Last Friday (the 17th) we drove out to two destinations.  First was one of the more famous gardens in NZ and the only one I have visited with an admission fee ($14).  Pukeiti hold bazillions of rhododendrons gathered from China, the Himalayas and other locations.  Some can grow to 80 feet in height while others hug the ground.  I did not know that some are fragrant until I walked down a hill and into their scent.  The hundreds (maybe thousands) of varieties ensures blooms over most of the year.

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Saturday was another day and another garden.  The property, Tupare,  was originally the residence of some Taranaki business baron and falls down a slope to a river.  Saturday, an open-house of a sort was held with a barbeque, tours through the residence and a jazz band butchering standards.  In the tour of the house, we were grouped with a pack of seventy year olds, one of which had grown up in the property's caretaker house.  He knew more about the family who lived there and the structure than did the guides

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Saturday night Kathryn and I had dinner with Dom (the dentist I am replacing) and his wife Tina.  US and NZ politics, fine Indian food, and a great time were had by all.

Mt. Taranaki up close and personal

Kathryn the Brave

Looking back to the coast

Dawson Falls

Kathryn left for Calif. two days ago.  We had a wonderful time and toured a good deal of the southern parts of the North Island.  After staying home for a weekend, we got back in the car for our final road trip with Tauranga, The Coromandel, and Auckland on the itinerary.

Tauranga was the first city I lived in after arriving.  We retraced some of my paths and made new ones too.  On Thursday night we had fantastic dinner with Susan and David Stewart at the Harbourside restaurant right on the bay. It was a wonderful evening and we learned a new term: A Sticky, meaning an after dinner drink.

Some Falls	McClaren Falls	Main Beach Mt. Maunganui

Friday we hiked the Mount, walked the beach at Papamoa, and ended up at a winery in Bethlehem.  Did a little real estating here and there. Click for examples: Papamoa  Bethlehem  Bear in mind that those are NZ dollars and the exchange rate today is $.55USD/NZD meaning that almost chops the price in half for US dollars.

Saturday we headed north through the rain and arrived at a dry Whitianga.  Absolutely spectacular scenery.

Leaving The Coromandel (picture on left) on Sunday, we headed into Auckland and the same B&B as before.  But first, a return to a Chinese feast for lunch in Mt. Eden, a hike to the top of Mt. Eden, and later a hike to the top of Mt. Victoria.

Kathryn had been in contact with a long-time friend, Ann, who has a friend that moved to Auckland four years ago.  She suggested we meet and on Labour Day, Monday, we sat down with Susan for some coffees in the bayside village of Mission Bay.  It was another sparkling day that brought what seemed like the whole city out for a stroll or bike along the water front.  Susan was a fountain of information even knowing where a Mexican market is.

Her recommendation: pack your bags and move here.  Life is great.