Kiwis

Continuing our latest M&M Adventure, New Zealand is a beautiful country! New Zealanders refer to themselves as "Kiwis" - the name derives from the kiwi, a flightless bird, which is native to, and the national symbol of, New Zealand (unfortunately it is endangered, not many left). All this time I thought they called themselves Kiwis because of the fruit! One of our favorite things we did in New Zealand was visit the world renown Waitomo Glowworm Caves, a vast underground network of water-sculpted, cathedral-like limestone grottos. However, on our way to the caves, we stopped for a wonderful BBQ - they grilled our Hoki fish right on the grill, wrapped in foil. It was so tender & moist...absolutely delicious!

We enjoyed some green lipped mussels...ummmm tastey!

 

Speaking of kiwis, we had some yellow kiwis...I didn't know there was such a thing! It has a slightly different flavor than their green cousins - equally scrumptious.

 

Once we arrived at Waitomo Caves, we hopped aboard a small boat to view the famous glowworms in the silent darkness of the caves. It was like looking at the stars at night as the glowworms hung overhead, clinging to the ceiling of the cavern. I had to take some of these pix off the internet because they wouldn't let us take pix inside...the artificial flash or noise would cause the worms to dim their glow.

In order to survive, glow worms build elaborate traps consisting of anywhere between 10 to 50 plus vertical hanging threads of silk studded with sticky droplets of mucous to catch small insects such as mosquitoes, midges, fruit-fly, gnats etc. that are attracted by the light produced by the glow worm (bioluminiscence). In adult females, the light glows as a mating call to adult males nearby.

(Here's a great little Planet Earth Video if you are interested in learning more about these fascinating little creatures.) One night on the ship, Paul "volunteered" to participate in the Comedian/Jugglers show. The comedian had so much fun with Paul, he kept him up there for a big part of the show...Paul was quite the hit & people knew him by name the rest of the trip. Not his favorite thing, but he was a good sport about it.

Napier is the Art Deco Capital of the World! (Okay, not much there, but we managed to have a good time anyway.) We walked around this little city that appears to be stuck in time - the 20'3 & 30's. The city has strict laws about the style of architecture allowed...

They actually pay people to walk about the city dressed in period costumes to say hello to tourists, answer any questions, & pose for pictures. They even have folks that drive around town in antique autos of the same period...I felt like I was part of a Great Gatsby film.

 

We stopped for some ice cream & there was some music playing. Paul was a good sport & danced with me - he sure can swing!

I even got a little kiss under their Valentine tree!

Another small port was Wellington. We took the cable car up to the top of the hill & enjoyed a scenic view, then made our way down the hill through their beautiful botanical gardens.

 

Did you know that hydrangeas grow everywhere in New Zealand? The different colors are determined by the amount of pH in the soil - the more acid/aluminum the bluer they are, the less acid/aluminum the pinker they are.

We also walked along the waterfront & found Te Tapa, New Zealand's National Museum. It was huge! We toured the Natural Science floor & the Maori Exhibit.

 

One day we took the Tranzalpine Train through the New Zealand Southern Alps. It was a long day, but we saw some beautiful scenery through the Canterbury Plains, snow-mantled mountains, alpine meadows, & deep river gorges formed by glaciers. It was extremely rugged with spectacular views.

 

Wool is a big deal in New Zealand - beautiful handmade wool sweaters, scarves, hats, & gloves can be found everywhere. We saw this cute little old lady spinning wool into yarn on her spinning wheel.

 

There are tons of sheep farms, dairy farms, & deer farms in the countryside.

In Dunedin, we enjoyed a Nature's Wonders Wildlife Safari in these Argos, little 8-wheel drive vehicles. We got a birds-eye view of the beautiful coastline, saw a colony of seals, some cormorants, yellow-eyed penguins, & some Albatross...of course, even with my new lens, it's difficult to get good photos of animals in their natural habitat.

Later we headed downtown to see their beautiful train station on the waterfront & stumbled across a street fair...I love all the crazies, the unique foods & art - there were tons of activities for kids, & I considered buying this hat, but the lady said it wasn't for sale.

 

As we left New Zealand, we cruised through Milford Sound - beautiful rugged fjords, covered in trees with tons of waterfalls. We were surrounded by spectacular views.

 

Goodbye New Zealand...Australia here we come!