New Zealand

 

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    Church on the South Island
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    Statue in honor of working dogs
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    On the way to Mt. Cook
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    Looking down the lake at the mountains
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    Getting closer to Mt. Cook
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    View from my motel room at the Mt. Cook park
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    Walk to the glacier
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    Along the walk to the glacier - swing bridge
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    Glacier walk
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    Glacier walk
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    Glacier walk
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    Morning of the walk to Sealy Tarns
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    On the way to Sealy Tarns
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    Looking back from the climb to the tarns
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    Fog started rolling in during the climb
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    About halfway up
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    Waipua Forest Kauri Museum - inside - replica of mill
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    Walk near Waipua Forest
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    Tane Mutaha - probably 1250 to 2000 years old - 169 feet tall and 45 feet in girth. In Waipua Forest. Kauri trees are what we call "gumwood"-rich amber colored wood
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    Above Hokianga Harbor, looking at Tasman Sea
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    Tasman Sea
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    Mesmerizing wave action
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    Inside the protected harbor - huge sand dunes across the estuary
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    Mouth of Hokianga Harbor
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    Entrance to Waiwere Boulders
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    Waiwere Boulders - glacial deposit
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    Serene pool ringed with boulders
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    My private patio at Carolyn's - Titore Lodge, Bay of Islands
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    Sunset from the beach in Russell, Bay of Islands. I ate dinner alone at a restaurant outside and watched this sunset before walking back to the lodge high on the hill.
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    Colorful
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    Every town and village had a church. This was in Russell.
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    Bay of Islands
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    I walked from a Maori village on a path that led to Cape Brett. Fascinating walk, looking down on peaceful deserted coves.
  • Cape Brett Walk
    I scrambled down to one of the coves.
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    No album of New Zealand would be complete without a picture of sheep.
 

March 2007

Before I retired, I wanted to take one extravagant vacation that I knew I would never give myself after I stopped having an income. So I splurged and took myself to New Zealand. I traveled alone without much of a plan.

The only plans I made were to meet John Henzell, who at the time was a journalist for the Christchurch Press, and to visit with my friend Carolyn.

John met me for dinner in Christchurch and answered my million questions about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. His website can be found here.

Carolyn runs a Bed and Breakfast, "Titore Lodge", in the Bay of Islands. Her website can be found here.