Postcards from New Zealand

Land of The Long White Cloud

When and Where: 02/2023 – Auckland, Tauranga, Gisborne, Wellington

63^rd Country Visited; 2^nd Oceania Country Visited

Interesting Facts:

· New Zealand is the first country with universal suffrage, granting all women the right to vote.

· New Zealand has more sheep than people.

· Wellington is the southernmost capital in the world.

It was a whirlwind four-day adventure in New Zealand. A giant shout out to my friends Nick and Heather who gave me advice and set expectations for my travel. New Zealand far exceeded all expectations I had. It is an amazing magical place. It’s as stunning as the rugged coastline and vivid green countryside of Ireland with a warmer climate. I was most impressed with the cleanliness of the cities, the overall standard of living, and the live and let live attitude of the citizenry. The English settlers of New Zealand, unlike other colonizers, embraced the native peoples (the Māori) and the country fuses both cultures. The citizens live in harmony together. Collectively, New Zealanders are referred to as Kiwis. New Zealand is one of my favorite places I've visited to date.

My first day started with a city tour of Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand. Auckland is a cosmopolitan city. The city has a lot of green space as it is built on a volcano fields. The craters offer great views looking down on the city and waterfront. The most impressive view of the city is visible from Mount Eden, one of the larger craters. The centerpiece of the city is the infamous Sky Tower, which looms large over the city skyscrapers. The city reminds me a lot of Halifax, Canada as the pristine downtown is adjacent to the striking harbor. Auckland is a much larger and grander though. My tour went to the upscale Mission Bay area as well as West Haven Marina before bringing us back to the lovely Queen’s Wharf. The city is home to the famous New Zealand All Blacks Rugby team. The All Blacks are one of the best Rugby teams in the world and are known for their ceremonial ritualistic dance known as The Haka, which they perform before the start of each match. If you haven’t seen the All Blacks perform The Haka, It’s worth a watch on YouTube.

The next day, our cruise ship made port in Tauranga, the fifth largest city in New Zealand. Tauranga, a beach town, has a 1970’s California coastal vibe. I spent the day immersed in Kiwi culture. My tour today landed me in a Māori village near Tauranga. We were welcomed by Māori people dressed in native costume who performed elaborate dances. The women had ornate tattoos while the men were shirtless and carried spears. The men use pukana (tongue poking) for a variety of purposes: to intimidate, to evoke a response, to insult or to show their sexual prowess. Witnessing this (see the picture below) was a bit shocking. I look like such a tourist in the picture. After, the tour visited a kiwi farm. New Zealand is known for its fresh fruit and kiwis are the most grown fruit on the islands. The process of growing kiwis is much more complex than I would have imagined. It involves specific placement of male and female plants, large hedgerows to limit sunlight, stakes to support the vines above ground and the rental of bees to pollenate the flowering buds. Golden ripe kiwis, when stored at the right temperature, have a shelf life of over six months once picked. We were treated to a sample of kiwi preserves with scones and tea. Finally, I walked through the shopping district of downtown Tauranga before returning to the cruise ship.

Our next stop was my favorite town in New Zealand, Gisborne. The bright sunshine started the day off right. My stay in Gisborne was brief but memorable. I took a tour to Maketu Beach, a surfer’s paradise along the Pacific Ocean. Despite the cold waters, there were people swimming. A short time later, there were horses running up and down the beach. This beach, like the other New Zealand beaches I saw, was small and clean with a grass entrance right up to the white sand. As the tour proceeded along the coast, the patchwork of neighborhood homes were a mix of late 70’s modern architecture and swank new construction. The tour ended in downtown Gisborne, or as the locals call it “Gizzie”. The town reminded me of an old western town with colorful shops and perfectly manicured palms lining the streets. Although downtown was small, there was a wide variety of stores. As I walked around, I took in the smells of fresh baked goods and sweet fruits. My trip wrapped up with a couple glasses of Sauvignon Blanc as a watering hole close to the ship. As I looked out over the idyllic harbor sipping my wine, I couldn’t help but smile. I’m retired and life is good.

My final day in New Zealand was spent in the capital and second largest city, Wellington. Wellington is also very cosmopolitan, but on a much smaller scale at roughly ¼ of the population of Auckland. My tour started out with a trip to Mount Victoria, a scenic overlook of beautiful Wellington Harbor. Despite the low cloud cover, the views were spectacular. Wellington is known as the windiest city in the world. From atop Mount Victoria, I could see why. After a quick lunch with a glass of fruity NZ Sauvignon Blanc, the tour continued onto the Wellington Wind Turbine, another amazing viewing point of the city, harbor and bay. Finally, the tour stopped by the seat of government, also known as the Beehive due to its unique shape. The Beehive is the home of the New Zealand Parliament. After the tour, I walked the upscale shopping district. Some shops were closed for the national holiday, Waitangi Day, which celebrates the anniversary of the signing of a peace treaty between the Māori and the British in 1840. Everywhere I went in New Zealand was stunning, the people were welcoming, and the atmosphere was chill. My goal is to return to New Zealand someday. I especially want to visit the South Island next time.