Summer in New Zealand

It's still all about horses!

2011-01-05T09:43:00.001+13:00

(Now with the trip over, I've arranged the posts in chronological order.)

January 9th, 2011

I arrived in New Zealand on New Year’s Eve. A long and un-eventful three plane trip with 20 hours in the air and 10 hours in layover time. I watched the New Zealand film "Boy" on the plane. I recommend it.

The view from the farm.

I'm staying on a farm owned by Brian and Marianna Hayworth near a small town called KatiKati. We're about two hours drive south of Auckland, the biggest city in New Zealand. From the farm we look out from the coastline to the east to the mountains to the west. It's a beautiful location.

I kinda figured that Marianna and Brian would be great people to work for. Our emails gave me that impression and I’m totally right. They, and their two sons who are at home are delightful people. They have a “Home Stay” (Hostel) and Marianna runs a horse program that includes lessons and treks. I’ve already been involved with both.

There are seven horses here…all good looking and well behaved. I’ve ridden three. So far and my favorites are Freedom (on the right), a beautiful pinto with gaits similar to a Tennessee Walker and my most favorite, Snoopy, a very well behaved and smooth gaited bay mare. I seem to have great luck with bays.

I live in an old (but clean) caravan right next to one of the paddock, so at times I hear horses from my bed…just like in South Africa last summer/winter. The caravan is right behind their “Home Stay” lodging with includes two bedrooms and a lounge/kitchen which volunteers use as well as guests. Currently there is another volunteer, Marika, a woman from the Netherlands who also has great horse experience. We’re having fun working together.

Snoopy and I explore the farm country.

I’ve been riding several times…taking out some guests the other day and fun rides with Markita and Marianna. We can start rides right across the road with trails in the forest that connect to the farm country. There’s a lovely stream about ¼ mile down the trail and it’s large enough to swim a horse.

There are beautiful flowers everywhere

Marianna organizes treks, inviting local horse folks for wonderful rides. She calls it "Horses for Fun."

My first trek was to the beach. For this trek we trucked/trailered our horses to the meeting place on the beach. There were about 25 people on this ride.

Our group heads out on the Beach

The forest come right up to the coast line.

We also headed inland. The area has many of these windbreaks.
I thought they were really old, but in NZ, thing grow very quickly
so these were only maybe 30 years old.

Lunch Break before swimming
Marianna swimming on Snoopy!

The second trek was to the south of the “Home Stay” into the farm country. The pictures speak for the beauty that is all around us.

The farm country around where I live.

An old rural "post office"

The third trek was up into the hills. This was the funnest ride so far. Again, there were about 25 people and the guide for this trek upstaged me by being 79 years old! The vast open spaces are SO beautiful. The pictures say it even better….

Getting ready for the trek.

Heading out

This beautiful fir tree is only 50 or so years old.
I found that hard to believe, but that's what the locals told me!

30 years ago, I met a fellow, Paul Gillingwater from New Zealand while I was working for the Krotona Institute in Ojai, California. Paul and I, along with another fellow, Craig Burkus had great fun hanging out together. So when I decided to come to NZ, I was able to track Paul down. He and his wife now live in Vienna and both work for the United Nations there.

View of the Auckland Bridge from the (hopefully) dormant volcano cone.

But as fortune would have it, he was here for the Holidays and we met in Auckland for a great reunion. They were staying at the Theosophical Society headquarters in Auckland…a lovely old building quite near to downtown. In fact I’m going to stay there as I leave New Zealand at the end of February.

I’m feeling pretty lucky (again)…I’ve found myself a great place for another adventure.

It's still all...well mostly about horses....

2011-01-04T14:59:00.000+13:00

I'm into week four at the horse farm. And while it’s still about horses, this last few weeks have been about a lot of other stuff too.

We’ve been to the beach several times. The other day, we took a wonderful hike to a beautiful and private beach. It took us about an hour to get there and we went through some beautiful natural forests.

These fern trees are everywhere...I love them.

Marianna loves these trees too!

Marika and I and a fabulous view!

When we got to the beach, we shared it, at most, with four or five others…and the beach was at least a mile long.

It was deliciously hot.

I decided to take the train to Wellington.

Wellington is at the south end of the North Island and is their capitol. The train goes through some beautiful country.

One of the stops was at a ski town…which since it is summer was pretty dead, but I think it might be where my friend Mike Power hung out years ago when he ski patrolled here.

I think the ski area is on this mountain (valcano) called Ngaruhroe .

It was cold when I got to Wellington…probably about 55 and windy. But, while it didn’t really clear up, by the next day it was warmer and the wind had died down.

There's a great cable car here....

When the two shall meet.....

I'm not the only one who likes swimming...
But for me it was a bit too cold.

I took this pix for Woody.

The Te Papa Tongarewa Museum here was wonderful...
I spent most of a day there.

Of course there have been more rides….in some beautiful country.

Snoopy and I have a swim!

And aside from having a swimming pool right here at the farm, there’s a wonderful swimming hole about a half mile away.

Macy and I having fun...

We had six inches of rain the last couple of days and the swimming hole became a raging river!

My swimming rock is under water!

Next week we go on our (my) first three day trek....what fun.

The endless summer - - almost

2011-01-03T15:38:00.000+13:00

My stay here in Katikati is over half over. Somehow that seems like a milestone to me.

Lake Rotoiti - a valcano crater!

Since the last blog we had a great trek to a large camp called Lakes Ranch near Lake Rotoiti in the central part of the north island. There are several lakes in this area and I think all of them are volcano craters. Since valcano action is still a potential, dormant is about the most accurate description of these craters. Brian said one day "New Zealand isn't too safe a place to live!"

The camp came equiped with 3 swimming pools heated with the thermo activities in the area.

They also have a beautiful large indoor riding arena for lessons, training and showing horses. Since rain can happen at anytime the indoor venue is needed. We were lucky though...for our stay, it only rained at night!

Rides out of the ranch usually went to Lake Rotoiti.

Marianna leads us out.


There were about 40 riders,so crossing the highway needed careful coordination!

We went to two different areas on the lake, one was especially good for swimming.

And swim we did!

Marianne leads a first time horse swimmer.

The horses play water games when they first get in.

Our new horse swimmer is having a blast...and so is Marianna!

There are lots of beautiful eucalyptus trees here.
But they aren't as fragrant as the California ones.

There is a Redwood forest near the ranch that was planted about 100 years ago.

It seemed like an oxymoron to have fern trees in the underbrush of Redwoods!

"Kiwi" is an experssion that's use to describe anything that's "New Zealand." Yesterday I had a couple "Kiwi Moments." There was an A&P Fair in Katikati which is kinda like a 4H fair in the States.

I can remember rides like this when the "carny" came to Wheaton!

A&P doesn't stand for Atlantic & Pacific, but Agricultural and Pastoral. It was like taking a step back in time!

I can remember a hay bailing machine like this in the '50 in Ojai.

And the blue ribbon goes to.....

Dressage competition.

Highland dance competition. Any else remember John Coats doing this?

There was even trick riding!

And here some Scottish weight throwing games!

I thought I'd try putting a short video on:

Often times we go on impromptu rides to the beach. Snoopy loves the water.

And last night there was the third of a 4 concert series produced in Katikati with a group from Auckland called The Nairobi Trio...only there are four.

It was great jazz with a jazz violin and soprano sax with the bass and guitar. I had my Centrum "Fiddle Tunes" T shirt on and the violinist saw it right away. We had a cool conversation in the break critiquing the sound!

Upcoming, I have another quick trip to Auckland with Marianna and Brian's son David to look at the media school "SAE", then a 3 day trek to Ragland on the west coast.

The Other Side...of the Island

2011-01-02T10:19:00.000+13:00

This blog is more about the pictures than anything else.

I just got back from an amazing trek at Te Rete Station, a 4,000 hector ranch (that 10,000 acres!!!) on a peninsula that forms Potoorangi Bay on the west side of the north island near Raglan. The ranch is owned by David and Nicky Peacock and the trek was organized by the Waikato Hunt Club.

The ranch reminded me of a ranch in Eastern Washington or Montana....

Ready to head out....you can see the tent for meals in the background.
It was there in case it rained....it didn't.

Heading out...with over 70 riders. I've never ridden in such a large group!
I've never even been involved with that many horses! And amazingly, it was OK!
(See my Port Townsend Athletic Club T shirt. It was a conversation starter.)

We headed down to the west side of the peninsula and the beach.

...a wide black sand beach. I'm told the sand is exported
to Japan!

Of course both Marianna and I shot pictures.
It was great to share them when we got home.

Crossing the outflow of a river.

There were these cool caves...I called them grottos.
Snoopy's head gives perspective.

The horses didn't particularly like the caves.
They wouldn't even stick their noses in!

We rode all day...and were never off of the ranch.

The land was mostly rolling hills with mountains in the background.

This was our lunch spot the first day. It was where the ranch 4x4s could bring it to us.
Tough huh?

Back at the camp ground...after about a 20+ mile trek.
"An old cowboy went ridin' out one dark and windy day..."

The camp ground may have looked pretty basic,

but the owners were nice enough to let us use their pool...which

of course both Marianna and I did...several times.

Evenings were times to socialize...and there was a band on Saturday night.

The next day, we headed east from the camp through the "bush."

On the beach of the east side of the peninsula looking north.

The owner, David Peacock lead this ride. He
told us history of the land. There was a mission here
at one time.

I saw a vastness I haven't seen here before. It had the feel of a large Montana ranch but surrounded by water.

We rode over to the west side of the peninsula and looked down
on the beautiful rock formations.

What a viewpoint....

Looking west to the Tasman Sea
and Australia

As I say, the pictures tell the story. It was an amazing experience for me, and for Marianna too and was without question one of the experiences of a lifetime. And Marianna arranged for a full moon. I heard the horses running as I went to sleep...just like in South Africa.

Next week I go up to Auckland for a few days, staying at the Theosophical Society headquarters there and then to Sidney and then home to PT. It's been a great trip but I'm sure looking forward to PT...even if it is drizzling!

Last few days...

2011-01-01T11:53:00.000+13:00

There were a couple of beautiful waterfalls on our hike.

My last week in Katikati was relatively quiet. Some nice rides, a little hike and on my last day a long solo ride on Snoopy ending with both of us taking a swim in the river.


The hike started with crossing this suspension bridge. It was very much like ones we crossed in Nepal 15 years ago.


The trail went up a canyon where there had been lots of gold mining. There were lots of tunnels, some we went through some were dead ends.


Where there's water it doesn't take long for Marianna to jump in!

So it was time to head home...after two wonderful months...saying good bye to my wonderful New Zealand friends..and of course Snoopy.

Before I left New Zealand, I spent a couple of days in Auckland staying at the Theosophical Society and going to museums, learning about the Maori. Then on to Sidney.

I didn’t realize what an amazing city Sidney is. Big…4 million plus and beautiful.

I met up with Pia VanGelder, part of a family I’ve known most of my life. She’s an artist in Sidney and turned me on to this amazing painting in a gallery just a few blocks from my hotel.

It was at Gallery 9 on Darley St. near Kings Cross. It’s titled “Indian Chamber” and was completed in 2010 by Anna Kristensen. The painting was done in a round "room." You go in and close the door...and experience!
I did a 360 degree pan inside. Click the video below.

Sidney has several icons...perhaps the most famous is this bridge...the coat hanger bridge.

Another is of course the Opera House...quite close to the bridge.

I stayed in the Kings Cross area...which has lots of beautiful Victorian buildings.

Sidney is full of artwork....

City Hall was flying the Rainbow flag. It was Marti Gras Weekend!

Like I say Sidney is full of artwork!

Australia has wonderful beaches for surfing...I went to Bondi Beach...and waded.

So I said good night to Sindney and in a little more than 24 hours I was home.