Tuesday, March 22nd .... All Good Things Must End Someday

Day Number 32 of our Kiwi Tahiti Major Trip of our Lifetime ....

 

 

... And we are greeted by our sweet friend, Kristy,

and this practically Full Moon.

 

 

You know what is coming next from our lips ...

 

 

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Monday, Monday .... our last full day in Tahiti

... And my poor sweetheart is SICK.   It was such a drag being in such a beautiful location and having him feel so lousy.  He missed our last sunrise ...



But I have to say he is a real trooper.  He actually was open to my idea of NOT flying home tonight and utilizing our Travel Insurance benefit. But as I write this later in the day, he said we were going to go for it. 

We had our breakfast, and I had my last ocean swim off of our deck ... 

 

 

We took the Ferry back over to the main island of Tahiti, and what a different ride than 4 days prior.  There were long, rolling waves that were a little hard for Dennis to take, but I LOVED it.  I fell asleep pretty fast.

 

 

We have SO MUCH LUGGAGE!  After being on the road for a MONTH, it's even hard to imagine that at the beginning of the trip we were in fleeces, gloves, and caps!  And now, of course, we have rocks and drift wood, and misc trinkets to add to the luggage.  We do get funny looks here in the island with our 3 duffle bags, plus the Cardan two big duffles.  For the last 4 days we have had to wear very little clothing with no shoes on our feet.  I know people around us are thinking "WHY ALL THE LUGGAGE"?!

 

 

So we drag our stuff into another cab and arrive at our day room around 12:30.  We were all a little stunned when we first arrived, especially after driving past a couple of chickens when we turned down the alley.  Can you say SPOILED????

 



 

But really .... after an hour or so of getting adjusted we realized how BLESSSED WE WERE to be here and not sitting in the Papette Airport ALL DAY. 

This place is actually quite charming ...

 

WE HAVE WI-FI, too!

 

 

We had two pizzas delivered for dinner and we devoured them.  It just feels so good to be in air conditioning, and Dennis just was not up to going anywhere. 

 

It is dark now, with the almost full moon right outside our window.  The guys are asleep, but Carrie and I are excited for our "champagne flight" to LA at midnight.  We have two alarms set to wake us up for our 8:30 pm taxi arrival, bound for the airport.

 

Onward to Los Angeles and then home to Tucson by 6:50 pm on Tuesday.  Here we go!

 

 

 

 

 

Sat & Sunday, March 19 & 20 ~ playing in the surf and sun

The weekend was a mixture of fun and relaxation,  even though every day I felt like more brain cells were slipping away.  In fact, we ALL felt that way so I'm not too worried.  What a super relaxing environment.

Our bungalows were awesome.  The Pearl Resort and Spa was the perfect size for us ~ not too old and not too big and new.  We felt very comfortable there and of course LOVED being in Premium Over the Water Bungalows on the outside, enjoying our private balconies, and looking towards the reef.  The biggest issue was cooling the room down enough while still keeping our sliding doors open.  We quickly realized that we couldn't do both so we had to close the doors during the big heat.  But it all worked out OK as the reef sound was BIG so we could still hear it with the doors closed. 

And who doesn't love a window to the sea under their glass coffee table?

We all really enjoyed the kayaks ~  

 

 



 





Hey Jae ~ you were right.  Dennis really liked the Hinano Gold.
 

 

 And Carrie and I bought matching Black Pearl rings from the French artist himself!

 

We couldn't quite get them on ... our fingers are swollen from the heat and humidity!

Thanks to Jae and Leslie's suggestion, Dennis and I did the Lagoon Excursion on Sunday from 9AM to 3:30PM.  Full day of sight-seeing, boating, snorkeling with stings rays and sharks, and fresh-cooked lunch on the beach with more swimming.  We have met the nicest people through all of this and I feel very blessed. 

The water here is so clear and beautiful .... photos just don't do it justice. 



Jae ~ we got the same guide you guys had.  He was really funny and fed those sting rays so there were IN OUR FACE. 

 

Sting rays, sharks, and birds!

Delish lunch made right on the spot.  This is tuna ceviche with coconut milk.  They also offered us grilled tuna, BBQ chicken, rice, bread .... even beer and rum punch!

Our guide was such fun ~ he also taught us how to tie a pareo and open a coconut.  I'm ready to be a Castaway.

And Dennis was SUCH A GOOD SPORT.  He actually started feeling a little under the weather on Saturday, and faked his way through Sunday.  It wasn't until I heard the first cough that I realized how he truly felt.






Carrie and I wanted one more foo-foo drink before we left the Resort.  Look!  We aren't even sunburned!  And WHO IS that Wildman?





One more night here and then on Monday morning we take the Ferry back to Tahiti.  We have a day room to hang in while we wait for our flight home at midnight on Monday.  I sure hope the next room has REALLY GOOD AIR CONDITIONING.

March 19th .... BUT WHO CARES?

Words not needed.

 

 

 

 

The SECOND Thursday, March 17 ... a Post from The Pearl Resort in Moorea

After only getting 4 hours of sleep last night  (I chose to stay up to create yesterdays’ blog post on my phone until 2AM), I was happy to let the rest of the gang head out to find a bank to exchange money.  I GLADLY took a 40 minute Power Nap.  Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. 

Blessedly, we got the nicest taxi driver who took us to a bank to get some Polynesian French Francs.  Then she slowly worked through heavy traffic to the Ferry, which was a 45 minute ride across multi-colored and smooth water to the island of Moorea.

Of course we're still celebrating our SECOND St. Patrick's Day!

Leaving Papeete harbor

 

Ferry port on the Island of Moorea

 

After we arrived, we loaded into another quick van ride and arrived at The Pearl Resort and Spa.  We were welcomed with a flower, a cool drink, and a cool towel while we registered for our bungalows.  It was still early, so we couldn’t quite get into our rooms.  So we took the opportunity to walk 5 minutes down the road to a small village that sells fun stuff, has funky restaurants, and even a market!  We stocked up with bread, cheese, salami, crackers, water, and other snacks to enjoy in our side-by-side bungalows.   I certainly knew that when I settled into my bungalow, it would be hard to get me to go anywhere else.

Except maybe to the open air bar!  Carrie and I wanted a foo-foo drink to toast our SECOND St. Patrick’s Day, and the guys joined us. 

We are smiling while we are HOT and SWEATY!  OMGOSH .... so different from our DRY HEAT at home!

 

We then strolled around the property, to get the lay of the land.  We were VERY PLEASED to get into our rooms by 1:30.  And with an ICE MACHINE right next to our bungalows … WHY WOULD I GO ANYWHERE ELSE??

 

Our 2 premium over the water bungalows - we are on the left, the Cardan's are on the right

They delivered fresh pineapple to our bungalows

Well …. except back to the bar to send this post.  The Wi-Fi in the room is not free, nor good (so they tell us), but it IS free AND good in both the open air lobby and bar.  Works for me!

The food was also plentiful and GOOD!

 

I am SO GRATEFUL that Carrie and I talked the guys into staying here FOUR nights.  Dennis will be lucky if he can pry me away then.

 Yes …. THIS MUST BE HEAVEN.

Diana is SO HAPPY... she's been waiting for almost 28 years (since we met to do this trip)!

 

 

The Polynesian hospitality is so appreciated... the Pearl Resort welcomed us with this letter and fresh fruit! 

 

NO MORE blog posts for several days...  we're going to chill out, relax and have MORE fun in the sea and sun!

Thursday, March 17 .... our FIRST St. Patricks Day

And ONLY CARRIE would show up in our room, first thing in the morning, with green stuff.  Earrings, bracelets, pins, caps, even 2 boas!  That girl is TOO MUCH FUN!

We still had food leftovers so we had what would have been last night's dinner for breakfast .... marinated veggies, lamb burgers, stuffed olives, cheese, mimosas .... Cindy Rabbitt you were with us in Spirit!

OF COURSE we had to stop at the Hamilton Salvation Army and a tee shirt shop before our 1.5 hour drive to the Auckland Airport.  And in THE RAIN.  We have been so crazy blessed with the weather! 

We got all checked in at the airport, returned our 3rd rental car, did our duty free shopping, and still had time to toast good bye to New Zealand AND St Patricks Day.    Oh yes ... we were a sight.

We had a 5 hour flight to Papeete, Tahiti and the time flew by.  Even though we were in coach, we still had a nice meal and ENDLESS CHAMPAGNE!

Tony and Carrie figured out the ropes on the way over.  The flight went by almost  TOO fast as I couldn't finish my second movie.  FRANK .... you are right about the movie "The Big Short".  A REAL EYE OPENER.

And then WE ARRIVED 

at what I consider our

SECOND HOLIDAY.

TAHITI!

And OMGOSH ....

is it hot and humid!

But we will take this over the ENDLESS RAIN they have had over the last month.

So here we are now,

In our ONE hotel room, for 9 hours.  

It was a MIRACLE that the guys procured  some ice for us.  And the room has cooled down to a bearable level.  We are out of here at 9am tomorrow, bound for the high speed ferry that will take us to the island of Moorea for 4 nights.

We have reserved Over The Water Bungalows  ....

GIANT CHECK ON MY BUCKET LIST 

Its almost 2am as I create this post, on my phone, sitting on the floor next to the bed.  Between the VERY SPOTTY Wi-Fi and the trio of snores, I will be thrilled to successfully post this.

We have gained a day, crossing back over the International Date Line, towards home.  So when we all wake up, it will be St Patricks Day all over again.   And now I THINK we are only 3 hours behind Tucson.

Not so sure how the WiFi will work at our resort, so if you don't hear from us, just know that All Is Well.  

Or assume that we got a job and are not coming home.  

WHAT AN AMAZING WORLD WE LIVE IN. 

WEAR THE GREEN TODAY

and CARPE MOMENTO!

Wednesday, March 16 - GLOWWORMS in Waitomo

Waking up on our last morning in Lake Tarawera took our breath away ...



Oh my ....

This IS the most beautiful sunrise we saw in New Zealand.  Thank you God.

It was tough leaving this house, but we were so grateful for such a brilliant send off.  One last soak in the hot tub with coffee, and another protein packed breakfast from Tony, and we were off for our 2.5 hour drive to Waitamo. 

And Carrie drove for her first time!  She did an awesome job ~ very smooth.

We grabbed some take-away from a REAL BAKERY (yes, Ettore ... I couldn't help but think of you. Their baked goods looked good, but NOTHING like yours!)

Once we got to Waitamo, we had an hour before our Glowworm Tour to eat lunch and get caught up on Wi-Fi again.  So much for me not posting on Facebook, right? 

We are all so grateful for Dennis' THOROUGH research on which Cave Tour to take.  We certainly did choose the right one ~ SPELLBOUND.  They keep their group size down to 12 people, and we were lucky enough to only have 10.  So we all loaded into a van and drove about 30 minutes to a private farmer's land where Spellbound has exclusive access to 2 caves.  The drive, albeit in a downpour, was into some gorgeous countryside.

Our guide, Norm, was knowledgeable, funny, and a life-time caver.  He got us very close to the mouth of the first cave instead of the typical walk down to it, due to the rain.  And then the real fun began ...


All suited up and ready to go!

 

The glowworms living on both Islands of New Zealand are actually MAGGOTS.  As Norm said, calling them that would NOT be good advertising!  They are quite fascinating creatures and yes, Marty, I'm sure you will want to Google their life cycle :-) 

Like a spider, this is how they capture their food. 

Norm was really a great teacher

Glowworms thrive in wet caves because the water brings in nutrients and insects.  After walking through this wet cave for quite a distance, we boarded a raft, turned off all of our headlamps, and floated slowly through the most magnificent display of THOUSANDS of Glowworms.  What made the experience so unique is that Norm asked us to stay silent during the float, with no cameras. There was a waterfall ahead of us, which we could not see, but sounded HUGE.  As our eyes got dark adapted, the view intensified, including reflections in the water.  It was a microcosm of the macrocosm of The Universe.  Words cannot fully describe the grandeur ~ nor can I show you a picture. 

When we left the cave, the rain had passed!  We all enjoyed a warm drink and some cookies.

A short walk brought us to the second cave.



No hard hats needed here ~

This second cave was dry, so very few glowworms.  But it was fascinating to experience a dry cave, including bones of a long extinct moa.




The rain has passed! 

After the 3.5 hour Cave Tour, we hit the road again and drove another hour to our FINAL resting stop in New Zealand.  We are in a lovely 2 bedroom motel room in Hamilton.  We didn't arrive until 7PM, so we just had nibbles and champagne for dinner ~

Dennis and I did our regular unpack/repack to put all of our cold weather clothes away and PULL OUT THE TROPICAL clothes.  We are excited for the last part of this Very Brilliant Journey!

Happy St. Patrick's Day Eve!

Monday and Tuesday, March 14 and 15 in Lake Tarawera

Sometimes we forget how blessed we are with great weather. 

That is, until we wake up to big clouds in Napier on Monday morning.  What a glorious weather day we had on Sunday in Napier!

So we cleaned up our act and got out of our Napier house before 10 am.  We drove 2 hours north to Taupo, through some beautiful countryside, but in the rain and fog.  It wasn’t looking good for our Lake Tarawera arrival on Monday afternoon.  But Tony and Carrie sent their "seagulls" forward to clear out the clouds, and Dennis and I did our HIGH PRESSURE CHANTS.  

Our Monday lunch stop in Taupo at the Replete Cafe offered some interesting choices, but we REALLY LIKED the McDonald's a few streets over ...

A McDonnell Douglas DC-3 from 1943!  This plane served as U.S. military transport during World War II.  After the war, this plane became a commercial airliner serving the South Pacific until it was retired in 1974.  SO cool to see!  

Look at this cockpit!
They had tables inside the plane so you could eat your Mac-Whatever in the plane

 

Look at the small size of the doorway and windows!
 

Carrie and I were happy that we found another Salvation Army store to peruse in Taupo.  The guys are being very good sports about our bargain shopping.  I was happy to find a cute beaded necklace and Dennis got a Holden Race Team shirt!

Another hour plus drive and we arrived in Rotorua.  Tons of hot springs in this area, and parts of Rotorua are quite odorous!   As we drove through to our final destination at Lake Tarawera, we were glad that we didn’t opt to stay in Rotorua.  The town even has traffic lights, which we’ve seen VERY few of in the last 3 weeks. 

Our “home” is about 20 minutes east of Rotorua at Lake Tarawera ~ one of 18 lakes in the area.   The house isn’t very impressive at first sight ...

 

 but once we opened up what they consider the front of the house, which is lakeside,

WE WERE ALL BLOWN AWAY!

 

 

We had access all the way down to the Lake.  I went swimming!

This area has no Wi-Fi or cellphone access, so we were pretty much out of contact for 2 days.  AND THAT IS GOOD FOR US TECHNO NERDS!  However, we DID find free WiFi at The Buried Village just a few miles down the road from our place.  So OF COURSE we had to stop  in their parking lot and connect for a few minutes.

We woke up Tuesday morning to clouds, but we are thinking positive and believe they will dissipate.  Next adventure …. Zipline and Luge at Skyline Skyrides!  And what a blast that was!

 

 

 

 

The price was $100 NZD per person for the zipline and SEVEN Luge rides (that’s about $66 USD each).  The Luge involves steering a gravity fed luge to the bottom of a LARGE mountain.   The return trip to the top is on a ski lift, so one round, with waiting in line, takes about 45 minutes.   They had 3 different tracks and we got them all in.  None of us had ever done this before, and of course the guys were TRUE Speed Demons. 

 

 

And then came the Zipline … SUPER FUN!!  That was a first for all of us, too.  It just started sprinkling when we took our zip adventure, so we were blessed again.  

 

Dennis shot video during part of our side-by-side zipline.  But I will have to post that when we get home.  Wi-Fi has not been super fast for us.

We’ve enjoyed all of our dinners at home each night, and Tony has really done a great job grilling.  With a view like we have here, why would we do anything else?

 

 

Tomorrow (Wednesday) we will be off for our last full day and night.  We will visit the Waitamo Glowworm Caves in the afternoon, and then spend our last night in New Zealand in Hamilton.  It will be THE EVE of our FIRST St. Patrick’s Day.  We will get TWO of these holidays due to crossing back across the date after our flight from Auckland to French Polynesia on Thursday evening. 

 

The days in New Zealand are running out …