the saltwater crocs prevent any resorts from taking hold here, so the girls trotted and Michelle enjoyed a canter on this deserted beach. We had difficulty leaving Daintree Village and Red Mill House as we'd become so comfortable there.
For more photos of Daintree, click here.

Clouds

Clouds

Christchurch - Goodbye New Zealand

Christchurch is Oxford, England in miniature: the stone architecture, the parks, the punting boats on the Avon River. We wandered the streets, visited Christchurch cathedral and rented a canoe to pretend we were pirates about to board the punts. It was a stunning day in a beautiful city.

We enjoyed the hospitality of Michele and Richard, former Eugenites living in Christchurch. After camping for two weeks, we thoroughly appreciated showers, laundry, doing schoolwork at their kitchen table, playing with their dogs and cooking food in a kitchen, the simple pleasures. Their advice, good taste in music and witty banter provided the perfect conclusion to our time in New Zealand. Thanks Joanne W for introducing us!

"Where are you from?" the Air NZ flight attendant inquired handing Jeff a sandwich sans crust.
"Oregon.." he replied.
"The States?" she interrupted.
"Yes."
"I thought so, I could tell because of your accent."
Funny, we thought kiwis were the ones with accents. That's something to think about.

More photos of Christchurch are available here.

Penguins & Chocolate

More photos of Dunedin and Penguin Place are here.
When the Owens Family emigrated from Ashland to Australia six or seven years ago, we said we'd come visit. Who would have known that Katie and Sarah would be at Otago University in Dunedin, NZ when we finally got down under? How fun to meet the little girls we knew, as delightful and engaging women. Over Italian food, we learned about the Australian and NZ education system and how complex and competitive it is to attend college.

While waiting for Katie and Sarah to finish classes, we donned hair nets and toured the chocolate plant at Cadbury World; sampling raw cocoa beans was the highlight. There are no oompa-loompas here; give it a miss if you come to town. The front desk staff, however, were over-the-top helpful when I said we were keen to see penguins on the Otago Peninsula, she booked us with a naturalist guide for the next day.

There are 4,000 yellow-eyed penguins left in the wild and surprising to this family, their natural habitat is forest (and sea of course). 19 nesting pairs inhabit the a private reserve called Penguin Place, set in an ocean cove and rolling hills. Humans can trespass into penguin habitat here without making a mess of things by using the system of covered trenches and camouflaged hides. The private landowners are committed to reestablishing a penguin colony and tree planting is the first order of business. Who is the Jane Goodall of penguins? If the position isn't taken, Michelle wants to apply. One can easily lose a day or a week gazing at these shy, solitary creatures. We sited two moulting penguins, Brian and Doug under trees and bushes. We imagined their head shakes and weight shifting motions to be shivers against the Antarctic winds. We left the penguins to continue our drive north along the first straight road we've seen in New Zealand.

The Long, Long Trailer

For those of you who haven't seen The Long Long Trailer starring Lucile Ball and Desi Arnez it is a must see to have some understanding of our experience in Betty . For the readers who don't know her, she's our old RV which we took to drive across New Zealand. Our journey was not nearly as disaster filled as theirs but when Lucille tries to cook in the back of the trailer, that we can somewhat relate to.

Riding along in the back seat of Betty makes it hard to enjoy the scenery. With the suspension shot every time you hit the slightest bump it is multiplied by ten in the back. Riders are prone to car sickness. So instead of enjoying the beauty that makes up New Zealand you are more likely to by laying down listening to your i-pod with you eyes closed trying not to barf. There is also the matter of devices broken. Such as the fact that the table does not stay up but instead wobbles from side to side and is ridiculously hard to remove. Or that when we parked at the Bumbles Hostel in Queenstown, the water tank emptied its contents all over the parking lot. Or that when there are sudden stops or turns your likely to slide forward a few inches because the seat belts don't stay. Or as we were driving through the small town of Oamaru the temperature gauge suddenly went from warm to beyond hot. But the lovely people of New Zealand pulled through once again and quickly fixed the engine in no time flat - no charge. To Betty's credit she kept us mostly dry, her brakes work and she bears no resemblance to a rental vehicle so we don't look like a driving billboard, just some crazy tourists. This has not changed the way we feel about New Zealand. It is one of the loveliest places on earth with some of the friendliest people you will ever meet in your natural born life. But heed the warning to this tale, should you ever rent an RV, always see the vehicle before you pay.
-Maya

Doubtful Sound & Queenstown

The allure of Doubtful Sound stole us away from Wanaka, but not wanting to drive Betty another eight hours on winding roads, we booked a trip with Real Journeys out of Queenstown. This remote wilderness in southwest NZ can only be reached by road to Manapouri, boat across Lake Manapouri, another road across the Wilmot Pass to board yet another boat to explore Doubtful Sound. The forested cliffs and islands provide habitat for rare birds, seals, dolphins and penguins. It rains two out of three days here; locals assured us it was a glorious day and only "misting" during our visit. Dolphins raced along the bow of the ship, waterfalls cascaded down the walls and seals rested on rocks at the edge of the open sea. In this Jurassic Park territory, cut by glaciers, one expected a pteradactyl to swoop through the cloud-shrouded canyons at any moment. The naturalist guide cut the boat engines and enforced three minutes of complete, camera-free silence in which we could witness our surroundings in a different way. Returning from the Sound, we visited the James Bond/Batman hide out, aka underground hydropower station and learned how the kiwis turn water into electricity. What an exceptional day.
For photos of Doubtful Sound click here.

In contrast, Queenstown is the Disneyland of New Zealand, offering extreme sports for the masses: paragliding onto boats, heli-biking, sky diving, bungy jumping and white water rafting. It's andrenaline-filled fun and outrageously expensive. One of our party, a certain 12 year old, had to take a death defying risk so we put the independent young lady on a jet boat. That's right, a power boat, traveling at 80km/hr in a narrow canyon performing 360 degree turns in 10cm of water. She proclaimed it "terrifyingly fun and wet!" See photo above.

Traveler's Note: Sandflies rule the west coast so insect repellant is a must. In a quasi-horror-movie moment, we stopped at a rest area near sand dunes to answer nature's call. No sooner did we leave Betty than our pants legs were black with biting insects! This was particularly problematic in the loo.

For photos of Queenstown click here.

West Coast & Wanaka, NZ

For photos of the west coast and Wanaka, click here.
It's a good thing that the highways are well-marked and the kiwis are eager to help because we did not invest in a detailed driving map.
Around each curve of the winding two lane highway are "oohs and ahhs" waiting to express themselves. The highway slows to a one lane bridge over a rushing stone-littered river. Fern fronds reach like fingers out of the rainforests. Franz Josef Glacier, that ice age remnant, receeding behind a shroud of rain clouds. This country of extraordinary vistas allows one to visit a glacier (elegantly pronounced glass -ee- er) and a beach on the same day!

Stopping for the night in Greymouth, we passed an hour in the local library, researching the people on NZ currency: Kate Sheppard, a turn of the century suffragist, Sir Edmund Hillary, who summited Mt. Everest, the kiwi bird.....Librarians are a kind, helpful sort the world round. A minor twister had preceded us into Greymouth so construction workers restored roof tops along its path.

Wanaka was the prize at the end of our eight hour drive along the west coast. Willow trees brush the edges of Lake Wanaka while Mount Aspiring rises in the background. This is Lord of the Rings territory and we see Frodo against most landscapes. It's no wonder the Boehnkes enjoyed their year living here so much. (Jeff and John completed their student teaching together back in the day.) The entire country has an excellent system of visitor information called "i site." In a country of extroverted, helpful people, the top of the heap work here. Get directions to a holiday park (aka campground, but don't say "RV" call it a campervan) or book a skydiving trip; nothing is too picayune or extravagant for this crew.

A photographic exhibit by Yann Arthus-Bertrand entitled "Earth from Above," lined the Wanaka lakefront. Google this guy. His photos are stunning and his message so important. He takes photos around the world from helicopters: Cotton bales in an African field, pineapple pickers in the Caribbean, heart shaped atolls. The photo from Laura's Lakeview neighborhood post-Katrina gave us pause.

The buzz around town focused on the A & P show. That's the Agricultural and Pastoral show for the uninitiated. Horse jumping, carriage races, heifer showing, tractor exhibitions and other displays of rural artistry, similar to an Oregon County Fair. We passed an unhurried two days in Wanaka, walking everywhere, eating delicious food and partaking in the cultural events. How fun to see Oregon-made Dagoba chocolates in the health food store! When we return, we'll plan to stay longer to kayak the Clutha River and do a bit of wine tasting at Rippon Vineyards.

Abel Tasman Nat'l Park, NZ

Think NZ, think stunning scenery, sheep, beer and rugby. The fact that New Zealand is an island in the south Pacific hit us over the head today as we experienced this tropical paradise by boating, hiking and swimming. We hiked 7 miles through rainforests, viewed seals, collected shells and watched cormorants (or shags as the kiwis call them) fishing. It's a full moon so the tides have a 4 meter range. We watched the low tide recede at 3cm/minute and had to hike through the shallows to reach the water taxi. "Absolutely breathtakingly beautiful," Jeff
"Heart stopping gorgeousness," Maya
"I'll get back to you," Skylar

Our next stop is Franz Josef Glacier. Cheers!


For photos of Abel Tasman National Park, click here.

Cook Strait Ferry and Nelson, NZ

For photos of the ferry crossing and Nelson click here.

Lancelot gave us "cheeky" driving instructions on our way to pick up the RV in Wellington. This delightful shuttle driver taught us polite and impolite hand signals that would be universally understood as well as speed limits and how to spot police officers. When driving in NZ, remember U-turns and turning at a red light are illegal and one must give way when entering a round about.

Meet Betty,(photo above) she's 24- feet long, dependable and has good brakes. So what if she's missing a few hubcaps, her suspension is shot and she's got 200,000 km on her. This band of gypsies will call her home for a few weeks. To help the driver, everyone calls out, "stay left," at random intervals just to keep the driver on his/her toes! Traveler's note: Rent RV's six months in advance from Maui, Kea, Apollo or Britz.

Crossing the Cook Strait from Wellington into the Marlborough Sounds of the South Island brought us in contact with new birds and Antarctic breezes. Skylar spent considerable time on deck dancing with the wind. Maya met a kiwi ten year old and learned that girls here are also interested in shopping and snowboarding. We marveled at the multilevel sheep transporter and its 240 occupants. Disembarking at Picton, we drove two hours to Nelson and stopped for the night.

Nelson College, has 1,000 male students including 300 boarders; Michelle had an appointment here to visit classrooms and talk to teachers. Students in US grades 8-12 (or NZ years 9-13)wear uniforms and study college preparatory curriculum. Prejudice between maori and white citizens was the focus of a social studies lesson in which the teacher hopes to debunk some myths on both sides of the cultural divide. Students were excited to be dressing "muffdie" and raising money for charity on Thursday, (translation, in street clothes). Class size, encouraging critical thinking and national assessments are all pressing issues to the faculty. How exciting to learn that New Zealand refuses to use multiple choice tests for their accountability measures. Directly next to our holiday park, we dropped in on a primary school where Reading Recovery originated. What a great way to gain a more local perspective.

Wellington, New Zealand

Click here to view more photos from Wellington, New Zealand.

They call each other kiwis, the letter z is zed, skim milk is trim milk and the girl scouts were selling guide biscuits. The New Zealand accent is charming and the people more friendly than anywhere we've been; well, the Irish come close. The hospitality began with incredible service on Air New Zealand. Our trip was almost derailed when our flight out of Medford was delayed. A call to Air New Zealand assured us that they would do all they could to hold our connection in San Fran. When we got off the Medford flight, an Air NZ rep was waiting to usher us to the waiting trans-Pacific flight. Our fellow travelers, who checked luggage, would be waiting two days to get reunited with their bags. We were glad that we had only carry-ons. The flight to Auckland lasted 13 hours and we enjoyed it thoroughly. After so many years on US carriers that declared bankruptcy, one forgets that economy class can come with real wine glasses, delicious food and personal entertainment systems. Maya and Skylar have begun rating each of the nine carriers we will use; Air NZ sets a pretty high bar.

We arrived in Wellington at 9am March 3rd and were allowed to check into our hotel room right away. We freshened up and headed to the cable car; this is where the similarities to San Francisco began: the red cable car with wooden seats and brass fixtures moving up a steep hill. The harbour front walk to the Te Papa Museum only lacked the sea lions. There is an island in the middle of the harbour, not Alcatraz, but a close relation.

With approximately 36 hours to devote to Wellington,we enjoyed these highlights:
1. Intercontinental Hotel (club level)
What a posh way to launch our next two weeks in a campervan. Breakfast, high tea, wine tasting and high speed internet all inclusive.
2. Cable car to Botanical Gardens, human sundial and walk down to town.
Special note: If one were to ever get lost on Terrace Street, ask a local lady and she'll escort you to one of the hidden elevators required to take you to the quay level, no matter what your map says.
3. Watched a cricket match at a local park and still don't understand the rules.
4. Te Papa Museum (means Our Place in Maori)
The girls did lots of school projects at this unique and inspiring museum. We most enjoy the lessons we've labeled "Get Curious." They are learning to pose their own questions and find the resources to answer them.
5. Dinner at One Red Dog Restaurant
6. Pick up a campervan and take the ferry across to the south island. That is tomorrow's adventure.

- Michelle

The Itinerary

"It's a dangerous thing walking outside your door. If you don't keep your feet under you, there's no telling where you might be swept off to,"
Bilbo Baggins

The world is a big place. Here's our route around it:

March 3 - 16 New Zealand (South Island)
March 16 - April 5 Australia (East Coast from Cairns to Sydney)
April 5 - April 19 Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima)
April 19 - May 2 China (Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin)
May 2 - 5 Bangkok, Thailand
May 5-9 Siem Reap, Cambodia (Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom)
May 9-23 Thailand (Chiang Mai and Phuket)
May 23-June 3 Kenya camping safari
June 3 - 9 Turkey (Istanbul and Ephesus)
June 9 - 19 Greece (Patmos, Athens and Meteora)
June 19 - 29 Croatia (Mljet and Dubrovnik)
June 29 - July 9 Europe (Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Frankfurt)