New Zealand – A Meandering Mann

Last but not least, Sydney, the cruise and New Zealand

On June 16, 2026

Kiaora. I have been pondering how to do one last blog about Anne and my travels in Sydney, on the cruise and in New Zealand. Particularly New Zealand, Aotearoa. It made a deep impression on me but it is hard to pinpoint exactly why that is so. We saw and experienced so much while we were there, from cities, Wellington, Auckland, to natural springs flowing from deep in the earth, and natural hot pools, used only by locals and lucky travellers. So I have decided to predominately use pictures.

First the cruise.

Lincoln in our bathroom. About a 6” x 6” tile, high up on the wall. Why?

It was a very strange mixture of styles.

We had just seen this original in London, by Seurat, and this,

both in his Pointillism style. Note the strange pink spots beside it, which were everywhere. These pictures were in the stairwells

The stylized women were in the corridors. Not sure which decade they represent, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s.

Just the length of corridor from our door.

And to top it all off, as if there were not enough styles, I think that some of the ship was refurbished while Pirates of the Caribbean was popular.

Notice the pink pearls, just like the stair wells. I have no explanation for the completely mixed up styles.

Sydney was amazing.

Dangerously Modern, Australian and NZ women painting in Europe between 1890 and 1930

Iconic. Way ahead of it’s time and still awesome.

And on to New Zealand

Hot springs in the middle of Rotorua, fenced off of course. And no entry fee.

More water bubbling up from a spring in the Hamurana Golf Club, Rotorua, and such a lovely walk through more trees, redwoods included

Redwood tree walk in Whakarewarewa Forest, Rotorua, Bay of Plenty. They are young yet, an introduced species. The walkway is hung in such a way as to prevent or minimize harm to the bark. Timber is a major export.

The ferns were amazing, this one is at least 10’ across, but I don’t seem to have a good picture of the silver leaf fern, their national plant and the symbol of the All Black Rugby Team, and on the NZ team shirts during the current World Cup.

The mineral springs, steam and boiling mud of Puia Maori Village

And the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute in the same place, funded by the entrance fees. The picture is straight, the roof is slanted. 2 – 4 year apprenticeships in wood carving, stone carving and basket weaving, free for participants.

Napier and the Art Deco Festival, around which all of the trip was planned, and was as great as hoped for.

Such a great shot of Anne

And another

Illusive, scurrying, solitary Kiwi at the National Aquarium in Napier

A lovely day at the Mission Estate Winery

Ohau Channel, near Rotorua, more skyscapes…..

The Maori name for the New Zealand is Long White Cloud

The Ladies Rest, Memorial Square, Napier

Sky scapes never get boring

The Moko artist, Te Wehi Preston and a piece of Maori art I brought home with me.

I had the large paw done first, it was supposed to be subtle, but they persuaded me it would not be seen in brown. I should have insisted. So later I added the small paws but it still did not feel finished. Te Wehi spoke to me for a while and we chatted about life and my dogs, etc and he picked up a marker and drew the design. Towards my elbow it is about strength, and life’s ups and down, with fine lines to protect from negativity. They represent the stockades around their villages. The other half is about love, for my dogs, they for me and all the others who I love and love me.

Maori are very present in every day life, and I think that is a large part of what impressed me. Maori is one of the official languages, and signs are often in Maori and English. Their presence is very much present in conservation work and many acres of land have been preserved or are now used in a way that serves many people rather than being exploited. To them the land, water and soil are treasures and sacred, and they are the guardians. And it is evident. They have been able to exert their beliefs in an effective way.

These are small examples, but I got the feeling that not much happens regarding the environment that they are not included in. There is a right wing government in power at the moment, and there has been push back against some progress achieved, but I think it has too much momentum not to continue in the future.

Hobbiton, had to be done

By Maggie

On April 1, 2026

In Posts

I thought I had written this blog, and was very surprised when I could not find it with the others! I had just curated the pictures. Visiting Hobbiton was an almost last minute decision, and because of that the only booking that would work for us was 8.30 am. Very early for me, but Anne booked us into a lovely Bed and Breakfast 500 yds from Hobbiton itself. A short commute.

The Bed and Breakfast, not surprisingly, had DVD’s of the Lord of the Rings, and to refresh our memories of what happened in The Shire we watched the first 40 minutes, from when Gandalf arrives to their escape from the Black Riders who are seeking the One Ring.

It is a very well organized operation, what tourist site isn’t these days, and our guide was from……… Calgary, Wyatt, and no, he, nor anyone else was dressed as a Hobbit. But he was very good.

They have done a great job of maintaining and expanding the original set of The Shire. It was used for The Hobbit as well, and will be used for the upcoming Gollum, if it is made, I heard murmurs that it may not be.

They have paid lots of attention to small details, and I am sure they have a whole villages worth of gardeners on staff, both for the home gardens and the vegetable gardens. There must be a lot of maintenance as well as the props are left out outside the houses, including the clothes on the clothes lines.

Honey

Bread

Cheese

Ale?

Veggies. Who needs a supermarket, take a walk around the village, chat to neighbours and buy your sustenance.

All of the houses you have seen so far are just facades, including Bilbo’s, the picture above, however, there is a couple that can be explored. A relatively new addition I believe. We went into Samwise Gamgee’s, from when he returned to The Shire, married Rosie Cotton.

And had children

And a dog

The bathroom,

But the kitchen is the most important place in a Hobbit house must be the kitchen, breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, lunch……

The attention to detail is amazing, and the hand pump works

All in all it was great fun. Can you tell from our smiles?

We walked down to the village centre

To the Green Dragon pub for a beverage. The first three he told us about were an Amber Ale, Sackville Apple Cider and Frogmorton Ginger Beer. I thought I would have the Ginger Beer, non-alcoholic, it was only about 10.30 am, until he mentioned the Oat Barton Stout. It was delicious.

Of course the exit was through the gift shop, which we made good use of, and further dented our credit cards, and lunch on the patio was delicious. A great prelude to our next adventure, which I have already written a bit about, The Art Deco Festival in Napier.

Some final shots

Art Deco Festival, Napier, NZ. February 18 – 21 2026. Part 1

By Maggie

On February 20, 2026

In Posts

It has been a busy two days in this Art Deco town, beginning with a walking tour, The Inside Story Walking Tour. Two down, two to go. Most of the inside photographs come from that tour

This and the next two pictures are from the inside of a Gentleman’s club. The first thing they built was a billiards room. It was one of the buildings that survived the earthquake and subsequent fire.

And among other things they added two card rooms. Women were finally admitted in 2022, probably because they needed new members, and now in 2026 there is a woman president. Funny how exclusively male clubs can still exist. I can’t help feeling they are a patriarchal dinosaur, but also know that it is a male hideout where decisions are made that affect all of us.

The inside pictures here and following are from businesses that have restored their properties for modern use but maintained the Art Deco interior. They have done a great job.

The above shots are from a bank, and it was my birthday. I enjoyed the Internet Banking sign against the Art Deco backdrop.

The guide told us about different variations of Art Deco style, Prairie (in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright), Spanish Mission, and I know there was more but I can’t remember at the moment. I will have to read up on them, how they developed and intersected. I also really enjoy Arts and Crafts, which is associated with Frank Lloyd Wright among others.

The entrance to the bank above

Our guide directing us to look up when we went into the store. This what we saw.

It has survived through many uses of this retail space.

The old Art Deco Centre

The new Art Deco Trust Centre, the restored Women’s Rest.

We need a break between images!

Louis Hay was one of the very active architects responsible for the rebuilding of Napier after the 1931 earthquake that destroyed most of the town. He liked flat frontages, not balconies being supported from below, so the balconies in this hotel are behind the facade.

This is another of his buildings. It has changed from tobacco to alcohol. It is a gin distillery and we went to an art opening The Bees Knees by Jane Gibbons. Art and gin were both good.

Just a random, unoccupied shop door, waiting for a new future.

And the entrance close up

And decor

It is getting late and tomorrow is a Workman’s breakfast at 8.15 am. We are being taken to breakfast on a vintage steam traction engine around the seafront and on to Ahuriri.

Last picture. A perfectly framed alleyway. Any mistakes, such as the interior snot being connected to the exterior in this post are mine.

Not in any particular order. Auckland

By Maggie

On February 12, 2026

In Posts

Embarkation in Sydney with Anne, my high school friend

Anne and I were at sea. From February 1 to 12th, and the cruise ship kindly provided us with digital detox, being unwilling to pay the exhorbitant fees to be connected to the internet. We did have shore time, i.e we could squeeze in some connectivity addiction but not long enough to write a blog.

Auckland was our third stop on our cruise around the North Island of New Zealand, and although we had not booked a shore excursion, we found a hop on, hop off bus. I suggested we go to the end of the tour and work our way back. Slight problem with that thinking, it is a circular tour! But none-the- less enjoyable. We alighted at Bastion Point, where you can see amazing views, although where can’t you in Auckland?

View of Auckland, sea and sky, returning from from Bastion Point

There is sea on both sides of the city and the architecture is interesting and varied. It makes Toronto look sad to my mind.

In the 70’s an Auckland mayor, name forgettable, decided to sell what is know as Bastion Point for an upscale residential development. However, the land is sacred ancestral land to the Māori, and they set up an encampment which remained in place for over a year, but did not succeed at the time. Due to persistence, however, in the 80’s it became Takaparawhau, owned by Ngati Whatua Orakei and co-managed with Tamaki Makaurau. Wish I knew completely what that means, probably different tribes working together.

However, at the top of the hill is a monument which is quite elaborate and dominates the area. It did feel a bit like tit for tat to us.

Rosemary hedge. Always a pleasure to see rosemary growing so profusely, it is a tender perennial in Ontario and winter survival is always a happy surprise and never ever a hedge.

I enjoyed the tour of the city, we saw popular residential and shopping areas such as Parnell, and Newmarket. At only about 1.5 million it seems like a very liveable city, and the sailors among you may be tempted by the fact that there are more boat owners per capita in NZ, and I think specifically Auckland than anywhere is else in the world.

The above success, at Bastion Point, in reclaimed sacred land reminds me of similar encampments and confrontations in Canada, some with and some without success. One that did not immediately succeed in Auckland was a prime area for development. The Māori residents were moved to government housing and their homes burned. Only the cemetery survived. Now however the area is a park for the enjoyment of all, very much in line with Maori beliefs.

New Zealand has three official languages, Māori, English and New Zealand sign language. Māori appears first, and then English. It is enjoying a strong revival and is taught in school to all children. Their respect for the land and their cultural wisdom are becoming part of everyday life here from what I am hearing and seeing. Kio ora is said as a welcome, by all people, it is the equivalent to hello, but it translates to a wish for them to have life and health, and can also mean goodbye. I still cannot pronounce Aotearoa, but would like to. It is the Maori name for New Zealand, and means long white cloud, which we could clearly see from the ship.

My hesitation in using another’s language is getting the accent right, which is silly, because most like people to try anyway as a sign of respect.

Our big ship, Carnival Splendor, their spelling, not mine or Annes’ who it particularly annoyed.

My first towel art occurred on this cruise

Thoughts, quirky insights and experiences in my meandering life.

Tag: New Zealand

Last but not least, Sydney, the cruise and New Zealand

Hobbiton, had to be done

Art Deco Festival, Napier, NZ. February 18 – 21 2026. Part 1

Not in any particular order. Auckland