View of Volcano on the way to Taranaki Waterfall
Hukki Falls before Lake Taupo
Cathedral Cove (Coramandel Penninsular)-3 hour walk
Maurice on rope bridge in Coromandel Forest
Auckland Synagogue
Maurice on rope bridge in Coromandel Forest
Auckland SynagogueOur time in Rotorua was spent learning about Maori culture,
relaxing in the Polynesian spa, viewing the whole thermal area from high up and walking by the lake. On Thursay we continued our southward drive, stopping at the magnificent Huape waterfall, circling large Lake Tapau, a volcanic crater, and trekking for 6 kilometres in the Tongariro National Park. This park consists of 3 volcanic mountains and is a ski area. Now, in the autumn,the vegetation is so varied and colourful, that every few metres we saw new delights.
After overnight in Taihape, we rushed to reach the kosher shop in Wellington.
Shabbat in Wellington has proved full of surprises. The shuls (both the orthodox 160+ year old congregation and the progressive 50 years old) are far from where most Jews live today-what's new?- so no home invites, though a friendly community. Instead, we found ourselves entertaining a young Israeli, who stuck to us, limpet-like, on Friday night, telling us his tale of woe- return ticket had run out, no work here, has to move to agricultural area where there's no Jewish community in order to pay for his flight.Congregation members at this morning's kiddush told us there are always Israelis here with problems, usually lost in the bush or arrested.Our young friend helps out cleaning the shul and tonight fried fallafel for a belated communal Yom Ha'atzmaut event. The ambassador designate turned up, as well as the local "rikudei am" class, Jewish and non-Jewish, who performed with better co-ordination than classes I've been in. The klezmer band members appeared to mostly have Chinese and Polish parentage, though there may have been a Jew. This is such a multi-cultural society and the same goes for the Jewish population.The community was set up by the British chief rabbinate to support British Jewish colonialists/emigrants at the time. Those families have disappeared and the current ones include many descendants of Holocaust survivors. There are also many cases of immigrants,who tell their children that they are Jeish on their death bed. The orthodox community is on the wane, with most youngsters moving to Melbourne, Australia, or making aliyah.
relaxing in the Polynesian spa, viewing the whole thermal area from high up and walking by the lake. On Thursay we continued our southward drive, stopping at the magnificent Huape waterfall, circling large Lake Tapau, a volcanic crater, and trekking for 6 kilometres in the Tongariro National Park. This park consists of 3 volcanic mountains and is a ski area. Now, in the autumn,the vegetation is so varied and colourful, that every few metres we saw new delights.
After overnight in Taihape, we rushed to reach the kosher shop in Wellington.
Shabbat in Wellington has proved full of surprises. The shuls (both the orthodox 160+ year old congregation and the progressive 50 years old) are far from where most Jews live today-what's new?- so no home invites, though a friendly community. Instead, we found ourselves entertaining a young Israeli, who stuck to us, limpet-like, on Friday night, telling us his tale of woe- return ticket had run out, no work here, has to move to agricultural area where there's no Jewish community in order to pay for his flight.Congregation members at this morning's kiddush told us there are always Israelis here with problems, usually lost in the bush or arrested.Our young friend helps out cleaning the shul and tonight fried fallafel for a belated communal Yom Ha'atzmaut event. The ambassador designate turned up, as well as the local "rikudei am" class, Jewish and non-Jewish, who performed with better co-ordination than classes I've been in. The klezmer band members appeared to mostly have Chinese and Polish parentage, though there may have been a Jew. This is such a multi-cultural society and the same goes for the Jewish population.The community was set up by the British chief rabbinate to support British Jewish colonialists/emigrants at the time. Those families have disappeared and the current ones include many descendants of Holocaust survivors. There are also many cases of immigrants,who tell their children that they are Jeish on their death bed. The orthodox community is on the wane, with most youngsters moving to Melbourne, Australia, or making aliyah.
Shavua Tov!
Fortunately we are staying within walking distance of the superb Tio Pape museum, which answers evey possible question about this country's geology and and its ethnic mix.
