So here's what was missed;
The day started off pretty yucky, as I slept in, and missed my chance to retrieve my CUC T-shirt. Oh well, "Bon Voyage, T-shirt!"
The Dolphin Safari smuggling my shirt out of the country, Mt. Maunganui, NZ
Just outside of a small town named Te Puke, we came across this place called "Kiwi 360", so we pulled over and took the tour.
The Kiwi beckons us in with the promise of cheap lodging. Alas, we were already booked for the night!
South of Te Puke, NZ
South of Te Puke, NZ
We decided to take the tour of the farm while there, which was very informative but for the money we paid, it was kind of short. What was kind of funny, was that part way through the tour we realized that the audio of the recorded tour, was our driver himself! (pictured below) I guess he must suffer from laryngitis occasionally.
Cailin drinking some "Nekta", kiwi juice, before we begin the tour, Te Puke, NZ
During the tour, we saw some pretty interesting sights among the various fruit trees.
Te Puke, NZ
Below you can see that the kiwi does not grow on trees, but on vines. There are lines stretched over the entire grove at exactly shoulder height, upon which the vines naturally affix themselves. At this height, they are easiest to harvest, but unfortunately, this crop would not be ready until June, so we were unable to sample them right of the vine. Regardless, however, the shame is that no kiwi ever gets to fully ripen here, because they are picked two weeks prior to ripening so that they can be stored and shipped by the international grocery conglomerates. Like many things in NZ, this fruit was also an import--this time from China. The original name for the kiwi fruit, in fact, was the "Chinese Gooseberry", but I guess that wasn't a marketable name.
More Kiwi, this time of the Gold variety. Both varieties grow side-by-side in the same vineyard, ripening twenty days apart, the green variety being the earlier.
Below, the storyboard tells the tale. The first frame shows the vineyards, the second the budding, the third shows the fans used to drive any frosts away, the fourth, fifth and sixth shows the bees used to pollinate each crop,the seventh and eighth shows the order of pollination, the ninth and tenth show the picking process (If you're below the age of thirty, and want to travel to NZ for a vacation but don't know how you can afford it, you can apply for an itinerant work visa to pick kiwis in June and July) The eleventh, and twelfth show the sorting and grading process, while the thirteenth shows the fruit being loaded onto ships in Tauranga Harbour, and if you look closely at the fourteenth frame, you might see a picture of yourself in the grocery store buying the fruit!
Some clever architect designed this kiwi-shaped gift shop, in which we bought many souvenirs. (We found that from north to south, the prices of identical tourist items only fluctuated in price by about 3-4%.) I'm sure that if we'd looked a little off the beaten path, we could've found some better bargains, but that's not the point now, is it?
Kiwi 360, Te Puke, NZ
Our shopping completed, we scooted out to the garden to partake in some mid-afternoon ice cream. What flavour, you ask? Why, Kiwi of course!!
Kiwi 360, Te Puke, NZ
Whilst in the garden, we encountered the world's smallest seagull...at least they acted that way!!
Kiwi 360, Te Puke, NZ
Kiwi 360, Te Puke, NZ
The tall hedges in the picture below must act as a wind break for the various vineyards, because we saw them throughout the farm.
Kiwi 360, Te Puke, NZ
Our time at the kiwi farm completed, we journeyed onward, and stumbled across these waterfalls.
On the way to the falls, a tired sojourner decides to stop and take a rest.
(Does he remind you of anyone, Sheila?)
Okere Falls, NZ
This cave was pitch black without the flash. It ran horizontally well beyond the reach of the flash's light.
Our brief foray into spelunking at an end, we journeyed on to Lake Rotorua, itself.
Lake Rotorua, NZ
Lake Rotorua, NZ
Below you can see the view out the front door of our cabin in Ngongotaha, NZ
Lake Rotorua, NZ
Having fed the ducks the night before (C-A-L!) They showed up prompt and early for breakfast the very next day.
Ngongotaha, Lk. Rotorua, NZ
When they realized there was no free lunch to be had, they left their messy deposits, and journeyed on to their next destination en masse.
Here's your sign! Cal was trying to keep from laughing, as he clowned around near the mud pools! I don't know whether this was a protest over the egg salad sandwich lunch, or what, but he seemed to think he was funny! Some people's kids!
Rotorua, NZ
After lunch Colleen and Cal survey the damage caused...
Our lunch completed, we travelled on to the gondola that takes you up to the luge carts, where we split our sides laughing as we raced down the hill.
We asked about this little guy below, and all they could tell us was that he showed up every day from somewhere down below (Quite a Hike for one so small!) He was just an attention hound, for sure!
Top of the Gondola, Rotorua, NZ
Rotorua, NZ
While taking this photo, a fellow named Earl approached me, and asked if I'd like to see the inside of the machine. He explained that he was the designer, owner and builder of the unique saucer shaped 4-D theatre, a 3-D theatre suspended on hydraulic arms. Having been a building contractor for years, he parlayed his talents and contacts into the contraption you see below. He told me about the exec's from Hollywood, who came and sampled another one of his prototypes that's half the size, but suspended on airbags instead of hydraulics. Earl expressed dismay that this larger model, while able to hold more people, was not satisfactory, due to the jerky movements inherent to the hydraulic actuators. At present, he is trying to design a larger craft that can ride safely on airbags, so that it will become commercially viable worldwide.
Top of the Gondola, Rotorua, NZ
You can see the view of Rotorua off to the right, as well as Lk. Rotorua, from the Gondola on the way down. The far shore on the right of the picture is where downtown and main part of Rotorua is situated.
Rotorua, NZ
They were having a big, vintage car rally in the area, but we weren't expecting two vintage Morgans side-by-side!
Rotorua, NZ
Cal showing off this walking stick valued at a dear $560.00. Obviously, not a casual tool to be used on the trail.
Below, Cal shows a little but more of the detail on the work.
Another one of the odd sights here. I don't know what "HOB" stands for, but notice the 35Amp designation--and that's on 240V!
Ngongotaha, Lk. Rotorua, NZ
The view out the back window of our Cabin. Notice the window locks? Their indescribable, so we made a video to show how they work. They're quite neat.
Black swans foraging at dusk.
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