Family Favorites

We were so fortunate that Mom, Dad, Bert (my brother), and Jamie (my sister-in-law) were able to visit us for two weeks in March.  We covered a lot of ground, had great weather (minus Cyclone Lusi) and enjoyed sightseeing as well as a family ping pong tournament.  On our last evening I asked them each what was their favorite part of the trip and while it was hard to choose, here are some highlights:

During the first full weekend we ventured down to Rotorua on the way to Wellington.  Surprisingly, they did not cite the sulphuric smells of Wai-O-Tapu as a favorite, but we did all enjoy seeing the Lady Knox geyser and beautiful brightly colored geothermic pools.

Wellington is a lovely city nestled into a harbor and is the capital of NZ.  We visited Te Papa, the country’s newest and most impressive museum.  Standing 6 stories high and including a rooftop viewing deck as well as an outdoor bush territory, it is truly a national treasure.  Bert, a sportsman and an explorer, was quite taken with one of the original cannons from Captain Cook’s ship there.  He really enjoys nature and history, so this museum was perfect for him.  He also enjoyed quite a few meat pies during his time here!

My dad’s favorite surprised me, but maybe it shouldn’t have.  He was fascinated by the drive to and from Wellington and the change in scenery on the North Island.  That drive takes you from the city to the suburbs, through the “heart” of New Zealand (Lake Taupo), and past many farms with sheep and cattle.  Then you find yourself on the “desert road” or as much of a desert as you’ll see in NZ.  You also drive by a beautiful snow-capped mountain (Mt. Ruapehu) which was especially picturesque on the way home.  I guess the memories of farms from Mississippi have stuck with him all of these years.

A rather perfect day was our trip to Waiheke Island, which is close to Auckland and known for its natural beauty and wonderful wineries.  To get there, you take a ferry.  This was one of Mom’s favorite activities.  The ferry is quite civilized, serving gourmet coffee, snacks and even beer and wine.  It is a smooth ride and we enjoyed the top deck on the way over, so that we could really see the scenery.  Although a bit windy, the sun was shining and we could see from the harbor why they call Auckland “the city of sails.”

Our first stop was Man O’ War (on the far end of the island down a gravel road) and Mom really liked the beautiful view and relaxed wine tasting.  This day was also Jamie’s favorite.  We enjoyed lunch at Te Whau, olive oil tasting at Rangihoua, and two more wineries, Goldie and Mudbrick.  Goldie was actually gifted to the University of Auckland, although it remains a commercial venture.  The young woman who poured our wine described how 15 students actually live on the premises and get to help with the wine each semester.  I think Jamie has now applied!  There’s a beautiful walk past the Merlot grapes up to a huge tree with fabulous views (including looking back to our lunch spot).  We were blessed to enjoy the beauty of the island and the talent of the winemakers.

While I was sad to see them go, I am so happy for the memories we made!