Happy Easter!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Sherry made some delicious blueberry pancakes for breakfast this morning. We went back to the street fair on Maunganui Road today, hoping to catch the Easter Bunny who we missed yesterday, but he either didn't show, left early, or we weren't looking in the right place. Ro didn't seem to mind...he was having too much fun bouncing in the inflatable pirate-ship that had been set up in the carpark where the race cars were yesterday. There was also a farmer's market set up in the same carpark (there's one every Sunday) and Sherry bought a big bag of tomatoes to make her favorite tomato sandwiches.

Ro horsing around with a school chum he ran into

Ro bouncing in the inflatable pirate ship at the Farmer's Market

There were even more musicians out playing on the street today, including a kid who couldn't have been more than 8 years old, dressed as Angus Young with AC/DC suspenders, rocking out with his guitar and amp in front of one of the many surf shops, doing a pretty good rendition of Metallica's Enter Sandman. There was another kid playing near the pirate ship with an acoustic guitar that Ro loved dancing to, so Sherry put a couple bucks in his guitar case.

Ro clowning around a street musician

We drove into Tauranga for lunch and to check out the National Jazz Festival. There were a bunch of stages set up all over town, but the biggest concentration was near The Strand on the water, where all the performances were free. Some of the bigger acts elsewhere in town required tickets. As we ate lunch al fresco, we were treated to a pretty good jazz/rock band that did a spot-on cover of SRV's Couldn't Stand The Weather.

Fortunately there was a "Family Zone" nearby with games and a big inflatable slide. Only 5 bucks for 20 trips down the slide...a small price to pay to keep Ro entertained for over an hour. We did encounter one of those moral crossroads that every parent faces. The line for the slide was initially pretty short, and Ro was able to get back on shortly after getting off. As the line grew, we noticed Ro getting back in line at the spot he originally entered the line when it was short, only a few people back from the front. Nobody seemed to be saying anything...not sure they even noticed. Do we let our child cut in line to speed up the process for us so we can go do something we want (i.e. listen to jazz), or do we take this opportunity to teach him fairness and make him go to the back of the line? Of course, we made him go to the back...after the next time down.

Ro enjoying the slide at the Jazz Festival Family Zone

After letting Ro play in Herries Park along The Strand for a while, we wrapped up the afternoon listening to the music on the Maori stage in Aspen Reserve, a couple blocks away. We sat on the lawn with our drinks while Ro danced around. He even earned some more money today. There were a few concertgoers who'd apparently had a few, and they were making a game of tossing their flip-flops into a knot on the aspen tree for which the park is named. Ro took it upon himself to retrieve their wayward tosses for them, earning him their thanks, laughter, and a cool NZ$1.50 for his bankroll.

Ro trying to climb a tree by starting on a low-hanging branch

Sherry at Herries Park, Tauranga

The Maori stage in Aspen Reserve

Ro enjoying a cold one at the jazz festival

Ro the Breadwinner

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Easter weekend around here seems to be a bigger holiday than in the states. Pretty much everybody has off for Good Friday and Easter Monday, and Ro's two week vacation started Friday. It's summer's last hurrah, sort of like Labor Day back home; the telltale last cruise ships of the season brought one final crowd to The Mount. The National Jazz Festival was in Tauranga this weekend, and the fun spilled across the water to Mount Maunganui.

After breakfast, we walked down the block to the street festival along Maunganui Road. There were street performers, food vendors (in addition to the normal plethora of restaurants), the usual Saturday art sale in Coronation Park, and live bands scattered along the street. The fresh-from-the-fryer mini donuts were a big hit with Sherry (& Ro). The main carpark (i.e. parking lot) had been turned into a racetrack for the kids - even better, it was free! It looked like the cars were powered by lawnmower engines, as the carney would have to give a helpful yank on the cord to restart the engines every so often. Unlike the USA, where the kids would have probably had to wear helmets and seat belts, this set-up was remarkably casual.

Ro & Mark check out "Papa Crete"

The carney untangling Ro's bumper after another overzealous kid cut across the track

As we made our way down Maunganui Road, Ro wanted to climb Mount Drury, so we made the short hike to the top to enjoy the always-impressive view. We then adjourned to the playground at the base where we probably spent much of the afternoon. The place was teeming with kids, and Ro found plenty of new friends to play with.

Sherry at the base of Mount Drury, Moturiki Island in background

Ro leading a partner in crime up the slide at Drury Park

Walking home, Ro got another ride on the race cars, then we got caught up watching a street performer/juggler called Basketball Jones. Mark, along with another bystander, got "volunteered" to help hold up Jones' 8-foot unicycle while he got on. But, the funniest part of the show was when Ro got recruited to hang onto the three basketballs Jones would juggle, and then throw them up to the guy once he was on the unicycle. Of course, the sight of Ro holding three basketballs, and dropping them repeatedly because they were so cumbersome, was part of the intentional humor. After a couple of throwing tries, Ro finally got the hang of it, and got a nice round of applause from the crowd. Basketball Jones even rewarded him with $10, which Ro comically tried to jump up and grab as Jones reached down with it while balancing on the unicycle (and holding three basketballs). It didn't take long for Ro to spend some of the money he'd earned, as we passed a toy shop on the way home. He bought an inflatable blue fish that blows up like a balloon, which we tossed around like a ball at Coronation Park.

Ro making short work of Mark's smoothie. Note his dirty face

Ro trying to manage three basketballs



Ro tossing the first ball to Basketball Jones...again

Jumping for dollars

Ro with his first payday, about US$6

As the sun started to set, the weather started getting cool, so we walked home to change clothes, then set out again to try a new restaurant. Sherry was craving Thai food, and as luck would have it, there's an excellent Thai place called Dui's just two blocks from us. Fortunately, they had outdoor seating so Ro wouldn't disturb the other diners. Sherry claims her tofu dish was delicious; Mark took her word for it while he enjoyed his Tom Yum Goong soup and rack of lamb. He's on a mission to try lamb incorporated into every possible cuisine. Ro stuck with his usual steamed rice, and cleaned his plate. We made sure to grab a takeaway menu on the way out, as the food was a hit with all. On the walk home, Ro started singing his interpretation of one of the Beastie Boys songs (Brass Monkey) that Basketball Jones had used as background music in his act..."By smokey! The Hokey Pokey!"...lol. Mark only had one Singha beer, but Sherry says the beer oxidized differently than the stuff he usually drinks, making him smell like he'd drunk at least a six-pack.

Sherry enjoying her jasmine tea at Dui's. Note Ro dancing in background

Out on the Lake

Sunday, April 5th, 2009

We woke up running late for the lake cruise we planned to take, so Mark went down the block to bring some McDonald's takeaway back to the motel room so we could eat while we got ready. The Mickey-D's food here is essentially the same, but not quite. For instance, Mark's Double-bacon McMuffin had some sort of tangy sauce on it that probably would have tasted better on a burger. And of course, the bacon was more like ham - Kiwis we've met detest American-style crisp bacon, claiming it tastes burnt. They also charge for condiments here. Although McDonald's doesn't charge for ketchup ("tomato sauce"), most places do. And to get syrup with Ro's Hotcakes Happy Meal? A dollar.

We got to the Taupo marina and booked ourselves on the 10:30am outing of the steamboat Ernest Kemp. We waited by the boat, feeding the ducks; 10:30 came and went and there was no sign of the skipper or any other passengers. Mark checked at the marina office, and sure enough, we'd forgotten that daylight savings time ended this weekend. For those on the east coast of the US, that means we used to be 6 hours behind and a day ahead - now we're 8 hours behind and a day ahead, because you guys sprang forward while we fell back.

Ro petting the ducks at the Taupo marina

With time to kill, we started to head for the park Ro played at yesterday (everywhere we'd been in Taupo so far was within a few blocks), but on the way we finally found a way down to the beach at the Taupo Yacht Club. Most of the shore we'd been at so far was up on a cliff above the water, and the lake was roped off. Ro loved playing on the black sand beach, and instead of collecting shells he collected volcanic rocks. Sherry even found a nice pumice stone to use on her feet! Ro also liked collecting "gems" - actually smoothed down bits of long-since-broken beer bottles...lol.

Judging from their recycling bins, the guys at the yacht club have a pretty good time

Ro digging for treasure on the shore of Lake Taupo

The cruise on the Ernest Kemp was fun, although Ro and Sherry got a bit chilly in the cool morning air. There weren't many other passengers, since it's getting into the off-season. There was a dad with his 5 year-old son (who Ro played with the entire time), a young couple, and us. Our skipper Erol was a friendly older guy who would give us commentary on the various inlets we'd pass on the way. The ostensible destination of the trip was the Maori rock carvings, which are only accessible by boat. They're located on a cliff at the water's edge, and up the hill from them are some very beautiful houses, including one that was originally built for Rod Stewart and then-wife Rachel Hunter (a Kiwi). On the return trip, we spotted skydivers landing on the shore, several parasailers, water skiers, plenty of trout fishermen, and Ro's favorite - a seaplane passing just over us and landing on the crystal-clear lake. The cruise took two hours and only covered the bay on the northeast end of the lake - this is one big lake!

See link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Taupo

Ro on Lake Taupo with Mount Tauhara in background

The Hills at the Maori rock carvings

Ro and friend Shane putting on a show

Ro clowning around on the deck of the Ernest Kemp

Much like The Strand in Tauranga, or Marine Parade in Mount Maunganui, the shoreline in Taupo is a public park lined by a road (Lake Terrace in this case), and across the road is a bunch of restaurants and shops. We were all starving when we got off the boat, and as luck would have it, there was a BurgerFuel. We sat outside to enjoy the warm sun and the view of the lake - a much nicer venue than the strip mall the Tauranga BurgerFuel sits in.

Mark & Ro at Lake Taupo

Sailboat on Lake Taupo with Mounts Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe in background

After lunch, we took Ro back to the park to burn off some steam since he'd been cooped up on the boat. While Sherry did a little shopping across the street, Mark took Ro on the Lions Club-sponsored train that goes around the park, then watched him play on the playground. Although we would have loved to head south to Tongariro National Park to get a closer look at the volcanoes, there just wasn't enough time, so we decided to stop in Rotorua on our way home.

Ro & Mark goofing around on the Lions Club train

There's a landmark English Tudor style building in Rotorua that's now used as the Rotorua Museum of Art & History. Recently, it gained a different sort of notoriety when it was reported by the Rotorua Dept of Tourism that Hugh Hefner was going to turn it into another Playboy Mansion based on scientific reports that the hydrogen sulfide gas in the air in town was beneficial for male sexual arousal. Of course, the press release came out on April 1, so you be the judge. We stopped by the rumored Playboy Mansion Southeast, but Ro had just woken up from a nap, and was in no mood for hoofing it through a museum. Mark went inside to check out the gift shop, picking up a book detailing all the LOTR locations in NZ for future reference. Meanwhile, Ro played in a fountain across the street while Sherry relaxed on a bench in the sun.

Ro playing in front of the Rotorua Museum

We soon adjourned to the Luge for a few runs before we headed back home. We got annual passes for the gondola the last time we were there, so we could get up the mountain for free and only had to buy (discounted) luge tickets. In fact, we got a few extra rides for free - some guy handed Mark his extra tickets as he was leaving. On the skilift between runs, Ro was spotting rabbits in the bushes 30 feet below...near dusk, mind you. He would make a great bird of prey! Ro started driving the luge himself, even though Mark still had to ride with him, and would keep him from going off the track or entering a curve too fast. Ro likes speed and drives accordingly!

I feel the need. The need for speed!

Ro & Mark approaching the top of the skilift. Lake Rotorua and Mokoia Island in background

Bound for Lake Taupo

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Mark has got two long work weeks in a row coming up, so we wanted to get out of town and do something special this weekend. We decided to head for Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand (and arguably the entire Southern Hemisphere), located south of us in the center of the North Island. It's bordered to the south by Tongariro National Park, one of the first National Parks in the world, the setting of some of the LOTR scenes (mostly Mordor), and boasting three active volcanoes (Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro) - the highest mountains on the North Island, which can be seen in the distance across the lake in Taupo.

To get to Lake Taupo, we had to drive through Rotorua, where we encountered what had to be at least a thousand bicyclists doing the Rotorua to Taupo 100K race. Thus, the driving pace to Taupo was agonizingly slow, since the highway was only two lanes and passing opportunities were few and far between. Things got pretty hairy several times when the shoulder narrowed and you had the bicyclists and two 18-wheelers passing in opposite directions on a twisty two-lane blacktop.

A pair of sheiks, er...cyclists not taking themselves too seriously

After stopping for gas and a snack (Sherry has since forever-banned Mark from eating any more gas-station beef rolls), we headed for Aratiatia Dam to catch the noon opening of the dam (it opens three times a day), which Sherry wanted to see. She was expecting a dam along the lines of Hoover Dam, and was a little disappointed by the less-than-imposing structure, but watching the picturesque Waikato riverbed and lagoon filling up so rapidly to become a raging torrent was pretty cool. The Aratiatia Rapids that the water creates were the inspiration for the flooding of Isengard in The Two Towers. We brought a picnic lunch to enjoy while we watched the action from the bridge above. The Waikato River is NZ's longest river, and is dammed in multiple locations after it leaves Lake Taupo, supplying about half the North Island's energy needs.

Waikato Riverbed filling up below Aratiatia Dam

Sherry overlooking the nearly full Waikato River, the now-raging Aratiatia Rapids winding away in the distance

Our next stop on the way to Taupo was Craters of the Moon, a geothermal area with more fumaroles and craters than we could count. There was a huge, deep, bubbling mud pool, and a side trail that takes you up on the ridge above the park for a commanding view. Ro was starting to fade near the end of the hour-long circuit, so Mark let him ride on his shoulders. Although the park was pretty unearthly-looking, we probably would have been more impressed if we'd done it before we saw White Island.

Mark at Craters of the Moon

Ro taking a break on Mark's shoulders




Sherry at a bubbling mud pool

Arguably the most famous site on the north end of the lake, our next stop was Huka Falls. The Waikato River narrows from about 100m down to 15m, and the resulting rapids through the gorge are spectacular, with water flowing at 220,000 liters/second. The actual final cliff the falls drop down is only 6m, but it seems higher because the surface of the large volume of water is nearly twice that height. It basically gives the effect of a giant, thunderous fire hose. We have never seen bluer water - it looks like Aqua Velva!

Sherry at Huka Falls

Sherry & Ro overlooking the Waikato River just above the falls

Driving into the town of Taupo on the northeast end of the lake, we spotted a park with a big playground near the shore, so we stopped to let Ro bounce around for a while. Sherry had to "spend a penny," and fortunately there was a Superloo which looked to be the most popular place in town with all the mothers and young kids around the park. There was an official All-Blacks merchandise store across the street, which Mark could easily have dropped a small fortune in, but restricted himself to a couple of rugby jerseys. We spent quite a bit of time at the park, not knowing we would revisit it a couple more times while in Taupo. They even had an electric-powered swing for people in wheelchairs, a nice concession in a country where we've yet to see any braille on ATM's or elevators.

Seek and ye shall find

We walked along the lake shore for a little while, but Ro was getting tired, so Ro & Sherry relaxed on a bench overlooking the lake, while Mark headed across the street to scope out motels, as we didn't have any reservations. He stopped briefly to watch some golfers attempting to hit golf balls from the cliff overlooking the shore onto a platform about 100m into the lake to win the hole-in-one challenge. Not sure what the prize was, but with the large queue of people waiting to drive balls, it must have been pretty good. Fortunately, there was a nice place with a vacancy not even a block away called the Great Lake Motel. Nothing special, but it did have a big spa tub that Ro wanted to play in as soon as he saw it.

Ro & Sherry taking a break on the shore of Lake Taupo

We were all famished by the time we checked into the motel, so with Ro re-energized after his bath, we headed down the block to the main drag in town. We ended up eating at Steak & Ale - much better than and no relation to the defunct US establishment of the same name. We kept Ro busy while waiting for our food by teaching him to play "I Spy", which he loved. We've found the meat in New Zealand to be a little different than back home - fatty in Sherry's opinion, well-marbled in Mark's; this place was no exception, but the flavor was very good.

After dinner, Ro wanted to go back across the street to the park. Sherry was exhausted after the long day, so Mark took one for the team and went with Ro to the park, while Sherry walked back to the motel to soak in a hot bath in blissful solitude. Getting Ro to finally leave the park as the sun set and walk back to the motel along the lake shore was about a 45-minute process (for a 5 minute walk), as he had to stop and inspect or climb every remotely interesting object we passed. His first request when we got back to the room was that he wanted to play Morrowind, not realizing Mark didn't bring his laptop. We can't decide if the game is a net plus or minus for him. At least he's learning computer skills and some reading (or at least word recognition), which in our mind beats vegging out in front of the Disney Channel watching Hannah Montana or some of the other patronizing crap that passes for kid's entertainment these days. But he's starting to call animals by their Morrowind name! Anything that crawls on the ground is a mudcrab, any bird is a cliff racer, any funny-looking person is an orc, etc...

Ro swinging to his heart's content after dinner

Ro at Lake Taupo at sunset, the three volcanoes in the distance

Happy Birthday, Carver!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Mark's dad, Carver, turns the big "seven-naught" today. Wish we could be there for the celebration!

When Mark got home from work today, Sherry was craving Italian food; she had already researched the best restaurant in the neighborhood online, so we headed for La Barca a couple of blocks away. We ate outside, so Ro could bounce around without disturbing the other diners. The food was excellent; Sherry had lasagna, Mark had rack of lamb, and Ro had cheese pizza. It was still light out after we finished eating, so we walked down Maunganui Road to Mount Drury. We got to the top just as the sun was setting.

Ro finds a diversion while waiting for dinner at La Barca

Ro & Sherry watching the sun set behind Mount Maunganui and Tauranga harbor

Mark on top of Mt Drury at sunset, the South Pacific in the background

We stopped at the playground at the base of Mt Drury on the way home so Ro could burn off a little more steam before bedtime. It's definitely getting into the off-season here, as all the swings had been removed for maintenance.

Look What We Caught, Honey!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

When we picked up Ro from school today, we walked along the beach access path that runs behind his classroom and paused to listen in. With about 5 minutes left before the bell, we overheard the teacher helping the kids get their things together, hearing "Here's Ronan's shoes!" no less than three times...lol. Sure enough, he soon emerged from the front of the building...sans shoes. He's really becoming quite the Kiwi...at least half the people we see, and probably 90% of the boys, go around barefoot all the time.

The weather's getting cooler here; although it's still warm during the day, there's a definite nip in the air at night - a lot like Northern California weather. Mark and Ro still consider it shorts weather, but Sherry has broken out her jeans and scarf. There's basically no such thing as air conditioning or central heat in homes around here, so our windows are still open to keep the apartment cool (it catches the afternoon sun); consequently, Sherry and Ro find themselves jockeying for position in front of the space heater in the mornings...lol.

The change in weather has brought out the fish...and the fishermen. The pier at Pilot Bay was packed all day as if it were a weekend. Ro was climbing the walls in the apartment when he got home from school, so Mark took him outside to burn off some steam so Sherry could prepare dinner in peace. They headed down to Pilot Bay to get some ice cream and try to catch some fish with Ro's net. No luck with the fishing as there wasn't enough reach on the pole, so they headed down the block to Coronation Park to catch some easier game - tadpoles. Ro tried to catch some goldfish, too, but they were a little too quick. After tiring of the tadpoles (and releasing them back in the water at Mark's insistence), Ro began pretending he was a tiger, prowling through the woods, "attacking" Mark whenever he would walk by. The look on some strangers' faces as hidden growls emanated from the bushes as they walked past was priceless.

Ro pointing to the rest of the ice cream cone he threw in the water for fish bait

Ro playing on the sign next to Pilot Bay

Ro scooping up tadpoles

Ro climbing to the top of a sculpture in Coronation Park

Ro may have wanted to be a tiger, but he's got eyes like a hawk. "Dead rat!" he exclaimed; Mark looked long and hard at the lump of leaves and detritus in the woods, and it wasn't until he started probing it with a stick that he realized Ro was right. Not too surprising that there'd be a rat here, with the second-busiest port in the country on one side of the park, and the main drag in town on the other. Fortunately, it was long-since dead and all that was left was the skeleton and a little fur. Ro wanted to take the whole thing home, but Mark talked him down to just the skull. Sherry still wasn't too pleased when Ro trod inside carrying the thing in his fishing net, and it was soon quarantined to the deck to bleach in the sun.

Apparently tigers like to play "fetch"

Ro showing off the rat skull he found

Raw Oyster Heaven

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

With Ro in school, Mark and Sherry enjoyed a leisurely lunch at Latitude 37, a nice restaurant on Maunganui Rd that we've been meaning to try for a while. Ro always loves walking past it because of the flaming torches outside. It ended up being some of the best food we've had yet at The Mount. Mark finally got to try the Bluff Oysters he's been itching to try - world renowned, and easily the best oysters he's ever had. They're from the southern tip of NZ and only in season from March to August. They're so popular, helicopters fly the first catches of the season off the boats before they even get back to port! Mark got them "Kilpatrick-style" - raw with a bacon (i.e. ham) and Worcestershire sauce topping...mmmmm. Sherry stuck with a smoked chicken salad that was quite tasty, and Mark got the calamari chorizo & salsa, also delicious.

See link: http://www.37.co.nz/

Ro was content to draw in his sketch book, so we spent a quiet evening at home. For dinner, Sherry tried her hand at fried chicken again with much better results. She tends to cook very healthily, and she realized after an internet search that she only used about 3 tbsp of oil the first time instead of the recommended 3 cups.

Seen outside The Anchorage. Might make a good paint scheme for Mark's dad's '73 Gran Torino wagon, eh? Cadbury makes "Crunchie", the most popular candy bar in NZ, and the key ingredient in Hokey Pokey ice cream