Melbourne to Auckland to Rotorua

Just a reminder--my travel blog posts are based on the journals I keep when I travel, supplemented by research (as needed) to make sure my information is still current and useful.  I write from the comfort of my home, and I welcome comments, replies, and feedback.

It's been a while since my first visit to Australia, but not a long while since my last chat with Kate.  When I learn that Kate and her husband haven't been to New Zealand, I think we have the perfect trip for the three of us.

Boston to San Francisco, San Francisco to Auckland Auckland to Melbourne. Kate picks me up at the airport, I feel like it’s only days since I’ve seen her, not years,  and I feel at home even though I’ve only been here once.

I won’t take you through my visit to the Melbourne area here. You can read about the beginning of this trip at http://arlington.wickedlocal.com/section/blogs01?taxid=1963. Just remember, as with all blogs, the most recent post is on top--if you want to start at the beginning of a trip you have to start at the 'bottom'. 

Instead we’ll go directly to New Zealand.  Kate and I are off to the airport, leaving Gary in charge of the children for three days.  Then he’ll join us on the South Island of NZ.

We are leaving Melbourne, which has been Australia’s fastest-growing city, with a population of about 4.5 million. 

We are going to New Zealand;  the whole country  has a population of about 4.5 million people. 

Flight goes fine, car pick-up -- fine, three-hour drive to Rotorua -- fine.  Kate is stuck doing all the driving because she’s accustomed to being on the left side of the road, and her insurance covers the rental.  My job is to try to stay awake.

Auckland, on the North Island,  is the major urban center in New Zealand with about 1.5 million people.  Auckland, however, is not the capital of New Zealand;  That is Wellington, also on the North Island.  

Wellington has about 385,000 people.  I have checked this a few times.  Why, you ask, (well, I asked)  is a city less than 1/3 the population of Auckland the capital of the country?  Because it is further down the coast and therefore more centrally located.  That actually makes sense.  (Please note I specifically said ‘Wellington’ referring to the city proper.  The Wellington region, which includes much of the surrounding area, has about 450,000 people).

New Zealand has drawn me for a while.  There are only a few places on earth that have the amazing geothermal phenomena we can see here on the North Island:  geysers, hot pots, mudpots, and more. Yellowstone National Park in the US, Iceland, Russia, Japan, and...New Zealand.  

I’ve said this before--I do enjoy and appreciate the unique qualities of different cities.  It’s where I choose to live.  Maybe that’s the reason that when I travel, I want to see the natural, stunning,  and non-man-made.

    Auckland Skyline

The other draw to New Zealand has been the unique native culture--the Maori.  As in Australia,  where the Aborigine history and legend enthralled me, so does the Maori culture here in NZ. 

Maori Welcoming Committee?

Natural wonders and fascinating culture will wait til tomorrow.  We are worn out by the long day of travel, and go from checking into our room directly to a light dinner and then back to the room.  Before crashing to sleep, we see the steam of thermal pools right near our hotel….and smell the sulfur. hammy.