# A glimpse of New Zealand



## Fern (Nov 25, 2013)

Flaxmill Bay, Whitianga 1 hours drive from the Coromandel in the North Island.








 Fossilised oysters recorded to be around 35 mill.years old. & about 10 mill.years since the sea bed rose. Some of the oysters are as big as a dinner plate. 





Ngarunui ,South of Raglan on the West coast of the North Island.


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## Ozarkgal (Nov 25, 2013)

Beautiful Fern..you're lucky to live in such a stunning place.


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## Warrigal (Nov 25, 2013)

New Zealand is jaw droppingly beautiful.
And so much to see without the long empty drives that we have here.


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## Diwundrin (Nov 25, 2013)

It's as near 'unique' as I can think of, never seen other parts of the world quite like some of it.  They didn't film LOTR there for nothing, it's 'otherworldly'.  As different to OZ as landscapes come, and yeah, have to admit it, only in it's own way mind you,  beautiful. siiiigh, hard for Ozzies to admit that. 



... can't quite handle those 'black' beaches though.


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## drifter (Nov 25, 2013)

Unique beauty. There's a gal in England who spent two weeks in NZ taking photos. She got some great shots and displayed them on her blog.


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 25, 2013)

Beautiful photos of New Zealand Fern, thanks for sharing!   We visited a black beach in Hawaii, very lovely, handled it quite well.


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## Jillaroo (Nov 25, 2013)

_Beautiful photos Fern, it looks a lovely place to live_


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## dbeyat45 (Nov 25, 2013)

Fern, send me the airfare and I'll come across and see if it's as good as you say it is.


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## Fern (Nov 26, 2013)

dbeyat45 said:


> Fern, send me the airfare and I'll come across and see if it's as good as you say it is.


dbeyat, sorry I've emptied the piggy bank, :tickled_pink: There's been some cheap fares offering lately from Aus. If this web site doesn't tempt you, nothing will,  click on holiday with us. If you don't like the beaches you can always climb the mountains layful:

www.newzealand.com › ..


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## Anne (Nov 27, 2013)

Absolutely beautiful, Fern...you are fortunate to live there.  Thank you for sharing with us.


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## Diwundrin (Nov 27, 2013)

I've been there twice, fair while ago now, and while not wishing to promote an opposition tourist destination it's well worth a look.

Only place you can 'do' all the continents in a week.  They have a little bit of everywhere there, even a little tiny desert if I remember correctly but can't recall just where.  
Maybe Africa not so much, except around Cape Town,  but the European Alps, Rockies, Andes are done in fair facsimile.  Not as high but just as picturesque. Even a few glaciers. They 'do' a little Yellowstone quite well too.

[_A touring tip: if you like breathing in then don't overstay in Rotorua.  It's great to look at but the air there is redolent of a huge fart.  No, not the population, just the sulphur fumes.  It's steaming up everywhere, even from cracks in the road, they have to 'bury' people above ground in concrete boxes as the steam pops the coffins out._]

They have primeval rainforests, different to most, full of huge ferns and cycads and still in 'Jurassic' mode.
 Fiords to rival Norway's, and quaint little villages from bygone times, although last time I was there it was still about 1930 local time anyway. (bein' cheeky.)

They've missed out on 'doing' OZ though, other than some sheep country, and a bigger possum population than we have,  although Auckland looks/looked as though it would fit in okay here.

The 2 main islands are a bit different, North more 'European', and 'Yellowstone',  South more 'Sth American Jurassic'. The SFX are quite interesting too, they do earthquakes quite well but the ground shakes under your feet most of the time anyway so that sensation can be excitement central when you aren't used to it. 
 They call it Aotearoa (Land of the long white cloud), we just call it the 'Shaky Isles'.

 It's like a naturally occurring theme park, all the exhibits packed nicely into an easily accessible area.  

We should have planned OZ a bit better and squeezed all the best bits into one place.



Enough of boosting the competition.  Say thank you Fern.


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## Warrigal (Nov 27, 2013)

You forgot to mention the skiing and the jet boats and bungy jumping.


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## Diwundrin (Nov 27, 2013)

Not my field of interest or expertise, forgot about 'em.  


Did do the jet boats and a horse... won't say ride, more balancing act... there. That's the extent of my adventuring spirit.


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## Old Hipster (Nov 28, 2013)

It's beautiful and reminds me of our coast line on the pacific coast.


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## Anne (Nov 28, 2013)

Gorgeous, OldHipster....have never seen the ocean, but am sure I'd want to live near it. 

Speaking of smelly sulphur; in Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, we visited some springs that stunk to high heaven.  It was the sulphur Springs, and I couldn't believe that people actually lived there, and put up with that stench all the time.  Beautiful area, but I prefer fresh air.


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## Diwundrin (Nov 28, 2013)

I'm still coming to grips with 'have never seen the ocean', just gimme a minute.  How did that happen?!  



We almost all live within *cooee of a coast, or a day's drive or so.  There was, and presumably still is, an organisation who would round up outback kids, kooris and whites,  and bring them to the coast for a week's free holiday just so they could see the coast.  I remember it was often shown on TV and the looks on some of their faces was a delight to behold when they were on a beach for the first time.   Most or many had never seen even seen the rivers with water in them, letting alone running,  and never more water than would fit in a dam or waterhole.

I got quite uneasy while in Alice Springs when the thought occurred to me that the coast was around 1000k away in any direction.  The furthest I ever lived from it was 60miles inland.  (A few  times I've driven down to Newcastle to check that the sea was still there. Spent an hour or so looking at it, then drove straight back home.)  



> *Cooee is uniquely Australian, a word to call others who may be lost  in the bush or, from those people ostensibly lost, to draw attention to  where they are.
> So searchers shout "cooee" and those being sought shout "cooee" as well.
> Cooee is sounded as it is written but drawn out, clear and more shrill than loud to be heard across relatively vaster distances.
> Both syllables are stressed with the "coo" pronounced long with a  strong "K" sound followed by an aspirated longer "ee" with a rising  inflection.


It's also used to describe relatively short distances, similar to  'a stone's throw' away.

I'm amazed I can't find a single example of the call on youtube, or anywhere.  siiiiigh.  It's an extremely effective call over a long distance, the equivalent of the European yodel but carries even further in flat country with no echoes. The kooris used it to stay in contact on hunting and gathering forays, it can carry over a mile in the right conditions.
 A 'bullroarer' is even better, a piece of curved flattened wood on a string, I think they are used in other cultures too though.

Just some more unsolicited trivia there for you ....


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## Anne (Nov 29, 2013)

Diwundrin said:


> I'm still coming to grips with 'have never seen the ocean', just gimme a minute.  How did that happen?!



Dunno what to say, Di - just never have.  I grew up near the Mississippi river, and spent so much of my childhood there.  I'd like to be 'scattered' there at my demise, but no big deal if I'm not; I won't be there to see it.    Just have always loved the river, and thought someday I'd like to live on a riverboat...silly me.  These days, it probably wouldn't smell so good, I'd think.

I'm loving the stories about Australia, tho...keep them coming.


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## Diwundrin (Nov 29, 2013)

Well, you're excused for living near the 'sip' at least.  I doubt all our river systems combined could keep that flowing. We really need to see the ocean now and then.


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## Old Hipster (Nov 29, 2013)

I've met people over the years that have never seen the ocean in person. Our country is very large and people in the heartland might never have gotten the opportunity to travel to either coast.


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## Fern (Nov 29, 2013)

Diwundrin said:


> I've been there twice, fair while ago now, and while not wishing to promote an opposition tourist destination it's well worth a look.
> 
> Only place you can 'do' all the continents in a week.  They have a little bit of everywhere there, even a little tiny desert if I remember correctly but can't recall just where.
> Maybe Africa not so much, except around Cape Town,  but the European Alps, Rockies, Andes are done in fair facsimile.  Not as high but just as picturesque. Even a few glaciers. They 'do' a little Yellowstone quite well too.
> ...



Di, that was soo hard for you to say, you did well.  Your trip must have been a long time ago, your memory is letting you down.
 To 'do the continents'  in a week you would have to fly everywhere and not spend anytime looking around. Even then it would get awfully tiresome.   Others talk about the long distance between towns/cities.
 No deserts here. We have a Desert Road in Waiouru,  but that's a misnomer.
'The ground shakes all the time', what did you have to drink.!
'easily accessable area' you must have stuck to the motorways.


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## JustBonee (Dec 1, 2013)

Old Hipster said:


> I've met people over the years that have never seen the ocean in person. Our country is very large and people in the heartland might never have gotten the opportunity to travel to either coast.



That's hard to believe, but I guess it is true.  I don't have a preference of East/West Coast (of the US) .. love them both!  and enjoy their differences.  
New Zealand looks gorgeous, but why not .. with mountains and ocean.  Can't miss!. ..beautiful scenery.


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## Fern (Dec 1, 2013)

Old Hipster said:


> I've met people over the years that have never seen the ocean in person. Our country is very large and people in the heartland might never have gotten the opportunity to travel to either coast.


Yes it is quite common. Even here there are people who never see the ocean, it's just not on their agenda. Myself I just love walking along the beaches dipping my toes in the water, as a kid we spent so much time at the beach often our parents taking lunch etc, it was my job to carry the teapot while riding my bike, no car in those days, this was in the 50's when the roads were so much quieter. 
They were great 'unhurried' times.


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## Fern (Dec 1, 2013)

How good does it get.  
A paddle surfer was treated to a dolphin show in Northland over the weekend.
A pod of dolphins swam around Geoff Williamson in Woolleys Bay on Saturday.
He said he saw babies and their mothers and it was "very exciting".

Iain Urquart snapped the dolphins leaping out of the water right next to Mr Williamson.


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