Author: richwest3

Jan – May, 2013

In America the word kebab usually refers to shish kebab, which is chunks of meat threaded onto a skewer and grilled. In New Zealand (and for that matter the Middle East), kebabs refer to meat sliced from one large hunk grilled on a skewer and served with salads (veggies) over rice or piled on a piece of flat bread and wrapped like a burrito. Kebab places are very popular in New Zealand. (Kiwis say “ka-BAAB,” with a Baaaa like sheep.)

Basically you go into the establishment and place your order at the counter. The server will lay out your flat bread (or bowl of rice), add your meat of choice (beef, chicken, lamb, falafel, or any combo of those), and then add the salads of your choice (carrots, beets, lettuce, onions, rice salad, etc). On top of this goes hummus, and finally your choice of 3 condiments (things like garlic yogurt, aioli, avocado sauce, sweet or spicy chili sauces, etc.). It’s then wrapped like a burrito to be eaten out of hand or with a knife and fork. It’s like the Middle Eastern version of Subway, but the results are much tastier.

Tauranga and Mount Maunganui each have a branch of our favorite kebab eatery, Turkish to Go, so we could fulfill our kebab cravings no matter which town we were in. –Cyndi

May 2013

Once we were done with the haulout and back in our slip, time went by pretty quickly. We still had boat work to do, and now it was time to start provisioning. We weren’t in a hurry to leave as our six-month visa didn’t run out until early June, but it was time to start wrapping things up. We got our medical checkups done, started provisioning, did a few more boat projects (here’s a link to Rich’s favorite store and second home ) and managed to fit in a couple of sightseeing excursions. We had a very nice gathering of cruisers at Phil’s Place one night. People were heading off in various directions (going to other jump-off points or shipping their boats back to the US), and it was nice to be able to say good-bye before they left, especially those we wouldn’t be seeing again.

Meanwhile, the weather was getting colder. We were now running our heater first thing in the morning and at night. Our lunches at Phil’s were increasingly taking place in front of the fireplace. It was changes like these that made it easier to think about leaving and mentally prepare for the passage ahead.

On May 16 we signed up for a weather routing service and started waiting for a weather window. By now the cruisers we knew in Tauranga had gone, but we were having frequent weather discussions with cruisers in Whangarei, comparing notes and sharing information and opinions about possible weather windows. There was a promising window coming up and we all braced to go, but as it neared it just didn’t look so good. A couple of people went, but the rest of us opted to wait for something better. We made the right decision as they had a rough trip. In the end, no matter how much advice and weather routing you have, you have to go with your gut. The weather between New Zealand and the tropics is like the stock market, always a gamble.

Meanwhile, while we didn’t manage to climb the Mount again, we did enjoy some walks around its base. What a treat to have a place like this so close. Below is a gallery from a walk around the base of the Mount.

There is also a lovely little park in Mount Maunganui: Mount Drury Reserve, with a path that winds amid pohutukawa trees to the summit of a hill. It’s like a miniature version of the Mount and another great place to walk. Below is a gallery of the reserve. (As always, with both galleries, click to enlarge and scroll.) –Cyndi

May 22, 2013

Driving south along the shore road from Mount Manuganui, the businesses peter out quickly and private homes line the inland side of the road. On the other side are grassy dunes and a long stretch of beach. There are any number of places to park and take a path through the dunes to the shore; just pick any spot and go.

The beach here is nice, but it’s the dunes that are really special. There are trails that go among them but short on time, we headed straight to the beach. The surf makes the air misty, and combined with the light makes an ethereal feeling. There are plenty of shells to collect and (today at least) no people. There’s so much beach area in the Bay of Plenty that you can always find a beach to have to yourself.

Of course, being New Zealand, there’s always something surprising and unusual. Today’s surprise was the ring-necked pheasants. In other parts of the world they live in grassy meadows hiding from hunters and their hounds. Here, they’ve discovered the sand dunes. There’s enough grass to hide in, but nothing they really need to hide from. The only thing people hunt for here are shells or great wave, and dogs would rather run and play on the beach than chase big birds.

The pheasants even hang out along the roadside. We parked on the far side of the road and tried to get pictures but discovered that while cars whizzing by don’t bother them in the slightest, park a car and open a window and they flee like Lindsay Lohan evading the paparazzi. Apparently they don’t like to have their pictures taken. Thus, we have no ring-necked pheasant pictures. Oh well, we can always get a pose from a cooperative red-billed gull.–Cyndi

(You click to enlarge and scroll through the photo gallery at the top of this post.)

May 21, 2013 – Tauranga, New Zeland

The cold get going… to the hot springs!  That’s what we did and had a wonderful soak at Fernland Spa in a pool fed by a natural hot spring. -Rich

May 20, 2013 near Tauranga, New Zealand