Home Sweet Home

July 27

Today is our final day in Fiji. Due to the time changes and crossing the international date line we leave Nadi, Fiji at 10:20 PM on July 27th and arrive in Los Angeles at 1:30 PM on July 27th!

As they say in Fiji - Seqa Na Leqa (sengah nah lengah) - No Worries!

Barb and I had a wonderful time visiting all the places, participating in the activities, and meeting a wonderful group of people in our Grand Circle Tour Group. Our group had 36 people ranging in age from 14 to 90 and a great tour leader - Ronan.

See you all soon!

Sigatoka District School

July 26

Sigatoka School has children from Year 1 (First Grade) to Year 8. Student take exams each year to see if they pass the Fiji curriculum. Students study English, Fijian, and Math. The year one and year two students gave a short presentation of what they are learning - many English songs and nursery rhymes. The Grand Circle Foundation (the tour company we traveled with) has provided the school with funds for a new toilet block and fans for the classrooms. The children wore uniforms and some were without shoes. They were excited to share their songs and show their classrooms.

Sigatoka and Nayawa Village

July 26

Today we saw the true Fijian culture. We visited a local market and saw a huge variety of vegetables and fruits. Eggplant, beans, papaya, cabbages, bitter mellon, and pumpkin were some of the crops grown in the villages. It was interesting to visit the market, the grocery store (where grapes sold for $29 a killogram), and a furniture store where a pedestal fan was $299 Fiji dollars - about $150 US dollars. We then visited Nayawa village for a Kava ceremony. Kava is a root that is ground and mixed with water and gives a mild tingle to your tongue. Kava roots are presented when visiting a village or for celebrations or reconcilliations. We saw local handicrafts including ancient pottery traditions (mixing the clay and sand with feet, shaping the clay with a stone and a wood paddle, and glazing the hot pottery with gum tree resin) as well as shell jewelry and wood carvings. We then joined a village family for a typical Fiji lunch seated on the floor and eating with our fingers. Dishes included kumquat juice, fried eggplant, freshly caught fish, papaya, bananas, spinach (greens) with coconut milk and tuna, cassova or tapioca root and sweet potatoes. One of the villagers waved a towel to keep away the flies as we ate. There is incredible contrast between a computer under a cover, cell phones, limited furniture, and a mat on top of ripped and torn linoleum on the floors. Houses were made from concrete blocks, corrugated steel, and wood. The people was gracious, warm, and very inviting. It was a wonderful experience.

Fiji - Shangri-la Resort

July 25

Bula! (Hello in Fijian.) We are on Fiji Time - very laid back! A sunset cruise featured both a beautiful sunset and a full moon rising. The Bure is the traditional housing.

Auckand by Air

July 24

Our flight to Fiji was delayed today, so we had time for a tour of the city by air.

It was a beautiful day and we saw the sights of Auckland, including a flyover of Rangitoto Island.

Auckland Museum

July 23

Auckland has a wonderful museum of Maori, Polynesian, Natural History, and War exhibits. One of the exhibits is a simulation of what could happen during a volcanic eruption.

Volcanos and Mount Eden

July 22

Auckland has 68 volcanic peaks. The most recent volcano was 600 years ago - Rangitoto Island - just minutes from the city center. We visited Mount Eden - a volcanic peak that was once the site of a Maori village. You can see the lush greenery in the crater. Sky City tower stands above the skyline. Wonderful views of the city. This afternoon we visited the Auckland Museum that has a simulation of a volcanic eruption.

Sailing in the City of Sails - Auckland

July 23

Auckland is known as the city of sails. We sailed on the Pride of Auckland and saw some sights in Auckland. The Auckland bridge and skyline is shown. It was a rainy and overcast winter day, but still fun!

Maori Culture

July 22

The Maori culture (pronounced mow ree) is the subject of a book and movie - Whale Rider. Today we visited a Maori Marae or community center. We saw the traditional maori Powhiri (Welcome Ceremony), that included a song sung by the woman shown in a traditional cape. A Maori chief told us about some of the customs and legends. Chiefs have the facial tatoos shows in the picture. The Haka is a Maori war dance and performed by the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Team prior to each match.

Milford Sound

July 21

Milford Sound is actually misnamed - a sound is carved out by erosion and this area is a fiord (carved by glaciers.) Mountain peaks, waterfalls, and seals basking in the sun were among the sites on the cruise.

Alpine Rainforest

July 21

One of the incredible sights on the way to Milford Sound was an alpine rainforest. We traveled through snow and then stopped to see the ferns and waterfall of an area called the Chasm.

Travel to Milford Sound, New Zealand

July 21

Milford Sound , called by Rudyard Kipling "The Eighth Wonder of the World" was our destination today. We traveled through some spectacular scenery - snow capped mountains, dense forests, Mirror Lakes, Lake Te Anau, and an alpine rainforest on the way to Milford Sound.

Jet Boat Ride

July 20

As if Bungy jumping wasn't enought - we also took a jet boat ride. Pure fun! A native New Zealand invention, tahe jetboat take in water and ejects it from the stern under great pressure to create the propulsion. It needs very little room to maneuver, making it capable of handling twisting channels and 360 degree spins! We flew through the water of Lake Wakatipu, the Kawarau River, and Shotover River (where gold was discovered in the late 1800's) - all with the backdrop of the Remarkables Mountains. Shown are my fellow Bungy jumpers, Ashley and Austin - college students on the trip with their grandmothers.

Walter Peak Sheep Station

July 20

We traveled by steamship on the TSS Earnslaw across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Sheep Station. At Walter Peak we learned about life on a sheep farm, saw sheepdogs run through their paces and watched a sheep shearing demonstration. It was a sunny winter day and we enjoyed having a traditional English tea at the farm. Did you know there at 10 sheep to each person in New Zealand? This area raises Merino sheep for the prized merino wool. The farm also raises cattle and deer! Deer farming is extensive in New Zealand with exports to Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the US.

I attended a Rotary Club meeting in Queenstown this evening and talked with a deer farmer as well as an elementary school teacher and high school principal in Queenstown. Many nice people!

Bungy Jumping in Queenstown

July 20

Queenstown is known as the adrenaline capital of the world. Since it is winter in New Zealand, skiing and snowboarding is a popular activity in the mountains. I started off the day with Bungy jumping at the first and original bungy jumping location at Kawarau Bridge. You can see more at www. bungy.com.nz. It was an incredible, once in a lifetime experience in an incredible setting. 43 meters above the Kawarau river, it is the most popular Bungy in New Zealand and the first commercial Bungy site by AJ Hackett. You jump off the bridge and are picked up by the boat below and taken to shore - I think the hardest part was climbing up the gorge!

Other photos are posted on the website -www.ididit.co.nz code AJHK007200055841 to AJHK00720005584148. My favorite is 46 hanging upside down! (shown above.)