Epilogue

It's been a month since I left New Zealand and returned to my home in Idaho. Though we've had considerable rainfall the past couple of weeks, the day we landed in Spokane was absolutely stunning. Interestingly, the rainy day before I left Rotorua, the radio played a Beatles' favorite "I'll Follow the Sun." This was perfect because moving back and forth between hemispheres has now positioned us to enjoy our third summer in a row.

This wrap-up post is really more for me than for anyone else. I've told countless people that I'm far better at retaining water than retaining information, so I'm using this day and this space to note some random thoughts I don't want to forget. Clearly, living in New Zealand for six months was an extraordinary opportunity, and I am hard-pressed to imagine a better experience.

Things I will miss:
• The amazingly diversified beauty of this 2-island country. Lush forests, majestic mountains, unusual and varied flora, pristine lakes, scenic waterfalls, massive glaciers, and dramatic coastlines.

• Charming Kiwi spirt. No worries! Not a problem! And the amazing trust that exists between people - like my telephone order with a sole proprietor in Keri Keri. I ordered two bottles of wine to be delivered to our home in Rotorua. The man couldn't accept credit cards, so he gave me his bank account number and asked me to simply deposit the amount I owed him into his account.

• Mud Pools. In fact, I fell in love with all things geothermal, and we lived in the heart of it.

• New Zealand wines. Delicious, inexpensive and, best of all, screwtop caps.

• Coast FM 96.7. Charming radio hosts and a surprisingly good line-up of retro music (Lulu, Perry Como, Connie Francis, Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones, and Doris Day - to name a few).

• Great coffee. Always tough to choose between ordering a Long Black and a Trim Flat White.

• Never-ending list of things to do and places to explore.

• Roundabouts. After 3 weeks of terror, I got reasonably used to driving on the left side of the road and usually remembered to get into the car on the driver's side. And my initial fear of roundabouts was quickly replaced with great respect for the way roundabouts keep traffic moving.

• Rotorua Recycling Center. This efficient operation took just about everything and even separated plastic into 8 different kinds. Shame on us - we can all do better at recycling and reducing waste.

• Countless sheep and cows scattered on rolling hills (and occasionally walking across the road in front of our car).

• Family First! And if your family is in town, bring them along.

• Good on you! Well done, you! Lovely! Brilliant!

• Russell - our neighborhood butcher.

• Pilates - especially on days when Barry was the instructor.

• New Zealand's no tipping policy. It was just easier - plus it's nice to think that employers compensate their employees fairly.

• Rotorua's Saturday Market.

• Friday walks in the Redwood Forest with my friends.

• My friends.


Things That I Learned:
• Living minimally can be very freeing! And 2 suitcases of clothes is plenty for 6 months. Other than my passport, the most important items I packed were my laptop, digital camera, and my iPod. I learned that I can make an Estee Lauder 2-week mascara tester last for 4 months.

• Skype is one of the best services known to man.

• The best use of Tom's hospital stipend: helping our kids make visits to us in New Zealand.

• You can pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger, but you don't mess around with Tea Time.

• We could have not have made this trip without the help of great friends - the Leichners, the Wallaces, the Schmitts, the Whites, the Wilsons, and the Tarnaskys. They managed our mail, cat, plants, house, car, and storage needs. We are grateful beyond words for family and friends who took an interest in our adventures.

Returning to Idaho, I've traded Kiwis for Bald Eagles, the smell of sulphur for the scent of pine trees, and gazing at the Southern Cross for long looks at the Big Dipper. The New Zealand flag now shares space on our deck with Old Glory. It's good to be home.

Top Five Kiwi Adventures

We chose to barbecue New Zealand rack of lamb for my final dinner in Rotorua, and we paired it with a fabulous bottle of 2005 Clearview Estate Merlot Malbec - a gift from one of Tom's associates (the Frenchman - Bertrand Jauffret) . This is one of the few bottles of wine we've opened since December requiring a corkscrew because most New Zealand wines are screw tops (which I will dearly miss). We used this dinner hour to nominate and elect our Top Five Kiwi Adventures. Not surprisingly, our lists were in pretty much in sync:

• White Island Volcano
• Helicopter tour of Mount Cook
• Waitomo Caves (Blackwater Rafting to see Glow Worms!)
• Bay of Islands (especially the Cream Trip and cruising through the Hole in the Rock)
• Hawke's Bay Wine Region (afterall, we went 3 times)

Runners Up:
• Whitewater Rafting on the Kaituna River - world's highest commercially rafted waterfall - 7 metres - Grade 5
• Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Wonderland and, of course, Mud Pools
• Climbing Mount Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park

The list of stand-out adventures could go on and on, reminding me I am SO glad I documented most of them by writing a blog. I want to remember our unforgettable time in New Zealand!

Tomorrow we will fly back to the United States to celebrate Sam's law school graduation. Between crossing the international dateline and traveling for nearly 24 hours, we will live May 12 twice. I'm counting on it to be a good day.

A Final Walk in the Redwoods

Everything this past week has been "for the last time" including my weekly Friday morning walk in the Redwood Forest with friends. This place is big, beautiful, and I will miss it.

Another Fashion Statement

Although the Saturday Market is always good for fashion ideas to take back to Idaho, I readily accepted an invitation to attend a fund-raising style show last week. Sponsored by a local PTA, the event was organized to raise funds for a high school gymnasium. The sold-out event was held at the historic Blue Baths in Government Gardens - an early 1900's Spanish Mission-style building I had yet to see.

Attendees were greeted with a glass of champagne and then sampled trays of "nibbles" while waiting for festivities to begin. The event was a hoot from the get-go! We shared the fun with 300 others, and there wasn't a bad seat in the house. Moms and dads strutted down the runway to music that made me want to dance, so it took all of my self control to remain seated. The evening featured clothes from local stores, a segment on "wearable art," musical entertainment, an extreme makeover for one lucky gal, and the obligatory auction.

I don't know how much the parents raised for their school, but the event was a huge success and I had an absolute blast!

Soaking Up Another Freebie

We discovered one of the better-kept secret freebies during one of our last weekends in New Zealand - Butcher's Pool. Named after an early settler, Mr. Butcher and his family used this natural hot water pool as a bath. He later gifted the pool to the people of Rotorua. During WW II, conscientious objectors provided the labor to upgrade the pool, and since then grant money has been used to further develop the area to included walkways, toilets and changing rooms.

A Watched Geyser Never Boils

So we quit watching. Moments later the unpredictable Saphhire Geyser gave us a great show of gushing water. Knowing my affection for all things geothermal, my friend Heather recommended visiting Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park before leaving New Zealand. And I'm so glad we did! A short ferry ride across Lake Ohakuri took us to the "Hidden Valley" where a nicely developed walkway gave us "up close and personal" looks at geysers, cascade terraces, hot springs, mud pools, and Ruatapu Cave. We decided this was the noisiest thermal area we've explored with non-stop hissing, spitting, gurgling, and rumbling all around us, and we loved every bit of it.

Fashion at the Market

With my time in New Zealand quickly winding down, I wanted to shop one last time at the Saturday Market. We arrived promptly at 8 am for the best selection. This gave us a chance to say goodbye to my favorite produce vendor, order a good "long black" (i.e. Americano), buy watercress (freshly picked from nearby streams), and do a bit of a photo shoot of some typical Kiwi fashions.

Visitors from the North: Part 2

We only had time for two nights and one day in Hawke's Bay, but we managed to make the rounds to several great wineries. Among the favorites: Craggy Range, Elephant Hills, Clearview Estate (where we had a fabulous lunch among the vines), CJ Pask, Church Road, and Black Barn Vineyards. Tom and I were delighted introduce the Wilson's to Mission Estate Winery where we enjoyed another great dinner, featuring their Jewelstone Chardonnay.


On the way back to Rotorua, we made a quick stop in Taupo so that Teri could best the guys in the "Hole in One Golf Challenge." One last stop: the Waikite Thermal pools for a wee bit of a soak.

Visitors from the North: Part 1

We had no worries about experiencing post-vacation letdown. Within 48 hours of our South Island trip, good friends Teri and Phil Wilson arrived to continue their New Zealand exploration. We made sure the Wilsons hit the Rotorua ground running with immediate visits to the Redwood Forest and the Rotorua Museum. Lamb on the grill and sharing bottles of good New Zealand wine reminded us why we love to spend time with Teri and Phil.

On day two, we headed south to show off the geothermal wonders of Wai-o-Tapu and my beloved mud pots. After important stops in Taupo (Aratitia Rapids, Huka Falls and Scenic Cellars), we proceeded onward to the wine region of Hawke's Bay.