Heather & Rod's Amazing (& Not So Amazing) New Zealand Adventures

We sleep in till 8:15. I look at the bedside clock and yell, "oh no, we've missed the bread, it'll be cold!" Rod dashes to the door with only a few minutes to spare before all warmth was lost. Thank goodness this is our last day of bread - I think I gained two pounds in three days! It's back to low- carb next week. A lazy morning and we pack up to go. Before we're off we take a stroll on the beach and sit on some rocks in the sun. We have a bit of a walk along the sand and see daulphins off the coast. A perfect 'goodbye.' Back to the 'Great Barrier International Airport.' I see our pilot/bag lady friend again - checking people in. . . . Turns out it's a pretty windy day and flights are late coming/going from the island. I have a bit of a tendency to get a ' pukey ' on bumpy flights, so I'm getting slightly anxious about the flight. More so as I've left my motion sickness pills at home. . . . hmm , not a smart move. After

8:00 - yep, more yummy bread! And, more rugby . . . . and more views. So predictable now. However, here's what's unpredictable . . . . Great Barrier somehow gets Aljazzera TV on this morning! This happened to be on the channel that, on the previous day, was broadcasting the rugby. We thought for a few moments NZ had been invaded by Muslims overnight. We soon found the rugby on a different station (there are only 5, so this was a bit bizarre). Oh well, we chocked that up to 'interesting island life.' After another leisurely morning, we were off to a two hour roundtrip walk to the island's hot springs. All along this creek there are little pools where you can sit and enjoy the hot, steamy water. Rod stripped down to his skivvies - I put my feet in. It was a very unique experience. Back from the hot springs, we took naps, watched another movie and got ready for dinner. We were booked in at another lodge called, Earthsong . A 25 minute drive and we turn onto a drive

It was 8:00, so you know what that means! Fresh bread on our doorstep - - mmmm , yes, each morning at eight sharp, fresh, warm bread. Marmalade and butter in the fridge and fresh coffee boiled on the stovetop - - with a view to die for. Now, this is breakfast. Plus, Rod was in heaven as there was a television in the room and he was able to watch the Rugby World Cup semi-final match. Does it get any better than this? Na-ah. After a leisurely morning, we were off to do a bit of tramping (walking that is) and exploring in the 4 WD . We drove nearly an hour to the top of the island to a mass grave site where people were buried after a horrible shipwreck in the late 1800s. A bit grim, but a nice walk all the same. Our second walk was through Windy Canyon, which was terribly windy ( whoda thunkit ?), to the top of a mountain with more amazing views. We ended our physical day with a walk to a waterfall. We worked off the bread! Back to the room to prepare for dinner. We're off the Skill

In classic 'Rod and Heather Tradition,' last Friday we embarked on our annual surprise birthday trip (a reminder: we have the same bday and take turns planning a trip away each year). It was my turn to plan the surprise and after a bit of an email blunder, Rod found out where we were going. So much for the surprise - - - he did know the 'where' - Great Barrier Island, off the coast of NZ - but didn't know the hows or whats..... The trip started at Auckland airport where we chartered a flight to the island. A young lady (I'd give her 23, which would be generous) met us at the plane and took our bags. We assumed she was the 'bag girl' but she popped into the front seat and began giving us safety instructions. What is it about getting old that makes others look so young!? After a beautiful, scenic flight, we begin landing onto a paddock by the wind-swept beach dunes when I jokingly pointed to a green shed and said, "there's the international termin

As part of our adventures of living New Zealand, we've come to realise the country's religion of choice is not Catholicism , not Anglican . . . . it's rugby. And, this year is something like Ramadan with less ritual . . . . it's the rugby world cup. It only comes around once every four years, so it's a big deal. This year, the world cup is in France and the whole thing lasts about two months. And, Rod's into it. . . . this shouldn't be a surprise. Anything that involves a ball, Rod can quickly become addicted to. The exception is Cricket. He tried playing Cricket the first year we lived in NZ. You have to realise that most Cricket games last for five days . No that wasn't a type-o. Five days! Short ones last three days. Recreational cricket can take place in an afternoon. However, it's just not your typical 'game with a ball.' Rod reckons the best way to watch cricket is with a good book. A typical score for one team is around

For those of you following the saga of my 'special callers' (see http://americannzadventures.blogspot.com/2007/08/what-does-135-get-you-on-street.html ), I am sad to report that I missed the opportunity to find out the street value of $135 today. I was sitting in my office this afternoon when my phone rang: "Hi. I'm calling about your ad in the paper." In the middle of a mind-sucking task, I didn't even clue in: "What ad?" "The ad for a massage," says the hopeful John. My ears perk up and I catch on now! However, immediately laugh and say, you have the wrong number. When a SPLIT SECOND LATER, I began screaming down the phone . . . "wait, wait, wait, wait, wait...." UGH! He hung up. There it was, people! My chance to ask a few questions about the value of my hourly fee. But, one mystery is solved. This was the first time my caller actually came out and said he was inquiring about an ad in the paper for a 'massage' (code in