Today, Jeanine and I hiked an 8-mile section of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, one of New Zealand’s great tracks. We boarded a water taxi that deposited us at Bark Bay, and then we made the 4-hour hike to Anchorage Bay, where we returned to our home base at Kaiteriteri again by water taxi. Most of the trek is in tropical vegetation leaving you unaware of the shear cliff on the ocean side of the path. Occasional, there is a gap in the trees affording views of the ridiculously beautiful beaches.

Bridges are encountered frequently as you traverse the many streams that feed the bays. The suspension bridges were my favorite, reminding me of the hiking I did in the Himalaya.

Bark Bay

Sandfly Bay

Jeanine soothed her feet in Anchorage Bay while we waited for our water taxi.

We bid the North Island farewell this morning as we departed for the South Island by ferry. I spent the entire 3-hour voyage on deck and was rewarded for enduring the chilly wind when a pod of about 100 dolphins seemingly came out to investigate the ferry. During their brief visit, I got several great images.

The ferry route to Picton concludes with a narrow corridor formed between a massive peninsula and the island of Onauku pictured below.

After docking, we drove 2 hours to Kaiteriteri, where we are staying for three nights, steps from the lovely beach.

Our rental car spent most of the day in a downtown Wellington parking garage, a welcome respite from driving for me. We visited the Wellington Museum in the morning. There, I learned about the Wahine ferry disaster. Wellington is the windiest city in the world, and on April 10, 1968, 125 mph gusts in a severe storm blew the Wahine onto the Barrrett Reef causing it to eventually capsize and sink. 53 souls lost their lives in the worst maritime disaster in the countries modern history. Wellington is also well know for early developments in steam power (see model below).

After lunch, we took a 3-hour small bus tour of the entire bay area with a very knowledgeable and funny guide.

A side thruster propeller from the ill-fated Wahine located at a memorial to those who lost their lives.

The final stop was at the base of the famous Wellington Cable Car. We rode up, passing through the colorfully lit tunnels and arriving at the top for a brief tour of the Cable Car Museum and the Carter Observatory.

After the tour, Jeanine visited the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa while I opted to photograph a Pride Day parade happening in the city.

Castlepoint was our destination for this morning. Jeanine hiked up to the lighthouse and took the photo below. I climbed up the central spine of Castlepoint Reef and put my drone to good use. On my way down, I almost tripped over a dozing seal. I am not sure who was more surprised, but I know who ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could. The seal was quite territorial and I was not able to descend past him without risk of being attacked. It took quite a bit of effort but I managed to scale my way down in a different area.

Next, we set out for Wellington, stopping only for the aerial photo below of a typical New Zealand farm and lunch.

Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne is a one-square-mile urban ecosanctuary set around a picturesque reservoir. It is home to some of New Zealand’s most rare and extraordinary wildlife. A perimeter fence keeps all the ground animals inside the park while birds stay for the food they find among the native trees. We toured the sanctuary for several hours before checking in at our AirBnb.

This morning, we drove for 2 hours to the Tongariro National Park, where we spent an equal amount of time hiking to the Taranaki Falls. The weather was perfect, and the 65-foot falls were full with yesterday’s rain. Tongariro is New Zealand’s oldest national park, a dual World Heritage area, and home to three active volcanic mountains, two of which are pictured below. After visiting the park, we drove 4 hours to Masterton. Despite my earlier claims about the lack of straight and flat roads in New Zealand, a good portion of our journey today had such stretches and a speed limit of 62mph which made the trip much less arduous.

Our primary destination this morning was Mount Taranaki in the Egmont National Park. Unfortunately, our good weather luck ran out and we faced high winds and driven rain. We had planned to hike to the Wilkies Pools and Dawson Falls but decided to forgo the former in the interest of safety. The falls were spectacular and more than justified the drive. I had hoped to photograph the three volcanoes in the park but they were covered in clouds while we were there. With a few extra hours on our hands, we decided to stop at Waihi Beach and were greatly rewarded for the detour. The beach is strewn with huge pieces of driftwood and rocks shaped by the waves and wind. During our visit, the wind speed rarely dipped below 20 mph.

Our final destination for the day was the city of Whanganui, where we visited the Durie Hill Memorial Tower before checking into our quaint AirBnb. Once settled we ventured into the downtown arts district where Jeanine purchased a pair of earrings and we enjoyed a Japanese dinner for a change of pace.

The Waitomo area features several limestone caves that are inhabited by glow worms. Only the Ruakuri Cave permits photography inside. It also contains stalactites, stalagmites, curtains, popcorn, and limestone formations of all manner. Access to the cave is by a spiral staircase that is beautiful in its own right. It also makes this the only wheelchair accessible cave in the southern hemisphere. Our guide allowed me to use my tripod for the glow worm photo which would have been impossible otherwise. Even so, the photo is not that great. You really have to see these in person to appreciate them.

After our visit to the cave, we had hoped to hike to the Three Sisters and Elephant Rock. Unfortunately, it started to rain so heavily that we opted to drive directly to our bed and and breakfast in New Plymouth.

Rotorua is known for its rich Māori culture and otherworldly geothermal landscapes. Today, our focus was on the latter. We spent several hours hiking through the Waimangu Volcanic Valley where we were treated to some very beautiful sights. When we arrived at the Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland we had just missed the entry time cut-off of 3 PM so I had to settle for a high altitude drone image so as not to disturb anyone in the park.

Prior to our geothermal adventures, we visited the National Kiwi Hatchery, where we got to see an 11-day-old baby kiwi and three juveniles. Regrettably, photography of birds within the facility is strictly prohibited, so I had to settle for the image below. It is estimated that a total of 25,000 birds remain in the wild and the hatchery has contributed 10% of that number to the total since its inception moving the national icon off the critically endangered list.

Here is what a real baby Kiwi looks like (from the Smithsonian website).

Rotorua is also known for its amazingly dark skies. For the second night in a row, we enjoyed a spectacular view of the Milky Way galaxy. It is a shame that this has become such a rare opportunity for most people.

Neither Jeanine nor I have read or watched the Lord of the Rings or the Hobbits trilogy. At the behest of our kids, who are rabid fans of Tolkien’s works, we included a visit to Hobbiton to our itinerary. I am thankful we did. Even absent context, the place is magically wondrous. The attention to detail and whimsy that can be found everywhere is amazing. Note to kids: These photos are but a tiny sampling of all the photos I shot. We thank you for encouraging us to visit this special place.

After a light snack at the Green Dragon, we drove to Hell’s Gate, a sulfurous geothermal site near Rotorua. It was interesting but not particularly photogenic, and neither one of us was interested in taking the mud baths for which it is best known.

Jeanine learned of a nearby Kiwi bird rescue sanctuary, but we just missed their last tour when we arrived. After reserving a spot for tomorrow, we took a tour of the next-door Agrodome, where we were introduced to 19 species of live sheep, three breeds of sheep herding dogs, watched demonstrations of sheep sheering and the dogs playing (literally running across the backs of all the sheep in the back row) and working (driving sheep into a pen). On a tractor tour of the farm we had a chance to feed the sheep and lamas.

Our day finished with a Mitai Maori Village dinner and cultural experience. We learned about the Indigenous people of the area and witnessed their forms of welcome, celebration, and warfare. I was chosen as Chief of the visitors and had to meet with the local Chief on stage and give a speach on behalf of my tribe (the 200-person audience). Maintaining uninterrupted eye contact was crucial to demonstrate our good will and to prevent the outbreak of hostilities.

The tiny town of Hahei, population 300, receives half a million visitors a year who flock here to visit Cathedral Cove and the other natural wonders of the coastline. We started the day with a boat tour that was both informative and thrilling as we flew over the 1 meter swells en route to the geographic features of the coastline and into the Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve. Our fist destination was Cathedral Cove and the arched sea cave for which it is named. Later in the day we would return on foot.

The Orua sea cave, located further south, was equally impressive and large enough for us to maneuver into with the boat.

Mahurangi Island is a sanctuary for birds, sea mammals, fish, turtles. and also features sea arches and caves.

After our boat tour, we hiked back to Cathedral Cove. It was a relatively short 2.6-mile round trip with steep up-and-down sections that left my knees barking by the end. Totally worth it.

In the afternoon, we visited Hot Water Beach where it is possible to dig into the sand allowing hot water to escape to the surface forming a hot water pool. The water, with a temperature as hot as 147 °F, filters up from two underground fissures. Visitors dig large holes and relax and soak in the thermal baths. Click on the overhead aeriel view to observe the many excavations and styles of relaxation.

After Jeanine got her fish tacos at Hotties, we set out for a 2-hour drive to Matamata.

This morning, we set out for the small town of Piha, located on the western coast. There, we hiked to the Kitekite Falls along one of the most beautiful trails I have ever had the pleasure of traversing. Our early start gave us sole access to the falls and basin below. Typically, the latter is full of people splashing about.

We then drove to North Piha Beach, where Jeanine soaked up some sun while I flew my drone.

Rinse and repeat for South Piha Beach.

We then made the 3-1/2 hour drive to Hot Water Beach, located on the eastern coast. Thus far, the roads have been well-maintained, as in a well-maintained roller coaster ride. A straight and flat section of roadway is as rare as the endangered Kiwi birds.

We are staying in what amounts to a tiny house without a bathroom. It is quite adorable, actually. It has a queen-sized bed, a tiny table with a pair of chairs, a dorm-size refrigerator, and not much else. Bathrooms and showers are located in a separate building. There is also a communal pool, food court, and play areas.

Jeanine and I arrived in Auckland at 5 AM this morning. We cleared customs quickly and then spent more than a short while configuring our phones with travel data plans. Unable to contact our rental car agency for pickup, our first hike in New Zealand was to the rental car agency in the rain. Fortunately, it was only a 15-minute walk and we packed light. Our first destination was Mount Eden (Maungawhau), a volcanic peak with hiking and jogging trails leading to views over the Hauraki Gulf. Despite a slight drizzle and heavy cloud cover it was a great way to wake up our legs as we hiked up to and around the ancient caldera. Afterwards, we treated ourselves to coffee and pasteries at a French bakery that Jeanine described as the real deal.

In light of the rain, we decided that our next stop would be indoors and chose the Auckland Aquarium. I was most captivated by the jellyfish displays, although I could have easily spent the entire day watching the penguins in their very realistic habitat.

By noon, the rain stopped, and the skies cleared, so we set out for Waitipu Beach on the western coast, about an hour’s drive from the capital. We practically had the entire black sand beach to ourselves but opted not to go into the water after Jeanine discovered dozens of Portuguese man o’ war washed up on the sand. Their sting will not kill you, but are said to be excruciatingly painful.

Jeanine opted for shore combing while I put up the drone for some aerial photography.

We arrived back in Auckland by 3 PM and visited Auckland University before checking into our downtown hotel.

Jeanine found a lovely Italian restaurant within walking distance, and we enjoyed a stroll there that afforded us a nice view of the Sky Tower.

Jeanine and I arrived in San Francisco yesterday evening after our 7-hour flight, where we boarded this New Zealand Air flight for Auckland. Fortunately, we had strong tailwinds, which cut the normal flight time from 12 hours to 11. For the first time in my life, I was able to sleep comfortably on an airplane. I credit this to a new neck pillow that I purchased and a pair of compressions socks. I can only hope the return flight will be as comfortable.

Jeanine and I leave on a 5-week adventure today. We will spend a month in New Zealand and a week in Sydney, Australia. While we are away, Nico will be house-sitting for us.

This has been a much-anticipated trip for us, and we are happy that all the planning and preparation is behind us and that we are ready to embark on our journey. I decided to review some of my photographs from past adventures to places of natural beauty and can only hope that I return with as much bounty on this trip.

Pictured above is Mount Fitz Roy on the border between Argentina and Chile taken with my drone when I traveled there with Nico. Below is the village of Gasadalur on the Faroe Islands.

Unified basketball is a sport that combines students with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team to promote friendship and understanding.  Nico and Brian Scalabrine were celebrity referees for today’s game at the Concord Middle School. Brian is a current television analyst and former player for the Boston Celtics. They are pictured here with Justin Cameron, the CMS Principal, before the start of the game.

Maya and Nicolai joined us for brunch this morning. Kyle is still traveling in Columbia. Jeanine prepared Japanese pancakes for the first time, and they were a huge hit. In the afternoon, we spotted a Bald Eagle perched right outside the kitchen window. Unfortunately, a tree branch prevented me from capturing a better image.

Jeanine and I completed packing for our upcoming trip to New Zealand and Australia. My two bags are pictured above. They contain clothing for 5-weeks, including rain gear, a camera and three lenses, a drone and controller, a tripod, trekking poles, and a laptop. If not for the fact that trekking poles are not permitted in carry-on, checking bags would not have been necessary. On this trip, I have allowed myself a few luxury items; a pair of slippers, an inflatable neck pillow, and a windshield mounting kit for my phone to facilitate navigation while driving.

Our niece’s daughter, Charly, celebrated her birthday with what must be her favorite meal: mac and cheese, tacos, and fruit. If I had to guess, fruit may not have been on the wishlist. I have yet to meet Charly, a situation that must be rectified before her next birthday.

Jeanine and I agreed that the landing between our main floor and basement would be ideal for displaying a dozen family photos taken over the years. I completed the project this evening, and we are both very pleased with the outcome. They are perfectly located to draw the eye when traversing our main hallway. Because they are most closely observed while going up and down the stairs, any given photo can be viewed at eye level, depending on which tread you are standing. It will probably take as long to furnish the house with art as it did to build, but it feels good to have started the process.

Recent snow, freezing rain, and sleet have left most driveways in our neighborhood covered in thick, bumpy ice. I am pleased to report that our drive is in excellent shape and to share the reason why. Our most recent precipitation event took the form of 4″ of dry snow followed by an inch or so of sleet and freezing rain. The trick was to snow-blow the snow the moment it started switching to sleet (4 AM) and then to snow-blow and shovel again when the sleet stopped and before temperatures dropped below freezing (8 AM).

I have spent the better part of the last three days editing over 3000 individual posts on this blog to remove advertising content that was inserted by a malicious attack. Ice-covered streets and sub-zero wind chill temperatures have made it easy to focus on the task. The last repaired entry included the image shown here which I thought I would repost. Has there ever been a more angelic child?

Left to my own devices, I buy over-salted soup in a can. Fortunately, I had the good sense to marry Jeanine, who creates masterpieces from healthy ingredients. Yummy.

Occasionally, it is fun to look back in time. Today, we venture to February 2005, when the family was on vacation in Florida. As I recall, I had to twist a few arms to convince the kids they would enjoy a visit to the Kennedy Space Center, given their strong preference to remain at Disney World for an extra day. When we see the kids (Maya and Nico; Kyle is still in South America) next weekend, I will inquire as to what they remember of the visit.

Never have I seen a more compliant dog while being groomed. This photo is from Kyle, who is working from Medellin.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, I treated the love of my life to breakfast in bed. The menu included a red pepper, onion, cheddar cheese omelet, sourdough toast, orange slices, and coffee with frothed whole milk. Later in the morning, we drove to Gloucester, where we had lunch at George’s. I ordered a Reuben sandwich, the best one I have ever had in my life. Thus fortified, we continued to Niles Beach, where we started a walk to the Eastern Point Lighthouse. Although the air temperature was in the low 30s, the high winds made for a very chilly outing. We continued our adventure with a stop in Rockport before returning home.

In mid-July, we will be traveling to Galway, Ireland, to attend the wedding of Brooke and my nephew, Mario. He is the first of his generation of Calabria’s to get married, and we are thrilled for him. Brooke is the nicest person you will ever meet, and we are delighted she will join our family. Mario is the son of my brother Mark, who also got married in Galway. Our entire family plans to attend the wedding, although Nico may have a schedule conflict with the World Cup qualifier tournament.

Concord is well known for its poor cell phone coverage/reception. This is due to the community’s disdain for cell phone towers and the consequent lack thereof. Finally, however, approval has been granted for a new tower to be constructed on the town’s retired landfill site. I am hopeful, that this will improved service at our house which is less than 1-1/2 miles away. What remains to be seen is how the ~175 foot hill that lies between us and the antenna will impact coverage.

Until today, we have not seen icicles hanging from our roof, something that was a frequent occurrence at our prior homes. The pictured icicles looked like a frozen crashing wave and were only present on our garage, which is unheated and uninsulated. In the winter, the air temperature in the garage is always higher than the outside air due to three sources of heating; (1) solar heating of the outside walls, (2) thermal bleed from the wall shared with the house, and (3) the heat thrown off by the electric cars after being driven. It is easy to imagine a scenario where the garage roof becomes warm enough to melt snow while the outside air temperature is below freezing. By contrast, the roof over our living areas are highly insulated and made from light-colored aluminum which reflects solar radiation. The surface is much less likely to ever become warm enough to melt snow while outside temperatures are cold enough to make icicles.

While on a walk in the neighborhood today, Jeanine and I came across this shoveled-off area of ice in the woods. Jeanine postulated that the unshoveled area in the center was formed in the shape of a football and that this was a tribute of some kind to the Super Bowl. I theorized that this small patch of ice was cleared to form a mini ice rink, although there were no carved tracks to support this idea. For now, this sighting will remain a mystery.

Last night, we received only 4″ of the forecasted 5-8″ of snow for our area. This was just fine by me, as it is my job to clear the drive and walkway. This photo is courtesy of our surveillance system, which e-mails me photos of anyone entering or leaving our driveway. Our snowblower is battery-powered and thus far has managed to clear everything on a single set of fully charged batteries. I always have a second set on trickle charge, should they be required for deeper or wetter snow.

Jeanine and I took advantage of the perfect winter day for a half-day road trip to Boston’s south shore. Our first destination was the Scituate Lighthouse, which we reached by way of a 3-mile walk around the Scituate Harbor. We rewarded our effort with lunch at the Lucky Finn Cafe, which lived up to its reputation.

Our next stop was the Lawson Tower. Described as the most beautiful, most photographed, and most expensive water tower in the world, it is said that Lawson’s wife Jeannie was thrilled with her new home until, in 1901, the Scituate Water Co. decided to build a 276,000 gallon, 153’ high steel water tank in the town center. Mrs. Lawson saw this massive standpipe as a monstrosity and urged her husband to do something about it. Having made a fortune in the stock market, he was happy to oblige her wish.

Our stop at Cohasset Cove was the first place we observed sea ice. The cove is fed by a brook whose fresh water mixes with the salt water, resulting in a brine that freezes at higher temperatures.

Glastonbury Abbey in Hingham, was founded in 1954, and is part of the Swiss-American Benedictine Congregation.  This property was previously the summer estate of William Skilton, a wool merchant who had died in the early 1930s. After Skilton’s death, the estate served various purposes, including being used as an inn, dance parlor, bachelor officers’ quarters during World War II, and a day camp. Pictured below is the observation tower.

We ended the day beach-combing on Nantasket Beach where we collected several lovely shells and completed Jeanine’s 10,000 steps for the day.