sea creatures, great and small

The water was chilly, and I hate wetsuits so I ended up taking a walk. 

Extreme tides made walking on the beach more interesting. 

Lots of sea creatures from tiny jellyfish to green-lipped mussels to sea stars. 

Tide pools big enough to swim in. 

Plus the occasional car or motorbike. 

And horses and herons. 

And revelers. 

global feast

What makes a great guesthouse? 

Location certainly and an open kitchen or common area where visitors gather and converse. 

Free tea. Hammocks. Caring owners. Animals to play with. And if you're lucky, a holiday dinner with a bunch of travelers you just met. 

For Christmas we shared a feast prepared by everyone: pumpkin soup and bbq and beer bread and potato salad. 

I made a Waldorf salad, a genuinely American invention (first served at the Waldorf–Astoria) that went over well.  

My Rice Krispies treats were met with  confusion although it was fun making them. 

Santa came by throwing toffees. 

Everyone called home. 

No one went hungry. 

We took turns lying in the hammocks. 

And all was well in the world. 

Adding this brilliant panorama Robin took. The Rice Krispies treats were devoured eventually. 

beachcombing

Endless Summer, named after the surf/travel classic partly filmed here at Shipwreck Cove, is at the top of the north island. 

That's my room in the upper left looking out at the sea. 

It's not especially warm, and there were hardly any waves today on Christmas Eve. 

A perfect day to go for a long walk at low tide. 

You can drive on the beach, which seems a bit questionable unless you're the lifeguard patrolling in a Scooby Doo-style dune buggy. 

Most of the guests are German plus a few Swiss and Austrians; they are extremely gracious about switching to English when I'm around. We've all been asked to make a dish from home to share. 

This involved lots of slicing 

and peeling

and adapting recipes to local ingredients. 

Tomorrow 21 of us will gather around this magnificent kauri table for a truly global feast. 

At 9 Anna brought us together for punch and carols as the moon rose. And at midnight we were the first time zone to celebrate Christmas and post on social media. Rumor has it Santa will make an appearance tomorrow. And far from home in this idyllic corner of the world, we will eat and drink and maybe even surf.  

pit stop

Today I drove 700 kilometers, mostly without stopping because I was worried about Auckland holiday traffic, plus even fast roads in New Zealand slow to a crawl when they go through towns.

So I was excited to realize the Hundertwasser toilets were on my route. You may know Hundertwasserhaus from Vienna.  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundertwasserhaus#/media/File%3AHundertwasser_04.jpg

The toilets were Hundertwasser's last project, completed shortly before his death in 2000. 

They're made entirely of recycled materials. 

I first stopped by in May 2001; the guys I was traveling with knew about them. I hadn't realized he'd lived in New Zealand though. 

They're still pretty wonderful with lots of whimsical touches. 

Popular too. 

Plus the library next door has free wifi. 

Check them out if you happen to be passing through. 

sea span

Taranaki district is filled with scenic walkways. I found out about the giant cheese and the giant surfboard too late. 

But I did spend the afternoon near Len Lye's magical Wind Wand, constructed nearly 20 years after his death in time for the end of the 20th century. The wand, which is lit at night, sways to the breeze. Wherever you go in town you can see it. 

3 km south is the brilliant Te Rewa Rewa bridge which evokes the wind and the skeleton of a whale. 

The bridge opened 5 years ago on the seaside walkway. Nearby is a traditional burial ground. 

I took advantage of a clearing to catch the sunset. 

That's Taranaki you see in the distance. 

It reminds me of Santiago Calatrava's marvelous Sundial Bridge in Redding. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundial_Bridge_at_Turtle_Bay

And they serve similar purposes, part of reclaiming public space for the community. Don't miss it if you find yourself in New Plymouth. 

the forgotten world highway

As you may know, I'm obsessed with volcanoes. I came to New Plymouth because of Taranaki, a perfect cone.

But this city, far on the west coast, is home to a rising art scene. Kinetic artist Len Lye came from New Plymouth, and although he died in 1980, his work is still being constructed from detailed notes. 

This new wing of the Govett–Brewster Art Gallery  was just named one of the top 10 cultural attractions in the world, along with the Broad in LA and Renzo Piano's reinvention of The Whitney. 

His Four Fountains is nothing short of dazzling.

Each moves independently to music. 

Your body sways in response. 

Lye's most famous work here is his Wind Wand on the walkway. I'll see it tomorrow. 

My timing couldn't be better. I'm staying at Arcadia, a charming B&B/hostel. And the Festival of Lights is on, the first holiday event I've been in a town for. 

As it gets dark, the lights come up. 

Pukekura Park is filled with creatures and disco balls and day-glo stencils. 

This is the Poet's Bridge. 

Fountains flash in colors. 

Even without the Disney treatment this giant ficus is amazing. 

In case you want to know how popular this is, when I got back the German guys were playing Kiwi Monopoly. 

And what's Boardwalk? The Festival of Lights.