Back home in Michigan

The new and beautiful Kalamazoo airport

HOME!!!!

End of blog, we are home in Michigan

Long trip home with multiple flights.  As I (Den) looks back, I see good travels with Mimi (I became accustomed to her 300 to 400 picture pauses each day, as the result was fruitful for both the blog and for us to have good memories...BEWARE of asking the Nevalas, “Do you have pictures?”)

We savored the views and bike trip in NZ, and connecting or reconnecting with friends in both NZ and Australia.  We joined the Gilchrist family near the Bay of Plenty, walked all over the Upper Hutt lands of Tony and Olivia, saw Susan and Jay near Whanganui, met Lucien’s former admin and her son for lunch in Wellington, and used a camper van for exploring the South Island before biking for seven days.  We got to know Greg and the other cyclists, and M...another bike trip under our belts.  Once in Australia we were hosted by Trevor and Jean, biking Adelaide; we tasted the Clare Valley and sat evenings by Vic and Maria’s former washing machine (now fire pit); we reconnected with Phil and Jess, Micah, Roy and Hillary and Susan and Fred, all around Geelong.  Phil showed me better golf.  After the rain forests and barrier reef, we were hosted by Geoff and Mary, to include  a Royal Randwick win, a great dinner and the ANZAC Day experience, with many vets who had shared footsteps a few years back...very rich for me!

In taking such a trip, even allowing over two and a half months, one gains awareness that you just scratch the surface of these great places.  We walked, hired cars and camper vans, took tours, and while moving all the time came away with many, many fertile memories -- and hopes that those we met in NZ and Australia will call with travel plans taking them here.  

Thanks for following us. It meant so much to us. See you next adventure!

denny and mimi 

Friday 29 April Nearing the end On Coromandel

Camper van view

Kia Ora,

Yesterday gave us sunshine to explore the Coromandel, and it is a worthwhile touring area.  Mimi pushed our oversized camper van over some big mountains with many switchbacks, we should have ordered an automatic as clutchwork in the mountains is just one more thing.  Good stop and walk into Chums Beach, pretty far north.  Very secluded and pretty, and wild with no buildings.  We moved on to a  town we liked, Whititanga.  Would have been a much more interesting overnight place, and we found a New World Market, top of the line food.  Being epicures we went for salad and a rottisserie chicken.  Next stop, Hot Water Beach, which could have been hot if the tide wasn’t in.  Nice surf though. Last stop, a power driver for the town of Thames, strategically a good spot for a morning departure to the airport.  One campground in Thames, pretty dismal campsite so we had a primitive meal in the common kitchen, ran our laundry and watched a bit of the Royal Wedding with an Aussie couple who called Prince Charles' wife The Dragon and said that Catherine and William will do wonders for the monarchy.  I faded beforehand, but Mimi hung in a bit longer. We have mixed feeling about departure day, excited to see home and family and friends again, but feeling a true attachment to this part of the world.

ummmmmm.... right

Beach at campsite, Coromandel Town - low tide

Love those trees!

Driving to Chums Beach

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Coromandel Town on Coromandel Peninsula, about two and a half hours from Auckland, NZ

Coromandel Town

And more of the town

The drive to Chums Beach, rated one of
top ten in the world

 

View of Coromandel Town
from afar

Hmmm....

Climbing rocks on the way
to Chums

Beach on the way to Chums Beach

Walking through the muddy path in my Merrill's...
oops

Path challenges

Ta-dah!  Chums Beach

Creative seating

Creative shelter

Love those waves

Getting wet...oops

Beach views

Leaving the beach

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Path in the bush

On our way to Thames

Cute cottages and modern
apartments

Thames - some history

Thames

Last meat pie! (chicken & thyme)

This country takes their liquor
stores seriously!

Fall in NZ

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On the way to Hot Water Beach

Thermal springs under the beach

Hot Water Beach

Trying to find the hot water

Hmmmm...

Digging with shell
(that is now at our house)

Why we could not find the water.... high tide

Love the vistas in NZ

Fabulous fruit,veggie stand

Last sunset

These are all over NZ

Last (sort of dismal) camp site

Where we prepared out dinner..loved the communal kitchens

Our camper van

Camp and room where I watched a bit of the Royal Wedding with two