Paihia & Cape Reinga

I recently visited the Bay of Islands area at the very top of of New Zealand. The weather was amazing and took full advantage of the sun with some new friends. I have been staying at hostels and have been meeting some great gals. During this time I had the company of girls from North Ireland, England, Netherlands, Germany and a guy from Sweden. One of the things I'm enjoying most about this journey is meeting people from other countries.

Here are some photos:
1) View at 6:45am in Pahina
2) Driving down 90 mile beach...and yes, we are driving right on the beach
3) Passing a police car
4) Boarding down a sand dune on a boogie board. Got my exercise in for the day climbing up that dune a couple of times.
5) View of Tasman Sea at Cape Reinga
6) Cape Reinga. This is the most northern point of New Zealand. The current you see is where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea meet.

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Waiheke Island

About a 35 minute ferry ride from Auckland is a island paradise called Waiheke. The draw from me was discovering their wine region. They are known for producing great Bordeaux blends and are up and coming in Syrah.

I toured some wineries and the island in an organized group. I had the company of a Hematologist from Mac hospital in Hamilton and his family. Can't hurt to know a hemotologist right? Other than wine I also discovered many bay areas, beaches and Waiheke offers a great scene for foodies, artists, musicians....what a place! I'm having thoughts that this might be a good place to work a winery harvest next year...

View of Palm Beach



Gardens of Mudbrick Vineyard



Vineyards at Stonyridge

Update on my where abouts...

Right now I am in Auckland and head north tomorrow to the Bay of Islands. Far away from the quake in Christchurch.

Extreme Hiking

During my time in Taupo (middle of the North island) I went for a hike at Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Or I should call it 'tramping' like the New Zealanders. It is known as the BEST one day hike in NZ. This is no leisurely tramp. Its 19.4 km and with an incline of 2,400 ft! It should take you 7 hours to complete - I did it in 5 hours.  You hike through 2 craters full of barren areas, lots of rock and the vegetation varied throughout. Somehow, the last 4km you hike through a tropical jungle???

The brochure they give you states things like this:

"Please do not walk too close to the edge of the Crater
because if you fall in you will not come out"

"This section is called Devil's Staircase,
you will find out why we call it this when you get there."

"This section can be scary when the winds are strong as you may get pushed around or even find you may need to be on your hands and knees"

....oh yes, I would call this extreme hiking.

Approaching the highest point, (Red Crater) 
the skies were clear and beautiful.
Then.........

.....as you move to the other side of Red Crater,
the clouds start rolling in......

The visibility becomes very minimal and it gets windy and cold!.
Its like being in a horror film when you look behind
and you can barely make out an image in the fog that's coming towards you.
Sorry, this is a quick 360 for those who have weak stomachs.

Christchurch

Hey Everyone....in case you have heard the news there was an earthquake in Christchurch on the South Island today. Thankfully I am safe on the North Island.

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Taupo

I started my backpacking tour with Kiwi Experience and the first stop is Taupo. Its a 6 hour drive from Wellington to the centre of the north island. It is full of options for extreme sports eg. Sky diving, bungie jumping, skiing etc... I briefly thought about the sky diving, but I'm way too chicken.

Lake Taupo is the same size as Singapore!

On my way to the beach I came across this hole in one competition. I haven't hit a ball in ages. Its about a 130 yard shot and my first ball hit the platform. The spectators got a little excited. I didn't get a hole in one but I can tell from the photo that I'm taking the club too far inside - its like looking at my father's swing. Ha! Sorry Dad! Something to work on when I get home.
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Wellington

On my first day I spent the afternoon at the warf area. I rented a bike, found a beach and took a dive in the ocean.

I did some people watching I am noticing how relaxed and casual everyone is. It like a beach town next to a commercial district. It also reminds me of Cape Town in South Africa.

Here are a couple photos of the water. I have taken to my 'au naturelle' side as a result of minimal packing space for hair products, roller brush, hair dryer, makeup etc....scary, I know...

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Facts

Traveling time to Wellington, New Zealand from Zurich: 36 hours

Time change: 18 hours ahead of Ontario and 12 hours ahead of Europe

Weather: Its summer here and 22*C!!!

Luggage: everything I need for my 3 month stay is packed in the photo attached. I am marveled with how I pulled it off....

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So now what......

Thank-you for sharing in my European journey!

Today I leave for New Zealand and will arrive 2 days from now. I am not looking to the 26+ hour flight from London UK to Auckland....but it will all be worth it.

On Monday I start a 25 day Kiwi Experience tour then I will be making my way to Marlborough. I will be be helping with the wine production at Kim Crawford winery. 

I am leaving my computer behind in Zurich and blogging will be difficult. Therefore I will become even more obsessed with finding wifi hotspots so I can use my blackberry!

Solden, Austria

Quote during my time of skiing: "do something that scares you every day".....

I got that of a lululemon shopping bag. 

Before I went to Austria you could have asked if I ski and I would have said 'I have tried it a number of times and can manage to get down a hill with some degree of ability'. I have changed my mind. I can NOT ski! I was terrified at times.  I had a couple of lessons, didn't break any bones and I can also say "I have skied a glacier in the alps of Austria!".

The reason I went to Austria is I was invited to join a group of 4 people from Waterloo who were skiing in Italy the week before. I am SO glad that I did it:) I tried something new that is certainly 'Bucket List' material and I understand that Solden has the best Apres Ski party in Europe. Yeah, it was pretty good....

  I am not going to be rushing off to buy ski's just yet, but it is a sport that I would do again just for the scenery. I have never felt so close to the mountains, 

completely surrounded by them.....jaw dropping, beautiful. 

At the ski rental shop.

During my lesson - my instructor hid my poles!

Views from the Glacier!

Part of the group, L to R: Paul, Me, Gaby, Bob.
Not shown is Brian who is taking the photo

There are bars and restaurants scattered all around the 
mountains in between the ski runs.
We had spectacular sunny, warm weather. We ate lunch outside in the alps everyday!

This is the coolest chick in all of Austria. Meet Kathatrina.
Her and some friends rented an RV last year and toured British Columbia and Alberta.
She is a bartender at one of the mountain bars and has made it like 
a little shrine to Canada.
You can see the I love Banff sticker just on the left.
She also helped with keeping me hydrated with water etc....:)

Day in Davos, Switzerland

Here are some photos from my day in Davos. 

In my previous blog I talked about the hike I did and the sledging. 

This Swiss Hotel entrance caught my eye

One of the gorgeous views from my hairpin hike

The gentleman that took this photo happened to be from Collingwood!
This is the sledge that I rented. There is a better view of one just behind me on the left.

View of the top of Rinerhorn Mountain.

Starting point of the sledge run.

The sun came out for a few hours and it was so warm at the top of the hill.
These loungers were way to inviting to pass up a chance to take in some winter rays!

Hiking in Davos

I have a brief moment of wifi and thought I should make a short post.
I am in the Swiss Alps of Davos, Switzerland today. I went for a 4km hike on the top of Schatzalp mountain (1861 m), then hiked to the bottom.
In the afternoon I took the train 2 stops to Reinhorn mountain (2053 m). I rented a sledge (toboggan) and ventured down the 3.5km run. A great work out for the arms! It is very warm in Switzerland and there isn't much snow. This is the only place that had a sledge run open!
So, I'm exhausted now from all the activity and alpine air. Thankfully my hotel in nearby Klosters has a very nice sauna, steam room and hot tub!
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February in Zurich????

What a day! Its sunny and 12* C in Zurich. This afternoon I went to Utlieburg mountain and hiked through the forest to Felsnegg mountain. Here are some photos of the sunny skies with the Alps way in the background and beautiful lake Zurich.

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Wine!

A big part of the reason I wanted to go to Spain was to learn about the wine geography, varietals and soil types. In one of my wine courses my instructor spent only about an hour on Spain and it went right over my head. Take a look at the wine regions map below and the vast number or regions in the country......so yes, a trip to Spain was in order to get more familiar with the territory! 

I was able to visit 2 wineries when I finished with the bus tour. One in Utiel-Requena and the other in Ribiera Del Duero. 

I was in Valencia and Requena is a short train ride west. I was greeted at Pago De Tharsys by Alex, an english speaking Bulgarian that gave me a tour and tasting. I was there for 2 hours and learned about their unique wine making process. They produce a large amount of Cava (sparkling white) but they buy it from designated Cava regions that you can find on the map....if you look closely....

Alex, my guide

  

      Dianne in the wine Cave

My second winery visit was a bit of a chore to get to.  I took a train from Valencia to Madrid then rented a car (standard transmission) and drove almost 2 hours north to Ribiera Del Duero. I had driven a standard car a long time ago but have had no formal training. It was pretty stressful especially with the grinding of the gears and some stalling issues. But I made it! Even with through the massive round-about's with traffic lights in Madrid and the rush hour traffic......And the changes in the terrain on the drive to Ribiera was pretty wild too. I drove through mountains, snow, low visibility and then into normal conditions.  But it was all worth it! 

I visited with Maria from Abatia Retuerta and had another 2 hour visit. This winery mingles eco-friendly  and high tec wine making techniques. High quality stuff!

Tempranillo Vines

Wine tasting room

Granada, Spain & the Alhambra

Approximately 3 hours east of Seville is the town of Granada. Granada is know for its famous Moorish palace the "Alhambra" built in the 14th century.  In 1492 it was taken over by the Christians.  Eventually it fell into disrepair for centuries and the Alhambra was "discovered" in the 19th century by European scholars and travelers, and restoration began. It is now one of Spain's major attractions, exhibiting the country's most significant Islamic architecture. I am currently reading a book that helped in making the Alhambra famous again called "The Tales of the Alhambra" written around 1830. 

In the background is a building called the "Generalife". It was a cooler building than the Alhambra and was used by the royal family in the summer.

View of Alhambra from the Generalife

Entrance to the palace grounds
called the "wine gate":)

Gardens and landscape on the property

Alhambra palace translates to "the red one"
for the colour of its exterior

Royal Coat of Arms in the room of Justice

Photos of the architecture and more colourful tiles!

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Remains of the original floor

Reflection pool in a courtyard

View of Granada

More of the gardens and landscape