Some days I think I’m turning into a total flake. In 2 weeks Larry and I leave for New Zealand. I have been invited to speak at the DEANZ conference in Wellington (Aug 17 – 20) so we decided to add on some time to vacation. But have I planned a stitch of the trip? Nope. Have I looked to see if I can piggyback any work or work related visits? Nope. Wassamatta with me?
Can you help? We are arriving in Aukland on the 8th. We have to be in Wellington the late afternoon of the 17th. We fly home on the 23rd (Wellington-Aukland-Los Angeles-Seattle.)
- Vacation recommendations – places to see, affordable lodging, good food
- Need an afternoon or a day of consulting? If you can get us to where you are, feed us and put us up, I’ll offer my time in exchange.
- Want to try and meet up for fun? When and where?
In other words… HELP ME!
Hi Nancy, it has been on my mind that you’re coming over to New Zealand and if you were coming down to the South Island, I would gladly show you around. But sadly, Auckland and Wellington are on the North Island and I am just not going to be able to make it up to see you.But here are a couple of ideas about where you could go:
North of Auckland to the Bay of Islands. It is beautiful there, with good fishing and sightseeing. Amazing beaches.
Rotarua – this is where you find the volcanic mud pools and smelly air. It is also on your way down from Auckland to Wellington
Taupo is beautiful I am told – it’s a beautiful lake. But I have never been there, but again is on your way down to Wellington.
Wellington – Te Pap museum is a must-will give you a sense of New Zealand history & culture.
Hope that helps, Sarah
(Moved from another part of the site!)
Hi Nancy,
I just saw your post on your NZ trip. I can’t help with any specifics though the south island is interesting to aussies as its different to us….but perhaps not to you. I had mentally kept a note to contact you when I am up in Seattle …. now I can see thast is exactly when you are down here! I will be spending a few days with my sister in Seattle from the 17th to 19th August. I have become aware of your work from a number of sources… more recently Matt Moore, Nerida Hart and Jenny Ambrozek.
I’ll be presenting some of my research work at the Academy of Management meeting in Annaheim and then spending a few days in San Francisco, where I hope to catch up with Verna Allee and John Maloney. If you have any ideas of other folks I should seek out while there please let me know and perhaps we can catch up another time.
rgds
Laurence Lock Lee
From About Nancy White, 2008/07/23 at 10:13 PM
hi Nancy, Shawn Callahan pinged me about your trip to New Zealand.
As you’ll be in Wellington, it’s a great place to ‘Meet a kiwi’
Visitors to Wellington Zoo can now be guaranteed to see
kiwi up close every day.
At 1.15pm each day, Tahi the one-legged kiwi, will be in a specially
built encounter area at the entrance of Te Ao Maahina, The Twilight
– Wellington Zoo’s nocturnal house. He will be accompanied by a
Guide who will be there to answer questions.
Once visitors have paid their admission to the Zoo, there is no extra
charge to see Tahi. Tahi is a great advocate for his species. He lost
his leg after it was caught in a hunting trap in the bush. Despite best
efforts, vets were unable to save it, so his leg was amputated just below
the knee joint. Tahi’s is a very important story that we need to tell.
Tahi is living proof of the damage human kiwis can do to kiwi, our
national bird. However, he is strong, healthy and perfectly capable
of getting around on his one leg. Tahi is a North Island brown kiwi
of which there are approximately 30,000 in New Zealand.
North Island brown kiwis are in serious decline.
—–
More info is available on their website: http://wellingtonzoo.com
Wellington Zoo is at 200 Daniell Street, Newtown, Wellington. Ph 04 381 6750
By car: Just 10 minutes drive from the centre of Wellington city.
Adult entry fee: NZ$15.00
Open 9.30am – 5.00pm every day.
Last admission is at 4.15pm.
Hi Nancy – got your travel details and cry for help from Shawn @ anecdote.
We have just been thinking about what tourists can do – especially during an unusually wet and windy winter – so far! You don’t leave many clues about what gets you excited – except for birds. In the Waitemata Gulf – East of Auckland is a remarkable island – Tiritiri Matanga – which is a bird refuge. It’s an easy day trip – to see an amazing variety of bird-life (and possibly whales and dolphins on the way out). Wellington has the zoo – but also an urban bird refuge – at Karori – an amazing patch of pre-history right in the city. I’d recommend Mount Ruapehu – south of Taupo – very spectacular, great skiiing at present and excellent walks as well (the nearby Tongariro crossing is a superb 1-day walk). If you like fine food and wine – spend a day checking vineyards on Waiheke (lovely Auckland island), or around Hawkes Bay.
Happy to chat further – phone contacts available on web site (and also on http://www.fxc.co.nz).
Cheers, Stewart
Hey Sarah, Kerenza and Stewart – I’ll be sure to check out the zoo!
Sarah, sorry I’ll miss you. I think I’ll get to see Leigh at the DEANZ conference, so I’ll send my good wishes back with him. If we go south, I’ll holler.
Stewart, you ask a great question – what do we like?
* getting to hang out with locals and just walking around and seeing life.
* Good food and wine
* Day hikes (not prepared to go backpacking)
* would love to see whales, dolphins, and I have to admit, penguins (tho hubby gets seasick so boat stuff in the winter may not be a good idea unless I leave him on the shore)
* Museums
* Native Maori culture
* Art
Uh, oh, what don’t we like? I’m not so into sports, but Larry loves seeing sports venues because that’s his work field.
Is the weather too chilly to go about in a camper van this time of year?
Also, I suspect I do need to book our first night in Aukland, even tho it looks like we’ll be pretty spontaneous. Anyone have suggestions? Low key…
Laurence
I’m sorry I’ll miss your visit to Seattle! While you are here you might want to visit with Lee and Sachi LeFever of http://www.commoncraft.com
Hi,
It will depend on the weather – which has been wild in the last week, so best to keep your plans flexible.
Assuming that you hire a car and drive from Auckland to Wellington – traffic is generally light once you get out of Auckland.
Fairly random notes:
Waiheke (island near Auckland, easy day trip on ferry)
Rotorua – touristy, thermal areas. Do visit the Blue Baths (take your togs!) – restored thermal baths.
Skiing? There are two ski fields on Mount Ruapehu, in the centre of the North Island.
Worth a drive up (snow permiiting) even if you don’t ski.
Napier is not on the direct Auckland-Wellington route, but is a wee gem of a town – it was largely rebuilt in Art Deco style after an earthquake in the 1930’s, and the centre still has a high proportion of Art Deco buildings.
If you are flying Auckland to Wellington, email me and I’ll send recommendations for Wellington, which is where I live.