Queenstown "Adventure Capital of the World"

If you have the “need for speed” or the desire to throw your body off things, then Queenstown, New Zealand is the place for you. Queenstown has pretty much cemented its place as the “Adventure Capital of the World” because both bungy jumping and river jet boating were invented here. We decided to conclude our time in New Zealand in this lake side town because of its natural beauty, and it seemed like a good spot to spend a whole week over Christmas and Mat’s 15th birthday. It is now they day before we leave, and we have loved every minute of it. We have done a little of everything – high speed adventures, good hikes, fun shopping in town, and great family time for Mat’s birthday and Christmas.

The first full day here was Mat’s birthday, so he chose to start off with river jet boating with Shotover Jet Boats – the originator. I have put my jet boat through some crazy runs, but nothing comes close to this. Flying both up and downriver at about 60 mph, in about 4 inches of water, and coming literally inches away from the canyon walls and dry river bottom. Had us all on the edge of our seats, but loved it. Check out pics on “Planes, Trains”. Charlie’s choice of death defying fun was the white water body boarding. This is another sport that would never be allowed in the U.S. They give you a wetsuit, and a helmet; strap a body board to you and throw you in a Class III river – See you at the bottom. Actually they are very professional and did a great job of making sure we had fun and keeping us from getting sucked into the many whirlpools we went by. Charlie was a hit with the guides because nothing scared him, and he happily threw himself off of the highest jump rock they showed us. I have never been in this kind of whitewater, and I definitely have a new respect for this type of water sport. Check out pics on “Where are the Reeve boys”.

My “me” time came in the form of a couple of great hikes. The best one was right behind our place and went to the top of Queenstown Hill, about a thousand foot climb. Great trail through the woods, incredible views of town and surrounding valley, and some thought inspiring artwork at the top. Check out pics on “Friends along the way”. Sally’s favorite time was spent strolling through the beautiful town with a multitude of shops and restaurants, as well as, having a date night where we could enjoy our dinner without refereeing a brotherly fight. This place was busier then anywhere else we have been, but not too busy. Never a time where you wanted to strangle the person in front of you. This is a very civil country with great manners, and it rubs off on people. Christmas was different this year because we have never been away from home, and New Zealand does not overwhelm you with the Christmas hype, like the U.S. does. There are very few outside decorations and not the mind-numbing feeling of “buy, buy, buy”. Santa was able to find our foreign address and was even able to surprise the boys with a few things. We miss not being home with all of you, but have really enjoyed just having time together as a family. Sometimes the simple things make the difference, and we realize how being together is more important than our normal day to day lives take into account.


“What Sally? Yes, Dear I’ll be right there”. Excuse me…. I have to go beat the boys. They are fighting over one of MY Christmas presents and driving Sally crazy. Aren’t families wonderful!!! We love you all and can’t wait to report from Sydney, Australia. Good Day Mate.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Queenstown, New Zealand

Sally, Mat, Charlie, and I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. We are having a great time in Queenstown, but miss not being at home with our family and friends for this special time. Santa comes to New Zealand first, and he was very nice to us all. We look forward to hearing from you, so please put a comment on the blog or email to let us know how you are. I will do a complete blog on Queenstown soon, and then we are off to Sydney, Australia for New Years.

Milford "Oh My God!" Sound

When I first started researching New Zealand’s South Island, one of the top areas of interest I kept reading about was Milford Sound. As I mentioned earlier, it is not actually a sound but a fjord. The difference is that a sound is a natural occurring body of water connected to the sea. A fjord was once isolated from the sea, but glacial retreat eroded the barrier and allowed the sea to flood the region. Based on the reviews I read, I decided to book an overnight cruise that gave a unique perspective of the area. The cruise was the destination, but the drive into and out of Milford was the surprise. It takes about two hours to drive from Te Anau, and the entire trip is breathtaking. You slowly work from high alpine meadows to extremely narrow and spectacular gorges lined with peaks as high as 8,000 feet. The construction of the road is also impressive, knowing that it was done before most newer advances in machinery and GPS location were invented. There is even a tunnel (Homer Tunnel) to reach the final valley. The tunnel was dug by hand, through solid granite and is about a kilometer long and has a considerable downhill pitch as you head towards Milford. Going downhill in a very dark tunnel on a slippery road in a campervan got my sphincter meter pegging!! Once we reached the ship terminal, we checked in and waited for our trip to begin. The nice thing about the overnight cruise is that all the day trippers leave by 4:00 PM and so the entire area is void of boat traffic except the two overnight cruise ships.

We got lucky when they upgraded us to the more luxurious boat (We got two separate suites instead of all sharing one bunk room). The boats only hold about 60 people and the service/attitude of the entire crew is unmatched. Even though it was a bit windy on the sail out, the sky cleared which gave amazing views of the landscape. This area has more waterfalls then I have ever seen (even more then the Napali coast in Kauai). One of the more impressive falls is the Sterling Falls, which is three times taller than Niagara Falls, but not as much water. It comes out of a hanging valley with the glacier in the background. Because this is a fjord, the walls of the valley are extremely steep, some over vertical, and the slope stays the same below the water. You could be looking straight up a granite face over 3,000 feet tall, the boat is less then ten feet from the wall and the water is over 1,000 feet deep at this spot!! This allowed the captain to literally put the nose of the ship into some of the waterfalls and drench whoever stayed at the bow. Yes, Charlie and I did it. Check out some more pics on "Planes, trains..."

After cruising around the entire perimeter of the sound, we moored in a protected cove for the night. They then launched the boat tenders and kayaks for more exploring and nature watching. We went on the tenders because you got to go out farther out and look for fur seals. We found several small groups and really enjoyed the all the information the nature guide shared with us. Once back on board, Happy Hour commenced until dinner time. The crew said anyone who wanted to go swimming could go for a dip off the rear of the boat. In retrospect, I think they were just kidding… I was the only one to take the challenge and dove in the 10 degree water (Celsius) before I did the conversion or remembered that I was only 1,500 miles from Antarctica. Can you say “Shrinkage”?? After finding a way to breathe with my “kibbles and bits” in my throat, I swam around for a few minutes hoping Charlie would join me, but he is smarter than I thought and stayed on deck with the rest of the crew just smiling at the shivering fool in the water. Where was my Sarah Wrap (wetsuit) when I needed it??
Dinner was fantastic, and all was prepared on board. It does not get dark this far south until 10:30 PM so you have a very long sunset which gave amazing views all through dinner. The Captain even put the boat in gear and turned the helm all the way to one side so the boat did slow circles around the mooring buoy giving everyone views of the entire Sound. Talk about a revolving restaurant. This was typical of the type of unique service that is thought of down here. The next morning, the wind was calm, and we sailed out to the Tasman Sea, yet another spectacular sight. The drive out of Milford was just as awe- inspiring as the drive in because you get totally different views. For anyone that is thinking about making a trip to New Zealand, a Milford Sound cruise should be on your “things to do” list.

Campervan Coziness (A Shorter, Less Poetic Blog)

After traveling around both the North and South Islands of New Zealand for 16 days and logging approximately 2,000 miles, we finally traded in our campervan – The Backpacker Six Pack. Let’s just say it’s been cozy! We aptly named the campervan the “Jerky Cabin” for two reasons. 1) My 3 male travel counterparts decided early on in the roadtrip that the snack item of choice, while on the road, would be beef jerky. Why anyone would think that a salty brown, chewy, leathery piece of meat that resembles plastic is appetizing, I’ll never know. 2) The fact that being the only girl in the vehicle, I had to endure sounds that only guys make (i.e. burping, the passing of gas and other grunts and grumbles – definitely jerky things to do)…thus the JERKY cabin.

The Jerky Cabin is 20’ long by 7’ wide and should accommodate 6 people, according to the brochure. Lucky for us there are only 4 people in ours and that should have lent us plenty of space, but the first few days were definitely an adjustment. As Jimmy mentioned in an earlier blog, it took all of my interior space planning expertise to get everything to fit, but we did. One thing that I had not envisioned correctly was how small the sleeping space would be for Jimmy and I; being that we had to share a 46”wide space. I dreaded the nightfall, but surprisingly it wasn’t too bad. The evenings have been cool with the mountain air so we never felt hot, and we all have slept really well every night. Another thing I did not think about in advance was the lack of having your own bathroom. Using the campground toilet facilities were not the best, but like anything we got used to it, and actually the restrooms kept getting better with every camp site we visited (the first one was somewhat disgusting and it had us all scared – Mat & Charlie were determined that the men’s room was haunted)

Going from a spacious house to the four of us living in one moving room has had its moments for all of us, but now that we have wrapped up this part of our journey, we have had a lot to look back on and laugh. We have some great inside jokes that stemmed from the Jerky Cabin, but most of all I would not have wanted to see New Zealand any other way. Because we are traveling right before the major holiday season, we were able to roll into any town without reservations and easily find accommodations with million dollar views for usually less than $40 a night.

Driving through New Zealand is the only way to feel the enormity of the jaw dropping landscape. One moment the serene, pastoral views with velvety green mountains, golden wheat fields and wide rivers, then rainforest areas that fall to the edge of the road, and next snow-capped mountains more than 10,000 feet tall splashing into turquoise seas. Every time you get behind the wheel the landscape changes and to really see New Zealand, you need the freedom to take that road less traveled. I must add that Jimmy did an outstanding job driving on the left and navigating us from town to town, and thank God we had Dorothy, our GPS Angel.

As cozy and fun as it’s been, we are all looking forward to getting into our Queenstown house for Mat’s birthday & Christmas week and SPREADING OUT!

On the Road to Milford Sound

After our time in Okarito, we started heading south for our ultimate goal of the Milford Sound. The sound is actually a fjord, and one of the most spectacular in the Fjordland National Park. An area about 4 million acres that encompansses the entire southwest corner of the South Island. It is also the most visited because it has an amazing road that leads into it and has several boating options to explore it. Due to the long drive we stopped in two towns along the way, Wanaka and Te Anau. I knew very little about these before arriving, but I was very impressed with each. Wanaka was on my list because of a new game I heard was being played there – golf cross. Now don’t feel bad if you haven’t heard of it; no one else in the rest of New Zealand had heard of it either, and I had only seen it mentioned in one travel blog. Te Anau was on the list because it was the closest town to Milford Sound and had campervan parks.

Wanaka is located adjacent to a very large lake and at the base of the Mount Aspiring National Park. This place reminds me of a Swiss mountain town. It was a beautiful afternoon when we pulled in and got a great camper site overlooking the lake and mountains. The camp parks have had some of the best locations I have ever seen. We walked around the town, watched some cricket get played and even had some locals give us the rules of the game. The next day we headed off to the Rippon Vineyard to try golf cross. I’m not kidding, the game was played around a local vineyard, and you could buy their wine and enjoy it while you played. Now this is a sport!! The game does exist, and it is quite fun. It is basically like golf, but the ball is shaped like a small football, and you hit it into nets instead of putting into a hole. We spent all afternoon playing and the only others on the course were the local sheep herd. Very funny to be walking up a fairway and have all these sheep walking/grazing in front of you. Spent three nights in Wanaka and really enjoyed it. Check out pics on”Where are the Reeve Boyz”.

The town of Te Anau was our next stop and our lowest latitude we will be at – approximately 45 Degrees and 24 Minutes South, or about 1,500 miles from Antartica. Only other land mass this close to the South Pole is southern tip of Argentina. Only spent one night here because we had to get to Milford to do an overnight boat cruise throughout the Sound and out into Tasman Sea. I had seen good reviews about this trip and was wandering if my expectations would be met. They were met and exceeded…..

Kiwi Death March

Alright, sit the kids down and take notes; this is an educational piece.

I will have to admit, I have been spoiled over the last ten years with the amount of diverse and unique wildlife I have had the chance to encounter/interact with while in Costa Rica. New Zealand is not known for a wide variety of exciting wildlife. It has been separated from the rest of the world for so long that there are no large carnivores, no massive amounts of snakes or other “creepy” things, and its main focus revolves around birdlife. The obvious bird of choice for New Zealand is the Kiwi – its national bird. The problem with this is that the Kiwi is extremely endangered. Because it cannot fly, it has become very susceptible to the introduced species – the possum from Australia and a ferret like animal from Europe. These two were brought in to help control the rabbit population (another introduced species) but wound up preying upon the Kiwi. Kiwi’s only have one egg at a time (they lay the biggest egg per body weight of any animal, approx. 20% - Youch, that’s like having a 25 pound baby!). They also mate for life, and it can sometimes take years before they can conceive. All this added together with habitat loss and the predation from household dogs and cats has put the Kiwi on the brink of extinction. Not all is lost though. New Zealand has undertaken a massive campaign to educate people, eradicate the pest species, and improve the mortality rate by aggressively finding Kiwi eggs or hatchlings, removing them to a safe environment until they are large enough to defend themselves, and then reintroducing them to different areas to insure the health of the gene pool. With all this, the Kiwi is the toughest animal to see in the wild because it is nocturnal, mainly live in remote national forests, and are very territorial, only one or two birds will live in an area equal to the size six football fields. This is what has brought me to Okarito – a very remote and pristine environment that hosts the largest population of brown Kiwi’s (the most rare) in the world – approx. 350 birds in an area about the size of New Jersey.

Upon arriving in Okarito, I met up with the owner of Okarito Kiwi Tours – Ian Cooper. Finding him was no problem, there are only thirty houses in town and his is in the middle with a Kiwi Tour sign out front. I explained that both myself and my nine year old (Charlie) wanted to do that evening’s night hike. Ian asked how experienced Charlie was in the wild and even though I explained the amount of time we have spent in Costa Rica, Ian was not sure if it was appropriate for him. I was wandering how Charlie could trek through a dense Costa Rican jungle for an entire night, come face to face with twelve foot crocodiles or a large pack of potentially vicious wild pigs and not be able to handle a three hour night walk looking for a flightless bird. Ian explained to me that seeing a Kiwi is not about tracking it down, but rather putting yourself in a place where the Kiwi might come to and maintaining a presence that does not alarm him or make him change his normal behavior. Now I do not consider myself a “birder”, but I do know that “birders” are VERY serious about their bird watching and will go to extremes to see their desired species. Basically what Ian was saying is that nine year olds are not known for their ability to stay quiet and motionless for long periods of time. What he didn’t ask was “What was my ability to do the same???” After some fatherly convincing, Charlie gave in and agreed to stay behind, while I went into the bush searching for the elusive and rare Brown Kiwi, also known as the "Rowi".

I went back to Ian’s house just before sunset and met the rest of the “team”. Now I use the term “team” because Ian used it all night long and operated the tour more like a military exercise then a friendly walk in the woods. The team was made up some French, Italians, Germans, and me (the loud American) – kinda like a mini United Nations Peace Keeping Force . Since I was only one that spoke good English, I was appointed assistant guide and given the second walkie-talkie. I would bring up the rear and notify Ian if a Kiwi came up from behind. I was now wandering if I should have brought my knife! Ian also informed us that taking pictures of Kiwi’s are illegal, unless you have a permit, because they are very sensitive to bright light. We wouldn’t want to blind the last horny female, now would we!! Before we headed out, Ian instructed us how to “march” in line, stay off any noisy gravel, and how we would huddle together if a Kiwi was spotted. Apparently Kiwi’s are not afraid of a bunch of people if they are bunched together like a rugby scrum. At this point, we loaded up and drove deep into the national forest just as the sun was setting. Now even though we were in the middle of nowhere, that was not good enough; we continued to walk another two miles until we reached the first kiwi den. Kiwi’s will have up to thirty dens that they stay in on any given day. They will forage all night and then go to sleep in their nearest den. Supposedly there was good “intel” that the most recent mating pair were holed up together. All we had to do is get set up and wait till they came out. Bingo! Birds seen…. night over. Well it didn’t really work that way.


We assumed our positions. The two French chicks sitting on the ground in front; Ian and the older Germans couple sitting on camping stools in the middle; and me and the two other guys standing in the rear, shoulder to shoulder. Everyone except for me and Ian donned their mosquito net head gear. Europeans are such wimps!!! I did take a few pictures which I have included in “Dr. Doolittle”, but I really wished I had taken a picture of this setup. We looked like a small band of fleece covered (Gore Tex was too noisy and not allowed on the hike) tennis umpires – staring intensely at the same spot in the woods, waiting for something to happen.

Now if you don’t know by now, I have a healthy American sized dose of ADD. I even have a hard time staring at a Playboy Centerfold for more than thirty seconds. I try to make it work for me – like planning a four month, thirteen country trip, but sometimes I meet my match. After about forty-five minutes of no one moving, speaking, yawning, stretching, or scratching and still maintaining a constant stare into the same small section of woods, I thought I had been captured by the enemy and not told about it. What the f*** people, let's just go in and drag the little mothers out. Ah, the typical American way…. But I was part of the “team” and was not going to ruin it for everyone else. Some people plan this trip a year in advance and a few of our team had come five days in a row only to be turned away due to bad weather. Kiwis apparently don’t like the rain.

Then I remembered Ian’s earlier Zen-like advice. “Take control of the moment, embrace the silence, enjoy the anticipation of things to come”. He even had a comment just for me “Dad, enjoy this time when nobody is speaking to you or asking you questions.” That was it! This is my time, my Nirvana. This helped for about ten minutes. After one and half hours of absolute silence and no movement from the “team” (or the Kiwi couple), I knew Ian was right about Charlie not being able to handle it, and if I could have remembered the way out, I would have made a break for it. Not to give in to temptation, I mustered all of my self control and kept staring into the bush (I bet they’re inside their little den right now, doing the nasty, and laughing at us stupid humans). At the two hour and fifteen minute mark of no one uttering a word or moving a muscle, Ian’s real assistant came up with the radio tracking antennae and informed us that the Kiwis have gone out the back door and were moving through the forest. Sh**!!, I knew I should have stayed home and drank myself to sleep. Ian quickly headed down the dark trail, leaving us huddled together, wandering what to do next. In a few moments, Ian gave us the ole’ two quick flashes from his red-lensed flash light. Now the Europeans just looked at each other, but I knew what this meant. “Get your ass down here, and quick”. I broke formation and headed to our leader. As I approached, Ian turned and pointed his light onto the trail and at that exact moment a Brown Kiwi stepped out of the woods and walked directly towards us, about twenty feet away. It was so surreal, almost like Ian had called him out. At this point, the rest of the crew shows up, makes too much noise, and the Kiwi hops back into the woods, disappearing into the darkness. For the next thirty minutes, we follow the Kiwi’s moment in the woods by blindly listening for his footsteps and then moving to where he might come out. He was never seen again. At this point it’s about midnight and about thirty-five degrees out. Not a cloud in the sky, no moon, and a dizzying amount of stars and a few satellites. The Southern Cross shone brightly above us and for a few moments I forget that I’m looking for Kiwis. The New Zealand night is so quiet and stunning that all else drifts away.

The crackle of Ian’s walkie talkie breaks the silence. His assistant has picked up the signal of another pair back towards our trucks. We get into formation and march back out, double time. As we reach a hilly section, Ian’s assistant appears and shows him the instrument. Ian studies the signal and then takes us another hundred yards down the trail. At this point, for no apparent reason, he tells us to stop and start listening. With all of your other senses muted, its amazing how acute your listening can become. In a few moments, we can hear the rustling of the leaves just uphill from us. It’s definitely a Kiwi – Ian perfectly described how they sound earlier as a three year old bumbling through the forest. They have unusually large feet for their size (25% of their body weight is their feet), and it makes them rather clumsy sounding as they walk/hop. We are all in single file, and I am once again at the rear of the group right next to the real assistant. Ian is at the front, flashlight at the ready. I am a little mad to be at the rear, because my chance of seeing one past all the Europeans is slim, but I saw the first one and don’t want to hog all of the sightings. Five minutes go by and we can still hear him but can’t tell where he is going. Without warning and for the second time tonight, Ian shines his light on a section of woods at the edge of the trail. As if on cue, Beaumont (I would later learn that all of these Kiwis are named) hops out of the darkness directly across from me. Ian’s light makes his brown feathers glisten and his long slender beak glow. I remain motionless hoping not to be noticed. Beaumont walks directly towards me and the assistant. He too has a flashlight, but he doesn’t move a muscle. This bird comes from over ten feet away directly at me and hops right up to my boot. He stops momentarily, and it even looked like he gave it a smell.

I was staring directly down on one of the most endangered and prized birds in this entire country, and I didn’t know what to do. One part of me wanted to bend down, grab him, kiss him, and rub my face in his feathers before letting him go. The other part of me wanted to respect his place in the world and leave him be. For too many creatures, our humanly interest or desires have wreaked havoc on their lives, either destroying them completely or making their only safe habitats small controlled enclosures. I left him be, and he quickly hopped off the trail into the darkness. Now anywhere else in the world, on any other nature hike I have ever been on, we would follow the animal with the light; trying to maximize our viewing of it. Not Ian. He truly believes in the natural condition of these animals and will not pursue them, call them, or feed them. He turned off his light and said we should leave. He did not want Beaumont to come back out and see us there. As we approached the trucks, the assistant told me that was the closet a Kiwi has ever come to him. Ian and I talked about the tour and his love of these birds on the way back into town, and I realized a few things. The first is that there are special people in this world that gravitate to special animals – usually ones that are in danger. There are other people who yearn to learn more about the natural word and will seek out these special people to educate them on specific species. It is this second group that bears the larger burden in protecting our fragile natural world. We most use what we learn and pass it on; so others are excited about what’s out there and are willing to invest in protecting it. By seeing the big picture, which is made up of a lot of smaller pictures, we realize that the whole is worth a considerable more than the sum of the parts.

It’s amazing what seeing a three pound flightless bird for about 45 seconds can do for your inner Zen.

Adventure Land

New Zealand’s Maori name is “Aotearoa” or “Land of the Long White Cloud”. This was because of the constant clouds that hang over the numerous mountain ranges on both the north and south islands. If New Zealand were to be renamed today, it would probably be “Adventure Land”. There is every sort of activity to get you outside, in either a pleasant or hair-raising manner. Franz Josef ranks pretty high on stuff to do, the obvious being explore the Franz Josef Glacier. The extremely unique thing about the Franz Josef Glacier is that it is one of only three glaciers in the world that descend into a temperate rainforest environment (less than 1,000 feet above sea level). The other two are the Fox Glacier (ten miles south of Franz Josef) and one in Argentina. The Franz Josef is the most accessible, with trails leading up to the front edge of the glacier, guided hikes up onto the glacier, and helicopter trips up onto the top of the glacier (about 9,000 feet elevation). We rolled into town during a nasty storm and had no views of the mountains/glacier at all. Luckily, these storms were short-lived. Over the next three days, amazingly blue skies would turn stormy, only to get sunny again within an hour. Some days it would be a steady rain, while the sun was blazing.

In the way of activities, we tried most of them.. I had found a company called Beaumont Buggies which had guided trips through their farm and rainforest in off road go karts. The nice thing was that you only had to be fourteen to drive, so I knew Mat would be excited to give it a go. The owner’s slogan was “Are you ready to get dirty?”, just like on Dirty Jobs TV show. Sally, once again opted for some “me” time – go figure. Mat, Charlie, and I were suited up with full rain gear, boots, and helmets and off we went for one of the most muddiest and funnest go cart rides I have ever been on. (Check out “Where are the Reeve boys”). We ended the day with a great hike up to the face of the glacier, enjoying the massive views and great scenery. Later that night, we enjoyed a nice dinner at a local bar/restaurant called Monsoons (It rains..We pour). Charlie was the hit of the night, by winning the Bingo Game grand prize – a free Pub Crawl Night out in Queenstown, our final stop. Way to go Charlie!!

The next morning we really lucked out with our helicopter tour, because the weather had been so unpredictable for the last week, none of the helicopters had been flying. We headed out about 10:30 and had great weather and views (Check out “Planes, Trains”). Everyone was really excited about landing on top of the glacier and having the chance to walk around. It was a wild feeling to have been in summer weather one minute and ten minutes later being on top of a glacier with temperatures below freezing, and of course, Mat and Charlie had to have a snowball fight. After the tour, we packed up and headed back north to the small coastal town of Okarito. And I do mean small – less than thirty homes right on the ocean and next to one of the largest saltwater lagoons in New Zealand. We had come back up here so I could attempt one of my most daring Dr. Doolittle adventures. After years of preparation and countless hours in the bush, I was still unsure if I was worthy enough to handle “The Kiwi Death March”. The gory details to follow.

Kia Ora

In the Maori culture, this is the typical welcoming. It literally means “to be well or healthy”. Our next stop was the town of Rotorua; home to a Maori cultural experience, a geo thermal park, and a little downhill fun. Since Sally had enough fun up north, she stayed behind for some “me” time, while Mat, Charlie, and I headed for the Skyline Luge. This is a series of concrete luge runs that you ride down on a small three wheel car and can reach pretty fast speeds. The U.S. would never have something this fun; the lawyers, insurance companies, and politicians would surely outlaw it. We all survived and had a blast (See “Where in the World are the Reeve Boyz?)”. That night we were warmly received by the Mitai family for their traditional Maori feast or “hangi”. I would normally shy away from this kind of activity because it is definitely slanted towards the typical tourist, but it had gotten good reviews, so we decided to try it. The nice thing about this was that it is on the family’s historical property and was created and still run by them. The night included an entrance of the Maori warriors (See “Friends Along the Way”) in a traditional war canoe, a cultural performance, a full meal, and a walk though the lush forest to see the Glow Worms around the naturally fed spring. We also did a nature hike with a guide who described the native flora and fauna and how the Maori used them as food, medicine, and tools. We got to see some Kiwis (in a cage) and the animal highlight was finding Elwood’s Kiwi Cousin (See “Dr. Doolittle”). The next day we stopped by some very cool (but stinky) Thermal pools and the Lady Knox Geyser, which erupts daily at 10:15, with some help from the park staff. The rest of the day was spent driving to the southern tip of the north island (Wellington), taking the three hour ferry ride across the Cook Strait (See “Planes, Trains, and Autos’) and stopping for the night in the small town of Pichton. The next morning, we drove to the town of Nelson and enjoyed walking around the quaint town – so quaint that all the shops close at 4:00 PM on a Saturday!! The weather started getting worse, so we decided to push on the next morning and get to the Franz Josef Glacier.

Walrus Wrapped in Saran Wrap

OK, get something to drink, because this is going to be a long one.

This adventure did not start out as a surf trip, it just happened to go by some of the best surf spots in the world. Hey, what can I say…I’m a surfer. We will travel thousands of miles, carrying lots of gear, and hoping the waves and weather cooperate. So far I have not really scored in the wave department. Fiji was breaking, but the wind killed it every day, and the first two stops in New Zealand were either plagued by wind, a surf contest on the best break, or no swell at all. Now I was heading for Raglan, a wave that is almost magical in its beauty. If you haven’t seen a picture of it yet, Google it and you will see what I mean. The way the swell will wrap into the bay and peel down the line is almost like a machine. I still remember the first picture I ever saw of it. It was on the wall of my friend’s summer beach house around 1980. It is where a small bunch of us grom surfers would hang out all summer and do nothing but surf, skate his ramp and talk about surfing far off perfect spots – Raglan was top on my list because it was a left point break. I never thought I would get to surf it because it was on the other side of the planet, and when would I ever get there?? Well on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at approximately 5:35 PM I got there, and there were waves!!

Driving into the bay on a very windy road (not unlike the rest of the country), you come around one bend, and there it is. A picture of it is great, but watching it peel into the bay in real time is so much better. The swell was not epic, but I will take overhead glass any day. As much as I wanted to jump right in the water, I had other things to do. We had been on the road all day, and we needed to find a place to park the Campervan and get some real food. There is a great campervan park in Raglan, about five minutes from the break, and walking distance to town. Besides, I had budgeted up to three days here, and the New Zealand surf forecast I had found said the swell was going to peek over the next two days. God I love the internet!! We set up shop and headed into town for a pre-surf dinner feast. I got the biggest steak I could find and washed it down with a bottle of local red wine (Mistake #1). The next morning I tried not to rush everyone, but I felt like a kid on Christmas day – when you know there are presents waiting for you. As we pulled into the parking lot, the surf forecast was coming true – it was a solid 5’ – 8’ and not too much wind. After watching the waves for about five minutes, I realized that this was not a break for Mat or Charlie. They were very bummed, especially Charlie, but the waves broke for so long and there was so much water moving through the bay, that we could get too spread out and that could get bad. What I didn’t realize at the time was that it was stronger than I even thought.

I pulled myself into my wetsuit because even though it’s summer here, the water is still in the mid 60’s. I then realized that either a) I had eaten too much the night before or b) the damn thing had shrunk while in my attic over the last couple of years… I felt as nimble (and svelte) as a Walrus wrapped in Saran Wrap!!! I pulled out my shortboard (Mistake #2) and headed out over the rocks to jump in between sets like everybody else was doing (Mistake #3). Now, I gotta do a Big Kudos Shot Out to my brother in law, Bill “Gear Man” Gassett for lining me up with the new Vibram “Five Fingers” footwear. These things fit your feet like a second skin and have a great protective sole. They saved my butt a couple of times surfing in Fiji when I got pulled across the shallow reef, and they were coming in quite handy as I was gingerly hopping over the slick rocks on my way out. Unfortunately, they did not help me make a good decision on when to jump in. I mistimed the sets and jumped in as a new five wave set was hitting the bay (Mistake #4). Needless to say the swells were so strong that they immediately pulled me all the way into the bay, losing all of the advantage of jumping off the rocks. Mat would later say “Hey Dad, I saw you paddling like crazy but you were going backwards – what’s up with that??” I was so mad, I used all of my strength up to get out and was totally winded by the time I got to the lineup (Mistake #5). At this point, my “Trucker’s Butt” kicked in. I had never really experienced it before but now I know – if you spend all day sitting in a truck, changing gears and braking a thousand times (Did I mention that New Zealand has very windy and hilly roads? It is kinda little West Virginia but the locals have different “funny accents”, better teeth, and more sheep than you could possibly want?? I know that’s wrong, sorry… I digress, back to my trucker’s butt) then your hips get extremely sore and it’s hard to jump up, quickly. This is a very important part of surfing; especially in strong waves ….that will beat you if you take off too late (Mistake #6). For the next two hours, I got my ass kicked every way I could think of and a few I had not tried before. I could not get it right – either I was too far out, too far in, picked the wrong wave, didn’t get up fast enough, or fell on the take off. I had swallowed so much seawater, I felt like the little fat German Boy in Willie Wonka, who gets stuck in the tube because he swells up.. “Will somebody pass the Strudel!!” In the whole session, I got two crappy waves and one I rode on my belly just to get back in. Now the real fun started. I had watched other people climb back out over the rocks instead of paddling all the way into the bay and walking up the boat ramp – seemed easy enough, if you know how to do it. This day, I couldn’t walk a straight line, much less high tail it out of angry surf over slippery, yet sharp rocks. I ended up getting literally dragged over the rocks up onto shore, cutting my hands and feet – Vibram didn’t think that morons like me would drag the top of their feet over the rocks! By the time I had climbed up the hill to the parking lot, I was physically drained and mentally beat, and it wasn’t even lunch yet. Dreams do crash hard.

For the sake of the boys (and my ego)…, we decided to go back to the public beach (i.e. beginnerville), have lunch, and maybe surf the sandbars. Well by the time we got there, the wind was howling, and the waves were totally unrideable. At this point, I made an executive decision. Let’s eat lunch back at the bay, watch the waves, and see if we could ascertain the solution to my earlier dilemma (Correct #1). When we got back, the swell had slacked off with the tide change, and it even seemed OK for the boys. We all headed out by going down the boat ramp and having a nice easy paddle out (Correct #2), and I used my longboard so Charlie could use the shortboard (Correct #3). I hung with the boys on the inside trying to help them get into some small waves, but after about an hour and getting caught by some clean up sets, they had had enough and headed in. I had work to do. I paddled to the outside lineup and got into position. Having the longboard made all the difference. I could paddle faster and catch the wave a lot easier, my “trucker’s butt” was gone, thanks to the handful of Advil Sally gave me, and I had an energy surge from my PBJ sandwich. I got a few nice ones, but I still didn’t feel it. I needed something to shake off the morning’s disaster. Then it hit me – a headstand. As some of you may know, I have this thing about doing headstands while surfing. It’s pretty strange, but it’s so fun and gives me a “Fred Flintstone” kinda feeling. In fact, it was that cartoon where I first saw it – he and Barney won the surf contest at Rock Beach. Yabba Dabba Do! I have done them in Va. Beach, in Costa Rica, and even in Hawaii, but I had never done one in the South Pacific Tasman Sea. The next wave was perfect, about head high and nobody in front of me to hit. I pulled off a nice one and even got a few smiles from the locals on the paddle back out. I don’t know if they were smiling because it looked good, or because they had never seen a Walrus wrapped in Saran Wrap stand on its head. I didn’t care, it felt good and that’s all that mattered. Two waves later and I pulled my gonzo – two separate headstands on the same wave and both were as long as I have ever done one before. The wave broke for about three hundred yards. I was back in the game, and my mojo was humming. Yeah Baby!! Well all that fun had to turn to terror at some point.

I was ready to take my last wave of the day and in rolled a big set. Who I didn’t see was the biggest, grumpiest, local Maori guy in the lineup going for the same wave as me. I don’t know how I didn’t see him, he was about 6’4’ and a thick 250. Well, he took off, I took off, and then I realized I was in his way. I tried to pull out but only managed to dig the nose of my board on the takeoff and went over the falls directly in front of him on a solid 8 foot wave. As I was being pushed to the bottom, I was secretly hoping I would drown, so I wouldn’t have to deal with him on the surface. It was a bad wipeout. I had to literally pull myself back up my leash to get to the surface and there he was staring right at me. I immediately apologized for my actions, but he wasn’t accepting apologies that day. He gave me a good verbal lashing, which I deserved, and I thought it might move to the physical stage. Luckily, he wasn’t in the mood to kick my ass, maybe it would be too easy. After about thirty minutes, I realized my time in the lineup was done for the day, and I crept back to the parking lot hoping not to get pummeled in front of the family. Grumpy Boy was nowhere to be seen, and I thought all was good until Mat walked up and said “Hey Dad, I saw you wipeout in front of that big guy and make him fall. He looked like he was really mad.” I wish I could get Mat to pay that much attention in school!! This story does not end on a bad note though; the next morning was the best.

All surfers know about “Dawn Patrol”. It’s when you get up at the crack of dawn, check the conditions, and try to surf before anybody else gets up. I awoke at 6:00 the next morning, looked out the campervan window at the flag in the field and saw that there was no wind, and knew the tide was coming in. Now normally, you jump out of bed and drive your car to the break without waking the rest of the family. Problem was, I didn’t have a car, I had a mobile shaggin wagon and my family was still sleeping nicely in their beds. Here’s where its gets good. Not to be deterred, I unplugged the Campervan, stored all the loose items, and slowly drove out of the campground on the way to the bay – family still sleeping. Now I know it’s not the safest thing to drive a campervan down the road while your family sleeps, but it was 6:15 in the morning, and there was no one else driving on the roads – except for a Walrus wrapped in Saran Wrap! All was worth it though; got to the parking lot safely, family slept the whole way, and I headed out for an epic Dawn Patrol – never driven my home to the break before. Waves were great, and I got my fair share from the beginning. And then he showed up… Not the grumpy Maori that I almost killed the day before, but the true Big Kahuna of the break. He literally paddled out of the sunrise right at me. I looked up and saw a Maori Warrior on a stand up board that looked like something out of a history book. He was as big as Grumpy Boy, but rock solid, even his ankles looked muscular. The Maori are a pretty impressive culture. They traveled over thousands of miles of ocean to find New Zealand and did it in dug out canoes. I had seen this guy the day before; he took every wave he wanted, even ones that other guys were riding and nobody said a word, and he ripped. The Maori were also known for eating their enemies… you don’t want to piss off THESE locals. I was thinking “ Great, I am going to do something stupid, this guy is going to beat me to death with his paddle, and the news report will be “Maori tribe feasts on foreign Walrus wrapped in Saran Wrap, video at 11:00!!” Well that didn’t happen, and he turned out to be a pleasant fellow. We both got our fair share of waves, and I started wandering what my last wave of this place should be. You never want to leave a good break, but sometimes you have to.

Then in came the set of the morning; me and Maori Warrior were the furthest outside in position to catch it. He started for it, and so I stopped paddling, not wanting to have an apple stuffed in my mouth, or anywhere else for that matter. For some reason, he couldn’t get it and stopped paddling…I was in position, so I turned and stroked as hard as I could. And then the Gods smiled on me.. The guys in the lineup, including Maori Warrior, all started hooting for me. Hooting is done in the line up when a good wave comes through and somebody is in position to get it. It’s kinda like “Hey, great wave bro, go for it…. and don’t F*** it up!” Well I went for it, got it, and didn’t F** it up. It was the best wave I’ve ridden in a long time and probably the longest left I have ever had. It broke all the way into the boat ramp. I kicked out and realized it was time to go. I had been beaten, I had made mistakes, but in the end I had gotten what I had come for – the wave of my life and good vibes from the locals. As I walked up the ramp, Mat met me and said “Hey Dad, I saw your last wave…it was really good.” God I love having kids!!

See "Pray for Surf" for a few pics.

The Far North

After a few hours on the road, driving on the left side got rather comfortable. The intersections were still tricky, especially looking to the right for oncoming traffic!! Our destination was the Bay of Islands, an area on the upper east coast which is known for its boating and the multitude of small islands that are throughout the bay, good name I guess. The interesting thing about New Zealand driving is that all the roads are small, even their major highways are two lanes. Thankfully, there are not a lot of cars, so driving is pretty calm. The weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky and about 70 degrees. This would be the norm for the next week. Bay of Islands was a nice harbor town, but definitely angled towards tourism and boating, not that there is anything wrong with it, but more than we wanted to be around. Since we were headed this direction for surf and not tourist areas, we decided to press on and try and reach Shipwrecks Bay. For those that don’t know, Shipwrecks Bay is still a somewhat mysterious and fickle surf spot that when good, can produce a left point break that peels for almost one mile!! It was actually featured in the original “Endless Summer” movie, and I was hoping to get lucky. It is located at the south end of an area known as Ninety Mile Beach, an incredible crescent shape beach that extends all the way to the northern tip of the country. The odd thing is the Beach is only 52 miles long and New Zealand uses kilometers not miles – figure that one out.

We rolled into town (Apihara) and found the local, and only, campervan site. This place is definitely on the edge of a lot of remoteness, hardly any people (i.e. development) and huge natural vistas. Absolutely amazing. Drove to the beach and it was flat… Now normally I would call this a “goose egg” of a surf trip, but this place was so incredible, I forgot about surfing. After a full day of driving, we all needed something to do, so I started looking for fun. Boy, did I find it! Tua Tua Adventure Tours located right in the middle of town had 3 hour ATV tours out to what they call the “free land”. I called them up and got booked for the next morning’s tour. The owner, Greg, has been doing these tours for over ten years, and he still gets stocked to get people out there. Got going around ten in the morning and it was awesome. Mat got to drive his own ATV, so he was psyched and even though Sally had never driven one beyond our yard, she got the “Biggest Air” award. More details to follow. We went all the way out past the point of Shipwrecks Bay and got to see the setup for the break, if there is swell. They call it “free land” because it is basically open land and anyone can use it and live there if you like. We eventually started up into the hills and came into the largest sand dunes I have ever seen. They stretched for miles and were about five hundred feet tall. There were trails through the scrub and we worked our way all the way to the summit of a large section. At this point, we broke out the sand boards and starting sledding/surfing down some very steep and tall dunes. Tons of fun and you get to eat lots of sand!! Check out “Where in the World are the Reeve Boys” for some pics.

The next day we headed south in search of one of the oldest trees in the world. The Kauri trees are New Zealand’s version of our Redwoods. They don’t grow quite as tall, but are just as wide. The oldest of these is Tane Muhuta (Lord of the Forest) located in the Waipoua National Forest. This tree is 52 meters tall and 14 meters wide and has been dated to being over 2000 years old… the tree was here before Christ!!! There is a special elevated trail through the forest to see it, and protect the sacred ground that it and several others grow in. I have included some pics in “Friends Along the Way”, but they don’t do it justice or convey the feeling you have when standing next to a living organism that predates our Christian calendar. From here we continued south to the mecca surf spot of Raglan. One of the top five left point breaks in the world, and a spot I have dreamed of surfing since I was Mat’s age. I was definitely “Praying for Surf”.

"Stay to the Left"

After a smooth three hour flight from Fiji to Auckland, New Zealand, we picked up our Campervan and headed for the west coast. Holy Sh**, driving on the left side of the road in a 20’ long Campervan which has the steering wheel on the right and the stick shift in your left hand is quite the nerve-racking experience. It was only about a forty minute drive, but the road was as windy, hilly and small as I have ever been on. By the end of the drive, my butt hurt from clenching it so long, and I smelled as bad as an Indian Bizaar!!! My deodorant definitely let me down… Sally praised me for getting us there alive, but was not willing to hug me.. The drive was worth it, because Piha is a beautiful little beach town with waves, a cool vibe, and nice locals. We ate and hung out at the local Surf Rescue Club, which dates back to 1934, and is famous throughout New Zealand for its surf rescue school. After dinner, we set about the task of properly moving into the Campervan. It took all of Sally’s Interior Space Planning and my Industrial Engineering ability to make it all fit. Thank God for College Degrees – Thanks Mom and Dad!! Caught some waves with Charlie in the AM and headed north for the Bay of Islands.

Bula Bula!!

That’s hello in Fiji. After a long night of flying, we arrived Monday morning at 6 a.m. After crossing the International Date Line, we lost Sunday completely….still trying to figure that one out. We had a 3 hour wait for our transfer boat to bring us to the island of Malolo Lai Lai, but once we laid eyes on the blue water, the long night’s travel was a distant memory. The Resort is called Musket Cove and is absolutely breathtaking. Because it is still the off season, we feel like we are the only guests here. The Fijian staff are so nice and on day two they seem to all know all of our names. I was lucky to hook up with Ben, an Aussie surfer, who was hoping to rent a boat to access the offshore reef breaks. We went out Tue. morning and caught Wilkes Pass at about head high and larger on sets. In the afternoon, we had a great snorkeling trip to a place called Black Rock. Very clear water – lots of fish, and a very close up with a sea snake and three white tip reef sharks (See Animal pictures). That night we bought BBQ packets and cooked out on the Reef Bar Island, great sunset and good conversation with some Yachties who travel the world looking for neat places to hang out. One couple had been here since August. The next several days were filled with snorkeling trips, surf excursions, beach/pool time and a boat trip to a local village to buy Fijan stuff – Charlie bought a warrior hatchet! On Thursday night we attended a local Pig on a Spit BBQ dinner complete with authentic Fijan dancers and Mat and I even danced with the “ladies”!! Five days flew by but we feel lucky to have had such a great time and even made some “Friends Along the Way” – Ben and Gally from Sydney who were very fun and have invited us to have a proper Aussie Barbie at their home and a game of cricket when we get to Sydney.

Going Back to Cali...

After a long travel day on Monday, we arrived in Pasadena, where we moved into my Aunt Annie’s apartment for a few nights. On Tuesday, we drove over to West Hollywood to visit cousin Jeff and his partner, Eric. Jeff’s parents Jack & Patty were there visiting them for Thanksgiving, so it was nice to see them as well. Jeff recently renovated my late Uncle Jim’s house and it was fabulous. After a fun lunch at Burger Bar on Melrose, we drove back to Pasadena.

On Wednesday, we went to Palm Springs with Janie, JB, Camille & Evelyn to stay with with John & Toni Fitts for Thanksgiving. They have a beautiful 1920’s Spanish Revival estate and were very welcoming to our family for the holiday. During the days there we explored the desert area around Palm Springs and took the tram up Mount San Jacinto. It is the largest cable car in the Western hemisphere and it rotates as you go up the mountain. You go from 2,000 feet to over 8,500 feet in elevation in ten minutes…quite a spectacular scene.

Thanksgiving was a fun gathering of family and a few friends. Everyone helped with the meal, and Jimmy got lucky and was seated next to Nancy, a friend of Toni’s,and a fellow Playboy Playmate from the early ‘70’s (See “Friends Along the Way” for a cheesy shot of Jimmy). Mat’s lucky day was Friday, when John allowed him to drive his new Bentley Coupe through their Palm Springs neighborhood. This car costs as much as most of our houses. Mat did a great job and Jimmy held his breath in the back seat hoping for no accidents.
We headed back to Pasadena on Saturday, Jimmy’s birthday, and Janie stoked us with a behind the scenes tour of Warner Bros. lot. After a fun afternoon, we headed to LAX, had some birthday martinis at a cheesy airport bar and boarded the jet for our overnight trip to Fiji.

There's no place like Home!

It's the night before we leave, our bags are packed, and we have said all of our goodbyes. It has been a wild last few weeks. I realize that I am not only lucky because I can take this adventure, but mainly for the great family and friends that we have and will be coming back to. There is no better example of this then the Annual Boyz Thanksgiving Feast that Mat, Charlie, and I went to last night. This gathering of male friends has been happening every year for twenty seven years, not a bad tradition. Bill Parr's farm is the perfect venue and the Whitmore boys always have a special speech. Jack Jr. did it by memory this year, and it was one of the best.

Sally and I are so appreciative of all the encouragement that we have gotten from everyone and we look forward to sharing our trip with you. First stop, Los Angeles.

The Countdown Has Begun!!

This is my first blog ever, so please bear with me.

After over a year of planning, our trip/adventure is about to begin. In 12 days, we begin a four month journey westward, never turning back ...only going towards the setting sun. So many feelings are competing for my time. There is obviously excitement and joy, but also a fair share of anxiety, nervousness, and a little fear of the unknown. This trip started in my mind as a young kid thinking how cool it would be to go around the world. Like a lot of childhood thoughts, you put them away, realizing that the real world has no time for them. Only as an adult, and especially as a father, did I realize that "life is what you make it". So here we go!

Sally and I appeciate all the support and inspiration people have given us as we have detailed our trip to them. For those that don't know the details, here they are.

Leave Va. Beach, Nov. 23rd for a five day stay in L.A. and Palm Springs for Thanksgiving to see Sally's cousin. Then five days on an outer island of Fiji (Melololailai) celebrating my 45th (damn I'm getting old!). Arrive in North Island of New Zealand on Dec. 5th and spend 3 1/2 weeks Campervanning both North and South Islands. So much to do and see in this country. We finish by renting a house in Queenstown for week of Christmas and Mat's 15th birthday. Fly to Sydney, Australia on Dec 28th and spend New Years Eve week in Sydney - look for us at the Harbor party - we'll be the Americans!!! Drive up the coast for two weeks stopping in several surf towns. Fly up to Hamilton Island for five days on the Great Barrier Reef.

On Jan. 20th, we fly to Capetown, South Africa. Stay a week there in a small beach town on the Cape of Good Hope. Spend two weeks driving up the "Garden Route" and then finish with a week in Jeffreys' Bay. My brother Chris meets us here and stays with us for the next three weeks. We fly to Johannesburg and have a four day Safari booked in Kruger National Park and then fly to Cairo for a five day guided tour of the City and desert. Spend last four days of February in Athens and then fly to Naples, Italy. From here we have a 3 1/2 week Eurail Pass and plan on stopping in Rome, Venice, Munich, Geneva, Barcelona, Paris, London, and finishing in Dublin, Ireland. We return home on March 23rd, 2010.

Yes, I know what you're thinking .. "Holy S***, that's alot of traveling." When I see it in print, it makes my palms sweat. But these are places that both Sally and I have been hoping to go to for quite some time, and we realized that if we didn't go now, we may lose the chance to do it as a family forever. I look forward to sharing our experiences with you and am eager for any stories you might have about these places. To comment to our Blog, just sign in and get a password; it's free. Or you can reach us direct at: jimmyreeve@cox.net or sallyreeve@cox.net.

Jimmy

P.S. Click on the tabs to the left to see some ongoing pics from the road. These first pictures are mainly from Costa Rica, because I had to start with something. You can also click on the picture for a bigger image.

Sunsets

Our final sunset of the trip. Over the Atlantic arriving in New York. Welcome Home.

Dublin, Ireland. The early stomping grounds of U2.

Sally enjoying the sunset and some wine with her favorite"Frenchman".

The end to another great day. The view from our Penthouse in Barcelona, Spain.

The view looking down the valley in Garmisch, Germany.

Sunset over the Amalfi Coast, Italy. Why yes, I will have another glass of wine!!

Sunset from our balcony in Giza overlooking the Great Pyramid and sunrise in the White Desert, Egypt with Charlie-eb!!

























Sunrise over the plains, Kruger National Park, South Africa

Sunrise over Jeffreys Bay, South Africa







































































Sunrise over Vic Bay on the Garden Route, South Africa.
















































































































This is actually the sunrise at Boulders Beach, South Africa with one of my new friends.






















































































































































































































































































































































View from Seal Rocks, NSW, Australia. Had a great dinner on the beach with a few waves.

Sunset from our deck in Queenstown, New Zealand. Happy Hour here starts way before sunset. This picture wasn't taken unil 10:15 PM! Gotta love being at 45 degrees South in December.
























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Piha Beach, North Island of New Zealand. This was the view from the Piha Surf Rescue Club overlooking the Tasman Sea. Black sand beach, cold beers, great wine, and a cool local vibe.

South Pacific Splendor. The end of a great day is rewarded with a great view. This was our view from the beach in front of our Villa and the Musket Cove Restaurant. Bula Bula!!

Travel Friends

Taking a required Gelato break in Barcelona, Spain

Having a laugh with my new buddy, Matei. It has been a while since I could carry someone on my shoulders.

Walking the "mean" streets of Pompeii, where at any moment hot gases and volcanic ash can seal you in place.

I had the pleasure of drinking from this fountain on The Amalfi Coast twenty years ago with my good friend Bobby Parker. The Old Girl is still here, and it is nice to pass on the tradition to my sons. It looks like age has taken a toll on her though and she had to get some work done on her "faucets", probably from so many boneheads groping on her!!

Sometimes there are no words to best describe a picture of a "new Friend", just a facial expression!!

The Safari Crew with our German frineds, our guide Sue and our cook Karen. Great times with great people.

Charlie making friends at Boulders Beach, South Africa.

Hanging out with Brother Paul and "7" at the Rasta Community, Knysna, South Africa.

The Jackass Penguins of Boulders Beach, South Africa.

Enjoying an "Aussie Barbie" with Ben and Galli in Sydney.

On top of Queenstown Hill, in front of "Basket of Dreams". The great thing about hiking alone is that it gives you the opportunity to reflect and be thankful for who you are, what you have, and who is important in your life. Thank you for all of your support, and I love you, Mom & Dad!

In the Old Days, Charlie might have been an appetizer for these nice natives!!

One of the world's oldest trees, Tane Muhuta "Lord of the Forest". Over 2000 years old. Located in the Waipoua National Forest of North Island of New Zealand. It is back left of our Campervan picture.

Two new friends from Australia- Ben and Gally. We hope to meet up with them when we get to Sydney near New Years. Yes, I am wearing a skirt, but its very manly and quite breezy!!

Jimmy and his new two best Playmate friends at Thanksgiving - Toni & Nancy... Yeah baby!!