Braden-Shuraleff Joint Trip Discription

Below is David B's the part of his journal when we traveled togther

2/13

-Checked in at Asure Gateway Motel near airport in Qtown

-Picked up Nick, Mary, Hannah downtown and had dinner

2/14

-Lazy morning, did laundry

-Dropped Mary off to spend day with Hannah, including boat cruise on Lake Wakatipu – purest lake ever

-A,D,N drove to Arrowtown, then drove ridge road to Wanaka.  Road was extremely winding and beautiful. Clouds gave way to sun

-Lunch and Vodaphone store in Wanaka. Returned to Qtown for HH in sunny park by lake. Lots of people out. Dinner in our apt.

-Returned rental car, N&D walked home from airport (which was completely shut down by 7:30pm)

2/15

-Trip to Doubtful Sound: Picked up at motel by van.  Driven across street (!) where we debarked and were picked up by a full, large tour bus

-Took bus to Manipouri, crossed Lake Manipouri by boat, then another bus from the Manipouri Power Station to Deep Cove (over Wilmot Pass). Road, built exclusively for the power station, cost $5/inch

-Boarded Fiordland Navigator for our cruise. Stayed on top deck (only 4 rooms) – felt quite elite

-Beautiful weather and views, saw fur seals and dophins. Kayaked, Nick swam.

-PM muffins, then soup, then dinner – quite luxurious.  Nature talk after dinner

-Bright stars from deck at night. Karwai feeding in the water. Nicked argued constellations with captain

2/16

-Breakfast, clear day,  quiet time on deck. No sound except rustling of Chinese windbreakers..

-Took long trip back to Qtown, met Hannah at Cranberry Court

-Walked into town for dinner at a Thai place, Ann had Acapulco Gold

2/17

-Nick was thwarted again in his attempt to paraglide (Hannah had parachuted during our boat trip)

-Watched paragliders descend and land in nearby schoolyard

-Bid farewell to Hannah and flew to Wellington – Nick’s mysterious 7kg bag..

-Rented SUV, chatted up cop at airport (blind policeman couldn’t read map)

-Checked into Travelodge 22^nd floor rooms! Spectacular view of Wellington Harbour

-Walked to Cuba St. and ate at Bristol Hotel Pub. Missed blues night, almost played Quizo

2/18

-N&M went to clinic to check out Mary’s broken arm.  All good

-After another Vodaphone store, A&D took cable car up hill to Botannical Gardens

-Met N&M as clouds cleared for bright sunny day. Sundial of Human Involvement

-A&M saw observatory show (Southern Cross, due South) while N&D walked thru gardens back to town and Bruhaus Pub, where the girls joined later

-Learned Orion’s belt is part of “the Pot” in NZ. Cannot see Big Dipper in St. Hemisphere

-Dinner at Indian restaurant. Outside took pix of promo car tuktuk for Second Best Merigold Hotel

2/19

-Left Wellington for Napier

-Lunch in Pahiatua.  Good recommendation and directions at police station.  Ate at Brochie’s – steak pie, no pita bread, even after they searched at next door grocery store. Nick had glasses fixed for free.  Small town feel!

-Stopped at Tui brewery outside of town and sampled.  Henry “the Soundrel” Wagstaff, father of Tui

-Dramamine vista before lunch.  Amazingly winding mtn road, with logging trucks

-Arrived Napier at 5:00, stayed at famous Viceroy Hotel. Hallway smelled like Surf St.

-Walked through town, at start of Art Deco (and Great Gatsby) Festival.  People dressed in 20s-30s costumes, dozens of vintage cars.  Dinner at bar – Nick overpaid, I left backpack. Barman saved us

-After dinner N,A,D drove down to Hastings for their own lame festival. Pond bisected by RR tracks, HS dancers, not much else

2/20

-Free breakfast at the Viceroy, then went to I-Site to book next hotel.  Difficult due to Chinese NY and sports events . Finally booked rooms in Rotorua and Hamilton. Headed for Rotorua

-Lunch in Taupo, block from huge Lake Taupo. McDonalds there had a full M Douglas airplane

-Stopped at Huka Falls, then Waikeri Terrace thermal pools

-Stayed at Geneva Motor Lodge, sulphur smell permeated the neighborhood

-Rode gondola up to Skyline Restaurant for our big buffet dinner – pricey but very good

-Rode back down, walked in the dark next door to the Rainbow Springs Animal Park to try to spy the nocturnal and legendary Kiwi.  Saw 2 briefly.  Well, we’ve done it!

2/21

-Visited Roturua Bath House Museum (“Tudor Towers”) while oldsters played croquet on the lawn

-Terrifying film in little theater where seats shook (volcano of 1868). Saw treatment rooms, and damage to building from sulphur springs. Baleonologist

-Lunch at Fat Dog, bad toilet signs

-Drove to Matamata through forests.  A&D took tour of Hobbiton,  N&M languished at the Redoubt Pub

-Drove on to Hamilton, checked into Parkview Motor Lodge.  Happy Hour dinner in motel

2/22

-Awoke to dreary drizzle in Hamilton

A&D went to I-Site to book next rooms on Coromandel Pennisula.  Took forever, so Ann booked rooms herself in Whangamata. We had decided to forego Waitomo Caves (glow worms) to Ann’s chagrin.

-Hit the road in the mist and passed through Paeroa, where motorcycle race had been cancelled that morning for rain. Weather had mostly cleared by the time we reached Karangahake Gorge – did short walk to goldmining ruins of the Woodstock and Talisman Batteries.  Talked to bikers at top of bluff

- Nick chatted up a man in the loo in Paeroa – learned of the blockbuster best-selling book “Dunnies and Loos of NZ”.  Also long drops and thunderboxes…

-Checked into Breakers Motel in Whangamata in early pm.  Nice place with pool, spa, patio, grill, etc.

-Lunch in town and went to beach – quite windy. Saw sail surfers and sand sailboat.

-Back to the Breakers for a dip, then take-out pizza on the veranda

2/23

-In am headed in rain up 25A toward Thames and western coast of Coromandel Penninsula.  Beautiful road – next to water on left, mountainside on right, with gnarly trees everywhere.  Incredibly narrow roads, sometimes without center lines.  Mirrors on extreme corners.  Still, tandem semis.  Beautiful but terrifying

-Loo break in Te Puru – long walk behind kindergarten. Learned about game of Balls from a guy tending the playing fields

-On up to Coromandel Town for lunch. Rain off/on – got partly sunny later, so nice day 

-Over the mountains and on to Whitianga on eastern shore. I-Site, Vodaphone, sunblock

-Drove down to Hot Water Beach, rented spades, joined the hordes.  Powerful wind and wind, driving the surf over the “spas” even at low tide. No success for us, but a fun experience. (Nick wallowed)

-Too long a hike to Cathedral Cove, so we picked up a takeaway dinner in Tairua, then back to the Breakers Motel.  Hot tub, dinner on veranda

2/24

-Left Whangamata for Auckland- took main road and missed famous loo, to Nick’s chagrin

-Checked into Siesta “Fleabag” Motel. Hotels full for Chinese NY

-Lunch at Indian place after leaving authentic Chinese dim sum place. Hung around motel in pm

-Dinner at Papatoetoe home of friend N&M had met at wedding in Samoa. Marie and John, kids Franklin, Kathleen, Christopher, Rita. Wonderful dinner on patio, gorgeous evening

2/25

-N&M’s young Samoan friends, Tali and Manuli, showed up at 7:00 am. N&M then took them on ferry to Waheike Island for a nice, sunny day of buses and beaches

-A&D took bus to downtown Auckland and did Lonely-Planet walking tour. Went up Sky Tower, great views of city and area. Saw sky-jumpers and sky-walkers

-Lunch at Turkish restaurant nearby- got lowdown on sticky date cake.  Walked through Albert Park and Chinese NY decorations. Stopped at City Hall, Art Museum

-Met N&M at 3:30 at Britomart ferry. Nick left again with girls and we had drinks, then dinner at restaurant on Vulcan St. Nick attended Manuli’s school prize-giving ceremony

2/26

-Checked out of Siesta, drove to Mt. Eden and took pix.  Another beautiful day

-Drove to Mission Bay, lunch at fancy Hammerhead’s Fish House

-Drove to airport to drop car off at 3:00, then waited for 10:45pm flight.  A great trip!!