Why I'm worried about seasickness....

....and why I've purchased a 100-pill bottle of Meclizine!

Northland Tour Details

Here is our itinerary for our Northland tour. I spent hours and hours trading emails with this tour provider and helping him decide where he should take us. I will include links I've found to all of the places we've decided upon.

This is from his final email to me about the itinerary. Notice how Kiwis (that's what people from New Zealand are called) do the dates backwards.

22/10 Depart Auckland I can meet you off your morning flight (this was before our flights changed and we come in yet another day early) and give you a tour of Auckland highlights before returning to the airport to collect the rest ofyour party. By the time they clear customs it will be around 6.00pm and we have a 3 1/2 hour drive directly to Paihia arriving at 9.30.

Arrive Paihia check in at hotel Scenic Circle Bay of Islands

http://www.scenic-circle.co.nz/hotel.asp?id=20#Scenic_Circle_Bay_of_Islands_Hotel_Accomodation_Paihia,_Bay_Of_Islands

23/10 9.00 - 1.00 cruise to Urupukapuka Island

http://www.doc.govt.nz/templates/page.aspx?id=34090

Sights on the cruise:

Cape Brett

http://wikitravel.org/en/Cape_Brett

Cathedral Cove (This is where the Pevinses landed in Narnia in "Prince Caspian"!)

http://www.jameswiseman.com/cathedral.php

and "Hole in the Rock"

http://goaustralia.about.com/cs/nznorthsights/l/blpicbay5.htm

Lunch upon disembarking at Russell at Duke of Marlborough Hotel on the waterfront.

http://www.theduke.co.nz/

Then the museum where there is a 1/5 replica of Captain Cook's ship The Endeavour

http://www.russellmuseum.org.nz/endeavour.htm

views from Flagstaff Hill

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagstaff_Hill,_New_Zealand

vehicle ferry to Opua (bay with sailboats)

Waitangi Treaty Grounds

http://www.waitangi.net.nz/about/

Kerikeri Stone Store (oldest building in NZ) and museum

http://kerikeri.co.nz/feature.cfm?WPID=2323

return to Paihia and shops

Evening - Maori Cultural concert and Hangi(feast). (This is like the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu.)


24/10 Depart Paihia at 8.00am

south to Kawiti bush walk and glowworm caves at Kawakawa

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/sights-activities/scenic-highlights/natural-phenomena/scenic-highlight-details.cfm/businessid/6975

There are also these 'must see' (according to Lonely Planet anyway) TOILETS in Kawakawa. Seriously.

http://www.kawakawa.co.nz/

giant Kauri trees at Parry Park

http://www.wwmuseum.orconhosting.net.nz/parry_kauri_park.html

Warkworth

http://www.wwmuseum.orconhosting.net.nz/index.html

and if time permits,views from Mt Victoria, Devonport

http://www.devonport.co.nz/mt_victoria.htm

before arriving at the ship 12.30- 1.00pm.

About our trip

Years and years ago, we realized that 2008 is a HUGE year in the Heuer family. Grandma and Dada (Jim and Luceil for non-Heuers) celebrated their 50th anniversary. Dad and I had our 25th anniversary, and Uncle Mike and Aunt Brigitte also had their 25th anniversary. (Who let us get married two months apart??? Poor Grandma.) Also Dada had his 75th birthday in March, and Uncle Mike turned 50. (Sorry, Mike. It happens to the best of us; it just happened to you FIRST. Heh.)

So we decided way back then that the six of us had to take a trip together--the trip of a lifetime. In August 2007, we booked a cruise from Auckland, New Zealand, to Sydney, Australia.

Times and flying being what they are, we decided to go in a couple of days early, giving our luggage the chance to catch up with us before we board the cruise ship (should it actually go astray). Flying in early also gives us time to recover from any airline delays and not miss the ship entirely.

Back in December, Dad and I used Delta SkyMiles to purchase our airfare so we will travel separately from the other four. They are going to Fiji for a day and a half on the way to Auckland. Then I set up a pre-cruise tour to the Northland, an area of New Zealand the cruise ship visits before we get on board. Then we found out--28 days before we were supposed to leave--Korean Air canceled our flight to Auckland and moved us to 24 hours later! We would arrive at the end of the day tour to the Northland! So we ended up purchasing tickets on Qantas for our flights and getting back all of our SkyMiles.

All is well now. (I didn't really want new family room furniture this year. Our old stuff is only almost 17 years old. It can surely last another year.) Itineraries and more details to follow.