Wow! What a couple (three) of busy days we had, and then the internet went belly up yesterday!
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
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.
Just one of the many vicious denizens in the fruit grove we narrowly escaped from.
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.
Kiwi on the Vine, Te Puke, NZ
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.
Golden beauties ripening for market, Te Puke, NZ
Our tour guide shows us the picking equipment. (That would work pretty good on cherries, don't you think?) Te Puke, NZ
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!
The whole Kiwi Process in Pictures, Te Puke, NZ
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 Gift Shop, Te Puke, NZ
Even the shopping baskets had a kiwi theme!
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!!
Afternoon Ice Cream in the garden Kiwi 360, Te Puke, NZ
Whilst in the garden, we encountered the world's smallest seagull...at least they acted that way!!
Cailin unwisely feeds the frenzied scavenger birds.
Kiwi 360, Te Puke, NZ
House-Sized Kiwi fruit with observation deck.
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.
A view of just one of the kiwi vineyards from the giant kiwi's observation deck.
Kiwi 360, Te Puke, NZ
Our time at the kiwi farm completed, we journeyed onward, and stumbled across these waterfalls.
Okere Falls, North of Lake Rotorua, NZ
On the way to the falls, a tired sojourner decides to stop and take a rest.
(Does he remind you of anyone, Sheila?)
The thinking man contemplates life and his future.
Okere Falls, NZ
The Path to Okere Falls
Okere Falls
One of the caves at the base of Okere Falls
This cave was pitch black without the flash. It ran horizontally well beyond the reach of the flash's light.
The big lateral cave at the base of Okere Falls
Our brief foray into spelunking at an end, we journeyed on to Lake Rotorua, itself.
A view from the North end of Lake Rotorua, with its' prominent central island.
Lake Rotorua, NZ
One of the odd road signs we encountered while here.
Lake Rotorua, NZ
Below you can see the view out the front door of our cabin in Ngongotaha, NZ
A rare look into the HQ of the nzjaunt blogspot juggernaut.
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.
Beggars out the window.
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.
Ducks @ Ngongotaha, Lk. Rotorua, NZ.
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!
A sign befitting the circumstances.
Rotorua, NZ
After lunch Colleen and Cal survey the damage caused...
Thermal mud pools, Downtown Rotorua, NZ
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.
The Gondola, Rotorua, NZ
The staging area at the beginning of the gnarly luge run!
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!
Cailin's newfound friend.
Top of the Gondola, Rotorua, NZ
Cal employs a slight variation on her technique to good effect. (Notice the half-closed eyes?)
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.
Voyager II, 4D theatre, Top of the Gondola, Rotorua, NZ
The view from inside the Voyager II
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.
The View of Rotorua from the Gondola
Rotorua, NZ
They were having a big, vintage car rally in the area, but we weren't expecting two vintage Morgans side-by-side!
Morgans at the base of the Gondola
Rotorua, NZ
Some of the handcrafted artwork in the gift shop @ Kiwi Adventures, 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.
Walking Stick, Rotorua, NZ
Below, Cal shows a little but more of the detail on the work
.
Rotorua, NZ
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!
Switches that turn on and off the various circuits around the cabin.
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.
Rototua Holiday Park, Ngongotaha, Lk. Rotorua, NZ
Black swans foraging at dusk.
Good night from Lk. Rotorua, NZ
