NZ Land Logs 2, Year Two: At Home in Warm, Fuzzy New Zealand
Date: Tuesday, February 20, 2007, 12 Noon New Zealand Time
Weather in Whangarei: Sunny Skies, 70 degrees Fare
Location: Whangarei, New Zealand

Yesterday’s log was written on February 18, but since we crossed the dateline on the way back to New Zealand, today is February 20 here. We missed Monday, but for most of you reading this, the date is Monday, February 19. We are once again one day ahead of you, minus 6 hours. It is 6:00 pm your time, but is 12:00 noon here. I’m writing the log early today trying to capture the feeling of returning.

The first major difference is that everyone has on sandals. It is nearing the end of summer here, and the temperature is perfect. We left icy Boston, flew to a smoggy and 50 degree San Francisco, and landed here at 5:00 am, walked outside, and needed no jacket. It was delightful. As we drove up to Whangarei from Auckland, I was reminded of why New Zealand is such a prized tourist destination. It is beautiful. Everything is green, green, green, and there are tree-covered hillsides mixed with pastures everywhere you look. There are cows, sheep, goats, deer (raised for that prized venison served here in many restaurants), and horses in those pastures, and then over the next hill you get a glimpse of the ocean. The bus we rode north on made a refreshment stop, and as we stepped off the bus, the fragrance of flowers really rushed into our heads. And add to all of that the tree ferns that grow everywhere and give this idyllic setting a very tropical feel. I do miss friends and family, but I have to admit that I don’t miss the ice, snow, and cold weather associated with a New England winter.

Before we flew out of San Francisco yesterday evening, we got a Skype video call from our daughter Heather. Our new grandson was snuggled peacefully on her shoulder and he was wearing the sweater his mother had knitted for him. It did bring more tears to my eyes, but it was absolutely wonderful being able to see him. I immediately realized the power of these video phone calls. For now we can watch Sam grow, and once he is a little older, he can see us. Thank you, Skype.

The flight back here seemed much longer than the flight back to the States in December. It was a full 6 hours from Boston to San Francisco and then we had a 7 hour lay over waiting for the evening flight to New Zealand. We did meet a delightful woman on the plane from Bend, Oregon. She was fascinated with our travels and we shared our land travel plans for New Zealand. We then watched as many of the New Zealand videos as time allowed. On Air New Zealand, each person has their own personal television screen and a choice of more than 20 full-length movies as well as other documentaries and travel videos. Watching these got us very excited about our upcoming road trip, but it also reminded us of how much we have to do to get ready. We will have to leave Whangarei on Friday evening of this week in order to meet the Kanegsbergs at the Auckland airport at 6:00 am on Saturday morning. Then off we go!