~ ohwow

(Authored by Tom) Yikes. Today, New Zealand ratcheted it up several notches. It cranked it to 11. It started out pretty mild; we decided to do a little shopping and then make our way down to Dunedin, in preperation for making it to Te Anua tomorrow. We had heard that it would take about 5.5 hours to reach Dunedin, depending on how many stops we made. The drive to Te Anua should take 3.5 from there.

So, after breakfast at a delightful little bakery, we initiated the process of parting with hard-earned NZ dollars. The store recommendation we had received proved to be a good one; the service was friendly and the prices weren't insanely unreasonable. We met an ex-Wisconsite working at the store; a gal who had moved to NZ three years ago and who had managed to nail the accent. The other clerk had a pretty good sense of humor; I would say a biting sarcasm that gets right to the point. I've noticed that in a few Kiwis, and I find it very refreshing. Overall, everyone seems very laid-back and kind; the humor makes it interesting. Anyway, Angela purchased a ridiculous-looking brown Merino Wool sweater (when everyone else told her she looked much better in the blue one); at least it's supposed to be pretty warm. Form will definitely follow function.

Further stops included the grocery store for backpacking and snack food (only 200 NZ dollars, about 140 US, for a whole lot of food), and a hardware store, so Patrick and Ben could feed their obsessions for NZ window and door latches.

Finally, at about 12:30, it was time to enter the NZ countryside. First; there are sheeps. Many, many sheeps. It is very difficult to restrain yourself from jumping the fence and burying your face in their thick, woolly wool. The country is very pretty, gently rolling pasture with tall evergreen hedges neatly trimmed in rectangles (often 20 ft. high). We drove for a few hours and stopped for lunch at Timaru, a pretty town where the road meets the Pacific ocean. Ben wanted to go look at the cliffs on the Pacific, and so we decided to stop for a little while.

So this is really where it began. The view we had was just wonderful. The Pacific was doing an azure-blue thing, with nice waves rolling in. On the left was a small peninsula with some picturesque NZ houses; on the right was a large tidal beach and a clean, colorful dock. Combined with the soft greens and yellows of the flora/fauna and the deep clouds, it made a breathtaking scene. I can't imagine living in a town with access to something like this. Plus, most of the buildings are so pleasant; "quaint" is really the word, with very pretty architecture and neatly manicured, colorful gardens.

After a great hike, and a good 10 minutes playing with a curved stick (ah, the simple pleasures of being on vacation), we took off for Dunedin. But now, more and more, the views out the car window included large green hills in the foreground and brilliant white peaks in the background. And then the road would turn a bit and we would see the shining blue Pacific. Back, and forth; back and forth. We stopped next at a place (I don't remeber the name) that we read had funny boulders.

This is definitely where it went to 11. Imagine the a wide beach to the left and right; muted tan sand and cool azure waves lapping on shore. At the edges of your vision are soft green, hilly peninsulas, jutting out into the sea. At your feet are iridescent snails and crisp white seashells. And, at one small place on the beach , there are wonderful spherical stones scattered about as if a giant moa laid her eggs. Words really aren't going to describe this place (or likely, the rest of the trip), but I thought I'd give it a try.

Ben began dreaming up a whole series of pictures with people balancing on the "eggs", doing cartwheels off the eggs, handstands on the eggs, shots making it appear that people were hatching from the eggs...After an hour of this and just walking along the most beautiful place that any of us had ever seen, we aimed to finish the drive to Dunedin.

The last hour was the best for car scenery. Again, high green rolling hills, this time with an incredible sunset. I love this place; it has the charm of England combined with beautiful mountains, rolling hills, and the Pacific.

We picked a hotel; hotels are always interesting here. WE found one that was "a three bedroom apartment" for $160 NZ (~120 American); it turned out to be huge, with a large great room with skylight and kitchen. No standard hotel form, really. Just crazy.

Pictures to be pposted later. Overall, I'm struck with a feeling that life is pleasant. On that note, I bid you good night,

Tom, Angela, Ben, Patrick