Home again!

After much time in airports and airplanes, we are finally home.  Dave and Sandy have returned home and Greta and I are settling in.  There is much to do - pay bills, take care of leaves and fuschias, get ready for Christmas, but all good things to get done.  It was a great trip and many great experiences.  Now to start thinking about our next great adventure!

Five and a half weeks, and we are still on schedule.

A Cockatoo saying goodbye.

One last boat race.

Our last afternoon in Auckland we spent taking a ferry over to Devonport and walked around.  Then we finished packing, went to bed early, got up and headed to the airport.  Return our third rental car for this trip to the Auckland Airport Rental cars by  

The moon over Devonport in Auckland

11 AM.  In line for our 2:15 trip to Fiji,  until the lady in front of us started sounding exasperated, because her son had texted her that the flight had been canceled.  (The original plan was for us to fly from Auckland to Fiji, 6 hour layover, and then fly on to LA, and Portland.)  When we got up to the desk, the agent said that because we had a continuing flight, we would sit in Auckland until 10:45PM, and then have a direct flight to LA, including $24 in food vouchers per person.  We will be getting into Portland within an hour of the original plan, and have a much easier time of it.  A VERY GOOD THING WHEN YOU ARE EXHAUSTED!

Hobbiton

Sam Gamgee's home

Steve in front of Bag End

Ann Currie in red coat

No comment needed

On our way to Auckland we stopped in Matamata.  Greta, Dave, and Sandy looked around town and did emails while Steve took a tour out to the film set of Hobbiton where part of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were filmed.  When we got off of the tour bus, we noticed a film crew was there and they started to film us.  Then a lady in a red coat started to interview some of us (but not me).  I tried to ignore them and then some of the Americans among us had their pictures taken with her.  I started paying closer attention and realized she was Ann Currie from NBC and found out they were going to show parts of our tour on this coming Friday's NBC morning show (unfortunately it didn't happen).  She was there because the premier of the first part of The Hobbit is in Wellington tonight and tomorrow the Prime Minister and some of the actors are going to be in Hobbiton.  So maybe my face will show up on NBC this Friday.  In any case, wandering around Hobbiton, seeing Bag End, and the mill and Green Dragon Tavern, and more scenes from The Lord of the Rings films was great!  It did my Tolkien loving heart good to be there.

Visit to Tamaki Maori village

A welcoming challenge

Uncovering the fire pit

Our last night in Rotorua we visited a Maori village named Tamaki for an introduction to their heritage and a hongi meal.  We rode there by coach.  When we got there we were met by various warriors in costume doing their welcoming dances/challenges.  After that we went to various village locations where they  talked to us about their traditions and asked for volunteers to try them out.  Then we went to their village meeting house where they performed songs and dances.  When that ended they took us to the eating lodge for their roasted meats and vegetables along with a buffet of several other items, drinks, and desserts.  I enjoyed their lamb and tried a mussel and Greta tried their fish.  We both had their roasted kamura potatoes.  For dessert we tried Kiwi pavlova, a meringue with kiwis and passion fruit.  It was all very good!