January 28,2017

We are home it is now Sunday morning  January 29, 2017 and we have had a long rest. Arrived home by lafayette van around 8 pm after leaving our Auckland New Zealand hotel at 4:30 a.m.  (32 hours in travel time).  It was the longest day of our lives, in fact we will never ever live two days in one day again.  We left Auckland on January 28 and arrived home January 28.

I will take a minute to reflect on our travel modes and here they are:

2 lafayette van lemo rides ( to and from Indy airport)

2 car rides (thanks to Rusty and Ryan )

11 plane rides 

6 different motor coaches ( 3 in Australia 3 in New Zealand 

Boat ride two hours to get to and back from the Great Barrier Reef

1 historic train ride ( Alice springs to Kuranda)

Gondola ride (Kuranda back to Alice springs Australla)

Camel ride ( some of the group did this we passed on this experience)

4 boat ferries in Auckland New Zealand 

Catamaran lunch cruise in Sydney 

Fast boat ferry in Sydney 

Mini train botanical gardens of Sydney 

Taxie in Sydney 

10,000 average walking steps each day

4 wheel van on skippers canyon excursion ride in Queenstown New Zealand 

30 minute jet boat ride in Queenstown (Chris and Bob do this one)

Boat cruise Milford Sound, New Zealand 

Some very positive feelings:

Hayley, our tour guide,  was excellent, hard working, professional, and patient with all of us. I observed her numerous times trying to make sure we were all included in the group activities.  

The group itself was very congenial and during the time together Alan I were able to eat together with each couple on the tour.  I never experience a feeling of a click group forming. Cool. Alan and I don't drink and I felt comfortable and included with a soft drinks provided at pre cocktail dinner hours.  

Alan was able to keep current with is bible reading and bible study fellowship. I myself fell very short with my work on daily blogging and photo uploading of daily photos. 

Did enjoy my better camera ( 32 ml canon with built in telephoto lens) and what was really cool was my twenty dollar Best Buy purchase of an attachment that took my memory card from my camera and I could down load my good camera photos onto my smart phone and then use them in my daily blog.

January 29,2017 final post

Home
10:15 am
27 degrees
It is cold and winter

January 27, 2017 Friday

Our second sunny day here in Auckland.  All of New Zealand has had a rainy cooler summer.

Today we went up the sky tower observation deck.  Great sunny day and enjoyed taking great photos of the city and harbor.  Even saw several people jumping off the tower and groups walking around the outside on the edge of the top of the tower ( all these things are planned activities they seem to enjoy)

In the afternoon we took a 15 minute ferry ride to the near by city, Devonport.  While there we had a tour telling about the city and how it was formed on 3 volcanos.  This town is a very expensive place to live ( small 1 bedroom homes easily sell for a million dolllars)

Loved this lovely village.

We had wonderful views from Mount Victoria.

This evening we meet part of our group for a last evening dinner.  Char, Gary, Al. Lynn and Alan and myself.

January 26,2017 Wednesday

Today almost everyone headed home but 8 of us and we all came down for one last breakfast together.

Then Alan and I went to the Auckland ferry where we met our next door neighbors from West Lafayette Indiana.  They come to New Zealand on business and planned to go to Waiheka Island

with us today.  So we took the 45 minute boat ride to the island.

On the island we had lunch and went on a tour of the island along with visiting three wineries.

In the evening we ate together at a restaurant called Gostos.(Italian)

Frank and Patty stayed all night at our same hotel then left early in the morning to drive 8 hours to the South Island.

January 25, 2017

This is our last day with our entire group.  Six of us are staying two extra days here.

Today we toured by bus the city of  Auckland.  It is a city atop 48 volcanic hills.  Auckland is mainly a commercial port and known for its receiving goods and tourism.

We spent 3 hours at the war and city museum and then took a down hill walk back to the hotel.  On our way back we saw a beautiful bontanic garden.
Tonight we have our farewell dinner at our hotel.

Tomorrow we will meet our neighbors from west lafayette

d Frank Mason and tour a near by Island.

January 24,2017 Tuesday

We left our hotel in Rotorua and headed by motor coach to Auckland.  

(There were people in wet suits tubing through the cave.)

We stopped at ruakuri caves on our way.   These are elaborate limestone caves with hidden waterfalls, underground rivers, Maori sacred sites, and the highlight of the cave experience was seeing glow worms. Only found in caves in New Zealand.

We arrived in Auckland at our hotel and walked to the wharf and ate at a restaurant called Shakespeare's pub.

January 23, 2017

Today we went to the Kewi Reserve where we observed the care and preservation of the Kewi bird.  A bird that all of New Zealand is afraid will become extinct in a few years.

In the afternoon we went zip lining in the rain forest.

Later we went to thermal pools and had a lovely massage. What a day we have had.

We ate lunch at big dog restaurant and evening dinner at the pig and whistle.