16.Oct.2016 Ferry Crossing, Down to Christchurch

We are now on the South Island and yes, it is spectacular. When I get back home, I'll check with Father Michael at St Dominics if skipping mass but driving to Christchurch (on a Sunday) "counts". Honestly, I am not super optimistic on this one.

In the spirit of trying to get credit when I know I don't deserve it, I made a projection that there would be a meltdown by the time Victoria and I rode the ferry out of Wellington. Well, my alma mater Virginia Tech was a 22 point favorite vs Syracuse, yet they kicked off, played, and lost while we were on the ferry. I'm counting that as a meltdown.



Victoria, on the other hand, had a blast. We met a dad (Mark) and his daughter (Caro) downstairs at breakfast at our hotel. They were moving from suburban Wellington to Nelson on the South Island. A big selling point was the better weather. We chatted, figured out our girls were born two days apart, figured out we were on the same ferry, and kept an eye out for each other. We found each other and the girls had a blast all 3.5 hours on the ferry. Nice story around Caro's name, they had friends and family with names like Carol, Caroline, and so on, so they named her Caro "after" a few of them. More presents, more happy family members, and names that end in "o" work down here.

 

In other news, Mark told me who from the Lord of the Rings lives around the city and pointed to sites where some of the movies were filmed. Yep. Australia has salt water crocodiles that can eat you, man-eating sharks, snakes with enough poison to kill an entire rugby team with one bite, jellyfish that can kill you, aggressive backyard spiders that can kill you, fish that look like rocks and (all together now) can kill you. New Zealand has no crocs and nothing with any poison anywhere on the whole island. But they have Hobbits and Orcs everywhere.

It is a beautiful ride out of Wellington, across the straight, and up the sound into Picton. Rather than explaining that statement, I'll just post a few shots:

After lots of good socializing, Victoria fell asleep maybe 10 minutes into the drive. Instead of stopping for lunch or at one of many Marlborough wineries, we just rolled south. It was beautiful - rolling hills, snow-capped peaks nearby, and then the road popped out onto the Pacific coast. Also, this strange bright orb appeared in the sky from about halfway across the straights through sunset. It's easy to like a warm (or at least warmer) sunny day.





Having driven for about four hours, some of it behind slow-moving trucks, we saw a winery and pulled in. It was pretty good with a peppery Pinot Noir that I picked up. The smile on Victoria's face is not based on the wine - I promised to play the Frozen soundtrack (yet again) all the way into Christchurch.



So we got into Christchurch. On the drive in, we saw a sign promoting the world's biggest gun shop in a strip mall outside of town. Maybe it's the largest measured in square meters. I am still confused. Anyhow, there were some really beautiful buildings - schools and churches done in Ye Olde English way. The hotel looks like a garden with a small hotel business on the side and it is next to a beautiful park. We got in early enough to go into town for dinner, so I figured that was my plan. Let me preface this with a clear statement that evaluating a city on a Sunday evening is not fair. This tower on Victoria Street (photographed out the window on the a red light) was emblematic of an entire city of quaint, beautiful, English architecture.


Still, much of the downtown is a scene of devastation. On February 22, 2011, an earthquake (6.3) with an epicenter just 10 km from Christchurch's downtown killed 185. Driving around the central business district, it's clearly still an issue. Several buildings - from the mundane (like a pizza shop) to the noteworthy (like an administrative building that appears to date back to the 1800s) - are marked in one way or another. Some are just fenced in and clearly out of business. Some have metal braces holding them up. One had a 3-story stack of containers reinforcing its north wall - seriously, the containers you see on ships coming from China heading for the Port of Oakland. From traffic partitions to boarded up buildings to construction sites, much of it could be confused for an aggressive urban renewal program if you were unaware of the history. From what is there, it is clear that this was an amazing downtown and it is heartbreaking to realize how much was lost and see how much was damaged.

Next up - we've got a few options for the morning. After that, it's off to Queenstown, the gateway to the New Zealand Alps and Fjords.

15.Oct.2016 Wellington

A little lighter update today - lots of driving and indoor time. The whole drive down was really pretty - you'll have to take my word for it, I didn't take any photos from the road. Rain was with us on and off throughout. Started with Lake Taupo - beautiful and large with a few islands. Then we went through forests followed by open grassy hills (like California, but green as if rain were normal). Lastly, we followed a long series of sandstone (lighter yellow colored) ridges until we reached the coast. At the coast, it was really stunning, kid of like Morro Bay, California. It was late lunchtime, so we checked into the hotel and went out for lunch. Initial impression is that this city looks and feels more like a small Seattle than San Francisco. The waterfront definitely has a Seattle feel. In other news, we're right near Victoria University - maybe we can find a t-shirt. We're also near parliament.

Victoria was pretty easygoing, but when we got to the hotel, she made it clear that she wanted to go to the pool. We (I) had to eat first and we found a German Bierhaus "Munich" (with a kids menu). The walk to and from was chilly and windy. Before getting to the pool, we FaceTimed with mommy. Or at least we tried to. Technology is better than it was last time I tried a trip like this, but not perfect. She was pretty energized to be in the pool.

We did one last walk around town looking for dinner. It's still very Seattle, maybe a little Portalandish. Half way through, she got sleepy so we never did get dinner, but we did get better pictures, including a 2-story slide. Funny thing, Wellington has a full-on Oktoberfest going (I checked, adults only so we walked on by). Nothing like an oompah band playing "Waltzing Matilda" - yeah, I thought that was Australian too, but they were playing it and people were singing, so maybe it's universal (around here). Last thing I saw there was parliament - sorry the photo is nothing special. Holding an almost-asleep child over one shoulder, pulling out a phone, crossing the street as the light changes... the set-up was not ideal.

Tomorrow is going to be a full day: we take the Ferry across to the South Island, then drive down the East Coast to Christchurch. 

14.Oct.2016 Lake Taupo and the Geothermal Neighborhood

Yes, I'm here! The pre-amble is over. On to the "amble". Landed, had to stop (more on that in a moment) and had to drive another 3.5 hours to the hotel. I was so wired from the three cups of coffee on the flight that being tired was not an issue. Driving on the wrong side was not an issue - it never is. But just like previous trips to Australia, getting into the right side of the car - yeah, that's hard. Once you sit on the right side and have a steering wheel, remembering where to look and where to drive is not that hard. But when you go to a car (or return to it) ... it probably always seems like I am checking if there is something on the passenger seat. Once I got out of airport/ rush hour traffic, New Zealand got remote pretty fast. I was on Highway 1, which generally means it is a main road, but it was one lane in each direction with poorly lit signs in sparsely populated rural locations once we got an hour from the airport. About those signs, they look EXACTLY like US signs. Same green color, same font, just the same. I'll take a picture later, but if you drove through Oregon, took a picture, and compared it to one on my way to Hamilton, you'd be hard pressed to tell them apart (aside from the oncoming traffic on your right). One of the things when you're driving in Canada or Germany or Australia is that it feels just a little foreign because of everything you see on the road. Now they do put the speed limit in a white field inside a red circle Euro-style, but the exit signs are straight fro the US. Where was I? Oh yes, the middle of nowhere. Yeah, a national speed limit of 100 KM went from seeming unnecessarily low to "hauling ass in the sticks" (in the dark) pretty quickly. Shortly before reaching my hotel, I got to a police checkpoint (they were checking for drinking and driving, not taking down a local rebel cell or anything). They asked me to say my address into the breathalyzer, which seemed novel (to me at least). When I did, he laughed that I was a long way from home. Of course, when I checked in, they asked if I was related to "the big guy". I may claim to be the Prime Minister's illegitimate child.

Have any of you ever picked up a rental car and found that the tire warning is on? So I did and I dreaded the interaction ahead - I had a full tank (i.e. no need to fill up and get air) and no cash (I've resolved that). In the US, that means I have no way of getting air in the tires. But here, not only is it no problem (no fee), but they let you electronically dial up the pressure and tell you when it's there. Check this out - set it at 35 psi, walk around the car, stick each tire, and it will beep at you when you get to 35 and not over inflate it. Now this is not some breakthrough technology requiring a trendy misspelled name, high priced launch parties with Kanye, and an equity play for the eventual IPO (did I just go a little too San Francisco there?), it's just an easy win that makes life better.

So I checked in and got an awesome upgrade: apartment sized room with a living room, kitchen, laundry facilities (let's try that a little later than my first day in the country). This brings me to a truism: being elite matters where nobody else is. If you're elite flying United from San Francisco - Chicago (two United hubs) on a Monday morning or Thursday evening, you will never get upgraded and you may be in a middle seat. Everyone else on that flight is a business person who is "elite" flying their preferred airline on their company's dime. On the other hand, if you are "elite" with United and fly to Hawaii or Orlando, you're likely to get upgraded because many others onboard are on their only flight of the year or even flying their non-preferred airline because they are bringing the whole family and this flight was $120 less per person (times 4). I got my status staying at Hampton Inns - there are no Hampton Inns in here. I am in a country with 5 Hilton properties total (2 next door to each other in Queenstown). So that means (basically) no Kiwis are Hilton elite, so look for me to push my luck at a couple more properties. Here's the view from our balcony table this morning (where I started writing this post this afternoon, until the rain rolled in).


One of the best feelings after a long flight, limited sleep, and finally getting to bed is waking up in sync with your new country. Victoria and I didn't wake up at 3am or noon, but a nice, workable 6:15am. Throw in a really good breakfast and you've got a great start to the day. This morning I put about 10,000 steps on the Fitbit, which translates into at least 15,000 toddler steps, so Victoria is out for a while as I watch some Friday afternoon (Thursday night) NFL and type this - San Diego is just kicking field goals.



This may become a recurring theme - we stumbled into a Lord of the Rings location. At the front desk, I asked if there was anything we MUST see in Taupo. The nice young lady at the front desk asks "Did you see 'The Hobbit'? You know that scene where they fight going down the rapids? That was filmed a few kilometers away". Here is the scene as I see it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzSlLWF5Hjg , but it may be NZ Youtube and you may not be able to see it. If so, search "Hobbit Barrel Ride".  Anyhow, they have reservoir, they release the water 3 times a day, and when they do it is dramatic. When we got to the car park outside the Aratiatia Rapids, Victoria said "Daddy, there is a rooster". I asked, "Do you want to pose with him?" "No, he would rather be alone," she projected, as the rooster followed her...
 

As for the rapids themselves, here are a few before and after shots once the water was released:









Here is a before picture and an after video:

And that takes us back to the car park, where our friend the rooster was continuing to get over his social anxiety. Victoria was still not appreciating it. Spoiler alert, we had chicken for lunch (not this exact chicken, but the sentiment was clear).

From here, we went to the nearby Haka Falls. Not really a waterfall and more like a raging set of rapids. Very cool and powerful, but let's just say it's a quick visit...

And that took us to the nearby Craters of the Moon, a geothermal wonderland of fumaroles, geysers, and bubbling mud pits. The sulfur smell was never that strong and it made a good hand warmer: 

Lots of things to see. Kind of a mini-Yosemite. This whole region is surrounded by geothermal power plants, big bits of steam rising in the distance without a factory underneath, and even a hot springs pool next to our hotel (note the steam, easily mistaken for morning fog).

 

Anyhow, we wrapped up an exhausting morning with a playground, mostly avoiding the rain. For a small town, they've got a really big, nice playground with a lot of nice equipment and even massive chess pieces. 

 

But the rain has come in. We'll see what we can do tonight, then we're off to Wellington in the morning. Wellington is supposed to be "a lot like San Francisco". We'll see about that., but it is the seat of government and our last stop until we cross over to the South Island.  Either way, I'd love to meet the PM. 

13.Oct.2016 Interim Update from Sydney Airport

Anyone who has been flying for a while can't help but notice how much better entertainment has become - although international has always been better than domestic. Without even touching the Kids TV options, Victoria watched several Kids movies (Finding Nemo, Zootopia, Angry Birds, and The Little Mermaid). Those of us who recall one movie on the big screen in flights can't help but appreciate over a hundred options - many with lots of language options. Given that she watched the Little Mermaid, she liked the surprise of a big Little Mermaid book (with stickers,) but we didn't do more than briefly look at it. The entire flight was in the dark with people trying to sleep until the last two hours, so initial plans of firing up the light and reading became impractical or at least inconsiderate.  We were going read here in Sydney until we saw the play zone in the Air New Zealand lounge - don't see that in the US!



She's been a perfect flyer today (or is it the day before yesterday? since it is now Thursday) - no crying, arguing, getting sick,... all the things parents and those seated near fear (and kids around us were doing). She even got some sleep! Unfortunately, we were sitting on the wing, so the views of Sydney were obstructed even though we had a window on the right side.



That wraps things up for now. We'll entertain ourselves for a couple more hours here, fly to Auckland, and drive down to Lake Taupo. Look for more on Friday.

11.Oct.2016 Departure Day

This trip came together pretty fast. Over a couple days, 1) I got a job offer, 2) determined last day of work with current employer (Conversant), 3) requested later start date with new employer (Forrester), 4) booked the flight.  8 days later and we're heading to the airport.  In the meantime, we had to do two things: 1) weekend football trip to see South Carolina (my grad school) lose to Georgia, and 2) press 200 lbs of Petite Sirah grapes. Thanks to a thoughtful hurricane, we skipped step one. Touristy things in Savannah are harder to do in hip-deep water and getting to a game is harder when I-26 is an evacuation route. So on Monday I went in, finished up what needed to be done, got home, and pressed some vino (along with Alex and several friends). As a credit to my friends in Conversant IT, by the time I got home, my work e-mail didn't work. #efficient Let me just say the pressing was fun as it became a meat/cheese/wine inspired improv night, but we went through trace amounts of wine. again #efficient

 

Anyhow, today (as weekdays without work tend to be) has been awesome - wake up late (7am), clean  wine making equipment, head downtown to see my buddy Marc's sendoff at work (things happen in threes - not sure who #3 is), and fine tune the amount of pink princess-themed apparel/toys/books that make the cut before Victoria and I fly to New Zealand. Can't speak about your kids, but if Victoria has some control over things, it all goes better. She picks some toys, some clothes, some stuffed animals, games, and we're good. Also, if you don't bring it up, whatever items are not there will be forgotten - except Mommy because Mommy is always top of mind. I am betting Victoria will melt down wanting my wife on the ferry to the South Island (Oct 16) - you are free to set your own over/under betting odds. We'll see how things stack up.



Where was I?  Oh yeah, getting on a plane for the next few days. I've brought a few surprises to keep her entertained en route. I'll miss October 12 altogether. To save serious money, we get to change planes in Sydney foir 4 hours - long enough to be a long change, too short to sprint down to Darling Harbour and relax for 7.4 minutes - then get into Auckland late on the 13th. Totally worth it. To make up for it, I get a pretty full October 28 at the end of the trip - hang out in Auckland all morning, leisurely mid-afternoon departure, quick 12 hour 20 minute direct non-stop flight home, land in SFO before 7am, and continue to enjoy the day for another 17+ hours. Let me tell you right now what I'll do then: Virginia Tech plays Pitt in football while I am in the air, so assuming I don't have live TV over Tahiti, I'll watch a replay of that the moment I get home.

  

So here we are at the airport.Victoria has said goodbye to Mommy, forgotten her brother, and taken down some chocolate chip cookies and brownies late at night. What could go wrong? She is looking out at the airplanes, evaluating which one we should be in. That seems like a good place to leave things. See you in Sydney (or Auckland)!



  

Road Trip Outback the Sequel: Different Child, Different Outback

Alex has a little sister (Victoria) and I've always thought, "It sure would be cool if I could do a trip like that Australia trip with her." Taking 2 months off is not a luxury one gets too often. No, I am not taking 2 months, but I am taking a little over 2 weeks: I leave my current job on Monday, fly down to NZ the next day, get back on a Friday, and start a new job on the Monday.
He was 2 when we went around Oz, she is 3. While her older brother can't skip that much Middle School, I'm pretty sure she won't fall too far behind in preschool.





Unlike the previous trip, which was planned to minute detail months ahead of time, this flight was booked 8 days before departure. Look for more improvisation. The only things that are booked are the flight, car, and 2 nights down in Taupo. From there, we'll go to the South Island, see what we can, and get back up to Auckland in time to fly home.

Why New Zealand? Well, it's gorgeous to start with. Unless you count changing planes, I've never been there. If you've read this blog, you know how much I love Australians - what would be the closest to Australians? Yeah, I know, you're not supposed to say that, but let's be real: If you had seen almost all of the US, loved it, and wanted more like that but entirely new, might you consider visiting Canada? Same here. Love Australia, heard nothing but good things about New Zealand, so let's check it out. I may leave that Australian Wallabies Rugby hat at home. I wanted a scenic place big enough to drive around for a couple weeks. All things being equal, it's best not to have a language barrier. To get wifely approval, it also had to be a relatively safe place - 1st world roads, medical system, etc. (ya know - kids). Plus, how often do you get to go to a country where the leader has almost exactly your name? For my many friends unfamiliar with Kiwi politics, the Prime Minister is John Key and yes, he's a conservative. I'll just make reservations under "J Key" and see if I get great service or have abuse hurled in my direction. Actually, I'll bet it resembles Australia in political terms in this way: In Oz the citizenry seem to have figured out that you can a) have strong opinions on politics, b) not bring it up when meeting strangers, and c) not view people through the lens of whether they vote for your person or "the other". They may argue with each other in private, but do not feel compelled to foist it onto you. Oh, and yes, I'll miss more than two weeks of Clinton/Trump coverage too. That's a huge ("yuge") bonus. Among the semi-finalists, Iceland and Costa Rica are just a little too small for half a month. Finalists Ireland and Central Europe are coveted for future family vacations by the wife (and their weather will likely be worse than NZ, which will still be pretty rainy).

So on October 11 we're off into the great wide open.