Kia ora is a Māori language greeting which has entered New Zealand English. It means, literally, be well/healthy and is translated as an informal hi. It is also used as a farewell and expression of thanks.
16 hour flight from Los Angeles, 19 hour time difference – meant I left Friday night but didn’t arrive in Auckland ‘til Sunday morning. Yikes, where did Saturday go? EVERY day’s a run day but my first run in New Zealand would be on Colorado time 🙂 Restroom stall change-of-clothes, packing service watched my luggage, then logged 4 miles on NZ’s North Island. Heavy humidity & cloud cover, but no rain. Hung a right outta International, mile+ past Auckland’s Domestic Terminal, then north…running roadside – pasture on the left, swampy waterway on my right. Much of this former swamp’s been drain — ‘reclaimed’ in New Zealand talk. Meanwhile…my CT bestie Dawn arrived via San Francisco. Airport splash bath, taxi to town centre, first night digs at the Grand Millennium.
Luckily, caught a few zzz’s in Economy…’cause my NZ two-island itinerary didn’t include a rest day. LOL> Bags at the hotel, prepaid voucher on Auckland’s Hop-on Hop-off Tour. Double-decker YELLOW bus, four long blocks toward the Harbour.
Rode thru a handful of stops, already afternoon so was super selective with my Hop-offs. Auckland Museum, check – that’s my stop. Walked the perimeter, viewed the War Memorial Statue, then crossed Auckland Domain (city park) to Winter Gardens [self-toured past a local cricket match]. The grounds of Winter Gardens, stunning. Introduced to a multitude of tropical flora native to the Island.
2nd stop – quick hike up Mount Eden. Off a plane for 6 hours now…so why not? 🙂 Short quarter-mile trek UP, long walking path ‘round the rim of an ancient/sacred crater, depression from a dormant volcano. Absolutely serious. WOW, just WOW!
Hotel return, power nap, Sky Tower before night fall. Similar to Seattle’s Space Needle, great view of the harbour. Bit unnerving on the Skywalk, standing high above traffic on see-thru glass. Yikes!
730am bus to Rotorua in the morning – but not before a 10K treadmill trot at the hotel gym (running on NZ time now).
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- Hello from New Zealand!
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- Auckland Museum
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- Auckland War Memorial Statue
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- Winter Gardens
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- multitude of tropical flora native to the Island
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- Auckland Domain (city park)
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- quick hike up Mount Eden
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- volcanic crater depression
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- Auckland skyline
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- Mount Eden summit
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- Sky Tower
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- YIKES!
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- high above on see-thru glass
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- Auckland Harbour Bridge
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- Good nite, Auckland 🙂
Auckland Domain (city park)
Keenan • NZ is my ‘you’re not gonna die so drain your savings’ celebration 🙂
February 22 at 11:36am •
NEW ZEALAND in only 9 days!
half marathon Wednesday [13.5 miles] – channeled my inner angry girl [Pink on the iPod], negative split 2nd Half [work day time crunch] – NEW ZEALAND in only 9 days! #cancerfree
Sandra • looking good, just like a winner should.
Keenan • Thanks Sandy — life is really really good.
Sandra • I’m glad for you. I’m happy too. Life is good.
Preston • Glad you’re back in your running shoes!!! Wishing you lots of energy and fun.
Stacy • So awesome!!!!
Keenan • NZ is my ‘you’re not gonna die so drain your savings’ celebration 🙂
Stacy • Sounds like a MUST meet up for sharing coffee, stories, and photos when you get back!
Dawn • There are too many more places to see!
Keenan • Agreed, travel buddy!
Gwendolyn C • Good luck!
Ellen • Yay!!! I’m so proud of you, high school chum!
Gwendolyn R • Inner angry girl negative split lmao I might need to try that hat trick!
Keenan • HAHA – Pink was my jam today. 2 hours of angry girl – best!
Gwendolyn R • PERFECTLY PINK Have a blast in New Zealand can’t wait for the pics!
Erin • You’re awesome K*!!! Good luck!
Sarah • Gotta love Pink for motivating!!! Have a blast in NZ…can’t wait to hear all about your adventures there!
Keenan • Mark your calendar – Toronto, May 2017!
Sarah • oh ya… I keep forgetting that LOL seems so far away…
Tina • Amazing! Look good, K*! Miss you. Please come down to our area so, we can have a reunion soon.
Millie • You go K!!! Love & miss you, Aunt Millie
Will be out-of pocket most of March — but expect some amazing blog posts when I return. New Zealand, how crazy is that?!! WOW, WOW, WOW! ❤️
**Every Kiwi Quest needs an ITINERARY – here’s mine (and another marathon too)**
AU converter for my iPhone
Daylight hours from 7:30am – 8:00pm, take a raincoat and pack an umbrella! March tends to be Queenstown’s wettest month of the year. Temperatures range from 40-65 °F.
- Auckland
- Flight arrives 7:30 AM
- Hop-on Hop-off Tour 9am – 4pm, ½ hour intervals
- Grand Millenium Auckland CHECK IN after 3pm
- Sky Tower
- Leave Auckland & travel to Rotorua
- Rail New Zealand Tour 7:30am – 4:59pm E ticket
- Overnight in Rotorua at Apex on Fenton
- Leave Rotorua & travel to Christchurch
- Happy Ewe Tour 10:00am – 1:00pm
- Flight to Christchurch 4:00pm departure, 5:50pm arrival
- Overnight in Christchurch Airport Palms Motel
- Jet Boat Tour
- Scenicpacific Tour Alpine Safari Train – Jet Boat – 4WD 8:00am – 6:00pm
- Overnight in Christchurch Airport Palms Motel
- Pick up car APEX rental @ 9:00am & travel to Franz Josef Glacier
- Real Journeys Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise, phone 0800 65 65 01
- Depart Christchurch – views of Waimakariri River before Arthur’s Pass Hwy 73
- 2 hours to Castle Hill – stop and crawl on boulders
- 2 more hours to Hokitika Gorge – hike & explore
- Lake Kaniere (if time permits)
- Down west coast to Franz Joseph
- Overnight in Franz Josef Alpine Glacier Motel CHECK IN by 8pm
- Travel to Queenstown
- Minnehaha Walk (possibly Thursday night instead – glow worms in rainforest)
- River Walk (suspension bridge – good view of glacier)
- 5 hours to Queenstown – go past and do Glenorchy-Queenstown Road with great views of Lake Wakatipu
- Overnight in Queenstown Blue Peaks Apartments CHECK IN by 9pm
- Tour Doubtful Sound
- Real Journeys Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise 7:15am – 8:15pm
- Overnight in Queenstown Blue Peaks Apartments
- Tour Queenstown
- Nomad Safari Tour (half day)
- LOTR Scenes Wakatipu Basin 8:15am – 12:15pm
- Queenstown Gardens
- Gondola/Luge Park
- Overnight in Queenstown Blue Peaks Apartments
- Nomad Safari Tour (half day)
- Travel to Dunedin
- 3 ½ drive
- Olveston House Tours 9:30, 10:45, noon, 1:30, 2:45, 4:00 (people usually spend 2 hours here)
- Larnach Castle & Garden 9:00am – 7:00pm self-guided tour option
- Railway Station (said to be a must see)
- Cadbury World 9:00am – 3:00pm 1 hour tours
- Overnight in Dunedin Scenic Hotel Southern Cross
- Tour Dunedin
- See prior day list as all won’t be done in ½ day after getting there
- St Clair beach
- Overnight in Dunedin Scenic Hotel Southern Cross
- Travel to Oamaru
- Moeraki Boulders 75km north of Dunedin, 40 km south of Oamaru
- Victorian Precinct
- Blue Penguin Colony (evening, pay, stands to watch)
- Yellow-eyed Penguin Colony (evening, free)
- Overnight in Oamaru The Criterion Hotel
- Travel to Hamilton
- Breakfast Included at Criterion Hotel
- 3 ½ drive to Christchurch to return car (noon return time)
- 2pm flight departs Christchurch arrives 3:45pm Hamilton (Alternate flight departs 6:15pm and arrives 8:00pm)
- Pick up Avis car by 4:30 (rental closes at 5pm)
- Overnight in Hamilton (North Island) Novotel Tainui Hamilton
- Hamilton/Matamata
- Tour Hobbiton (2 hours) 10am tour – arrive by 9:45 to check in
- Sanctuary Mountain self-guided options 8:30 – 4:00
- Overnight in Hamilton Novotel Tainui
- Hamilton/Auckland
- Kirikiriroa Marathon to start at 7:00
- Hamilton Gardens
- Waikato Museum
- Travel to Auckland (2 hour drive) Drop off for car at Airport is 8pm
- Flight is 11:10 pm
Marathon done, no friends to tag behind – last day in Russia.
Woke Monday to sunshine, first rays my entire Moscow stay. Gorged on a lavish breakfast buffet, showered, layered up, grabbed a local map & hit the pavement. Best guess: no more than 2 miles from Red Square, multiple art & history museums. Have feet, will travel.
Prospect Mira to Lubyanka Square, up & under multiple street crossings, left on Teatralnyy. First stop: the Bolshoi [Theatre], iconic home of the Russian ballet. Point, click, snapped my shot. Continued thru a park littered with Communist statues, popped out in front of the State Historical Museum. Attempted to purchase lamb kebabs at an outdoor kiosk; received 2 lamb chops, pickled cabbage, sauerkraut, sweet pickle & a hard dinner roll. Yeah my Russian is pretty lousy these days…but hey, I didn’t starve 🙂
Slow stroll thru Red Square. No time constraints, took time & studied the architecture. Circled St. Basil’s Cathedral (far end of the Square), bridge-crossed the Moskva River – STUNNING view of the Kremlin, gleaming white & gold inside its red brick fortress.
Bridge returned, took a right – and got in some art history. Self-toured 4 Orthodox cathedrals (one monastery), all garish with religious artifacts, marveled at their dome construction. Entered 2 Metro Stations…just to see the art. Finished the day at McDonald’s – yep, McDonald’s. 2 cheeseburgers & a Coke. Not my finest moment…but appreciated knowing exactly what I was gonna get.
and blink…that was it. Home in morning – 28 hours & 7 time zone changes later; travelling back in time, would be a day that seemingly never ends. 17 years [after my expat assignment], super thankful for the opportunity to revisit Mother Russia.
My heart is full. Большое спасибо!
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- Bolshoi Theatre
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- Minin & Pozharsky Monument
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- Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed
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- the Kremlin
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- Russian Orthodox church (Храм святой великомученицы Варвары)
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- Russian Orthodox monastery (Собор Иконы Божией Матери Знамение в Знаменском Монастыре)
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- goodbye Mother Russia
до свида́ния Russia
