A day of tramping (it's not what you think)

The sound of waves crashing against the shore grew louder as Jen and I finished our 90-minute* tramp (that's hike to you non-Kiwi folks) on Saturday. The trail began on the north end of Waihi Beach and ended, well at least part of it, at Orokawa Bay. The tramp (yes I'm going to keep saying that) was not very strenuous. There were muddy sections, hilly sections and rocky sections, but nothing that required too much leg work. Along the way, Jen and I bumped into a girl walking the trail in flip-flops (she was showing off), a dog (with his owners) and a group of young kids carrying one of their friends back down the hill. Not sure what happened but everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Even the ones doing all the carrying.

Orokawa Bay is a secluded beach with sparkling sand. The water looked so welcoming that I pulled off my shoes and socks and dipped my feet in the water. The strong waves turned what was just supposed to be me sticking my toes in, to being knee-deep in the cool surf. (Good thing I pulled up my pant legs). The water wasn't too cold, especially in comparison to the Polar Plunge I did in Lake George on New Years Day. I can't wait to go back with a boogie board.

Saturday night New Zealand was playing France, so Jen and I headed to the Waihi Beach Retired Services Association. There were quite a few people around, most decked out in all black. What was supposed to be a tight match turned into another All Blacks beat down. My favorite part, of course, was the Haka. Watch here.   

Sunday it was raining, but Jen and I checked out the Waihi Arts Centre and Museum. It was a cool little place that gave us the background of the gold mine culture in Waihi. Jen's favorite part was the severed thumbs. Turns out mine workers would cut off their thumbs to get compensation. The guide said it was enough to buy a house and that the number of instances spiked during Christmas.There were two jars of thumbs (not sure if they were real). My favorite part was a cross-section of the mine. It showed just how deep it goes, there are 15 levels to it. I jog around it almost everyday but it's hard to grasp just how deep it goes.

* It took a little longer than 90 minutes because we stopped to take pics and look at random things along the way.

Chief photographer Jen's skills on display again:

Rugby Fever

What began with a simple question ended with field-level seats at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Sunday was the perfect day as Jen and I headed to Hamilton to watch Wales take on Samoa. We decided to root for Samoa because ... well, I'm not really sure why.

It rained for most of the drive to Hamilton and I was really concerned about the kind of weather Jen and I would have to sit in just to watch the game. But luckily, once we arrived, the sun came out and it turned out to be a really, really pleasant day.

Both crowds were amazing. There were countless painted faces, a man dressed like Wonder Woman and a large fellow with his belly painted. (He was cheering for Samoa). Everyone was really into the game, which helped when I didn't know what was going on. They were also pretty courteous to one another, which is something you don't always see at games in the U.S. (Think Oakland Raiders fans).

The game snacks of choice at the RWC were french fries, corn dogs and donuts. Oh and of course beer.

Unfortunately for Jen and I, Wales won, 17-10. But it was a good game. Just so you know, the U.S. team is in the Rugby World Cup, but their matches are just too far for Jen and I to travel to.

So if you ever get a chance to go to a rugby match I say go for it!

Chief photographer Jen snapped plenty of pictures:

Cows and boots

I know I'm in New Zealand and seeing cows, sheep and horses are a daily occurrence, but things got turned up a notch when I went for my run around the goldmine Thursday (Remember I'm a day ahead). As I came to a bend, I noticed not one but FIVE cows out of the gate just relaxing along the path.
I'm proud to say I didn't scream, though I didn't keep running either. I stopped dead in my tracks and treated those five cows like a pride of hungry lions. I tip-toed gently passed and waited a few feet before I started running again.
I know, I know, they're just cows. But I don't care!

On a completely unrelated note .....

In my last post, I mentioned how New Zealand men always dress like they're waiting for a rugby match to break out at any minute. Well, the women are a little different. There seems to be a deep love for knee-high boots. Usually in black and of various heel heights and just about every woman has a pair. As a lover of boots myself, I get a real kick out of watching the women of Waihi strut around town in a pair of stylish boots.

My only regret is that I didn't pack my boots to join them.

Rugby, rain and what's that smell?

If there is one thing you notice about the men in New Zealand is that they always seem ready to play a rugby match. Whether they're walking around in their high shorts (I've seen a lot of male thighs) or their thick rugby shirts, it's clear what's going on in those Kiwi minds. One of these days I'm gonna throw a rugby football in the middle of the street and see what happens.

The 2011 Rugby World Cup kicked off on Friday with New Zealand's All Blacks squaring off against Tonga. Instead of watching the game in the house, I decided to head to the local pub and watch with the Waihi residents. I even wore a black shirt. The turnout wasn't as big as I thought, I think most folks decided to watch the game in their homes, I did meet some cool people, including a couple of Aussies.

The one mistake I made was sitting at the bar. Though the conversation was cool, I quickly found out that people who sit at the bar, don't really care what's happening in the game.

The All Black crushed Tonga but there was plenty of Haka to go around.

On Saturday, Jen and I jumped into Edna Gertrude Martha Johnson and headed to Rotoura. Roto-Vegas, as it is called, is over two hours away from Waihi and is known for extreme sports, Maori culture and geothermal activity. Jen and I started at Hell's Gates where we walked around geothermal springs (too hot to touch). It was pretty funky with all the sulfur, but interesting. We capped it all off with a mud foot bath.

Afterwards we headed to Whakarewarewa, a living thermal village where the Maori have lived for centuries.
Took in a Haka performance and toured the village.

Sunday proved to be a wash. We planned to go zorbing (rolling around in a rubber ball), but the rain canceled that. The best thing about living in a place for six months is knowing you'll have time to go back.

Here are some pics: 1. My best impression of  Maori face; 2. Jen at Hell's Gates, 3/4 Pics of the geothermal spots; 5. Jen in mud bath; 6. Me in mud bath; 7. Posing with Maori performer; 8. Sign to the Maori village; 9. Archway leading to the village honoring fallen soliders and warriors; 10. Maori Wahiao meeting house.

Wild Wednesdays

By 5 p.m.,Waihi is a ghost town. Shops and restaurants close down and Jen and I are left wondering where the heck everyone went.
It seems, that unlike Americans, Kiwis enjoy spending time in their homes. Wednesdays have become a big deal for us. It's the night when a few shops extend their hours and Jen and I can spend a little time in town after dark.
After a day of bike riding, we settled at one of our favorite cafes, which is also a pizzeria. (They like to combine everything here). There were a few people out for dinner, but not a large group. I think things will start to pick up once the Rugby World Cup starts on Friday. I will be heading to the Rugby Hall to catch the first game of the tournament, New Zealand vs. Tonga.

Discovered a New Zealand favorite. It's called Hokey Pokey ice cream. It's vanilla with toffee chunks. It's very smooth and very good.

As usual, here are a few photos:

On the road

Jen and I loaded up Edna Martha Gertrude Johnson (Our Nissan Bluebird) and headed up the Pacific Coast Highway. It was a scenic drive with lots of green, lots of cows and lots of twists and turns.

We began in Waihi, headed to a town called Whangamanta (all Wh words sound like Fs), then on to Tairua where we saw three teenage boys taking pictures of themselves jumping off swings. Clearly there isn't much to do in that town.

We stopped at the Hot Water Beach in Hahei, but since it was cold, neither one of us brought a bathing suit or a shovel to dig up the hot water from underground.

We finished our day trip at Cathedral Cove. We didn't get a chance to travel down the actual cove, because it was getting late, but we took pictures and will definitely going back to do some snorkeling once it warms up.

Jen had been doing all the driving, so I finally got behind the wheel for the two-hour drive back home. I'm glad to report that I only drove on the wrong side of the road twice and that was once we were back in town.
There is a video of my driving on my Facebook page.

The pictures below are: 1. Beach at Whangamata; 2. Our home in Waihi; 3. Hot Water Beach; 4. Jen and I at Whangamata Beach; 5. Cathedral Cove; 6. Random photo from the side of the road. (Jen insisted we stop).

Still pinching myself

It's been a week and I still can't believe I'm on the other side of the world. I went for a run yesterday around a gold mine (yep there's a gold mine at the top of our driveway) and I saw a rainbow. I didn't have my camera, but it was something I just enjoyed for myself. I'M IN NEW ZEALAND!!

Everything is so green even though it's winter. There is a nice mix of trees with pine needles, kind of like a Christmas tree and others that look like palm trees. Our backyard is filled with an array of small plants and I think there might even be a lemon tree growing on the side of the house.

Our house is on a hill and the only one at the end of the dead-end street.

The town is filled with shops on both sides of the road. There are small clothing stores, shoe stores and of course small restaurants. Everyone is really nice so I'm trying to unlearn all the bad habits I picked up in New York.

Jen and I went to Waihi Beach earlier in the week and it was gorgeous. It was odd seeing pine trees so close to the beach. The sand was a mixture of black and white and there were beautiful sea shells everywhere.

Pictures to come!