CALLING AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

[piqaboo]

Guess we'll have to add that to the netflix cue so we can do our homework before heading south.

[dai bread]

I had a 1948 AJS once, when I wasn't much older than it. It had been rather battered but it served me well until I moved south and couldn't take it with me. Not without major hassle, anyway.

It had no speedo, so I used to set my speed by the surrounding traffic. That's why trips out of Auckland going south were always quicker than trips into Auckland going north. I set my speed by motorway traffic going south, but there was only ordinary highway traffic at the start of the ride north. It's a matter of what you get used to.

I only came off once- at a T-junction where a metal road joined tarseal. The loose metal that had drifted onto the tarseal was like ball bearings. No injury, to either me or the bike. It was at a T-junction, and I wasn't into heroic cornering so wasn't going very fast.

I've thought about getting another bike and growing old disgracefully, but then I watch my brother-in-law suiting up like an astronaut and realise that I prefer to just jump into my car.

[OperaTenor]

DB, just to run these by you, it looks like we're renting a car from Aegis. Their rates are substantially lower than the other big agencies.

Regarding inter-island ferries, it looks to me as though there are two major player; Interisland and BlueBridge. Is that correct? It also looks like they have comparable fares and schedules.

[dai bread]

I don't know anything about Aegis rental car company, so I can't comment, except to say that I've always thought Avis and Hertz were expensive.

As for the ferries, yes, you're right. If you go with the Interislander, try to get on the Arahura. One of my nieces is a stewardess on that ship. She works shifts, of course, so you might miss her anyway.

[OperaTenor]

Aha.

It turns out we get a discount on ferry tickets through Aegis(the car rides free, so the fare ends up being slightly more than half of what I was quoted through either of the ferry websites), but Aegis doesn't specify which ferry service.

[shostakovich]

I've been looking for dates in this thread, but did not notice any. So when is the trip (assuming you don't mind publicizing it)?
Shos

[dai bread]

Aha.

It turns out we get a discount on ferry tickets through Aegis(the car rides free, so the fare ends up being slightly more than half of what I was quoted through either of the ferry websites), but Aegis doesn't specify which ferry service.

Now that's a change I hadn't caught up on. They must have got tired of people dropping off cars at the ferry terminals so that the rental company has to get them back at its cost.

[piqaboo]

I've been looking for dates in this thread, but did not notice any. So when is the trip (assuming you don't mind publicizing it)?
Shos

see your pms!

[piqaboo]

Dai,
what are the odds of internet access in the small hotels about the country?
We're weighing taking a DVD player vs laptop - small size vs versatility.
But the versatility only counts if we can use it!
Of course, we could always work on our photo albums even w out the internet, if we bring the laptop.

I hesitate tho. I hate to leave anything of value in a car when I am siteseeing, and I'm not lugging a laptop around !

[dai bread]

Internet access is probably not going to worry you, but paying for it very well might. I believe the rates are high. As a general rule, there are two things to leave alone in a hotel- the mini-bar and the phone.

You're welcome to use my connection when you're visiting, of course.

The other thing you need to know is that upload speed is diabolically slow. 178kbps officially; probably slower than that in practice. Photos take forever, and I don't even try to upload video.

I'd bring the laptop. You can always play DVDs on it, and if you leave it in the boot of your car, out of sight, thieves probably won't get it. Do not leave ANYTHING of any value whatsoever in sight in a car. Theft from cars is usually opportunist, and is common at places where tourists park their cars to do something- admire the scenery or take a trip or something.

[OperaTenor]

I've been brain farting for the past several posts. It's APEX car hire, not AEGIS.

:doh:

[OperaTenor]

Car rental booked, and the hop from Christchurch back to Auckland on [edit] is booked. All we have left is to get a hotel room in Auckland for our first and last nights in NZ. DB, do you have any recommendations for something close to the airport?

[piqaboo]

Dai,
if you are up for it, it looks like we could get together 2x, once near the start of the trip and once on our last day.
Of course, if we discover on the first visit that we bore each other silly, the last one can be cancelled.

We'll pm or email to arrange actual dates and times.

Right now it looks like land, get car, get hotel, get to Kelly T, get to grocery, sleep.
Drive north in am to bay of rocky islands. If time and driving permit, 90 mile beach and kauri trees. find hotel sleep, drive south (or reverse that and drive then find hotel).
That puts us going past you on the 3rd day of the trip, and we'd love to get together then, if you are free. Of course, you may be unavailable and we'll have to rethink if so, to ensure we have time to visit, we being the more flexible at this point.

oooh, am getting quite excited about the trip!

[dai bread]

I don't know Apex car hire either, O.T. Still, you should be o.k. There are rules about the state of cars in this country, though sometimes I wonder.

Also, I'm afraid I can't help with the airport hotels. I don't know anyone who's stayed in one. As I mentioned earlier, there are one or two to choose from, and as it's only one night I wouldn't worry. I expect any hotel near the airport will be of a satisfactory standard. If the first one isn't, try another on the way home.

As for getting together twice, I could do with a day in Auckland. That's assuming we haven't bored each other silly. If you're carless, I do have a decent stereo in mine, and can load it with operatic CDs if necessary.

BTW, it occurred to me much later, after your comment about queen-sized beds O.T., that as a tenor, you would probably want my super king-size bed...

[OperaTenor]

The day fast approaches...

Just checked the ten-day forecasts for both Auckland and Christchurch - pretty rainy, but not too cold, IMO.

DB, we should be in your neck of the woods later next week. Once we land and get acclimated, we'll give you a call, if that's okay.

[piqaboo]

Did I read frost to -3C last night? mommy.....!

[dai bread]

Would have been more like -2 I think, Piq.

A phone call will be welcome, O.T. Or an e-mail if you can find a wireless hot-spot. Some of them are signposted.

[OperaTenor]

DB, I'll have my iPhone with me, so as long as there's a 3G network, I should be able to send and receive e-mail.

I'll also be able to rebut Shap's posts.....

[dai bread]

Plenty of 3G phone network around, O.T. Telecom's just rolled out a new one.

[piqaboo]

We're here! We're keeping OT too busy driving to post via Iphone.
Internet access at our level of hotels has been few and far between, but tonights a good solid connection from a wide spot in the road called Haast Township.

We met Dai a few days back. Nice man, that! We were also privileged to meet his talented, charming and attractive daughter. Lucky us!
Since then, we've been listening to his generous gift, repeatedly. We all have favorites. Altoid is trying to pick out the words to one song, and learn it to sing to her teachers. Wish her luck - she'd thinking in English and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa et al are singing in Maori.

It really needs four weeks to go all the places we want to go, and keep the driving times reasonable for a child as young as Altoid. Still, we plotted it out and are doing ok with ~ 3 hrs per day, leaving time to have adventures, and some quick stops along the way.
The rain is not cooperating in that tho - its a lot less fun to get out of the car for 10 min when it means everthing gets soggy again.

Still, its a grand trip.
OT will have to post any pix later, but high lights are
the afore mentioned visit wtih Dai
Kelly Tarlton's
helicoper ride over Bay of Islands,
chatting with teh pilot afterwards (Altoid invited him to her upcoming bday party)
hunting seashells on 90 mile beach
all things Rotarua (except the rain)
snowball fight south of Taupo
wekas approaching us for handouts near WestPort
rosemary & honey pastry from a small bakery in the town called Bulls
the kind and friendly proprietors of the bakery
sausage rolls anywhere
rice pudding (only for me. the others arent so fond of it)
Watching Altoid scramble over large river rocks in an attempt to get close to Franz Josef glacier -she just would not admit defeat at the crossing the creek, and had a ball with the uneven terrain.
i sites
the nice 'blind' lady at the cultural show (she didnt 'notice' we didnt have tix)

Take care y'all.