Round The World

Clara would have loved to bring heaps of shells back home. But somehow we managed to convince her to bring only few and take pictures of those that needed to stay. Even now, I am not sure how we actually did it.

Partial compensation for the loss of kayaking.

Despite good weather when starting the preparations, it was too windy to set sail when everything was ready. Big tears followed.

…and coming back after delicious Whitebait Fritters and always popular Face Paintings.

Now that’s a feature some more playgrounds need to have!

The ferry took us to Days Bay where we started our walk towards Eastbourne where we found a very rough beach filled over and over with shells. After a stop at the obligatory playground (see other post) we headed back through upcoming wind and rain.

One of our standard two hour walks including at least one playground, loads of crackers and some sleep for Vincent.

Zealandia is an eco sanctuary meant to bring back and preserve NZ’s initial flora and fauna. Fenced to keep out imported threats like cats, stouts and possums. Amongst other things, we saw Tuatara, actual dinosaurs that look very much like lizards, but aren’t. Many ducks and ducklings crossed our way. Most interesting were the vast amounts of birds like the Tui, Shags and especially that smart Parrot. The park would have provided many more hours of probably very interesting walks. But due to the known constraints, we stopped only took small, family friendly loop walk, which was already worth the visit.

Waiting for our bus to Zealandia, a cylinder like climbing tree shortened the waiting time. The human sun-dial made sure we did not miss the bus.

Yet another volcano, 135 meters high.

Due to the cold weather, we did not make it until it was dark enough for candle lights. Carols were great anyway.

Wind and weather did not scare them away.

– Blue Warehou, battered, fried

– King Fish, grilled

– Shoestring and handcut Chips i.e. Fries

Great Fish, some huge Fries

Using an underground car park as the market’s venue, this market was actually “underground”. Hit of the day: candy floss (cotton candy)

(Artificial) Shark fins in the coastal waters accompany initiatives to ban shark finning.

A playground for learning – Just like every museum (and class room) should be.

As the main restrictions for St. Nicholas were – not big, not heavy, will not extend travel luggage – we all ended up with chocolate, sweets and apps in our improvised temporary home. “Inventions with Petersson and Findus” was a big hit for Clara and the best app we got so far.

The Botanic Garden is located on a hill in Wellington. We drove up the hill by cable car. This is a wagon which is pulled by a cable. It is an institution and tourist attraction in Wellington and over hundred years in Service.

The first thing getting up there was to go on the playground having lunch. I packed in all kinds of stuff. Cracker, wraps, sandwiches chocolate, fruits and salad. I just loved sitting down somewhere having our picnics.

After lunching, changing dypers, feeding, breastfeeding we played some more on the playground. Especially the flying fox is always a great attraction not only for the little ones.

We walked down the hill through all kinds of gardens, had another break in the rose gardens and walked a cementery, which I always find very appealing.
Finally we returned into the city and crossed the Bee Hive parliament buildings.

This evening we planned to do much. But Henryk walked us to the Frank Kitts Park telling us something of a surprise. And then we saw it. A couple hundred people were gattering there to run the santa run. We saw many Santas and Christkinder. Famielies with strollers and litle Toddlers and Babies running. Daddies and Mummies young and old all waiting for the signal to run along the shore. It was heartbreaking to see all those people running for a good cause.

The Apollo Lodge was not only near the waterfront and the city centre, but also offered us just 300 metres away lots of Hikes in a huge reserve.

This reserve had lots of small mountains and forest to hike and mountain bike. It was very beautiful with lots of scenic Look outs and spots reminding one on Lord of the rings.

Exploring the Park we started with a climb on Mount Victoria.

Of course we ended our walk with a stop on the playground. Clara was exercised the monkey bars eccessivly and Vincent loved the ground with its soft rubber and small flowers sticking out of it. likes to poke those wholes and eat the flowers. Once I found four of them in his mouth.

On the walk we always had to find something to get the kids going. Clara trained her skills of fotography and looked for things to hold on to for Vincent. She found many Zapfies. Vincent sad in the Manduca chewing them.
Henryk called them Zapfustinus. I think we made it to Zapfustinus the second this day.

We expected the Cuba Street to be similar to “Kroad” on Auckland.  It was interesting, but seemed much smaller than Kroad. Here the waterfront was much more interesting and thats were we spend most of our time. But the bucket fountain was a little Higlight on this roud. Everybody stands there watching the main baucket to fill. What an eyecatcher.

Oriental Bay is the perfect mix. A small beach a playground, big stones to climb on and a cafe with free wifi. We went there in the evnening for the first time and Clara and Henryk tried to play mini Frisbie. This  is not easy in “Windy Wellington” with all its northerlies and southerlies. But they did a good job.

Because at Frank Kitts Park, there is just something for everybody: View onto the sea, ships, boats and people. Playground with swings, slides and other children. Grass and leaves to chew on. Free Wi-Fi. Coffee. Ice cream cart. Shadow throughout the day. Places to sleep. Rocks to climb. Heaps of stuff in walking distance.

This day we visited a doctor. I had an eye infection that wouldn´t get away. We walked to brandon street nd I vivited one of the most competent doctors I have see in my life. I was asking me so many questions and looked at my skin, my eyes and mouth. He found an infection of the toncels. I got the medication and we went to midland park eating some crackers. Many others around us ate their business Lunch here, and place was rare.

The Apollo Lodge in the  Majoribanks street was right in the cbd and still 5 min away fron the beach and the waterfrond. No doubt this place ruled. In our street were many diners. Especially though the fish´n Chips was very inviting. Two dairies and  a huge supermarket around the corner and a big area of Parks and Mountains 500 metres to walk to. The Apollo Lodge was kind of a Motel and offered us an old english furnished city house with stuck on the ceiling and big mirrors  all over the place.

No doubt planned on having fun here;)

National Park Railway Station, Train Ride and impressions from the carriage

Recommended by our friendly driver David, the Lemonade Scones were at least as good and even more messy than promised.

Hike through wood and mountains, back to Whakapapa via Bruce Road with a brief stop at Fergusson’s Café for Muffins, Apples, Hot Chocolate and Coffee. The only place for decaf coffee in the whole village 🙂

… feeding women on camping food, cereals and coffee might lead to minor tensions 🙂

But we still made it to Fergusson’s Café, to the Village Store and to the Visitors’ Center.

Hints:

– We are where the blue light is.

– There is a baby hidden in almost every picture.

Announced as a 15 minutes walk, taking us roughly an hour, this has been our smallest walk so far. But the chance to throw stones into the Whakapapa river it easily made it into the Top 10 hitlist for the small ones.

another example of small things being the biggest attractions

Waking up above the clouds with an always changing view out of our little apartment house, it was a good day to go hiking. we chose a walk to the Taranaki Falls which were to be made in 2 hours.

Glad to be able to come back to auckland in the end of our journey we left Ericas wonderful apartment at 7:30 in the morning. Since we spend the night before with Angie Darling our inspiring and naughty neighbour at a food court we were pretty tired in the morning. We tried to get all our stuff spread around the apartment as fast and structured into the same bags we arrived with. I think I was awake till one a.m.

We went by taxi to the wonderful train which would bring us to Tongariro National Park. Hour next shelter located  between three mountains (volcans) . It is called skotel (ski hotel) and we had reserved “chalet” 1, which is a simple but comfortable apartement hut.

The train ride was very scenic. While driving one was introduced into the history or just the landscape per Headset. The train had lots of space and an outside plattform to enjoy the wind an the smells. I spend quite some time with Clara outside just jumping around.

As we drove higher and higher the weather got worse and worse and colder. Finally we arrived in the rain. As soon as we arrived we went to the local store getting some food. I am very picky with my diet, and had to swallow when I saw the sortiment offered by the local store.  Mostly canned food. But we made a reasonable choice and in the end we made delicious food out of the canned stuff. Since the weather wasn´t showing it´s greatest face, we stayed in the apartement getting adjusted and enjoyed our view and the little rabbits playing in our backyard. I used the Gym of the skotel and we went all into the spa.

Just a few pics made over the time in Auckland of allday impressions  in the apartement. Sometimes ist was jsut nice staying home. The apatrment made us feel like living in the sky.

Here we spend our day in Auckland. On this last day of our first Auckland stay we went to Hernes Bay a little Beach. We walked through several parks which was fun. In the end we got kind of trapped in the suburb surrounding Herne Beach. This was compounded by us beeing a little under time pressure, since we had an appointent for dinner with our lovely neighbour Angela Darling and some heavy rain. We nearly made it on time. But the strong rain soacked our cloth to the skin. Here Vincent got his first Zapfi.

Amgie went with us to the food court were the crowds are fed. Great for the Kids, but load. Then Angie came over to say good bye. By the time we got to pack our stuff it was around ten o`clock. The next morning was a pleasure.

Waiheke Island its just a 40 minute ferry ride away from Auckland. Since we spend quite some time walking around in the the city we thought of getting some Christmas sunshine.

We went to Oneroa Beach and the Oneroa Village and enjoyed a day of Beach feeling.

The water was surpisingly warm . Directly on the Beach was a playground located and a little store where we got ice cream and one of those steak an cheese meat pies.

Just when we arrived Clara and Vincent fell asleep and we spend time swimming and getting coffe.When they woke up we had a great time just looking for shells, playing on the playground and walking in the sand. We got home pretty late and were tired as you can see here.

After the Santa Parade we walked through the packed capital suddenly finding a nice spot to get a rest and chill our feet.

After the sun burned us, clouds came up and suddenly ot was very chilly. So we went upwards looking for the next playground to take a break.

But Vincent didn`t mind sleeping like a baby.