Tuesday 31 January 2012

Travel Series: NEW ZEALAND



It's been a heck of a long time since I posted my last (and only) travel story entry (part of my Globetrotter blogging series begun in 2011). But this year I've vowed to post at least once a month, so here's my first attempt at picking up that old and dusty thread! In my first post in this series, I talked about my trip across Australia with my father and uncle back in 1998. This trip was actually the start of a months-long world trip my Dad and I went on. The second leg of the journey took us to New Zealand, and that's what this blog post will be about.

I've been to New Zealand a fair few times prior to and since 1998 (both my parents are from there). In 1998, we flew from Sydney (where we'd spent a bit of time with my dad's sister and her family) to Wellington. My Grandad collected us at the airport, having borrowed his girlfriend's car for the purpose, and drove us back to Paraparaumu ----------->
We spent a few weeks in Paraparaumu and surrounding areas, hanging with family. My Kiwi family is pretty darn interesting, and I could write about them for daaaays on end. Don't worry, I won't! After a lovely relaxing visit with the family, it was time to move on. We headed off (with Grandad in tow!) to explore the North Island on the way up to Auckland.

Tongariro, Ngauruhoe, I don't know which one we're looking at here (possibly both?).


One of the first places we stopped was the Tongariro National Park, part of which is pictured above. Dad and Grandad climbed one of the mountains, leaving seventeen-year-old me to fend for myself on solid ground. I was thrilled to have time to myself, and drove around listening to my alt. rock/grunge mix tapes. I also had really bad food for dinner (chippies and cookies) and it was awesome.

Seventeen-year-old me, at or near them mountains.
This is my Dad's photo! (he is very very very clever!)


The next morning Dad and Grandad came back down the mountain, and I snapped this shot of them just before they collapsed to the ground in exhaustion:


Next, we ventured to other places, such as Lake Taupo, where we swam in a river with natural hot springs (there is a cool pic of us in the river that Dad took, but I haven't scanned that slide yet). We also went to Rotorua, which smelled strongly of sulphur (understandable, what with the mud pools there):



Finally we reached Auckland, and I'm sure I have photos from there somewhere but I haven't scanned all my pics yet. To close this post, here is a picture of me, Grandad and Dad at McDonald's (and I believe this was the place where Grandad had met up with some of his friends from his motorcycle group whose motto was: "Grow old disgracefully."


Another of Dad's photos.


And for today, that's all there is! Tune in next month for another travel story.

31 comments:

  1. I love the pictures! I wonder if all mud pools look the same, because the picture of Rotorua looks extremely similar to the mud pools up in Thermopolis, Wyoming!

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    1. Me too a person having very much interest towards beautiful and natural picture. Everywhere this kind of picture are not available. So to have a very good scenery you have make tour to a particular place. And now these due to the increase number of population the natural scenery are converted in to man made palace. And the beauty of a natural place is total different than the artificial palace.Kokoda Track

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  2. Cutting it kind of close, weren't you, Trisha? -wiggles eyebrows-

    Are all of these posts going to be in chronological order?

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  3. Thanks guys!

    @Lara - quite possibly they do. I love that there's a Thermopolis AND a Thermopylae in these modern times. heh

    @Brooke - yes, I am. But it still counts as January. hehehe. The world trip posts will be in chronological order, yes. But in future I may mix it up a bit, with various "single-stop" trips I've taken.

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  4. I'm so jealous! New Zealand is my dream country to travel to someday! It sounds like you had a great time!

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  5. Love this~ the family, the geography, all of it! I have a friend who lives in New Zealand...I really need to try to visit her before she moves back to the States!

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    1. Good idea Jess!! I always meant to visit my American friend while she was living in the middle of my own country, but she's gone now and I missed out. :P

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  6. Wow, wow, wow! New Zealand is on my bucket list foe sure. How amazing!

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  7. I'm insanely jealous. :) What a great trip! Australia and New Zealand is top on my wish list.

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  8. Wow, beautiful. I especially like the looks of those hot springs. I would love to visit NZ someday.

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  9. I like that photo with all the steam coming out of it :-) All these foreign name places that I can't pronounce... The only one I've heard before is Rotorua, and that's because my mother went there.
    And your father has excellent paparazzi-photo-taking skills!

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    1. The pronunciations change over time for the locals, too. "Paraparaumu" was referred to as just "Paraparam" back in the day (by my family at least), but I think that became a bit un-PC. I always used to think of it as "para-para-oo-moo" but it's actually more ilke "Para-par-OW-moo".

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  10. Wow, what fascinating places to visit! Someday . . .

    ~Debbie

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  11. I am oozing with jealousy! What a fabulous experience. I hope to do more traveling one day. I would love it. And fantastic pictures too. Beautiful!

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  12. Lucky. I so want to go there. Heck. I just want to leave the states and go anywhere. Or, just about anywhere. NZ at the top of the list, for sure! :)

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  13. Wow! I want to go to New Zealand. It's on my Bucket List. So is Australia. Thanks for sharing your pictures!

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  14. I love posts like this! Thanks for sharing.

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  15. I love hearing about your travel adventures! I've always wanted to visit that part of the world, but since it doesn't look likely right now, I'll read posts like this instead :P

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  16. I've never been there, but my hubby has. If I went I would totally visit Middle Earth :)

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    1. Yeah, I'd like to visit the South Island someday too, as I've never been. :)

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  17. Beautiful Pictures! I love your travel adventures. Maybe I'll have some of my own one day :)

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  18. So many people wanting to visit this region! I think you should all converge on Oceania at once and we can have a big party! hehe

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  19. Hey Trisha. Great post. Love NZ. Was just over there last year but only did the North Island that trip. Such a photo-worthy place that's for sure. Love the nippy cold too.

    Thanks for sharing. I like the idea of a travel post monthly. I have a travel site but don't have time to post ATM, busy, busy, busy...

    Denise

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  20. Always wanted to visit NZ. Someday when the kids are old enough, I'll get there. Can't wait. :)

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  21. I loved this post! The trip sounds like it was a lot of fun--dig the pictures too, especially the one of the mud pools. New Zealand is on the list for sure!

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  22. Wow! Love the pictures. I haven't had an opportunity to travel very far from the US, but Australia and New Zealand are on my bucket list.

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  23. Thanks for sharing that with us.I've only been to NZ once... To the south island... It's such lovely country.

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  24. It's a besides of a while since I published my last take a trip tale admittance. But this year I've promised to publish at least once per month.

    delivery

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  25. Hello, Trisha. Can you tell us how to pronounce Ngauruhoe? It was used as Mt. Doom in The Lord of the Rings movies (with a little special effects thrown in).

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    1. Mark - the way I know to pronounce it is "Nar-a-HOE-ee" :) I wasn't aware that it doubled as Mt. Doom, that's kind of cool!

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