Sunday 23 March 2014

Picton, Palmerston North, Taupo, Hamilton and Rotorua


Observations continued...


I forgot to mention, as we drove along the coast towards Picton, we saw seals sunbathing on the rocky shore. Lots and lots of them.
We did go on a walking trail this morning. Love to get in some exercise to offset all the driving. 


Headed back to the North Island on the ferry. We were in the first batch of cars to load and the very last car to unload. There should have been some sort of prize for waiting the longest. 

Paul & Maureen's home 30 years ago.
Staying at motel called The Fitzherbert Castle.
Went to Paul's home away from home, the Albert Street Sports Bar.
Took photos of both the bar and 146 Albert where Maureen and Paul used to live. We couldn't find a 41 Albert. There was a 39 and 43 but no 41. 



Went on our own little walking tour of downtown, the museum and the square. Found a Regent Theatre! ( we have one in Picton, ON )



Parked at the end of Albert Street and walked along a beautiful trail beside the river. 
Went to a Thai restaurant for supper. It was good but not sure any Thai food outside of Thailand is going to ever compare. The cost was $58. In Chiang Mai, we would have paid $14 which includes the cost of a glass of wine each. One thing that Thailand doesn't have is good wine. The wine in New Zealand has been fantastic! You can buy a good bottle for $12 but a glass in a restaurant will cost $9.

Taupo 
We stopped in Taupo, home of New Zealand's largest lake, for a picnic lunch and some coffee on our way to Hamilton. No time to stop at the waterfall today, we have friends to visit!



Met with Maureen & Paul's friends Tony & Dianne. They took us to a Mongolian restaurant for dinner where you create your own stir-fry and it was all you can eat. So good! Then we went on a bit of a nighttime tour of the city. 
On Saturday we met with a friend and former neighbour from Picton who now lives in New Zealand. Devon, her partner, Grant and their adorable daughter, Kennedy took us to the beach to see the black sand and then around to the Ocean to watch the surfers.
p.s. Flip flops are called jandals here. 
p.s.s. Eating fish and chips on the beach is a real "kiwi" thing to do. So we did it and it was delicious!!




There is so much to do here! 
We collected information and went out for lunch to discuss our plan. ( and use the internet ) 
We decided to go to the Agrodome today and come back again tomorrow. At the Agrodome we saw the Farm Show and learned about 19 different breeds of sheep. The Merino is the king. His wool is the softest, warmest and of course, the most expensive. 



Our next visit was with John in Whakatane.  He made us a wonderful barbecue steak supper, gave us some good "Paul" stories and has advised us on the best place to go back to in Rotorua. 

More to come ....









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