It was about 1000 when we started our drive leaving Wellington.  The car performed well, with Kim doing most of the driving to Whanganui where we stopped to visit friends Michelle and Colin. They live on Durie Hill overlooking the city, by the War Memorial tower.  The suburb is served by a 66m elevator since […]

Above:  Mt Taranaki on the flight from Auckland to Wellington. Landing at 0910, we were met by David, the seller of the Lexus ES300H.  I was surprised that he had parked and came into the terminal for us, holding a rose.  At his age, maybe 80, I expected him to pick us up at the […]

Bargain of the century! I had every intention of staying home in Auckland through autumn until my next trip in June.  However, while helping friends search for fares, I came across a crazily low fare from Auckland to China. Hainan Airlines had fares to Guangzhou for NZD548 through their hub in Haikou.  I was allowed […]

I woke up not feeling sore but only a bit stiff in the knees after the long hike yesterday. We left National Park at 0945 on the drive back to Auckland, with a lunch stop at Otorohanga.  I changed to my own car at Uncle S’s place at Manurewa and got home a little after […]

Mangatepopo to Soda Springs The Tongariro Crossing hike is a one-way hike, meaning that one doesn’t return to the starting point.  For us, it was best to be picked up and returned to the hotel by shuttle and Swee had opted for the 0715 pickup. The bus got us to the starting point at Mangatepopo […]

The drive from Auckland to Tongariro National Park took us through a township called Temple View.  It looked like a new town with three Mormon churches but upon looking it up in Wikipedia, it was established in the 1950s and is still looking immaculate. After a lunch stop in Te Kuiti, we reached Howards Mountain […]

Tongariro Crossing, or officially Tongariro Alpine Crossing is often considered the most beautiful day hike in New Zealand.  So, it seems wrong that after nearly 40 years in the country, I hadn’t done the walk. We had tried going in spring before my Saudi trip but had to cancel due to bad weather.  Late spring […]

Above:  Auckland skyline during better times. My flight cancelled I woke at 0600 to learn that my flight 1105 flight to Singapore had been cancelled.  Not unsurprising as a result of the flood inside the airport terminal. I quickly shifted my booking to tomorrow before other people could do the same. As I had been […]