We're Back in the Country of Our Heart: New Zealand

For those who remember, it was 4 years ago when Patsy was invited to be the international spinning teacher here in New Zealand for 2 1/2 months.  If you want to look back at those musings and photos, here is the link: richandpatsyz.blogspot.com .

However, one trip is never like the other, and this one started very differently:

The Next Great Adventure Begins: back to the land of our heart, NZ

Day One Begins

                And wow did it begin with a series of events.  Felt like we were on The Amazing Race.  Patsy keeps saying give it up or embrace it.

                Thanks to the kindness of our daughter in law’s father, he drove us from Silver Spring, MD up to BWI to catch our 4 pm flight to Newark, then to San Francisco, then to Auckland.  We arrived BWI in plenty of time to say goodbye and thanks to Mel, Roopa’s dad for driving, walk spritely to the desk and check in.  Greeting the agent with smiles and pleasantries, she remarks that things aren’t going smoothly at the airport.  She looks at our tickets, and announces that the Newark flight is so delayed that we will not make it to our flight to SFO.  We could wait for the last flight out from BWI getting us to SFO with only an hour to spare to catch our AUK flight.  That seemed tight, she highly suggested that we go to Dulles and catch their 4:20 or 5:30 flight non-stop to SFO where we would arrive in plenty of time.  One hitch, Mel had driven off with the car, could we catch him.  So, we called Sri, his wife to call him (he got a new phone and was for emergencies only, that he was carrying, we did not have that number.)  She got a hold of him, and got him to turn around.  The agent re-processed our tickets, but was having trouble with my passport, it would not scan, and kept saying we needed a Visa for entry.  Which both us and the agent knew was not true for our limited stay. Finally, everything went through, so she put us on the 5:30 flight, giving us ample time to make it to Dulles It was now 1:20 pm.  GPS said we would be at Dulles in one hour.  So, bags back in car, we headed back down I-95 toward Dulles.  Half way there the GPS still said 50 minutes to Dulles due to traffic.  Meanwhile Mel needed to call back to Sri to tell her to cancel a real estate agent appointment, so he could continue to get us to the airport.  His phone, being a limited phone to 10 calls per month had reached its limit with these back and forth calls.  So, I handed him my phone, so he could call Sri.  Traffic eased up, we made it to Dulles in driving rain by 2:45.  We asked at the desk that since we were early, could we be on the 4:20 flight, she looked, and great…we could get on easily, bags checked to AUK, we went to leave the desk, and checked that we had everything.  Two carry-ons, check; my computer bag, check; Patsy’s large purse, check, passports, check, phones…uh…uh…Patsy has hers…oh no, I didn’t get it back from Mel who by this time is miles away.  So, we call him on my phone by using Patsy’s phone.  He answers via the hands free in our car…I say Mel,… yes…you have my phone, …I do?... yes, that’s why you can talk to me hands free, …oh, I guess I do.  If anyone has ever driven to Dulles you know there is a toll-free road that connects Dulles and I-495, which he was on.  There is no getting off…so I say goodbye to my phone for the trip.  On which I had gotten a deal for $15 for unlimited talk international for the month.  But not on Patsy’s line.    Okay, we’ll deal with that.  Patsy gets Pre-check TSA, I do not.  But I can go through a parallel short line with her a few yards down the way.  I take out my computer, kindle, jacket, shoes, empty pockets, and sent it and my carry on through.  On the other side, they ask if that is my carry on…uh…yes…we will have to open and inspect it all.  When they did I noticed I had forgotten that Patsy had put her computer in that carry on, and since I didn’t take it out they had to check the whole bag, and then re scan the computer and the bag.  Okay, so I go to pick up the computer and bag, at the end of the scan.  I open the bag, grab the computer from the bin on my right, with a fancy belt and a bag of perfumes and stash it in the bag…then it hits me…Patsy doesn’t have a belt like that, nor have perfumes, I re open the bag and see that the computer is an Apple, my computer is sitting in the bin to my left…uh oh, I keep saying I’m sorry, as I am putting things back into the bin on my right.  But luckily, I don’t think the person who owned them realized what had happened since she was trying to gather stuff as well.  Okay, that’s enough, right…everything is seemingly going well, we get to a United Club thanks to Patsy’s travels, grab a bite to eat, stash some to take on the plane, and onward we go, boarding, taking our seats, which are aisle and window and no one in between.  Yippee.  We eat our snacks.  About an hour later I still have some of my pop leftover; half glassful.  That’s when I decide to go to the rest room.  After all Patsy just got up so it’s an appropriate time to go as well.  I carefully put the filled drink cup on my tray, slide to the empty seat, and off I go. Ne’er a drop to be spilled.  Returning from the “little room” I slide carefully back into my seat.  The glass didn’t even wiggle.  Perfectly done.  I’m so proud.  Settling in, I go to reach for the drink…and the back of my hand knocks it over onto myself.  Now I’m sitting in spilled soda, (fortunately diet, so no sticky stuff)… and there are four hours left on this flight.  Patsy keeps saying either let it go, or embrace it.  Wow, have I embraced it.  Three hours left in the flight.  Let’s see what happens next, if anything.  Hopefully it’s smooth sailing from here on out.

Well, we arrived safely, the flight, customs and renting the car went smoothly and quickly.  Off we were to the Coromandel Peninsula.  We took our time, and the drive was simply magnificent.  Here are a few photos 

 Typical views from the drive from Thames to Coromandel.

 Our cottage for the
night.  Wonderful
hosts, beautiful
spot in Coromandel.

This shrub/tree blooms around Christmas: it's called Pohutakawa

 Driving Creek train.  This train climbs some 560 feet high over acres of forest.  The land was owned by private citizen who was a popular potter, artist.  He became a noted conservationist as he built this entire railway BY HAND, surveyed and laid all the track BY HAND over three km long. tunnels dug by hand, trestles laid by hand.  He also planted thousands of kauri trees in an effort to bring this area back to what it once was. Views unmatched. Photos look was over the Firth of Thames.

On the road down the East coast of Coromandel Peninsula, Patsy takes a break on a swing.

 Arriving in Tauranga at the home o the Poads, owner of Majacraft spinning Wheels.  Wonderful hosts, as Patsy teaches a class of 22 students today.