Rotokare Reserve

This is what most of New Zealand looked like before Europeans and invasive mammals were introduced a couple hundred years ago. This reserve is surrounded by a 10 ft tall and many mile long small mesh fence to keep out the invasive and voracious Australian possum, which eats many tons of NZ plantlife every night. This is about 20 km from Stratford. We have not exhausted all the interesting sites on Taranaki yet, and there are many more to see.

The giant ferns are everywhere, and at first glance look like palm trees. They get to be 20 feet tall and are called Ponga Trees or Black Ferns. The giant fern leaf is one of the common NZ icons -- along with the Kiwi bird and Southern Cross. Many of the sports teams are named after the Ponga: Black Ferns (rugby), White Ferns (soccer), Silver Ferns (netball).

Some kind of giant indiginous tree...... and some voracious Americans.

Office Christmas Party

Rick's first experience with Cricket (pictured with his coach, 12 year old Jeremy, grandson of a Croatian immigrant and quite the keen sportsman). He's still out there playing and it's been a week already. (Apparently cricket games last for days.)
Three grills were needed to feed 40 people at the Christmas party. Everyone gets together at the beach. Some stay in the guest beach house, but most bring tents and camp out in the back yard of the beach house. We played volleyball and cricket on the beach, swam, cooked- out, drank, and just had a great time. It really seems more like really good friends hanging out rather than co-workers.

When we came back to the house from being on the beach someone was playing Christmas music, which I thought was a prank for a split second until I realized that we were in fact having Christmas at the beach in 75 degree weather. Very strange.

This is the sun rising over the Tongariro Range and Mount Ruapehu (Mt Mordor -- sp?-- in Lord of the Rings).

The summit of Mount Taranaki from Fantham's Peak. We will make this trip another time. Fantham's Peak is the shoulder of Taranaki, and actually a parasitic cone off of the original volcano. The movie "The Last Samuri" was filmed in Taranaki, and featured the mountain in many scenes. It rises 3000 meters from sea level and is a striking presence wherever you are on the Cape.

Climb to Fantham's Peak

This is the sun setting over the Tasman Sea, as seen from Fantham's Peak. The picture is taken from above the cloud level.

This is the lodging on the peak -- Syme's Hut and convenient facilities. It was warm and comfortable. Mount Taranaki was right next door and an incredible site up close.

"Harmatton"

This is the second painting in the "weather" series.
The Stratford Art Society Exhibition

Weiheke Island

Beautiful even when gray.

Weiheke Island

Make sure you read the fine print on the shop.

The Traveling Gypsies

I think I've seen these guys at a Phish show!

The Traveling Gypsies

Bacon Bob in the lead..... what you don't see is the guy chasing them through the course. Still, good fun for all and a big draw at the Stratford Fair.

Can't get enough pigs......

Vietnamese bacon.

Kiwis are famoujs ax-men, and this past year were world champion lumberjacks.

Stratford Agricultural Show

There is an annual Ag show in Stratford, with MANY fun events. This could have been in just about any rural community in the US ..... except for the snacks: Hot dogs or AMERICAN hot dogs, veggie pitas and lamb shanks to go.

Squall

Just an update for everyone regarding the art career - I have just sold my first painting in New Zealand!

A sweet rainbow out of our living room window. Sure does make up for the past 4 days of rain.

Kauri Tree

Here stands the mighty Kauri (cow-ree) tree -- this is the largest remaining tree, named "Tanai Mahuta," 2000 years old, and one of the 4% left standing. These giants (some are 30 meters in diameter and 60 meters tall) were cut to near extinction 80 years ago for their wood. Each tree has enough wood to build 9 houses. Interestingly, the wood is still being harvested from bogs, and is in near perfect condition despite being up to 100,000 years old. The sap was/is also mined from the bogs, and there is, in fact, a large Croatian/Dalmation community in NZ who originally came to mine the Kauri sap/amber out of the bogs. Things in Croatia must have been pretty bleak at the turn of the last century to make bog work appealing. There are many third and fourth generation Croatians in NZ, and most are now well established merchants or farmers.

Percy Thomson Gallery

An exhibit of art made in Taranaki (our region). "Squall", my attempt at abstract weather. Critiques encouraged.

Today we went to the very northern tip of NZ, Cape Reinga, where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet. Like almost everywhere else we have been, it is strikingly beautiful.

This is a lumpy American guy sand surfing. The dunes are other-worldly, and went on and on. The Kiwis were very forward minded, and in the 1940s started an aggressive planting program to prevent erosion of the northern 100 miles of NZ. There is a planted forest 8 km x 40 km along the windward side of this long sand spit, that now povides protection and lots of timber. Ah..... a forward thinking government.

Castaway, before the dramatic weight loss.

This is the actual meeting point of the the two seas, and in big weather the waves meet and create 3 meter flumes. While the pictures are striking, they never capture the incredible majesty of the actual landscape. We feel fortunate to be experiencing all of this.

Ahipara beach, sunset.

Funny little dog guarding the beach, no apparent owner, but a strong sense of mission.

Hope in the volcanic rock. This photo endorsed by subject.

View of the first mile of 90 mile beach, from our bed and breakfast patio.

Catch of the day, four delicious snapper. The Portugese Man of War is 2 feet in diameter on the beach -- puts our little nettles to shame.

The best fishing trip I have ever taken -- bate the hooks, run the line and torpedo 2000 meters out into the Tasman Sea, and voila:

Fresh snapper! Clean and fillet and ready for the Bar-be this evening. No Diesel fumes, sea sickness, irritating first mates. Great fun!

Jill and John (Col. retired), of Pakiri Beach below the Bay of Islands. These two Kiwis are friends of Bill and Clarissa, and they treated us to a nice lunch at their farm. They are famous for owning the same Mercedes Benz for so long it turned over one million miles, which they traded-in to the MB folks for a new car, even steven. They are known to play a game called "spoons" with unsuspecting guests.

Sandspit, NZ

An iron deposit in the middle of sedimentary rock above. My Chinese girlfriend below:

Some interesting geology below:

Tidal pool treasures to be found, above.

Lots of interesting flora, fauna, and geology....... including some sedimentary erotica.

Here we are on the east coast, at the Bay of Islands. This photo is taken from our B and B veranda. If you come to NZ, be sure to spend a few days in this neck of the woods, including Hope's favorite small town so far, Matakana.

The Old Shoppe on our way to Rotorangi Lake.

For those of you really following our blog......here's our real car.

Gas costs $1.99 per liter, but has come down about ten cents since we've been here. So...... I guess that would be about $7 per gallon! Quit your compalining about $3.