Farther then North

Yes, there is such a place and we went to visit it over the long Easter weekend. Staying at the small town of Opononi, composed of one small grocery store, one hotel/restaurant, one takeaway fish stand, and a few motels, it’s most memorable attribute is a stone memorial to Opo, the friendly dolphin that took up residence in the wharf in the 1950s. Only an hour south from the takeoff point for the Northlands of New Zealand, we thought it would be a great central place to stay and play. However, we spent little time in this sleepy town as we underestimated traffic and driving times to get to our desired destinations. Seven hours in the car (we estimated four and a half) did not put us in a jovial mood to start the adventure, but we still managed to break towards the end of the initial journey to visit Tane Mahuta, the largest kauri tree in New Zealand standing at 51 meters tall. By Saturday morning we were feeling a little more rested and ventured for a short bush walk through the giant Kauri forests, ending with a visit to the local wooden puzzle maker. We took the afternoon to drive 90 minutes across the peninsula to Kerikeri, one of the oldest townships in the Northlands where some of the original structures, the Stone Store and Heritage House (visited on a prior trip), still stand. Meaning “to dig”, Kerikeri was home to Maori kumara fields long before the Europeans arrived. With its futile soil, the area remains home to many orchards and now wineries. We perused the various craft stores and provided great monetary assistance to the local economy, finishing with a meal at the local winery. Sunday, we took the big plunge and drove up to the “Far North” of New Zealand to visit Cape Reinga, the drop off point for the top of the country. Beautifully sunny, we shared the experience of looking over the edge of the cliff with about two hundred other tourists. Despite its frequent visitation, they still haven’t managed to pave the last 20 kilometers of road, leaving our car coated in a fine layer of lime dust. With a side trip out to Ninety Mile Beach on the way back down to play in the surf and watch the cars travelling at incredible speeds up and down the hard-packed sand, we ended our day eating the last of the fish and chips from the takeaway stand on the porch of our little motel unit. With plenty of car time behind us, we rested up and refreshed with a morning run, just in time to hop in the car for the six hour drive home.

Goodbye to Summer

It’s true. As the mist begins to great us in the morning, the rain begins to fall, and the hot weather heads to the Northern Hemisphere, I realize that fall is finally coming. The days are getting shorter, the weather is turning cooler, and the last summer vacation has been taken. Yes, the yearly Kloss Family Vacation has come to a close. As two have passed since the family boarded the plane to travel back across the Pacific Ocean, with my attempts at reliving the vacation ever dwindling, I realize the best way to memorialize it is via a blog of the events.

Arriving in Napier as the first stop, we managed to hit beautiful weather to tour the Art Deco capital of New Zealand, enjoy some fine winery dining and even finer wine tasting, while avoiding the two thousand cruise ship passengers who arrived the following day for Art Deco Weekend. Then we were off to Turangi, south of Lake Taupo, to trek across the “best one day hike in New Zealand”, the Tongariro Crossing. Ascending to amazing views of geothermal-color induced red craters and emerald pools, then down through the native palm forests, after 17 kilometers the beauty waned just a bit, as did our energy levels. Thankfully the following day brought low exertion fly fishing for the father and son of the family and lounging for the others. Then it was off to Hamilton where we caught a few semi-final heats of the New Zealand Rowing Championships (a must for the many rowing aficionados of the family), and a meeting of the in-laws over a picnic in the park. Enough said about that. Then we traveled north to Pahia, in the heart of the Bay of Islands, just in time to catch one of the two major storms to hit the area each year. It brought out a heated game of Monopoly and some interesting carnage (aside from those defeated in Monopoly), including a huge catamaran that was swept up on the rocks requiring a crane to hoist it to safety, and a sunken wooden boat. Something felt vaguely familiar watching them save that wooden boat from the ocean floor. Perhaps my father could elucidate… Failed engagement opportunities come to mind. Fortunately, the weather cleared for the last two days so we could cruise out amongst the islands with the dolphins swimming at our bow. Unfortunately, the churning swells left over from the storm did not sit well with some on the cruise. Oh well, at least we got lots of pictures. Then it was back down the coast to Auckland with a quick stop to view a local glow worm cave, leaving us just in time to get caught in the 5 o’clock traffic through Auckland. Luckily, the plane was delayed.

And so Jason and I said goodbye to the Kloss Family once again, in what may be the last time we vacation together in New Zealand, making this farewell to summer just a bit more bittersweet.