Gammy musings

no (s…) here we are in the very nice van again, this time with a very large driver, so lively and quick, we knew in a moment it must be……Harry! or Hari, with a rolled ‘R’….in fact all the Maori words with an ‘R’ are RRRRRolled! Harry might have been a Nashville transplant as he grew up writing, singing and performing music in the Maori tradition. in fact his father, they are originally from the Cook Islands, started a Maori immersion school several years ago as the language and culture and tradition was rapidly being absorbed and lost, much the same as our Natives when the US was colonized.

we made a stop between aukland and rotorua for a rest….and back in the car to hurry to meet Ross, whose son owns a farm on which they found a glow worm cave. Ross and son moved a great deal of rubble and rubbish ..all in 10 moths of 12 hour days(they sometimes had a third person)and made a beautiful private glow worm experience called Foot Whistle. glow worms glow the same way lightening bugs do and they live in moist places, spin chains to catch small insects, and then turn into flies and only live 3 days before laying eggs and the cycle begins again!and then we find out that Ross owns a farm himself and they have a petting zoo of small animals…donkeys, cows etc. including a mini Highland Cow. and he made the tea house at the top of the cave steps which is in a sort of rain forest…tea was a lovely small ceremony of kawakawa leaf tea which is purported to have all sorts of healing properties. judging by the way we felt after two demitasse cups full, we were believers! his Maori daughterinlaw keeps the linens snowy and the tables (4) decorated with appropriate gatherings from their property.

stopped by an award winning cheese tasting shop, and then were dropped at the hotel, Regent. a perfectly lovely, if unusually laid out, 3 bedroom 2 bath with kitchen and very large public space plus a terrace. we were able to relax, cook a supper of mince patty and a lovely rocket and spring lettuce salad. and play the ever important round of Rummikub. Jim still goes first and April is way behind.

yesterday was a full day what with a float plane, a small water craft, a walk out to the geothermal fields, and then lunch at a kebob shop. a kebob which we will continue with for supper on saturday evening. they were enormous. and then the full Mitai Maori experience…introduction, walk, welcome…Haeri mai! performance of english invasion, and treaty acceptance, and then a cultural performance/celebration of friendship . huge feast ..their sweet potatoes and fried bread are amazing…and questions from the audience..n down to see glow worms on their trees in the pouring down rain, home to bed and an early wait on Saturday morning as we arrived at the airport before 9 to catch a plane which was cancelled . we’re now getting in to Wellington at 6 pm.


so first stop along the way for a coffee at a rest stop which public restrooms were beautifully mosaic-ed in traditional Maori symbols. the drivers are well schooled in the culture, as well as exactly how long they can drive before they have to stop for a break or a meal. and let me tell you, this is the way to do a country which doesn’t depend on interstates. there are only 4 of us (and our attendant luggage which seems to be growing) in a Mercedes Sprinter Van. it is soooooooo comfortable..has seats just made for napping, and plenty of windows to take pictures from.

a couple of hours from the first stop, we stop again, this time at a very large reststop with wonderful unassigned public restrooms and attendants to take care of them, and lots and lots of eating opportunities, AND 4 museums….

jim and Liz headed to the maritime? museum, I ran across a clock museum..didn’t have any change, and elizabeth was guarding my credit cards, so the nice lady told me to just go on in! it was fascinating. and made more so by the working clock sculpture in the public area of the park.

soon after we share our first hot pie…beef, which was killer marvelous and the crust to die for, we pile into the van and head off for more adventure.

what we’ve noticed about aotearoa is the number of playgrounds, public areas, parks, public art, and cleanliness…even in Aukland, home to a million and a half people. not to mention the tourists. and one more thing…once we made the cut and were allowed into the country (after numerous declarations, examinations..not only of luggage for contraband, but also of shoe bottoms and hiking pole bottoms, and questioning) there is no more fol-de-rol showing passports etc for a boarding pass…we walk into the airport, tell them a name and where we’re going, they weigh the luggage and off we go! to sit in the waiting room all day.

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