I’m jumping away from traveling in New Zealand today to American Samoa. My stepdaughter, Elizabeth worked as a midwife in American Samoa and recently returned to the states. She sent a link to a blog written by her friend Melanie Brown. Melanie tells about the “90 seconds of violent shaking followed by several aftershocks.” Then, the Samoan d.j. saying, " a huge 15-20 foot wave is coming towards the office building.”– the same office building where her husband Paul, a marine ecologist at the National Park of Americas Samoa was working.
Red Truck in Building
Both photos are by Melanie Brown. You’ll find more pictures of the tsunami devastation and Melanie’s account of what happened before, during and after the tsunami. She’ll be updating, so drop this blog in your favorites: Tropical Browns
Lyn Harris
RVinNZ: How to Spend Your Winters South in New Zealand
September is a good time to avoid New Zealand travel– unless you ski or snowboard. I leave my home near a ski resort in the Cascade Mountains and visit New Zealand in their summer season because I don’t want to shovel snow, fall on my butt in the ice, or crawl under my car to pry off a chain wrapped around the axle. But, if you’d like to take a holiday now and get your nose burned on a snow field instead of the beach, hop on a jet to New Zealand.
New Zealand ski season is June to November. New Zealand is a volcanic area constantly moving and belching and Kiwis take their skiing seriously. When Mt Ruapehu in the North Island burped out hot lava, skiers weren’t surprised, only determined they weren’t going to lose a ski season. Kiwis let the mountain go about its business throwing fiery boulders into the air. Then, they slipped down one side of the mountain on skis while lava slipped down the other. There are three main ski areas in the North Island and many in the colder South Island. If you’re a beginner or professional, you can find a New Zealand ski area and price that suits your experience level and your credit card balance. While all New Zealand ski areas cater to snowboarding, Wanaka in the South Island is the snowboarding capital. Ohau Lodge another snowboarding area in the Southern Alps is famous for its parties.
If you still believe the world is flat, try some heli-sking in the Southern Alps. You better know a little more than how to carry a pair of skis and party with the crowd. Heli-ski companies will transport you up the mountain and you figure out how to get yourself down.
Most of the vans I’ve seen around Queenstown have ski racks– you might ask before you rent if you don’t want to sleep with wet skis. Kilometers on rental vehicles are usually unlimited although some roads are off limits, including one near Wanaca– which you probably couldn’t pass over even if you wanted to in their winter season. GST is very high, so if you're comparing rental RV rates, ask if the GST is included.
Why not call in sick and disappear for a few days? Apollo Motorhomes is one of the New Zealand campervan companies offering relocation specials– $1 per day. Just dig around their site. The day I checked, I didn’t find anything available for New Zealand, but found $1 per day specials in Australia, United States, and Canada. Privately owned, Apollo Motorhomes recently bought into the US RV rental market. They have branches in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. If you live near one of these cities, contact them for more information. In August, Apollo partnered with CanaDream. I’m not familiar with the Canadian market, but if you’re looking for a relocation special in Canada, check their site and follow the link.
If you’d like to spend the last days of summer slipping down a frozen mountain or sitting around a fire in a remote alpine lodge, consider a New Zealand vacation in snow country. If you can’t make it this year, at least dream a little. Turn on your air conditioning and watch a New Zealand ski video.
Lyn Harris
RV in NZ: How to Spend Your Winters South in New Zealand
I've returned to New Zealand many times. As a single woman traveling alone, I rented cars and stayed in motels. I've toured both islands in a rental movan, and I've spent six US winters RVing up and down both islands from Ninety Mile Beach in the North Island to Bluff in the South Island, with my husband.
My book RVinNZ covers getting around New Zealand if you're traveling by car or RVing.
www.rvinnz.com has information about the book, but a blog is an easier way to share information and ideas.
When I'm home, I live in the Cascade Mountains with my husband, Dave, and too many cats.
Affair: Not the spicy kind with a little slap and tickle. A party.
All Whites: National Soccer Team.
Bach: Weekend cottage in the North Island. Usually on the coast, near a lake, or in the mountains.
Bathroom: Room with a bathtub and sink. If you're not interested in washing up, better ask for the toilet, lav or loo.
Bonnet: Hood of a movan or car.
Bowser: Not a dog. It's a petrol pump.
Bush: The woods
Caravan: A travel trailer-- usually not a very fancy one, either.
Casual meal: If you ask for a seating at a hotel restaurant, you'll be asked if you're "in house or casual." If you're not a registered guest, you're casual.
Chemist shop: Drugstore
Chilly bin:Portable cooler or collibah.
Clapped out: Worn out
Crib: Weekend cottage in the South Island.
Crook: You can go crook if the flu hits. Or your auto can go crook if you forget to check the oil-- then you'll really go crook-- angry.
DOC: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai. DOC manages land and wildlife, promotes conservation and protects endangered species
Dole: Unemployment. Based on the number of children in the family.
Drapery: Where you go to get draped. A dry goods store.
Driver: That's not the engineer on that locomotive-- he's the locomotive driver.
Dustman: Garbage Collector. A FAST garbage collector. He gets paid by the street, not the hour.
Face flannel: Face cloth, wash cloth.
Facilities:Toilet, sink and shower facilities.
Fanny: It's not your bum or backside. It's the female frontside you usually don't talk about in polite conversation.
Farm Parks: Coastal land farmed by Department of Land & Survey where you can watch everyday life on a working farm.
Fire: An electric heater is an electric fire.
Fizzler: Failure or something that fizzled out.
Fizzy drink: Soft drink.
Flaming: Damned or bloody.
Forest Park: State Park
Freedom Camping: Boondocking
Gas: Don't ask for gas. Ask for petrol. Gas is what you get when you break wind or it could be LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas)
Greasy: A greasy road is a slippery road.
Hot Points: 220volt, 50 cycle electrical outlets. each has its own switch. You plug into the mains-- the electrical wiring.
Ice blocks: Ice cubes or popsicles.
Jandels: Flip-flops.
Jersey: Sweater. Could be a cardie, pullover, or a twin set.
Judder Bars: Speed Bumps
Jumper: Pullover
Kiwi: New Zealand citizen, or hairy brown fruit, or flightless, nocturnal bird
Knackered: Worn out, beat.
Kumara: Sweet potato brought to New Zealand by the Maori.
Licensed hotel: Hotel with a liquor license. A private hotel serves food but not alcohol.
Litre: 1.057 US quarts or .88 Imperial quarts. Beer and petrol are sold by the litre.
Lollies: Candy. Any kind of candy.
Loo: Toilet. Sometimes off by itself and not in the bathroom.
Metal road: Gravel road. Grades I & II are sealed.
Motorcamp: Where you park your movan, pitch a tent, or rent a cabin or caravan.
Motorway: Freeway. There are some, usually around the larger cities.
Movan: self-propelled caravan
Mudguard: Fender
National Parks: National Parks are managed by DOC. A domain is usually in the country. Cities and towns do not have parks. They have reserves. A park is where you park your car. Confused? Me, too.
Nippon Clipon: The Auckland bridge was once four lanes. The extra four were built in Japan, towed to Auckland and clipped on the existing bridge.
No tipping: Means no dumping garbage. There's no tipping for services, either. GST is usually included in the menu price so-- what you see is what you get.
Pakeha: White man, European.
Pavement: Sidewalk
Petrol: Gasoline. Sold by the litre.
Pokies: One-armed bandits, slot machines.
Raspberry bun: A hotdog bun covered with raspberry frosting.
Reserve: A park-- usually in a town or city.
Sealed road: Paved road.
Speedo: Speedometer.
Tiki tour: Mini tour
Tiki: Maori good luck charm sold in most shops. Usually carved from greenstone
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Boat in Community Bingo Center
