OK another slight diversion before I talk about New Zealand. Last night we had a most incredible concert by Michel Bell. Oh my goodness, what a TREAT!!!! Mr. Bell was an original member of the group Fifth Dimension. He has entertained audiences worldwide has starred in Broadway, in London at the Prince Edward Theater, and sang for the U.S. President and First Lady (and 600,000 of their closest friends) at "America's Millennium" at the New Year's Eve 2000 celebration. Mr. Bell came to us with high praise and experience, but sine he was a member of a popular group quite some time ago I expected a more subdued voice which has "aged" with time. WOW!!! Was I ever wrong!!! This man is still amazingly talented. He entertained us with opera, Broadway hits, standards, Motown, and Summer, you would have loved his version of Lionel Richie's "Lady". I thought of throughout that one :) I can understand how he received a Tony nomination for his portrayal of Joe is Showboat. For his finale he sang Ole' Man River and I found myself tearing up as he sang. He is an amazing artist with a huge vocal range and a wide variety of music. If you ever have an opportunity to see this man perform you will be treated to a beautiful night of music.
Now, FINALLY, on to our time in New Zealand. First, Auckland.
As we sailed into the port we opened the curtains and were DELIGHTED to be greeted with bright sunshine and only a few white clouds. Nice change from the stormy rainclouds we have had the last couple of days at sea. The Captain explained to us that the tropical depression that hit the coast of Tonga as we sailed away had been following us until today. Perfect timing since we had a 9-1/2 hour tour for today!!!
The tour started with a length 3-hour ride (luckily in a very comfortable bus) through the New Zealand countryside. Auckland is a very large, modern town with lots of traffic (feels just like home)!! There is a very tall tower in the middle of town which they told us (proudly) that is taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris!! It was an especially day in Auckland today because it was a holiday and many people were off work. There were lots of festivities including a regatta in the breathtaking Auckland harbor. Many families came into town to enjoy the incredibly beautiful, sunny warm day and watch the sailboats. In addition, there was another HUGE cruiseship here at the same time.
As we crept through the crowded streets and wound our way out of the city we discovered a completely different landscape. There were very gentle rolling hills covered with green grass. Although there were trees throughout the landscape I was surprised that most of them were fairly small. There were no large trees. One thing that did strike me was the varying shades of green, both in the trees and the grass. They ranged from deep dark green to a very light color, almost yellow. There were pretty purple and white flowers that grew wild on the side of the road, mainly hydrangea and society garlic. As we traveled inland, away from the coast, the hills became higher and trees became larger. We began to notice cattle ranches with large herds, as well as fields of maize. Properties were divided by green hedges. For the last few miles the hills transitioned into mountains and the road became quite winding. The number of cattle farms decreased and the goat farms increased. Must be an adaptation to the layout of the terrain. The bus ride took three hours so we were quite ready for a good stretch!
Once we arrived at our destination, the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, we trekked up and down stairs, through narrow passages to observed the beautiful stalagmites and stalactities of beautiful and varying colors. The caves were quite dry except for the occasional drops of water that would surprise us when they dropped on our heads. After a short hike through the caves we boarded a small boat and went deeper inside the caves to view the glowworms. The guide stood on the front of the boat and used a rope which was strung above to guide us through the cave. The glowworms were absolutely beautiful, illuminating the entire top of the caves as we sailed quietly through the passage ways, so we didn't disturb them. The guide told us that the glowworms are actually in the larvae stage of their life before they become 2-winged flying insects. Actually. I prefer not to think of their life cycle but continue to think of them as beautiful glowworms. Absolutely spectacular sight. These caves are the only place in the world to observe this type of glowworm so we felt very lucky to have his unique experience.
After our adventures in the cave we drove to Crosshills, a beautiful old country estate where the owners served us a delicious lunch, complete with lamb and beef raised on their farm and salads made with delicious, organically grown fruits and vegetables from their gardens. Of course, as it is everywhere we go, they served wine with lunch. At the beginning of the trip Bob and I were good about not drinking wine until dinner. However, the longer we're on this trip....well, it's five o'clock somewhere!!!!
It was a long day but we had a great time. We have already decided that we like New Zealand A LOT. The people are incredibly gracious, warm and friendly. Can't wait for our other stops here.
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