Hello!!!! I didn’t realize it had been so many days since my last post until I received a message from one of you asking if she was still subscribed. OOPS!
Yes, I am still here and still enjoying the trip. I was up in what they call here, the Far North. I stayed in a sweet little town called Russell where I met friends of my friend Claire (the woman I shared a room with in the Galapagos).
Russel is a picturesque seaside town that is in the center of an area called the bay of islands. The town itself looks like what Hollywood would create if it were creating the perfect seaside town, complete with cute gulls and interesting murals.
My first full day in Russell, I actually got sick. I felt the cold coming on for a couple of days and then it hit full on. So, I took a nice walk of the town and found the pharmacy. The pharmacist gave me this great homeopathic cough medicine made with ivy leaf extract. It was amazing. Worked in 1 day. Healing power of plants! I bought more to keep on hand for the next cold I get.
The next day, I took a boat cruise on the bay. It was a beautiful clear day with wonderful scenery…
And DOLPHINS!
The boat crew knows most of the dolphins in the bay and can identify them by the dorsal fins. These two are named Bad Jelly (front) and Fuzzy Bum. How a dolphin has a fuzzy bum I do not know.
One of the best sights on the bay is the Hole in The Rock.
We were fortunate on our trip that we got to take the boat THROUGH the hole.
The next day I went to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. This is where the treaty was signed between the Maori people and the British crown. The grounds contain a carved Meeting House. Visitors can see tradition Maori dance and hear songs and explanations of Maori traditions.
After my day at Waitangi, I enjoyed an evening on the deck of some new friends.
Up in Northland, I also visited the northernmost point of New Zealand and saw some of New Zealand’s tallest trees. Northern New Zealand is really beautiful and I don’t know if I would have ventured up there if I had not met Claire in The Galapagos. I hope to get back there again in the near future.
I am now in the central coast of the North Island in a place called Hawkes Bay. I have a couple more weeks in this beautiful country. Stay tuned for more adventures.
Oh, and driving on the Left gets easier by the day. I have only been honked at once today!
Loved the dolphins – esp their names! and what beautiful scenery!
Glad you found the cure for the common cold – something we need as Zicam lozenges require dosing q 4 h – and take 3 days to work!
Take care,
I love Fuzzy Bum! Whole Foods or Rainbow might have a cold medicine with Ivy Leaf Extract in it.
How beautiful!