While recalling our travel to NZ on 19-30 March 2009, I remember the event when we were leaving Oakwood Manor to Turanga. Indra has been worried about her blood pressure and we stopped at a clinic in Manukau. Just to check her blood pressure she had to see a doctor and paid NZ$100 for consultation. She met a Chinese doctor originally from Penang. If there are complaints about some supposedly pious Malay lady doctors who refused to touch their patients and just poke here and there using pens and pencils, this particular doctor is another story! Indra came out of the consultation room with disgust on her face. After paying NZ$100 consultation fee, she narrated her experience seeing the doctor. He didn't examine her at all, instead, sat in front of his computer asking her about her complaints and medications and searching Google for medical explanations. He got more information about her medications from Indra than what he should tell her. For that few minutes consultation she had to pay NZ$100 (RM200). So modern technology has cut short human touch even in medical examination and that happened in NZ!!
26 March 2009, we were on our way to Gisbourne and later Napier. I cannot narrate any experience along this route. I was sitting at the back and slept all the way while Chom was driving. This is the reason why I hate not driving. Just sitting at the back was sheer boring and I would fall asleep.The only thing that I can recall was the road was winding and going uphill around the mountains. When I woke up I saw vast areas of pine tree forest on the mountain slopes and wondered whether the pine trees there are planted or grow naturally. We saw a number of lorries ferrying pine timber too. My curiousity was answered when I noticed small and newly planted pine trees at hill slopes. So I made a guess that NZ has a system of timbering. They cut the trees in stages to allow enough supply of timber. They planted the pine trees after they are cut for timber. That's cool.
The journey took passing small towns like Manutuke, Muriwai and Nuhaka before we stopped at a pretty old historic town, Wairoa. We stopped for lunch in Wairoa, visited the museum and tried to pronounce the long Maori word found on the board in the museum.
Th light house at the background. Taken at the park near Mohaka River in Wairoa.
We checked in Albatross Motel in Napier after visiting a few interesting spots in Napier city. The first attraction was Marineland.
It was an interesting place, more like a rehabilitation centre for injured, abandoned marine animals such as penguins, sea lions, seals, and other animals. It was an interesting visit where we got to see, touch and hold penguins. When I visited Boulders in Cape Town, visitors are not allowed to go near, let alone touch or hold the penguins. It was so exciting having the opportunity to feed and to hold one penguin in my hands. I was the first one to volunteer. The keeper taught the technique to feed and to hold them. Boy, they were quite slippery! They fed on small fish provided by the centre. Pic above shows Indra feeding a penguin at Marineland, Napier.
There was a blind and a limping penguins housed there. Penguins are faithful to their mates for life. I just found out that polar bears are found only on North Pole, whereas penguins are found in South Pole.Pic shows a penguin without a wing. She will never survive in the wild but saved and nurtured in Marineland.
A penguin happily swimming in the cool pool in Marineland.
The seashore at Napier is black stony beach but oh, so clean. I picked one smooth, almost perfect round black stone for Najidah as souvenir.
The colourful garden at Napier beach.
The scenery opposite our Motel, Albatross Motel. It's very near a busy highway. My night was disturbed with endless sound of lorries and cars.
That night we went to have dinner at an Indian restaurant in Napier. We have been hankering for rice and we ordered baryani rice. It was the lousiest baryani I have ever tasted so far, so soggy and tasteless. What made it worse was, we were not served well. The Indian staff almost ignored us. We guessed it was because we were Asians, we ordered small portion and we were not dressed to kill. Their impression must be, we were not worth paying attention to and of low class compared to their other customers. Indra didn't get her order and we left immediately with disgust in our hearts.
Before leaving the Motel, we spent some time at New Zealand National Aquarium in Napier. There we saw 2 Kiwi birds for the first time but because Kiwi bird is nocturnal, the enclosure was in semi-darkness. Kiwi birds have long beaks and they looked for food poking their long beaks in the soil. With no tail, kiwi bird looks like a hunchback, rounded back. All the while we were watching they were busy looking for food and moved around so fast. It was quite exciting actually to see them alive.
On 27 March 2009, we left Napier for Taupo. Lake Taupo was a major attractions created from a major volcanic eruption, also NZ's largest lake. The drive to Taipo was quite trying, with narrow, winding, mountaineous road and no rest area. So if anybody takes that route, you have to empty your bladder first. We didn't stay long at Taupo. We stopped at a lookout area and took some photos of Taipo city and then drove straight to Huka Falls area to see the crystal clear Waikato River which provides power to the city. Unfortunately we didn't have much time to trek the trail to the waterfall but the scenery around the picnic area is already breathtaking.
Overlooking Lake Taipo.
Waikato River with crystal clear water from Huka Falls.
The landscape enroute to Rotorua from Taupo. Vast area of pine tree forest and young planted pine.
As it was quite late, we drove straight to Rotorua which is about 1 and 1/2 hour ride. By this time, I felt our program was quite tight and wished we could stay a day longer there, not just passing through.
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