It really is a long way here!

Toni was early to the house as the roads were icy so we didn't have to rush. She dropped us at the bus pick-up. Our bus driver considered himself a tour guide so we had a running commentary all the way to SeaTac - 1 3/4 hours of it! Naturally, one of the bags was overweight, but managed to finesse that and got everything checked in and then it was hurry up and wait.

But after an uneventful flight, where we each got a 4-seat row and a few hours sleep, we arrived to a chilly New Zealand morning. We flew in through the dark, landing at around 5 a.m. and eased through Immigration and all the checkpoints. Chris nearly lost his golf shoes and we had to go through biosecurity! So much for golf being a safe sport. the young women took the shoes in the back room, and you could hear her scrubbing away with some sort of disinfectant biohazard cleanser - maybe it wasn't just the residue on the cleats she was scrubbing away.

Because I had booked out Auckland/Rotorua flight separately, we couldn't recheck out bags in the International section so had to walk a ways to the Domestic terminal. (Jenni told us later there is a shuttle, but the walk felt good after 13 hours on the plane.) There is even a sign that tells you how far in minutes! We got all checked in and then waited - of course had forgotten to change any cash at Foreign Exchane but American Express works well so had coffee and tea in the very 60's waiting area. We noticed right away how friendly everyone is, very polite and everything so clean. Chris noticed right away that there are far few fat people!

Our flight to Rotorua was on a Beech 1900, a fairly small turbo prop plane, seats about 16 I think. What a gorgeous country! As far as you could see, the green stretched to the horizon, studded with a few houses, meandering rivers, and lots of lakes - big ones, small ones and many inbetween. The approach to Rotorua Airport got a bit bumpy - just as the pilot said it might, it did and we dropped about 12 feet! Wake up!

But off the plane, walking into the terminal, there were smiling family faces! Zoze and Bryan and Jenni.

Jenni took us on a quick tour of Rotorua and we had a bite at Milly's "Breakfast all Day" - a rather odd little place on the main drag, but quite satisfying, then drove the 60 or so km back to Tauranga. I am amazed at the beauty of the place, the houses on the lakes and the little, laid back towns. Miles and miles of green and I flet like I had been there, trying to figure out where it was that made everything feel familiar. The mix of vegetation - tropical mixed with temperate - sort of reminded me of Belize, very jungley, but then there are foxgloves painting purple down the hills and daisies dotting the verges.

We went to the beach - oh and what a beach - miles of white sand north and south, but the water is quite chilly. No waves to speak of and it was rather windy. But got my first shell, but no pix, my eyes felt so gritty I didn't think I could focus!

Our little caravan in the garden is cool - perfect for us, so dumped our stuff, went to the grocery store while Chris took a nap, and picked up a couple of bottles of New Zealand wine, and some snacky things. My brain was kinda foggy but it seems like things are almost the same price here as in the States. But maybe my calculations were wrong.

Later, we took a drive out to Matamata, again a beautiful area - and no did not take pix! This is Hobbiton, where they filmed all the movies and there are tours etc you can go on. But we will go back there and I will have the camera at fingertip.

So woke up this morning to a very chilly but crystal clear day. Snuck into the house for tea and to read emails - first one that popped up - Just in Time - from Betsy saying the rain continues in Seattle and then one from Susan saying it's snowing in Port Townsend! Whoo hoo! We don't have to deal with that for a while thank goodness!

So tomorrow there will be pix - off to get ready for the this gorgeous day. And oh, to go to the chemist (drug store) I lost (make that left) my wet bag in the Auckland airport ) so have no shampoo, toothpaste or anything. Oh well, good thing I'm with family who has spares of everything.