Arrival In Greymouth And Brunner Mine Site Tour

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Americano, bridge, Brunner coal mine, coal, Greymouth, Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowhole, train

Brunner Mine Chimney.

I left the Golden Bay and Abel Tasman National Park area this morning, driving south toward Greymouth, located on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island. I have visited some amazing places in my life, but the stunning and remarkable places I was able to visit the last few days were unbelievably pictureesque. I could only hope that I would be rewarded with equally beautiful sites in the Greymouth area.

Wainui Falls And Waikoropupu Springs (And Something Priceless)

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Abel Tasman National Park, cows, New Zealand, Pohara, Pupu Springs, Visa Priceless commercials, Waikoropupu Springs, Wainui Falls

Wainui Falls

Golden Bay, Abel Tasman National Park.

I again woke up early this morning – my circadian clock still on Denver time – planning to visit Wainui Falls in Abel Tasman National Park; and Waikoropupu Springs (known locally as “Pupu Springs”) in Takaka. I’m glad I got an early start because it turned out to be one of the hottest days since arriving in New Zealand on the 19th. Consequently, I had plenty of energy in my tank by getting an early start before it started heating up. My first hike was Wainui Falls in Abel Tasman National Park. By the by, all of these pictures will enlarge by clicking on them without significant loss of resolution.

New Zealands’s Grove And Milnthorpe Parks

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Abel Tasman National Park, Bay Country Lodge, Department of Lands and Survey, Golden Bay, Grove Scenic Reserve, limestone, Milnthorpe Park, New Zealand, Rata Tree, Rimu Tree, sheep

Entrance to Grove Scenic Reserve

Michelle, the co-owner of Bay Country Lodge, located in Golden Bay, has provided me with a wealth of information about the Abel Tasman National Park area. Yesterday, she suggested two hikes to me: the Grove Scenic Reserve and the Milnthorpe Park Scenic Reserve. Grove is a very short walk of approximately 30 minutes, so I decided to wake up early this morning, where I could do that hike first and then do Milnthorpe, which is located approximately 25 kilometers away. Milnthorpe, with its numerous “walking tracks,” takes approximately 3-4 hours to complete. These are some of the pictures and comments I noted while hiking in these beautiful parks. All of the pictures will enlarge with no loss in resolution if you click on them.

Potpourri of New Zealand Pictures

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Abel Tasman National Park, ferry, Flappers, hitch hikers, Korean, Nelson, New Zealand, Picton, San Francisco Giants, Snout Trail

Minji, my favorite Korean Giants fan

This evening’s post wont be too long on words, i.e., I have a great internet connection and I plan on taking advantage of it. Consequently, I am posting quite a few pictures. However, my first one deserves a more detailed explanation. I indicated on the Flap blog (where “Orange and Black Flappers” discuss all things San Francisco Giants 24/7) prior to this trip starting that I would attempt to locate a Giants fan in each country I am visiting on my RTW trip. Minji is my first fan identified.

Ferry Reflections

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AA, Auckland, bird, Coffee, ferry, House of Lords, Hyundai, Maori, New Zealand, Parliament, Picton, RTW, Sparrows, The Hobbit, tour guide, Wellington

Parliament, where I debated the tour guide

The trip from Wellington to Picton is approximately 3 hours in length, so this gives me an opportunity to reflect on my trip thus far and note things I haven’t mentioned in my previous posts . . .

Three Weeks Isn’t Enough Time

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Army, Great lake Taupo, Huka Falls, Mt. Ruapehu, tank, troop carrier

Huka Falls

. . . To see everything I want to see in New Zealand. That became clear today. I didn’t go to Tongariro National Park, a designated World Heritage Site. I had every intention of doing at least a “Chevy Chase Grand Canyon lookie see nodding head visit ala’ National Lampoon’s Vacation.” However, there wasn’t even enough time for that. At least not if I wanted to catch my ferry in Wellington on Saturday. Sigh. It bugs me that I probably missed one of the most amazing parks in the world.

Waikite Hot Springs

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German, hot spa, police officer, Rotorua, Waikite Hot Springs Spa

These are pictures I took of the hot springs I visited yesterday. I went with a young German couple I met at my hotel in Rotorua. The spa is called Waikite and was recommended by a police officer I stopped (Ha. It’s usually the other way around with my sorry ass  .  .  . Or, it was once upon a distant past. HEHEHE.). Anywho, the police officer said, “Go where the locals go. It costs less money and it is much nicer with at least 6-9 pools, a few that are private and cost a bit more.”

 

Waitomo Caves

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glow worm, river, Song of the South, Waitomo caves

Waitomo Cave

On Tuesday (January 22nd), I left Auckland and made my way south toward the Waitomo Glow Worm caverns. Go ahead and laugh, but this was on my top 5 list of things to see in New Zealand. Many people had recommended seeing this attraction and I decided I wanted to find out why.  

Pictures Of Maori Warriors, Auckland War Museum And City Tour

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Auckland War Museum, city, ferry, Maori, songs, tribal dances

Maori Warrior

Historical ferry building

In Auckland, while visiting the Auckland War Museum, I attended a performance of Maori natives, who demonstrated various tribal dances, as well as sang traditional songs. I also toured the city.

Climbing Rangitoto Volcano

Summit of Rangitoto volcano

The brochure says, “Sitting majestically just off the the Auckland coast, this unique volcano island boasts a fascinating landscape of rugged lava crops, lush native bush and sandy coves. Rangitoto Island erupted from the sea in a series of dramatic eruptions and explosions some 600 years ago. This makes it the youngest island in the Hauraki Gulf, and the last and largest volcano to be formed in the Auckland volcanic field.”  Hey, I’m in . . . I booked the ferry trip and was excited to be exploring this island.