Why don’t I go out in the sun much? Because I’d have to explain why half of my face is peeling now that the sunburn is healing. Yeah, you feel sorry for me, I know.
About Town
Yesterday I checked out three recommended shopping/cafe areas: Parnell Village, Ponsonby Street, and K’Road (short for Karangahape Road). Parnell Village was the most upscale of the three with art galleries and higher end cafes. Ponsonby was on the eclectic side. And K’Road? Well, if you are looking for more “adult” fare, this is your place.
Parnell Village:
Ponsonby Street:
Yes, had to check out a place called Murder Burger.
As for K’Road? No pictures. Might have had my camera stolen if I tried to take any (ok, not that bad).
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Gandolf, Where Are You?
The good thing about Monday here in Auckland is it is Sunday in the U.S., meaning I could start working in the evening and still be ahead of everyone. So it was a full day excursion to Matamata, New Zealand, aka Hobbiton, aka Middle Earth, aka The Shire. You get the point. The set where the Hobbits live for the three Lord of the Ring trilogy and upcoming The Hobbit movies is on a real working sheep farm in Matamata.
The day started out early to take the coach as it rolled through the lush, green countryside of New Zealand. I haven’t seen this much green since Ireland.
The bus arrived around 11AM in Matamata, which is more known for its thoroughbred racehorces than Bilbo Baggins, for about an hour of free time…
Then it was hopping aboard the Gandolf bus and not the little Frodo van…
…for a 10 minute ride to the Alexander farm, a working sheepfarm, with plenty of space for Hobbits.
The farm is absolutely amazing with acres upon acres of rolling green hills. The bus let us off and the walking tour began. The weather alternated from chilly gusty winds to warm sunshine to rain, changing every couple of minutes. Fortunately, they give you umbrellas at the start of the walking tour. The Hobbiton area is larger than I imagined with little Hobbit homes dotting the landscape. Some were under renovation in anticipation of shooting the Hobbit films starting in February.
After the tour, we were given a sheep shearing demo, followed by meeting a couple of lambs…
Leisure Sunday
Today was a day of leisure as there was a misty rain most of the day, the kind of rain that seems like there’s not much there but adds up quickly. I walked around the main shopping area of Queens Street, then stumbled onto a movie theatre and caught The Town. After the movie was over, things cleared up a bit. But tomorrow I’m geeking out and going to the Shire, taking the tour of Hobbiton from Lord of the Rings!
Bungee jumping is huge in New Zealand, where commercial jumping was born. This ride is right in the center of town. Pretty expensive at NZD$40 a person.
Auckland City Hall
Maori Gateway sculpture – Aotea Square
The City of Sails
My first full day in Auckland was getting a lay of the land.
The main street through town is Queens Street and the place where I’m staying is a couple of blocks off it, up a slight incline, called the Waldorf Bankside Apartments. Slight, unless you have luggage and packages! It’s not palatial but is decent apartment-style accomodations with a kitchenette and washer/dryer (and since I am traveling light is great!). The view from the balcony is pretty sweet:
After getting a few groceries, I checked out the pier area…
Ferry Building
I took a harbour cruise. This 90-minute cruise takes you through the harbor and past several islands, some inhabited and others kept preserved. The islands and Auckland itself were formed out of underground volcanic eruptions and the volcanic rock is evident along the shoreline of the islands.
Here are some highlights of the cruise, including a whale sighting:
View from under the Harbour Bridge
After walking around town, I did the obligatory tourist thing and went up the Sky Tower for more views of the city. You can do a skywalk on the outer perimeter of the tower. Uh, not feeling that adventurous.
Yes, there are glass floors
Day 4 – Day 5 or How to Lose a Day in 4 Hours
Arrived in Auckland. It’s Friday night around 10PM. Left Rarotonga at 4:30PM Thursday for a 4 hour flight. You do the math.
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Day 3 – Day 4 Goodbye Rarotonga, Hello Auckland
As I prepare to leave the Cook Islands (and hope to return again someday and say Kia Orani again), here are some more images. Talk to you in Auckland (where I lose a day, leaving Thursday afternoon and arriving Friday evening as I pass over the international dateline).
Day 3 – Last Full Day in the Cook Islands
For my last full day on Rarotonga, I thought I would venture into the main part of town where most of the shopping and restaurants are. Trust me when I say if you ever come to the Cook Islands, this would probably not be your highlight of the trip.
Cook Islands is known for its black pearls and there are quite a few that sell them. They range in pricing depending on the quality, from the most expensive being about $500 each to the bottom of the barrel deformed pearls that go for about $20-30 each. Suffice it to say, the cheap ones do not resemble what you think of pearls in any way, shape, or form. Other than that, lots of crap. So I started the excursion with a…
fruit shake overlooking a lagoon and ended it with…
a Cooks beer at the famous Trader Jack’s overlooking another part of the lagoon.
For the evening, I had booked “Island Night” with several other guests at the Aroa.
It’s a dinner with native dishes, cultural information, dances and music. It was really fascinating learning about the culture prior to the “discovery” by Captain Cook and the changes brought about by the missionaries, and eventually tourism. I highly recommend this if you ever come here as they really put on an excellent show.
Day 2 – Hang On, This is Gonna Be a Bumpy Ride
This morning I got up earlier (fortunately, the alarm clock on my new phone works because I need a manual to figure out the alarm clock in the room) as I had booked a 4×4 tour of the island. Good day to stay off the beach as sunburn had set in on my back and shoulders (I know how you all feel so sorry for me!)
The all-terrain vehicle picked me and another guest up at the hotel around 8:45 for what would be a half day tour of Rarotonga – around the perimeter and up through center of the island – followed by lunch.
The first stop was the only waterfall on the island.
Aside from the historical aspects of the tour, the 4×4 was definitely needed as we traversed some of the bumpiest, ditch-laden roads that you literally bounced in and out of your seat. I haven’t been on a road this bumpy since my street in North Hollywood (and those of you who have driven on my street know exactly what I’m talking about). Here are some of the highlights:
Agriculture used to be the prime source of revenue for the Cook Islands. Now it is tourism. But the local fruits are in abundance as is beautiful flora.
Down by one of the lagoons:
There are several churches around the islands:
The Cook Island flag resembles the New Zealand flag but has 15 stars to represent the 15 islands of the Cook Islands:
Other misc photos of the tour before they served us lunch:
Later in the afternoon, time for cocktails at the Shipwreck Hut, the bar at the Aroa, followed by a BBQ dinner of short ribs, chicken on a beer can, and fish on skewers. Entertainment was provided by Jake, who is always at the airport to greet arrivals with his ukelele. Nona and Memory of the Aroa staff also provided singing and dancing:
First Pictures
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Aroa Beachside
My Cottage
Aroa Beachside Beach
Coconuts!
More Beach
Underwater
Underwater Again
Underwater Again Again
More Underwater
Finally, I got a shot of marine life
Sunset (the obligatory shot)
Local Beer
The Nomadic Writer 