2 34 - North Shore News -— Sunday, February 6, 2000 HIOREKE: “Will you be staying for dinner?” said the voice down the telephone from the guest house in deepest New Zealand. Not expecting the ques- tion 1 hesitated, then the voice said again: “1rd recom- mend it. There’s nowhere else.” As it turned out the meal was one of the best I had in this land of milk and honey: Hokianga lamb with vegeta- bles fresh from the garden, - followed by apple crumble and cream from the cow in the yard for its friend over the ‘hill, but you get the idea). My hosts, Dick and Lila Holdaway, did not hold back with the wine either, and it flowed with the same stimu- lating and humorous conver- sation that has delighted many a lucky traveller who has come across the River Head guest house. Having said that, River Head is- somewhat off the - beaten track, actually 15 km up a metal road in a fairly remote part of the upper North Island, but then again you won't find any tour buses in Horeke, much less in the driveway of Dick's character house, built in 1871 from kauri wood. It dates from the times when sailing ships crossed the world, made a western land- fall at the huge sand-dunes outside Hokianga harbour, and sailed miles upriver to Horeke. From here immigrants took horses or waiked the 40 miles or so to Russell on the east coast. Russell, jewel of the beautiful Bay of Islands, and nearby Waitangi, where New Zealand’s founding fathers gathered, are tourism icons, yet a week before sum- mer school holidays began Honehy $3299. Glasgow New Zesland Tourism Board AUCKLAND is home to more yachts per capita than anywhere else in the world. The “Clty of Saiis” is currently hosting six nations challenging for the America’s Cup. they = were uncrowded. I started my trip with a leisurely four-hour drive from Auckland. Motorways are few and far between but quite adequate unless you are keen to make 4n_ early entrance to one of the ceme- teries occasionally if sardon- ically located around sharp bends. Also drivers are polite, giving way and wav- ing acknowledgements more times in a day than you'd see amazingly _$55%. ' Mavi $36%. i London $45%. I : 3 GREAT RETURN AIRFARES: i i Frankfurt $6580. _ $69%. } j Amsterdam $54% pp. | pice or perpen wets Royal Mall West Vancouver oat) 13°1€40 Ail locations are regitered with the B.C. Travel Canditions opply, prices per person ea ea oat Lased on avvilability. Come ond see the professionals of High? Centre for all your travel needs. 1305 be Lonsdale dale Ave., ‘986-5535. _ $7890, anes may apply in a lifetime in Europe. But the main joy is the scenery; it is majestic. The east coast of the North Island has outlooks, bays (and islands!) to rival the best of British Columbia, the difference here being far fewer peopie. Ar Russell I stayed at the 1827 Duke of Marlborough, oidest licensed hotel in New Zealand, although in all that time it has not learned how to make a decent gin and tonic. Dinner at the Gables along the Strand was tasteless and overpriced, but all was redeemed with breakfast out- side the Waterfront Café, soaking up the morning sun with a view of boats stirring in the harbour. Tt was not always so quiet. Whalers, the first ships to come here, spawned brothels and grog shops on the water- front, a romance between two Maori girls and a captain started a minor war, and after the Union Jack was hoisted across the bay at Waitangi int840 Maoris chopped it down four time Around the same time six ships arrived farther souch at Waipu with 900 Scottish set- thers who had spent 31 hard years in Cape Breton and decided to try pastures new. One thing that probably impressed them was a cli- mate where they could grow oranges ... “Hey Hector, let's) make some mar- majade!™ Their heritage lives on with annual Highland games attended by up to 15,000. A local museum has bagpipes which went from Scotland to the Crimean War 1854-56, went back to Scotland, to Cape Breton and then co New Zealand. Time and again I found myself stopping to take in a fabulous panorama, often framed with handsome, scar- let-flowering pohutukawa trees. I took one detour to see the beach where the remains of the Rainbow Warrior have been sunk as.a dive boat, and called in at the sleepy hamlet of Whangaroa where the game-fishing club reported good catches of marlin, tuna and shark. Local knowledge led me to dinner at the fish and chip shop strikingly located on the waterfront at Mangonui, then sleep came easily at a guest house overlooking Cooper’s Beach. I resisted the temptation to join the tour buses on 90- Mile Beach and visit the cape, preferzing to cruise through the kauri forests on the west coast and make Horeke in good time. [ thought there might just be a good pub there with some New Zealand characters. I was right, and Dick Holdaway bought the first round. — For more information check . please join CRYSTAL S@ CRUISES CRUISEMASTERS of ROSEWAY TRAVEL for a Special Cruise Presentation featuring our 2000 CRYSTAL CRUISE COLLECTION Tuesday, February 22, at 7:00pm held at West Vancouver Office 106-100 Park Royal South, West Vancouver Admission $5:00 RSVP 926-4344 @ AMSTERDAM. Auckland: city of sea and sails YOU don’t have to enjoy getting wet to appreciate Auckland, but it helps. Auckland is the gateway to New Zealand. Located in the northern area of the North Island, nearly all international flights arrive and depart from Auckland. This dynamic city lies across a large volcanic isthmus that separates two harbours: The Waitemata Harbour opens east to the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park, home to forty-seven. islands scattered like: stones across the sea. The Manukau Harbour opens west to the Tasman Sea, and to the North lies the Bay of Istands, with its stunning collection of white sand beaches and towering cliffs. Not surprisingly, consider- ing its surroundings, Auckland is the water sport See New Zealand page 38 Rates are in USD a Seattle Yo: From Return One Way $659 ....$384 $457 ...$311 § $551 ....$350 F ALICANTE... $589.. S366 | 3479 ...$311 $528... $351 $413 ....$311 Ff 929... $520 fi 524...$317 & $413...S311 9 $616...$363 f "$413_..$311 $528 $341 f $561...5342 f "$534... $363 § $413 ,...$311 $598 ....$356 : 528... $341 600... $345 f gy DUSSELDORF. EDINBURGH HANOVER... HELSINKI... a KALININGRAD KRAKOW... LISBON. 611 $396 | $413 $311 S11 ...$360 fl ST. 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