Hobbits

Hobbiton, New Zealand

No kidding. It is a real place. The Anderson farm about an hour out of Rotarua was scouted out by Peter Jackson, filmmaker, as the perfect location for the Hobbit films. No wonder, the dramatic green rolling hills, walkable hollows, and expansive horizons are nature's ready made movie set. When the filming ended and so many fans made pilgrimages to the hallowed ground, the family knew they had an opportunity. Today there are Hobbiton buses from surrounding population centers , along with car travelers which contribute to 1800 a day arriving for tours. The only reason we decided to spend a half day in this endeavor was because we wanted to report our findings to David and to our young Polish friends as well.

The charming young tour guide entertained us with details of building the sets, gossip about the actors, logistics for the hundreds of crew members, what scene in the films occurred at each spot, and mishaps on the set. The most interesting information was fanatic attention to details insisted on by Jackson . The large, well placed trees were built with man made materials, and the thousands of leaves were painted and wired on individually . If he didn't like the hue, they would be taken down and repainted. The many Hobbit homes were in one word, adorable. At the end of the trail we were offered a drink in the Dragon Pub.

Wanaka and Wine

A charming town not far from the wine country. We pulled in to the rest stop to find out there had been a 4.8 earthquake yesterday. Just missed it, as we missed another 4.8 which occurred in Milford Sound the day after we left! Watch out Hawaii.

Near Cromwell, a fruit growing area , grape vineyards grace the slopes. We visited the Aurum Vineyard, one of the few organic enterprises. It is run by a family who does most of the work themselves with the help of 10 backpackers at harvest time. This is the vineyard Prince William and Kate visited a few years ago. After a tasting we came away with a few bottles.

Dart river jets

Not boaters or speed enthusiasts, we nevertheless signed up for the touristy Dart River jet boat experience. These buzzing demon motor boats carry 15 people, each decked out in rain cloaks and life jackets, which when stacked body to body in the boat felt more like strait jackets. The hour long drive thorough several pristine rivers, carved out by volcanic events required two hands on a grab bar and feet braced on the floor at 60 mph. The scenery was spectacular, but might have been more calmly viewed in a slow boat without noise and fancy swirl tricks.

Very NEW Zealand

The land of the long white cloud (Maori)

Until 800 years ago, there were no humans here. It was two isolated islands with only 3 mammals, no snakes. Maori were the first settlers, and the English came aboard in the 1700s.Today, a good deal of the flora and fauna present was unfortunately brought in by English settlers for their hunting pleasure , many of which have become pests: rabbits, deer, scotch thistles. Even sheep, horses, and cattle were not indigenous, and now dominate the landscape, and the economy.

A Day in the Life (an OAT event in every country) to an organic dairy farm was a delight. The farm couple, Dot and Ray welcomed us warmly into their home for a delicious homemade lunch in their dining room. After we sat around their living room for a spirited discussion of how they managed their farm, then took a tour of their milk shed.

The north island is tropical and steamy in parts. During our two days in Auckland , a city sitting in 8 volcanos , we were in proximity to an offshore "cyclone" which we know as hurricane type storms. The wind was wild, reported at 100 mpk ( 60 mph?) There are backpackers galore, thus many backpacker hostels, so everyone seems young. There is a vitality with a variety of eateries to choose from. Our group dined at the new warf area at a Greek fish restaurant, but when in Rome, we had delicious leg of lamb. Another evening we went to a burger place , and couldn't resist the , yes, you guessed it, lamb burgers!

A most unusual city is Rotarua. It is also a backpacker center, as many adventure tours and sports abound. How strange to see fenced off pens in public spaces all around the city. Wild animals? No. Quicksand? No. Deep wells? No. Would one guess hot geisers, mud holes and dangerous heat vents producing ubiquitous streams of steam in downtown spaces? The smell around town is putrid. A short ride out of town are nature parks, where up close we saw the results of unstable collision of two tectonic plates ( a volcanic blast in 1886) ; thermal rivers of sulphur where  there had once been a settlement. Most astounding are the mud geisers. Like something out of a teenage horror film. The next eruption? Could be today or any guess.

 A morning with Prince, a Maori educator gave us a peek into this noble culture through stories and song. These first settlers, cousins to other south sea islanders, were also displaced from their lands, as the Australuan Aborigines, but we're not treated with as much disrespect. He reported t hat he only knows of two individuals today who are pure Maori. Today they are integrated into the society, and have reestablished their place as landowners. Prince's wife and daughter in law prepared a picnic tea in the park for us. As is the custom, we bumped noses and foreheads to say a fond goodbye.

One night we attended Mitai performance. We anticipated it would be a hokey tourist event, but it was actually a fascinating look into ancient Maori customs. The dancing and singing was enchanting.

The most curious custom is the scary tongue protruding face. This, combined with black animal tattoos was designed to repel an enemy. No doubt it did.

Misc Australia

Andrew has played the didgeridoo all over the world. What a treat to have a lesson. Almost impossible.

Think back to making a motorboat sound with vibrating lips, then resting them inside the top of the skinny hollow log. All of us tried with lame results so we marveled as he entertained us with variations of sounds, some like an elephant skat-singing. Followed by an outback BBQ a la Jak our leader.

The Great Barrier Reef is as big as Japan. Who knew? Surrounding tropical Cairns are beachfront towns catering to vacationers, honeymooners and tourists most setting out on boats of one kind or another for around an hour to reach an island, cay or drop spot to see the coral and sea life wonders. Raining buckets? No worries, Mate. Just have a go. The idea of dropping into the ocean on a grey day was not appealing, so even though it cleared up occasionally, we spent a relaxing day in the catamaran watching our friends come and go. Besides, because the jellyfish are terribly poisonous, they all had to wear bodysuits. Now the men have an idea of how pantyhose and Spanx fight back. More tame was Jules Verne contraption, the semi submersible boat with glass windows below the surface. The coral varieties were amazing, but apparently not as vibrant as through a snorkel mask.

The Sydney Opera House; spectacular building. The story behind it as well. Unfortunately there were no performances when we were there. We enjoyed it , the harbor bridge, and the rest of the beautiful harbor sights on an hour cruise, even through the grey and rain.

We considered skipping Sydney's Jewish Museum as our year has been filled with so many Jewish museums already. But we did go, and how glad we were. The professional exhibits, surrounding a foyer shaped like a Jewish star presented the history of the Jewish world and not just of Sydney's community. Holocaust education is a focus, and the school groups in their crisp uniforms fanned out to  glean what they could in a short time. We happened upon a lovely octogenarian woman, Olga Horak, standing in front of a glass case containing a woven blanket. It had been hers, found discarded after her five concentration camp nightmare. It stayed with her while she was nursed back to health after the war, and was saved by the people who took her in. In recent years she got it back, and now gives talks about her experience to the school groups. It was made with human hair.

We bought her book "Aushwitz to Australia" in the bookstore and promised to mail her Max's book.

Jackaroo, our OAT leader, our own cutie Olivia Newton John look alike, encouraged us to taste the offerings of her homeland.

Tropical fruits (never seen before), kangaroo, Pavlova, ANZAC cookies, goody balls, vegemite. Vegemite is a definite no go! And of course meat pies. Little round flaky creations approximately 4" in diameter can be filled with almost anything; lamb, beef, Indian curry, chicken, and fruit. Then there is McDonalds, (they say Mackers) where there is a lamb and feta wrap. Imagine that going over on Main Street America.

Kangaroos, Koalas, Birds, and a Tasmanian Devil thrown in

Of course! These Roos are not skittish and let people feed them by hand.

These cute little guys are reclusive and hard to spot. A tracker scoured the park before we arrived and sent GPS locations and left pink ribbons for our guide to locate them for us. They sleep 20 hours a day and often stay in the he same group of trees for awhile.

Young dingo

A real Tasmanian Devil. They are rare now due to an unstoppable nose cancer.

This Pelican downs several fish in one gulp.

Emu dads sit on the eggs and take care of the young.

Scarface the Croc as seen on a Croc cruise

Aborigine culture

Shocking, but true. Australia had an official policy for many years that was Whites Only. The  European  settlers took over indigenous lands stating that they were devoid of people. Half caste children were eventually born, then stolen from their parents and sent away to boarding schools in an attempt to acculturate them as whites. Many did not see their families again.

We spent a morning with a man named Lindsey, one of these children. White skinned and blue eyed, he considers himself an Aborigine, because his proud family culture dictated his upbringing.

With Lindsey and a traditional painting he created

 He related how his sons and other teens "become men" in traditional initiation tests and ceremonies. Throughout their lives they can return to endure more tests, which involve cutting wounds into their bodies, scars being badges of bravery and commitment. Lindsey had (or has ?) six wives and one son with each. A photo of three first cousins showed one vey blonde boy, one dark, and one in between. He explained that the white genes are dominant and that in one generation offspring can be white as the Aboriginal gene is weaker. I don't know if this is true, but will try to check it out.

In 1972, a long overdue  public apology to the indigenous peoples was pronounced by the then prime minister for all of the atrocities and racism over hundreds of years. In the communities , often rife with poverty, addiction, crime and unemployment there is still much to be done to equalize their citizenship. It is a complicated issue which has some parallels with American treatment of native peoples and Afro Americans.

We soaked up all we could about the indigenous histories in a few excellent museums.

The Melbourne Museum, the National Victoria Museum in Federation Square, Melbourne, and Adelaide's Museum all presented various aspects. An A+ goes to the Adelaide collection of beautiful artifacts (especially the scores of exceptional baskets and shields) and the interspersed historical video clips of all aspects of cultural life. One cant help but be impressed by the ingenuity of these traditional people who had such limited resources but who lived well off of the barren and difficult land using everything nature offered.

 

They learned how to make medicines from plants, how to grind seeds for food, how to make spears and boomerangs, how to attach objects together with glue from animal sinew, and so much more. The land was their pharmacy, hardware store, grocery and spiritual center. Their reverence for the earth and the knowledge that they are one with their land is so deep seeded and central to their being that their removal from it created scars that may never heal.

Uluru and Kata Tjuta 

With the Youngermans and our guide Jak

The famous rock, formerly known as Ayers Rock, and its neighbor Kata Tjuta preside over the center of Australia, holding court approximately a four hour drive from Alice Springs. The area is the most sacred ceremonial place for the Aboriginal people, who have lived in Australia for over 35,000 years. How ironic that their land was "given back" to them in 1985. As a World Heritage site, the property has been a cooperative venture with the government under a board of directors, three quarters of whom are Abiriginal. Now only Aborigines are allowed to live there. The tourist industry is healthy, but regulated. Only certified guides are permitted to give tours or even information, in order to insure that the respect due the ancestors is maintained. 

Sacred water hole

Driving around the two structures, walking on paths in permitted places ( various are so sacred and reserved for ceremonies) and being present for sunrise and sunset was a true honor.

 

Our group was surprised with a lovely champagne reception at the sunset viewing spot.

We as guests of this ancestral people were touched by the stories of creation, tales of how the animal spirits created the rock's markings, and the wall paintings used as visual learning tools.

After getting up at 5 am to witness the sunrise over Uluru, and in addition the Southern Cross, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, we were later privileged (in 100 degree heat!) to be able to walk up the gorge on Kata Tjuta. It was a round trip of about an hour, and well worth the trouble. It is possible to walk up a path on Uluru, but the tribe does not want people dong it in order to not violate the respect for the sacred place.

Thirty years ago when David was 8, his third grade class studied Australia for Folk Fair. His assignment was to report on Ayers Rock. I had never heard of it before, but of course was fascinated by the subject enthusiastically relayed by this young mate dressed up as an outback ranger with a red neckerchief. Twenty or so years after his report, he had to see it for himself, and went on a sojourn there. A favorite photo of him shows his back to the camera in silhouette gazing at his old red friend, the majestic rock . In solidarity...

Aboriginal art

Their paintings typically refer to objects in nature, their culture, or their traditional stories. We are wild about them! There are repeated symbols and motifs such as round objects depicting billabongs (water holes), animals, journeys, etc. The simplicity combined with design elements, color, and the stories they tell make for very appealing art. The museums had exceptional examples, but so did the main street, Todd Mall, in Alice Springs. Viewing the art galleries was a dizzying experience. We deliberated for a long time at the Papuna Tula Artists gallery, a cooperative who gives back to the community. It was difficult to narrow down the choices that all wanted to follow us home, but we eventually did buy several modest sized pieces of this unique modern art. Also selling on the street were Aboriginal women with their paintings spread out beneath trees. We felt it was important to meet them and buy   directly from these artists as well.

Aboriginal women selling their paintings

The Aborigines used natural substances to create body paint in several colors.

Tassie and Melbourne

Tasmania. A place, when mentioned to Americans, brings a chuckle and an inquiry about hunting for Tasmanian Devils (made popular by a children's cartoon of the 60's). Off the radar to North Americans, they ask, is it a country? A city? Buzz. The jeopardy question is: what is an island state in Australia off the east coast, a one and a half hour flight from Melbourne?

We might not have ever ventured there except for the desire to see friends we met through Arielle's work buddy, Jane. We became acquainted with The Moores when they visited Milwaukee to see Jane play Australuan football. It was a perfect opportunity to see them again and learn about their beloved Tassie.

First of all, it is beautiful. There is a calmness, even in the main city, Hobart. Considering what they consider heavy traffic, the impression is that life is less hurried , less plastic, less stressful than we know it. We did see some outlets of the multinational chains, but the roads and neighborhoods are populated with more small businesses than we are used to, not garish strips of shouting neon. There is an impression that the best part of the 1950s has been held onto.

A short ferry ride took us to MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art, an unusual and magnificent structure housing ancient relics and wild contemporary art side by side . The current exhibit, Gilbert and George, is controversial at best. Our hosts also introduced us to The Botanic Gardens, and to the lookout on top of Mt. Wellington.

A long drive through the countryside, navigated deftly by Ken at the helm took us on a perimeter road circling the irregular land masses south of Hobart through small villages on the coast. My favorite town name is Cygnet. Sparkling coves full of sailboats, vacation cottages, and adjacent pasture land for future lamb sausages filled in the serene visual landscape. There were no ugly billboards or annoying signs disturbing our respite. This entire area had been engulfed in a devasting fire in 1967, which is the reason so many of the "new" structures are no longer built from wood. In the wooded areas, denuded and stripped trees are still evident. A serendipitous stop at a small but very professionally curated area museum documents the inferno.

Lucky us, we were in town for the once a week Salamanca Market. A long street near the docks fills with tents of vendors selling crafts, gourmet jams, Tasmanian honey, fancy soaps etc and of course second hand books and some antiques. We sampled flavorful coffee while strolling and viewing in the midst of noticeably mild mannered crowds. There was even an exhibit by a car club of reconditioned Fords from the 1950s.

A highlight of the two days in Tassie was the evening planned by Jenny and Ken at their beautiful home in New Town, a part of Hobart a few minutes from the downtown. They invited (cajoled?) Ken's barbershop quartet buddies to attend and perform at their BBQ. Lovely people!

Not knowing much about our own uniquely U.S. musical tradition, we learned about the history and current international barbershop subculture. Imagine Japanese and French groups performing at the annual competition in the US every July, in English! We were smitten and hooked! They delighted us with favorites old and new and we could have stayed all night listening. The rest of the evening we were engulfed in fun and warm hospitality, and regretted not having enough time to talk to everyone more. Kudos to Jenny who made a Pavlova dessert, an extradinary creation of merengue, cream and fruit.

 

Melbourne

This city is what Chicago should wannabe. It too has a central loop, surrounded by magnificent skyscrapers, a navigable River, memorable bridges and river walks, world class museums, botanic gardens, festivals, seemingly endless city sprawl, and amazing multicultural restaurants. One difference is a cohesive downtown in a fairly contained area with an encircling FREE and efficient transportation system by tram, which takes natives and tourists alike to the main arteries for work, cultural institutions and entertainment. There is also one "ground zero" center of town at Federation Square, a modern plaza of museums, venues, tourist assistance and crossing tram lines. Our five days here have been full, easy to get around and safe.

 Some highlights:

The Queen Victoria Market is a few football fields worth of space for exotic food, produce, Aussie flea market products. We swooned while eating our Borek rolls of cheese and spinach.

Several times we ambled in and out of the miles of covered arcades and lane ways inside the downtown loop. These are similar to what are found in London or Paris, full of cake and chocolate shops, small Aussie bars, and fancy goods. We happened upon a Dr Seuss print store. Jim walked in and saw a photo of his cousin in Chicago! It turns out that this cousin is the art dealer who has the license for Dr. Seuss art! The shopkeeper knows him and was as surprised to meet Jim as Jim was to come across the photo.

We walked through the Botanic Garden (lush fern gully), and the nearby imposing war memorial. The river walk offered various points of interest, including walls of immigrant statistics by country. Britain, Ireland and The Phillipines counted the majority of new Australians. Beautiful bridges over the river contrasted with the varied and quite artistic facades of the newest tall buildings nearby. Certainly the architects must have been in competition with each other to design the most colorful, playful and head turning constructions. Few hum drum skyscrapers here.

Many of the buildings have a long triangle motif embedded somewhere in the architecture. Curious. We also stumbled across a number of eagle sculptures. Turns out they are related. The creation story of the Aboriginal people involves a sharp tail feather.

Our favorite eating experience was in Hardware Lane, wide enough to have a comfortable and busy outdoor cafe scene, which made us think we were in Rome for awhile. Note the Max restaurant on Hardware. We also enjoyed a Greek food on the street of Greek restaurants, 

Also downtown is The Victoria Library , a gem of a building with a magnificent dome.