Opposites

I'm still trying to get my head wrapped around the fact that we are on the other side of the world, and not just far west, but far south.  Everything is opposite in this land.

The obvious is that they drive on the left side.
It is our first time south of the equator.
It is another day, on the other side of the International Date Line
The sun is in the north in March
The trees are starting to turn as fall approaches
Families just finished their summer break and are back to school
I cannot see the North Star in the northern night sky.
For the first time, I can see the Southern Cross
We are 18 hours different than Central Time zone, so hard to get used to our afternoon being your evening (of the prior day).
Right hand turns are a challenge to turn into the far lane.
Every time I cross a street, I have to concentrate to look to my right for traffic.
Wine harvest has started....in March!

There are many times when we just have to laugh.  The people are all very friendly, but many have asked us what we think of "Mr. Trump".   We like him we say, and they all want to know how the press got it so wrong.  Politics is a big topic it seems, and no one we have met,  has as bad of image of Mr. Trump as the image the papers seem to paint.   Everyone we have met, like Americans, and like the US.   That is good to know.   We can all share a good laugh over politics.

I do miss March Madness.  I did not think I would, but to not be able to see the games has been a problem.   We are checking our phones all day long to see the scores.   Go KU.

We passed the gates of Mordor today.   Last night we stayed along the shore of Lake Taupo.  It is the sunken caldera of a gigantic volcano that reaches 22 miles across.   It is a beautiful lake surrounded by high peaks, all volcanic.

The peaks of Mt. Tongariro (2250 meters) and Mt. Ngauruhoe (1900 meters) are off to the south of Lake Taupo, and covered in clouds in this photo.   Steam is escaping from Mt. Ngauruhoe, which erupts every hundred years or so.   It is due.   (Do not ask me the proper pronunciation of these words.)    

Tongariro is the mountain used as the backdrop in the movie series for the  Lord of the Rings.  It is a pretty bleak mountain as you get close.

You can almost see Frodo and his faithful companion Sam, as they tried to enter the Black Gates of Modor.

We are making our way south down the North Island.   Tomorrow we will be in the wine region around Martinborough.    We will be there two nights as we take some time to visit several vineyards and do some wine tasting.   I do not plan to drive too much tomorrow.  

Our biggest disappointment is that even with a month to explore, there is so much to see, and no time to see it all.   We were unable to go north of Auckland to the Bay of Islands, which is a sub tropical region much like the Caribbean.  Now as we go south, there are National Parks, hiking trails, water falls, that we just cannot get to.   We have to be in Wellington by Wednesday evening in order to make our ferry crossing to the South Island on Thursday morning.   

We are having a few issues with the camper, and will have to spend some time in the morning at a repair shop, which further limits our exploration time.   But that is the nature of the beast.   But then it will be on to the vineyards.   

Our phone rang at 4:30 am this morning, it was Lauren Hogan with news of the death of his wife Joyce   He had been trying to reach me for a day, but for some reason his texts, and calls were not making it through.   Joyce fought a 15 year battle with Ovarian cancer, and was fortunate that she lived long enough to see her kids graduate from college, and her son marry, then they had twin baby boys last summer.   Lauren seems to be holding up well considering the circumstances.   The service is Sunday in Northbrook, IL.   

She will be missed.