Planes, trains and automobiles (and bicycles, kayaks...)

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'Reading departure signs, at some big airport . . .' Sydney International qualifies. Just killing some time here, in-transit to Bangkok, via Taipei. New Zealand was great. I could go on forever, but it really was. People were friendly, place is beautiful, very easy to travel through and the exchange is very favorable (lot of value trading U.S. dollars for the New Zealand Dollar {Rupee?}). For a small country, too many things to do. Travelling becomes a series of hard choices: Where to go? What to do? More importantly, what to leave out? After finishing the Mil-Burn Track we set an ambitious pace to see and do as much as possible, using all means of conveyance possible to maximize our remaining time. Flew from Queenstown to Nelson: sea kayaked the Abel Tasman coast, hiked in the park for a couple of days, only got thoroughly drenched on one of those days, rode bicycles from Motueka to Richmond. Next we caught a ferry to Wellington, then continued on by train to Tongariro National Park, where we trekked the Tongariro Crossing. Amazing scenery, complete with a perfect volcano cone (Mt. Doom from Lord of the Rings). A bus carried us to Rotorua, where we took in some of the geothermal sights (New Zealand's Yellowstone) and Maori culture. Finally, to squeeze in as much as we could into our last week, we rented a car. This allowed us to travel from Rotorua to Waitomo, enjoy an afternoon of spelunking (see previous entry), and continue on to Auckland all in one day. From Auckland we made a circuit of Northland, through the Kauri Forest (which, incidentally, has a fascinating museum in Matakohe, the perfect place to spend a very long afternoon if you just happen to lock your keys in the car). After driving north along the west coast, we returned down the east coast, with a stop in the Bay of Islands, finally returning to Auckland for a few days. Not much time left at this point, a ferry to Waiheke, dinner at the Sky Tower, and our time was done. Can't believe how fast time is slipping away, already one month behind us.

Still, we had a wonderful time, and learned a lot in the process. Some of the most meaningful lessons:

1. No matter how much you leave behind, you still bring too much

2. Flight times (or most other reservations, for that matter) are mearly suggestions

3. When driving in New Zealand (and, I suspect, all former British colonies excepting the U.S., where we drive on the RIGHT side of the road), when windshield wipers begin to flail maddly on a perfectly clear day, it: (1) identified the driver as a tourist, and (2), clearly indicates an intended left turn

4. Despite what THEY want you to believe, there are no hobbits in New Zealand

Hopefully this hard-earned wisdom will be helpful in Thailand and points beyond.

JB