New Zealand - Both Islands

Derek and I met playing chess on the Internet. My chess website grew out of Derek and I wanting a better way to play chess online. Then Derek came through Denver on his way to England a couple of years later. We hit it off so famously that Jan and I decided to repay the visit a couple of years after Derek's visit.

We stayed with Derek and his wife, Rae, for about a week, the highlight of a trip full of highlights. The four of us have become fast friends and we talk regularly via VideoSkype.

We rented a car in Auckland and made our way south on the north island, and finally to Wellington where Derek and Rae live. After a nice visit with Derek and Rae, and some sightseeing, we boarded the ferry to cross the Cook Channel to the south island. We picked up our car and drove south as far as Lake Teanu and Milford Sound, then made our way back north. After crossing the channel again, we spent a few more days with Derek and Rae, including a trip to Derek's favourite spot, Lake Ferry. Then we drove to the Coromandel region in the northeast of the north island where we found a hot water beach, no less! Then on to Auckland, and home again.

Of course it didn't take long for us to find hot water.

Maori warriors stick their tongues out to scare the enemy and hopefully avoid a battle.

We visited Te Papa in Wellington, a Maori History Museum.

Derek's friend, George.  George was from a country that doesn't exist today!

Derek owed me a cake for a lost chess game...

Milford Sound... amazing!  We hit it on a rare clear day.

At the glowworm caves on Lake Te Anau...

Pancake rocks on west coast of south island...

At Lake Ferry... a dream of Derek's and mine... to play a chess game here...

Who won?  Who cares?

We had great fun on Alan's quads at Lake Ferry.

And of course we found hot water LAST thing too!

This was a hot water beach on the northeastern coast of the north island.  You dig a hole in the sand and with the incoming tide, your 'pool' is filled with hot water that comes up on the edge of this beach.  It's quite the process, even getting out here to this remote place, and not ever super busy.  But we helped dig a community pool and when relaxing with some of the folks, learned that one couple lived just a few miles from us.  Small wold!