Photos of a popular architecturally interesting Taranaki landmark…

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There were numerous birds flying in the area most likely due to visitors feeding them when picnicking.

Yesterday morning, upon completion of the post, the sun was shining and we headed out to check out a few popular attractions. One of those that held particular interest to us was the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge.

The easy walkway to the Te Kewa Kewa bridge was pleasant.

From the “100% New Zealand” website, here’s their description:

Where functionality meets fine art – New Plymouth’s Te Rewa Rewa pedestrian/cycle bridge is an impressive illustration of innovative local engineering.  The tied arch bridge has a clear span of almost 70 meters and is part of the award-winning New Plymouth Coastal Walkway.

Spanning the Waiwhakaiho River, its iconic form represents the sacred relationship between the land, sea, and wind with the Ngati Tawhirikura tribe.

Te Rewa Rewa Bridge opened on June 5, 2010, as part of the extension of the Coastal Walkway, making possible a 10 kilometers off-road route for cycling, walking, running, skateboarding and rollerblading.

The bridge has quickly become a proud piece of Taranaki with a couple of international awards already to its name:

Footbridge Awards 2011 – Aesthetics Medium-Span Winner (for bridges with spans between 30 meters and 75 meters).

International Bridge Conference: Bridge Awards 2011 – Arthur G. Hayden Medal (for a single recent outstanding achievement in bridge engineering demonstrating innovation in special use bridges such as pedestrian, people-mover, or non-traditional structures).”

The unique architecturally interesting Te Kewa Kewa Bridge.

No more than 10 minutes down the highway toward town, the clouds completely covered the previously blue sky. We decided to check out the downtown mall, the modern Centre City Shopping Centre (yep, that’s the name) to kill some time hoping the skies would clear. Tomorrow, we’ll share photos of the modern mall complex.

Tom at the beginning of the bridge a short walk over the Waiwhakaiho River.

Spending a short time in the mall (Tom’s not a mall kind of guy) we headed out to The Rewa Rewa Bridge in hopes of taking some decent photos to share. The skies hadn’t cleared, but we decided to proceed with our plans.

The expanse of the Waiwhakaiho River to the sea is beautiful, most likely more so on a sunny day.

We were pleasantly surprised when we easily found the exquisite bridge built over the Waiwhakaiho River to find paved walkways, beaches, picnic areas, and fishing spots. 

The Waiwhakaiho River views with the ocean at a distance.

With the possibility of rain, it appeared few were enjoying the surroundings. With the tail end of summer in this part of the world, there have been few days where outdoor activities have attracted a lot of locals to the parks and beaches. Later, we discovered the reason why few visitors were in the water (see below).

There were bicyclists on the bridge.

We walked along some of the trails, stopping for photos finally making our way to the bridge as shown in these photos. The contemporary bridge is an obviously important work of art to the people of New Zealand that also is a well-built functional means of crossing the Waiwhakaiho River, which flows to the sea.

View from the bridge.

The activity on the bridge was busier than we’d anticipated with the few visitors seen in the area. There were walkers, runners, bicyclists, and tourists with cameras in hand. 

Many birds populate the area of the river and the Lake Rotomanu

Later, we discovered online that the sparse crowds at the Lake Rotomanu were a direct result of a recent notice of Escherichia coli or E Coli in the lake and river in this area. 

From this link, “The council tested for fecal coliform, E Coli, and enterococci bacteria. Almost all samples which returned a high count were caused by birdlife such as seagulls, ducks, and pukekos.” The number of birds is evidenced in our photos which at the time, we had no idea their presence was an issue.

Warning signs are posted in the area.

We took our time in the well-planned area. New Zealand is not unlike the US and other countries with numerous lovely parks, lakes, beaches, and recreational areas, all well marked for dangers, rules, and regulations. 

More Lake Rotomanu photos will be posted another day.

The difference we find in New Zealand is their sense of humor that follows through on road signs, informational signs, news broadcasts, and any other means by which the city or country stresses a particular point to the public, often making following regulations more palatable for some visitors. We continually giggle over that sense of humor the longer we’re here.

View of the bridge from a distance.

Today, we’re staying in to catch up on laundry, visit the alpacas who are now moved to the far-from-the-house paddock for a week or so, and take the usual walk in this astoundingly wonderful neighborhood.  I’m looking forward to visiting our favorite cow.

Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, February 23, 2015:

One year ago, Tom and a scarecrow at the Kauai Coffee Company.  For more photos, please click here.

Birthday dinner in another fabulous New Plymouth, New Zealand restaurant…

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View of Mount Taranaki, while on our way home last night after my birthday dinner.

Thanks to our family, friends, and readers and our thoughtful landlords, Trish and Neil, for the wonderful birthday wishes I received in the past 48 hours.  It means the world to me and I appreciate each and every acknowledgment.

Returning home last night, we found this pretty plant from Trish and Neil on the doorstep.  Wow! 

How is it possible that the relatively small city (compared to many other major cities in the world) of New Plymouth, New Zealand with a population of over 74,000 including all the farm and surrounding areas, has such great restaurants as far as we’re concerned?

Sure, we’ve only dined out twice. But, when perusing the list of 126 restaurants reviewed in the area, we see a general consensus of overall quality food even in many of the more out-of-the-way casual establishments.

A table was set for a large group at the Orangery.

Last night’s choice for my birthday dinner was The Orangery located in the Quality Hotel in downtown New Plymouth. A 20-minute drive from the farm, the scenery along the way is so breathtaking the drive is over quickly. 

The restaurant was cozy with comfortable seating and arrangements.

Nothing in the town is hard to find with the clearly marked road signs with well laid out streets. There’s a number of one-way streets. But Tom’s learned to navigate the area with ease often surprising me as to how well he’s learned his way around.

Tom was looking forward to bread!

As a passenger, I pay little attention to how we get to a specific location than the interesting scenery on our way. Last night’s drive to town was no exception. Before we leave “home” Tom takes a quick look at an online map, finds the location and without hesitation finds our destination. His innate ability to find most locations always adds to the ease of our travels. 

Wearing the same clothes as in many photos.  I’ve noticed little holes forming in this top and sadly must say goodbye soon.  Does this mean I get to buy something to replace it? Tom will cringe at the thought of going to the mall.

Of course, I’ll give him credit for having a great sense of direction when I’m totally inept in this area. I can get lost in the grocery store. It’s not that I’m not capable. It’s merely a matter of paying attention. With a short attention span, I really have to focus to find my way anywhere. 

This serving cart was rolled to our table in order for Denise to make Tom’s entrée tableside.

Luckily, as a couple, we fill in the blanks for one another even when dining out: Does he want to eat his salad or vegetables when he’s focused on the potatoes, meat, and bread?

At The Orangery last night, although we ordered different main courses, he supplemented my lack of starch, sugar, or grains by handing over his salad. As usual, with no premade salad dressings work for my way of eating when they’ve been made with soy or vegetable oil, which I don’t consume. 

Diane fired up Tom’s Steak Diane Flambé using Pernot and white wine while I took this shot. 

I usually order a cup of full-fat sour cream to which I add my liquid sweetener (which I carry in my pocket in a tiny bottle), salt, and pepper for a delicious tasting dressing I use almost every day. I’ve given up trying to find mayonnaise or salad dressing when all are made with soy, “seed” or vegetable oils, none of which I consume. 

Last night’s ordering was a little tricky when many items were made in sauces using flour, corn starch, or sugar.  After handing the food list on my phone to our conscientious server she showed it to the chef, who suggested I pick out a protein source I’d like and he’ll make it befitting the list.

Tom’s main dish included a side of mashed potatoes (not shown here) and a salad which he handed to me.

The food was wonderful, fresh, perfectly prepared, and served. Tom ordered the Steak Diane Flambé served tableside with mushrooms, garlic, onions, mashed potatoes, and a side of bread. I ordered the prawns sautéed in garlic butter, a side of avocado in place of veggie, and a mixed greens salad. Adding Tom’s salad to mine I had enough to eat between the salad, avo, and prawns.

Guess who ate this entire loaf of bread with special New Zealand butter? I tasted the delicious unsalted butter.

The biggest problem for me when dining out is the prospect of leaving hungry. Without bread, potatoes, or any starches, a portion of protein, salad and a small serving of a suitable vegetable may not be substantial enough to fill me up. 

Based on the fact I don’t eat any more often than once every 22 to 24 hours due to my commitment to a ketogenic, (LCHF – low carb, high fat, moderate protein) intermittent fasting way of eating, once I begin eating the one meal, hunger kicks in. It’s funny how that works.

My fluffy dish of sour cream and sliced avocado. Tom’s huge bowl of mashed potatoes is beside his plate.

As it turned out the meal was satisfying and I left feeling comfortable, not too full. Tom, on the other hand, was stuffed and uncomfortable. It’s funny how that works.

We had a very pleasant dinner in the lovely décor of The Orangery heading home before dark when we were able to take the above main photo of Mount Taranaki. Upon driving up to our cozy temporary New Zealand home, we noticed a beautiful flowering plant with a card from Trish and Neil wishing me a “happy kiwi birthday.” 

The combination of Tom’s salad and mine created an ample portion.

These thoughtful owners have made this experience on their alpaca farm memorable with their “over the top” consideration and kindness. We couldn’t be more grateful. When I wrote a heartfelt thank you email, I promised to diligently care for the blooming plant to ensure they can enjoy it later when we must leave it behind when we fly to Sydney on April 15th.

It was a happy birthday in many ways; hearing from loved ones, many messages by email with more wishes on Facebook than I can count. Tom’s sweet message on Facebook, a public declaration of his love, also warmed my heart. 

My prawns sautéed in butter were cooked perfectly and well seasoned.

This morning we left before 9 am to head to the Farmers Market Taranaki for eggs and produce including a trip to the grocery store. Thus, the late posting today.  When we returned “home” we spotted Miss Jessica looking our way from the paddock. Yes, it’s a good life in New Zealand…a very good life.

Photo from one year ago today, February 21, 2015:

A year ago today we headed to Waimea Canyon but the “vog” was so thick we couldn’t see a thing. For more details of our Kauai overnight road trip, please click here.

Carving out time for other things?…Should we be doing more?…

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Traditional Maori meeting house near Oakura Beach. Visit this site for more information.

In speaking on Skype with my sister Julie yesterday, an avid reader of our site, she asked, “When are you guys going to travel the country and visit some other gorgeous areas? Don’t your readers want to see you traveling?”

My answer to my sister allowed me to say aloud something we’ve both thought and spoken only to one another and now to all of you. We love sharing our story, our story of living in different locations all over the world embracing our surroundings, and learning to live in a manner comparable as to how the locals may live, not as a tourist.

The Maori had set up tents for a special event.

No, we don’t visit a lot of tourist attractions, although we visit some. No, we don’t eat out a lot, although we do on occasions. No, we don’t go on lengthy road trips staying overnight in hotels, spending budgeted dollars on attendance at popular venues that tourists often flock to, rightfully so, when they travel for short periods of time.

We don’t consider ourselves tourists. Instead, we’re visitors, temporary residents, respecting the laws, culture, and traditions of the locale, the people, and the surroundings while we live life on our terms. 

Is defining our lives important? For us, not so much. As committed as we are to providing interesting stories and photos for our readers, it would be unrealistic to say that our personal desires don’t come first. For true happiness, one must consider the ways in which to choose to navigate life, not always an easy task. 

We’ll continue to return to this site of Oakura Beach in hopes of spotting blue penguins.

We appreciate every one of our readers but we truly believe based on responses we continually receive from those treasured readers, that they accept the fact that they are following the simple story of our daily lives.

We’re an older couple, unencumbered with “stuff,” as we move from country to country sharing the nuances, challenges, and joys of our surroundings which may not appeal to some. We don’t expect everyone to find our story interesting. 

We looked for the blue penguins but doubted we’d see any with people in the area.

Long ago, when we decided to travel the world, part of our motivation was to feel free to live how we choose.  After spending the majority of my adult life with chronic pain from which I am now “free” we decided we’d live life to the fullest spending each day doing exactly what we feel like doing. It could all change in a day or an hour.

Some days, we feel like getting out to see what’s around us. Other days, we don’t feel like doing anything other than hanging out together, outside as much as possible, taking walks, taking short drives to explore the area, and visiting our “temporary” town or village.

On each drive through the country, we find many rivers.

In essence, this site is not as much of a “travel log” as it is a “lifelog.” Should we ever decide to write a book (which we’re not interested in doing at this time), it wouldn’t be entitled, “A Guide to Traveling the World to See the Most Popular Sites.”  That’s been done over and over again in books and websites.

It may be entitled, “Wafting Through our Worldwide Travels with Ease, Joy, and Simplicity,” as indicated in our mission listed at the top of each page in our heading. 

We hadn’t seen a pinecone in a long time.

We wrote that motto in 2012. It remains the same for us today. Nothing has changed in our beliefs. Everything has changed in how we respond to our surroundings; adapting, accepting, learning, and growing.

Sure, we have quiet days without a smidgeon of excitement or adventure. Who doesn’t? But, here on the Alpaca Farm in New Plymouth, New Zealand, and in many other parts of the world we’ve only needed to step outdoors to find our hearts soaring with a sense of pure pleasure and joy. 

A river under a bridge when we drove down an unmarked road.

Being able to share that joy with all of our readers, each and every day only enhances the experience.  If in a small way, we bring a smile to the face of one reader a day, we’ve been gifted with an opportunity we never imagined possible. Thank you for sharing “our world” with us.

We smile with you…there’s so much more yet to come.

Photo from one year ago today, February 16, 2015:

One year ago, in Princeville Kauai, where we lived for four months, an albatross chick safely nestled in the grass under mom or dad’s legs. It’s these kinds of experiences that make our travels especially meaningful. For more photos please click here.

Part 1…Plas Mawr…A step into yesteryear…A historical home in New Plymouth…A day to remember…

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When we spotted this original gate to the property, we knew we were in the right place, Plas Mawr, a historic custom home built in 1913 by renowned New Zealand architect, James Chapman-Taylor.

When we met June Moseley at the market and she invited us to visit her historic home, listed on the historical registry, Heritage New Zealand, Pouhere Taonga (The Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014 replaced the Historic Places Act 1993 on 20 May 2014), we were amazed that meeting a stranger in a supermarket could result in a meaningful experience. 

The stone garden house.

As a teacher with a passion for history and architecture June is a wealth of information about local New Plymouth and New Zealand history over hers and husband Simon’s many years in the area. 

Last Christmas, June received the rain barrel to the left of the garden house as a gift.

We were in awe of the comprehensive details June shared in her Arts and Crafts style historical home, Plas Mawr, built in 1913 by renowned New Zealand architect, James Walter Chapman-Taylor as quoted below from the historical registry:

“Chapman-Taylor, James Walter

Chapman-Taylor (1878-1958) was born in London and his family came to New Zealand in 1880. He was apprenticed to a builder in Stratford, and there he studied architecture by correspondence.

The walkway toward the house.

In 1909 Chapman-Taylor went on a voyage to England, where he acquainted himself with the English vernacular and the Arts and Crafts movement. This trip had a profound effect on Chapman-Taylor’s future work as he followed the principles of the Arts and Crafts movement, a movement with origins in the English Gothic Revival. Chapman-Taylor adhered to the Arts and Crafts principles of permanence, honesty, simplicity and beauty as espoused by architects C.F.A. Voysey (1857-1941), Baillie Scott, Parker and Unwin whom he met on this trip to England.

The continuation of the vegetation covered walkway reminded us of botanical gardens we’ve visited in our world travels.

He adapted the English movement to local conditions. His is an honest architecture which remained popular despite changing fashions. Chapman-Taylor adhered to Arts and Crafts principles over the 50 years of his career and showed a keen awareness of local forms and materials. He designed the furniture and fittings for many of his houses, including details such as wrought iron door and window fittings.

Our first view of the historic house.

As an architect and a craftsman, Chapman-Taylor designed and then built his houses himself – approximately 80 of them dated between 1904 and 1953. While most of these houses are situated in Wellington and Heretaunga, there are others throughout the North Island and one in the South Island.”

Hibiscus are hearty flowers seen worldwide.

Today, we’re focusing on the exterior of the house with its exquisite grounds, gardens and amenities.  Tomorrow, in Part 2, we’ll highlight the interior of this fine home, including photos of many of the well suited personal items and antiques June and Simon accumulated over the years so well befitting the unique era and design of this historic home which they purchased 11 years ago. 

The entrance to the sunroom.

We easily found the house in the quiet New Plymouth neighborhood, although the address wasn’t clearly marked. The massive sturdy hedges provided a secluded barrier from the street adding to the unique charm of the property. 

Beautiful vines, trellises and plants highlight the property’s grounds.

As soon as we spotted the clearly marked gate we knew we were in the right place.  Immediately upon entering the grounds the grace and beauty placed us in another era we could only imagine a time when such design was seen only in special properties.

June apologized for the dandelions and sparse lawn with the recent lack of rains. We could easily imagine a lush green lawn in more a more rainy climate.

The archways, trellises, gardens and endless array of flowering plants, shrubs and trees reminded us of a variety of botanical gardens we’ve toured throughout the world. 

We’d love to be able to identify all of these flowers, but with our metered wifi we can’t spend time searching online.

With my particular affinity for flowers, many of which were late into the blooming season in New Zealand, I paid particular interest in those remaining. Had we arrived a few months earlier flowers would have been at their peak. 

Seeing these cute flowers was a first for us.

As we’ve learned in our travels, we aren’t always at the right place at the right time of year. It’s the “nature” of our travels with “Mother Nature” at the helm of what we’ll have the opportunity to see. 

These flowers seem to grow prolifically in New Zealand.

Nor, do we have any control over the necessity of taking photos on cloudy days. Recently, we decided that cloudy days will not deter us from taking photos, as was the case when we entered June and Simon’s property yesterday morning. 

Another pretty bloom.

As we approached the house, June warmly greeted us as we took more photos, escorting us indoors for the remainder of the breathtaking tour. Aware that she had house guests arriving for the Waitanga Day (see description below) three day holiday weekend we didn’t want to take too much of her time. 

This stalk reminded us of a similar flowers we’d found in Madeira Portugal.

(Waitangi Day is a public holiday held on 6 February every year to commemorate the signing of New Zealand’s founding document – the Treaty of Waitangi – in 1840).

Zooming in to the above stalk we could see the flower’s unique detail.

As respectful as we intended to be for her time, June made us feel at ease, easily indicating we were welcome to stay as long as we’d like. After over two hours both in touring the home and engaged in enjoyable conversation, we took our leave. She escorted us to the front gate and again we hugged goodbye, hoping to see her again and meet Simon who was called away for work.

Notice the carved sign above the entrance, identifying the architect and the date the house was designed and built.

Neither of us could wipe the smiles off our faces over the enriching experience with a step into another era that resurfaced many memories of our own home in Minnesota built during this same period and that of many historic homes built during this era in Minneapolis (Tom’s childhood home).

We’ll be back tomorrow with Part 2. Please check back!

Photo from one year ago today, February 6, 2015:

It was our membership to the Makai Golf Club that was responsible for us meeting friend Richard who introduced us to many of his friends and neighbors.  The previous night we’d attended our first “Full Moon Party” making many new friends with common interests. For more details, please click here.

Change in plans…Appointments?…What’s the deal?…New Plymouth city photos…

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Colorful apartment building.

When we arrived in New Plymouth 15 days ago, we’d expected wifi to be available when we arrived. This wasn’t the case and we had no choice but to head to a local phone store, purchase a device and load lots of expensive data.

To date, we’ve spent NZ $593, US $388 in fees in order to have access to the Internet, an expense we hadn’t anticipated. Don’t get me wrong…the owners are very kind, caring people and we’ve greatly appreciated their efforts and attention to detail.

They had no idea it would take so long to get service, assuming only a day or two. They’d tried arranging it over the holidays but couldn’t get a date pinned down. We have no doubt they tried. But, like many areas of the world, not everything happens according to a schedule one would prefer.

Ornate house on a corner.

Actually, we feel bad as to how much pressure we’ve placed on them as the WiFi bill continues to rack up expense day after day. Yesterday, I paid the bill when Spark had set up an account for us to be paid on a monthly basis, not requiring a 12-month contract.

Yesterday, Trish stopped by with an extra fan (without our asking) since we’ve been hauling the one fan we had up and down the stairs every day. Although the air is relatively cool here during these summer months, the roof is metal making the interior of the house very hot on sunny days.

St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in downtown New Plymouth, another historic building.

We’ve decided to keep the doors open welcoming the cool breezes most days and deal with the flies. They aren’t biting flies and seem fairly easy to swat with the flyswatter we purchased. They are considerably less prevalent on cooler windy days. By dinner time, we close the doors, kill the flies and have dinner, preferring no flies are buzzing our food. This plan seems to be working. 

After handing me the fan, Trish explained she’d heard from Vodafone who are to arrive today. We had an appointment with June for today and had planned to grocery shop after we were done.  We immediately contacted June apologizing and kindly asking we change the date. She was happy to make a change.

Contemporary houses overlooking the ocean.

In the process, we decided to postpone the grocery shopping until Thursday, after Tom’s 10:15 dentist appointment. We have enough food on hand for Wednesday’s meals. Goodness, we haven’t had “appointments” to speak of other than our medical exams while in Australia.

We’ve loved having a simple life with the avoidance of planning instead, waiting until we “feel like” doing something. Now, we have three dinner reservations looming for Valentine’s Day, my birthday, and our anniversary, Tom’s dental appointments, and the meeting with June. 

Has our free-spirited lifestyle taken a break while we’re here in convenient New Zealand with everything we could possibly need or want at our fingertips? There’s even a movie theatre here playing current US movies at NZ $10, US $6.55 for seniors. Perhaps, we’ll give it a try on a rainy day.

Modern-style houses and apartments.

The last time Tom and I attended a movie together was in the theatres on cruise ships or watching on the huge screen out by the pool. But attending an actual movie theatre?

The last time I attended a movie, Interstellar, was with my son Greg in December 2014 in Hawaii when the family visited us on the Big Island. Both of my sons and I always enjoyed attending movies together, especially back in my popcorn eating days, long since passed.

Seldom, do we have access to an English-speaking movie theatre. Seldom, do we make appointments, locking ourselves into dates and times for specific events, other than on travel days. 

The main thoroughfare, Eliot St., in downtown New Plymouth heads out to the ocean.

As much as parts of our lives may require an abundance of planning and preparation for the next leg of the journey, the next year and oftentimes, two years out, our daily lives are simple and uncomplicated. Somehow, it all works. 

When all is said and done, we’re blissfully happy. Having accomplished that single feat in life is more than either of us ever expected during these “golden years” of our lives. 

On Valentine’s night, we have a dinner reservation at Table Restaurant as shown on the right of this photo.

Isn’t that our ultimate desire…happiness, seemingly elusive and yet once a decision is made to become happy…we often find the opportunities to do so right at our fingertips? We’re truly blessed and grateful for finding it and will continue to hang on tight for as long as we can.

May your day bring you happiness.

Photo from one year ago today, February 3, 2015:

We attended the Super Bowl party at the Makai Golf Club in Kauai last year having a great time meeting more friendly people and enjoying a Mexican buffet. For more photos and details, please click here.

Its a lot of bull…

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“Ah, I’m so happy they stopped by to see us!”

There’s talk on the local news of a possible upcoming tropical cyclone. High above the town and relatively far from the ocean with the property situated in the hills, we have no concerns over flooding in this area. 

Winds, on the other hand, are another matter as well as the possibility of losing power. We’re not worrying about any of it at this point. We’ll keep our readers updated.  If at any point, we lose power and/or wifi signal, we’ll be back, with updates as soon as possible. 

Soon, two cleaners are coming to work together for an hour and a half. With as tidy as we are, the equivalent of three total hours of cleaning is all we ever need. 

“Hurry, take the darned photo already!  We can’t stand like this forever!” says the four bulls.

Sure, the cost of the two cleaners, Ra and Isabel, is somewhat of a luxury at NZ $60, US $39.14 compared to what we’ve paid in other countries. But it’s something we’d prefer to arrange when house cleaners aren’t included in the rent. Long ago in the US,  we paid almost twice this amount for one cleaner for three hours. We aren’t complaining.

Yesterday, we stopped at multiple markets, including the Kiwi Butcher, Pak & Save, New World, and Countdown (another regular grocery store) where we found everything on our list.

Pak n Save is similar to Costco or Sam’s Club in the US without a required membership. When I looked at our full “trundler” (aka grocery cart in the US or trolley in many other countries) as we approached the register, I’d expected our total bill to be NZ $196, US $300.

We always attempt to refer to items using the popularly used words.  In NZ a grocery cart is referred to as a “trundler.”

When the total was slightly under NZ $153, US $100, I was shocked, causing me to look in the cart wondering if something hadn’t been charged. In reviewing the receipt, I confirmed the total.  

With four packs of toilet paper and paper towels and, two boxes of tissue at NZ $2, US $1.30 each, locally grown organic produce priced at half as much as in the regular market, it’s no wonder our bill was reasonable. 

Once at home I was busy putting everything away for over an hour with all the veggies to wash before putting them in the fridge. As expected I found numerous insects, making me feel at ease that no pesticides had been used on the “locally grown produce.” 

He poses coyly for the camera.

In all, we spent NZ $342, US $223, but that included a trip to the local health food store spending NZ $75, US $49 for a variety of specialty items that are always more costly. Later, we realized we could have purchased many of the same or similar items at the Pak & Save at considerably lower prices. 

Next time we shop, we’ll begin the shopping at the Pak n Save, leaving any items we can’t find for the “regular” market. We expect to easily be able to continue to keep the total under NZ $306, US $200 buying all grass-fed meat, free-range chickens and organic produce. 

The above totals include two cooked free-range organic chickens, and a cooked free-range pork loin roast we’ll continue to purchase each week to cover a few dinners with the addition of a variety of homemade side dishes.  The amazing eggs from the weekly farmer’s market will be an added cost at NZ $24, US $16 which we’ll happily add to the total.

Neil explained that sheep seem less interested in humans than alpacas. Although, these two couldn’t get to the fence fast enough to see us.

In Fiji, we may have spent approximately 25% less on groceries but weren’t able to find many items readily available in NZ. It proved to us how easily we’re able to adapt without many items when other options aren’t available. When items are available we opt on the side of enhancing our dining experience by willingly paying the added costs. 

While in the Pak n Save, a lovely retiree we met, June, had asked Tom to reach a six-pack of bottled beer from a high shelf. A lengthy conversation ensued resulting in her inviting us to visit for tea and to tour her historic home located in the downtown area. 

We exchanged business cards planning to visit her and her husband Simon once the bad weather passes. In our old lives, I can’t recall ever making new friends while shopping at the market. 

“Don’t go,” he says as we begin to walk away.

The warmth and friendliness of the New Zealand people further confirm our perception that most people throughout the world are kind and welcoming to foreigners who visit their homeland.

Today’s photos of bulls are our new local animal friends who welcome us by approaching the fence each time we walk down the road which has been almost every day. That is, if one can make friends with cows and bulls based on their response to us, we have no doubt it’s entirely possible.

No doubt, we’re enjoying our bull friends and other local friends we meet along the way, human and otherwise.

Photo from one year ago today, January 28, 2015:
  It is hard to believe it was one year ago that we took this video of the albatross we followed while spending four months in Kauai. Click here for photos.

Comment from a friend/reader…Love hearing from all of you!…

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It had rained for the first several days since we arrived.  Yesterday, the first sunny day, we stumbled upon this view. We were both mesmerized by the beauty of Mount Taranaki.  (We’re located in the Taranaki region of New Zealand). The trek up this mountain can be dangerous, which we heard aboard the ship, as per this link.

This morning, checking my email, as I do first thing each day, reading the comments from our friends/readers, I saw that Staci wrote the following:

“What a gorgeous place! I remember when you booked this location, I couldn’t wait to see how it turned out! I can tell you all are just having an outstanding experience, and you can write about the alpacas every day for all I care! 🙂 Have a great weekend.”

At the end of yesterday’s post, I commented how we laughed over her comment about us posting excessively about the alpacas. As each day passes, I’ve come to realize how impossible it will be for me not to write about them and post photos.

After all, there are approximately 90 alpacas surroundings us along with a wide array of cows on the bordering properties. How can we avoid noticing their activities throughout the day with a perfect spot to sit in the warmth of the sun on the veranda and with huge windows and walls of glass throughout the house?

This morning’s view from the veranda of the cows on the adjacent property.  We easily hear mooing all day.  Having never lived on a farm, this is all quite a joy for both of us. 

The first thing we see each morning in the master bath’s window (instead of a mirror over the sink) is one of the many paddocks on this property with 20 alpacas huddled together to stay warm in the coolness of the morning.  They recently had been sheared for their precious fleece which is hypoallergenic.

I’d rather look at them each morning rather than myself as I start my day! (There’s another vanity area with a mirror and sink in the master bedroom that serves that purpose).

As the sun rises each day, my heart flips in my chest seeing them, closely connected for companionship, love, and warmth. They’re still shy about us but surely in time, they’ll come to know us to approach more readily.  For now, we wait patiently, keeping a distance to ensure their ease and comfort.

At some point, we’ll drive to the area of the mountain where there are beautiful lakes we’d like to see such as Lake Mangamahoe.

Over these past few days, that it’s nearly impossible for us not to address the alpacas in our posts, at least with one or two photos added to other photos for the day.  Humor me, folks.  I’m totally in love with them and Tom is a close second.  The alpacas are our new “warthogs” with whom we also fell in love in South Africa after their multiple daily visits to our veranda.

Yesterday, was a wonderfully busy day. After finishing the last of the wash while delighting in hanging the clothes outside on a breezy, sunny day, we took a drive into the town of New Plymouth to check out the ocean views and become familiar with the “downtown” area. Later, after being back home, we went back out a second time, taking more photos.

New Plymouth, with a population of over 68,000 has commercial areas reminding us more of a community area than a tourist area. None of the areas we’ve seen to date feels touristy and over-marketed. We spotted a mall but it didn’t have that “tourist attraction” kind of appearance.

As we drove to another location again we spotted Mount Taranaki as the clouds had moved from the peak.

Of course, we’ve only been here a few days and have yet to formulate any concrete observations or opinions. Although, this we know for certain…we love it here, especially out in the countryside where we’ll live for the next three months.

In only a matter of 20 minutes, we’re able to drive to town to shop for anything we could want. With 117 restaurants listed in TripAdvisor for New Plymouth, we’ll never run out of dining out options. 

The difficult part will be choosing to dine out when the robust selection of wonderful foods at the markets far exceeds anything we’ve seen in a very long time. In many ways, the options are even more abundant than what we discovered in Trinity Beach, Australia. 

Hours after being born, this baby alpaca is nursing.  Pinch me!  This is so sweet!

Then again, with Valentine’s Day, my birthday, and our wedding anniversary all upcoming in the next six weeks, we’ll certainly plan a few nights out to dine at some of the above-noted top restaurants in the area.  For now, we’ve just begun to explore the 35 acres surrounding us.  Um…heavenly!

Photo from one year ago today, January 23, 2015:

One year ago, while living in Kauai, we stumbled upon this view driving down an unexpected road.  For more details, please click here. (The same occurred yesterday when again we stumbled across the main photo view when we drove down an “unexpected road.”)