This is the slow loading, quickly assembled photo gallery from my March 1998 New Zealand trip. Someday, I'll get around to turning this into a reasonable slide show, with more photos and nicer formatting. In spite of the mediocre photographic quality (approximately commensurate with my skills), it is still amazing what can be done with disposable cameras.
The object of my journey half-way around the Earth was to visit my dear friends Andrew Milne and Robert Judd to get some R&R, and to see new and beautiful places, like Muriwai Beach, above, where I saw this gannet, among many others, patrolling along the Tasman Sea.
I arrived on an overnight flight (UA841) from Los Angeles, and was collected at the airport by Andrew, whom I hadn't seen in eight years. Last time we were together, I was visiting them in England, on my way to Europe. I asked at that time if they were on the Internet, so we could better keep in touch, but they hadn't heard of it yet in 1989. Robert, originally from New Zealand, convinced Andrew to emmigrate, and the Internet turned out to be the means with with Andrew maintained contact with his family in England. Of course, he didn't let me know that, and I got back in contact with him by getting his postal address from his dad. My postcard to New Zealand got an email reply, and contact resumed. Anyway, much to our relief, we had no trouble recognizing each other at the airport, our third such "haven't seen each other for years" rendezvous.
My first impressions of Auckland, aside from "oh yeah, the lanes
are reversed", was that it reminded me of San Diego. In fact, that
grew into the recurring theme of "New Zealand is like California,
except..." Upon arrival at their house, we found a twiggy-looking
insect sitting upside down in the top rail of a sliding glass door.
I'm told these exist in America too, but I had never seen one, and
didn't again after that first day.
By pleasant coincidence, my colleague Bob and his travel buddy Suds were in New Zealand at the same time I was, so we got together in Auckland and Christchurch. In further coincidence, Bob and Suds took the latter's new fiancee (proposed during trip) to the airport, just hours after I arrived, for her to return to Los Angeles on the same plane that brought me. After their airport excursion, Bob and Suds joined us for dinner at Andy and Robert's home. I lasted until about 9pm, having crossed six timezones and not slept for about 30 hours. Chef Robert cooked a fabulous Butter Chicken, and grilled some fish Bob and Suds brought.
Below is a photo of me beside the barbecue, where they prepped the chicken in Tandoori sauce.
And below is a couple of more snapshots of my happy hosts, Andy, Robert, Tigger, and Rew.
I spent the first few days staying local, rereading Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold, playing ball with Rew and enjoying the neighborhood of Whenuapai Village.
Their property is surrounded by farms, and is a study in microclimates and environments.
Nearby is Whenuapai Airbase. In fact from my bed the morning after I arrived, I saw out my window a bunch of paratroupers dropping onto the field. A later trip by the base let me photograph a few of their descriptive signs. Much to my recent surprize, the photo of the parachute training sign happened to catch a couple of jumpers in flight in the background, as I you can see in the upper left.
Assisted by my colleague Mike Beeler and his 10x loupe, I am happy to provide a transcription of the sign's text.
You can also read a transcription of this sign's text.
There are more photos to scan, transfer and narrate when time permits.
Updated $Date: 2001/07/24 04:52:28 $ (GMT)