Terry Ambrose

Writing is like a good barbecue sauce, if it ain't bold, it ain't worth doing.

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Friday Fotos – Picton Harbor calling

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Picton - harbor showing some of the boats in the harbor
Boats in the harbor at Picton, where tourism is big business

During our 2019 tour of New Zealand, we had the pleasure of visiting beautiful Picton. This gorgeous small town is located in the Marlborough Sounds and is reminiscent of days gone by, a time when it was easy to walk around and stroll from shop to shop. The locals in this area say the harbor has more boats than there are permanent residents.

The thing about this small town is that tourism is big business. Without it, the town would be much smaller. There is skiing nearby, but when the cruise ships stop coming, the town becomes quiet. Learn more about the area on the Visit Picton website.

If you want to see more of our trip to New Zealand, check out last week’s post, Friday Fotos – Zealandia is a wildlife refuge for the future.

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Friday Fotos – Zealandia is a wildlife refuge for the future

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Zealandia took over this structure
This “lake” is actually part of a dam, which became part of Zealandia when it began.

Welcome to Zealandia wildlife refuge!

Don’t get this Zealandia confused with the continental shelf by the same name. This one is in Wellington, New Zealand and we visited during our 2019 trip to New Zealand. This was a great experience. Much like all other organized tours, there simply wasn’t enough time to see everything we’d have liked.

The Zealandia wildlife refuge is a fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary. They have a 500-year vision to restore the valley forest and freshwater ecosystems as closely as possible to their pre-human state. An organization with a 500-year vision is very unusual, but they are intent on reintroducing species of native wildlife, some of which have been absent from mainland New Zealand for more than 100 years.

Check out last week’s Friday Foto, Friday Fotos – Hawkes Bay Express is a stylish ride.

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Friday Fotos – Hawkes Bay Express is a stylish ride

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Hawkes Bay Express 1
The ‘steam engine’ for this local tour service was hand-built by the owner.

In last week’s post, Friday Fotos – Napier is the Art Deco capital of New Zealand, I mentioned that the train in Napier was a fun way to see the sites. Well, here it is, the Hawkes Bay Express! Isn’t this a beauty? The owner hand built it and it truly is the perfect complement to the old-timey Art Deco atmosphere in town. The insides of the Hawkes Bay Express are decorated in vintage style, and the owner is dressed appropriately for the era.

Want to learn more about Napier? Click here to visit their website..

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Friday Fotos – Napier is the Art Deco capital of New Zealand

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Napier - Art deco 5
Art deco is king in Napier.

Napier, the Art Deco capital of New Zealand

Upon our arrival in Napier, we discovered that it was a very cool little town with a surprising past. The architecture is amazing, and it all came about because a natural disaster gave the town an opportunity to remake itself into something truly special.

Unfortunately, the day we were in Napier the weather was cold and windy. We weren’t feeling much like braving the elements and decided to take a tram ride so we could check out the downtown area and see the sights. The train was another treat. It had been hand built by the owner and was the perfect complement to the old-timey atmosphere. Want to learn more about Napier? Click here to visit their website..

Did you miss last week’s photo? You’ll find it in Friday Fotos – Russell shore excursion began early.

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Friday Fotos – Russell shore excursion began early

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Sunrise as we arrive for our Russell shore excursion
This was an early morning shore excursion, so we had to be up bright and early!

Last week I shared a photo in the post Our cruise on the MS Noordam seems so long ago showing the cruise ship from shore. This is what it was like pulling into the Bay of Islands at dawn. Our Russell shore excursion was scheduled to begin early, so the boat was buzzing with activity as people prepared.

As I said last week, Russell was a delightful little town. These days, I wonder how they’re faring with no cruise ships to come in and flood the town with tourists. I don’t know when or if we’ll take another cruise, but if we do, I hope we get to see little towns like Russell. If you want to learn more about this cool town, check out russellnz.co.nz.

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Friday Fotos – plenty of places to grab a bite in Russell

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Plenty of places to sit and have some tea in Russell New Zealand
Outdoor tables are common and the atmosphere is relaxing

We fell in love with Russell, New Zealand. It’s a lovely little town with plenty of quaint shops, many of which cater to tourists. The eateries along the water are wonderful, and the atmosphere (when the weather is good) is delightful.

As a side note, this was my first—and last—day in a ‘healthy’ condition after contracting the Australian flu during our Sydney stopover. As far as our trip went, my timing for getting seriously ill was pretty good. Yes, first and last. We made this excursion, and I promptly developed a lung infection. During my time with the Australian flu, I truly felt as though I might die from the severe coughing. It’s an experience I never want to repeat!

Check out the original travel journal where this photo was first posted at Travel Journal – April 27 – Russell, New Zealand