Motuela, NZ: mixed cloud and sun, 28C, Hot!

A Few More Differences From 'The Land of The Long White Cloud':

While many things here on The Land of the Long White Cloud (Maori) are similar to Canada (see Annemarie's post yesterday), there are also some additional differences, and a even a few similarities to Europe.

For example, the camping facilities are a blend of Europe and North America with grassy spots to pitch a tent or park the caravan, and there are often nice leafy shade trees. The tent section is a bit more civilized than a number of our European experiences as there is a bit more space and one's tent guide wire doesn't cross someone else's tent door...I've had that experience more than once! Rarely a picnic table to sit at, but we 'found' one tonight.

Roads here are narrow, but no different than many parts of Europe, particularly Eastern Europe, Greece and Turkey. Our coastal roads were built wide for the logging trucks and then adapted as they were made into transport corridors, otherwise they would likely have been the same. The odd part of course is that one drives on the left, but even that is becoming very comfortable now...I don't use my wiper control to try and signal turns any more! Staying in my lane, to the right side of it has become second nature...it's easy to drift to the left. Annemarie's left/right thing is odd and we are both chuckling about that as it's not her usual thing. We remember her doing this in Ireland in 1981, so definitely connected to driving on the opposite side.

Then there are the language differences. NZ, a Dutch name of course (Zeeland), tends to follow closely with their distant UK cousins. Prices are "dear" rather than "high".  A similarity is that signage is in kilometres, but everyone talks in miles. A cookie is a biscuit. The locals take tea in the afternoon. However, place names are more often than not Maori names, many towns, roads and parks. It makes for some real challenges. For example, I couldn't remember the name of our stop tonight, because it was just different enough, but not that different. Some names are close to imposisible for a visitor.

Then there are the store hours...most everything shuts on Saturday at 1pm and reopens Monday morning. I don't think I've seen that since I was a child! Well, Spain does shut on Sunday. The good news is that the supermarkets carry a full range of beer and wine! We at home are slow to catch up with that one! 

There are also Dutch, German, British and German travellers here...just like at home and for that matter...everywhere! Lots of immigrants too. Also there are the same old, same old fast food places and Starbucks just like everywhere else on the planet, except perhaps the North and South Poles.then there are the billion large cricket type things in the trees making noise all day long. Really big and ugly and when driving you hear them all the way along where there are trees. I wish I could post the videos!

Ken, in answer to your question about the clutch, everything is the same in that department. It's just that the stick is on the left and that takes a few minutes to coordinate with the clutch...nothing drastic, just a short lag until one finds their timing. If I remember, I'll take a photo and add to this post for you.

Mom, you asked about the photography, you are seeing the photos in their raw state, not enhanced in any way. The Blues are that blue, pretty nice huh? I'm using my cheap Canon that I carry on Camino, and I'm fairly pleased with the results. Not super crisp as the Sony would have been, but more than acceptable. It does better on sunny days than flat light cloudy days, but that's the case with most cameras.

Another big difference is the interest rate you can get on a GIC!!! We would kill for this rate in Canada! Hey Rob, can you get me this rate?

I paid the equivalent of CDN$1.90/liter for petrol today! Ouch!! I guess they haven't heard of the oil surplus and market crash for this commodity here. Reportedly the price will get higher as we travel south...a cost of doing our business I suppose. A very cool old stone church here...now an art society.

Tomorrow will be a fun day as we have decided to take a water taxi up the coast of Anle Tazman Park and get dropped off. We will then walk back about 20-24kms to a beach where we will be picked up at about 5:30. There will be time for a swim!!! It may drizzle tomorrow, but it will still be warm, so shorts and a light rain jacket in the pack. Hoping for sun, but will take what we get...another early morning start to drive north to the departure point. A full day!

I'll leave you with some scenery from the highway yesterday...a great and very slow curvy drive!

Note the heavy clear cuts in the distance!