Safely Home & Celebrating with Bubbles

Moin to You in downunder,
the girls are back....they were a bit delayed in Frankfurt but got the last possible train to Hamburg.....here you see many lucky, happy faces..... not because of the champagne...YEAH RIGHT ..it was 1:30am in the middle of the night.... then one hour drive home by car.....then sitting in the kitchen telling stories for another hour.....it was a short "sleep" night...even too long for Jojo...she stayed in bed only for an hour...still living in downunder time.....we will see how long that will go on for ... today is the confirmation celebration.
The photo of the "flying backpacker" shows the next possible tourist to New Zealand....
Love to you
Christoph

Fare Well InkaJo

Spoke to Inka tonight .. they're busy working out how to make 30kg into 20kg and doing what is really hard for the female of the species ... leave clothes behind!!! ... I think a cool beer on a warm Auckland evening is what is really needed ... maybe down at the Viaduct Basin ... they wont really need any sleep tonight ... plenty of time for that on the flight from Auckland to Seoul ... may as well go straight from the downtown bars to the bus at 7:00am and head for the airport ... which is about 5 minutes away from where I was brought up on the farm ... no longer there now ... just houses for as far as the eye can see!!!


Viaduct Basin (often Viaduct Harbour) is a former commercial harbour on the Auckland waterfront, now turned into a development of mostly upscale apartments, office space and restaurants. It is located on the site of a formerly run-down area of the Freemans Bay / Auckland CBD waterfront in Auckland City, New Zealand. As a centre of activity of the 2000 America's Cup hosted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, the area enjoyed considerable popularity with locals and foreign visitors.


HISTORY
Original purpose
The Viaduct Basin is so-called because of a failed scheme by the Auckland Harbour Board in the early years of the 20th Century. As the size of ships were increasing dramatically rather than to build new wharves or dredge the harbour channels, it was proposed that cargo ships moor out in the Waitamata harbour channel and be unloaded into "lighters", small barges that would then ferry the goods to shore via the specially built wharves in the new "Viaduct Lighter Basin". The shipping companies refused to co-operate and forced the Harbour Board to engage in dredging and construct new wharves.

This left the newly completed lighter basin without a real purpose, so it was used to berth the various fishing boats and thus tidy up the appearance of the Auckland waterfront further east. Next to the Viaduct Basin a fish market and various warehouses were constructed, including Turners & Growers Ltd, the city's main produce wholesalers. The far side of the area was connected by a mechanical bridge that was able to be raised to allow the passage of fishing vessels into the basin.

New quarter
The development of the Viaduct Basin in the late 1990s as a mixed-use area of apartments and restaurants has been an uneven success. Some of the resulting buildings are very handsome, and the area was provided with a good selection of public, and semi-public spaces. In the basin itself are moored a colourful array of working boats and yachts, some of which are available for charter. The Auckland City Council has initiated a programme of public artworks for the area.

However some of the new residents of the area have objected to the use of the public spaces for events on the grounds of noise, so the attractive and expensive hard landscaping is less used than originally intended, since the area was designed as a setting for ongoing use by large crowds of people as it saw during the America's Cup in 2000. Some local residents have also objected to the high prices charged by the restaurants and shops. Noise and security issues connected with the local venues and eateries are also an ongoing concern as the Viaduct Basin continues to be a popular attraction for Auckland residents and tourists.

Adjacent to the area are the National Maritime Museum, the Tepid Baths pools, Victoria Park and the stylish Princes Wharf development. The Auckland CBD and main waterfront areas are directly to the east of the development, while the Northern Motorway a short distance to the west allows connection to parts beyond.

The Kiel Blue Line changes colour

X-IT Day ... Friday 11 April 2008 is the day we fly home from our great time (more than 5 months of experiences) in that little country somewhere in the South Pacific ... back upover to Kiel ... on the other side for our second summer in 12 months ... it's tough but someone has to do it.

Rawene

Welcome to rawene.co.nz - a little information for visitors about Rawene. If you're thinking of visiting New Zealand's far north, then Rawene is an appealing and well-situated base for your stay. Rawene is a relaxed village on the southern side of the Hokianga Harbour with some of the best accommodation in the area.
Accommodation in RaweneRawene has accommodation to suit any budget and taste, from the luxury experience of the postmaster's lodgings to the fantastic facilities at the motor camp. No matter where you stay you are guaranteed an ultra relaxed atmosphere and fantastic far-north hospitality.
Things to do in Rawene and surrounding areasTo the South are the giant sand dunes across from Opinoni and the Waipua Forest where you will find the last great stands of the Kauri tree and the legendary Tane Mahut a . Inland is the Wairere Boulder Valley, which is worth a look at for its truly unusual basalt boulders. There are fantastic coffee shops where you can sit down and relax with a cappuccino, kayak in the Hokianga Harbour or simply take it easy and take in the scenery at the far-north pace.

The Top

A lonely lighthouse and a gnarled, twisted pohutukawa tree on a windswept cliff top on the northern tip of New Zealand have a special place in the Kiwi psyche.Like Land’s End in Britain, this ultimate extremity of our dramatic landscape holds great historic and spiritual significance. The venerated pohutukawa is the Reinga, “the place of leaping” in Maori mythology, where the spirits of the dead leap off the headland and climb down the roots of the 800 year old tree, and descend into the underworld to return to their traditional homeland of Hawaiiki. Scenic tours run daily to Cape Reinga from Paihia and Kaitaia and include an exhilarating ride along the vast expanse of 90 Mile Beach, plus a hair-raising trip over the shifting sands of Te Paki Stream. The tours also offer adrenaline-pumping slides down the massive west coast sand dunes.

From the Cape Reinga carpark climb to the lookout point and revel in the liberating sense of freedom and space. Cape Maria Van Diemen dominates the west and the North Cape is a black smudge to the east.Standing there you feel the fresh sea breeze and marvel at the bright light which shimmers off the ocean crests. The seabirds wheeling and screaming over the agitated sea catch the eye and you suddenly realise you are witnessing the immense power of two mighty oceans merging together.

To the west an endless succession of Tasman Sea rollers advance towards the Cape while an opposing force powers in from the Pacific. The resulting collision is a maelstrom of churning ten metre waves erupting in explosions of spray and spume. It is fascinating to try and predict the collision points and to wonder at the energy released by this violent clash.From the carpark you can join part of the New Zealand Walkway System. A track leads down to Werahi Beach and continues on to Te Paki Stream. A track above the carpark winds around the coast to the Department of Conservation campsites at Tapotupotu Bay and Spirits Bay. Walking the Cape Reinga hills with a sea breeze, bright sunlight, pure air and wide vistas is a sheer delight.

Sand toboggans at Te Paki Stream

Sand tobogganing on the sand dunes above Te Paki Stream ... right up at the top of New Zealand

The Kiel Blue Line

The Stone Store

The Kerikeri basin
This view of the Kerikeri basin is taken from Kororipo pā and shows the Kerikeri Mission House (right) and the Stone Store (left). New Zealand’s oldest stone building, the store was built between 1832 and 1836 to house supplies, and produce from the mission farm. It was later used as a library, military barracks and trading post, and ended up as a general store. Now under the care of the Historic Places Trust, it is open to visitors.

The Mission House

Kerikeri Mission House
The Kerikeri Mission House (sometimes known as the Kemp House, after a missionary family that occupied it) is New Zealand’s oldest standing European building. Built by missionaries and Māori sawyers and carpenters in 1821–22, this simple wooden house was occupied until 1974, when it was presented to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

Bay of Islands

Bay of Islands
Expanse of water with several long inlets and over 150 islands, south of Whangaroa Harbour. It formed when the sea drowned a number of river valleys, creating an irregular and attractive coastline of more than 800 km. The area shows signs of volcanic activity, with many eruption outlets and lava flows. Its outer limits are marked by the headlands of Tokerau on the north and Rākaumangamanga on the south.
A number of hapū (sub-tribes), with Ngāpuhi and/or Ngāti Hine affiliations, have a lengthy association with the bay. It was first visited by the ancestral navigators Kupe and Ngake (or Ngahue), and later Toikairākau.

European arrivals
The first European visitor was Captain James Cook in 1769, who named the bay. In 1772 the French navigator Marion du Fresne arrived. After a series of misunderstandings he was killed with 24 of his crew. In revenge the French destroyed three Māori villages and massacred around 250 people.
The next encounter was more peaceful. In December 1814 Anglican missionary Samuel Marsden arrived from New South Wales and preached the first Christian sermon on Christmas Day. The next year he established a mission station at Rangihoua Bay. Others were set up at Kerikeri (1819) and Paihia (1823). The bay was chosen for these missions because it was one of the first reached from Sydney, and had safer anchorages than the west coast. But Marsden’s contact with travelling Māori before he came to New Zealand, notably Te Pahi and Ruatara of Ngāpuhi, probably also influenced his choice.
Through the later 1820s and 1830s whalers favoured the bay for provisioning, bringing trading opportunities for which Māori competed vigorously. Whaling was concentrated at Kororāreka (now Russell), across the water from Paihia.

The Kiel Blue Line

InkaJo

Latest Generation HUGO

Kaitaia

We are heading up here to do the bus trip up 90 mile Beach and on upto the top of New Zealand ... Cape Reinga. Sleeping in the new Hugo .. our Toyota Spacio ... cramped but we are flexible ... STRONG ... BRAVE ... & CLEVER!!

Kaitaia, the most northern town in New Zealand is about 116 kms south of Cape Reinga. It has a good shopping centre, a variety of cafés and restaurants, a museum and Visitor Information Centre.
Kaitaia is a 4 to 5 hour drive from Auckland via the Twin Coast Discovery Highway travelling either the east coast or west coast of Northland. A daily express coach service is available to and from Auckland or alternatively Air New Zealand has regular scheduled flights into Kaitaia airport.
The town can cater for most accommodation requirements and conference facilities are available in the area. It is also a starting point for tours which leave Kaitaia daily, taking in the scenery by air or on land.
A busy farming town, it also supports vineyards and fruit growing - especially avocados. Like most rural towns Kaitaia has its very own annual Agricultural & Pastoral Show, well over a hundred years old and one of the oldest in New Zealand.
The surrounding areas are home to many skilled craftspeople working in wood, pottery, paint, glass, ceramics, flax, bone, and greenstone.
Its Maori and European history is long and rich - with a strong Dalmatian community harking back to the days of the gum digging boom. The Far North Regional Museum has moa, kiwi and gum digging displays, early transport and communication history, and the work of Arthur Northwood and his brothers from early last century - the Northwood Photographic Collection.
A Community Centre serves as a venue for concerts, plays and other cultural events as well as conferences, seminars and meetings. Other recreational facilities include an indoor sports centre, facilities for bowls, golf, tennis & squash and a shooting range.

Whangarei

The Whangarei District covers the south eastern part of the region that is known as Northland. It extends from Langs Beach at the southern end of Bream Bay to Bland Bay further north, a distance of just under 100km.
The very indented coastline is over 200km in length. The Kaipara District lies on its western boundary and the Far North District lies to the north. At its greatest width, the distance east to west is about 60km.­
Whangarei District has an area of 270,000 hectares inclusive of the off-shore islands of the Poor Knights and the Hen and Chickens Islands. Because of its ­extremely indented coastline, no part of the District is more than 40kms from the sea.
The city of Whangarei is 160km from Auckland. It is the largest urban centre in the Northland region and is the principal commercial centre. Whangarei is situated at 35.8 south 174.4 east. It is the hub for most of the transportation and storage services into and out of Northland

Whangarei, pronounced [ɸaːŋaɾei] in Maori and [fæŋæreɪ] in English ("fung-a-ray"; the initial consonant is pronounced /f/ in English), is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Although it is commonly classified as a city, officially it is under the jurisdiction of the Whangarei District Council, a local body created in 1989 to administer both the city proper and its hinterland.
The city population was estimated to be 50,900 at 30 June 2007, up from 47,400 in 2001

More information about Whangarei

HISTORY
This was the area of the Musket Wars between the Maoris and the English

Marsden Point
Marsden Point, on the south head of Whāngārei Harbour entrance, is the site of New Zealand’s only oil refinery. It operates around the clock, 365 days a year. Almost half the fuel output is carried by pipeline to Auckland. The rest is shipped around the country from the deep-water berth at the point.

The Kiel Blue Line

well InkaJo have a new Hugo .. a rental car and are on their way up to the north of the North Island ... more news when travel reports come through.

The Kiel Blue Line

The Death of Hugo

Well hello on the other side of the world ... here is the latest after havingt alked to the Stong Brave Clever Kielers. This story may not be factually correct in every little detail but you will get the rough idea.
InkaJo were travelling in Mr Hugo along the Forgotten World Highway whichis pretty much a back country road from Stratford to Taumarunui in what is known as the King Country in NZ. Hugo has been smoking lately even though he knows it is very bad for his health. Somewher about 50km from Taumarunui, Hugo starts smoking big time and going up a hill expresses a couple of very loud banging noises. He manages to go for about another 2-3 km before coming to a grinding stop. He needed OIL ( or as the blonde says ... some 710!!) and would not start again.

Some cars came by but no one had jumper leads .. so they could not start Hugo. Then a local farmer came by in a ute .. thats like the front of a car and the back of a truck ... a very NZ Australian type of vehicle !! .. They got Hugo started and drove to the famer's cousin's place further up the road ... he was also a mechanic ... yeha!!. He thought he would be able to get Hugo going so that InkaJo could get to Hamilton. They managed to get a second hand turbo unit from Taumarunui .. but it was nearly as bad as the bust one and Hugo was still smoking badly. The mechanic disconnected the turbo unit, which of course means less power but at least Hugo was running. They took him for a test drive up some hills and Oh my God the smoke was even worse!!! ... basically it appears that the motor was stuffed .. so what are two strong brave clever girls to do .. they go horse riding on the farm !!!
... and then arrange for poor Hugo (who had carried them for about 12,000km around NZ) to be sold to a wrecker. Never mind I suppose we are all born and we will all die.

I spoke to InkaJo about 4 hours ago at 4pm NZT and they were on a bus on their way to Auckland .. me thinks that a farm in the back blocks of Taurunui is a much more preferable place to be. They were both in an OK condition and probably have learnt more about life in the last week that all the rest of their trip. I think it will be an experience. although rough, that will last a lifetime ... something to tell the grandchildren .... YEAH RIGHT!!
more news tomorrow I hope.

Caterpillar, Main St & shakey knees

Feet, face, reflection & natural arch