Volume 20, No. 4

JUNE 2007

RUGBY - The time to steal a car in New Zealand is when the All Blacks are playing an international rugby match. Almost every citizen in the country will be watching television. And if you’re spotted in the act of theft, there is still no danger. The cops won’t turn up till halftime.

(nzmag.com)

HINEMOA AND TUTANEKAI

Rotorua’s most famous love story started more than 300 years ago on the shores of sacred Mokoia Island, as Tutanekai played his koauau (flute) thinking of his love, Hinemoa.

Hinemoa was the beautiful daughter of a prominent chief who forbade the love between the young couple as Tutanekai was not of high enough stature within his tribe.

Hinemoa would sit on Iri Iri Kapua (her rock) and listen to his musical notes floating over the water of Lake Rotorua to her on the mainland. As time passed and their love grew, her tribe did all they could to prevent her being with Tutanekai, including removing waka (canoes) from the shores of the lake so she could not travel to be by his side.

One dark night, the call of the koauau proved too much for Hinemoa who ran to the shores ready to swim with empty gourds tied to her body to help keep her afloat over the four kilometre journey.

Hours later she made it to Mokoia Island, cold and tired. She rested in Waikimihia, a small hot pool on the edge of the island to warm her body and wait for her love to find her—and he did. They were never to be parted again, bringing permanent peace between their two tribes.

This true story formed the basis of the world- renowned song Pokarekare Ana.

In the early 1900s, with Rotorua’s tourism industry flourishing, descendents of Hinemoa and Tutanekai became some of the first Maori guides in

the city. . . the people of Rotorua continue this proud tradition today.

SOUTH ISLAND IN 11 DAYS DOOR TO DOOR FROM CINCINNATI, OHIO, USA -
Robert A. Ringgenberg

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the driver steering from the right side of the car. Driving was a joy and highly recommended. Our ideal trip includes some self-drive for the independence, some public transportation, like train or bus, to get close to the locals, and some guided touring so as not to miss things.

The drive west starts out with some flat farm land and gradually you are seeing mountains and better and better scenery-not Mt Everest, but very nice. Near Arthur's Pass are several lodges offering guided walks, fishing, horseback riding, extended tracking, etc. Lonely Planet Guide Book is a good source of information.

Our first night was at Bealey Lodge which is about 2 hours west of Christchurch. The new owners did not have our reservation down, possibly my fault. At my urging, we were able to determine that they also had "back packers" accommodations, and for a linen charge we could sleep there, which turned out to be just fine, shared bath and cooking area and at a bargain price.

We took hour-long hike along the Waimakairi River on which the lodge sits in a beautiful setting. Their website shows this. Around 4PM we had heated sandwiches and beer, which were real good, and went to bed early.

Day 2 - We carry a heating coil and our own coffee, tea, and sweetener which you really don't need because every accommodation seems to have these in the rooms. So after early morning tea and coffee in our room, we were off to the west coast on route 73. From here on all scenery is fantastic up until you return to Christchurch.

We skirted Lake Brunner, another area for fishing and outdoor activities, to the north arriving at Greymouth. New Zealand seems to use really practical names. Why Greymouth? This village is located at the mouth of the Grey River. We arrive in Punakaiki to view the pancake rocks and blow holes seaside. Very scenic. This is as far north as we went.

Back-tracking to Greymouth we head south to Franz Josef, the home of the glacier. Along the way are opportunities for scenic side trips, animal life viewing, and tracks. We did not take any of these in. See the guide books for ideas.

We did not have reservations for this night-a big mistake. So went to Glenfern Villas where we had reservations for the next night. They were fully booked for this night as was every place else. The clerk at Glenfern Villas was not helpful, to the point of being rude and upsetting. Another tourist there did have a reservation, but they did not have a room for him.

They had a disconnect with their internet booking agent. I do not recommend this accommodation. Here is where the campervan would have been a life saver.

We drove on into the village of Franz Josef which is basically a one street 3 or 4 block place full of tourists and agents, and agents for helicopter flights, hiking and climbing and every imaginable type of outdoor activity. A really neat place. A grocery store with wine and beer sales, gas station ($4.50US per gallon), souvenir shops, and maybe the best restaurant ever, Beeches. Be sure and try the seafood chowder. Best in the world, located right on the main street which is also route 6.

We went to the Land Management office where they aid tourists, and no rooms anywhere. They were very helpful-Glenfern should hire one of their staff. Anyway, we were directed to backtrack 30 minutes to the village of Whataroa and to the Whataroa Hotel. Little did we know that the A&P show was going on. It is an agriculture fair and after the show they all congregate at this small wooden old watering hole of a hotel, which reminds you of something out of a cowboy movie. The partying continued until 4AM just outside our window.

Not all was lost-great steak dinner and big DP beer and an interesting time talking to a local couple from the show who knew all about the ag business there. Lots of dairy and beef farming. It was quite a scene, dancing, drinking, families, kids, but not much sleep. Oh, by the way, another night of shared bath-but good news that they did not charge us for the room. This was a minus 2 star, but a real adventure not to be missed!

Day 3- Up at 7 AM and not a soul in sight-likely all passed out. Headed south ½ hour back to Franz Josef and made arrangements for an afternoon heli glacier flight. You can do all kinds of variations in all kinds of activities. You can kayak down the Fox River, starting at the base of Fox Glacier, nearby. You can spend the afternoon hiking on a glacier via helicopter access. You can take a guided climb on Franz Josef Glacier, and much more. We spent the morning walking to the base of the glacier on a well-maintained path.

Lots of good photo opportunities. We have a Cannon EOS 1OD (the new model is a 30D) digital camera which has 10 mega pixels. We edit on Adobe Photo Album (must buy software), and have the best ones enlarged by Shutterfly via the internet. It is amazing what you can do. We have some l0"x30" framed that are fantastic.

Our afternoon helicopter ride took 30 minutes, took 6 guests plus the pilot and was crowded. Get in

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first or last if entering the rear, and last if entering the front seat area. Why? So as to have a window seat. Views of Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers and the rain forest were fantastic. We landed on a snow field and got out and walked around for a few minutes.

Then we drove just north of Franz Josef village to Glenfern Villas where this night we did have a reservation. The same jerk, I mean clerk, was there having a problem with a group that arrived on a bus tour and had the impression a free van to town was available every 10 minutes which was not the case

This guy asked me to pay and I told him that I had paid in advance using my credit card. He says that if had paid I would have had a "voucher" which I did not have, implying that I was lying. Then he says you can get on the computer and try to print your voucher-real helpful guy. I got the voucher printed and in walked the, I assumed, owner who was a double jerk and he is real sour and says what's the problem, and I mentioned that they should get their act together because the last three guests that I observed had a hassle. This guy puffs up his chest and says you can get out of here, so I shut up.

The problem is that there are not enough rooms to handle all the tourists, and this guy knows that and to hell with you was his attitude. These two guys need to take a class in how to operate a computer reservation service, and how to deal with the public. This was the second night that a campervan would have been good.

Day 4- This day was devoted to driving from Franz Josef to Queenstown, an easy day's drive, but you could take several days if you took in more sights and side trips along the way. Again, check the guide books.

First we stopped at Fox Glacier not far away and walked to the base. We continued driving south along the coast on route 6 to Haast, then headed east along the Haast River and south along Lake Wanaka to Wanaka, a lakeside resort. Again there are many things to see and do in this area that we skipped.

As route 6 approaches Queenstown, you pass ski areas in this desert-like hill area. Queenstown is the largest town we visited except for Christchurch. Lots of hotels and crowded, but not to the point you cannot navigate. We parked on Shotover Street and went to R&R Sports Shop to confirm our briefing for the next days Hollyford Track which has an office above the store.

Then we drove to the Heritage Hotel just at the edge of town, overlooking Lake Wakatipu. We had

a reservation, but the clerk at the desk said they had over-booked and we did not have a room. Every night was an adventure, but this one turned out to the good. They sent us over to the Sofitel 5 Star Hotel in the center of Queenstown, along with a free bottle of wine. We had booked a $NZ220 room at the Heritage, and the Sofitel room was over $NZ600, but we only paid the $220. Valet parking, which you need, is $16 per day. Very nice hotel.

Queenstown is a fun place. Lots of shops, restaurants, booking agents for every imaginable type of outdoor adventure, friendly people, very vibrant- but crowded.

We highly recommend the Hollyford Track. Everything about it was excellent. Very well organized, great food, great guides, great scenery. The evening was spent shopping, following the track briefing by Sue Charlesworth, which was very complete and helpful.

Day 5 -We left our luggage and the car at the Sofitel. The Hollyford Track bus picked us up at 6:45 am along with our packed packs that they provided. The bus took us to TeAnau on Lake TeAnau where in 1985 we got on a boat and went off to the Milford Track which was longer and more difficult, but again highly recommended. The 15 of us joined up with our guides Phil Keene and Blair at the Sandfly Café. The guides were tremendous, the group was good, everything about this track was great. We highly recommend it.

From TeAnau we had a 2-hour bus ride ending at Gunn's Camp at the end of Lower Hollyford Road. Today we walk 12 miles to Pyke Lodge along the Hollyford River through native beech forests and tumbling waterfalls, enjoying historical tales and interpretation of the forest and bird life.

Our picnic lunch, issued back in Queenstown, was taken at a scenic beech site along the Hollyford River. We drank water from streams, crossed several swinging bridges which were swinging a little too much for me. The trail was level and not difficult for the most part. It was a long day and the sight of Pykes Lodge was a welcome one, as was the cold beer. We bad a private room sleeping in bunk beds, with shared bath. Maria Kunster, lodge host, was full of life and smiles and did a bang-up job with the cooking. After a needed shower, we purchased a bottle of wine to go with a great supper. Very good, and good companionship. Following dinner we fed eels in the adjacent Hollyford River. We skipped the glowworm viewing nearby.

Day 6 - Maria and the guides cooked breakfast for us and we were off for a 7-mile day. First a

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side trip to Lake Alabaster, a beautiful sight. One of the group tried his hand at fishing to no avail, while we learned about the history and geology of the area. We crossed Fiordland's longest swing bridge which was kind of scarey. The water level of the Hollyford River was down, so we had to walk down-stream a short distance to board the twin-engined aluminum jet boat for a trip down the Hollyford River and across Lake McKerrow to the historic site of Jamestown that was intended to be the capital of South Island in the late 1800s.

From here we walked through the ferns and podocarp (native pine) trees with huge rimu, totara and kahikatea trees wrapped in massive rata vines. We arrived near Martin's Bay around 5pm and took a side trip to see penguins and sea lions. I did not climb the big boulders to see the sea lions, but did see two of the rare Fiordland Crested Penguins. We walked back and got the jet boat to Martin's Bay Lodge. The lodge is similar to Pykes, but consists of two separate buildings, one for bunk bed rooms and showers, and one for the office and dining. The beer and shower really hit the spot. Dinner was great. We finished our wine and purchased really nice postcards of the track and a ball cap. If you go, be sure and get the postcards.

Day 7 - This is the third and last day of the Track. After an impressive breakfast, we walk through the young rejuvenating forest and then jet boat over to Martin's Bay Beach sand dunes and lagoon, and learn about the history, plant and bird life. Light rain came, but was not a problem. The first two days of the track were sunny and pleasant, but if you go, expect possible rain. The beach is 7 km long. This was a tiring walk for me, although the others did not seem to mind. We return to Martin's Bay Lodge via jet boat where we were given a bag lunch and in groups of 5 or 6 are ferried to Milford Sound by helicopter. Normally they use a fixed wing aircraft, but the fog prevented this. This was a scenic flight lasting about 15 minutes along the coast and through Milford Sound.

We walked 4 miles today. Milford Sound is very scenic with Mitre Peak in the foreground. Lots of tourists here. At Milford we waited for the rest to arrive and boarded the bus back to TeAnau to drop off the guides, and on to Queenstown where we collected our rental car and luggage. We drove out to the Heritage where we had reservations, again a surprise, but a pleasant one. We were upgraded to a lake view suite and another free bottle of wine. The Heritage went out of their way to make up for overbooking and not having a room for us the first night. They really did not have to do that, but we did appreciate it. We

looked out our window and saw the famous lake steamer cruising by-what a sight! I would recommend the Heritage. The evening was spent in town shopping and dining-quite enjoyable. Ewa bought a locally made coat that she picked up at the Auckland Airport in the duty free area which worked out well.

Day 8 - This day we drove from Queenstown to Christchurch, a day's drive, again missing out on some worthwhile attractions, such as Mt Cook, which we had visited in 1985. We took route 6 out of Queenstown to route 8 at Cromwell, and then route 1 into Christchurch. At Lake Tekapo we had lunch and photographed the famous sheep dog statue overlooking the lake. All good scenery until you get on route 1 into Christchurch. Also the rain came and stayed with us throughout the evening. We did not have reservetions in Christchurch-big mistake. We parked downtown in the bus station parking garage and walked to several hotels and the tourist office-not a room to be had and even outlying villages were full due to festivals.

A campervan would have been good here. We were about to go to Maui (Britz) auto rental and try to rent one when, in the rain, on our way out of town amongst all the "No vacancy" signs, we spotted the Highway Lodge on Papanui Road which did not have the dreaded no vacancy sign. They were full also, but someone that was supposed to get out of the hospital was not released, and we got the room, such as it was. We were relieved to get the room, with broken chair, one smallish bed, shared bath, and window that would not shut all the way. By the way, I had been going in to inquire previously, but at the Highway Lodge Ewa went in so as to change our luck and it worked. We walked two blocks to a new Mom and Pop Japanese restaurant for dinner, and it was really good. You should go there (see list at end of this article).

Day 9-Tea and coffee in room and off to the airport. Street signs are good, and it was easy to locate the airport and the Maui (Britz) auto rental facility. Turning the car in was pleasant, no problem. New Zealand is just a real good place to travel. A van takes you to the Christchurch airport close by. The driver refused a tip. We flew up to Auckland International Airport, and on to LAX, Los Angeles, and then to CVG, Cincinnati. Then, driving our 4WD truck due to ice and snow when we left, we were off to collect Wrinkles, our dog.

We are in our late 60s and have traveled all over the world using all kinds of arrangements, and this was one of the best if not the best trip we have taken. Upon arrival home we got a postcard from Phil

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Keene, the Hollyford Track guide. That is how good the Hollyford Track people are. Also they made the auto rental arrangements which were totally trouble free, and recommended various lodges and activities.

We recommend: The Hollyford Track, www.hollyfordtrack.com A must do. Guide Phil Keene great. Highly recommended. P.O. Box 360, Queenstown, NZ

Heritage Hotel, Queenstown. Very concerned. Mid range price, well managed. Highly recommended. www.heritagehotels.co.nz, 91 Femhill Road, Queens town, NZ

Yolshi Japanese Restaurant. The best Mom and Pop, not fancy. Highly recommended. Near Highway Lodge. www.yoshitome@ihug.co.nz.

Sofitel Queenstown. Luxury. 5 star, expensive, new, great service and location. Highly recommended.

8 Duke Street, Queenstown. NZ

Britz Auto Rental. Highly recommended. No hassle, reserve in advance. All campervans were spoken for, so plan ahead. 530 Memorial Ave., Christchurch

SO GOOD TO BE BACK.. . - Eva Trapani

Seven-hundred Americans a day. . .! That's what one of our flight attendants told us (Air New Zealand of course). He told us that Air New Zealand brings that many most days to New Zealand. The 777- 200ER, the plane we were on, in its early morning arrival brings about 300 Americans on each daily flight. Another flight later in the day brings about 400. That seems an unbelievable figure-but so many facts about New Zealand are hard to believe! Landing on the South Island as we did and driving south out of Christchurch, the flocks of sheep we saw on our first day were startling. I had experienced this so many times before, but it always seems new.

My friend Judy and my 22-year-old granddaughter Bonnie, and I picked up our rental car at McDonalds in Christchurch (what great people!-so friendly and easy going). We fell in love with our little car, a Toyota Ray 4• Bonnie, our driver throughout the trip, promptly named her "Sheila".

By the way, Karen Miller at The Best of New Zealand (www.TheBestofNewZealand.com) did a good job of arranging the details of our trip. You can find McDonald's at www.mcdonaldsrentacar.co.nz.

In an hour or two of driving we made our customary (for my family) stop at Ashford Handicrafts in the town of Ashburton. In the rain we dashed in for

our bountiful breakfast in the main building. Then we shopped. When you go through Ashburton south on highway 1 (at 415 West Street), don't miss out on the Ashford complex (when I say complex, don't picture a vast American "complex". This is small and comfortable, and quite wonderful).

Our first night was at a small motel just past Fairlie (the Mount Dobson motel)-nothing special, but pleasant. The motel owner was the first in a series of self-reliant New Zealand women we came across in our almost three weeks in the country

We all enjoyed the morning's drive, getting into the mountains covered in snow, and along Lake Tekapo, taking pictures of the sheep dog statue and the little church (where they still have services). Then we gazed across the lake at Mt Cook, perfect as always among her snowy companions and the almost constant white clouds over her peak.

We enjoyed the changing views, It seems to me that you just drive through an interesting and lovely type of scenery in New Zealand-to the point where you feel satisfied, almost blasé-and then the scene changes to something else equally as interesting and lovely. Never does it become boring. It's hard for me to think of a "boring" spot in the entire country, and if there is one, it passes quickly. I think all of you know it's no secret that I am quite mad about this country, and have been for many years (25, to be exact). I don't expect this love affair to ever end!

That same morning we spotted a roadside café on a small hill at just the right time for a rest stop. We experienced quite a delightful scene inside. Very few people were there at the time-but there was an adorable bird, a tiny fantail, who was flying all over the restaurant-flitting from tables to chairs and to the ceiling, then back to a group of people. Sadly he darted from here to there so quickly that it was difficult to get pictures. The proprietor said the bird had been there for days, and visits several times each year.

Getting close to Queenstown, in a country area, we came across a great lunch stop. There were signs "Freeway Orchard", and we found a large warehouse-type building, very clean and light, filled with fruits and vegetables, all sorts of rare and not-so- rare condiments, jars of sauces, etc.-quite indescribable.

Nearby, along a covered walkway, we found the Juice Café. I would love to go there for lunch several times a week. What a menu! Listed on the chalkboard: all sorts of pizzas (how does chicken, cranberry and cheese sound? Or red onion, pumpkin

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seeds and feta?) There was ploughman's picnic, smoked chicken or prawn salad, pasta carbonara, antipasto platter, sammies (sandwiches) freshly made-ham, chicken, salami, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, aioli, mustard, chutney-take your choices. I was overwhelmed.

On the drinks and "other stuff' board were listed the various coffees, teas, beers, etc. Under coffees were the short black, long black, flat white, macchato, ristretto, etc. Later on the internet, I learned that these coffees are a big thing in Australia and New Zealand now, and New Zealand (Aotearoa) is termed "the land of the flat white coffee".

What a delightful lunch we were in for, served to us by a pretty young Maori waitress.

We liked the money system in New Zealand-most everything in even dollars-no small change to fuss with-all pizzas $5.00, sammies $5.00, teas $3.50, "snake bite" cider $7.00.

Look for Freeway Orchard, Prenzels, and the Juice Café on highway 8b near Cromwell where 6 and 8 meet.

The weekend was upon us and we had to scramble to find accommodation in the Te Anau area. Things are not as they used to be-there seems to be no "low" season in New Zealand anymore. From then on we phoned ahead for reservations.

Our Milford Sound day was magical. Unlike my first visit there in '82 when my husband and I had a rare gloriously sunny day, we experienced Milford in the rain this time, a light rain, but we got quite wet. Milford couldn't be anything but glorious. Bonnie and Judy were clicking their cameras over and over at the many waterfalls. The low clouds and the mist and the light rain kept us in a soft little paradise.

Driving from Te Anau to Milford was a happy but difficult drive for Bonnie, but she refused any help. On the road back to Te Anau, there was one remarkable magical scene that was beyond description-with towering snowy peaks, waterfalls spidering down, mist-we were gasping. It was like man-made special effects in a movie.

At other spots were fields of some sort of grain (weeds?), golden and, topaz, glistening and blowing in the wind like silken waves. We passed sheer rock walls where vegetation grew out of fissures in the walls.

One delightful sight in Te Anau was on the main street close to the lake. We came to a stop because of a parade of ducks, mostly youngsters, who wanted to cross the road. A number of cars from both directions stopped as the duck line moved

across the street, in a line like marching soldiers. But at the very end of the line were two seemingly adult ducks who were sparring with each other. They were so busy "having it out" that they didn't notice they were being left behind, and when they did, they looked around in bewilderment-"where did everybody go?" A lovely little episode in our day of travel.

I meant to say that on such a wet day at Milford, the sandflies were out in droves. Strangely they attacked us more than most other people. We had used repellant, but perhaps not the right one.

The next day we headed toward Haast on the west coast, another long driving day with great sights all the way.

We passed up Queenstown again, and for the first time in all my New Zealand trips, I experienced the Cardrona Pass road (89), going toward Wanaka. Back in the 1980s people driving rental vehicles weren't allowed to drive that road. I found out why right away. It's a narrow 2-lane road with no guard rails, and very steep-with Queenstown and Arrowtown far down below. I was actually almost paralyzed with fear. The other two wanted photos so we stopped. It seemed to me to be a perilous stop, on the down side of the road, and I could barely get myself out of the car. I chose to go this way because I thought the road had been improved since the old days, but perhaps that isn't possible-not enough room in some places. The road got easier as we drove along, and we did cut off some time rather than going by highway 6. I wouldn't do it again, but the other two didn't seem to be that frightened (youth?).

We found the stop for the Blue Pools along the highway (6) close to the village of Makarora. We trekked through the beech forest, getting many great pictures, and made our way to the pools, crossing the long swing bridge (difficult when you use a cane). The sun wasn't shining this time, as it had been three years ago when I was there, so the pools weren't quite so remarkably blue. But a little fantail was on duty at the end of the path to greet us. Sandflies were there also.

At Haast we easily found a place to stay, though Bonnie had to sleep on the floor, rather than doubling up with somebody. Usually there were three beds, and often two rooms. We had an early supper at the Hard Antler Bar and Café, where I had the worst BLT I can imagine.

The next morning found us at Fox Glacier, where I had my first flat white decaf, along with delicious berry croissants. I can't take caffeine, but I loved my cup of decaf, with a swirl of decorative, frothy milk decorating the top and a bit of crystallized

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sugar. I ordered and enjoyed this coffee a number of times as we traveled along.

Another change we noticed was in the restaurants-the bottles of water on the tables. Water glasses were at each place setting, but we usually were expected to fill our own glasses with water from the glass bottles (they sometimes looked like wine bottles). When the water was almost gone, another full bottle was brought to the table.

Right here I'll mention the water pressure throughout the country-so unlike our often puny plumbing in California-and this isn't new. The toilets go "whoosh" and it's all cleared out instantly. At the sinks you sometimes get splashed a bit if you turn the faucet too far I did enjoy the plumbing! And of course the soft water which makes hair soft and silky.

At Franz Josef Glacier, we stayed at a very nice motel (the Glacier View), with two rooms. Our view from the kitchen window included a bit of the glacier, and from the "living" room window we could see in the distance one of the waterfalls coming down from a high mountain top.

First was the visit to the glacier, of course. Then Bonnie had a really fun couple of hours at the indoor Ice Wall at the Hukawai Glacier Centre, at the corner of Cron and Cowan Street in the town of Franz Josef.. This glacier centre is one of the five largest in the world, and the only one in the Southern Hemisphere. I watched Bonnie, who is very athletic, and who truly enjoyed this experience. There's a café above where you can sit and snack as you watch.

Then we enjoyed our lunch at a tall round table with high stools at the Landing restaurant, close to the Glacier Centre. Judy ordered a "Pied Piper pud". which was a shepherd's pie with lamb, and Bonnie had a cheese and pineapple sammy.

The next day we drove to Hokitika, still on the rugged coast, enjoying many great views of the Tasman Sea. We stopped briefly at Lake lanthe along the way. lanthe was one of my husband's and my favorite spots in years past. We made up a story about the beautiful princess lanthe and her explorer lover (and played the parts!). But the scene has changed, has been brought up to snuff, and wasn't natural and familiar to me anymore, and a number of people were there-a small disappointment.

We were comfortable at the Aneden Motel in Hokitika. There we cooked our own dinner, and enjoyed the company of a pretty yellow-striped cat, who greatly enjoyed Judy's leftover salmon lunch.

Judy and Bonnie each spent time at the wonderful wild ocean beach down the road.

We enjoyed shopping there at the jewelry places, and the craft galleries on Tancred Street. In the evening we visited the Glowworm Dell. The last time I was there, I remember there were many more glowworms than are there now.

Our favorite place to eat was the Café de Paris, also on Tancred Street. We had a delicious lunch there, and the next morning we were there as soon as they opened the doors. I can't remember what we all had, but it was great, and I had another cup of flat white decaf. When in Hokitika I suggest you stop in at the Café de Paris. The place has an interesting history (story coming soon).

Heading for Christchurch, we found the Arthur's Pass road a bit more wearing than we had anticipated, but with many gloriously beautiful spots. In Christchurch we found accommodation in a Top 10 Holiday Park (Meadow Park), in one of their basic tourist flats. That was inexpensive and worked out well for us, though the park seemed vast and impersonal. Judy spent the evening at the Willowbank Maori cultural centre. Having enjoyed that experience in the past, Bonnie and I took time out. The next day we had to skip so much we would have enjoyed, but with less than three weeks for the whole of New Zealand (!), we had no choice.

The next day we took our flight from Christchurch to Rotorua, and it was quick and pleasant. It was lunchtime, and on this domestic flight Air New Zealand apparently uses meals prepared by a contractor, "Wishbone" or "Buy on Board". The menu had lots of great choices and the food was very good. Judy and I had the Wishbone chicken and almond sandwich (the soy and linseed bread was yummy). Bonnie chose a pesto pasta salad. These lunches were priced at 6 or 7 dollars, and there were many other choices, including various drinks-soft drinks, juices and wines.

At the Rotorua airport we picked up our car from Pegasus, which turned out to be rather old and unattractive, and not so easy to drive. Bonnie gave this one an uncomplimentary name.

We had made a reservation at a very nice motel on Fenton Street, within walking distance of Whakarewarewa village. We asked the motel manager to make arrangements for our Maori hangi evening, and then visited the Agrodome and Rainbow Springs-both enjoyable.

The hangi we attended was at the Pohuta cultural theater in the Park Heritage Hotel. The show

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was excellent and the food sumptuous-a wonderful treat for my birthday. We all sat at large round tables, and we had a diversified group at ours-a couple from Yorkshire in England, a couple from South Africa, an Asian couple, and two others who were across the table, too far from us for conversation. While in Rotorua Bonnie had an afternoon of whitewater rafting, which she loved.

After two pleasant days and nights in Rotorua we set out for Coromandel. My friend Betty Croft lives in the small village of Te Puru a few miles north of Thames, along the beautiful coast of the Firth of Thames. To get there from Rotorua, we took some two-lane country roads, highways 5 and 27. This is dangerous driving, where small roads often intersect with the road you're on and vehicles can suddenly pull out in your path. If you happen to be passing a truck at the time you could find yourself in a bad situation. A relative of mine had this happen, and he had to choose between the truck, the car which pulled out, or a tree. He chose the tree, and fortunately the result wasn't too bad. There are signs here and there-"high crash area". Drive very carefully if you're there.

We stopped at Ngatea, a tiny country town where Wilderness Gems is located. I had been there in better days. Now, in my opinion, the place is a bit run down, but we made a few purchases of gemstone jewelry at good prices.

It was wonderful after six years to be with Betty again, and we settled down for two days of fun and talk. However, I had made arrangements with Doug Johansen (Kiwi Dundee) to take Bonnie and Judy on one of his famous wilderness walks. Doug is an old family friend, having spent a week with us in California years ago when he was getting started. Some of you may remember when he did a fabulous presentation at one of our early KIWIphile FILE parties.

Doug generously gave several hours to Bonnie and Judy, taking them to beautiful wilderness spots, and introducing them to his favorite eel (named Arthur). Whenever Doug arrives in Arthur's area, the eel gets to Doug quickly, winding himself around his foot and leg. They obviously have a great relationship.

On the next day Betty hosted a tea in honor of my birthday, and the four of us were joined by three of Betty's closest friends for tea, scones and pikelets. It was a lovely afternoon and we enjoyed meeting Shirley, Del and Raewyn. When it came time to leave Te Puru, I was sad, but left with the hope that

Betty may manage somehow to have another long visit with me at my home.

Another long drive from there to Whangerei. When we got through Auckland and accross the Harbour Bridge, we sighed with relief. We drove past miles and miles of fields and hills so green it almost hurt our eyes.

In Whangerei we met with a fairly new friend of mine, Gloria Austin. Gloria and I met at a women's conference in San Diego two years ago and were instant friends. It was so good to be with her again. She had made a motel reservation for us, and she bunked in with us for the night. Judy was taken out for dinner by the daughter of one of her friends back home. We were a most congenial little group in the short time we had for getting acquainted.

Leaving Whangerei we drove up to the Bay of Islands and Paihia, where we stayed at the Dolphin Motel-very nice. I liked what we saw of Paihia, and we had a great dinner at "Nine" (highly recommended by us, and be sure to order the "sticky chocolate and date pudding" for dessert).

Bonnie opted for swimming with dolphins (which she didn't get to do because there were babies in the group and people aren't allowed to join the group in that case). She just enjoyed being so close to them, and Judy and I saw them, too, from the cruise boat we were on.

It was a very windy and damp day, and the Bay was really rough. We had an exciting boat ride that day but managed not to get sea-sick. Like everyone else does, we got close to the "hole in the rock", and Judy got pictures.

Our departure day from Auckland was close upon us, and we felt the pressure, and I felt the deep sadness I always feel when I leave New Zealand. It wasn't a really pleasant drive back to Auckland the next day, with rain and having to pass many slow trucks (thank goodness for the frequent passing lanes)

Approaching Auckland and the Harbour Bridge and Sky Tower from the north is quite spectacular even on a misty day. I was amazed to see the vast number of sailboats in the harbor. What a sight!

We stayed that night quite close to the airport, and spent a number of hours in the airport the next day before our evening flight. And so we flew away from New Zealand with a few small treasures in our possession-and many good memories. It took only a few hours to get home, but it took weeks for me to come back to reality.

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SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS - Do you have some thoughts to share with fellow travelers to New Zealand? Please send them in and we'll print them in the next KIWIphile FILE. Thank you.

NZ WOMEN AND THE VOTE

Suffrage and beyond - from NZ History

"The General Elections have come and gone. For the first time the women of New Zealand have joined with men in choosing members of Parliament, and we have waited with bated breath for the deluge of calamities which it was prognosticated would follow the admission of women into the political arena."

These were the 1893 general elections, held in late November, and over 90,000 women - Maori and Pakeha - exercised their new right to vote, without the dire consequences that some people had predicted. Two months before, on 19 September, the governor signed the Electoral Act: New Zealand had become the first self-governing country in the world to grant the vote to all adult women. The writer of this passage was Kate Sheppard, who led the campaign for women's suffrage, and whose contribution to New Zealand's identity has been acknowledged on the $10 note.

More than 110 years have passed since this historic event, and it is now a very different world from that of Kate Sheppard, the supporters and the opponents of women's suffrage. No women were elected in that 1893 election - the right to stand for office was not part of the suffrage campaign - and it was not until 1933 that New Zealand gained its first woman member of Parliament, more than a decade after women became entitled to stand for office.

After the 2005 general election almost 33 per cent of our members of Parliament are women, and New Zealand has the 15th highest level in the world for women's representation in national politics. The idea that women could not or should not vote is completely foreign to New Zealanders today. In recent years, women have held the country's key constitutional positions: Prime Minister, Governor-General, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chief Justice.

My Thoughts on Kiwi Women - Editor

Reading the above makes me think of the strong-willed women we met recently in New Zealand.

These are the descendants of those women who won the right to cast their votes back in 1893.

They descended, too, from the early settlers, women who spent months in terrible shipboard conditions all the way from England, and when they arrived may have had their lives threatened by the Maoris.

We met several of these courageous women. Most of the ones I'm thinking of are in their 40s, just coming into their strength and power - somehow not the same as their counterparts in other countries, who are in some cases a bit less "gutsy."

These women are so earthy they can occasionally do their shopping in their bare feet, or even attend a small social event bare-footed. They're open and friendly and have no "airs" about them.

.These are women who make good wives, mothers, daughters. They respect their men, but when necessary, they have the courage to leave and change their lives. Some of them have faced tremendous odds and have come through ready for more. And they are talented, and they can laugh at themselves. For me it was a thrilling experience just meeting them.

CHINESE DEMAND BOOSTS POSSUM FUR PRICES - from West Coast Times

Fierce demand for possum merino garments in China has sent Westland's possum fur prices rocketing from $70 to $90 per kilogram in less than a year.

Fur Dressers and Dyers (Westland) Ltd, in Hokitika, one of New Zealand's two largest independent dealers, exports 95% of its goods to three Chinese spinning and knitting factories, which expect at least 30 tonnes per year. Owner Peter Gray said they have potential orders to the tune of $2.7 million a year but national production needs to double from the current amount of 60 tonnes of fur per year.

The Chinese have fallen in love with possum merino knitwear and their domestic interest has made it become one of the dearest fibres in the world. Possum merino has been a tourist item for around 15 years but its reputation for being lighter in weight, though warmer and just as strong as wool or cashmere, has made it extremely desirable.

Mr. Gray says, "The thing that gets me is this country spends $100 million a year destroying possums when commercial operators could use those furs and skins, earn revenue for the country and create employment. The trapper will do a much better job of controlling possum, at no burden to the taxpayer."

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WESTENRA DOMINATES CHARTS - nzpa

New Zealand singer Hayley Westenra has scored a double-UK musical coup with her latest release Treasure. The album shot to number nine this week in the UK Album Chart and claimed the No. 1 spot on the Classical Album Chart. It is the third time one of Westenra's albums has held such positions in the British charts.

Universal Music New Zealand strategic marketing manager Alister Cain told NZPA while other New Zealand singers and musicians had achieved chart success overseas, no other artist had dominated the mainstream and classical charts at the same time. Treasure was to be released in New Zealand on March 19. Westenra was about to embark on a United States tour.

YHA NEW ZEALAND - New Zealand Tourism

The Youth Hostels Association (YHA) New Zealand is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2007, a three-quarter century milestone that has seen

from back country huts, farm houses and sheds into New Zealand's premier accommodation provider.

From its humble 'shilling a night" beginnings in 1932, providing shelter for trampers along Banks Peninsula, YHA New Zealand has evolved into a nationwide network of 60 hostels, servicing almost 600,000 international and domestic overnights every year.

"YHA is arguably one of New Zealand's most enduring tourism businesses and our anniversary year signals another milestone in the evolution of our business," says YHA New Zealand CEO Mark Wells.

YHA operates a network of almost 60 hostels in the country, ranging from large five-star inner city hostels to bach-style beach and alpine accommodation options. There are group and family-friendly options as well as private ensuite room.

Mark says YHA New Zealand has been operating as a "green" business since its establishment in 1932, when its stated mission was to provide travel and accommodation experiences that enrich people's understanding of each other and their environment. To this end, all YHA New Zealand-owned hostels operate as Sustainable Living centres, as well as contributing to community, environmental and social initiatives.

'The future of travel will change in the face of global climate issues and I believe YHA is well placed to deal with and mitigate those impacts. Environmental

considerations have always been a fundamental aspect of our organization: they are our basic rule of business."

HOKITIKA AXEMEN STAND OUT

- West Coast Times

The Hokitika axemen stood out in the wood chopping event in Geraldine recently.

Tony Jensen won the 300mm standing section, then combined with John Aitken to win the butchers block.

Adam Lowe won the single saw and combined with John Aitken to win the double saw.

Aitken combined with Rachel Roberts to cut second in the Jack and Jill event, while the Stuarts, Rusty and Raewyn, came third.

WEIRD AND WHACKY - Bullet Magazine

Every year awards are given for the most improbable research. They are called the Ig Nobels. Here are some of the recent winners:

Nutrition - Wasmia Al-Houtv of Kuwait University for showing that dung beetles are finicky eaters.

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