Walls of green

Driving at NZ it is experience it self. first you have to drive at the WRONG side of the road (they drive at the Left side of the road.
Every day when I m starting my drive I need to think am i driving on the Right side???
When i m driving Karine is my GPS and when she is driving I m her GPS.
every where you drive it all green. sheep's are every where and on every hill that you see and probably on those you don't see.
The roads are so beautiful. there are places that it is only mountains around and there are places where you drive just near the beaches and you can stop for TEA where ever you feel like.

walking on a glassier ("KARHON")

How many time a man/woman got the chance to walk on a glassier???
Well it depend if you are traveling in NZ because you can get the chance if you want..
Today (your night.. hope you slept good) we had a walk on a glassier and it is amazing experience.

we were walking with guided walk and you know me it was hard for me, but it was worth it.
at the beginning we had 1 hour climb in order to get to the point where you can easily step on the ICE.
we have put some straps around our boots and start walking the guide was making us stairs and places to walk
it was not so easy but not so bad ether.
we where sitting and eating our lunch in the middle of the glassier and it was beautifully.
we were walking and every thing around us was ICE and see cracks in the ICE, and ICE at white and blue color.
after walking about 4 hours we went back (back was very fast).
we had ~4K of walking on the glassier.
YOU SHOULD TRY THAT ONE DAY
There are more picturs at hte big album

Karine and her Kiwi

Ever since we've arrived to NZ, the word Kiwi is mentioned everywhere. After doing some investigation, we found out that the Kiwi is the NZ National Bird.
It's a pity I do not have a picture of it but it is the cutest bird. Ever since I've laid my eyes on it I fell in love. We haven't seen it in 'real life' yet but we've seen many pictures and I intend to see it in real life before we leave NZ. My beloved husband decided to surprise me for the Christmas, so while we were on the ferry from the North Island to the South Island, and I was taking a nap he bought me a Kiwi. He intended to give it to me the next morning but I 'blew' the surprise when I 'sniffed' through his bag and found the Kiwi.

Abel Tasman Track

finally we've done a 2 days Trip - Able Tasman.
We took a Boat Taxi to our walking starting point and we started walking and walking and walking. The first day we were walking for about 5 hours. We camped at night and the second day we walked for another 5 hours. The most amazing thing about this sea, is that the High tide reaches about 5 meters higher than in low tide. It's the highest in the world!!!! To give you a notion of it - we would see in the high tide a boat floating on the water and the next day during low tide, it would be standing exactly at the same spot only completely dry on the sand. Unbelievable sight.
The whole trip I was with 7 kilos on my back and Mushi with about 10 Kilos. Can you imagine? However, the amazing views made us forget we we carrying such heavy weights on our backs.
The Tasman Sea with the green mountain and the walking through the thick bushes made it certainly the best 2 days trip we've had up until now (although it's also the only one :-)).

The weekly quize for the child

Karine and Moshon have walked at the Abel Tasman Track.
The view was great and suddenly Karine disappeared.
Mushon was looking around and could not found her.
Could you help Mushon find Karin ?

Food At nz 2nd part

so we have finished the Tongariro crossing....
We have decided that the best way to celebrate it by eating at restaurant.
Well that have mad the day even more prefect we had prefect dinner.
we have order venison (deer meat) and it have come on a prefect plate like we are at the most fancy restaurant in Israel.
so we have found out the venison meat...
since then we have prepared 2 time venison at our motels and to tell you the true this is the best meat we have eat till now.
so basically this is the best ......
also we have discover the Mussels" and this have become our first course for out dinner when we found it at the supper market... enjoy the picture :)
not all the time we are eating good food when we have been at the Abel Tasman (Track) we have eat rice with Chains flavoured and this is not what we are use to have....

TONGERIRO Crosign - The best day trip at NZ

while we where at the white cliffs we have checked the weather at the Tongriro MT.
and it have been improved so we have changed our plans and set our car direct to the mountain area.
The weather was great and we got up in the morning ready to climb the mountain.
we were climbing for more the 1 hour till we have reached the first point view the climb was very hard but it was worth it.
all the valley below was spread below us, looking from above felt like we are on top of the world.
(Gandalf - this picture is for you :) )
the day have just began. another climb this one was shorter but not easier the legs where tired from the first climb.
after the 2nd climb we have reached the Red crater where we saw some amazing colors of red at the mountain (looks at Karin's picture). the day was not finished yet .
another small climb and we have reached to point were we could see 3 little lakes at green colors. it was amazing view (i have the feeling that i use the word amazing too many times).
another lake on top of the mountain and another great view from the other side of the mountain and now for the Hard part "what goes up must go down".
we have climbed 800 meters and we need to go down 1100 meter. our legs have felt every meter we have got down every step have become a mission. we had to go all the way down fast because we have a shuttle to catch.
while going down we have passed in have forest and near some Gassers.
we have finished the Track it was great.
We have travel at different places but this is THE BEST DAY TRIP WE HAVE DONE IN OUR LIFE

the weather - and our changes

While traveling at a country you need to consider the weather in advance and plan your route on the run, what we have not done at the beginning. When we have been at Witomo caves we should have checked the weather at Tongriro Mt that is considered to be the best day trip in all NZ.
But in order to do the Tongeririo crossing you have to have a good day all the way.
We were traveling at Rotoroa (Gaizzer place) and after that we arrived into Tapo.
at Rotoroa the weather was great, no rain and strong sun. but when we have arrived to Tapo the weather changed and we could not do the Tongariro mount..... it was very disappointing.
although there is an old NZ sentence "if the weather is not good wait for 5 minute" well it didn't work this time. the weather has not changed even in two days :(

so we have changed the trip :(
we have decided to drive to Mount Tarnkiki and again we didn't check the weather we have got there while on the way it was raining very strong and for 2 days we didn't see the mountain.
so we have done some walk around the area in which we have seen one of the best views we saw till now. The white Cliff
waking along the beach where there are cliff between you and the water.
because of the waves you can walk there only at the Tide ("SHEEFEL") you have 3 hours to make the trip before the waves reach the cliff and you don't have any room to walk in.

the view was beautiful amazing, i m short of words to describe what ever my eyes have seen.....
well this is where the "if the weather is not good wait for 5 minute" come in to the picture.
the weather have changed :( it have become raining for the rest of the walk. we were waking in the forest and it was like walking in the jungle. it was beautiful but we could not enjoy it as much as we could. we were wearing rain coat and it still didn't help much.
we were climbing to very high mountain while all our pants were wet. not fun ...
but, and here comes a big but, "if the weather is not good wait for 5 minute" after an hour the weather have changed again and the sun have come out and we got beautiful view again.
Karine: I've never seen Black sand. It is amazing beautiful. It sparkles in the sun and contrasts with the color of the water. Mushi forgot to mention that the climb was very very steep and it was a very difficult walk. However, it was a good preparation towards the Tongeriro....

Hot Springs, Jet Boat in Taupo

Yesterday we went to see the Huka Falls, which are part of a big and beutifull lake. While we were walking we suddenly saw steam coming out of the water of one of the springs. We then found out the water were hot, like in a jakuzi - hot jakuzi!!! you can see from the picture that we couldn't miss this oportunity of a free Jakuzi (Israeli till the end). for Moshon's pic, click here

Today we decided to treat ourselves with a very expenssive Jet Boat ride (on the other hand, everything is expenssive here...). The Boat, which reached over than 80 Km/h made 360 degrees turns. It was amazing!!! We got few meters far from the Huka falls.

Karine almost flew out of the boat in one of the turns.... (lucky me)

food at NZ

before we have arrived to NZ we have heard that all day eat fish and chips.
well it is depend ...
it took us 2 day to found our self and guess what? we are not eating fish and chips at all.
i will describe gust the best meals so i will not need to spend all day here.
we have enter in to supper market and it was supper ... they have here everything seafood of all kind, meat of all kind (i know what is the face of my mother now)
at the 3rd place:
fillet on the pan with mashed potato's
the meat was so great you cat it and it is very smooth taste like something that i never tasted :)
at the 2nd place:
pasta with sea food (you can see picture at the web album)
pasta with Surimi and shrimps with cream and garlic ...... YAMI
at and the 1st place leaving every thing behind:
lamb ribs fried served with red wine sauce and asparagus.
the lamb was medium rare and the taste i don't know how to describe it nothing that near what we know see the picture above :)

Karine skydive

Hi all you are welcome to see my wife at Skydive
Nothing need to be added she is the woman
Karine : "It was amazing"

rotoroa -- you will get there you will smell it

Rotoroa it is city that there are Gazer's every where. You get in to the city and it is smell like we have arrived to "HAMAT GADER" all the city smell we have thought that after a few hours we will stop to smell this but to tell you the true even after 2 days at the place we didn't got use to that smell. we have been seen some Gazer at action they have put soap in it and it raised up to~15m.
we have been seen some more different volcano reactions it was great.
we have done some hiking in this area and it was really nice we have been hiking at some forests and lakes.

sheep at NZ

At the road from waitomo caves to Rotoroa we have seen the largest amount of sheep we have ever seen. first we have saw it on every in small amount 20 to 30 sheep every time, it looks like white rocks every where. later on we have started to see some farms that have them and to tell you the true i don't think that i can count them (as you know i can count only till 10 and there we a lot more). we have stop the car and i stepped out side to take some pictures. at the beginning it seem like i m not the one that look at them ---> they was standing and looking at me like i m a show (they have been very curious) but when i was trying to get closer they have been taking some steps back ... then again they become curious and come to watch me :)
there are so cute make you feel that you want to eat them (so 2 days later we have been eating them YAMI)

first days at NZ

We have been at Auckland and lived at the downtown the room was not some thing romantic (you know we are at honeymoon ... need some thing romantic) just bad and shower. nothing to be prude off.
the first day have started by going to the big tower looking at the view nice but not to exciting.
at the after noon we have started to hit the road and driving to waitomo caves. that should be our first attraction at NZ.
we have rented a room that have a small kitchen so we mad our self nice dinner.
we were just doing some walks at the first day and at the 2nd day we have been at the caves the we have been done the black water rafting that include some raft at the caves (with tubs - "ABOBIM") and Abseiling 37 metres and jumping in to water some good stuff (the fun have began). the water was freezing and i had ache all over my body(karin have survived this better then me :) ). over all it was very fun.

Lending at NZ

after 9 hours of flight from Singapore and 2 days after we have left Israel finally we have arrived to NZ. the plain was touching the ground at ~23:30 at night.
we a have been asked some questions and one of those was do you have fruit an d we have answer that we don't(we have been looking at the bags and could not found the fruit that we have taken)

after passing the check of Arlnod (dog that smell your stuff and tells if you have fresh food) and have passed some more questions. even if our tent was out side we have said that it was new --> they have taken the tent to be checked that there is no mud in side.
they don't want you to bring any thing that can effect there ground.

we have been at the Xray machine --> they have found the fruit --> we have to pay $200 (NZ$) ~600 NIS charge for trying to bring food in to the country

the night was not over ... we have went out and looked for the rental car ... not there ... there was assign of shuttle but the shuttle was not arrived after a while waiting and asking some people looking around we have discover that they have left the car at the information.
after 2 days we have found out that it was written at the papers we have got :)

driving in the middle of the night we arrived to the "hotel" (backpacker) finally some sleep

duty free??

so we have landed at Zurich and the whether was not so good realy cold so the day after when we have landed at Singpor we were supprised that it was worm. again duty free and this time we had like 1 and half hour to visit be there. and the conction have become duty free ... toor. and they have a lot of stuff there. lets end with this duty free ... talks The flight before i have fly every one have asked me how long is the flight? i said what dose it matter... well it matter we had 11 hours to singpor and more 9 hours from singapor to NZ.... you can get crazy from that. there are 2 kind of pepole dose who sleep at flight and dose who don't i m from dose who don't :( so had the chance to see a lot of movies during the flights

travling with my wife

i wrote at the first post that it is the first time that i m traveling with my wife... i didn't know how different it will be. First packing... we have finished after packing with 2 big bags and suitcase ... NZ with suitcase?? Ok we have a car let get use to the idea. getting in to the terminal was different from any time i have fly before.... the duty free have different meaning then it have before.... spending time at the duty free?? me ?? there was 3 +1 on the perfume and we have created the max possibilities there ... this perfume with this or may be this we have spend more then 45 min to chose the right combination. eating and drinking at the Lunch then changing money --> the time have run and ... we have become the last couple to the plain ... they know our name ... calling us RAZ came every one is waiting for u.... we have fly to Zurich ... at Zurich we have looked at the Duty free for a shirt for me .. and Karin was checking some other stuff... the night was OK the hotel was fine we went for dinner at the airport the only thing that was on at that time. i will continue at the next days :)

Still in Isreal ....

3 day before the flight and 5 days before landing at NZ.

And now i m sitting at my home and starting this blog.

I have travel at deferent places but it is the first time i m traveling with my wife.

We have bought tent, bags, new card for the camera so we could send some photos
Still the bags are not ready for the ride ....
We are lending at Auckland at the middle of the night ....
and for 41 days we will be traveling at the "lord of the ring" kingdom
i have added the map of NZ so... you could track after our rout
I hop to keep this blog
and you can comment
Moshon or Mushon what ever you feel like