When Angie was 16, she was an exchange student in New Zealand, and lived with Bob and Faye Gillon and their girls in Whakatane. Over the years, they have kept in touch with her, and Faye even visited her in India when she lived there. Bob and Faye were going to meet us in Bali in April of 2020, but of course that never happened. This year for our December/January break, we decided it was high time we went to New Zealand to see them. We were grateful we got to visit and spend Christmas with their family.
The Gillons have moved a couple of times since Angie lived with them, and for a number of years have had a “lifestyle block” in the countryside near Whakatane. We learned that a lifestyle block is a New Zealand term for an acreage. Bob and Faye have a lovely vegetable garden, an orchard, and a few sheep. It is an idyllic setting, and we really enjoyed the bountiful harvest of their garden, including potatoes and avocados. Adam even got to help harvest the avocados!
On Christmas Day, Angie loved reconnecting with her host sisters, Deanna and Kerry, and meeting their families. It was a glorious warm sunny day filled with wonderful conversation and lots of delicious food! We also got a kick out of Deanna’s family’s go-kart!
While staying with Bob and Faye we took a walk around their acreage and over to the neighbor’s house to see the castle they built on their land. They used castoff concrete blocks from a construction project to build a small castle. It’s a pretty fun landmark. He even flew the US flag over the ramparts for us!
Bob and Faye also drove us to Whakatane so Angie could see some of the sights from when she stayed with them, including the house where they lived and her school. We also went to Ohope, the nearby beach town where they had a batch (a beach house) for a while around that same time. It was fun to see those places Angie had almost forgotten; it brought back many memories. Unfortunately, it wasn’t exactly beach weather that day, but we still braved the rain and wind for a brief look at the shore.
A couple of days after Christmas, we all packed up and headed to Rotorua and Taupo. When I’d lived with the Gillons in 1992 we had spent some time in both places, and I’d spent 3 weeks at the Sir Edmund Hilary Outdoor Pursuits Center near Tongariro National Park, so parts there were familiar. That is a beautiful region and very geothermically active, and there was a lot to see and do.
On the way to Taupo we stopped at Hell’s Gate, a geothermal hot springs area. It is a really amazing geological area, with all kinds of bubbling pools of various shapes, sizes, and compositions.
After Hell’s Gate, we stopped by Aratiatia dam. Several times a day the dam opens to release water through the Aratiatia river. It’s quite a sight to see the rushing waters fill up the beautiful blue pond and rocky riverway.
We stayed overnight in Taupo and then spent the next day hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, which is described in Part 2 of this series of posts. Taupo is a lovely town along Lake Taupo. We could see amazing views over the lake towards Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ngauruhoe.
The day after the crossing, we headed back towards Rotarua, stopping at Huka Falls on the way. Angie remembered seeing these falls when she was 16, and they were just as impressive now as they were then.
Back in Rotorua, we were fortunate to be able to stay with Bob and Faye’s friends Brian and Colleen. We all went up to the Skyline for dinner one evening. Skyline is a tourist attraction that has, among other things, a luge run. Adam and I had great fun riding the luge before dinner and enjoying the views as we rode the chairlift back up to the top.
The next morning before we flew out to Christchurch, all of us took a walk around Whakarewarewa Forest. Within the forest is a stand of California Coast Redwoods that were first planted in 1901. They grew very well, and today the forest is home to these massive trees growing alongside native bush, including tree ferns. The forest is a really lovely place to wander through.
We were so grateful we had this time with Bob and Faye and their family and friends. We were sad to say goodbye. Hopefully we’ll see them again somewhere in the world in the near future!