Sydney: (Not Quite) First Impressions

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Aaron in Aaron's Blog | 2 Comments

So while I will be trying to give my first impressions for all of the places we visit, having been to Sydney about 15 years ago, I can’t quite claim this to be a first impression. Instead, just think of it as something slightly tempered by youthful, past experience. Be that as it may, it felt good to be back in the Habour City (notice that’s “Harbour” with the extra British, emperial “u” added in). It makes sense that this is Sydney’s nickname as the city is defined, to a great degree, by its famous harbor. When in and around downtown, you’re never far from water, and this is part of the key experience of the city. From the newly renovated and chic Darling Harbor area, to the Ferry’s launching off of Circular Quay, to the old attractions next to the sea at Luna Park, Sydney is intimately connected to water.

North New Zealand

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Nao in Naoko's Blog | Comments Off

（１３日夕方から）１４日目－１６日目：

Aucklandは、上のマップに載っていません。。。右下のNorth Shoreよりも少し下です。車でAucklandを出発して、目指すは、一番左上のCape Reingaです。

まずは、レンタカーを借りて、右側真ん中より少し下にあるWaipuへ。特に何もすることがなかったので、車で通過しました。日も落ちてきたので、今日の寝る場所を決める為、Waipeから更に北へドライブ。Paihiaへ向かいました。

ビーチが目の前にあるはずですが、夜で真っ暗の為、何も見えず、とりあえず、駐車場に車を停めて、車内にて就寝。 Read more

Sunday Roast　/ Gelato / Old Saint Paul’s church / Delicious dinner

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Nao in Naoko's Blog | 2 Comments

１１日目：

特に何したって事ではないですが、美味しいものを食べた２日間だったのでご紹介します。

ブランチは、Courtenay Place沿いにあるパブにて。お値段なんとこの量でたったのNZ$6です！

街中をプラプラし、ホテルに戻って休息。夜は、１階のパブで、サンデーローストを食べました。　（NZ$13.90）

デザートは、とっても美味しいジェラート屋さんにて。　ピスタチオ＆ボイズンベリーをコーンで（NZ$5.80） Read more

A Trip to New Zealand’s Far North

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Aaron in Aaron's Blog | 1 Comment

The northern part of New Zealand’s North Island is known reverently as the Far North. To those of us from the States, it is not, geographically speaking, that far (about 400 kilometers or so to the northern tip at Cape Reinga), but in a psychological sense, it feels very far. In a country of only about 4 million people, with a third living in the South Island and another 1.2 million stuck in Auckland, the north is a place where few live and it feels far removed from the every day experience of most kiwis. Additionally, given that going north in the southern hemisphere is equivalent to going south in the north, the far north boasts some beautfiul, warm vacation areas that are highly desirable as holiday destinations.

Having already spent a week in the City of Sails, we decided to rent a car and go up north to experience some of the North Island’s further reaches. We headed out from the airport and headed up State Highway 1, headed for the Bay of Islands, an area full of, strangely enough, a large number of small islands (I never said the kiwis were creative with their naming). Getting there late, we used the tried and true technique of sleeping in a car park in the back of our rented van. Waking up in the morning, we sat by the ocean to enjoy the beautiful, sunny start to the day.