Day 3 & 4– December 27 & 28:
Big part of this trip is keeping us moving and still living out of suit cases. So this morning we had to repack everything and squeeze it back into the car (not a small car mind you). We made sure to get another swim in the pool before checking out. A short drive to the shopping district to get a few essentials (hair brushes, SD Cards, two pairs of shoes, and a hair cut), then we were on our way to our second destination. The Te Karaka Lodge; our farm stay. So, up to this point, New Zealand (via Auckland), hadn’t looked that different than other cities we had been. It is very nice, there are tons of sail boats, and the islands are really neat…sort of like Seattle. Our drive out of Auckland heading south (to Port Waikato) also seemed a lot like parts of Oregon and California (save for driving on the wrong side of the road). However, there was this moment, just after crossing the Waikato River and heading off on a dirt road that we found ourselves in a totally different place; something we have never experienced. Strange hills, rocks, trees, wild goats, birds, and a landscape that truly looked out of this world…or at least like Middle Earth. Indeed, we drove through areas used in the filming of Lord of the Rings.
Side note, we are getting a lot heat for not visiting Hobbiton (the LOTR set). The thing is while I hear it is cool, it is just a set. Whereas the rest of New Zealand used in the movie is just naturally cool!
Back to the lodge. We are now knee deep in NZ with sheep all around us and rolling and rocky hills. We come around after 45mins of dirt roads to Station 1833; a mid-size Farm with sheep and cattle and one hell of a luxury guest house for out of towners pretending to be farmers. This is best told in pictures, but this place was spectacular. Private chef (Dom), and hosts Aaron and Deni took care of our two-night stay that included fine dining customized to our dietary needs. To be clear, it was our family and one other couple getting pampered by this staff. We had two rooms in this lodge which is all of 3 months old. Beautiful views surrounded us as we got time to relax and be taken care of. We had a farm tour which included learning about the livestock and witnessing herding sheep using two brilliant dogs. Also, we got to go to a private, black sand beach with a fancy pre-packed picnic lunch for the afternoon. NBD. If you are avid followers of our travels, you will recall several years ago when we visited Bruges in Belgium and stayed on a farm there; Katy threatened not to leave. And here we are again, with Katy begging for a job (she was the official gate opener) and ready to ditch the family.
New Zealand Day 5
Big part of this trip is keeping us moving and still living out of suit cases. So this morning we had to repack everything and squeeze it back into the car (not a small car mind you). We made sure to get another swim in the pool before checking out. A short drive to the shopping district to get a few essentials (hair brushes, SD Cards, two pairs of shoes, and a hair cut), then we were on our way to our second destination. The Te Karaka Lodge; our farm stay. So, up to this point, New Zealand (via Auckland), hadn’t looked that different than other cities we had been. It is very nice, there are tons of sail boats, and the islands are really neat…sort of like Seattle. Our drive out of Auckland heading south (to Port Waikato) also seemed a lot like parts of Oregon and California (save for driving on the wrong side of the road). However, there was this moment, just after crossing the Waikato River and heading off on a dirt road that we found ourselves in a totally different place; something we have never experienced. Strange hills, rocks, trees, wild goats, birds, and a landscape that truly looked out of this world…or at least like Middle Earth. Indeed, we drove through areas used in the filming of Lord of the Rings.
Side note, we are getting a lot heat for not visiting Hobbiton (the LOTR set). The thing is while I hear it is cool, it is just a set. Whereas the rest of New Zealand used in the movie is just naturally cool!
Back to the lodge. We are now knee deep in NZ with sheep all around us and rolling and rocky hills. We come around after 45mins of dirt roads to Station 1833; a mid-size Farm with sheep and cattle and one hell of a luxury guest house for out of towners pretending to be farmers. This is best told in pictures, but this place was spectacular. Private chef (Dom), and hosts Aaron and Deni took care of our two-night stay that included fine dining customized to our dietary needs. To be clear, it was our family and one other couple getting pampered by this staff. We had two rooms in this lodge which is all of 3 months old. Beautiful views surrounded us as we got time to relax and be taken care of. We had a farm tour which included learning about the livestock and witnessing herding sheep using two brilliant dogs. Also, we got to go to a private, black sand beach with a fancy pre-packed picnic lunch for the afternoon. NBD. If you are avid followers of our travels, you will recall several years ago when we visited Bruges in Belgium and stayed on a farm there; Katy threatened not to leave. And here we are again, with Katy begging for a job (she was the official gate opener) and ready to ditch the family.
New Zealand Day 5
