Sunday, 26 Feb.  I didn’t do much today and tomorrow I fly out, so I’ll sum up here.

Fiji was like every other island community I’ve been to.  I can’t recommend it as demonstrably better than any other.  I cannot recommend their island beer.  The Gold is too bitter and the Bitter is way too bitter.  Everyone asks how my holiday is going.  I’m not sure that’s a good strategy.  If the answer isn’t self-evident, there’s a problem.

Other than an hour in Auckland, I’ve been visiting lands where clocks hold little awe.  (My flight from Fiji to NZ didn’t depart on time: it left early.)  To be fair, when the entire world is hours behind you, why hurry?  Fiji has emblazoned their view on t-shirts: “Fiji Time”.  (I almost bought one for a friend.  You know who you are.)  To be on time is rude.  I set myself a tight schedule to see as much of NZ as I could, so I can’t admit that I’ve adopted their passivity with deadlines, but it’s been fun watching the world move in slow motion.

• Best place: Milford Sound
• Best animal: Sheep, of course.
• Best small town: Glenorchy
• Best city: Tie between Christchurch and Wellington.
• Hardest thing to get accustomed to when driving on the left: Reaching for the seat belt.
• Strangest normal: One lane bridges.  Very common.
• Best coast: The south coast. (It’s true; there’s a section called the Northern Southland.)
• Best drink: Monteith Apple Cider. With ice.

Next Stop: Possibly a motorcycle trip in April, but definitely Mongolia in July.  Fermented Mare’s Milk.  Yum.  Or should I say Yak?

Happy Feet!

Friday, 24 Friday.  I was early to everything today, which is how I like it.  Said goodbye to my rental.  3,128 kilometers.  Flew to Auckland, took a bus into the city, went up the Sky Tower.  Had a toasted ham, cheese, and pineapple sandwich.  I liked it.  Auckland is the opposite of everything I experienced further south.  I’m glad I didn’t start there.  Hustle and bustle.  Felt like New York City.  Not impressed.

Several people on first flight had had Kimchi.  The oder got on my cloths, so whenever I think of Auckland, I’ll think kimchi.  It won’t be a good memory.

Crowded flight to Fiji.  Everyone’s nice on the island.  “Bula” means welcome and it’s an overused word.  After an hour I was mumbling “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”  I’m in a great hotel that’s so new the taxi driver said he’d never been there.  Neither of us could find the reception entrance at first.  It’s right across the street from the marina, which is why I booked it (other than the price).  Had a lightly fried snapper dinner with a lemon/butter sauce on the side.  The fish was fantastic without the sauce, but adding the sauce made me think I’d died and gone to Fiji.  Fiji rum is an acquired taste, but I’ve got three days to acquire it.  Right now I’m drinking NZ wine that’s costing half what it did in NZ.

Fifi is east of NZ, but their clocks are an hour different in the other direction.  No idea why.  The sun sets nearly two hours earlier.  Actually, Fiji is one of the few countries that crosses the 180 degree longitude line.  But like Alaska’s Aleutians, they “bend” the line to stay in the same time zone and the same day!

Tomorrow I go on a boat cruise to snorkel.  I’ll try out my GoPro.

A prior mayor of Auckland. Today I think he’s signaling “Resist!”

The Sky Tower

It’s not part of a building. You go downstairs to get to the elevators going up.

One view. I had the camera set wrong, so it’s a crappy photo.

They’ve got a sign that says the glass is just as solid as the concrete. It still took some effort to stand on it.

The elevator shaft.

Live orchestra!

Snapper, mashed potatoes, carrots, and the island’s version of pumpkin, which was sweat and delicious.

View from my table. FaceTime with Yoriko showed her all bundled up in sweaters, coats, scarves, and mittens.

Saturday, 4 Feb.  On Feb 7th I depart for New Zealand.  That country is a whopping 21 hours ahead of me, meaning I arrive on Thursday afternoon.  I’ve created an itinerary and reserved cabins/hotels for each night.  February is their August (14 hours of sunlight), so it’s a busy time.  I was hoping to be a little less rigid in my travels, but I’m not interested in spending my days worrying about available lodging.  I’ve bought a tour guide to help find places of interest, which regretfully lists far more locations than I’ll be able to visit.  I had considered doing some camping, but rain is a high probability.  I’m renting a car, GPS and cell phone.  All the modern conveniences.  Getting lost is unlikely since the island is about half the size of California with 3% of its population.

NZ’s population is 4.7 million. At last count there are 39 million sheep. This is about half of their historical peak.  Surprisingly, dairy production is now their No. 1 industry.  Wine has also become a big thing.  Some people who know me might say I’m going for the wine, but putting a trip to NZ on my bucket list long predates my love of the grape.  Though, to be sure, I’m now also going for the wine.

I’m arriving in Christchurch and will circle the South Island clockwise.  I’ll take a ferry across to Wellington on the North Island and stay two nights.  My return flight has a five hour layover in Auckland which I hope use productively.  Total time in the country will be 15 days.

I’ll also spend three nights in Fiji.  My flights are on Fiji Airways (of questionable customer service reputation) and during the reservation process I realized I could schedule a long layover there for only a few dollars more.