It was worth it

It's our final morning in New Zealand, 6 weeks gone by in a flash. The South Island is the more beautiful but the North Island also has a lot to offer and no matter what part of the country we have been in there has always been something interesting to see. For example:
Aranui Cave at Waitopo

We played our final round in NZ at Muriwai Beach Links just west of Auckland.

This lovely view of the beach, the dunes and the course is taken from the cliffs above where there is also a large gannet colony. The gannet has similar behaviour to the Bermuda Cahow although it is not a nocturnal bird. Upon hatching the parents alternate nesting while the other searches for food (usually sq uid)the chick practices flying. After 15 weeks the young bird is kicked out and on instinct flies to Australia where it spends a few years before returning home to find a mate, they breed and stay for life.

There are so many things to see and do here that we could spend a lot more time but we have gone tip to tip and east to west. The people are friendly and accommodating and the tourist activities are professional and well organized. There are a few minor irritations, the food and wine pricing is all over the place and we sympathize with the locals who produce so much fine quality food which is exported while they pay high prices for the leftovers. When you can buy a bottle of wine in Bermuda or London for less than you pay at the vineyard where it is grown, something is wrong. However, we do not want to detract from what has been a fantastic experience which we will always treasure. Many times we have taken a walk, tour or ride and almost every time we have returned and said 'that was worth it'.

Next: French Polynesia