Tauranga, NZ - So Glad We Came Here

Firstly, before I talk about Tauranga, I need to give you all a weather update. If you're following the international news, you may know that a tropical cyclone named Gabriella is headed straight for NZ. So we've just been told that the ship will change course out of harm's way to Australia early. That means we will not be going to Picton, Wellington, and New Plymouth. But they added a port to Australia, Melbourne, which is wonderful but isn't exactly an even swap. However, this is not unusual on a long cruise. As I mentioned in a previous blog, "Timing is everything" and so far, all the timing gods have been kind, so we're taking it all in stride. We're safe and living in a luxurious floating city while we outrun the cyclone. Our prayers go out to the wonderful people of NZ for their safety. We loved every single one of you, especially Carrie, Richard and Lisa who made that part of our trip so amazing.

Tauranga was such a wonderful surprise for us. I did a lot of research prior to our visit and decided to make Tauranga an "on our own" day as there was so much to do right off the ship like hiking trails, shopping, beach and swimming. There were even some mineral-rich springs locally that were an option. Generally, the tours offered by the cruise line range from expensive to very expensive. As an accountant, I'm always comparing marginal cost to marginal benefit.....and there weren't any excursions that justified the marginal cost vs an "on our own" day. But after being on board and listening to other travelers' experiences, we decided to do an off-ship excursion to Rotorua Whakarewarewa - a 6 hr excursion in a private van (just 2 couples in total + the guide) that included:

- Visit to the living Maori Village, nestled amongst active geothermal mud pools and hot water pools.

- See the famous Pohuto Geyser, the largest one in the southern hemisphere

- Experience a cultural performance including a traditional welcome, cultural songs and the world-famous haka.

We are so so glad we did it, especially since we would later find out that our remaining ports in NZ were cancelled. It was an amazing day, full of learning about a culture that I didn't even know existed and a culture that is currently at odds with the non-indigenous people over land rights. Sound familiar? As we travel the world, I'm amazed at the similarity and repetition of issues, concerns, aggressions and discord. I find myself praying for the whole world more than ever.

But I digress, Tauranga and Rotorua were a travelers delight. We started with an hour long drive into the interior of this region. We passed hundreds of Kiwi farms, which the tour guide talked about in glorious detail. The kiwi fruit was more or less discarded by the Chinese as a nuisance due to the rapid vine growth and the tasteless fruit it produced. I likened it to kudzu but without the fruit. But when planted in the rich, volcanic soil of NZ, it blossomed and produced a more tasty version of kiwi, which NZ now sells back to China in the millions and for millions of $$. Kiwi fruit is NZ's most significant export. There are many varieties and a few years back, a disease wiped out about 75% of their crop, which caused a shift to a more resilient variety referred to as Gold. So now that's the variety most common here. Another interesting topographical fact, they don't use traditional fencing to enclose their crops, they use tall fir-like trees that are trimmed to about 2 feet wide and 50ft tall to function as wind breakers. The hedges are incredibly dense and we only caught glimpses of the kiwi fruit as we drove along the highway. They grow as vines in almost teepee like configurations across connecting trellises. But it is a beautiful example of nature-assisted majesty. You be the judge.

We continued on to NZ's version of the redwood forest. Here are 3 pics that will give you a sense of just how big and beautiful this park is. Plus I got my first geocache for the day here. A win/win. The middle pic is one of my absolute favorites of the trip so far. Our guide taught us how to use panorama feature on our phones and the result is extraordinary.....in my humble opinion.

We then continued on to the Maori Village, an authentic example of indigious life, lifesyle and culture. We joined about 60 other visitors for the next performance. A representative of the Maori village joined us and explained that we would be part of an authentic ceremony when 2 villages come together for the first time and they don't know if they will be friend or foe. The representative asked for a volunteer to be the chief of the 60 visitors. Our tour guide didn't give much warning when she pushed me forward into the center of the arena, I was accepted as the leader of our clan and for the remainder of the day, I was "Chief Andy". It was a bit like being royalty. At this point, I'm about 20 ft in front of the other 59 spectators, by myself. I was told to maintain eye contact and not to smile in reverence and respect for the Maori customs. As the Maori Chief and 5 of his warriors approached us/me, they were VERY aggressive. They were intentionally frightening to put the visiting village on high alert, to demonstrate their prowess with large wooden batons and quick reflexes. They made gutteral noises, enlarged their eyes incredibly wide and stuck out their tongues in an almost cannibalistic manner. They swung their swords so close that I could hear the "wssssp" of the baton breaking through the air. Not smiling was easy because to be candid, my "fight or flight" instinct started to kick in and I had to mentally control it. I kid you not. I accepted their peace offering, a fern-like leaf that's actually the NZ symbol. We were accepted as friendly visitors and were invited into the meeting house for a fabulous show of their native dances and customs. As the "chief", me, my wife and the other couple were seated in the front row.

I was then invited on to the stage to learn one of their dances. Being "Chief" was definitely a highlight of the day. We then went to visit the boiling mud pits and geysers. The entire region is covered with these burning hot expulsions from the center of the earth. Among other things, they were used to put people to death back in ancient times and even today, people occasionally die getting too close to an uncontrolled one. Most have fences around them in parks and elsewhere. Some people live so close to one it becomes the single source of their hot water.

After a quick visit to the museum where we saw authentic wood carvings in classic Maori style, we headed back toward the ship, but not before stopping at a waterfall, which was beautiful. I had the opportunity to get so close to the rushing water, it was incredible, especially since for the last 2 weeks, they've experienced significant rainfall, increasing the width, depth and rate of flow. I can't upload videos to this site, but it was amazing. I also got another geocache here, so that was another benefit.

We headed back to the ship but a somewhat different route that allowed us to see the town of Rotorua and Tauranga more. A shoppers delight.....no, a shoppers heaven. Blocks and blocks of stores and boutiques. Apparently in the high season, these towns swell from 2,000 to 50,000 people and even now, "No Vacancy" signs were everywhere. I would definitely like to return to both Bay of Islands and Tauranga for a longer, leisurely stay. We'll see what the travel gods allow in the future.