DAY 16 ROTORUA TO AUCKLAND

The day started with a threat of rain.  I was counting on a wrong prediction and as luck would have it I was right.  The overcast told us that it could happen anytime.  As we are moving north it is getting warmer, almost tropical.  The natives that settled this land spend most of their time in the north as it is in the 35^th parallel.  It is only the white settlers that eventually settled the entire New Zealand archipelago.  Why go where it is colder when abundance of food and shelter is in the North.  It is a strange phenomenon for a person raised in the northern hemisphere.    The ride takes us north to Tauranga and Waihi the site of an open pit gold mine.  There is a large earth moving truck at the site and more equipment  in the hole.  A classroom full of young children were taking classes on the workings of the mine and we took pictures and went into town for lunch.  The towns are so loaded with people and tourists that parking becomes premium.  We manage to get 3 bikes into a slot with the 4^th looking elsewhere.  We like the sidewalk café as it gives us a chance not to offend anyone with the smell of our riding clothes.  People watching is always a good pastime in these towns so we can stare back at those that think us strange.  We continue our journey stopping  where necessary and covering the points of interest.  WeT eventually reach Hwy 1, the main road to Aucklund.  As we enter the motorway we encounter more cars than we have seen on the entire trip.  Auckland is truly the population of NZ.  The instructions were perfect and we almost arrived at our motel; Best Western Barrycourt.  It was all good except the Best Western pulled out 6 month ago unbeknownst to our guide.  All is well as we did get bunked in and made ready for the next day with yet another great meal offering.  Feeling the need for an after dinner walk, Thomas from Baveria and I walked to the church where Sir Edmund Hilary was celebrated in his recent passing.  It is a beautiful structure with an old wooden church alongside.  We spoke with a couple of elderly ladies of the church and a seemingly elder.  They spoke of a concert the following night but our schedule called for another destination.  As we exited the church a young girl came up to us and asked about the church, we explained we were visitors and she asked where from.  Germany and the west coast, I replied, and she asked me where I said Oregon and she said she was from Portland.  She was teaching at the University in the school of optometry on a one year visa.  She then spoke to Thomas in his native tongue and explained she had traveled Germany extensively with her ex-boyfriend.  She was originally from South Dakota where I surmised her parents were of German descent.   As she walked on her way I thought what a small world this really is and how lucky we are to be part of it.  I got home and shared the story with Masa but I think he was too sleepy to comprehend until the following morning.  Speaking of tomorrow we are traveling to the Northland and a beach community called Paihia.  We will spend the next two nights there. 

DAY 17 AUCKLAND TO PAIHIA

A beautiful clear morning with our first stop at the Auckland store of Te Wai to exchange Masa’s BMW 650 for a Suzuki 650.  Masa  suffered the first few hours until he bonded.  I think he felt more like he bounded as the SV was lower and stiffer than the bike he gave up.  The reason for the exchange was that there was a BMW 650 promised for hire the following day and the one sent from Christchurch to fill the order had fallen off the truck and broke into fragments.   Masa was gracious enough to try out the SV and he wishes he hadn’t.  I am sure he will bond with the bike for the next few days.  The weather is improving by the hour with sun breaks and warm temperature.  Our first important stop is the Museum at Matakohe where there is the most elegent display of Kauri wood.  This is one of the most dense woods in the world and the products made of it will last a lifetime.  The display shows mill equipment from the early 1800’s and different fixtures from different periods.  We have lunch while our gifts are being set up for shipment.  The gift shop is great about including postage home as it is impossible to carry gifts on the Machines.  We are then on the way to the Kauri forrest where in route we encounter 3 women from Ireland that looked lost.  At first Franz tried to help them in German and that only confused the problem.  I arrived at their car and the first question was do you speak English?  I do but not what you are used to!  They were looking for the big tree in the Kauri forrest.  It was straight ahead about 50 K so I jumped in front of the pack and used up some of the finest twisties on the trip.  I waited for the gang in the next town but they went to the big tree as well.  So off I am by myself heading toward to Omapere where one of the best vistas of the coastline is revealed.  A couple of photos later I am on the way to our destination at Paihia.  This village is located on the coastline with sandy beaches and beautiful vacation homes.  It reminds me of many of our small beach towns in Oregon except the weather is warmer.  We are on the 35^th  parallel and it is easy to see why the place is so attractive.  Tomorrow we will have a day off and do some exploring. 

Open pit Gold Mine

Gold mine truck

Auckland Harbor