People and wildlife in New Zealand

Val here -

I could not write about New Zealand without talking about the wonderful people we have met - and oh, yes, - other wildlife we've seen on this small but vast and slow - travelling North Island.

Yes, it can be slow and quiet in the small towns. You have to realize that there are only 4,000,000 people living in New Zealand - so it is amazing that they have a national acquarium, museum, and untold numbers of nature reserves. Yes, sometimes you can wait hours (to forever) to get coffee after a meal (perhaps there's a reason that tipping is part of the culture in other parts of the world) - but the fact that the person next to you starts chatting and invites you to their house for coffee makes up for it many times over. New Zealanders are wonderfully friendly and accepting people - and we've enjoyed every hour here.

People:

We started with a great visit with Maureen and Terry Lister. They were the couple who, on the basis of an hour's conversation over dinner and drinks (at the Beachside Hotel in Fiji - excellent cuisine!) - decided that Arieh and I should have the best holiday possible in New Zealand. Maureen and Terry met us at the airport with hugs and borrowed car (their car holds only 2 people) - and took us home to feed and pamper us. We spent the night at their home, moving out only to accomodate their son and family who were visiting from Melbourne, Australia. so that we would not feel abandoned at all - they gave us the key to their "bach" or holiday house - (as well as the key to their house) and sent us on our way with advice to enjoy their wonderful country. (Which we are!) we discovered Waihi (pronounce wha hee) and Waihi Beach. Not only that, we had a wonderful dinner at the RSA which serves beautiful roasts at low prices - but only the locals know about them.

Then to Whagamata...

Then we went to the wonderfully welcoming Sue and Tom Rawson. I worked with Sue at Oak Park Junior High School from 1974 to 1976 (we think) and we had great fun together then. We acted in staff plays together, went to Quebec together for Carnaval, and picketed together during the 1975 OSSTF teachers' strike. It was as if we'd never been apart. I had met Tom on several occasions - and visited Tom and Sue in 1978 - so I felt so very comfortable in their home with them. Both Sue and Tom are retired - but Sue works afternoons with a real estate company, and Tom drives cab two evenings a week and drives the school/transit bus every morning and afternoon. They live in Whangamata (pronounced Fang - a - maw- taw) on the west coast near a gorgeous beach in their newly built house. We had a fabulous walk along the beach with Sue, Tom, and Bella, the Jack Russell. Tom was unable to come with us - but Sue, Arieh and I spent a wonderful day exploring the Corumundel peninsula - the highlight being our stop in Hot Water Beach to dig holes in the thermal sand to make warm pools to bathe in. The cold water came in from the sea - but we were warm (sort of) as we sat in our pools, the wind howling and the rain dripping around us! What fun it was! Sue and Tom are two friends who have found the place they love and enjoy both work and play!

The hospitality we've experienced did not end in Auckland and Whangamata! We were warmly welcomed by Ron and Sue Janes of Wairoa - (pronounced wie- ro- a), transplanted Canadians. We went to their bach with them and enjoyed the lovely view of the beach below and the great harvest (peas and strawberries) of the garden above. We had a delicious lunch - then off to visit their friends Roz and Michael. This couple had just won 1,000,000 sky miles (like air miles) and were delighted with the prospect of travel despite three young children and a large cattle farm to run. Roz was excited beyond belief. We then went to dinner at Liz and Bob's - met the teacher contingent of Wairoa - and enjoyed a delicious meal and lovely company with their son Greg, Judy - the home economics teacher, and Ron and Sue. We played crokinole (yes!- in New Zealand), a lot of laughts, a variety of wines, then went home to the Janes house. Ron and Sue's warmth and hospitality, and their knowledge of the medical system and the area made it a wonderful visit. and best of all - they shared their friends.

We also had dinner with a wonderful young couple we found in the National Aquarium in Napier. Cameron and Sarah are from Kamloops and had bought a camper to explore New Zealand for a month. They had already spent time in Australia. They made us understand why meeting Canadians is a homey experience - they knew Vancouver and Toronto and we could discuss the lack of attributes of Fort McMurray where Cameron worked for a while. I hope that Cam soon pursues his interest in studying dentistry and that Sarah becomes a fire fighter.

Well, we were sitting in the only cafe open in Masterton (southern North Island) and drinking coffee when a woman sitting next to us tentatively asked "where are you from?". We started a conversation and could not believe that these Kiwis (historically Scots/English) could have so much in common with us. They had recently returned from a holiday in Samoa (we'd been in Fiji) and have two grown sons. Moreover, Ian Gunn had been studying at the Hebrew University at the same time as Arieh was there. Both have an interest in Geography. Jean is in education and develops curriculum. They are inverterate travellers in that Ian worked (Jean usually accompanying him) in Ethiiopia, Iran, Borneo, Saudi Arabia. Ian is a Hydraulic Geologist. What a wonderful discussion we had when we were invited to their home to drink coffee! They had just come back from Samoa and also have two grown sons. What a surprise when we met them the next day after our walk through Bruce Mountain wildlife sanctuary. They decided to check if we were there!. What great conversations we had with the Gunns who've enjoyed wonderful adventures at home and around the world.