Kia Ora: Post 7

Wake patterns off our ferry in the Cook Strait heading back to the North Island.
Sculpture marking the "centre of New Zealand" upon a hilltop in Nelson.
The beautiful city of Nelson, New Zealand on the South Island.
Picton by the bay.
Carving at outdoor art gallery at the parking area for the Coastal Track in the park.

Our 4 days we spent in Nelson were much needed. Being able to stay in one place for a few days was a godsend and we were able to get a feel for this upscale, yet laid back artisan city on the South Island. One thing we've noticed so far on our trip is how friendly and accommodating this country is to tourists – and how clean it is. The Kiwis much take much pride in their country and it's landscapes because you never see rubbish on the sides of the roads or billboards or things that are just plain unattractive and of nuisance. Spectacular mate!

Before leaving Nelson and boarding the ferry back to the North Island, we checked out the geographical "Centre of New Zealand". It is marked by a cool sculpture atop a hilltop that literally marks the center of NZ. In fact, this whole city of Nelson has kick ass architecture, sculptures and designs throughout it. I guess this area is home to many many artists – and it shows. Plus, it receives the most the sunshine in all of New Zealand. Sounds like a good place to call home, eh?

Anyway, after 4 days in Nelson we boarded the ferry in the quaint seaside town of Picton and made the trek back to Wellington and the North Island as we start making our way back to Auckland to fly out on Thursday. I was sad to leave Nelson but we left with fond memories.

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kia Ora: Post 6

The brilliant Pukeko, Abel Tasman Park.
Appletree Bay in Abel Tasman Park.
Cave along the shoreline.
The Koru, Silver Fern in it's early stages. Abel Tasman Park.
One of the many beach views along the Coastal Track.

More eye candy from the the Abel Tasman Park.

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Kia Ora: Post 5

The start of the Coastal Track in the Abel Tasman National Park.
One of many beaches along the Coastal Track.
Barnacles at home during low tide.
The almighty Silver Fern of New Zealand.
Man, rock, tree.

On Sunday we went hiking on the Coastal Track in Abel Tasman National Park. It's a very popular hiking and backpacking trail that follows the coastline for quite a few kilometers that can take up to 5 days to hike all the way through. We opted for a mellow 4 hour hike. If you ever make it to the South Island you have to go and hike the Coastal Track. It's amazing. The trail is wide, well marked with awesome camp sites along the way and the scenery – it's pretty hard to beat! I'll just say that we had a wonderful day out there and let the pictures do the talking.

Oh, and I found my new favorite bird – the Pukeko. Bloody brilliant thing it is.

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Kia Ora: Post 4

On the ferry from Wellington to Picton, with the South Island in the background.
Shoreline in Nelson, looking west towards the Abel Tasman National Park.
"Old Man Dread" formation at the climbing crag in Paynes Ford, Takaka.
A startled owl at the Paynes Ford climbing area. That little guy scared the crap out of me.
The Takaka River at Paynes Ford.

We arrived in the country's capital of Wellington on Friday morning and rode the ferry, car and all, over to the South Island and landed in Picton. That was the first time I'd ever been on a ferry ride before. It's pretty cool being out on the water. The weather was pretty brisk so staying out on deck was limited to how much you cold tolerate the wind and cold. No worries, as they say here, just hop on in the cabin area and grab yourself a hot, long dark one, coffee that is. When we arrived in the bay near Picton, a few dolphins greeted us as the ship made its way to port. Pretty cool, eh?

Land ho!, South Island of New Zealand.

We made our way over to the town of Nelson. From there we decided to chill out and spend our 4 days based out of there. We were a bit tired of driving and all agreed that there was much to do in the Nelson area so it became our base camp. We had loosely planned on driving down to Christchurch but scrapped that idea after spending a week driving, visiting relatives, driving more, visiting more relatives, etc.

I headed over to the town of Takaka solo. We all needed a break from each other so I spent Saturday driving up and over the windy pass of Takaka Hill in search of climbing folk with whom I could hopefully climb with. I struck gold at the Hangdog Camp in Paynes Ford and ended up climbing with a lad named James from the U.K. Cool kid. The climbing at the Ford reminds me of a combination of RPM Wall in Wolverine Canyon, (back in Idaho Falls),  and Red Rocks, Nevada near Las Vegas. 

At one point in the afternoon as I walked past an overhanging section of rock, something burst out of a hole in the cliff and scared the crap out of me. It was a smallish owl. Owls of all sizes have claws…and sharp beaks. It was more scared of me than I of it but man, why do they have to go straight for your head like that? Good times in New Zealand.

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Kia Ora: Post 3

Dad and his old house in Nuhuka.

The Marae (traditional Maori meeting house) in Nuhuka.

9/10 of New Zealander's look like this strapping lad. Cheers mate!

Looking north along the coast at Hawkes Bay.

Uhhh…art? Yeah, that's it.

We left George's the other day and headed south to Nuhuka to see the area that my dad grew up in. It was cool to finally see Nuhuka because I've always heard of it from my dad and nanny Millie. Not that there's much to see in Nuhuka but it was still cool. The surrounding area is quite nice too. We headed to the Mahia Beach area to try and find a graveyard that my dad's cousin is buried in it, but no luck (we found it in Nuhuka!). The Mahia area is a very small and lazy beach town that kind of sits out on its own. You take a one lane road to get there and once there it's pretty laid back, so it seems.

After reminiscing in Nuhuka, we headed south along the coast of Hawkes Bay to meet my uncle Dick and auntie Elaine (dad's sister) in Napier. Napier is an attractive seaside town with cool architecture. After hooking up with the family, we followed them to stay at their house in Dannevirke. That was on Wednesday, April 30.

Staying at Dick and Elaine's was great: I got to meet a lot of cousins I've never met before, I got to hang out with my Auntie and Uncle, and I got the chance to see what it's like to sleep in a haunted house. I love my aunt and uncle but the house they live in is haunted. It's 130 years old and it shows. There is a resident possum(s) that lives in the attic that runs around at night. It sounds like a person is running around right above your bed at night – yes, it's goddamn freaky! Plus, a list of other things that just make the place creepy. Sorry to say I was glad when we left for Wellington on Friday morning.

Edit 5.2015: After reading the last paragraph of this post years later, I feel like I should emphasize that I meant no harm to my Uncle and Auntie. I heard through the grapevine that relatives of mine in NZ caught wind of these posts and when they read this one they were quite upset. I was attempting to write with a cheeky tone but it may have come across as disrespectful and downright rude. I apologize if I insulted anyone, that was not my intent. I love Dick and Elaine and meant them no harm and I truly enjoyed my stay with them.

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Kia Ora: Post 2

Dad's cousin George Hata and the bay of Torere on the Pacific Ocean.
Food storage house in the cultural center of Te Puia in Rotorua, New Zealand.
Carvings on the marae house in Te Puia, Rotorua.
The main marae in Torere, near Opotiki.
Quote Gardens in Rotorua.

We left Hamilton on Sunday and drove down to Rotorua to spend a couple of days sightseeing. The weather was lousy on Sunday so I spent some time chilling at the hot spas at the hotel we stayed at. The town is built around many geothermal pools and so the hotels all have their own hot tubs and spas in them.

Monday we spent a good chunk of the day touring the Te Puia Maori cultural center. It's akin to the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii but better in my opinion 'cuz it's all Maori. One thing that caught my fancy there was the carving school they have. Select students come to the school to learn the traditional ways of carving. It's something I've always found interesting so it was cool to see it in real life.

After Te Puia we left Rotorua and all it's lovely smells of sulfur and headed to the east coast to Opotiki where my dad's mom and her family are from. It was a beautiful drive on some seriously windy roads. We stayed with George and his family and had a big visit, singalong and feast with all of his family that came into town just for us. Beforehand, George took us on a tour just down the coast to Torere where nanny Mille actually lived and went to school – pretty cool to see all that with George being as gracious and helpful as he is.

Today, Tuesday, we are leaving to Nuhaka were my papa Joe is from. It's a night there then down south to Daneverke to stay with my dad's sister Elaine for a night or two. We're packing in all in I tell you.

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Kia Ora: Post 1

The TeNgaio's on terra firma after 12 hours in the air.
Our gracious hosts the Marsh's with Duncan to dad's left.
The wide open beach of Raglan Bay.
Hang ten brah!
Bridal Veil Falls, just up the road from Raglan Beach.

Well, the first few days in New Zealand were wonderful: We got to stay with my cousin Duncan and his family in Hamilton. We drove down from Auckland the morning we arrived in NZ, (talk about jet lag!), to stay with them. We had a great surprise in the airport though, dad's sister Elaine and her husband Dick surprised us by showing up and escorting us all the way down to Duncan's house, (which they had to of woken up at about 3 a.m. to drive all the way to the airport just to meet us!). We were pretty wasted from the 25 hours of traveling, (with about 3 hours of crappy sleep), and with the difference of driving on the left side of the road here, we were grateful of them to show us the way.

I had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know my cousin Duncan and his wife Celeste and their 2 youngest boys, Ethan and Reegan, while we stayed for 3 nights. Ethan and Reegan kept me occupied while mom and dad were busy at their Church College of New Zealand, CCNZ, 50 year class reunion, (the main reason for this trip), for a couple of days. The TeNgaios fell in love with a local fruit, the Fuejio, that Duncan had growing in their yard. It's somewhat like a passion fruit – ono-licious! And speaking of food, we pigged out on the local staple of fish and chips, lamp, meat, meat and more meat! The Kiwis definately eat a lot of meat – with everything.

On Saturday we all headed to the town of Raglan. It sits on the west coast of the North Island and is only about a 45 minute drive from where we were in Hamilton. It's a surf town that is reminiscent of Haleiwa on Oahu. Yeah, I could live there. I finally got to surf! After 20 years I still managed to actually make it look like I knew what I was doing. Britt, pack up the kids, sell the house and get over here!

Before leaving Hamilton we toured more of the CCNZ. This is the "college", (high school in the States), that my dad attended when he was a lad. It was built and is still owned by the LDS church but is being closed down due to financial and other reasons, (they intend to turn into a missionary training center though). It rich in history with the LDS church and the local people: Papa Joe and Nanny Millie helped build the school so there is a lot of connection with my dad's side of the family and this institution. I spent a day with my folks at the reunion and met some of my dad's old school mates. 50 years is a long time and it was cool to see my father enjoying himself with his old chums.

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Welcome to the Jungle

Mr. Goat meet Mr. Ethan.
Mr. Goat meet Ms. Madi.
Poseidon, release the Kraken.
Yackity yack, these pelicans be talkin' back.
"Where'd that dang thing go anyway?"

Sunday brought even more warmth and sunshine to our neck of the woods. Can it be that spring is really here? As I type this at 5:45 p.m. it's 66F, 24% humidity and a slight southwest breeze at 6 mph – bloody hell man, it's about time! My friend Dave told me yesterday that the Tetons received over 600" of snow this winter, the second highest on record. Pretty neat but lets get on with summer, eh?

The west side TeNgaios headed to the zoo today. Just about all the animals were out and about today: the big cats were doing their usual nothingness (what's up with felines and laziness anyway?), the pelicans were pretty feisty today snapping at food and each other, and the penguins were actually swimming and moving around. It seems like every time we go in the summer it's hot and the poor penguins are hiding somewhere trying to cool off, so it was a pleasure to see them out.

Madeline found the goats entertaining. She wasn't timid at all about petting them and letting them get close to her. She also enjoyed most of the various birds there, especially the cranes.

Ethan was stoked mainly on the river otters, penguins, pelicans and goats. One thing I've noticed about he and Madi is they both seem to be mindful of animals and show them kindness – I just wish they'd practice this kindness with mom and dad more often!

I'm getting anxious about my big trip to New Zealand in 9 days. I'll be gone for 3 weeks to the Land of the Long White Cloud, eating mutton and bonding with the natives, (which is better than eating the natives and bonding with the sheep I guess). I'm hoping to reconnect with relatives and learn more about my Maori culture, while having as much fun as possible of course. Unfortunately Britt and the kids are not coming. But hey, we're going to Hawaii next spring so that's something we can all look forward to. I just feel guilty about ditching the family to go to New Zealand but it's truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go with my folks. My dad was born and raised there until he left for Hawaii to go to college. All my life I've heard stories about New Zealand so it will be a bit like closure to finally put a visual to the stories I've heard and to see where my dad and grandparents lived. Kia ora.

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The Signs of Spring

Planting the peas.
Ethan feeling the pure rock fury while Madi looks on.
Madeline tending to HER garden.
E.T. with rake in hand at the microphone stand getting ready to plant the peas and carrots.

Madeline+dirt+sunshine=happy girl.

FINALLY, spring has come to I.F. and the TeNgaio's made the best of it on Saturday. After dad came back from hugging rocks the whole clan headed to the back yard for some hoe-digging, dirt-cloddin' fun. Madi kept busy tending to her little patch of dirt in a planter while Ethan helped dad clean and prep the garden spot. Then, in went the seeds and down laid the water. Ethan told me we had to wait for 1 week and then we could eat the carrots. Yeah, I wish.

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Cabin Fever!

Ethan showing his discovery in the sunroom.
Ethan and Madeline in the sunroom.

The kids shaking off the winter blahs with a bit of kookiness.

Living in Idaho can have its ups and downs. One of those downs is how spring/summer can be slow in arriving. I think I speak for the entire Westside TeNgaio Clan when I say that the weather has flat out sucked. Maybe we've been spoiled in the recent years with warm dry weather in April but after the miserable winter we've had to endure, people are starting to go nuts. We've been taking the kids on walks after dinner, weather permitting, but it hasn't cured us yet of the winter blahs. Pray for summer!

Brittany got some crappy news from the doctor the other day. She has a bed hernia and has to have surgery to repair it in May, after I get back from New Zealand. A crappy way for her to start the summer off but it's in mid-May so by mid-late June she'll be able to get out and back normal again. We plan to get out camping more this summer now that Madi is older and can tolerate cooler temps at night. Our plan is to buy a pop up trailer, (we're getting soft in out old age), and hit the outdoors as a family more often.

I've has been busy lately putting together an updated version of the guidebook that I coauthored with my friend Jerry. Thank God that we're almost done with it because frankly I'm getting tired of drawing topo maps and proof reading. It's a labor of love I guess.

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