Paihia, Bay of Islands

Before I start on today,   I have just got to mention that last night we sat out on our balcony in the warm night air looking at a sky full of stars.  I was sure I could make out the 3 stars of Orion's  belt. By the time Alan had got the star chart up on the computer though, the cloud had come across.

This morning we had a saunter  along the  bay to the centre of the resort in glorious sunshine.  There are ferries to nearby settlements and all manner of water sports on offer.  We have each booked a trip for tomorrow afternoon.  Alan is going fishing, whilst I'm taking a cruise round some of the islands in  the bay.  I had my eye on a trip on an old fashioned sailing ship, but  these only ran on specific days - naturally not the one I wanted.  Following a potter round the gift shops and a coffee at an upper floor level with excellent views, we headed back to the apartment.  We drove the short distance to Haruru Falls and walked along the track to view them.  I think a picture might follow now that Alan has mastered this art.

 There was also a trail beside the river which we explored.  Apparently it is kiwi habitat, but we did not spot any.  All the way along we could hear cicada like insects in the undergrowth, which was dense and tangled.

Bay of Islands

After breakfasting at Ronnies (no apostrophe) bakery in Auckland we picked up our car from Budget. The women checking is in were very nice, except the more senior insisted on telling us that she had been taken by her son to the rugby world cup final and that she did not expect to see a day like it in her lifetime - I said we were English....... The Kiwis seem quite keen to talk rugby!

We took the advice of our taxi driver who had taken us to the car hire site (he was Dutch, married to a "London Girl", had children living in the US, Europe and NZ - a typical NZ family) and drove up the west coast to the Bay of Islands. The east coast route is more direct but this took us through ancient Kauri forests (the equivalent of giant redwoods) and groves of giant tree ferns. Scenery was magnificent.

Late afternoon we arrived at Paihia and the Blue Pacific Apartments. We were supposed to have a studio but were upgraded to a 2 bedroom apartment. The view outside is directly onto the bay (photos soon). Sue was delighted to be able to swim in the South Pacific, even if only for a short while.After the sun went down we frolicked in the hot tub (direct views over the bay) and looked at the many stars after they came out.

Life is terrible.

Changing Hemispheres

We left Hong Kong more or less on time after being picked up at the hotel a little early. Sue was still smiling after being accosted by four lots of Chinese schoolchildren on the waterfront. They were doing a school project which involved them finding Europeans to interview and to practice their English on. All of them approached us with “Excuse me, are you busy?” and then asked a series of questions (with various levels of proficiency and giggles). After they were done each group gave their interviewees a little thank you card and small gift, from a bottle of water to a biro. Some particularly lurid strawberry sweets were accepted and jettisoned as quickly as possible. One particularly awestruck little boy with round glasses shared his squishy marshmallows and said to me “Excuse me but you are very tall”. Delightful.

Sue meets local children on the Walk  of Stars

We started the day with a trip to the flower market. People seemed to be getting ready for the Chinese New Year, there were masses of small citrus shrubs in pots, bearing loads of little fruits as well as red and yellow (which are propitious colours according to the children) chrysanthemums. One strange plant was a form of solanum, it consisted of a branch with gourd-like yellow fruit. The Chinese name was “5 generations together”. My favourites however were the incredible range of orchids covered in masses of flowers. They had been potted up as decorations with bows and trinkets in amongst them. There were so many different colours and sizes, and they were just OUTSIDE in the open air!

Explanation of local Solanum tradition

Solanum Displays - Flower Market Hong Kong

The flight from Hong Kong to Auckland was about 12 hours and seemed to drag. Thankfully we had the extra legroom from being in premium economy but even so we've had more comfortable nights. In comparison to HK airport Auckland was a dream – it took less than half an hour from landing until we were in our shuttle bus. A thirty minute ride into Auckland and we were at our hotel, too early to check in. Sue was absolutely exhausted and felt a little faint, so we went for a bite to eat at a local bakery until the room was ready.

The Heritage Auckland is a 4*+ hotel, and we had been expecting a good double room. We didn't know, however, that Thomas, Sian and James had arranged an upgrade to a suite as a surprise. The suite consists a large sitting room, kitchen area and a large bedroom with a bed that I have to shout to the other side to be heard. After a long journey this was a great surprise and one we were really touched to have. We have made use of the various facilities in the suite today as the weather has been incredibly changeable. Yesterday when we went out for a stroll it was windier than at Hunstanton. I've done some catch-up washing in the machine and got it dried too! As an extra special treat, I've also done some ironing. Having the upgrade has been a real bonus. We have been out and done some shopping and intend to eat in tonight for a change!

Auckland is the largest city in NZ but feels entirely empty after Hong Kong. We are close to the harbour area and went there for a meal last evening, this is the hippest, coolest and swingingest (I know the lingo) place in Auckland – it was lively but by no means crowded. Today we have had a quiet pottering day and are just about to go to the Sky Tower, the tallest building in the southern hemisphere – it's a little like the Stratosphere tower in Las Vegas, except people jump off it! Neither Sue nor I fancy this, or walking round the edge of the building without a handrail 220m up!

Skytower Auckland at Night

On top of Skytower

We met some very strange people in Auckland, scary!

Tomorrow we pick up the car and head north to the Bay of Islands.

On We Go

We are just preparing to leave the hotel for the airport, to get the plane to Auckland. The hotel we have stayed at, the Metropark Kowloon, is not the most central but has been comfortable, clean and the food has been good (both European and Cantonese). The half hourly shuttle bus has been a godsend, taking us down to the Star Ferry and the harbour. Last night we used it to go to see the "Symphony of Lights" a laser and music spectacular in which the skyline is lit up by lights from skyscrapers at both sides of the harbour. Then back to eat at the House of Tang, the hotel's Cantonese restaurant.

During the day we had taken a bus trip out from HK centre to the other, less populated, part of the island where the seaside towns of Stanley, Repulse Bay and Deepwater Bay are located. A short stop at Stanley to see the market and sea front was a relief from the crowds. At Repulse Bay there was a very colourful and eclectic shrine which seemed to have statues of Buddha, Kali and Shinto gods - nothing like covering all bases.

A short trip this morning to the flower market and bird park, where residents take their caged birds for fresh air.

We will try to post a few photos when we get to New Zealand, I haven't been able to do this yet as my blogging software has changed into Chinese characters in recognition of the location- accordingly I can't work out which button is which!

A Note on Chinese Superstitions

All societies have their superstitions but the Chinese are particularly superstitious. Three we have come across are:

1. The number 4 is unlucky (like our belief in unlucky 13).
2. There is great belief in fortune telling. At the Temple Market there are rows of fortune telling booths, our guide told us the more you pay the better your fortune.
3. Our favourite and one to be adopted in King's Lynn. You can visit little old ladies who ply their trade under a railway bridge and have curses cast or "villain hitting". To do this you put the name of the person to be cursed on a human shaped piece of paper which is then hit with a shoe by the old woman and burned. Curses can be short or long term or apply to one or a group of people. As our ghuide said "discounts may be available for multiple purchases"!

Hong Kong Impressions

Despite the warnings in the guidebooks the sheer number of people in Hong Kong can be overpowering. Everywhere we go, day or night, there are crowds with a walking pace resembling an ambling tortoise. As a consequence what looks a short distance can take much longer to cover than one would imagine. Nobody seems to get upset about the speed or the constant bumping into other people, HK seems to be well mannered, polite and orderly (apart from the hotel minibus driver who's just been pulled over for cutting across a police motorcyclist).

On our first full day here we decided to explore Kowloonside harbour area, this is one of the iconic areas with lots of views over Victoria Harbour to HK Island and its many skyscrapers. Sue tried to find a tailor to make a suit but they were all either real backstreet establishments or too expensive. A tailor showed us how to identify good quality HK tailoring (they have to be made by second generation tailors and feature curved linings). He told us that many of the cheaper tailors outsource their work to sweatshops in China and often employ child labour. This last point really put Sue off the idea.

We had quite a long walk along the waterfront, ending at the Walk of Stars (they must have known we were coming). We resisted, just, putting our hands in the hand prints of Jackie Chan or posing in front of the statue of Bruce Lee (although most other people succumbed). Afterwards we decided to walk back to the hotel along the Golden Mile as Nathan Road is known – strange how is evokes Blackpool. In the same way there is lots of neon (as much as Las Vegas strip) and touts selling “copy Rolex sir” and “copy handbags madam”, so it was a welcome relief to have a quiet walk in Kowloon Park with its flamingos and fountains.

In the evening we had booked an open top bus tour. We were picked up from the hotel by a company rep called Royce (most HK residents seem to have an anglicised name). The journey to pick up other customers was as entertaining as the tour itself. The tour consisted of a visit to a might market, which Sue pronounced to be full of tat, she was much more interested in the vegetable market in the next street and, especially, a meat stall selling flattened chickens and ducks. The open top element consisted of a drive down Nathan Road (impressive neon signs) and views over the harbour and the tallest building in HK. By the time the tour was finished it was a little chilly and Royce was complaining of the cold.

Today we have been across the harbour on the Star Ferry and then took an open top bus (we seem to have a job lot of these) all around the main areas of HK island. The sheer scale and number of skyscrapers is astonishing. We took the Peak Tram to the highest point on HK Island which has a monstrosity of a mall and viewing area at the top. Although it has been hazy the views were still impressive. We had decided to do a circular walk around the Peak, and this took us though leafy lanes passed very expensive properties, the Black Kites wheeling overhead added to the atmosphere and this was a welcome quiet interlude. We rejoined the bus tour at the bottom terminus of the Peak Tram and went through the main commercial and financial areas of Central HK back to the Ferry Terminal.

Back at the hotel our feet are tired and we are trying to work out plans for the evening (Ladies Market I think, but Sue is reluctant to let me have one) and tomorrow. A good start to the trip but I will be pleased to lose the crowds.

After a very long day we've arrived in Hong Kong. The flight over was 12 hours and took us over northern Europe, Russia and Central Asia. We passed  over Almaty in Kazachstan where my brother Bill is working, we waved but I doubt he saw. The queues at immigration were very long, but the shuttle to the hotel worked well (apart from the fact that the bus is obviously built for oriental bums - we were very cramped).

More soon when we've recovered a bit.