Road trip!

We've been driving down the South Island, making our way to Queenstown. You may have seen the Facebook photo, our album cover.

The reward for the long drive (in addition to getting to Queenstown for our upcoming trek) is a series of memorable vistas, only some of which I was able to capture with photos. (The family eventually rebelled against my photo stops).

One of the most rewarding stops was by accident. Sophie was feeling motion sick, so we stopped and took a short walk into the woods, where we encountered all of this.

To get a sense of the scale, check out CJ walking on the rock beach.

Everyone was sick of driving as we neared Queenstown. One redeeming feature, which none of us had even read about, was the remarkable wildflowers along the way. These final photo stops were largely responsible for the rebellion in the car by those who just wanted to get to Queenstown.

We made it. No more driving for several days.

Shagging in Abel Tasman National Park

We were, of course, observing the white and grey shags, two kinds of birds indigenous to the South Island.

Kayaking is also a great way to take in a beautiful part of the island.

Unfortunately CJ woke up with a pulled neck muscle. He stayed home, so Katrina and Sophie shared a kayak.

Along the way, we saw this guy.

Who then caught, dismembered, and ate a squid.

While this fellow was eating a mussel.

Overall, a successful sea kayaking adventure.

From sauvignon blanc to "Office Christmas Party"

We've made it Nelson at the north end of the South Island. In addition to beautiful ocean views, this is home to some great wine country. (The more famous and commercial Marlborough region is a couple of hours away.) The vineyards here are small and charming. So we did some tasting.

Other than that, we've mostly been exploring somewhat randomly, taking in the ocean views.

Nelson is a fun city with great food and a nice movie theater. There was pent up demand to see a movie, so several of us opted for "Office Christmas Party." It was mediocre but fun (and not as bad as the critics allege). Also, it was filmed in Chicago, making us nostalgic for home at the holidays.

CJ and Sophie burnish their political credentials (with guns)

Given a choice of many activities in Rotorua--everything from horseback riding to nature walks--CJ and Sophie opted to "shoot clays." These photos will no doubt help them in any future New Hampshire political races.

They both got the hang of it. Sophie was actually scary good. She hit seven clays in a row and looked like a natural doing it. I was reassured by the strong emphasis on safety.

Hobbiton: We just made Peter Jackson even richer (no regrets)

Of late, New Zealand has become associated with the Hobbit films, all of which were filmed here. So we got out our credit card for a visit to Hobbiton, the film set south of Auckland.

To begin with, the location is striking because it is the essence of the North Island of New Zealand. It is still a working farm.

Once inside, the place was remarkable on several levels. First, it was just fun to be on a movie set.

There is also some fabulous gardening, Hobbit films aside.

Also, we got a free beer at the end of the walking tour.

Strange things about New Zealand

First, there are the sheep. Everywhere.

Even on this driving range.  Seriously, look at the sheep grazing near the yardage markers.  (I did not hit any of them.)

Second, everyone speaks English! So strange, because we are still speaking Spanish. We have been going around saying "hola" and "gracias", which prompts all kinds of strange looks.

Third, we can drink the water. How weird is that? Drinking fountains!

Last and coolest: Poste Restante. This is a nice blast from the past. We wrestled with how we should carry all the books that we would like to read, since none of us are enamored of e-readers. Before we left Hanover, I mailed myself books to the central post office in Auckland. That's how Poste Restante works, just like in the old days. The post office holds the books until I arrive. So yesterday, I just showed up in Auckland and presented my driver's license. There were the books that I had mailed from Hanover way back in late August. Even better, I have more books waiting in Tasmania and Mumbai!

Farewell to South America

Wow. Can three months on the road really go that fast? Tomorrow we fly to New Zealand. (Fun fact: We'll cross the international date line, so we leave on Wednesday and arrive on Friday.)

South America has been a delight at every turn. Totally exceeded our expectations. The cities, in particular, were a huge pleasant surprise. We had expected that the big cities would be places we tolerated on our way to more distant adventures. Instead, from the moment we touched down in Cartagena, we have had a great time exploring: Medellin, Bogota, La Paz, Santiago, and now Quito. (Okay, Lima was a little lacking in charm.)

One of the things that makes these cities so enjoyable is the public space: parks and plazas. In that spirit, here is my homage to South America, beginning with Quito.

The plazas are home to much of the great architecture 

But for all the history, these outdoor places are also spots that are constantly alive with activity: families, couples, school groups, old people, young people. 

If you wait long enough, something interesting will happen: a parade, a protest, live music. (And if nothing happens, eat street food.)

So adios Ecuador. Hello Auckland.