New Zealand - Part 2

Following the excellent weekend with my cousins, Lorna and Kevin, in Rotorua, on the Monday morning we packed up from our AirBnB and I caught a bus from Rotorua to Auckland, while Kevin and Lorna drove back to Ashhurst/Palmerston North. The bus journey was very scenic and a good way to see the countryside. We arrived in Auckland in rush-hour traffic, so were a little late. I was picked up from the bus terminus by Nick Read (an old friend from Zim) and we headed up to their home North of Auckland (Red Beach).

On the Tuesday morning I had scheduled a visit to the Massey University campus in Auckland (actually Albany - also North of Auckland proper, and not too far from where Nick and Ann live) to give a seminar on my research programme. That had been arranged with the Programme Director for Information Sciences, Prof Chris Scogings, originally from South Africa. The seminar went well, and I received some interesting and useful feedback. After the seminar I met Ann at a shopping centre near the University where we did some shopping before heading home.

On the Wednesday I headed into Auckland with Ann and her mom, Marie. We visited the Auckland War Memorial Museum, which was excellent (it covers much more than just the War Memorial aspects, including some great displays on Maori history and culture, and the fauna and flora of New Zealand - we could have spent a lot longer there!), and also the nearby Winter Gardens, which were beautiful. Nick works nearby, so was able to join us for lunch in the museum cafe.

The next day started with a swimming lesson for little Isaac, after which we went for a drive along the coast through Stanmore Bay and Gulf Harbour. It was rather grey and drizzly, so we didn't spend too much time out, and spent the rest of the day catching up with email.

The Friday was rather grey and drizzly again! Ann, Marie and I went for a drive up to Puhoi, which had been settled by Bohemians, and has some interesting history and quaint little shops. We also visited a bee/honey farm, where we got some honey products and had lunch. On the way home we drove through Orewa on the coast. In the evening we went out for dinner with some friends of Nick and Ann's in Stanmore Bay.

I was up early on the Saturday morning to catch the Northern Explorer scenic train back to Palmerston North. That was a lovely journey through some awesome scenery. Lorna and Kevin picked me up from the station in Palmerston North again and we headed home to Ashhurst, where I met Brett (the older of their two sons), who I had last seen as a baby in Zim, and who is studying in Christchurch on the South Island.

On the Sunday morning we went out for a short drive to Pohangina, an even smaller village just North of Ashhurst. In the afternoon I caught a bus to Wellington, and found my AirBnB flat close to the town centre.

Monday was spent exploring Wellington. I started off with the Weta Studios tour (Weta are responsible for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, and have done the special effects for many other movies, including South Africa's own District 9). The tour was a fascinating insight into the making of modern movies with extensive digital effects. After that I took the Wellington cable car to the top of the botanic gardens with lovely views over the city and the bay. There is also a cable car museum, which was fascinating. I had some lunch at the restaurant at the top of the cableway, and then walked down through the botanical gardens, and back into the city past the "beehive" (parliament building) and along the waterfront to the Te Papa museum. I spent the rest of the afternoon at the museum, which was again excellent. After that I did some shopping for supper before heading back to the AirBnB after a very long day out.