Skipper vs. Barbie: the Battle of the North Island

When I was a little girl I had a Skipper doll. Skipper was Barbie’s younger scrappier cousin.  She wasn’t nearly as glamorous as Barbie but she what you’d call “spunky” and was the kind of doll that could probably throw a good softball pitch.  I SO wanted to love Skipper but Barbie was the one with the cool beach house and metrosexual boyfriend. How could you resist her charms?

That was how I feel about Wellington. It is the Skipper of New Zealand’s north island, living in the shadow of glamorous and well-heeled Auckland. Both have beautiful waterfronts dotted with sailboats and breezy restaurants. While Wellington lacks the population and size of Auckland, as the country’s capital it has a substantial government center. Its local universities give it a youthful quality with areas full of ethnic restaurants and pubs for watching “footie” games. While Auckland’s movers and shakers enjoy cocktails at trendy locavore restaurants, Wellington’s after-work crowd gathers on lawns at local rowing clubs along the quay. Our favorite time in Wellington was spent walking the miles of nature paths in the city’s Botanical Gardens. Their outdoor café in the rose garden was a perfect spot for brunch and a glass of crisp wine.

To get to the south island, the most practical way is via ferry. The boat is huge- full of people on foot, in cars and in caravans (the Kiwi equivalent of RVs) as well as large trucks hauling goods between islands. The four-hour journey was pleasant- they even have a kids’ play area, a casino and show two movies on the crossing. It took a good hour to load us all onto the vessel and they strongly reminded travelers to note where their vehicles were parked- much like a Jersey shopping mall parking structure. I can only imagine the honking if we were to lose our car among the many decks and bring disembarkment at a standstill.

Our first stop on the south island was a special one.  We’ve settled in to a lovely cottage tucked into the countryside in the south island Marlborough wine country. Run by a lovely couple, we’re staying in a sheep-shearers cottage on a small property complete with sheep, deer and chickens (who are kind enough to supply eggs for our morning breakfast). We can barely bring ourselves to leave the idyllic property (but I did get a special run and bike ride through the vineyards!) The owner, Paul, has taught me how to make a flat white coffee-a complex procedure that includes warming cups to the optimum temperature before filling.  He would cringe if he knew I had CoffeeMate in my suitcase. Paul has a ’55 red Morris convertible- a cross between a Mini and Alfa Romeo. We were so taken with the little sportster that he gave it a washing and chauffeured us to a special dinner at the Hertzog vineyard. What a memorable evening!

After a side trip to the famous west coast Pancake Rocks with their powerful blowholes, we’re now settled in to Franz Josef, getting ready for tomorrow morning’s helicopter ride to our glacier walk. 

Kia Ora, My Little Kiwi!

Kia ora, Welcome to New Zealand. After a long journey we are safe and sound in middle earth as Hobbit aficionados know New Zealand. The country is full of national parks, volcanos, wineries and sheep (due to sheep “emissions” the country can’t meet its limits of the Kyoto Accord). One thing it’s not full of is people.  Only 4.2 million live in the entire country- three quarters live in the North Island. OF these, I believe two thirds are cute guys with even cuter accents!

About 12 percent of the population is Maori, the local indigenous people. According to Maori legend, the demigod Maui sailed from Hawaii in his canoe and caught a huge fish. The fish is supposedly the north island while his canoe is the south island. This week the country celebrated Waitangi Day, marking the date in 1840 when the treaty was signed between the British and the Maori. I must admit I’m having trouble with the Maori words- particularly the names of small towns. Most start with “W” or “T” and are tongue-twisters like Whakatane, Waitara and Waipukurau. To further complicate things, the “wh” is pronounced like “f”, “r’s” are rolled like “d’s” and “a’s” are like “ah.” You should hear me calling out directions from the map.

We settled in quickly into Auckland, the nation’s largest city. The “City of Sails” wraps nicely along the water and boasts of 70,000 boats in its harbor. The quay is dotted with trendy bars and outdoor cafes. Auckland is a livable city with their own version of Central Park (the Domain) and Ponsonby, a leafy neighborhood of wooden Victorian homes and cafes. Jeff was elated to find the Superbowl available at a nearby 115 year-old tavern. I guess Beyonce goes beyond all borders.

We’ve become addicted to flat whites- the ubiquitous creamy latte-like coffees offered in every café. I do love my froth but these are beyond description. I’m also feeding my sweet tooth with hokey-pokey, a yummy butter brittle ice cream, and pavlova, the feather-light national dessert much like a gooey merengue. Thankfully, our itinerary is jam packed with activities to work off these treats.

After Auckland we ventured to Waitomo for blackwater rafting in the area’s famous glow worm caves.  This is one of those activities that you can do in other countries but would never be allowed in the litigious US. After suiting up in heavy wet suits and selecting a size-appropriate inner tube (if you sit in it and it sticks to your bum, that’s the one!) we hiked down to Ruakuri Cave. After slithering under low hanging stalactites (remember, stalagmites have a “g” and come from the ground while stalactites have a “c” like ceiling!) we cascaded down freezing underwater waterfalls. Once we dimmed our headlights, we were amazed by the light show of millions of glow worms dotting the ceiling. What a sight! Unfortunately they don’t allow cameras as they want you focused on not drowning or causing bodily injury, so I’ve had to attach a photo from the tour company. 

Next up… hiking the Tongariro Crossing, supposedly one of the finest one-day hikes in the world!  I had better juice up on flat whites!