We rented – the worst rental jalopy and set off from the Christchurch airport. Our path took us from coastal flatlands to agricultural areas framed my mountains. As we drove, we came closer & closer to Mount Cook. An elusive peak as it is often sheathed in clouds.

The road is an in-out drive and while beautiful, it was a tough area for us to embrace.

We stayed in two other lodges that deserve a note & a photo

We stayed at a farm Airbnb. We loved the views & enjoyed the winery down the road and Greg captured a rainbow.

The eco lodge was rugged and beautiful. Here is where we ate our breakfast & dinner.

Airbnb’s & hostels have been our lodging of choice. We get to stay in unique lodging in spectacular locations – meeting the nicest guests & hosts. We have met guests from around the world and we have lively discussions ranging from politics to Michelle Obama’s latest book! Hosts not be more gracious from recommending fun things to providing wonderful lodging – to providing snorkel gear!

Here are a few vistas from our accommodations.

Staying at unique Airbnb’s allows us to avoid the grind and impersonal feel of a hotel room. And from an eco lodge to an off the grid farm stay – we have great memories!

We have a few hours before dinner and want to check out the wines of Okahu Estate. Montey is the winemaster. He is one of those gifted individuals who makes great wines and tells great stories. Claudia a lobbyist from Germany joins us and we sample some wonderful reds, whites & a port.  And have continued to enjoy the white – the last 2 days!  ….on to the Kauri..

The western coast of NZ is ruggedly beautiful. The surf is a little sassier, towns smaller, roads gnarlier and then there are the fabulous Kauri forests. SPECTACULAR! While the trees & forests are spectacular – seeing the 2000 year old Kauri tree is a privilege.

And, in addition to taking the twisty turns roads, we got to take a ferry – when the road ended at a salt marsh.

We are driving to the top of New Zealand and want to beat traffic. There is 1 -2 lane road and we know it is going to be wild twisty turns and a narrow road. We get an early start and for most of the trip avoid pouring rains. Port Reinga – the top of the Island- does not disappoint. While windy & rainy – we experience authentic weather! The lighthouse is lovely. The meeting of the wild Tasman sea and the Pacific Ocean does not disappoint. Each body of water has its current and this is where they collide.

This area is particularly significant for the Maori people and those traditions and importance continues today

We are in KeriKeri staying in an eco lodge Airbnb. It is off the grid – rustic & beautiful. There are yummy grapes growing on the deck and the possum visits every night for his share of the bounty. he is pretty noisy. We hear the elusive nocturnal kiwi birds and never spot them. The kiwis numbers are limited – so we are glad they have a safe spot. After visiting the location of the first missionary in NZ, we hike to Rainbow Falls. Lovely. Then we head to the coast-where much to our surprise / in this sleepy town, a cruise ship is anchored. 😊 This area is called bay of islands and the beaches & islands are very picturesque. The beaches have an abundance of brightly colored shells and the water temps are perfect & surf is calm. This coupled with a ferry ride across the bay made for a fun beach afternoon with a refreshing swim to top it off.

We stayed at a great Airbnb with a room overlooking the water. Close to Goat Island Reserve. We started our day with a drive to a nearby summit which gave us views towards Auckland in one direction and the bay on the beach other. Beautiful / but we wanted to snorkel. We headed to the reserve and as it was 8:30a – we had the beach to ourselves.

The fish were surprised to see us and as the first swimmers of the day we caught them eating breakfast. It was a great swim and fun to have the bay to ourselves.

I am told these are gannets and check out their nest

We flew into Auckland – rented a car at the airport and headed north. We were starved and decided to drive out of the city before stopping for lunch. brilliant! Auckland is s lovely largish city and we were quickly out of the metro area. quickly. About 40 minutes from CBD Auckland- we stopped in a tiny village at a pub – been there since late 1800s and had lunch with the locals at a picnic table. The cute church was near the steam which ran thru the center of town – population about 150. Didn’t take long to get to the country. Our little car wound through the wooded hills & valleys on a tight 2 lane road- we have arrived in NZ!

Part II of our adventure is exploring the North & South Islands. They are not very large and boy do they pack a lot of variety in a small area.

There is so much spectacular scenery and I will get to that. First, there are a few adventures to note.

Exploring Australia & Tasmania has been a wonderful adventure. While the land is ruggedly spectacular – oh those beaches, reefs, rainforests & vineyards! I love the people. We have found the cities safe and its inhabitants ready to lend a helpful hint.

It started in Sydney when a 91 year spry women sat down next to me on the bus, briefly discussed my trip & her trip to US and then asked what I thought of Trump! What a hoot!

It continued with the people we met at Mrs McQuaries chair on NYE. Fun! The amazing hospitality Jo & Mac showed us along with their fun friends. The nice Airbnb hosts who had gone to the Sheepdog competition in Midway-crazy! Deb, Caity, & Steve showing us around Melbourne and sharing their local knowledge as well as a fun dinner. The young lady who showed me the safe way to pat a stingray😳.

And all of the kind people who answered our traveller questions and made it a fun trip.b