New Zealand Gallery 2
Tourist Travels Part 2
At Devonport looking South to Auckland.
A short ferry ride from Auckland City, Devonport is (very) vaguely like a little Sausalito, with great views of the bay and city and some very fine restaurants and cafes and some craft shops, if you like that sort of thing.
Stopping off for an L&P
Lemon and Paeroa is New Zealand's National Soft Drink, a Kiwi Irn Bru if you like. Originally made with spring water in the Waikato town of Paeroa, it is now made in Auckland and bottled by the local Coca Cola division.
Approaching the White Island
The White Island is New Zealand's most active volcano and sits about 50km off the coast in the Bay of Plenty. You can take a 3 hour boat trip or a helicopter and then a guided tour.
Unaccompanied visits are very much discouraged, possibly even banned, due to the highly unstable ground. Visitors must wear hard hats and gas masks, keep to the tracks and keep between the front and rear tour guides. Craters are formed by the volcanic gases eroding the rock below the ash until they collapse.
However, the ash layer can cover holes of boiling steam and water, making the surface highly treacherous. The front guide prods the ground with a long stick to ensure that any new bulges are solid and not <Lynn Faulds-Wood> a potential death trap </LFW>.
The Helicopter trips are ideal for those who can't spare a whole day for 6 hours on a
boat, but they are much more expensive and you miss the chance to see the dolphins between Whakatane - the coastal town - and the Island itself.
Hmm. Helicopters . . . Volcanos . . . men in orange jump suits . . . hard hats . . . danger.
All we need is Ninjas, Space Rockets, Donald Pleasance and Sean Connery and we have the set for "You only Live Twice".
Cutter Slade in another other worldly situation! (Thanks Eric!)
The Sulphur Processing Factory, White Island.
Volcanos produce a lot of Sulphur, which is an important ingredient in ferilizers. NZ being a big agricultural producer has meant that there have been numerous attempts to mine the Sulphur on the White Island. However, the island is a hostile enviroment. Acid eats through clothing, metal and concrete and frequent eruptions and landslides make permanent occupation impossible.
Wellington Harbour from Mt Victoria.
Modern Art Floating about Wellington.
The Global Challenge Race Village, Wellington.
I'd completely forgotten about the BT Global Challenge being in Wellington in January until we arrived. Working for BT/Concert at the time, it was a nice little reminder of home. A lot has changed since then. Clear is now owned by Telstra, and BT is pulling back to Europe, so I won't be getting a job back with them out here when the MBA is done.
At Mount Ruapehu, Central North Island.
One of three spectacular mountains in Tongariro National Park, Ruapehu is also home to some of the best skiiing in the North Island. This picture was taken at the height of summer and there is still a good coverage on snow at the peak.
Emerald Lakes on Mt Tongariro
Mt Tongariro Crater.
Taken from a sightseeing flight over the volcanos, you can see why they chose NZ to film a fantasy film like Lord of the Rings. Like a competely different planet.